Shedding some light...

(I was informed that the links in this posts were not working, and they should be working now so please check the links.. especially to those that have already commented!)

Children: Between punishment and upbringing

Scientists believe that physically punishing children is the biggest harm that could be done to them. However, scientists failed to provide other successful techniques in which we are to raise obedient and well mannered children.

I on the other hand have come up with my own way with children. The only way to reproach children is to take them on a little drive and calmly talk to them about it and look into where they've gone wrong. That should calm the child down and turn them back to the delight that they are.

For those of you who are willing to find out more about this technique, I've attached picture which clearly shows you how it should be carried out. Should you have any queries please let me know.

Click here



Khaleeji women baring it all


It has been reported that groups of Khaleeji (gulf) women have been sighted lying on the beaches of the southern region of the Sultanate, Salalah to be exact. I dread what the future holds for us for this is only the beginning. This is what you would expect from all those cable channels and westernisation. Very little self respect and even less respect for others and their feelings towards such things. All of these habits are no strangers to us Arabs, we've always learned to take the worst of matters.

And now this is where we are at, lying around at beaches...


Click here


P.S. Does anyone know what happened to that standing camels head?

Fascinations...

Well the title was rather vague, it's schizophrenia in particular that I'm fascinated with this time round. It's nothing new to me (as a topic ofcourse!), my curiosity and partial fascination with it has led me to read and learn more about it. Despite all the reading I've done I think I've only skimmed through it superficially. Why choose to write about it now? Well its a movie I've recently watched (for the second or third time), "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russel Crowe. He does an exceptionally good job playing the role of Pr. John Nash, a genius mathematician later diagnosed with this psychological disorder (also referred to as a mental ilness or a form of psychosis).

It's usually characterized by "withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances." The disorder has been called "split personality" and that's because "there is often little or no logical relationship between the thoughts and feelings of a person with schizophrenia".

Fine, enough with that mumbo-jumbo and scientific terms. I managed to remember a couple of quotes from the movie that I thought were very thought provoking. The most memorable and related to all of this would be... "Imagine if you suddenly learned that the people, the places, the moments most important to you were not gone, not dead, but worse, had never been. What kind of hell would that be?"

Everytime I dwell into what I deem to be the dark corners of the human mind, I can't help but put myself in those situations. That doesn't last long enough though, it's usually too perplexed for me to comprehend. I wonder how its possible to deal with, analyze and assess things that isn't certain. Not only that but also build studies upon studies based on virtuality-for lack of a better term.

Movie Reviews 2

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts that I'd be coming up with some more movie reviews, some that I really enjoyed and others... well they're so called "feel good movies".

Memoirs of a Geisha - Superb performance, interesting storyline and visually pleasing. I had high expectations and I wasn't let down. The movie initially stirs up emotions of sadness and sympathy in the viewer, and then eventually takes an obvious turn towards a much happier and promising future for the back then young Sayuri. I wouldn't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't watched it yet, but Sayuri has gone through it all in the name of her love for a man that was out of her reach. Strongly recommended!

Underworld: Evolution - If you watched Underworld and thought it was a good movie, then you should definitely watch this sequel. If you haven't watched either one then what are you waiting for? I'm not saying that just because Kate Beckinsale's in the movie... or am I? :p
Certainly not your average vampire movie. It's got everything you'd expect from those types of movies and more. The storyline is a continuation from the prequel, and they've also thrown in a couple of surprises. Only go for it if you can stand 2 hours of a female whooping some ass :p

Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire - My first HP movie and I must admit I really liked it. I recall watching the first 20 minutes of the very first HP movie and then calling it quits because it was so boring, and then I sort of vowed that I would never have to put myself through something like that again. Well I believe in second chances so I thought I'd go for this one. I was told that this was the best to date, and the most visually enhanced. I was actually surprised by the visual effects in this movie, they were really good and gave the impression that the movie was no longer aimed at a younger audience.

Just Like Heaven - I was initially going to this movie not expecting to be blown away or anything of that sort. But later it seemed like there was much more than the first impression I had in mind. I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies, but this one's an exception! I was laughing throughout the whole movie, and I really enjoyed every bit of it. I recommend this movie to anyone seeking a good time and loads of laughs, and especially urge those skeptical of it.

Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - This brought out the child inside of me. I found myself fascinated by this make believe world, and was actually fully tuned in throughout the movie. I watched the movie twice within a period of 2 weeks. No, it's not that good, but it's certainly not bad at all! I liked so many things about the movie, but I suppose it's the graphics and animations that did the trick for me. A world of magic and mythical creatures brought to life beyond my very eyes, exceeding my expectations. A memorable movie indeed :)

A Walk To Remember - Inarguably one of the best romance/drama movies of all time. It also recieved some of the most contradicting reviews of all time. You'll either come across a review claiming it to be outstanding or on the contrary quite awful. I, on the other hand found it to be a very nice movie. I admit, it was too saccharine sweet for me, but a good movie nevertheless. I assume most people have already seen it, and if you haven't already seen it then it should be somewhere on your list.

A Beautiful Mind - One of my favorite movies of all time. This was the second (or third) time I've watched and it still holds its place in the rankings :) An extremely entertaining, yet thought provoking movie that unfolds some of the unchartered regions of the psychological world. Based on the true life story of Pr. John Nash, a mathematical genius who was on the brink of achieving the Nobel prize, but was dragged down by a diagnosis of schizophrenia. A truly amazing movie, not to mention that Jennifer Connely stars in it too :p Another strongly recommended movie!


{Impulsive... two songs I'm currently listening to alot:
Il Divo - Regresa a mi (Italian version of 'unbreak my heart')
Edwin McCain - I'll Be (click for streaming audio) - After repeatedly listening to it I found out that its from the soundtrack of 'A Cinderella Story'... I promise I didn't know that before I started listening to it though.. cross my heart and hope to die :p }

...perfumes of Arabia

"Here’s the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."

No this isn't a post about perfumes. It's all about that little quote above. For some reason I find myself fascinated everytime I recall it or come across it. I suppose deep down inside I find it as some source of pride :)

أعيدوا كتابة كلَّ المعاجم

This is a poem I came across a while back, and I actually liked it alot. However, be advised:

"The following poem is unedited and reflects only the views of the author (which is unknown yet). The content does not necessarily represent or reflect the views or opinions of Arabian Prince, his affiliated organizations, or sponsors." :P

Enjoy!

ماذا فعلت بنا يا أسامه؟ ** فالكل يرمي علينا سهامه
وصرنا نلامُ ومهما فعلنا ** فـبأي عـذر ٍ نَرِدُ الملامه؟
فأنتَ تُقاتلُ جيشَ الصليبِ ** ونحنُ نُهرولُ خلفَ الحَمامه
ولمّا ارتضـينا بسـلم ٍ مُذل ٍ ** بَغوا واستباحوا لديني حرامه
وأنتَ تقـودُ أسـودَ الوَغى ** ونحنُ نُقـلـدُ فعلَ النَعامه
قعدنا لنبكي مثلَ النِساءِ ** على ما يدورُ بأرض ِالشهامه
وبالأمس ِكنا نُعَـدُّ رجال ** اً وكدنا نصدقُ تلكَ العلامه
فنزهوا بطول ِالشوارب منا ** وصوتٍ غليظٍ وعرضٍ وقامه
حتى أتيتَ فصُغتَ المعاني ** فـبدّلَ كـلُّ دَعيٍّ كـلامه
لأنَ الرجولة قولٌ وفعلٌ ** وأن الرجـولة تعني الكـرامه
وأنَ الرجولة توحيدُ ربٍ ** بكـل العـبادةِ ثمَّ اسـتقامه
وأنَ الرجولة حبٌ لدين ٍ ** يكـون الجهاد بأعلى سنامه
وأنَ الرجولة زُهدٌ وتركٌ ** لدُنيا وجَاه ٍ رفيعِ المقامه
وأنَ الرجولة عزمٌ وصبرٌ ** على النازلاتِ وعـسرِ الإقامه
وأنَ الرجولة كرٌ وفرٌ ونـَصـرٌ ** منَ اللهِ يُـرجَى تمَامه
فهل بعدَ تلك الفعالِ فعالٌ ** ومن ذا يطالك قدراً و هامه
أعيدوا كتابة كلَّ المعاجم ** فإن الرجولة تعني أسـامه


أعيدوا كتابة كلَّ المعاجم
فإن الرجولة تعني "أسـامه "

Memory altering pill - farfetched?

