Western Arab

So we got two pet parakeets for my dad on his birthday. My mom doesn’t like that both are males, but I didn’t pick them out, my sister didn’t care when she got them. So we probably will change the blue one at the pet shop for a female later. We have dumb and dumber as of right now, maybe with a female, things can change. Two of my sisters are each claiming it was their idea to get these for my dad as his gift. I don’t know and I don’t care who’s idea it is, but if he didn’t want the birds, I am sure they would of blamed each other for the idea. Here are two pictures, as always click to view larger.

Parakeets

Here they are facing each other. I let them out of the cage in the screened patio. The blue one went out and explored, the green one did not. So we took the green one out and all he wanted to do was get back in, but let them hang out, outside the cage for a while. At least the green one kept climbing the cage and getting some exercise that way, blue one jumped around mostly.

Parakeets - Facing each other

I accidentally found out I can make collages in Picasa from Google. Picasa is a free image sharing and editing application. It will scan your computer for all images and let you view them all from one place, organized by the folders they are in and ordered by date. It also lets you quickly touch up images, adjust colors, rotate, crop, correct red eye and a whole lot more. A great program, you should get it. Plus you can email pictures easy. You set a default image size and it will automatically resize the images emailed so no one complains about having to download large files. And even more, it keeps copies of all the edits you do in the program, so you can undo everything you did.

So after making a few, I made one of me. A lot of pictures and a lot of names are in the collage. All of me, at different ages and different hair styles. Too many pictures, but couldn’t resist them! Click the image to view larger.

Mahmoud Collage

Ok, so I decided not to call Monday or Tuesday or even Wednesday, I figured I will wait out my accountant. Well here is Thursday, still no call. Nine days after I submitted my taxes to be completed, after being told I will get a call in two days, I have not recieved a call telling me they are complete and ready to be picked up. Why? Because I used an Arab. Simple as that. Am I going to wait for two weeks to go by? I don’t know yet, but I am very annoyed. I know when I call, the secretary will say they are ready and I should come by and pick up. The problem is the accountant said he will call me, so why can’t I get the call saying your taxes are ready, come pay us for our service.

Idiots.

Maybe next year I will go to a Jew for my taxes.

The other night at time of maghrib (sunset), my office has a window that faces towards the east was letting in some light through the horizontal blinds. The light created a cool image on my wall. A secret message! I just thought it was cool and weird. I kept the office light out and took a picture of it with no flash. Scared? I am calling it Sunset Code. Click the image to see larger size.

Sunset Code

Monday’s suck. We need to make weekends three days long. Two day weekends are too short. I want to sleep, I am tired and today is gym day.

So Monday, electric power flashed 3 times this morning. Short, quick off/on after I left my computer for the bathroom. I have a battery backup so things normally go just fine. This time however the internet was not working. There was some dns issue. I don’t need to get in all the technical details of it all. I called Comcast and spoke with one of the techs. She was nice and we went through the usual comcast crap. Reset modem. Restart Computer. Connect direct to PC rather than thru router. Nothing, we didn’t get anywhere. She concluded there was a hardware issue on my end. She was actually smart and knew what she was talking about unlike most of the techs I get with comcast. So she said this is when they would refer you to the manufacturer, that is the problem is on my end with my computer and I would contact the manufacturer of the pc. I built my PC, there is no dell to call!

This was all fine, I can investigate the issue further on my end, knowing now that she was able to remotely reset my modem, I knew there was no issue with the communication lines. I just did not want her to go yet.

Me: So you just going to just leave me now?

Rep: (laughing) Well this is when we just refer to the manufacturer…

Me: (I cut her off) Oh stick around, you got a nice voice.

Rep: (laughing again) Thanks. Alright I can stay.

Me: Aleast stay until my PC reboots and we see if it fixes. I got vista on this machine so it will take some time to startup again!

My vista machine really does take a long time to startup and she did stick around. She was nice, and we had our conversation while my machine rebooted. So yes I flirted a little with a comcast rep, she kept me entertained while my slow computer restarted. And she really did have a nice voice. Restarting didn’t fix it, and I ended up spending the next hour or so on it but I fixed it eventually. The power flashing must of messed something up. Resetting my router completely to manufacturer settings seemed to have done the trick. Was almost ready to buy a new router when I pin pointed the source of the problem to be the router, but a little more patience saved me some money.

Turned out she was right about the problem being on my end, shame she lives in Tennessee.

Wow, I went through some old belongings of mine. This is awesome,  I am glad I have or my mom has kept things like this for me all these years. Here is some of what I found. Click on the pictures to browse them in full size.

A first place ribbon from PS 152. I don’t remember what it was for, did I even win it? Maybe it was my sister’s but I kept it I remember getting a few of these but can’t remember for what exactly.

