My own world, thoughts, emotions, & senses!

Who said Toyz don't get to have a Museum ??

2007-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok.. I never thought toys too get to have their Museum.. While visiting prague last week I had a chance to see the 2nd largest toy museum in the world.. it was just amazing.. I did not ever think i would enjoy it that much.. maybe it is more fun than parts of the Luvre.. The toy museum in located in Prague Castle and contains a great variety of all your childhood toys starting with superman, barbie, snowwhilte... and the list goes on.. I stood infront of every toy and rememebered a lot of sweet memories.. The art, lies in is the way each toy was done, the colors, the facial expressions, the setting.. it was just great..

Curiosity

2007-01-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

I decided to write this post in a white font, and i am sure so many people will figure out, through a way or another, how to read it, Just as you did!!

I have been lately thinking about the curiousty of the human nature.. Curiosity to read behind the lines, to know hidden details, know people's news directly or indirectly, by asking or investigating.. Very honestly in this life, I have met very few who do not get into others' details.. Sometimes it could be annoying to dig into details yet we always fall into it.. Just a thought.

Just out of Lady D's curiosity leave a comment if you managed to read this post!:D (and who would not )

Our God is an Awsome God

2006-12-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you Our Awsome God, truely amazing :)

Friends, I dedicate this to all of you.. My recommendation is to read the lyrics while listening to the song by Michael Smith

When he rolls up his sleeves
He aint just putting on the ritzs
Our god is an awsome god
There is thunder in his footsteps
And lightning in his fists
Our god is an awsome god
The lord wasn't joking
When he kicked him out ' em out of eden
It wasent for a reason
That he shed his blood
his return is very close and so you better be beleiving that that our god is an awsome god (chours)our god is an awsome god
He reings from heaven above with wisdom power and love our god is an awsome god and when the sky is starless in the void of the light
our god is an awsome god
he spoke in to the darkness and created light our god is an awsome god
judgement and warmth he poured out his sodom mercy and grace he gave us at the cross
i hope that we have not to quickly forgotten that our god is an awsome god

Life is too short for the wrong job...

2006-11-20T21:14:00.000-08:00

Honestly this topic has been making me think a lot, so many times i think, i spend something like 10-12 hours at office and sometimes, in case i have urgent issues, i spend a couple of hours infront of my laptop at home! This makes me think, is it worth it? is this really what i wanted to do in life? does my Job get everything out of me? My creative thinking, my motivation, my passion, my skills or am wasting my time here... The answer is surely NO it doesnt!

Yet some other times I think, it is really what you make out of the job. I Beleive, any Job can be made fun, motivating & creative.. it is mostly the attitude.. This might sound too idealistic yet this is the attitude i am using lately and honestly it works!! I started just being more myself at work, doing sales in more lively fashion yet still trying to maintain professionalism and I just love it, my business partners love it and my colleagues as well, my manager 'I hope', admiting the fact that
he sits infront of me and I have to be loud to be myself, heheh

So if you think you are in the wrong Job, ofcourse change it if you can, if not then change your attitude and way of doing business.. it should work ;-)
Be yourself, people would fall in Love with God's creation :))

He does...

2006-11-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

He changes the times and the seasons;
He reveals the deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.

Daniel 2:21

You started it all..

2006-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

I will LOVE because you loved me unconditionally
I will FOGIVE because you forgave my sins forever
I will FORGET because you forgot my trespasses
I will PRAISE because you surrounded me by your glory
I will PRAY because you heard my unsaid prayers
I will WORSHIP You because you chose me
I shall be THANKFUL because you came for me
I will SERVE YOU because you served me first

And I will only continue because you started it all...
Thank you my dear Jesus!

Dying young

2006-10-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

Once someone told me: I feel i am going to die young...

I wondered what would someone do if the time of death was revealed?

Watch your spoon

2006-10-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

'' Meanwhile I want to ask you to do something, said the wise man, handling the boy a teaspoon that had 2 drops of oil.' As you wander around carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.''

