As 666 is known to be the number of the beast an it is very frequantly associated with bad luck, curses, etc...

Often the number 777 is associated to good luck and fortune. The number 7 is considered lucky due to it's frequent appearnece in many religious scriptures.

On 07.07.07 i was walking around a Casino in Cairo that is still under construction.

On 07.07.07 i was exploring the nile bus as a mean of transportation in Cairo. While in the middle of the river, the rudder broke, then the engine stopped and the 35 years old iron boat started to drift with the river flow until almost crushing into the Zamalek bridge largest pole!

Finally another boat comes to the rescue and toed the dead iron back to shore.

On 07.07.07 being asked by parking security of a grand hotel in Cairo to show my car registration, i was surprized it was mysteriously gone! vanished! not where it's supposed to be!

I agree with the Chinese. They consider 7 a very unlucky number associated with misfortune and sometimes end of life.

In the movies!

Taking that title from a good friend's blog.
I believe it is very true, many if not the majority of people nowadays are living in the movies!
Movies are getting more violent, it is very uncommon not to see shooting, aggression, killing or blood on any of the recent movies.
In the movies, everyone has guns, anyone could just pick up a gun, knife, swords any type of killing object and just bang bang another somebody dead.
And for this increasing violence, shooting and killing in the movies, it's becoming easier and very common outside the movies.
Results:
32 dead on a university campus including 1 Egyptian 2007. 12 dead on a high school shooting 1999 and many attempts in between on all continents.

Les marionnettes

Can anyone say what's the biggest brain wash tool existing? Some would say the media some would say governments. I would say it's the corporation.

You get into the corporated environment, at first you could somehow balance between your life, pleasures and work. Then it starts getting you with the endless deadlines, illusions of the big career prestige, pushing on your sense of responsibility and some visions and values made up by some other people who were drunk or probably stoned on a business dinner.

Things turn to worse when you try to integrate your personal goals, dreams and inspirations into the corporation's system of values and goals. This does not mean that one does not like his job, in fact you could like your job in terms of quality and technicality but... with time you become one with work, overly stressed and sucked into a hurricane of deadlines, no time for your thoughts, no time for your dreams or the goals you've always been driven by. Your mind becomes completely washed except for some occasional flash backs and the illusions the corporation plays before you. Year after year you become a marionnette and strings that move you are the payroll checks you receive every month.

We have to get what belongs to us. The joy we desperately seek on weekends belongs to us, we must not give this joy up for the non weekend days. The dreams and ambitions we have belong to us, we must not give them up. Our minds belong to us, we must not let them get washed. Our plans and ideas belong to us, we must not exchange them for any digits on a pay check.

The corporation will never enslave me.. and should not enslave you.

A heart attack

Every corner in Cairo is painted in red these days in preparation for valentines day, red walls, red cards, red gifts, red teddy bears, red hearts, red lights. Ugly red everywhere attacking Rony's nerves and insistently pushing his mind to hysteria!

Rony realized that keeping his sanity against the red hysteria becomes tougher with time, as every year more people catch that pandemic hysteria, demanding more red which leads the suppliers of red to become more creative as a natural result.

Walking by a red shop with over a 100 red hearts hanging outside waiting for their desperate souls to buy, there was a heart with a "Bush me" button, so naturally out of curiosity Rony "bushed" that button. The heart started to vibrate and sing "el wad albo beyewga3o 3ayez 7ad yedalla3o" in English "the boy has got a heartache and needs someone to cuddle"! That was enough to get him breathless as in bad nightmare.

Another incident, last night he went out to greet a friend for her birthday, the evening was quite relaxing, nice chat and a beer with good friends, then it was time to leave, so walking out through the door passing by the reception counter, the person at the counter said "Habby valantaiyenn" and pushed an event card to Rony's hand, so he checked the card out and flipped it to find a red heart drawn on the other side. Almost had a heart attack.

Why does anyone need a card or a singing heart from a man or a woman to feel important? or to feel special? How pathetic is that?

Rony is surely anti valentines and hopes he makes it through Feb14th safe, healthy and sane.

