'Twas the Night Before Ramadan

While walking around tonight, I got a spark of inspiration to write a parody of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" inspired by the preparations for Ramadan. However, I don't think I can come up with enough material right now for the whole thing, so all you're getting is my reflections.

It does feel like the night before Christmas, in that frantic shopping sort of way. Since Ramadan begins on Sunday (so I've been told), I decided that I should stock up on some food so that I can have breakfast and lunch in my apartment. So, after a celebration to give certificates to our students from the Summer English Classes, I hit the streets.

I was not alone.

Not even close!

The streets around the main market area in town for things like fruits, basic foods, and dried fruits (raisins, dates, and apricots are consumed in mass quantities during Ramadan) were just packed! It would have been alright with just foot traffic, but when you toss in cars trying to go both directions, scooters, bicycles, and the occasional horse-drawn cart, it was pretty crazy!

I managed to get a kilo of raisins to munch on, some bread, and a chocolate-covered sweet for in the morning. Oh, I also bought a kilo of honey from a guy who has a bee/honey farm not far from Tanta. Hey, I'm doing what I can to support the local farmer!

Now, I'll probably stay up for a few hours to relax and listen to what's happening on the streets. It's quiet now, so I'm guessing that maybe people are napping and then will wake up a bit before early morning prayers to have one last big meal before the Holy Month of fasting begins.

So many things change because of Ramadan. I'll try to think about some of them and write a good description later.

We have winners!!!

Regarding my previous post opening the contest to see who would be the first to chat with me, using my new DSL connection -- this is the announcement of the winners!

Much to my surprise, my mother was not the first person to text chat with me. She came in a close 2nd. Thanks for trying, Mom. *smile*

The winner for first to text chat with me was my friend Vanessa in Michigan.

And the winner for first to voice chat and to give me a peek into his life using a webcam was my friend Rob in Michigan.

The text chat was on MSN Messenger and the voice/video was using Skype. Quality is really great! *grin*

So...you still have time to be a winner by getting into a voice conversation with me on MSN Messenger, or any type of chat on Yahoo Instant Messenger.

What did they win?

Well, Bob...they win visits from me! Yes, that's right! Upon my return from Michigan, they'll be lucky enough to have me come spend time with them.

Is this really a prize? *laugh* We'll have to see what they think!!!

Pirate Babe Calendar? (and more Pirate info)

This amuses me. Yesterday, I wrote about Pirates and today I came across a link for the Pirate Babe Calendar. Strange things!!!

On a related note, I forgot to say that I rode the Pirate Ride (or something similar) at Dream Park today. While riding it, I decided to talk like a pirate so I said things like "ARRRRGH!", "Shiver me timbers", "Matey", and "Walk the plank". I blame my lack of originality on the fact that I was high up in the air and flying around!

A big day at the amusement park

Big day -- met people at 7am and we left for Cairo before 8. Not bad, really. First we went to a church and then on to Dream Park. We were there from noon until 9pm! Wow!!!

Quite an experience. I think Dream Park is the biggest amusement park in Egypt, but it can't really compare to major parks that I've been at. The complex is huge, with a hotel, mall, etc and is owned by a big media company so it's trying to be a bit like Disney World or Disney Land, but it's more like "The Most Popular Fair on Earth" mixed with some of the smaller rides from Cedar Point.

The biggest ride is something like the Iron Dragon at Cedar Point and they also have a smaller version of Thunder Canyon as one of their water rides. Heck, there's even something like Disaster Transport! Oddly enough, all the rides seemed to have come from the same German company.

Some of the fair rides that I thought about included the Tilt-a-Whirl (my name for it -- at Dream Park it was Tea Cups) and something like the Matahorn. Sorry for the obscurity of this b/c only my mother and maybe old high school friends will remember these names from the Hillsdale County Fair (which is actually called "the most popular fair on Earth" for some strange reason, since that can't be true).

Going off on a tangent of speculation, it just occurred to me that someone probably took P.T. Barnum's "The Greatest Show on Earth" tagline and tried to change it. The trouble is, "greatest" is a subjective term, so you can get away with using it b/c no one can prove it's not the greatest. Unfortunately, "most popular" can be quantified by presuming that attendance equals popularity. If this is done, then the Hillsdale County Fair has been lying to people for 150 years! *grin*

I'm tired, but it was a fun day and strangely enough, it felt like being home...even though I was with a group of 16 Egyptians all day. The timing was good, b/c the Hillsdale County Fair starts on Sept. 24th.

An extra hour, an extra week

So, here's something for the "I didn't know they could do that" category.

Normally, Egypt does the "fall back" time change the last Thursday in September. That would be one week from today. However, because Ramadan starts this Sunday (we think), the government has decided to have the time change tonight. *laugh*

For me, that's really good b/c Friday morning at 7am, I have to meet up with a bunch of friends from Tanta to hop on a bus for a day of fun at a big amusement park, Dream Park. This will be my first time to go and it sounds like a great place! If nothing else, the price is right! It's 40 Egyptian Pounds (less than $8) for the bus to/from Cairo and the ticket into the park!

I just looked through the website and it looks like a small place, which will let us save our energy for screaming! There are also water rides, so I think I'd better take my bathing suit and a towel plus some dry clothes to keep on the bus. My DSL connection is paying off now, for sure!!!! *smile*

Sudden realization!

You remember the friends that I mentioned in a previous post? The ones who got married last week? I just realized that they got married on Talk Like a Pirate Day! (of course, this was no coincidence and when they told me the date, I should have checked to see if they lined up)

Ah, I love my friends!!!!

The loudest Roar since '84

Wow, the Detroit Tigers are still in 1st place! From various people, I had heard that they were doing well earlier in the season, but I hadn't checked recently!

With just the rest of this month and 1 game in October, things look good. They have 6 games against Kansas City, a team which isn't very good (at least judging from their record). Of these, the last 3 are in Detroit to wrap up the regular season.

I won't bother trying to find clips now, but once the playoffs start...I'll be using my DSL connection to watch whatever I can. Comment/email if you know good places for me to look.

Michigan to get federal grant for teaching languages!

Well, this is "old news" from April, but I find this idea/article to be interesting:
"Embracing Arabic: State to get language grant" (from the Detroit free Press)

My first reaction was "Great, more Americans studying languages!" But I have to balance that with my skeptical side, thinking that part of the government's aim is to start training kids in Arabic and Chinese so that they are better qualified as adults to be used for intelligence-gathering. You know, FBI, CIA, NSA, etc. Train them early!