Suppose you could erase bad memories from your mind. Suppose, as in a recent movie, your brain could be wiped clean of sad and traumatic thoughts.
(Are you done supposing? :p )

That is science fiction. But real-world scientists are working on the next best thing. They have been testing a pill that, when given after a traumatic event like rape, may make the resulting memories less painful and intense.

Will it work? It is too soon to say. Still, it is not far-fetched to think that this drug someday might be passed out along with blankets and food at emergency shelters after disasters like the tsunami or Hurricane Katrina.

That was the introduction to an article that caught my attention because of its title and had me yearning for more as I went on. If you think this is interesting than I recommend that you visit the site here. You learn something new everyday.. enough said :)

Condolences

I'd like to convey my deepest condolences to both the Bahraini people for the death of their young prince, and the Kuwaiti people for the death of their Prince (Emir). I couldn't agree more with what a friend had said on the sabla. She noted the oddity of such events, and their frequency. She also mentioned that she'd heard her grandmother saying that "God always takes in threes" which really caught on my attention. That last point really did it for me, it got me thinking as this isn't the first time it's happened. I wouldn't be certain about the three part, but it's obvious from the past that several deaths have occured consecutively in a relatively short period of time. Be it leaders, icons or even people I would somehow hear of.

I can't help but start contemplating on how most of the leaders of countries in the Arabian Peninsula have passed away within the past 2 years (with the exception of King Hussein Bin Talal Al Hashemi, the late Jordanian king). Having thought of that, there are not many that still live to this very day. Infact there are only 3 leaders that I can think of. I would certainly be touched by the death (la sama7a Allah - God forbid) of any of them, however it's the death of one that I dread the most. I wouldn't know where to start if I were to describe the state that we would be in, even as soon as hours after such thing. May God grant them good health and longevity.

Movie Reviews

As I've mentioned in one of my previous posts, I got the chance to watch alot of movies over the holiday and I thought it would be a good idea to ramble about some in what could potentially be my very own movie reviews... not quite?!
(A link to each movies info is available too)

The highly recommended:
Memento - First and foremost this is officially the most confusing and mind boggling movie I've ever seen in my life. One of the best I've ever seen too. I recall watching a small part of the movie some time ago and I found the movie's plot (or the way it was going) very appealing. So I decided to rent it and watch the whole movie this time. If I'm not mistaken its the first of its kind where the storyline is played in reverese chronological order. That alone is enough to baffle the crap out of you. Not to mention the guys' psychological disorder of short term memory loss. After watching this movie, it was my first time going online looking for movie reviews just to understand what had happened! For those up for it... I'm sure you wont regret it, after you understand it that is.

City Of God - I've watched this movie twice so far and I suppose the second time was to assure its position among the top ten movies of all time.. ok my top ten movies. It's a foreign film (Portuguese) and the storyline takes place in Brazil. It portrays the lives of a couple of very young hoodlums and outlaws and the way they govern one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro back in the 80's. This movie is jaw-dropping and is bound to leave you fascinated.

Wicker Park - I would've never even known this movie existed had a friend not recommend that I give it a shot. I'm very grateful that he did actually. I believe that it's a lovely movie that has been robbed of its share of being in the limelight, because it certainly deserves to. I expected so little of it at the start, but it had one mother of a twist. A romantic thrilling drama (is there such thing?). I believe its a movie the ladies will definitely enjoy watching.


...and the not so highly recommended:
Irreversible - (R-18+) Another movie that had me looking for reviews online. If anything got me into the habit of looking up reviews, it would definitely be Memento. But unlike Memento this was one of, if not the most, revolting and atrocious movies I've seen to date. It got critics worked up with its naked truth storyline that aims at emphasizing the crime of rape and to what extent it affects the individuals involved. You should be able to tell by now why it was given an R-18+ rating. Punchline... It's a shocking must-see, if you can withstand all the atrocity in the movie. Once again, not so highly recommended.


