Have you seen me? Criminal investigations have ensued this week surrounding the whereabouts of Mr. and Mrs. Mousilli pictured here. Suspects say the predators are armed and dangerous looking for iPhone 4s on the market after Apple had recently sold out.

“I didn’t even know the man,” one suspect reports. “I was out shopping and the next thing I know is he went to the Post Office and forwarded all of my incoming mail to his address.”

Local police authorities are cautioning citizens not to flaunt their iPhones in the faces of this Mousilli double when the phone ships next month; this could incite the criminal masterminds into terminal kungfubia frenzy. One of the survivors reports that Basim is currently holding a black unlocked iPhone 3GS flagrantly displaying the words “$uckafree 4 life” on his lockscreen.

Apple has come forward and is suggesting consumers keep their new iPhones in older generation cases once they start shipping July 2 to avoid theft, kickassery, and other random acts of jealousy and delusion. Seclusion also rhymes.

Crime accessory Noura Mousilli was not present at the time of questioning. More news as the facts unfold.

Noura, you showed me love. Never will my life be the same. You make me melt and my mouth water. What a toasty French affair!

It’s all over the news twitter is offline due to hacker work! That’s why I love computers – they are very powerful.

Zaatar w Zeit was our first stop to eat. With its childish cartoon-like menus, it made for a great place to snack and dine with beautiful pastries stuffed and grilled in various flavors including zaatar oo jibneh.

We went to downtown Amman to visit the Roman ampitheatre ruins and that was simply amazing. I paused to think about the greatness of God having preserved the makings of man since 700AD. It is remarkable to see pillars some erect and some overturned,
shaping a piece of history where people used to convene to enjoy a show of entertainment – probably the height of stimulation in their days. To see the carvings on the pillars still noticable and to think that a man’s hand left an impression that would last a century and a half was utterly inspiring.

We dashed out of there and headed to Habiba’s to chow down on some knafeh. Not as good as Syria’s but still it’s been forever since I’ve went to a knafeh shop living in Brunei. Inside the shop it was packed like it was going out of business. A bit too sweet but hit the
spot in a crispy sweet savory package for my famished tongue.

A couple of things I noticed. Compared to its neighboring country Syria, Jordan seems more mountainous and a bit colder than Syria all the time. The hills provide for nice shade and breezes in pockets of the town. The residential buildings all seem to have nice
exterior stone work and the streets have names unlike Syria. The Western influence on business is widespread and branding is taken a lot more seriously than it is in Syria. An issue apparently is water sourcing as it is rare and water gets cut off frequently.

Everybody seems to smoke argeela all the time. And lastly, the coffee shops and chill spots are more abundant. I would say however as we all agreed, Syria has more personality and above all is more original and peaceful and friendly altogether.

Our last stop was at Mayjanee for a highly reccomended lunch and quiet talk under olive trees.

Amman would make for a nice place to work in the Middle East and hope to come back some day, especially to visit.

Tamarind Hill Contemporary Thai & Burmese
Phone: 03.2148.3200
Address: 19 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Email: tamarindhill@samadhi.com.my

Here’s a summary of our experience. We were amazed by the entrance, complete with a long stone staircase winding and leading to the entrance among a sea of candles and a blue-lit river. We snapped at least a couple of pictures before entering. We were enamored by the texture, lighting, and ambiance of the place. It’s nice to have someone take care of the details for one night as you enjoy the service and splendid atmosphere of a complete getaway restaurant.

We started off the feast with the best Tom Yum soup we have ever tasted. The chicken inside the soup was grilled – high quality stuff. The fresh tomatoes in it were just the right size, not oversized.

For our first entrée, we ordered the Thai grilled chicken, a dish prepared with cherry tomatoes and grilled capsicum. I thought the dish was OK – nothing too special. What really boiled our appetite was the aromatic kefir lime rice which descended on the table with an attitude of its own. This was met warmly with an applause from our mouth-watered tastebuds.

Our entrée numero dos was basically stir fry beef and it was really good to say the least; the meat was soft and the asparagus accompanying it made for a great combo – classic, nothing exquisitely unique. Lastly, the tamarind was tangy, not too sweet, and delicious just the way I like it.