Thoughts?

More observations about myself and Egypt

It's really nice having a juice shop in my neighborhood. That was the one major drawback of where I used to live. Today, I had a "cocktail" (that's even what they call it in Arabic). Essentially, chunks of banana, apple, pear, melon, and fresh date in a tall glass, mixed with juice, and topped with whipped creme.

Yummy! I've been a bit scared to get these at other places in the past b/c they sit around awhile. But these looked fresh.

The only bad thing is that I don't like fresh dates. I've been trying to like them, but I can't do it. The texture is nice, flavor is OK, but that mouth-drying element and the after-taste are...yuck!

Live and learn.

Observations from this evening

In my neighborhood, a new coffee shop just opened, so I tried it. Decent place, but a bit more expensive than others around. I'll probably go back. It's hard to beat the location -- less than 5 minutes away.

While walking home, I noticed that there's another coffee shop that should be open soon. The walls are painted and chairs are ready. I'm presuming they'll open for Ramadan, which starts on the 24th (maybe).

Sitting at the cafe', I saw a video on TV that was a new cover of the Bangles' song, "Walk Like an Egyptian". I tried to find information on the Web about who sings it, but I couldn't find anything!

Pictures of my new apartment!

By popular demand (at least from my mother), here are some pics of my new place!

One of my best friends...

...is getting married today. Best wishes! You know who you are!

A fun Monday

Yesterday, I:

--watched an Indian movie at the Indian Cultural Center
--ate a Syrian-style sandwich on the way back to where I was staying
--was mistaken for being Turkish by another customer while waiting for my sandwich

What a day!

A Contest to Contact Me!!!

I'm happily connected to my new DSL connection! God willing, I'll stay connected too!!! *grin* It took a bit of time for the guys to get the wires capped properly and there seems to be some sort of odd electrical field near the desk where I'm sitting, but all seems to be well!

So, the contest is to see who will be the first to:

1) Text chat with me on MSN Messenger
2) Voice chat with me on MSN Messenger
3) Use their webcam so that I can see them on MSN Messenger
4) Talk with me on Skype
5) Connect in any way using Yahoo Instant Messenger

If you don't know my name on these -- it's the same for all of them. That's my first initial and last name. Just check to see if I'm connected!

Prizes? Who said that a contest has to have prizes??? But I'll see what I can do...

"Underground Heavy Metal Scene Thrives Cautiously in Egypt"

So, I missed this story from CBS news a month ago about Egypt's growing Heavy Metal scene, but I'm bringing it to you now. Amazing what you find sometimes when doing a simple search -- I just wanted to find out the time for a concert tonight!

*grin*

But it's an interesting article and now I really want to check out one of these concerts!!! What a crazy thing that would be!

100 Ways to Save the Environment

Live...from North Carolina, it's... 100 Ways to Save the Environment!

*applause*

(Please ignore the typos on that page -- they're worth fighting through to read the good information that's there!)

Sleeping on my balcony

My balcony is large.

How large is it? Well, big enough for a double-sized mattress. How do I know this? Yes, you guessed it -- I slept out there on Thursday night!

And...it...was...great! In fact, I even got cold that night! Yes, shocking!

Fortunately, the balcony is designed such that people on the street below can't see up to where I'm sleeping. So it's only people on surrounding buildings that live on higher floors who could look down on me. For the sake of not scaring folks, I wore pajama pants and a T-shirt.

More about the apartment soon! I love it and will post pics soon, I hope!

Water Usage

Here's a bit of background for a future post or serious of posts that I'll be making. Several things lately have gotten me thinking about water usage, so I went looking for statistics.

Here are statistics on average water usage in the U.S.

I had to laugh when I saw this as part of the page:

--> A friend of mine saw a decorative sign with this advice in a neighbor's bathroom: "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, send it down."

Yes to High-Speed Internet

Well, it looks like the next time I'm online, it'll be from my apartment with the high-speed Internet from across the street. God willing, it'll happen at 3pm Tuesday afternoon.

I'm in Cairo for a few things this weekend, including an event at the American University to raise awareness about the situation in Darfur. Similar events are happening all over the world today and you can read more about:

Global Day for Darfur

and

Save Darfur.org

Hand-powered flashlights

Bought a couple of hand-powered flashlights at a monastery gift shop during my trip.

I kinda figured I'd be able to find something similar on Ebay, but this flashlight is exactly like 1 of the ones that I got! These are a really good idea, unless you want to sneak up on someone!! *laugh* With my little cheap ones (I paid less than $2 USD), you have to constantly be squeezing and releasing to generate the power, which results in a "whirring" sound. Mine have small watch batteries inside (despite saying "no batteries"), but you're not able to charge them. They work with a separate switch, like any normal flashlight would.

Here's a longer list of similar items on Ebay and I also found these nicer models on another site.

Has anyone seen more sophisticated/expensive versions? Opinions?

My New Apartment and Fast Internet?

Things in my new apartment are great! It's a wonderful place, less than 5 minutes from where I teach my English classes! I have most of my things moved over, so the place is a mess. I'm waiting until I get things put away before I take pictures.

So for now, you have to be satisfied with more photos from my trip!

Conveniently located across the street from my apartment is a nice Internet cafe'. In fact, I'm sitting there as I type this. I talked with them the first day I came about possibly getting a connection run up to my apartment, like other people in surrounding buildings have (it's obvious from the spiderweb of cables running away from the Internet cafe').

The price is decent, so I wanted to check the connection speed. I explained this to the nice guy who runs the place and he agreed.

So...I went to various "Internet Speed Test" websites. Here are the results:

BandwidthPlace -- 343.8 kbps (296 on second try)
CNET Speed Test -- 217.1 kbps (258 on second try)
McAfee Speed Test -- 150 kbps (150 again on second try)
SpeakEasy.net Speed Test -- 616 kbps (422 on second try)
PC Pitstop Speed Test -- 130 kbps (176 on second try)

What accounts for the variation? I think it's that some of the sites allow me to download from a site in/near Egypt, while others are only from America (and come up with slower results)

All in all, I think it's pretty good. From the looks of things, the Internet Cafe' is mostly frequented by kids playing networked computer games. There are only a couple on websites, so that means that I'll mostly be sharing the connection with my neighbors. Once I get the connection in my apartment (I'm pretty sure I'll get it), I'll do a bit of trial/error to see when people are home/downloading and when I get faster speeds.

Cool!

Comparing Book Collections

One of our new/returning MCC volunteers is a writer and keeps up on book-related topics much better than I do.

