Samer Kurdi's Weblog

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57154312011-04-21T17:44:42.881-07:00Samer Kurdi's WeblogSamer Kurdi's WeblogSamer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1161872724626254952006-10-26T06:42:00.000-07:002006-10-26T07:27:31.683-07:00A Blessed Eid to All

In commemoration of Eid Al Fitr I decided to post these favorite verses of mine from the Quran (in English for all of you non-Arabic speakers).Quran 93: The Glorious Morning LightBy the Glorious Morning Light,And by the Night when all is stillYour Guardian has not forsaken you,nor is He displeased.And the Hereafter will be better for you than the present.And soon will He give you that wherewith

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1159986139327722402006-10-04T11:17:00.000-07:002006-10-04T11:22:19.340-07:00Announcing: Freewaregenius

For the past month or so I've been working on my brand new Freeware blog. Check it out at www.freewaregenius.comFreewaregenius.com is a freeware blog that contains reviews and download links of some of the coolest legal free PC software out there. The basic philosophy behind the site is simple: quality not quantity. Unlike other sites, this freeware blog does not list every single free program on

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1158803906439926232006-09-20T18:51:00.000-07:002006-09-20T23:04:46.986-07:00Obituary: Mohammed Ali Kurdi

My father and me. It’s the 40th day anniversary since my father, Mohammed Ali Kurdi (Abu Maher), died of cancer on August 15th 2006. He was 78 years old.He had a very dignified death. He was not in pain and was communicative and aware to the end. He lived a very full and rewarding life. We buried him in the same grave as his father, which is what he said he wanted.Somehow, as if by magic, my

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1154794374927593382006-08-05T09:06:00.000-07:002006-08-05T13:08:15.236-07:00Reflections on the war in Lebanon

I’m back in Jordan since two days, and it is clear that the war in Lebanon, predictably, has galvanized public opinion against the US for its support of what Israel has done. “This war should be a reminder to us that Israel is our enemy”, says a Jordanian whom I have always known to be a moderate and who previously supported peace and coexistence with Israel. If America is concerned with

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1153805433958638912006-07-24T22:11:00.000-07:002006-07-24T22:30:34.046-07:00Great Article by Rami Khouri

The irony of it all is that, at the heart of it, Arabs and Americans share the same common malaise. It's called the Israeli lobby; it's called AIPAC. I love how Rami Khoury refers to this, in the article below: the "American orgy of diplomatic intoxication with the enticements of pro-Israeli politics. "Americans should be aware: the unchecked influence of the Israeli lobby will always result in

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1153496651339633242006-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:002006-07-21T08:44:11.353-07:00A sober, sane article on the ills of the Middle East

This one from the Herald Tribune is worth reading:http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/21/opinion/edhass.phpHere's a quote:"Israeli unilateralism is founded on the false premise that Israelis can attain peace and security without affording Palestinians their liberty and independence. Ten months after Israel's redeployment from Gaza, the escalating crisis throughout the Middle East demonstrates the

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1152574591613066092006-07-10T16:35:00.000-07:002006-07-10T16:36:31.623-07:00Zidane Explained

For those of you who are wondering what the hell happened with Zidane and the France/Italy world cup final .... everything you need to know is right here:http://f10.putfile.com/7/19005024357.gif

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1150762561483748182006-06-19T17:01:00.000-07:002006-06-19T17:16:01.520-07:00The Jewish Question

Here's an interesting article from The Guadian: "Israel Can No Longer Rely on the Support of Europe's Jews"Just one comment in this regard: What's always blown me away is that not just jews but most westerners in general somehow believe that, with the founding of a "homeland" for the jews, the "Jewish question" has been put to rest.It is obvious that what really happened is that it was merely

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1148849792027896082006-05-28T13:50:00.000-07:002006-05-28T13:57:54.426-07:00"Foreign Policy" Magazine is CRAP

I've noticed that "Foreign Policy" magazine always attempts to seperate the Palestine/Israel problem from the other problems afflicting the Middle East. This, as far as I am concerned, is tantamount to wanting to cure a patient from, say, recurrent headaches and ulcers while insisting that these symptoms are seperate from the cancerous tumour in their brain.Anyway, I wanted to publish a letter to