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After 2 hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

"Well, asked the wise man ' did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? did you notice the beautiful parchments in the library?

'' The boy was embarrassed and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him. ' Then go back and observe the marvels of my world' said the wise man. You can not trust a man if you don't know his house'

'' Relieved the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exportation of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

'' But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?'' asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil has gone.

'' 'Well there is only one piece of advice I can give you' said the wisest of the wise man, the secret of happiness is to see the marvels of the world and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon.' ''

This was an abstract from The Alchemist for Paulo Coelho, a short story which made a lot of sense to me. So many times we get too excited about the marvels of the world and tend to forget our own treasures and small things we have that make us happy. This story made me think about the small drops of oil in my life and be thankful I have them and enjoy them from time to time... Because it doesn't matter how tempting the marvels of the world are, they will never give me the happiness my drops of oil would.. Remember to watch your spoon and be thankful everyday.

A TIME for everything

2006-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

For everything there is a season, And a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
Atime to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The word '' STUPID''

2006-09-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

It really frustrates me, whenever I hear the word '' Stupid'' being called on people

It makes me question myself, what is the definition of ''Stupid''
is it someone who is slow to understand things?
or someone who does not understand some jokes,
or someone who does not drive well
or maybe someone who is not socially smart...
or someone who is annoying and irritating?

It is so relative and it is so unfair to call people '' STUPID'' just because we think they do not fit our standards of SMART PEOPLE...
I truly believe, NO ONE is stupid...
People are smart in different ways or in different things
Some people might be less fortunate than others yet they do have other blessings and skills which are so unique..

I try to imagine, how would I feel if someone called me Stupid?
Please try to think twice before you use this word.. It hurts...

''Do to others as you would have them do to you.'' Luke 6:31

Simple lines...

2006-09-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

A line I read which i loved is:
'' A simple line can make you laugh or cry''
Related it to someone I met today, whose simple lines made tears come to my eyes, and smiles to my heart.. Thank you

'Break the circle or the circle would break you

Do to others what you expect them to do to you

Leave early before things turn against you

Come back only when you see a difference is made through you

Don't Take what you can't Give

Cry when you can't talk

Laugh when you can't cry

Hear what isn't said

Let it go when you can not get hold of it

Hold it tight when you have it

Be thankful even if you do not seek what you were given ..

Say today what you can't say tomorrow if tomorrow never comes..

Never will you learn anything form someone who always agrees with you

The extra mile is never crowded

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Share what you can't hide

Let your pain give you strength

Just be yourself, people would fall in love with God's creation!

P P...

2006-07-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

I was never into politics, till recently when I attended a prayer meeting dedicated to the victims in Lebanon. The Lebanese people in the meeting were very emotional and many were praying for the children who were killed brutally for no reason. Many were questioning what was the rational behind the random bombings, and till when will that last?! People were very frustrated, many of them expressed their anger loudly in long monologues and others in silent tears...

Many thoughts were running in my head, I wasnt sure who it is to blame for this war, but what i was sure of is that those innocent kids did not commit any crime to die this way.. It could be Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, Israel, Bush, Bin laden, but not those children.

I was never a believer in the peace process and will never be.. I am always questioning the Peace agreements , peace summits, Human rights, security councils which we hear about on daily basis.. Are these true notions or just some fake role plays we are forcing ourselves to believe in...

Towards the end of the prayers, we all came to the conclusion that we need to face it, and resort to a divine power which will grant us real peace and Joy.. Towards the end of the prayer session, people were still in tears yet you can feel a different spirit has filled the place, a spirit of hope and faith that there is a mighty Lord who is watching and reacting to all this very soon.. I strongly believe we need to Pray .. Maybe this is the only Peace Notion the world did not use yet..

PS.. For anyone who wondered what PP stands for: Power of Prayers !

الْقَادِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

2006-06-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

َالْقَادِرُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَكْثَرَ جِدّاً مِمَّا نَطْلُبُ أَوْ نَفْتَكِرُ، بِحَسَبِ الْقُوَّةِ الَّتِي تَعْمَلُ فِينَا

وَأَكُونَ لَكُمْ أَباً وَأَنْتُمْ تَكُونُونَ لِي بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ» يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

أَنَا هُوَ الأَلِفُ وَالْيَاءُ، الْبَِدَايَةُ وَالنِّهَايَةُ، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ الْكَائِنُ وَالَّذِي كَانَ وَالَّذِي يَأْتِي
الْقَادِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ.

وَانَا ظَهَرْتُ لابْرَاهِيمَ وَاسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ بِانِّي الْالَهُ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَامَّا بِاسْمِي «يَهْوَهْ» فَلَمْ اعْرَفْ عِنْدَهُمْ.

First time in 25 years...

2006-06-11T02:16:00.000-07:00

Friday 4:00 AM, Me on a wheel chair in the closest hospital to home waiting for my turn to put on a cast for the first time in my life.. I was in pain but the excitement to go through the experience was more.
This was like a dream come true to me!

Despite the pain, I laughed a lot when the doctor was putting the Hot cast over the cotton on top of my leg.. maybe because I always wished ever since I was a child to put a cast on and have my friends write me stuff and draw me pictures!!! It was a process, the cotton, then he dipped the cast into water and then placed it on the cotton, which was terribly hot for a short while then it got really hard in no time... I had a long loud laugh.. I am sure he thought i was crazy, it was around 5 AM.. after than it was time for me to learn how to cope with my new best friend, the clutches :-)) I just held them and started to walk, the doctor stopped me and said if you don't want to come here tomorrow for a second cast you'd better learn how to use them, I thought '' what the heck, this is not a big deal!!!'' but honestly later i discovered it was..It was so tough, I had to rest all my body on my fists.. it is very painful.. yet it is the only means for movement so the clutches are my best friend for the coming period...

Once I was done, waiting to get a check up appointment for next week, security guys , doctors and ER was in a complete mess, i thought I heard a helicopter and then a young lady, early 30ths was lying on a stretcher followed by a crowed of doctors, checked in. She was completely still expect for her eyes full of tears, she was on a breathing machine, she had some bruises, few blood stains, and her husband was following her helplessly...I really thought THANK You Lord.. You protect us in miraculous ways and guide our steps without us asking for it..

I walked out of the hospital using my new clutches, doing some effort but at least standing.. I really want to say, that sometimes we take things for granted until we realize the real value of them. Thank you Jesus for my legs, hands, fingers, eyes, ears, tongue, teeth, lunges, liver, kidneys, heart, brain, and my soul. Thank you for every other thing I took for granted and forgot to thank you for.. Thank you million times.

PS. Merci beaucoup Samer pour la photo..

Which one do you see?

2006-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, when I was nominated to attend a 3 day corporate negotiation skills training, I said to myself NOT AGAIN! I am really sick and tired of these impractical theories..Yet to my surprise this class proved to be one of the most interesting I have attended! I think from time to time, it is very useful to go back and listen to some theories, it really helps..

One of the many interesting concepts I liked was that, things are never what they seem to be, there is always a meaning between the lines, which we overlook! Things in life tend to appear in a way, yet there must/should be another meaning to someone else out there. Someone could understand the idea in a totally different way which they perceive as the one and only correct way! The challenge here is to convince the other party of your point of view and make them believe in it, this is where negotations come in action!

To support the above, one of the exercises was to look at the picture above and tell what you can see.. The results were amazing, the class was split in 2 groups. Some saw a young woman and the others saw an old one, and then both were trying to convince each other how to look at the picture to see what they saw! Isn't it so true.. Sometimes we tend to see one side of the picture and mute our ears, hearts, and minds about the other side.

What is even more interesting is that after the first group explained to the second how to look at the picture in order to see the perspective they see ( lets assume how to see the young lady), they still saw the old lady first from the first look.. Isn't it funny how we formulate dogmas and stick to them even if we see the other side of the picture.. Truly amazing..