So, when he says "I found this really interesting site" (in a way that only Keith can say this sentence", I listen! *smile*

The site he pointed me to is LibraryThing -- basically, you create a list of your books (for personal or public use) and then your list is compared to all the other lists from other people who use the site. Based on similarities, the site tries to predict other books you might like. You can go deeper than this, but that's the short version of what you can do.

Give it a try!

My friend the Geek

I have a friend who is a geek. He now owns a Bluetooth Virtual Laser Keyboard. Can you guess who this friend is? (please post in the Comments)

I love a bargain!

As many of you know, I love bargains!

On this recent trip, we went to monasteries all around Upper Egypt, to Luxor Temple in Luxor, and then to beaches near the city of Hurghada on the Red Sea.

When we went to Luxor Temple, my friend decided that it would be funny to them to try to get me in for the Egyptian price.

Here's how the pricing structure breaks down:

Foreigners: 35 Egyptian Pounds
Foreign Students: 20 Egyptian Pounds
Egyptians : 2 Egyptian Pounds

So...they just bought the ticket for me along with the rest of the group and then pushed me into the middle of the mass of people as we went through. *laugh*

The pic is of me holding the ticket and of the price list on the sign!

More pictures?

Well, I had intended to upload a bunch of pics tonight, but Flickr seems to be having some problems. So...I'm heading for bed and hopefully they'll have the problem fixed so that I can upload in the morning before starting the move into my new apartment!

Oh heck, I guess I'll give you another picture here! This one is of my friend Michael's mother (on the right) and her 4 sisters! They were great to be around and did their best to feed us whenever possible!


And here's an odd pic of me. We were at Luxor Temple, so maybe the explanation is that I was temporarily possessed by the spirit of a long-dead Pharaoh?

First picture from my recent trip

As part of my recent trip with a large group of Egyptians from Tanta, a few of us took a side-trip which involved a nice boat ride, snorkeling, and relaxation. There were many foreigners on the boat, so it was very different from the other days on the trip!

The price of the trip was 55 Egyptian pounds (less than $11) which included mask/snorkel/fins and a very nice of salad, rice, meat, and fish. What a value! Something tells me that most of the other people on the boat didn't come for that price b/c they came on packaged tours!

Anyway, while waiting to board our boat in the morning, we looked around at other boats near ours. Look at the name of the boat in this picture. How would _you_ pronounce it?

Love and Marriage

Wait, wait, wait! Before you get too excited about this topic, it's a just a very general thing -- no specific ideas in my mind right now!

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

In our MCC group in Egypt, we have 3 young couples now, all under the age of 30. So this morning, one of the other single guys and I started talking about marriage and came to a question that neither of us could answer.

"What makes a successful marriage?"

The next time I see my married MCC friends, I will ask them this question, but for now I'm asking all of you! Please feel free to reply in the comments if you want to share with others reading this or email me personally.

New apartment

Well, I move into a new apartment tomorrow. I knew this was going to happen before I went on my big trip, but I didn't have time to Blog about it.

However, that's a good thing.

Why?

Well...b/c I'm not moving into that apartment -- I'm actually moving into a different apartment! Long story which I'll try to write out soon!

Learning about Teaching

So this weekend, I'm in Cairo for sessions on English teaching. Today, it was an intense few hours of hearing about the new Internet-based TOEFL test. Read about it -- I think it would even be difficult for native-speakers!!!

Back from my long Journey

Before being away these past few days, I never knew why most Egyptians talk about going on "journeys" instead of using the word "trips".

Now I know!

*laugh*

Long, long trip...but parts were really, really good. Other parts were quite tiring. But it was a good mix.

Pictures and stories this week. Right now I'm at an MCC welcome party for new people and things are crazy with kids running around everywhere!

Great Cairo site to keep you occupied

Since I probably won't be blogging for the next 2 weeks, I wanted to find things to keep you occupied! Well...while searching for a picture of the big governement building in Cairo, I found a beautiful, interesting, and well-designed Cairo site.

It's called "Last Tourist Cairo" and is sponsored by the Dutch Embassy in Cairo and one of the cutting-edge art galleries in Cairo.

I really think you all should take a look at this site. More than anything else I've seen, this site really captures the feel of Cairo. The hand-drawn maps and black-and-white pictures give it that timeless feeling that it has.

Easy dealings with the Egyptian Government

Would you believe that I just got back from a quick and easy trip to extend my Egyptian Visa? Well...it's true!

Granted, they didn't give me the Visa, but that's just a small thing!

*laugh*

(no, that doesn't mean I have to leave when my current Visa expires -- keep reading)

Without making the story any longer than it has to be...with my current Visa expiring in a week and passport expiring at the beginning of November, they didn't know how to process a new 6 month Visa at this point. So they told me there's a 2-week penalty-free grace period for renewing Visas and I'll just wait until I get my new passport and then go back to this same office again for the Visa.

Now that's efficiency! I don't have to go to the big, scary government building in Cairo or anything!!!!

Bible Quiz

Quick! Can you list all the books in the Bible? Just in the Old or New Testament?

If you're like me, the answer is no. In fact, if you're like me and someone says "Is there a book of Nahum in the Bible?", you will probably stare at them blankly. (What can I say? I never went to Sunday School very much -- watching Buck Rogers seemed like a better choice)

Well...as part of my ongoing educational experience in Egypt, I learned today that there is a book of Nahum, plus a whole bunch of other somewhat obscure books after Psalms and Proverbs.

So, think about this for a minute and then take a peek at a list of books of the Bible.

Doing the paperwork

Applied for my new Passport last weekend in Cairo. So, that took me to the U.S. Embassy for the first time. Boring place, but I met a guy working there who used to plant tulips in the summer in Holland, MI.

Tomorrow, I go for my new visa to keep me here the next few months.

After that, I jump on a big ol' bus with a bunch of Egyptians and head south. Yes, to where the weather is even hotter!!! Monasteries, Luxor, Aswan, and Hurghada for about 9 days.

The apartment-hunt continues. No updates.

Helped some kids at the church today with their pronunciation in English. They have a big competition later this week in Cairo and they need to do short speeches and such in English. Kinda fun to see these young kids express themselves in English.

My new apartment

Well, I just found out that the new apartment I've been waiting for months to move into isn't going to work out. *sigh* Long story.

So what this means is that I need to get things rolling over the next couple of days to get people looking for places for me so that there are options when I get back from my trip that leaves on Wednesday.