To the one from Revalia

I think I should go now; I'm asleep before my red eyes match the sunrise, no more coffee will put off today.

I stood too long in the shadow of the doubt, I need some sun.
It seems that time returns to me once more, but I have less now then before.

And when I feel my world fallin' down, I think of you.
And when I feel I can't breathe no more, speak to me.

When the brightest star smiled as it scraped shoulders with the night, it lit that glowing ambers of my own light. Do you know? Your words could track the moon down from the sky, seduce my frozen heart with your warm cries. You really made me listen for my voice; and I have millions.

And when I feel my world fallin' down, I think of you.
And when I feel I can breathe no more, speak to me.

When you frown, I see your visionary thoughts befriend your blood, crimson love is drowning in the same flood. I miss the beauty of your young white skin.

I thought that freedom can only be defined as endless joys, and I only listened to the logic of the loudest voice. But this world will be shaken by a whisper.

And I will live with integrity. And I will live with all honesty. With peace inside.

The trial

Saddam’s death scentence was performed this morning, first day of Muslim greater feast. One could conclude how factors conspired to have Saddam Hussein humiliated and hanged regardless of any reasonable objectivity. By writing this I do not mean, will or wish to defend or accuse any body whether entity or being.

Saddam had to be executed; there cannot be a new government in Iraq while the previous president especially a man like Saddam Hussein remains alive. With many influences and followers that could be a big threat for the new government and thus to many foreign interests. However, the ruling to execute Saddam was in many ways indecent.

Under Iraqi law, the appeals court decision must be ratified by President Jalal Talabani and Iraq's two vice presidents. Talabani opposes the death penalty but has in the past deputized a vice president to sign an execution order on his behalf — a substitute that was legally accepted. “How could Talibani personally oppse the penalty and same time delegate a substitute who favors the penalty to sign on his behalf!?”

Raed Juhi, a spokesman for the High Tribunal court that convicted Saddam, said the judicial system would ensure that Saddam is executed even if Talabani and the two vice presidents do not ratify the decision. I wonder then what power did the government have over the trial? Obviously none.

All the above leads me to conclude that Saddam was scentenced to death even before going to trial. And surely not by Iraqis as many spokesmen say on news as the government i.e.Iraqis did not have power over the trial that was run in their names.

Whithout knowing when he’ll be put to rest to destroy any nerves he may had left, and to humiliate his humanity in his right to know. The sentence "must be implemented within 30 days," chief judge Aref Shahin said. "From tomorrow, any day could be the day of implementation." Where does humain rights and international law stand in that?

I believe Saddam’s death was barbaric and unethical and may in a way or another turn him into a martyr in the minds of many. Hanging was not a wise decision as opposed to getting shot! A dying man is always asked for his last wishes, I am sure Saddam asked from his life to be taken by the bullet not by hanging. He should have been granted a last wish. Saddam is no better then Hitler, Mussolini or those who nuked Japan! As well as many other dreadful names but he is surely not worse, and did deserve a death of a warrior.

R.

Waving good-bye

It's the last few days in the life of the year 2006. The year gave a lot of great chances, good moment and as well a lot of drama.

I have transformed in many ways... Professionally and personally.

Made great new friends and other good friends are no longer in the sight of men. Fadel and Amr, you will always be remembered in good memory.

I am glad i am still alive after surviving two highway car crashes this year, i am as well glad i'm back in touch with Adam and Maarten the 2 greatest dutchmen after 5 yrs of broken network.

2006 was a year of many events...

Ups... 'bad endings to some people on this pic'

and downs...

a year of Family...'Apologize if i unintentionally was unfair to any of you'

and Friends...

new friends...

and good friends...

...Saving girls! 'that time in NYC is unforgettable'

a year of survival...

...and staying alive...

frowns...

and celebrating achievements...

..so many good waves i missed this year

..and always a bad day surfing was better then a good day doing anything else...

a year of chasing kiting winds...

...drawing business plans..'saki, you're a good man, we've got 10 yrs left to 35'

It was cool to go crazy sometimes...

I discovered a new bible...

..and found peace..

In love with life.... Looking forward to 2007.

R.