*HINT* In case you can not see any of the ladies : The old woman's eye is the young woman's ear. The old woman's wart is the young woman's nose, and the old womans nose is the young woman's chin. Hope this is clear enough :-))

Its just a thought .. only a thought

2006-05-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Beirut airport,
Amex Lounge
Headphones on, with Dido's Life for rent..
Sitting on a comfortable leather black sofa, with my T41 writing .

A cute guy sitting on the other side of the lounge..
An Attractive girl next to me, eating whatever she can from the lounge bar.

When the music stopped
I could hear two gents sitting next to me discussing business,
a mid-aged man trying to impress his American manager, so obvious!
So switched to the music again, Dido is much better..

DIDO Says "I haven't really found a place I could call home"
DALIA says "Home is among my loved ones but the location really doesn't matter"

DIDO says "Nothing I have is truly mine"
DALIA Says "Everything I give is truly mine"

DIDO says "Its just a thought only a thought..."
DALIA says: Once my literature teacher told me, sometimes when you write don't think just let your ideas float and see what comes out of your mind, great therapy to let yourself loose and relax!

Dido Says ''Its just a thought'' how many thoughts can cross my mind Now..

The attractive girl and the cute guy left,
people come and leave.. Many did in my life,
whoever did, you taught me something thank you!

I miss you TETA & GEDO.... You were the best.. Thank you
Thank you soura,''underneath your cloths'' is an amazing person..
Thank you lord, you really are so amazing, thanks for listening!

Gate 23, now! Back to Dubai ... leaving or maybe coming...

My Manager's Blog!

2006-05-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

My locker is just located behind him so every morning, I go open my locker chat a while, get whatever I want from my locker and leave. Yesterday morning while doing my daily routine, I felt I saw the famous blogspot layout of the blog on his screen, I did not believe my eyes. When I clearly stared at his screen, he quickly minimized. I left my locker and went back to my desk my mind debating 100 times the possibility of him having a BLOG!!

I could not just let this go, I went again to get something from my locker and it was now blogger.com the composing layout, he was actually writing. I did not even dare to stare, I just opened my locker for the second time in less than 10 mins grabbed whatever was infront of me and left while he was still writing..

Oh god, what if he was writing a blog about me, commenting about my style in business or about the marketing manager,the HR person, the appraisals, the complaints... could it get more interesting to read your manager's blog!!The GM can also have a blog.. Now this is terribly interesting ( eyes glittering ;D)

Sometimes we tend to neglect the fact that people are people, even if they are the most senior Worldwide gentlemen sitting behind X60 Laptops, they do have a life very similar to common people. When I first joined my company, I always acted so professional until I realized that people are people even if they get to the top of the professional ladder, they still are people who would like to joke, share your kit kat, do msn, peek at your screen behind your back...

So I think that the idea of your manager having a blog is a bit far fetched yet possible, the real fun is finding it :D

PS. This fictional scenario has been inspired by Fawzy's comment that people will soon have Blog URLs on their business cards..

Do we live in a Zoo?

2006-04-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

I was recently thinking about Animals in the zoo, and I envied them why? Simply because:

1. No animal is allowed to invade the privacy of another animal.

2. Each animal has rights and is treated equally in terms of care/food/etc.

3. No animal is allowed to kill/ hurt another for food/ shelter/ any other reason.

In a zoo, Everything is under control! If any of the above is violated, it becomes a Jungle.. Isn't it funny!