Kinda discouraging -- I've had so many conversations about this, including last week when I said "Look, just level with me and tell me the truth. I just want to know if I should keep waiting or look for something else." and it's just gotten me nowhere. Well, I guess I've learned from the experience, but it definitely hasn't gotten me a permanent place to live.

In the long run, this might work out for the best. We shall see.

Last Weekend?

Wow...I just love having other people in MCC Egypt with Blogs. They write things and take pictures so I don't have to!

For example, I didn't tell you much about last weekend when I went to Cairo...but Alice, the teenage daughter of my Country Representatives, James and Linda blogs about things. We happened to be at the same event last weekend, so you can read what Alice had to say about it!

Last Weekend?

Wow...I just love having other people in MCC Egypt with Blogs. They write things and take pictures so I don't have to!

For example, I didn't tell you much about last weekend when I went to Cairo...but Alice, the teenage daughter of my Country Representatives, James and Linda blogs about things. We happened to be at the same event last weekend, so you can read what Alice had to say about it!

What a difference a day makes!

Saturday morning -- woke up about 8am and relaxed with a good book in Heliopolis. The apartment I stay in when I'm there is away from a major street and doesn't get a lot of traffic. It's cool and quiet until around 11am.

Sunday morning -- woke up about 8.45am to the sound of a jackhammer going...and it hasn't let up yet after 5 hours. Yes, an actual jackhammer. They're starting construction on a new high-rise apartment right beside the building where I'm staying right now. In fact, I can look out the window of the bedroom where I sleep and see the project.

The past few days

Just back from a fun few days in Cairo. I went on Wednesday afternoon on a trip with people from Tanta and then stayed after that. The trip was to Coptic Cairo with the old churches and also to a part of town called Ma'adi. There's a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a few decades ago, they found a Bible floating in the Nile nearby that was open to a passage that was interpreted as a blessing on the people of Egypt.

Then on Thursday I took some of our new volunteers to a small stretch of Islamic Cairo. It's an area I really love and a good opportunity to spend time with new people. On Friday I went to church and then took the new arrivals to play Ultimate Frisbee.

Now I'm back in Tanta for a few days of teaching. Wednesday, I leave for a big 9-day trip with people from Tanta to Upper Egypt. More details on that later.

Dan Murphy

I think I crossed path with someone named Dan Murphy. Well...I know his name was Dan and from the information he told me, I think his last name is Murphy. But after about an hour of searching, I wasn't able to find a picture of him anywhere online.

Anyway, he's a journalist based in Cairo and he writes mostly about the Middle East. Over the last couple of years, he's spent a bunch of time in Iraq and worked a lot on trying to find his co-worker, Jill Carroll after she was kidnapped.

Christian Science Monitor articles
and
Alternet.org articles

--plus, a fun one about the increasing number of Western students studying abroad in the Middle East.

This gives me another reason to start playing Ultimate Frisbee -- running across interesting people like this! *laugh* Apparently, Dan Murphy really enjoys playing...

That being said, he was a bit of a jerk, but I can forgive him b/c he's probably stressed out of his mind and needed to blow off some steam by playing.

Dance Dance Revolution

Would you believe I played DDR on Thursday night? (If you don't know what this game is, stop reading this entry b/c I'm not even going to try to explain -- or read this to try to understand)

I was in Cairo to show some new volunteers around town...and 2 of them have a version of the game for their computer and 2 pads that plug into the USB ports.

Craziness with 5 of taking turns playing. I should have pictures to post soon! *laugh*

Off to Cairo

Heading to Cairo today with a group from Tanta to see the old Coptic area of the city. After that, I'll stay around for a few days and help show some of our new arrivals around. So...nothing until Saturday or Sunday.

Housing Update

Currently, I'm doing my own special Tanta version of Couch Surfing.

*grin*

First, my new apartment was supposed to be ready on July 20th.
That deadline was missed.

So then they said August 20th.
Nope, didn't make that one, either.

Now the date for me to move in is set as Sept. 7.

God willing, that will happen.

For about 6 weeks, I stayed in a beautiful apartment owned by my friend Fady's family. I had the place to myself. But Fady and his family traveled to the U.S. last week, so I needed to move out. The timing would have been perfect, if the new apartment had been ready.

But it wasn't, so now I'm staying with my friend George. His wife and son are away from Tanta for the summer, so he's glad to have me around to keep him company. I'll give him a break for a few days b/c I'll be in Cairo from Wed. night - Saturday.

Really, it's not as stressful as it sounds! It's interesting to see how different people live and to see different apartments!

Random TV-watching

So, I've been watching a bit of TV the last couple of days. This is strange for me b/c I usually don't watch TV.

What's even stranger is _what_ I've been watching. This morning, it was ABC's Good Morning America, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune! *laugh*

There's a satellite channel that broadcasts all those! GMA was from yesterday morning and was quite painful to watch. There were some useful bits, but mostly it was just sugar-coated junk. They even showed a grainy YouTube clip of some stupid firefighter in England who let his buddies put him in an industrial-sized clothes dryer.

The game shows were interesting, mostly b/c I haven't seen them in at least 4 years and quite a few things have changed. Jeopardy was the Teen Tournament, so I was actually able to answer some of the questions! *smile*

Wheel was fun and there was even a puzzle with the solution "Cairo Egypt".

Some like it hot!

...but not me! And it's been hot!

Really hot, as in sweating when you're just sitting sort of hot. Not sure if there's any end in sight. I guess I should check the weather to see! Thankfully, there's air conditioning in the classroom that I use most of the time so I get a break from the heat for a few hours each day.

100 degrees yesterday, according to weather.com. Plus, it's unusually humid.

Yes, I know the U.S. had a hot stretch a few weeks ago, but it's harder to escape the heat here, I think.

Keeping You Safe

This just in from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), you _are_ allowed the following items in carry-on-baggage:

-Corkscrews
-Knitting and Crochet Needles
-Metal Scissors with pointed tips, if less than 4 inches in length
-Screwdrivers, if less than 7 inches in length
-Walking canes and umbrellas, once they have been inspected to ensure that prohibited items are not concealed

(here is a full list of allowed/banned items)

Anyone else see a possible problem with this? Okay, I know the current issue of people going mad scientist and mixing chemicals on the planes, but if they're going to stop me from carrying Saline Solution, shouldn't they also ban all sharp pointy things?

On a related note, the TSA recently "discovered explosive residue at a checkpoint" in Huntington, W. Virginia. Here they note that the terminal was reopened later in the day, but fail to inform us that "chemical tests later found that there were no explosives in the bottles" (according to CNN).