On the ambiance, the lighting was subtle and bedazzling. The music they were playing didn’t really fit with the Thai theme but it was nice – some tunes from Thievery Corporation and yeah, I shazammed a couple of hits.

In summary, one of my favorite Thai restaurants abroad. Although not entirely unique, this place is simply awesome, the service super friendly, and the ambiance and food to die for. I’m definitely coming back next time I’m in KL but next time I’ll be bringing my whole family to enjoy this wonderful new place.

Now here are 10 things backpacking taught me:

#1 Live a compact life to be flexible to change and opportunities. It also helps you keep a clean head and rid yourself of futile worldliness.

#2 Be yourself: You shouldn’t worry about being different. You are beautiful within. Really, you are! People love it when you are yourself.

#3 Don’t be scared to experiment: Explore! Yes, go for the uncharted territory. The world is full of beautiful wonders and you have nothing to lose.

#4 Humanity is all basically the same: People all over the world have the exact same base tendencies. No matter what language and what color, we’re all the same. God put us on earth as one family.

#5 Don’t plan too far ahead: Just don’t trouble yourself. Plans always change and you should be ready for that moment with good humor because it will happen.

#6 Life needs a companion: It was beautiful being married and having a true friend accompany me. For survival and for love, you need another person with you at all times at best.

#7 Be safe: Yes, do take emergency supplies and survival gear. You never know when you will need it, so don’t skimp on it. Be adventurous and skimp but not on the wrong things!

#8 One dollar goes a long way: Be thankful. I never knew how poor people live. In the US, people are very spoiled. I am a little bit more thankful for everything now.

#9 Muslims are everywhere: It’s a great passport to have, a Muslim identity. You are greeted and treated with respect all over the world, except in the US or Europe.

#10 Work is optional: Getting a job and keeping a stable job is not the most important thing in the world. One of our jobs is to make sure we are happy on the inside and spiritually whole. Attend to yourself and take time off to do what you want to do. Work can wait!

What? OK! So we caught a train to On Nut station with the store owner and went to the grocery store there setting out to buy ingredients to make Tom Ka Khai, Green Curry Coconut Chicken, and Pineapple Fried Rice.

I cannot describe how we turned a bookshop with a coffee stand into a full service kitchen! ….It’s like the Thai cook gained the ultimate pleasure seeing me trance into gastronomical ecstasy…

We bought an electric wok and stirred up fish oil and mushroom soy sauce like as if it was Chinese New Years all over again. I cannot describe the extent of hospitality and humor with which Thai people approach life. Cooking and eating and serving people brought this shop pure joy – I felt like my mother or sister was in the kitchen, asking me what I think of the food and if I wanted more.

“Basim! Where’s your spoon? Come taste this, mate” the chef frequently beckoned. It’s like the Thai cook gained the ultimate pleasure seeing me trance into gastronomical ecstasy. I was in pure heaven today and I will never forget the friendship that was built today and the generosity we received. Indescribable and unpredictable, that’s why I love Thailand.

Maybe it’s because people want good luck and to live a long life to enjoy worldly things. Maybe people create large things to make themselves insignificant and invisible? Is it for them to hide beneath? Why would man dedicate himself to create such large structure in the name of a God king with a body and spirit much like their own? What do you think?

I am here at the Killing Fields, remnants of the genocide of the 1970s where an estimated 1.5 million people died here under the bloody hands of the Pol Pot regime. This is too much to take in.

People were brainwashed that they had a mental disease called “thinking too much” and that they should release themselves to the free will of Angka, the supreme authority of the land. People were told that God had died and Angka would now sustain their needs. Educated countrymen were summoned forward for their skills in order to rebuild the nation…only to find out they would be the first to be massacred.

It turned out there was not enough fuel, time, or precious ammunition to deal with the thousands of citizens every day that needed to be evacuated from the cities to the countrysides to concentration camps to be murdered. Hateful human torture agents were trained and manufactured as quick as victims were being exterminated who would turn against their own people killing their families and friends for the lords of the land.

Somber, sad, stoic, sedated, sorrowful: this is Cambodian mood. In their Khmer eyes a million untold stories of the past.

Stripped of every intention of creativity, people mean business here. Differentiation is important because goods and services are plentiful and redundant. But people move so quick here, emotions and details don’t seem to matter in this big city. It’s name recognition and putting products in your face that sells.