Now thinking about what happened last Friday in Alexandria and how shocking the event was... What does it mean that someone invades a church with a sword ( not a knife as many claim) and stabs people while they are praying.. And as we know the Egyptian community is great at finding excuses, after the crisis I watched an Egyptian talk show where the presenter was saying:" Egyptians are one unity!!!"
What unity are they talking about? And who are they trying to fool here? It is ridiculous.. Two Men were killed and another 22 injured in later fights and then they claim that the murderer is insane, now this is a joke, what en excuse.. I was thinking when will this discrimination end when will we have the right to live freely and be treated equally .. I am sure He will react to all this very soon! I can't help saying that we live in a Jungle.. I really wish we lived a zoo, would be much more structured and organized.. sorry to say that..
As they say a picture is worth thousand words..

Back to Mario ;-)

2006-04-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

This morning, I was really so excited to find a link about Online Super Mario Bothers!!! It simply reminds me of my childhood.. Used to spend hours, I have seen it all, starting with the huge mushrooms and the weird creatures who would make Mario shrink , the golden coins, going inside the green pipes, the fire balls, the hammers, the 1-up mushroom, flying Mario, the flying Turtles, princess Peach, Toad :-))then all the way till Yoshi came along..Mario under water was great with the swimming mushrooms :-) Sadly enough through my 2-4 years journey with Mario & co. I used to kill the dragons but I never reached the princess! Sometimes I really wondered if there is one.. My friends and I used to make all the stories about Mario and his World.. Why doesn't he eat except mushrooms, Luigie is far less attractive, we hated Mario with a moustache LOL :D I do not think this is a ''guy game!! '' I was really surprised to know that it sold over 40 million copies world wide I mean who didn't play super Mario..Now looking at the online line link I was really disappointed.. A poor flash game with miserable effects nahh.. This isn't Mario.. It only revived Mario Memories :D For all Mario Lovers here are some facts you should not miss .. I am personally passing those to my Kids.. and as we all know meen fat adeemo tah ;-)
Mario Misconceptions corrected!

1. Mario's given occupation is a plumber
2. Mario's full name is believed to be Mario Mario
3. Mario Speaks Italian when bothered , though he is created by a Japanese Man
4. Mario is generally kind hearted and heroic
I better stop here... Good old days!

Not religious..

2006-03-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine said '' I am not religious''

Sometimes I wonder what does it mean to be religious or not.. and can we actually judge ourselves to be either one... I honestly doubt because simply we don't know the standards of being religious or not... Can you define the word religious? Is it someone who is a regular church goer? or someone who has a regular personal relationship with God? or maybe a mix of both... who can judge other than HIM.. --- I do not want to sound too analytical or philosophical, but this is a very controversial discussion! I just want to say that you might call yourself not religious yet to him you are shining while you see yourself dusty and worthless.. Am I making sense?!?

Dear God....

2006-03-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

Some Kids' letters to God.. Sometimes i think I might address the same questions.. well I love the way they put it..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear God
are you really invisible or is it only a trick? Lucy

Dear God,
I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well I just want you to know but I am not just saying that because you are God. Charles.

Dear God
I want to be just like my Daddy when i get big but not with so much hair all over.. Sam

Dear God,
Did you mean for Giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? Norma

Dear God,
I keep waiting for spring but it never come yet.. Dont forget. Mark

Dear God,
You dont have to worry about me . I always look both ways. Dean.

Dear God,
Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones. why dont you keep the ones you got now? Jane.

Dear God,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that OK? Neil

Dear God,
I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions. Ruth M.

Dear God ,
I think about you sometimes even when I'm not praying. Elliott.

Dear God,
I am American, what are you? Robert.

Dear God,
I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 peple in our family and I can never do it. Nan

Dear God,
If you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my shoes.. Mickey D.

Clara, Monica, Tony ...Thanks for being my inspiration today!

2006-02-24T00:58:00.000-08:00

Clara 6 years
Monica Next Monday turns 7
Tony 6 years

The three of them are in my Sunday school class or rather I am in their Sunday school class!

