Some women...

Well, it seems women can do technology... Whoever knew that the female species can actually be smart & successful? 

On a serious note, look at Sheryl Sandberg, an example of a feminine, cute voice have such loud resonance. Hint to some feminists, a woman does not have to act like a man to prove she is better than a man..

Forbes Woman Of The Year: Women In Tech

Opinions vs facts

"Everything is unsettled, everything is argued about, and very few things are ever totally resolved on the Net." David Weinberger 

I've been thinking for a while about the whole amount of information (whether accurate or not) available on the internet. I forgot where I read it, but if we want to read everything that is available online up till today, well it would take us... maybe a century or so. 

Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan said famously "Everybody is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts,"

It's really nice and awesome that the digital era, is actually the "everyone has an opinion, can express his/her opinion, will be read by few or many, and possibly influence them into action or a different line of thought." But as every important tool, it's a two edged sword. 

 It seems to me that the world is so chaotic—and that we are so limited by our own perspectives—that the most likely way to advance is through the clash of different perspectives, different data sets, different prejudices, different blind spots. 

Even though, clashes, difference of opinions, prejudices, bad news, natural disaster, nuclear threat, politics, terrorism, hunger, poverty, climate change, the variety of educational systems and whatever comes out of all this... even though it's sad, tough, hard to deal with, unfair, and just a bitch sometimes... it's the world, it is what is and if there were no bad things, no good things will exist. Yin yang... 

The only way to think of good things, of scientific advancement, of ways to improve, to help, to think of the other, to become less selfless, to be a hardworker, to be creative, to stretch your mind into as much as you can, to challenge yourself... is driven by the existence of less interesting things, of sad events, of difference of opinions and of hard situations. 

If we were all to live in a comfort zone, no... the world will not be an ideal place, will not be perfect. It will simply disintegrate... to survive, it's going to need the black and the bad.

Yes, we want all people to realize that x is bad, and y is good and z is the right thing to do. But then what? and who says that we're the right ones?

This post is inspired by this article "What is the future of knowledge in the internet age?" on Scientific American. About a project:

"an attempt to build a computer model of all the social, economic, ecological and scientific factors at play in the world"

Too many factors, too much complexity, how much can you trust a machine that is based on our own knowledge, erroneous one might I add. 

82nd birthday - 21/12/1929

Yesterday, I felt very blessed with the family and friends I am surrounded with. I know I sound high and not like myself. But when you are surrounded by awesome and kind people, you cannot but feel the same as well.

I want to keep this under one place. My brother Pascal Assaf dedicated this poem to me (yes it made me cry)

كنت في العاشرة من عمري، عندما جاءني ملاك في المنام، 

وهمس: "غداً تكبر ويكون الشعر قدرك". 

في الصباح أيقظتني أمي بابتسامة،

وقالت: "هذه أختك الصغيرة"

وكانت أول قصيدة أعشقها.

كل عام وأنت أجمل الأشعار.

Then my brother Roger, wrote this:

Ummmm..
I know I can't write a better poem, not even a sequel 
But in the end of the day, u know that our love 2 u is definatly equal :)

Then my mom Marianne wrote this:

في عيد الميلاد تزين الشوارع والمنازل بأحلى زينة وأنت يا ابنتي زينتي حياتي عند ولادتك! كل عام وانتي بألف خير

And that is not all, my dad Nafez (different time zone since he lives in the US), wrote this in reply to my reply that my brother's poem made me cry:

بكائك يا حبيبة العمر أفرحنى و ريحنى فى غربتى فقد تاكدت انه لى ثلاثة اولاد بقلب واحد الله يخليكن لبعض و عقبال مية سنه و مية قصيده

My family is just amazing, isn't it? I am so blessed. This year was very different, I usually don't like to make a fuss out of my birthday, since after all, everyone on earth is born... what makes it so special? But still, to see all those people happy that I was born 31 years ago, is quite overwhelming in a good way. My friends dedicated crazy videos and wrote touching messages to me, making me smile and laugh and go O.o sometimes. Some practical gifts (yes, I always need a Pajama, I do :D) and the toilet seat O.o :P And of course ... of course... (the picture you see above)

Blessed I tell ya, blessed!