Enough for now... more movies soon :)

Customized PSP

I was simply browsing through some accesories that were available for the PSP, and I wasn't let down by the number of accesories out there. I had once read somewhere about the following and thought I'd share it here... simply amazing.

Driving the trend of fashionable technology, Simmons Jewelry Co. has just made an accessory jacket for the new Sony PSP, the portable play station entertainment unit. The Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons piece is made with one pound of gold and 8ct yellow and black diamonds on the front and crock finishing on the back. Baby Phat and Phat Farm logos accented with Simmons Jewelry Co diamonds dangle from the bottom of the luxurious accessory. The $35,000 design easily fits over any PSP to add extra bling.

That's one too many carats for me to handle. But I would definitely not mind recieving a $35,000 gift made of gold and diamonds. On second thought, it's just too "bling". I don't use my PSP much lately as it is, let alone if it was covered with gold and diamonds more than 100 times its worth. That doesn't change the fact that its eye candy... can I atleast buy it for someone?

كل عام و انتم بخير

بمناسبة عيد الاضحى المبارك اتتقدم اليكم بأحر التهاني و اطيب الاماني سائلا من لا يسأل سواه بان يعيد هذه المناسبه على عمان و قائدها المعظم باليمن و البركات

و كل عام و انتم بالف خير

Impulsive Rambling

Impulsive? Maybe. But this really got me thinking, and it's certainly not the first time I've been down this road. One thought leads to the next, and long before you know it you're on a totally different track than you were a couple of seconds ago, or is it just me? I sometimes find myself wondering and contemplating on how certain things could change or affect a relationship. I'm referring to relatively strong and close friendships. Some things could have drastic effects on such relationships. Let me drop the riddles...

We all encounter or experience milestones throughout our lives, and its at times like these that we are expected to make changes in our lifestyles and ourselves in order to adapt to the new way of life. The 'milestone' that got me thinking here was marriage. Marriage, engagement or anything else leading to it for that matter. I could not totally comprehend all the infinitesimal changes that would follow each bifurcation upon approaching a time like this. I'd usually lead myself astray with 101 questions and no answers.

I've grown very close to some friends that just sometimes thoughts like these tend to give me a sense of insecurity. I've both close male and female friends alike, but it's my relationship with my female friends that I'm worried about. None of them are married yet nor are they engaged, but that doesn't change its inevitability. The question here is how and to what degree are they going to change? It won't be the same with them all, but once again its inevitable. I don't know what to expect, and that's what I fear. Is it wrong for me to fear such thing? How else would I react. Some of the relationships I'm talking about here could be considered by some as uncomfortably close. Yeah well it's too late to change that now isn't it. We've done so much, said so much and shared so much. But just how much exactly of that are they willing to forget? Is it because I am who I am that they expect so much of me? I mean no one in their sane mind would expect things to remain the way they were before and after something like this. No matter how much we sat and talked about things like this, no matter what we'd say to eachother with God knows how many promises in between... would anyone in their sane mind predict how things would turn out?

This is where I choose to stop. I'm draining my thoughts, and running in circles with more questions than I care to be answered. But this whole thing still remains a mystery...

Rehash

Here I am back to uni once again after the christmas break. It certainly didn't feel like a holiday, with the exception of a couple of days. I managed to watch many movies during the break, some at the cinema but the majority were DVD rentals at home. There were the movies that I really liked and then there were the ones that were simply appauling! I'll list them and say a thing or two about them soon.

Well now that I'm back to uni again, it's back to the drawing board.. well not really, but it'll be the same old routine again. I'm talking about being crammed with so much work, be it projects, assignments or tests, that I wont be able to fit everything I'd like to into one day. Not only do I think its pitiful, but its also streneous. Oh well just another 4 weeks of hell to go, but who knows what wonderfully agonising and blissfully torturing things lie ahead :)

Oh and I'll definitely try to keep updating often.