Today we were reviewing Jonah's story with the whale and how Jesus ordered the whale to throw him out, after keeping him 3 days in a row alive while Jonah was praying.. Clara said, "Jesus Almighty made the whale not hurt Jonah" so I said " so Jesus can do anything we ask for if we pray hard enough", the three of them nodded.. Monica shouted " because he prayed alot" I was like : " So what do you want to ask Jesus Almighty to do for you.. I directed the question to Clara who stared for a while in the ceiling and said " NOTHING..I want Nothing" I was NOTHING?? Then I redirected the same question to Monica " What do you want to ask Jesus for, which he can do right now?" She thought for a while and said.. " I do not want anything, so NOTHING" then finally Tony said: " Nothing for me too"

Clara said " I do not want a toy, or cloths" so I asked who wants to ask Jesus to go to heaven.. Without hesitation they all screamed MEEEEEEEEE Monica said "I want to go to heaven and waive to Jesus byee", Clara said "me too".. I was speechless!!Toni Smiled in silence..

I thought about myself... and now I really understood the meaning of this verse.. "And He said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Mat 18:3...

Q&A Burdz FLEW,, KNOW your ENEMY ;-)

2006-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

Q: What is bird flu?

There are 15 types of bird, or avian, flu.

The most contagious strains, which are usually fatal in birds, are H5 and H7.

The type currently causing concern is the deadly strain H5N1, which can prove fatal to humans.

Migratory wildfowl, notably wild ducks, are natural carriers of the viruses, but are unlikely to actually develop an infection.

The risk is that they pass it on to domestic birds, who are much more susceptible to the virus.

Q: How do humans catch bird flu?

Bird flu was thought only to infect birds until the first human cases were seen in Hong Kong in 1997.

Humans catch the disease through close contact with live infected birds.

Birds excrete the virus in their faeces, which dry and become pulverised, and are then inhaled.

Symptoms are similar to other types of flu - fever, malaise, sore throats and coughs. People can also develop conjunctivitis.

Researchers are now concerned because scientists studying a case in Vietnam found the virus can affect all parts of the body, not just the lungs.

This could mean that many illnesses, and even deaths, thought to have been caused by something else, may have been due to the bird flu virus.

Q: Is it possible to stop bird flu coming into a country?

Because it is carried by birds, there is no way of preventing its spread.

But that does not mean it will be passed to domestic flocks. Experts say proper poultry controls - such as preventing wild birds getting in to poultry houses - which are present in the UK, should prevent that happening.

In addition, they say monitoring of the migratory patterns of wild birds should provide early alerts of the arrival of infected flocks - meaning they could be targeted on arrival.

Q: How many people have been affected?

As of 13 February 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed 169 cases of H5N1 in humans in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Turkey and Iraq, leading to 91 deaths.

Q: How quickly is the disease spreading?

After bird flu claimed its first human victim - a three-year-old boy in Hong Kong in May 1997 - the disease was not detected again until February 2003, when a father and son were diagnosed with H5N1, again in Hong Kong.

Since then it has spread westwards through Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

In October 2005 the UK recorded its first case of H5N1 in a quarantined parrot from South America, but because the bird was held in isolation the UK's disease-free status remains unchanged.

Despite mass culls, exclusion zones and other measures put in place to prevent its spread, the H5N1 virus has continued to travel.

In one week in February 2006, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, France, Slovenia, India, Iran and Egypt confirmed their first cases of H5N1 in wild birds.

Q: But it can't yet be passed from person to person?

For the most part, humans have contracted the virus following very close contact with sick birds.

There may have been examples of human-to-human transmission, but so far not in the form which could fuel a pandemic.

A case in Thailand indicated the probable transmission of the virus from a girl who had the disease to her mother, who also died.

The girl's aunt, who was also infected, survived the virus.

Q: Is there a vaccine?

There is not yet a definitive vaccine, but prototypes which offer protection against the H5N1 strain are being produced.

But antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu which are already available and being stockpiled by countries such as the UK, may help limit symptoms and reduce the chances the disease will spread.

Concerns have been prompted by news that patients in Vietnam have become partially resistant to the Tamiflu, the drug that doctors plan to use to tackle a human bird flu outbreak.