The woman stopped with the bottles was 28 and of Pakistani origin. Her mother says she was targeted and humiliated.

Missed Opportunity for WVO!

Blast! I am a master of bad timing. Bidding on a diesel Volvo in Jackson just ended a couple of days ago! And it was a cheap car, too!

If anyone around Michigan knows of a good diesel for me to buy, please let me know! I don't want to miss a chance like this again! *sigh*

WRIF Rocks

Okay, I admit it...I'm a sucker for advertising. I've always liked the WRIF radio station and I'm registered to get their emails. Every so often, I look through what they have to offer on their site.

Today, I found the Interviews section which is full of downloads with the DJ's talking with musicians. Fun stuff!

RenFest has started

I hadn't thought of this in a long time...I guess it was about 4 or 5 years ago that I made the trip to Holly, Michigan for RenFest. It's a fun way to spend a day!

(if you have no idea what I'm talking about, follow the link and look through the website)

For those of you in Michigan who enjoy attending the Renaissance Festival, I have an email that will get you Buy 1 - Get 1 Free tickets. Email me and I'll forward it to you.

Price Comparison -- dry cleaning

As I do from time-to-time, here's a message to tell you how much things cost in Egypt.

I just took in some dry cleaning:

-1 suit
-1 sweater
-1 short-sleeved shirt

Any guesses on how much the bill was?

19 Egyptian Pounds = $3.50

How much would it be in the U.S.?

Gone until Sunday

I'll be in Cairo and without Internet access until Sunday. So...I'm trying to give you as much as possible to look at or read as I can! Just pace yourself!

Here are some new photos that go along with the previous post.

Pictures? You want pictures?

What is there to explain about this one? Just a group of guys with a big head, right?

*laugh*

Well, this is what Coptic Orthodox youth do during the summer months -- they get ready for the big parties that each church has in September. These are huge productions and for the occasion, someone writes a new play and then these masks, costumes, and scenery are made for it.

The King is Dead, Long Live Rock and Roll!

Elvis Aaron Presley
Born: January 8, 1935
Died: August 16, 1977

...and a whole lotta hip-shakin' in those years...

MegaFarms in Michigan/Ohio

The topic of megafarms has been a hot one in my part of Michigan for years now, but it looks like it's getting even hotter!

Ohio, Michigan megafarms spur clashes over air, water pollution

and to balance that out:

Megafarms find new friends in neighborhood

Iran's President starts Weblog

Yes, I know that sounds like a joke, or something from the Onion...but it's true!

According to the BBC, you can read what President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is writing in several languages...but first you have to get to the Official Website. When I tried, the server was too busy.

Snakes on a Plane

Okay, I admit it! I had a bit of free time on my hands, so I had Samuel L. Jackson call a few of you on the telephone!

But I really do like the idea of a movie called Snakes on a Plane! Plus, the marketing they're doing with the website, phonecalls, and contest is really spectacular!

Wonderful Photographer!

I just realized that I've never told you about my Canadian friend Matt. I mention that he's Canadian b/c it would make him happy and also so that you don't get confused with either of my 2 American friends named Matt.

Matt came to Egypt for a few months on an internship with MCC and his university. He worked with refugees in Cairo, but he was also also able to do lots of things related to his serious hobby, photography. He's due to start photography school in the fall and by looking at some of his pictures, I think you'll see why he's going down this path.

Really, you should go look at the pics.

Now.

She wants to be a SuperHero?

Thanks to my Mom for giving me something to write about! *laugh*

So, it turns out that a young woman from my hometown is on the SciFi Network's "Who Wants to be a SuperHero?" program. She's the one called Creature.

The SciFi profile lists here as an Auto Mechanic, but I don't think that's quite right. From reading TonyaKay.com, it looks like she's a professional dancer (warning, some pics Not Work-Friendly).

Plus, I found "How a Vegan Lifestyle Changed Tonya Kay's Life"

In the hometown paper, I found 2 articles and they're pretty funny...both are written in a "girl next door makes good" sort of way, but they're talking about a person living a very alternative lifestyle. Much different than conservative Hillsdale, as I know it!

--Creature from Hillsdale
--Family enjoys woman's gig on 'Superhero' show

And for the record, she dropped her hard-to-spell and hard-to-pronounce last name of "Linebrink" for performing. Probably a good idea!

All this _and_ she drives a car that runs on Vegetable Oil??? Can I marry this girl???? *laugh*

Sewing up a Storm!

Yeah, that'd be me...sewing.

Never let it be said that there's no practical value to high school! I learned how to type and how to sew. The typing I do a lot (like now, for example), but I don't do much sewing.

However, this month it's been necessary.

My Master Plan (TM) to have clothing that I brought with me to Egypt wear out so that I don't want to bring it back to the U.S. is working. In fact, it's working _too_ well and things are wearing out now, when I still want to use them for a few months!!!!

This happened last month when I was in Alexandria with my friends. Rip!! ...and there's a tear at the knee... Thankfully, I had a needle and thread in my Dopp bag (yes, I was a Boy Scout), so I took care of that little problem.

Since that time, I've discovered 2 other tears in pants I'd like to keep wearing. So...I canibalized a T-shirt that is wearing out to make some patches. 1 pair is finished and the other I'll do this week. Maybe I'll even post pictures!

I blew it

Okay, so my mind can't keep track of "Albania" vs. "Algeria". *sigh* Just ignore the earlier post about all that. I'm so ashamed of myself...

"Threat to the UK" (not from me)

I'm sure it's all over the news, but:

From the BBC, "A terrorist plot to blow up planes in mid-flight from the UK to the US has been disrupted."

I read CNN's piece and it's decent, but I'll stick with BBC since this is all happening in the UK.

Scooped!

*sigh*

I can't believe David posted about the big Egypt story in the U.S. news about 11 Egyptian students who skipped out on their student visas. I'm so ashamed!

But, I can give you the update that 3 of the students have been found, with 8 still at large. (I guess I'm posting this first b/c David's still asleep)

My comments on all this:

1) The list of names -- Judging from what I see, there's only 1 name on the list that could be Christian. All the other names are Muslim names. So, I'd be willing to bet that this group set off a big red flag from the beginning and people in the government had some level of awareness of the situation before they were contacted by the university. Then, when some of the guys didn't show up...well, we're seeing the result of that.

From the updated CNN article:

"Federal authorities began thoroughly tracking international students after learning that one of the 9/11 hijackers was in the country on an expired student visa."