Inspired to say:

You told me to get all my personalities together. I did and we all agreed you're a moron.

...

When the problem is in their mind, there really isn't much you can do except take a step back, turn 180 degrees and walk away. Can you reason with No-Reason? Image already formed, judgment already stamped, hatred already established. Walk away...

Critical Mind

Having a critical mind is one thing, and a thing to respect. Nevertheless, having a mind where you just criticize everything even when it's illogical, or based on an incorrect hypothesis, or inserting wrong values in variables is plain annoying.

I traveled, I observed and when I wasn't noticing, I learned.

"A candle that burns twice as bright, only burns half as long."

I saw this comment on Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement Speech youtube video. And it struck a chord in me. I immediately remembered my late best friend. She died from Cancer too. She was only 19. Difference is, she did not have a chance to live, to do things. And I know for a fact, if she was still around, she would have.

It might be a selfish thing to say, but her death reminds me not to nag, not to take life for granted and not to act like a victim. In fact, it's not her death that reminds me of that... In fact, a couple of months ago, I saw her in my dreams, and she specifically made me understand that whatever problems I encounter, whatever dilemmas I face, whatever obstacles stand in my way and whatever negativity is headed towards me, at least.... AT LEAST, I am still around and still have the chance to deal with them. I have a choice.

Vatican - Rome - 26 September 2011 by yours truly (check red sentence below)

Cancer sucks... Cancer took my best friend away, who 12 years later, still means a lot to me. Even though we were only close for 2 years. So can you imagine what an impact she had on her mother? father? siblings? family? She was an extraordinary girl. Najla. I love you, I always will. Luckily we have the same destination, so I will be seeing you... 40-50 years later :) If you don't mind waiting.

Cancer took many other people who are dear to many people & friends I have. And I can see the same face that says the same thing: "There was nothing we can do!" But, there is something we can do, for us, for the people who are still around, I reckon.

Before I went on my vacation, I was repeatedly asked: "Are you excited?" My answer was the same, repeatedly: "3ade" (Normal). And of course, I would be criticized for that attitude. But let me tell you why it's the perfect attitude. It's because I learned that whatever you expect, you get a different experience. And that experience, could be better or worse, nonetheless it is different, and because of it being so, you get to learn something new, feel something new, be put out of your comfort zone, or maybe be returned to a new better comfort zone. I expected nothing, and I got more.

I learned several things...

• I learned that you don't search for a good time, instead, it finds you. 
• I learned that strangers, turning close friends, make your life rich.
• I learned that if we want, we can make a change.
• I learned that a moment of peace cannot be "pretended".
• I learned that 1 minute of peace is enough to make a vacation worth while.
• I learned that the world is so weird, for having people like "Gaudi" exist, and at the same time people who waste all their free time playing PS3.
• I learned that I will not put off seeing a doctor for my knees, because I (and am not exaggerating) could stop walking in 10 years if things remain getting worse on the same pace as they are now.
• I learned that my family means a lot to me.
• I learned that I love my country dearly.
• I learned that there are certain people I wished who were with me on that vacation and that they matter more than I thought they did.
• I learned that I love getting people souvenirs & gifts, well... only for those who matter.
• I learned that there are many inspiring things in life, and that I want everyone I know to be as inspired as I was during the past two weeks.
• I learned that you can go to a camp of "inspiration" for that matter, but instead just get inspired by a random person you meet while you're going to or coming back from that camp. Nonetheless... it is because of this camp.
• I learned that being close to a Dali original painting... made me cry. It's quite magical to be so close in space to something a genius has touched decades ago. I traveled back in time. It exists.
• I learned that the internet speed has improved at home, and even though it's not a 24mbps like other countries, it is still an improvement, and we should brace it. Cut the negativity a bit.
• I learned that when things are in bullet points, people read them all. Okay I knew that from before!
• Post Updated: I learned that coincidence doesn't exist. Good things can come out while having a lousy dessert at a cafe we did not like much. The outcome? You're looking at it.