PS 152 First Place Ribbon

This is actually a t-shirt that the class of 1991 in PS 152 signed. I signed it too, find my name. Instead of throwing out the t-shirt, my mom wanted to keep it, so we cut it and put it some plastic or vinyl thing.

PS 152 Class of 1991

I also have a few old report cards, I thought the predefined comments teachers left were funny. Most of the comments I received were not so good as you can see below. I don’t know that I actually was absent all those times as that report card states. I think the teachers are just liars!

Old Report Card

Just some old post cards. First is the George Washington Bridge in NY. Second is the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania. And third is the Verrazano – Narrows Bridge in NY.

Old Post Cards

A bunch of old coins I had collected. I sure hope one of these coins is worth a lot and I can ebay it!!! Anyone wants to buy?

Old Coins

My Nintendo game manuals. This is great, I love these. I don’t have the game system anymore but these manuals I kept.

Nintendo Game Manuals

I loved this game! Plus who can forget Duck Hunt with my orange Nintendo gun! Look at the wear on that manual!

Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt

These were the best collecting cards ever! They were not only cards, they were stickers! I loved these, and my dad bought them for me. One night he came home and gave me a pack of the cards, I opened it up and was excited. Then he gave me a second and third pack. And that wasn’t enough I was sooooo happy and excited, he gave me a full box of the card packs he bought for me. And I still have them to this day. Too bad I glued them on something, because the back of each card has some round paper spot from where the glue was and the paper ripped of. Still these are great!

Nintendo Cards

I think I made this in some class in junior high school. I can’t remember exactly. You know, some plastic thing with holes in it, and I stitched through it. Somehow.

Mahmoud Stitch

I used to play basketball a lot. I loved it. It was great exercise and kept me in great shape. Plus I worked out daily then. My favorite team was the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. I still have Scottie Pippen’s Bulls jersey.

Michael Jordan Card

These were mentioned in an earlier post, back in high school. I forgot I had also Romeo and Juliet. Hahaha, who wants to read Shakespeare. I sure didn’t!

Cliff Notes

Ok these are really old. I was in some boy scouts thing way back. This was in Lebanon. This is really cool. I love that my parents kept these for me. I just loved blowing that whistle for no reason. What kid doesn’t like to make noise?

I was a boy scout

Ah! Beavis and Butthead. I used to watch this show all the time. It was great! I actually used to do their voices. Yeah yeah!!! I remember working at the Sports Authority and doing the voices for a friend that worked with me. We were in the stock room “working”, I was doing the voices and he was cracking up while packing some stuff or unpacking, who cares, my impressions where inspiring him to work! I got this sticker at a supermarket, you know those 25 and 50 cents machines they have when leaving supermarkets to try to get the last quarter your parents had cause you just had to have some stupid cheap toys or stickers. I think this one was 50 cents! It was a clever system, they knew you saw your parents get change at the cashier, so they couldn’t deny having a quarter or two on them!

Beavis and Butthead Sticker

I also found a few old High School schedules. I remember carrying one of these to school everyday. We had to show it to the guard when going in school to prove we were students I think. The number in red is the lunch period we had, it was their way of making sure you didn’t go to the cafeteria all day long.

10th Grade Schedule

And here is the back of it. My graffiti. I like how the folded out side is so dirty and the other is white. Looks like I was pimping, got some phone numbers on it.I think the bottom right corner is the W from Wu-tang Clan! Chessboxin!

Back of 10th Grade Schedule

What great memories! I will definitely keep these and look back at them years from now again. I have more cool stuff too, including old action figures I had.

When are Arabs going to step down from their high chairs? When will we get past the arrogance? Why is it when an Arab tells me he will call me in two days with the work I requested completed, he never does, in fact days go by and I have to call and ask? Why do Arabs in business treat Arabs as second class citizens? When they promise an Non-Arab American a call in two days, they deliver, but with Arabs, they feel like they are doing you a favor, even though you are paying them like anyone else to do the work you asked for.

This isn’t a one time incident, it is everywhere I go, with all Arabs, Christians and Muslims alike. I made the mistake of going to an Egyptian dentist once. I was going to an Indian prior. So what was wrong with the Egyptian? The same arrogance. I don’t want you doing me any favors, just do your job like with anyone else and I will pay you like I pay anyone else. Instead after the work is done, I get the typical Arab statement. Khalieyah 3alyeena. Translates to leave it on us. Bite me. You know very well I am not walking out without paying you. And you are not letting me leave without paying you. So just tell me to pay X and I will. Then to add insult, after I tell him no, he says ok just pay $xxx for the x-rays. UGH. I am not stupid, you are not doing me any favors, and I do NOT want you to. All this ever does is make me leave with no intention of returning to this dentist or whatever profession it may have been. And the dumb Arab loses another customer.