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1148792080337599632006-05-27T21:42:00.000-07:002006-05-27T21:55:29.133-07:00Great article by Pat Buchanan

I find it very interesting when American Conservative pundits call it as it really is in Israel/Palestine. More interesting still is when they portray Bush as a hapless president. Check out conservative Patrick Buchanan's article entitled "Steering into a Third Intifada" on the following link:http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13193.htmBuchanan is a conservative pundit who had

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1145873814922761392006-04-24T03:12:00.000-07:002006-04-24T11:08:03.146-07:00Some reflections on religion

I cut out a newspaper clip from an Interview with Karen Armstrong in the Seattle Times of April 8th. Armstrong is a former nun and a religious historian who writes beautifully about religions, including Islam. At the time she was in Seattle promoting her new book "The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Religious Traditions". I wanted to quote a specific section from the interview:Interviewer:

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1145431289311328592006-04-19T00:21:00.000-07:002006-04-22T04:52:00.750-07:00Back in Amman

We've been in Amman for four days now, and it brings me a lot of joy to see that both Amanda and Issy are so happy to be here. Amanda is quite enjoying working in development again and re-visiting all the cool places that she used to like when we lived here... but I think she particularly likes that everyone is so enamored with Issy and picking him up and kissing on him, playing with him, and,

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1143734760011917852006-03-30T08:02:00.000-08:002006-03-30T08:06:00.023-08:00Today is a good day

I just read that Jill Carroll has been freed. What wonderful news; it brought tears to my eyes. I was so afraid of a repeat of what happened to Margaret Hassan.

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1142457218350705342006-03-15T13:12:00.000-08:002006-03-15T13:29:28.426-08:00Cartoon Closure, part2

A final posting about the Danish cartoons. Hopefully with this one I can put this business behind me. This is something that I was asked to write for a local Seattle publication, and I wanted to publish it here as well (I know Amanda's put it up on her blog as well):What made me angry wasn't so much that the cartoons depicted the prophet, or that they portrayed him (and by extension all Muslims)

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1142356873553320342006-03-14T09:05:00.000-08:002006-03-23T10:42:30.713-08:00Cartoon Closure, part1

I am amazed that I still get feedback on my last posting about the Danish cartoons. My use of the f-word with regard to European democracy ruffled some people's feathers, apparently. I guess some things are sacrosanct after all.It's interesting how "democracy" is the modern world's new religion; as in the ultimate value. One thing that always annoyed me was when the many apologists for Israel

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1138987627885792002006-02-03T09:25:00.000-08:002006-02-03T11:50:47.940-08:00Cartoons and European Cultural Superiority

This cartoon business in Europe is getting on my nerves. Ok, so I don't give a crap whether the Prophet is depicted/drawn/illustrated or not, but you know what, the re-publication of these cartoons really pissed me off, for multiple reasons.Europeans apparently do not see the obvious self serving reason for the re-publication, a juvenile "demonstration" of their supposed cultural superiority. "Oh

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1138291982548989212006-01-26T07:56:00.000-08:002006-01-26T08:15:40.000-08:00Arab videos on Google Video

I've been addicted to Borat lately... the fictional Kazak 'Journalist' played by the same guy that plays Ali G. Which is why I've been using Google Video alot, searching for Borat vids.After watching all the Borat I could find posted on Google Video, I decided to type in "Arab" in the Video Search box and see what comes up. Here are some samples (paste url into your browser).Arab dating ad:http:/

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1137516423154911362006-01-17T08:43:00.000-08:002006-01-17T08:58:55.233-08:00On my inability to make small talk

I have never been good at making small talk and casual conversation with random people. Being here in America, moreover, makes me realize that what skills for random banter I do have are very much seeped in Arabic rhetoric, and therefore useless here, as the example below will illustrate.I had been waiting for the bus this damp morning and there was an older man with a scraggly face, white hair,