So... for someone who had no expectations from a 2 weeks vacation, I think I did well.

I learned that there are friends I love and missed, and I will make sure I tell it to their faces and give them my Ozzi signature hug.

Barely a creature

Having 2 balls does not make you a man. Having a herd of sheep behind you does not make you a leader.

Dream Small

Dali used to paint his sister Anna Maria a lot, most of the time from the back. The one here is her looking out from the window at Figueres, where he grew up. And in 3 weeks, I will be there God willing. And maybe I will get to stop for a second, and be Dali at Figueres. Just had goosebumps writing this.

I dream small, but those dreams make me really happy. Hasta pronto Catalonia :D

Sa ni ty

You know when you lots to say, you don't know where to start or worse, where to stop. Because you know at the end of the day you will run into your friends and you will get the: "Yeah, we saw your post today!"

Oh wow, glad to feel like you know everything about me, inside out...

Therefore, I will make this short. Don't take sanity for granted, and don't let anyone take it from you. Because if they're succeeding, it means they should not be in your life in the first place.

Enjoy your day.

Under a black volcanic glass kinda rock

I finally saw The Shawshank Redemption. The top 1 movie on IMDB.com. I am not going to tell you the plot, you can IMDB it, I won't even link you! You can/should do this yourself. But all I can say it is definitely one of those movies that make you smile even with the many recurrent dark moments. It helps you see the persistence of one man and the hope he had.

But it's just a movie, right? So it makes you think about reality, and whether there are persons like that, who are good, patient and never give up. It makes me also think about the amount of people who are very weak and who seek constant approval and flattery from their surrounding.

Why try hard to get people to rate you, why not just do your own thing, be good at it and the bonus would be being remembered for it. 

There are people in this life who only feel better when they put other people down, these people are bullies, weak and sad pathetic little things. Why stoop to their level?

Sometimes as hurtful as things may be for you, as painful, as horrific and demeaning as they can be. If you choose to get over it, move on and go to the pacific, where there is no memory, you will be good again, you will feel alright, and at a new start.

I like this movie, I might be high here... maybe I am, and maybe it's because of this movie.

Simple pleasures of life, watching a good movie. A movie that was acted by strangers, written by strangers, directed by strangers, sold by strangers, and played on a machine invented and built by strangers, to come and arrive to your proximity, so you could feel good.

Life has become so easy, and yet we bitch about things. 

In case you're too lazy to google it, here's the link to the movie.

I almost forgot

12 years ago, I called you to wish you a happy birthday not knowing it would've been the last time. Rest in peace amiga. I am sad to admit I am starting to forget your face, your voice, the way you talk... I am ashamed.

But will never forget your blond curls

That spark in your eyes when you used to be a smart ass

How you washed your hair because you didn't like it just before our prom party

That stupid computer radio you got me for my birthday because you were one of the first persons to ever notice I am a geek

That letter you wrote to me :) One of the few things I wish I can keep with me even after I die

Even though you're ... not there anymore. You're one of those persons who were deprived from life so soon at such a young age. Nevertheless, you are one of the few who remind me how important life is, that we shouldn't take things for granted, that life is precious... and most of all, that health is.

I have an enemy, it's cancer. I have a friend, it's you.

Happy birthday my best friend. I lie, I still remember your face, your voice and the way you talk.

... meh... see now you made me cry.

BUT it's okay :) Rest in peace, wherever you are, I hope you're being taken care of.

Toss a coin to make an important decision

Bewilderment can make someone go nuts over a certain decision. Do this, or do that? Many times, you sit on your living room sofa and wonder what choice should you opt for, what path will it lead you to, is it the right one? is it the wrong one? Will you regret it? Will it hurt?