So why can’t we work together as Arabs? My cousin once needed a paper signed to let him in a class in college. He made the mistake of going to the Arab. Thinking hey, he is an Arab, I am an Arab. He will gladly do it. WRONG. “I am busy now”. “Come back later”. Busy doing what? It is your damn job to sign shit like this. Sign it. So what happens, some blonde American girl walks in. All of a sudden the Arab is not busy, ahlan wa sahlan, welcome welcome, how are you? What can I do for you? So what does my cousin do? Walk to the next room to an American, who signs the sheet without even looking at it. He does his fucking job. Yes I am angry. I am angry with Arabs.

If we look at our “cousins”, we see them work together. They fight with each other as much as we do, but they would drive 15 extra miles to buy from their own than one of ours or anyone else for that matter. Why? Because they want each other to succeed, not for the individual, but for their own as a whole. They think long term. We think right now.

Arabs goes something like this:

Firas: hey did you hear, Abu Fulan opened a grocery store on Main Street, I hear it is doing great. Al hamdillah.

Hashim: Al hamdillah, Al hamdillah. This is great news.

Next day Hashim opens a grocery store across the street from Abu Fulan on Main Street. Spends the next 6 months with his top priority of putting Abu Fulan out of business. Why? Simple, why should Abu Fulan make all the money? Is he better than Hashim??? NO. Hashim can’t let this happen, he must put an end to this. Not only does he end up putting Abu Fulan out of business, but himself as well because he soon realizes he is a complete moron who doesn’t know how to run such a business, and now that he lowered his prices so much to get rid of Abu Fulan, his customers have a fit when he starts to raise his prices again. The mentality is the same, why should he get this or that? He isn’t better than me, I can do this too. It is all about image and prestige. Screw your image. Screw your prestige.

So Arabs. When I come to your work place to use your services. Treat me like anyone else. I don’t want “special” treatment. I do not want a discount. I want to be treated like any other customer, I want service. And if someone opens a business and does good, be happy for them, support them, use their services, buy their products. It is sickening that this kind of competition not only happens just against other Arabs, but against family members. So many Arab families are split because of business.

Today is day three. Weekend will go by. Monday I will call and ask if the work I requestesd is done. Tuesday I will call again. And I will probably have it by Thursday. This way, I am supposed to feel like it took him so much time to do, that he is giving me a great price considering all the time he spent on it. When I know it doesn’t take two hours to do it and his price sucks. Serves me right for using an Arab for service, so why do it? I always hope that there will be some change. That maybe I will find some Arab who is different, someone whom doesn’t treat me as less, someone whom I am pleased to use his service, because he did his job and because I am helping him succeed by using his services and I can recommend his services to others. Maybe too much to ask.

Buzz buzz. I cut my hair today. My shortest cut in years. Size 2 all around. Even the woman at the barbershop had to confirm with me that I want to cut it all size 2. Yes I know, a woman cut my hair at the barbershop. It is the best shop I can find here in Florida, it took me some time to find it when I first moved down here. They keep asking me if I want to trim my eye-brows. I always say no. I like them as they are, it is one of my Arab features.

Here it is

Me - Buzz Cut

Today is one of those days. I woke up but did not want to wake up yet. I did not want to leave bed. I usually wake up and stay in bed for some time period before getting out. But today, I just didn’t want to get up at all. I slept late so I had about five and a half hours of sleep. I have to get up, I have responsibilities. So I go out of bed, walked to my bathroom, and stopped at the door-way looking back at my bed. I desired my bed so much. I just stood there for a short period of time which seemed longer than it was but I was frozen. Bed or not? Temptation. Resist. Fail.

I caved in to my desires and went right back to my bed. I couldn’t resist it, right back under that new nice thick warm comforter I have. It was the first time I used it, perhaps that had something to do with it. Maybe, the virgin comforter made me desire my bed more. Niiice, soooft, smooooooth, droool. Was I just too tired or even lazy? All I know is I got another 30 minutes of well deserved sleep and felt much better. I can still use some more sleep, but those 30 minutes were awesome! So here is to good sleep, sexy virgin comforters, pillowcases and bedsheets!

ugh ugh ugh. it is that time again. time to get the taxes done.

The dreadful time of taxes is here. If you are among the people who get money back, you ususally run and do your taxes to get your refund. I have not had a refund in a long time, granted I will likely pay less this year, everyone is feeling it from this economy. Regardless, it has to be done. I have to waste time to go see my accountant and pay him to tell me how much I have to pay our uncle. Uncle Sam is collecting, and he is in debt more than us.

Crappy economy. I hear the same stories over and over, someone got laid off, a company is closing down, a company is about to fall, a company laid of x people, a company cut holidays, and a company got rid of bonuses. Many are scared because they don’t know when their company will lay them off. With so many unemployed, companies are getting an influx of applications. Few openings, many applicants. Disaster. Let us all hope that things can change for the better in the next 6-10 months. I think that is the time frame that is left to recover.