In Laos, I noticed men mostly sit around and do nothing. Here in Vietnam, women work as hard as men do and even more. It’s like the whole society is working 24/7. It’s crazy like that!

Some parts of the city (non-central districts) are gray with smog, noisy with rattles of machinery, honking horns, yelling workers, and buzzing with 18-wheelers steamrolling the gravel all day long in the haze of pollution and randomness. The entire society looks converted into factory workers – the kids, taxi drivers, women and men all look like construction workers plowing in the industry. Manufacturing of steel pipes, fittings, cranes, and automotive parts – this is what surrounds you as you enter the big city.

Once you get to the heart of Ho Chi Minh, it’s completely different and highly modernized. All over though I must say people are very sincere and mean good intentions. We have met some on the nicest people during our travels here.

Motorbikes, overcrowded, and power lines running into each other. That’s Saigon for you with 8 million people bursting at the seams of this bustling capital city. Busy as hell is the name of the game here!

Government touches everything and processes are very serial, hierarchial, heavily bureaucratic, and corrupt of course. The common distribution of wealth idea does not work based on the buddy systems I have seen – people revert to bribes and having good contacts to get things done and from what I have noticed, that makes lower class people even more disadvantaged. Socialism is hard to implement with even distribution and minimal defects.

On the bright side making sustenance Men, women, and children here have convinced me that the Vietnamese are people of strong will, hard work, and relentless determination. They will make the impossible happen; if you just watch people you can catch their energy in their hustle and flow. People in Southwern Vietnam are very business-minded always trying to make an extra buck or two. As soon as your pockets give, smiles dissolve and the predator’s eyes lock-and-load on the next target. These soldiers have the soujurn swagger of a famished fighter on a battlefield fighting for a pinch of life. The energy is infectious. A bit like the ambitious “can do” bug you get by visiting New York City and seeing small people in a big city get by.

Wheeling it to Danang to get a visa extension. There better not be rain there or I’m going to kick somebody fat and ugly. Come ye Sun!

Oh yeah, no more temples. What a scam. I feel like they’ve built all these temples in Southeast Asia to boost tourism and steal backpackers’ lunch money. Nobody’s even using them for religious purposes – common folks never visit them. They’re even reconstructed without regard to the original structures. I rather watch the Discovery channel for high quality footage than riding a boat and hiking for 3 hours each. There’s just way too many to see and not enough time!

By far, Mr. Hung’s foodstall (near the river) is the best place to eat hands down. You can enjoy the best food here in all of Vietnam.

This is the most touristy town yet. But it is a good touristy town because the shopping, food, and people were great. We got some fake Lacostes, mini North Face backpacks, and some perfectly cut tailored shirts and pants for $10 a pop and we’re talking fabric and service with high quality. The party’s at Phuong 1 on 7 Tran Phu street.

It’s been a lively stint but I think 2 days is enough damage because shopping is the biggest pull here. As Lonely Planet jabs, all of a sudden backpackers after Hoi An are looking spiffy with their collared shirts and custom-made trousers. Now I look less like Gandhi and more like a tourist again. Mom, you’d be proud of me if you saw me right now.

Nha Trang! On a 12 hour sleeper bus, here we come…

People are genuinely happy here. Just today we found throngs of people picnicing on the beach eating rice and chicken for 50 cents and poking jokes with friends laughing from the tonsols of their throats. Are they happy? These people have absolutely nothing – no iPods, no cars, and no fancy clothes. They’re just roughing it and it seems from their outlook on life, they’re living a “good” life with friends, work, and family.

In America, we want more, more, more. Here, they have less, less, less and it’s working for them. All I remember from America is stress from work, stress from bills at home, stress from traffic, and stress struggling against the wake of mainstream being a Muslim. For me it’s truly more relaxing living here in Southeast Asia where you can be yourself and live a simpler life within a more wholistic society that possesses a balanced and blended value system.

I will upload past journal entries since the beginning of January along with pictures as soon as I get proper www in this country. Facebook is banned in Vietnam by the Viet Kong. Yes, they still exist and they stole my lunch money! Just kidding man.