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1137172704665238022006-01-13T08:53:00.000-08:002006-01-13T09:21:36.870-08:00The cost of the war in Iraq

One of the less discussed issues about the war in Iraq these days is its cost to the US taxpayer. I had been going to the website below to figure this out. It is a running counter and the figure is presumably based on congressional appropriations. The cost so far: $233 billion.http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182An article in the BBC today, however, quotes a Nobel

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1133511411067527052005-12-01T23:36:00.000-08:002005-12-02T00:16:51.116-08:00Bush sharpens his Iraq rhetoric

Mr. Bush had the following to say about Iraq two days ago: "Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to 'stay the course'. If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right. If by 'stay the course' they mean we will not permit al-Qaida to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorists

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1132508944213453272005-11-20T09:37:00.000-08:002005-11-20T10:03:37.453-08:00Quote from 'The Economist'

The recent issue of the Economist had an article paying tribute to Condoleeza Rice's recent diplomatic efforts in Palestine, which succeded in producing a deal between Israel and the Palestinian authority allowing Palestinians to go in and out of Gaza. A significant (and quiet) diplomatic achivement which stands in contrast to the recklessness and absrasiveness we have come to expect from this

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1132016418260993282005-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:002005-11-14T17:01:24.896-08:00Amman, part2

Our friend Megan sent this really sweet email on the 12th. I asked her and she gave me permission to share it here. Megan is an archaeologist who lives and teaches in North Carolina. She had lived in Jordan for a long time, which is where she met her Iraqi husband, Leo (Laith).Hi Samer & Mandy-I read Samer's blog today - I have to admit it's been a long time but was feeling - as you said - a

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1131726148978468162005-11-11T07:47:00.000-08:002005-11-12T09:10:35.886-08:00Amman

Its 2 days since the bombings in Amman and I'm experiencing some sort of delayed emotional reaction. I am so angry and sad. Amanda and I were literally grieving last night and she said that she wished we were back there, not here.It was so sad to see how juvenile these guys were... 9/11 in reverse? Like its some sort of game. Give me a fucking break. My explanation is that these guys do this to

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1131484526137138472005-11-08T12:54:00.000-08:002005-11-08T13:19:07.296-08:00Going to work every morning

People ask why I dont post more, which I find flattering because of the underlying suggestion that they enjoy my posts. I'm not sure why my posts are few and far between. I actually have all these ideas about articles/stories that I would like to write that never materialize. This is partly due to the fact that most of these are political in nature, and somehow it seems like my posts are more

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1128667261376795572005-10-06T22:44:00.000-07:002005-10-07T16:09:20.940-07:00Generational gap, Jordanian style

I had a relative, I'll call him my "uncle", whom I really liked when I was growing up. During the 2 "Eids" (religious festivals) when adults typically handed out cash to youngsters, he would always happily (and reliably) hand out the biggest sums, and I used to love that and love him for it. I remember that he was very generous with money, and also that he was always a rather helpful and

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1128008012548506592005-09-29T07:54:00.000-07:002005-10-06T23:42:31.290-07:00On Longing to be Known

Of late, I discovered that a Sufi minister from Bangladesh offers sermons in Ballard, where I live, in an "interfaith" church. It has been very interesting to go to these, because in all honesty I had given up on religion, yet the images and parables from the Quran and Sufi mystics such as Rumi have had an affect on me that I did not expect. I had been, and still am, struggling with the place and

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1126501346419275862005-09-11T22:02:00.000-07:002005-10-07T16:23:07.043-07:00

I just read this amazing book (pictured above), "A Terrible Love of War", by James Hillman. He is one of my favorite authors, a depth psychologist with a wide breadth and a wonderful way of looking at things.Anyway, the reason I mention this here is because I wanted to share a section from the book, which talked about the relationship of westerners and the Koran, which I thought was really

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1126020839951619902005-09-06T08:11:00.000-07:002005-09-06T08:36:47.520-07:00The emperor is incompetent

The 3 pivotal events during this administration's tenure so far -- 9/11, the war in Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina / the flooding of New Orleans -- have shown that the one consistently reliable thread for the administration has been its incompetence. When 9/11 happened they said oh, we're not the incompetent ones, this breach happened because we inherited the legacy of the previous administration.