Scientists say it may be helpful to have stocks of other drugs from the same family such as Relenza (zanamivir).

Q: Can I continue to eat chicken?

Yes. Experts say avian flu is not a food-borne virus, so eating chicken is safe.

The only people thought to be at risk are those involved in the slaughter and preparation of meat that may be infected.

However, the Who recommends, to be absolutely safe all meat should be cooked to a temperature of at least 70C. Eggs should also be thoroughly cooked.

Professor Hugh Pennington of Aberdeen University underlined the negligible risk to consumers: "The virus is carried in the chicken's gut.

"A person would have to dry out the chicken meat and would have to sniff the carcass to be at any risk. But even then, it would be very hard to become infected."

Some headlines!

2006-02-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Birds flu
Russia urges nuclear deal on Iran
Mud engulfing a Village in Philippines
Demonstrations worldwide against Denmark
Many die in Iraq fresh bombings
Bombings in West Bank............

These are some of the headlines I came across lately.. People, Pls tell me am I being negative??? My mother and I were watching CNN couple of days back and she turned to me and said... our days we had 1 bad news in 5 acceptable ones.. now it is like 5 bad ones and you wonder which is the worst... This is really sad.. what is happening to our world.. are these the signs we should be expecting?? God pls bless us and protect us as always.. Help us be ready..

We Danced... ( Just a song :)

2006-02-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

Worth listening to.. by BRAD PAISLEY

The bar was empty
I was sweeping up the floor
That's when she walked in
I said, "I'm sorry but we're closed"
And she said "I know,
But I'm afraid I left my purse"
I said, "I put one back behind the bar
I bet it's probably yours"
And the next thing that I knew
There we were, lost in conversation
And before I handed her her purse
I said, "You'll only get this back on one condition"

[Chorus]
And we danced
Out there on that empty hardwood floor
The chairs up and the lights turned way down low
The music played, we held each other close
And we danced

And from that moment
There was never any doubt
I had found the one
That I had always dreamed about
And then one evenin'
When she stopped by after work
I pulled a diamond ring out of the pocket of my shirt
And as her eyes filled up with tears
She said, "This is the last thing I expected"
And then she took me by the hand
And said, "I'll only marry you on one condition"

[Chorus]

Like no one else had ever danced before
I can't explain what happened on that floor
But the music played
We held each other close
And we danced
Yeah, we danced

WIKI WIKI....

2006-02-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

Couple of weeks ago, i was attending an IT conference in the states with work.. One of the sessions which I will not forget is what I am about to share with you now :-)

The session initially attracted my attention, it was titled -- 10 IT concepts any salesperson SHOULD KNOW... the main concepts which came to my mind were the common ones we all know... ONDemand, SOA,... whatever more abbreviations.. but the speaker was so interesting and was like today i am going to talk about a Wiki .. my 1st concept...

The speaker started off:'' How many of you know what a WIKI is?" only 2 out of 60 people nodded!!

He was like ''Come on folks!!! you do not know what WIKI is!!!!" " Think simple... Wiki comes from the term WIKI WIKI.. when you tell someone be right here.. WIKI WIKI...." people started nodding again..

I really got worried.. I STILL HAD NO CLUE :-O I started wondering if this is part of their culture and i was the ignorant here, till the lady behind me shot the question.. " Can you pls give me a clear explanation of the word WIKI ?" I thought thx you Jesus .. It is not only me... SHE IS AMERICAN :D

The speaker explained that WIKI comes from the word Quick!!!! how on earth could this be... so when someone says how long do you need,, you go in a flash... WIKI WIKI!!!! LOL haven't ever heard that..