I am now slurping like a slob word-class glass noodles for under a buck – living like a king. These food stalls really work the magic into these simple epicurean creations. Women just love cooking here. It brings them joy to stir up a storm and feed you and just wait for your reaction. People don’t speak much here, but you can feel their passion and their love for others. And you can taste it in the cooking. It’s flame-broiled love straight from the grill to your belly.

I never knew the power of fried rice. It must be the MSG or something but the rice or garlic or ginger or something in these dishes are rocket-powered. just bursting with fountains of flavors I have never quite tasted. Packed into a simple grain of rice, the people of Laos are able to do wonders in the kitchen.

Amazing it is the more you remove from your life the more powerful you become.

Like soldiers these trees stand in attention by the thousands on these picture-perfect hills. Implanted on the banks of the river you can spot feather-fragile huts fringed on cheap wood and hope from above. Lower in the shallow waters men poach the gentle passing stream for the catch of the day. People have a strong connection with nature here in Laos and rely on God’s primitive resources to afford daily sustenance. It’s a humbling life whose reigns are never in your hands. When a farmer or fisherman realizes his fate is not exactly in his control, this is called subjugation to God; he attains a calm and balanced temperament- something burnt out in the hearts of citizens making a living in the big city.

When goods and services are sold for more than what consumers are willing to pay, the market adjusts itself to accommodate; in a nutshell, an economic devaluation occurs.

The parallel that I am drawing is when the world gets to be too much to bear and you are consistently giving it your best, you have to get away and control your worldly desires. Turn away from life’s demands to “collecting things” and society’s imposed fear of poverty and get back to the basics. You can enhance your spirit by traveling to achieve a holistic self again – your equilibrium must not be neglected. Enjoy the childish things in life and do what makes you feel special again, even if it is foolish. This is what I learned today.

The monks here remind me of the tenets of Islam that preach simplicity, humility, and living every day as if it were our last. Traveling is like death because you take barely anything with you when you move on.

Later in the day. On a motorbike on the bumpiest and curviest road straight out of hell with a beautiful view of heaven right outside the window. Just barely swerved past a cow on the road. OK, I’ll write later when it’s less life threatening!

At sunset we went biking through the rustic villages around the 25,000 populated small town. This was by far one of the best ways to reach into the countryside and see the way people were living in this albeit slightly tourist-infested heaven. Kids were smiling, cows were grazing, and dads were sipping tea of course while the women tilled away at the fields.

Main attractions here include kayaking and tubing during the day and biking & meeting crazy drunks and Bob Marley look-a-likes at night. We met this one dude from Sweden working as a bartender who had decided to start working at Sabaidee Restaurant because he had 2 weeks left in his vacation. Inspiring!

This is a place for stoned hippies and shirtless soul seekers walking barefoot around town. Everybody is so high here, it’s not even funny. It’s a town stuck in the 1960s with a great outdoor culture.

I think we’re going to move on tomorrow. Heading North, captain.

So you might ask why the hell are you doing all these Western things in the middle of the Orient?

I must admit – day 2 of the trip and I’m at a coffee shop watching TV and having greasy pizza. Yes, even backpackers miss home sometimes. Around travel days, your full day is shot being lazy and coping with being human. You have to rest to be energized for the rest of your travels.

Travel mix up. The reason for this rush is I told the lady at Air Asia to book me to Vietnam and she booked me to Vientiane, Laos! We changed our whole travel plans but I think our plan B is going to work; just a lot of rushing through the first sites because I’m on a visa pinch.

Ok, enough depressing news – here’s an unrelated picture riding around in the city. There are tons of motorbikes here!

People are very peaceful and surrendering, warm and welcoming, and speak in voices quieter than pin-drops. We had some good spring roles here, curries, and noodle soup. We’re taking a bus tomorrow to visit some interesting sites.

Highlights of the day:

• Witnessing animists worshiping ancestors
• Getting served by 6-year old waitresses
• Finding 75% of people on motorbikes women
• Seeing French influence on a Thai-like country
• Meeting the most peaceful kind of people on Earth!

The next generation of the Sync in-car entertainment and information system will use a USB mobile broadband modem to establish a secure wireless connection capable of supporting several devices simultaneously.

The system will be available next year on selected models — no word yet which ones — and you won’t need a subscription or hardware beyond the modem.

via Ford brings Wi-Fi to the highway – CNN.com.