2) I'm a bit confused by the text of the lookout bulletin that was issued:

"At the present time there are no known associations to any terrorist groups. Approach with caution."

--If there are no known connections to bad people, then why approach with caution? Shouldn't these guys be treated as young people who violated the guidelines of their visa first and as a threat, only if evidence points that direction?

3) David is right in his assessment that tons of people in Egypt are dying to do something like this. I've talked with people who want to marry anyone they can to get citizenship and would happily break any sort of visa they got and stay in America to work. I even know someone who did this once.

Flight Information for December

Well...it's better late than never, I suppose.

Last week, my mother told me that my nephew Justin (whose birthday was Wednesday) had asked when I was coming home.

I had hoped to be able to give him that answer on his birthday, but I didn't get the information until today.

Currently, I have 2 different reservations on 2 different airlines (Iberia and KLM)
But at least they're both on the same day!

And that day is...

*drum roll*

Friday, December 15.

The Iberia itinerary:
Depart Cairo 12.25am -- Arrive Madrid 6.35am (7h10m)
Depart Madrid 12noon -- Arrive Chicago 2.25pm (9h25m)
Depart Chicago 4.15pm -- Arrive Toledo 6.12pm (57m)

Total flight time: 17h32m
Layovers: 7h15m

The KLM itinerary:
Depart Cairo 4.20am -- Arrive Amsterdam 8.15am (4h55m)
Depart Amsterdam 10am -- Arrive Detroit 12.55pm (8h55m)
Depart Detroit 3.10pm -- Arrive Toledo 3.40pm (30m)

Total flight time: 14h20m
Layovers: 4h

It seems a bit silly for me to wait in Detroit for 2 hours so that I can take a 30 minute flight to Toledo, but maybe the ticket is cheaper this way. I'll have to check on that.

Comments? Votes? What are _you_ doing that weekend?

If you're going to be in Michigan, Ohio, or Indiana in December...email me to tell me about your plans. When I was in the U.S. last summer, I used a Yahoo calendar to keep track of things and I'll probably do that again. I know the holidays are a busy time for everyone, but I'm open to invitations/suggestions on things to do and places to go (bearing in mind that I'll be unemployed with no source of income).

Greasy Rider

Back to thinking about vegetable oil for vehicles...

(which reminds me, I really need to start talking to friends/family back in the U.S. about finding a diesel VW and getting it converted so I can drive it, starting in December -- you've been warned!)

Anyway...a documentary has been made about driving cars on vegetable oil and it's called "Greasy Rider". Yes, they did go with a cheezy title!

Finally watched "Serenity"

After a long wait and much anticipation, I was finally able to watch "Serenity" last night. This is the movie connected to Joss Whedon's "Firefly" television series. Friends in America (you know who you are) gave me the series to watch and I enjoyed that special treat here in Egypt.

If you know about this movie, you 've probably seen it. If you don't know about it, then you probably wouldn't like it. I'm not sure if that's a fair statement, but I'll make it anyway and you can disagree if you choose.

Anyway, for those of you who have seen it, here is a website with translations of the various Chinese phrases used throughout the movie.

There was also some Arabic written on a door, but it was a bit blurry. I thought I'd be able to find a website with the translation, but I can't. So...maybe I'll watch the movie again and try to figure out the word.

Happy Birthday Justin! (on Wednesday)

So, here's a big birthday wish to my nephew, Justin. His birthday is Wednesday, but just in case I can't get online...I'll post this now.

For this occasion, I decided to look a bit at the meaning of his name. People in Egypt often ask me what my name means b/c here, most names have meanings and everyone knows them.

So, the meaning of "Justin" (from thinkbabynames.com)
and of his last name, "Smith" (from last-names.net)

If you combine the 2, you essentially get "the one who strikes in a just way".

Good thing for Justin that he's a soccer player! *laugh* Have a great birthday Justin, I love you!

No such thing as "coincidence"

This week, I've had some weird connections going on with Algeria. First, my old roommate Bart told me that there are 2 Algerian coffee houses Clawson where he lives and then I watched the movie “Inside Man” which contained a reference to Algeria. (I think I can say that without giving away any of the plot.) I highly recommend this movie, partly b/c I never expected to see Spike Lee do a film like this and maybe he never will again.

Actually, it's been a week of movies. Friday night, I went with a bunch of friends from my church in Tanta to see an Egyptian comedy in the cinema. It was my first time and I picked the right group of guys to go with! They really laughed hard at times!

Did I understand everything? Of course not! Don't be silly! But, I understood enough to get most of the jokes and follow the story. I only had to ask 1 question during the intermission (all movies have them in Egypt, even foreign movies) and then 1 at the end. Like most movies, there were “in-jokes” and cultural references that I didn't understand, so I needed some help with that.

Recently, I've also seen:

V for Vendetta
The Final Cut
The Skeleton Key
The Pink Panther
Running Scared

The first 3, you really should see b/c they're good/excellent. I wouldn't bother with the last 2. More details later...

I never thought I'd see this!

Saw a 1973 Plymouth Fury III in Tanta today. Crazy! The owner told us that it was stored in a garage for 25 years. And I believe it! Original paint, seats, hubcaps, tail lights, and maybe even tires. All that, and just 40,000 miles. Too bad it's an ugly car. It was ugly when it rolled off the assembly line and even moving into the “classic” category can't change that.

No glass bottles?

So, is it true that it's almost impossible now to get beverages in glass bottles in America? Just cans and plastic bottles?

This will be a very strange thing for me b/c in Egypt it's much cheaper to pay a deposit on a glass bottle and then exchange it each time you want soda/pop, rather than buying cans or plastic bottles. Plus, glass bottles are refilled locally and cans/plastic are imported.

I'm asking b/c I was listening to a recent Podcast of the Diner by James Lileks and it was all about classic beverages, but he also talked about changes in the system. I know, it sounds dull...but it feels like old-style radio listening to him! This link is to listen, but you can also subscribe to the Podcast and download weekly. Also, see Lileks.com for more fun!

Christmas Shopping

It's never too early to start thinking about what to buy people for Christmas, right?

Well, let me help you. I just learned that one of my relatives back in Michigan has an arts and crafts store and sells things through a website, too.

Check out FeatherDance Gallery and tell 'em Jason sent you!

Help Your Friends -- tell them about Firefox

A new version of Firefox (a program like Internet Explorer, but better in the opinion of many people) is coming and you should email a friend to tell them about it.