Wiki is basically the hottest term in the IT world which is the opposite of a BLOG.. or more precisely a WIKI is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. It allows many to many communication and postings on any web page, versus what we know now about a blog.. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site, it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by non-technical users. The speaker gave many examples of available Wikis like WIKIPEDIA an online encyclopedia where anyone can publish an interesting info, a peice of culture, something that is original to one's background.. which i seriously think is very very cool.. The information does not get published unless it is well reviewed and validated.. so no crap gets on the web... Have a look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
you have to imagine what the rest of the 9 concepts were.. and i thought i knew everything!!!
hehehe i Liked the Wiki wiki concept.. yalla see you wiki wiki.. :D

INVITATION ON HIS BEHALF

2005-12-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every
year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year
the celebration will be repeated.

During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there
are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of
the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer
and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some
people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.
At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I
did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason
for the celebration.

Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they
don't know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last
year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was
full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and
chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many,
many beautifully wrapped gifts.

But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited.
I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an
invitation.

The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left
outside, they closed the door in my face .. and I wanted to be
with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years
all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to
enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a
corner.

They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling
jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time.
To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long
white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk.
He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying:
"Santa Claus, Santa Claus"
as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my
arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged
me.
Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by
one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to
see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on
your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?
I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly
left.
Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the
parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your
life.
I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand
years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the
cross, to save you.
Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to
their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party
that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still
making the final arrangements..
Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation
for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation
for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest
book.
Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party.
Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be
prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great
party.
See you soon. I Love you!
Jesus

Get the best of you anyway..

2005-12-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway – Mother Teresa

Empty Spots..

2005-12-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked inside yourself and saw empty spots.. Empty in the sense of never been filled, not filled and then got empty.. Empty in the truest meaning.. Lacking any sense.. sometimes I feel sorry about that and regret the way those spots are, but I deeply believe if they were not the way they are I would not have experienced and enjoyed them getting filled up gradually.. This is the beauty of live, I guess.. The sense of being not there and getting there..The sense of experiencing different levels of things to reach the peak.. could be painful, sad, amusing, strange, or unexpected.. yet the combination is like a jigsaw puzzle which at the end reveals a pretty structure.. It has to pretty, I am sure! --- I am making sense to myself at least :-)

is Dubai next?

2005-11-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

The late bombing in Jordan makes me think, which country is next? and when will this stop and will it ever stop or is it just the beginning.. so many questions, is it the end of the world are these the signs? did anyone think for a minute this might happen.. this is so ironic, the bombing happened in a wedding the happiest moments for people, turned into a complete misery..
Sometimes, moments which we suspect the least turn against us in a weird way.. is there anything one can do.. Tricky question. Be ready but ready for what ? i think ready to die any moment.. Ready to leave here ready to leave everything.. is this possible i need to try.. Please help me god and help the victim's' families.

WOH HERE I COME BLOG WORLD

2005-11-10T07:21:00.000-08:00

so finally i can say that i am here!
Simply i love writing but wasnt too fond of the fact that someone reads my diary...
but again this is it... i decided i will go into it.. who knows, i might inspire someone or someone inspires me ... this is the main aim i guess... we share thoughts you tell me if i am a stupid, sensless nobody and how to improve that.. I am very open to feedback constructive one ofcourse.. actually a little bit about myself..

Ordinary Gurl
25..
cute..
bright ..
and most importantly Modest!
nahhh... i think, i really think am stupid sometimes..
i am very observant,
not so friendly..
sensitive
caring ... i guess
selfish-- sometimes
worried and scared alot
Vivid in the true sense..
aggressive .. am sorry
God loving -- forgive me pls
Naughty could be
Wild ... once in a while
Ambitious .. STOP
Perfectionist..
Spontaneous
NoT BornInG
ACTING
NOT FAKe -- well sometimes am
LOUDDD!!
CREtiVE ... looking forward
OUTSPOKEN
Love to act, sing and dance
less reading
more sports
less food
more drinking
Impressive.. not being proud
weak.. as the opposite of Strong
fun loving
risk taker.. awiii
Crazy

i think sometimes it is very contradicting yet this is what i think.. this is the human character anyways it is all about exploring oneself and this is so far my 25 year experiance of who i am .. and i expect more to come... Thats all for now.