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1124423864952293772005-08-18T20:57:00.000-07:002005-08-18T20:57:44.986-07:00

Here's a recent picture of the fam for all our fans out there!

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1122872063782644802005-07-31T21:34:00.000-07:002005-07-31T22:07:29.486-07:00Bite the hand that feeds

I've been hearing Nine Inch Nails' The Hand That Feeds played on various Seattle radio stations and its grown on me in a big way. Looked up the lyrics on the net today to look into what this song is about and I'm really impressed; this song is totally political, or at least could be taken as such. It totally can be read as commentary on the times we live in.Check out the lyrics, imagine that he's

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1121871358707899502005-07-20T07:40:00.000-07:002005-07-20T07:55:58.716-07:00Arabs and the west

I haven't been writing lately, but yesterday was my birthday and we went out and saw a movie called "Yes" (pic posted below), which I liked so much I wanted to write about it. The movie is about an Irish American woman who falls in love with an Arab guy. The dialogue is all in verse, so its kind of weird, but all in all I think it works.I had been quite depressed lately and had forgotten about

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1121870294966072822005-07-20T07:38:00.000-07:002005-07-20T07:38:15.000-07:00

The poster for "Yes", a movie about an Irish American woman who falls in love with an Arab

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1119558504409900542005-06-23T13:28:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:28:24.410-07:00No shortage of idiots in America

Someone sent me this picture. The idiots who made it apparently cannot comprehend how much they are HURTING thier country. Anyway, I thought of a caption for it, below.

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1119558372591937352005-06-23T13:26:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:26:12.596-07:00

Weenie too small? Have suppressed homosexual tendencies? Come kill a bunch of Iraqis and you'll feel much better!!

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1118870799300952182005-06-15T14:11:00.000-07:002005-06-20T11:55:37.946-07:00Best Magazines

Here's a list of my favorite news/political magazines for all my fans out there. Basically these are the magazines which I would like to have a subscription to:1- The Economist: strong views, strong arguments, might better take themselves less seriously, but my fave mag all the same.2- Harper's: I would love a subscription to this. High standards, from what I've seen lately.3- The New Yorker: In

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1118534299308487892005-06-11T16:24:00.000-07:002005-06-13T10:19:44.020-07:00Democracy and the King

We've been seeing all these articles lately highlighting the sorry state of democracy in Jordan. The main gist of all of these is: you think Jordan is so civilized? You think the Jordanian Monarch is a good guy? Well guess what, he might talk the talk (and speaks perfect English) but he doesn't walk the walk. Guess what, you wouldn't want to be a political opponent of the monarchy inside Jordan.

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1117837430008010482005-06-03T14:52:00.000-07:002005-06-03T15:32:33.210-07:00Some thoughts on Strengthsfinder

I attend the meetings of a great networking group for jobseekers and self employed people which meets up in Lynnwood, and it was there that I heard about the book "Now, discover your strengths" and Strengthsfinder. The book is about a self-assesment methodology invented by Gallup after a study involving some 2 million people, and in my opinion is really a cut above other self-assesment tools, not

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1117834659671486972005-06-03T14:34:00.000-07:002005-06-11T16:59:01.323-07:00Perhaps I need an anonymous blog

This is in fact my third posting; I deleted the second after thinking it was way too personal and dealt with ideas/opinions that I do not wish to share with everybody that I know. I wonder if I should scrap this whole blog idea and create another anonymous one instead.

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5715431.post-1117582080970090392005-05-31T16:28:00.000-07:002005-05-31T16:30:19.116-07:00My first blog entry

Ok, I finally set up a blog linked to my website. Some topics toexpect discussed here:Reflections on life in Seattle, now that we moved here from Jordan Thoughts on American and Middle Eastern politics Thoughts on the nature of God, which should hopefully go some ways towards refuting my acquired (though inaccurate) image of irreligiousness. Observations regarding looking for work in Seattle, and

Samer Kurdihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06598520669362150305noreply@blogger.com0