For quality Middle Eastern clothing in Brunei Darussalam, you have to visit this shop in Bandar Seri Begawan Darussalam. We just got some headscarves and necklaces from my wife there for spledid prices. The shop is located at Seri Purnama Complex in Kiulap.

There you can find:

• Gamis, jubas, and abayas
• Belly dancing costumes
• Incense and bakhoor
• Islamic items

For Arabic food, conveniently right next to that shop is Sugar & Spice, a cafe & grill operated by my friend Radwan Sbeynati. There you can try the Arabic Starter Set for delicious hummus (chick pea dip), tasty baba ghannooj (eggplant dip), crunchy falafel, fresh pita bread, and oven-baked fatayir bi-sabanikh (spinach pastries).

For Mediterranean food products you can rely on Imad Jandali’s grocery store in Muara. He has everything you need from pickles to grape leaves. Very quality stuff. I tried the peppers and European chocolates and I’m glad I found this rare stuff here. I’m daydreaming of them as I type right now.

You won’t regret trying these places. It’s a must if you’re an Arab living in Brunei.

One love! This trip to Jamaica was one of the funnest events as a family that we have ever had. It was nice to eat and drink (pina colada virgin shakes!) at an all-inclusive resort. Even the sports facilities were amazing and very social indeeed.

Long before the Europeans arrived, Arab traders plied the coastlines of the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia, bringing with them the teachings of Islam.

The Arab District remains a Malay enclave held firmly together by strict observance of the tenets of Islam. At the heart of the community is the Sultan Mosque, a beautiful site.

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:35:13 -0700

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Finally posting my wedding photos for the first time. This is a traditional Syrian wedding that starts with a chant as the groom among a pack of men doing a sword dance has to ask for the bride’s hand from her home and take her to the wedding hall; the rest is typical dancing, food, and fun! (August 4, 2008)

Noura and I spent a fabulous Eid in this slice of heaven. KK is a short-stop before KL with a mild yet vivacious city climate and a silky serene island scene. We jettied our way to Manukan Island which is located just off the edge of earth between nowhere and no care. Shot great pics. Fabulous.

I am going to explain my very own “secret” methodology involved with managing a web design (or graphics design) project from concept to completion, given you have a customer, a project, and a deadline. I will describe the process from start to finish as if you were my client.

By the end of this tutorial, you will have a good grip on how web design projects should be conducted.

A glamorous design is only called a success if you meet scope expectations on time, within budget, and with allocated resources. Communication, creativity, and closure are the 3 C’s you need to keep in mind as the keys for your success as a web designer. If you master these concepts of project management for web & graphics design that I am about to explain, clients will keep coming back to you and referring you like a call girl diva in New York in the roaring 1920s.

With this knowledge of my very own web design methodology, you will have a firm handle on how to approach clients or design a website yourself if you are a new web designer; for other readers, you can know what to expect if you are about to engage with a web designer to do some work for you. Specific uses for this methodology:

• Explaining next steps to your client (enhancing sales)
• Organizing your design workload (effective planning)
• Creating discreet project milestones (contract closure)

Here’s the web design process I use for my clients. I will explain each step in the pages to come:

I will cover the whole web/graphics design project process in quite some detail starting with…

1. Analyzing Your Needs and Agreeing on a Proposal
2. Collecting Content & Getting Started with Wording
3. Building the Design Concept and Detailed Design
4. Reviewing, Testing, and Tweaking the Details
5. Publishing the Solution and Handing Over
6. Marketing, Support, Maintenance, Follow Up

This tutorial is quite long so sit back, grab some Doritos, and enjoy homeboy. Remember while reading, the term “you” refers to you as the client and “we” refers to us as the designer team…

If you need a new website or if it’s time to redesign your existing one, I’m always ready to help give some advice.

Reach out to me for a free consultation. I’m ready for hire.

Here’s a breakdown of my creative design services…

This includes re-designing your website, creating new websites that are…

• Easy to use and user-updatable, or for complex article management
• Video-based with a narrator walking around and talking like on TV
• Flash-animated or database-driven sites with custom requirements
• App-driven with calendars, news, blogs, contact forms, shopping carts
• The list goes on and on…if you’ve seen it done, I can do it

This includes pretty much anything that can be printed…

• Magazine ads, newspaper prints, billboards, event banners
• T-shirts, CD covers, jars, hats, mouse pads, vehicle graphics
• Business cards, brochures, flyers, door hangers, you name it!