My solution is to just toss a coin in the air and call for it. Even when confused, your face will give away the true intention. If the coin lands on what you don't want, you won't be happy with the result, or you will just say "Coins suck", and if it lands on what you want, then you will simply smile.

Try this technique, 100% guarantee or coin back!

My brain is a haunted house.

This is a fascinating story to say the least. Reminds us of how vulnerable we human beings are, we could be doing a mundane activity one moment, and the next one a single blood vessel shifting by a 400th inch shifting your whole world.

This dude over here went from being a Chiropractic into an artist. But it wasn't only his interests that changed, but also his behavior, attention span and perception of emotions and such. He became rude, self absorbed and obsessed with drawing.

While reading the story about this guy, I couldn't help myself to think about his wife, how she "accepted" things at one point, how he knew that he will never change back to the old him and how with their love, understanding and friendship, they were able to find a way nonetheless.

A lesson that I repeatedly try not to forget, is not to take things for granted. Another lesson that could be drawn from this is perhaps, adaptation, is not so bad.

Read full article about "Jon Sarkin: The man who couldn't stop drawing" here

I have to say, the one sentence that I found to be so deep, a sentence that actually explains many feelings I've been experiencing lately, is the following:

I feel like I'm a haunted house, I feel at home, but never comfortable.

Never give up

Are belief and hope, the things that help you keep going? or the things that pull you back and keep you from accomplishing other things... 

Scuba Underwater Photography Diving

http://incoglilo.blogspot.com/2011/07/need-to-do-to-do-list.htmlI posted a to do list a couple of week ago, but decided to alter #6. I said I want to be better at photography, this stays, but I want to add to it, and learn underwater photography, so while I am at it, will also learn scuba diving.

Geeky way of saying "Kil Shi Byerja3lak/lik"

Quoting Sheldon Cooper from The Big Band Theory sitcom:

Yes, well, I'm polymerized tree sap, and you're an inorganic adhesive. So whatever verbal projectile you launch in my direction is reflected off of me, returns on its original trajectory and adheres to you.

Well, or you can just mimic holding a mirror in your hand :P Up to you! 

Need to do a to do list

Remember back when I used to do Todo Lists (first list, 2nd list, I think there was more...)? And they were effective I must add, I wanted to see paris and new york, learn a new language, lose weight etc... They did help me set some goals - short term ones - try to attain them, luckily I was able to make several of them true. So I guess, I am in for another run. And we'll see how it goes.

1- Learn a new language, this time I think I will go for german.

2- Work out, tone my body (Jessica Biel, am still eyeing you) and of course eat better.

3- Visit Spain and Nepal.

4- Revisit Washington for the museums

5- Watch a football game live

6- Become better at photography

7- Learn to ride a bike (still on since last list) *embarrassed look*

8- Drift a car (also since last list). But you should know that I did drift my car on April 1st for about 30-40 meters, like real drifting, but it was unintentional :P And I ended up paying 600$ to fix it, so I'd rather LEARN to control drifting my car.

Okay, I guess that's it for now.

p.s. a day ago I saw my google tasks thingie open on its own, and one of the tasks was "GO Home". Now I don't know how I managed to make such a task, but sure, why not.

Must See Sarcastic/Dark Comedy Movies

If you have gone through life without having seen these (in no specific order) sarcastic funny movies, I will forgive you for now and tell you to go buy those DVDs for 1000LL from Bourj Hammoud or Da7yeh, and start watching them

1- Idiocracy

2- The Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

3- Dogma

4- Anger Management

5- Napoleon Dynamite

6- Clerks.

7- Pulp Fiction

Am sure I missed something, any recommendations? I really recommend most Kevin Smith movies anyway! Start with Dogma :D

What would you do

Would you lose your sanity for a loved one? Or a loved one for your sanity?

#NowPlaying Chris Brown - Beautiful People. Although not everywhere do you find beautiful people, some people are truly nasty, full of complexes, and many of them NOT FUNNY. Ya khaye you're not funny stop trying.