Actually, you can have them read about World Firefox Day. There, you can fill in a form to invite a friend to download Firefox. If they do, then the designers will write both your names somewhere in the new version of the program.

And the Winner is...

Erik!

He gave the correct answer for the reference I made to "don't call me daughter" in a recent post. Good job, Erik!

Also, thanks to my old roommate Bart for his answer to my question about things that have changed significantly. He even told me a few surprising things about Clawson, where I lived for a short time.

Shelby clocked in with some ideas from out in Cali. Yes, I know the places she was talking about.

And _you_? Why aren't you answering??? *grin*

Changing my style

Well, I just realized that I'm not being a very good teacher in the way I use my Blog. Mostly, I just broadcast and don't make it very interactive for you. So...I'm trying to change my ways.

In the beginning, that will involve asking some questions to have you help me learn about things in the U.S. that have changed (or haven't changed) in the time I've been gone. Please post answers in the comments to share with everyone reading.

1) What new flavors of pop/soda will I see? We have some fun ones here and I'm not sure they're available in the U.S. Can you get Pepsi Gold? Tropical 7-Up? Mirinda? Crush?

2) Additions to fast food menus? What are the biggest changes you can think of at McDonald's/Burger King/KFC/Taco Bell in the last 4 years?

3) New chains for food or products that didn't even exist 4 years ago? Or ones that have grown/expanded significantly?

4) Businesses that have gone out of business or closed a large number of stores? K-Mart doesn't count b/c I was still living around Detroit when that happened.

More to come, but I hope these will keep you busy for awhile!

Because I want to say "I did that"...

Mostly just to say that I tried, I'm going to send my CV (resume') off to Al Jazeera. *laugh* They seem to have a few jobs open that I'm mostly qualified for. I'm not sure that I want to live where they are based, but maybe I could "work from home" somewhere else.

I'm pretty sure nothing will come of this, but why not try?

More news sources

I haven't been writing much about the news b/c I'm still trying to get caught up from being away in Alexandria.

But with the protest in Tanta yesterday (it had broken up by the time I went through the area), I went looking for new websites to read.

An interesting site is the Official English Website of the Muslim Brotherhood. Also, you can get an interesting view of things by reading Al Jazeera.

By any other name...

Random thoughts here. I've gotten so used to people saying my name wrong that I've stopped correcting them.

For example, in the same take-away restaurant that I go to often, 1 guy calls me "John" and another calls me "Tony". *laugh* The first one I can understand, but I have no idea about the 2nd way!!! Also, people often hear "Johnson" when I say "Jason" b/c they know about Johnson & Johnson products.

But don't call me "Daughter". I'll publicly recognize the first person to write me with the source of that reference.

Correcting myself...

Okay, so the story I wrote recently about playing in the waves at Lake Michigan had an error. I guess it was 2001, not 2002 when that happened. Unfortunately, I wasn't Blogging that long ago, so I don't have my original thoughts on the day.

Protests!

So in Alexandria this weekend, we drove past a large protest sponsored by the Muslim Brotherhood. People there had signs about the situations in Palestine and Lebanon.

Now today, a friend just told me that there is a big protest in Tanta with people yelling things against America/Israel. I have to take a taxi through the intersection where the protest is to bet to class in about an hour, so I wonder how things will be by that point...

New pictures

These are from a trip to the beach and some monasteries 2 weeks ago. Sorry...no pics from my most recent trip.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16399621@N00/

More looking back...

In Alexandria this weekend, I played in the waves and tried to body-surf in to shore on them. I had a bit of deja vu b/c just about 1 year 4 years ago, I was doing the same thing in Lake Michigan with my good friend David. He can check my memory on this, but I called him up unexpectedly and made the plans to meet at the beach. We had a fun day in the water, then camped beside the parking lot.

And then it rained. And the winds came. It wasn't quite a storm of Biblical proportions, but it was pretty close! We had to seek shelter under some kind of overhang and wait for the storm to pass.

I don't have a very good memory for things like this, but I think I am recalling this clearly.

Weighing in...

I stepped on the scales last weekend for the first time in at least a year. And the winning number is...

68.

That's kilograms.

Doing the conversion takes

68 X 2.2 = 149.6 pounds

Yeah, Egypt has been good to me b/c I was a bit heavier than that when I arrived. I was somewhere around 155-160. Thinking back, I think I've been in the 140-160 pound range for about the past 16-17 years! The scary thing is that 17 years ago, I was 14 and not nearly as tall as I am now! Let's just say that I “grew into my weight”. *smirk* Then, my senior year in high school, I decided to join our new wrestling team and needed to be down to around 140 for a few matches. Now, I didn't have to do anything scary to get to that weight, but it's definitely below where I feel comfortable.

High Prices!

Gasoline prices and tickets for the Metro in Cairo went up 30% two weeks ago. The effects are already being felt.

Last week, a taxi ride in Tanta went up by 50%

I'm no economist, but it seems that if fuel prices go up, then any goods that are transported around Egypt should also increase in price. I haven't seen it yet, but it shouldn't take too long for this “trickle-down” to happen.

I've given you the percentages, but here's what it really looks like:

The average monthly salary in Egypt is 300 Egyptian Pounds.

Previously, a liter of gasoline was 1 Egyptian Pound but now it's up to 1.30 Egyptian Pounds.

Metro tickets were ¾ of an Egyptian Pound and now they're 1 Egyptian Pound. A taxi ride in Tanta was 1 Egyptian Pound and now it's 1 ½ Egyptian Pounds.

Off to Alex

Heading to Alexandria tonight. Won't be online until I return on Saturday. I'll write then.

All your responses

Thanks to everyone for your support, following my recent outpouring of thoughts/emotions here. I really appreciate it!

Having a good weekend. Going-away party for 2 SALT volunteers tonight, then back to Tanta to teach on Monday.

More MCC news from/about Lebanon

As the situation worsens and evacuations continue, Mennonite Central Committee is providing various news stories.

When I posted this, the main news page contained several links about Lebanon. In case that changes, here are the direct links:

1) MCC workers prepare for evacuation
2) In the midst of chaos, MCC begins Lebanese response efforts

Am I nervous?

A friend asked me today, "why do you get so nervous sometimes?".

When Egyptians use the word "nervous" in English, it includes "frustrated", "agitated", "upset" and similar words.

So, why am I that way sometimes? Lately, I've been trying to blame it on the heat. But that's not all of it. I could also explain it by saying that even though I'm staying in a nice apartment right now, I feel unsettled b/c I don't know where I'll be living for my last couple of months here. Yes, that's part...