OK, here’s what we can do as far as your logo…

• Create a new custom logo or revamp your existing logo
• Make your logo 3D, animated, with voiceovers and sound effects
• Re-draw your logo if it’s not fit for print (or if you lost the original)

Multimedia means any design that moves…

• Video production, TV ads, radio ads, voiceovers, sound effects
• Flash animations for whatever occasion – to grab attention
• 3D product renderings, layout maps, interactive diagrams

Nothing makes a design look better than great photos…

• Product galleries (for the things you want to advertise)
• People photos (for the team profiles section of your design)
• Location photos (of your building, office, studio, or equipment)
• Event photos (to post in your blog…for PR exposure reasons)

We have both online/offline marketing campaign approaches that include…

• Viral Youtube videos, Facebook groups, Myspace pages
• Interactive ads, annoying pop up ads, website banners
• Search engine optimization, newsletter management, etc.

Luckily the iPhone SoundClip Audio Booster directs sound from the built-in speaker on the iPhone toward you to increase the clarity and volume for movies and music. It also makes games easier to play without blocking your iPhone’s speaker. A tuned conical deflection chamber designed to make the audio from your iPhone clearer and also slightly louder. Sound waves are reflected toward you, instead of away, so you feel more involved in your game, movie, or music. SoundClip amplifies iPhone audio by 10dB between 6kH and 20kHz, resulting in a cleaner, more accurate response.

Introducing the world’s thinnest laptop by Dell. The Dell Adamo XPS you can check out here. Looks like computers are getting smaller and smaller. The thinner they make them, the more portable and fashionable they become.

I wonder what Apple is going to come up with next. We already heard about Apple’s 4G iPhone prospect. (That’s going to be crazy, especially since I just bought an iPhone 3GS.) How thin can they manufacture these beasts? It’s like a beauty contest and I love watching.

My top strengths include project management, systems integration, application development, and upstream oilfield management consulting. See resumé for more details…

Click here to download my resumé in PDF format.

After a quick bite, we experienced the Empire Country Club’s premiere cinema… and let me tell you it was a gorgeous venue to watch the movie 2012. The movie was horrible, but the cinema had the coolest electronic seat chooser ever!

We crashed at a horrible hotel, whose name I will spare. After a water pipe leak and no warm water in the showers (and non-noteworthy breakfast at the hotel), we hiked out and saved our morning by having a lovely traditional Malay breakfast with Roti.

We then made our way to Tutong Beach where we met about 50 zillion Serikandis which was, as always, a pleasant surprise. We ate some marvelous food and soaked in the generosity while having fun and talking about everything from “How to Make a Great Cappuccino” to moving to Bangkok and starting a new life…

So for the play-by-play, let’s go over what we did today at the beach:

• Ate a lot of food…grilled vegetables
• Skidded around in ATVs
• Played beach soccer…fun!
• Ate a lot of food…fried Jackfruit, yummy
• Prayed together
• Uppercut tall waves
• Ate a lot of food…sweet ayam
• Had fun & cracked jokes
• Ate a lot of food…top class lamb
• Snapped great photos…learned how to shoot manual

Speaking of which, Fadilah Ahmad Alhijazi (Señor Pablo) took some amazing pictures of us. It’s this man starting off the Youtube video here. Pablo is a philosopher, an artist, great baker, an adventurer, and a foreign diplomat. My wife and I agree he was the inspiration of the day. Take a hop over to Señor Pablo’s blog. Can’t wait to meet again.

It was loads of fun. I have to go to bed now because I’m dead tired.

Actually, we had no choice. I’ll tell you the story. The landlord “found out” he was not authorized to rent us the place because it was government property and all of a sudden my agency gives us short notice to move. We didn’t want to get into issues with the government because we had absolutely no time for hassle so we just bit the bullet and did the unusual.

Now it turned out to be quite refreshing. It’s wonderful how things you at first oppose can be blessings in disguise. A fresh new beginning before the end of the year when we have to move again…

It is cartoons, abstract art, and surrealist art that boost my thinking and squeeze my creative juices to the max. It also happens when I witness psychedelic art from the 60s or if I look into the stars, planets, or sci-fi lifeforms from outer space. These abstract art forms (like a funky screensaver) let my mind soar beyond the (t)reason of worldly constraint. When experiencing such art, for a moment I feel like I am upward-gravitating; in those very moments I have clarity and superhero vision! It’s a transcending inspiration. I see what’s right and what should be. It helps me isolate from this world and focus on my inner best intentions.

For me, it’s important to keep my mind active and critical of visually splendid things. It stimulates my senses and keeps my brain jogging full speed. It can even be small math puzzles, like Mad Minute. So when I wake up I tell myself this every day: “Think, count, process, and dream a world of your own rules, Basim! Don’t let yourself accept without appreciating the world around you for exactly what it is.”

Sometimes  I have to isolate myself and meditate to my own tune. Nobody seems to understand this, and it annoys me! They think I’m depressed or somethings wrong. I have to do this because of the influx of data processing happening in my brain – complex multi-threading creates massive overheat and I have to get away to keep the supercomputer in sound function and repair. We must get back to square 1, numero uno, the unit self.

The plot is pitted against the protaganist which makes you launch a personal character attack against the young boy as you’re watching the movie…you’re like no! I detest your cowardice, you little runt!

As the story progresses and time goes by, this now post-adolescent young man puts the past behind him by building a new life in America only to find his past haunting his conscience even as he rushes to beat fate by getting a degree and getting married.

Well, in the end…just kidding! I’m not going to ruin the movie for you. Let’s just leave it at that…he has to do something to “do good again” to regain his strength. This riveting tale is equally a great book in print and a successful motion picture that will keep you pent up in emotions and suspense…and compassion for a rich culture that America has completely missed in its unjustified war against a fledgling-poor nation like Afghanistan. The author shares a story we can all relate to and find wisdom in. You absolutely must read this book or at least watch the film!

As a Muslim Arab, it grieves my heart to learn of such horrid atrocities that happened recently in the past 70 years to our brethren People of the Book…in a century of understanding, industrial ingenuity, and modern civility.

Let it be known that Muslims cry over this genocide and we wish no heritage suffer such cultural upheaval and bitter torture. We will not tolerate injustice to anyone on earth, be it Muslim, Jew, Hindu, or otherwise. This is the way of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Gandhi, Jesus, and the great thinkers of our time.

Best known for speedily hunting down e-mail contacts and conversations in Microsoft Outlook, Xobni also has a social networking aspect. It includes photos courtesy of Facebook, phone numbers via Skype, Yahoo Mail, LinkedIn profile information, corporate information from Hoover’s, and now, a Twitter stream.

Can you believe it? This is an amazing statistic. What I found most interesting is the image of the “desert” Muslim makes up for less than 15% of Muslim population (Muslims living in Sub-saharan areas).

This speech was delivered at his funeral sermon. It is indeed hard to believe that a short man dressed only in a loin cloth could lead an entire nation to take on the mighty British Empire using non-violent means. Yet, that is what Mahatma Gandhi did. Most famous Gandhi quotes bear testament to the fact that this man was truly a Mahatma or Great Soul. More than half a century after his death, Gandhi continues to be an iconic figure.

Gandhi was a revolutionary hero and a “game changer” that introduced a new way of resisting oppression; this redefined war from its traditional terms of guile deception, elimination, and humility to transparency, benevolence, and a benign heartful humility. He showed us the meaning of self-sanctity and human respect through nonviolence. Innovative in his genius simplicity, he serves as a unique example for us on how to appeal to humanity and win hearts and minds of the masses with swift paradigm shift mechanics, leveraged by simple the ingenuity of passive resistance. My hero!

Honestly, I’ve never bought a brand new car in my life. It’s really high class and beats the hell out of buying an old car – I mean I know anyone can just say that but it’s a tipper when the decision is close. I was going to buy a Corolla, but we decided why the hell not…get something exciting!

And they were parading right down the area where I’m working! That says a lot. BSP is at the center of the universe with regards to applied oil and gas information technology. After all, BSP received the Shell technology partner of the year award and it has proved to be a successful grounds for digital oilfield world 1sts due to the Sultan’s funding, technology uptake, and because of people’s willingness to take innovative risks to drive business improvement.