But I think that the biggest thing getting to me right now is that for most of my time here in Egypt, I put the U.S. behind me and concentrated on things here. While doing that, I didn't compare the 2 places unless people asked me specific questions.

Now...I think about America a lot. I think about being back, seeing people, going places, job-hunting, and just living. I'm trying to enjoy things here in Egypt while I am still here, but it's hard right now. It's something like a "senior slump", maybe. It's been a great few years, but now it's coming to an end.

This is bringing up lots of feelings that I've been unconsciously or subconsciously pushing down. It seems like they're starting to come out more often than they should and in negative ways. *frown* I don't like to feel this way or to act the way I do sometimes with friends/students.

I think I just need to remember that I don't have to act this way and that I can change how I express these feelings. Maybe I just need to start talking about how I feel that I am behind on so many things when it comes to American life. Of course, not everything I've missed out on was good, but I think I'm starting to understand the possibilty for a "left behind" feeling when volunteers return after being gone for an extended period of time.

410 Yes -to- 8 No

I'm not sure I even know where to begin with this one. So, I'll just let you read the article.

House overwhelmingly backs Israel in vote

Something old about Palestine and Israel

I'm a bit behind on my news, so all I can give you is an old link. This is a newspaper interview that an MCC'er gave awhile back to some newspapers in the U.S. The MCC'er is living/serving in Jerusalem and travels all around Israel/Palestine.

Palestinians, Israelis need to admit wrongs

It's a bad sign... (recent Bush comment)

It's a bad sign when Bush uses an expletive while talking about current events with Tony Blair...

I'm sure most of you have seen/heard this by now, but I needed to make sure.

Another Lebanon connection

I'm still awaiting verification on this one, but I believe that the BBC has a piece featuring a Lebanese man who works in our MCC Beirut office. The spelling of his 2nd name is different than the way I know it, but the pronunciation would be the same, he's described as being a "charity worker", and his family details match what I know.

Closer and closer -- I've met this guy a couple of times during meetings in Egypt and he's a wonderful man, devoted to peace. He's worked with MCC for over 20 years!

-- Lebanese residents 'scared to go'

MCC news via Podcast

Thought I'd share this resource. My organization, Mennonite Central Committee has some news items available via Podcast. Recent clips include interviews from volunteers in Palestine and Lebanon.

Or subscribe to: http://www.dnnradio.com/mcc/rss/

You can also read stories and stay update by reading MCC news stories.

Lebanon Evacution

It's sinking in that I have 4 American friends who will soon be part of the evacuation from Lebanon. A country that saw war for so many years, followed by an amazing rebuilding process is now being torn apart again. What is the general opinion in America of Israel's actions? Can't people see how extreme this all is?

I've been reading all I can in the mass media, plus some internal email messages from 2 MCC volunteers who have been living in Beirut the past 2 years. They don't know when they will leave, but expect it to be in a couple of days. It seems that other countries are giving details of how they will transport people, but the U.S. has not released this yet. My friends say that from their apartment they can see "a lineup of buses for Germans".

There is also a Lebanese staff person who works closely with my friends. He lives in S. Lebanon and routinely used to come into Beirut for meetings. He says that "each day, the bombs seem to come closer and closer to his home".

Here's how my friends concluded a recent message:
"Must close. There went a few more bombs. They're at it again."

2 articles from the BBC:

UN calls for Lebanon peace force

and

Beirut families with nowhere to go

Egypt news-- 1 link

Alright, alright! I'll give you a bit of Egypt news...

From the BBC: Egypt press law 'violates rights'

Fun trip on Friday!

No links today...just a bit about my life! Imagine that!

I went on a bus trip Friday with some people from my church in Tanta. We went to 3 different monesteries, then to the beach for awhile. At the end of the trip, we went to a big mall. Some people in the group really wanted to go...and it allowed me to have good Chinese food! I also convinced my friend George to try Chinese for the first time!

We left at 7am in the morning and returned about midnight! So...I was really tired and slept in this morning before our Conversation Class.

Off now to relax with some friends...

FlyaKite OSX

FlyaKite OSX may be the coolest program (and website) that I've ever used!

Essentially, you use it to make your PC look/act like it's running Apple OSX.

Okay...I've become a teacher, but I'm still a geek!

Welcome to my newest visitor!!!

Imagine my surprise to see that yesterday someone from the Netherlands stopped by to read my Blog. Yes, I know it's silly to get excited about this and I feel like I should have gotten over things like that back in the late '90s, but it's still cool! *laugh*

But...how did this person find my Blog?

Ah, what a great free web statistics program I have! Thanks SiteMeter for helping me solve the mystery! *grin* Keep reading for the story...

Apparently, this person went to: http://search.yahoo.com and typed in:
cosmic cup coffee shop pallana

...and it returned as #9 on the list, my Blog entry from March 2002.

This was me commenting on "The Royal Tenenbaums".

Ah, the crazy links the Internet leads us to!!!! *laugh* I just wish that more people would search for this same thing and find my Blog!

A request! I want to hear from you!

In an effort to start re-connecting with people back in the U.S., I need your help. If I haven't heard from you in a long time, please email me! Tell me what's been happening in your life... Or if we do email sometimes, but you forget to mention important things, please write to tell me that.

Use any email address you have for me. I check them all and then I'll reply with my most recent one. I don't want to type it here b/c then I might start getting spam!

Off to class now! I teach 2 classes on Monday and Wednesday, so this is my busy day!

Good news for job-seekers in Michigan!

from WWJ NewsRadio:

Google Bringing New Jobs to Michigan

Running on empty

Not much in the tank today, but I'll do what I can!

1) The BBC asks: "Is al-Qaeda's 'leader' in Iraq really in an Egyptian prison?"

2) Kottke.org has gathered some links/info about "the head butt" seen 'round the world. Apparently, some newspapers hired lip-readers and translations are available of the results.

3) Fuel from the Midwest, Not the Middle East tells about biodiesel stations in Ohio (from the Toledo Blade, via Motor Trend)

4) Did you hear about the guy who made a coast-to-coast trip in a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado, powered by vegetable oil? I found information from the company that converted the truck and also the daily updates from during the trip. This seems to have been a highly-publicized thing, with sponsors, media coverage, etc.

"Dreams Must Die"

"Why Dreams Must Die if Peace is to Come" is the title of a very interesting editorial from the BBC's Middle East editor in Jerusalem, Jeremy Bowen about the thinking behind the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and what has to change. Comments?