Followed by a couple of keynote speeches televised by Radio Television Brunei, the sultan graced the halls as his hands landed on the lips of thousands of employees greeting him with utmost humility. I shook the hand of royalty and that was a nice moment for me. The sultan’s physique reflects peak fitness for a man in his sixties. It was striking in beauty to see a successful empire built on the principles of Islam, led by Muslims from the very top to the working class. I’m really glad to be a part of such a movement.

There was a big buffet of course, then we prayed Maghrib, we continued talking, then we prayed Isha. There were enough people to pray Taraweeh because of the sheer number of people we filled the dedicated room they set up as a masjid next to the dinner hall. We then cooled down to this surprisingly extra delightful chai that was mediocre enough to be fantastic with a nice nutty flavor twist.

You know, I came to this restaurant before and the funny thing is there was nobody eating there. Absolutely not a soul haunting this graveyard. I wondered how does this place make enough money to pay the rent and get way?

My reasoning was all wrong and out of locale. First of all, people don’t rent here, they own. And when they own, they own 100% and there are no extraordinary “holding fees” such as insurance, property tax, etc. like America. Second of all, when you have family…you don’t need outside business. Since the family gets along, they can afford to probably split the expenses and provide all the customers in return, so it’s a full circle of supply and demand.

This is the beauty of family in Islam, most beautifully demonstrated this evening. I am proud to be part Bruneian by geography. Islam is so right here. Simple and balanced in proportion. It fits so natural like eating grapes or drinking water. It’s nice to live in an Islamic state that does things right. This may be the old true Islamic empire left in the world. I’m glad to see the Prophet’s legacy duly appreciated and applied on this remote island. The truth will set you free!

With hope I write you and with a sigh of relief. When she tossed her head back in comical relief and laughed at the airport procedures, I felt a drainage pipe break through. It came gushing forth, all coming back to me. The whys and hows all came together like a symphony. Alhamdulillah, Allah has not forsaken me. I am whole again in love.

I have been recently peeping around the market for a solid phone that supports social network services in an integrated way (Facebook, Flickr, Twitter); this all in a phone that does the usual organizer management without toying around. I’m sick of Windows Mobile and its issues primarily because it’s interface is function-based and overly complicated. (I’m not doing File, Open, URL… to play music). On the other end, I am not too excited about Nokia’s interface, case-in-point the Nokia N97 and my wife’s XpressMusic 5800…

Enter HTC Hero. From the HTC Hero website, I quote… “HTC Hero is our first phone to embody HTC Sense™ – an intuitive, seamless experience built upon three fundamental principles – make it mine, stay close, and discover the unexpected.

Make it Mine: With HTC Hero, personalization reaches a level never before possible. Rather than burying important content under layers of menus, the HTC Hero lets you put it at glance view, with a selection of widgets that can be placed right on the home screen. The widgets themselves can be personalized with a variety of designs and sizes that best match your personality.

With Scenes, a new profile feature, HTC Hero becomes multiple phones in one. Create and switch between Scenes that reflect different moments in your life. Your Hero becomes a weekend phone that helps you relax with your choice of tunes, catch up with your favorite friends and capture some memories with HTC Footprints™. And when you go on a trip, your phone becomes your personal guide and gives you instant access to local time, weather and maps.

Stay Close: Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls and emails to Facebook updates.

HTC Hero makes staying close as simple as turning to your friend and saying hello. When you view people, you see the different ways to get in touch, you also see all your interactions like emails sent to your personal and work accounts. You can even check for social network updates and event notices as well as see the latest pictures your friends uploaded to popular photo sharing sites.

Discover the Unexpected: Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. Even basic functions like the dialer will pleasantly surprise you on the HTC Hero. You can find a person by dialing their phone number or simply by dialing the first few letters of their name. With HTC Hero, you can look at things through different perspectives. Your inbox is not just a list of emails, but a catalog of conversations, a collection of notes flagged as important, and a document library of all your emails with attachments. Your Album is the gateway to online collections of you and your friends on Facebook or Flickr.

Search just about anything, anywhere on your HTC Hero. The dedicated Search button combs through tweets in Twitter™, locates people in your contact list, finds emails in your inbox, searches through appointments in the calendar and very nearly finds needles in haystacks.”Yes