OBAMA GONE COUNTDOWN

I love Barack Obama by the way. This is just funny and worthy of posting.

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URGENT: GET YOUR VOTING CARD NOW!!

I am writing this post to inform you that voting registration is open and is ONLY OPEN UNTIL JANUARY. 

This is the duty of the government really, but since no one is doing it from the government nor the media we should be doing it. But since these two are doubtlessly malfunctioning entities in our beloved Egypt we have to do it for them. After all that is why all these so called bloggers exist in the first place - right?

(Enter violins)

Anyways. Voting registration is open until January. And if you're born in 1983 or after you should already be 'enlisted' for registration. Which means your names are most probably in the voting registers in the precinct where you were born or the 'esm' in your birth certificate. For example: esm qasr el nil, esm el 3agooza, esm el dokki, esm el nabi 7arso... 

If your name is not on the registers you need to get enlisted first.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

STEP 1: 

Go to the closest police precinct before 1:00pm any day from Saturday through Thursday. If the address in your National ID Card is not the same as that in you birth certificate go to the police precinct of the address in you birth certificate and ask for the 'election committee' or لجنة الإنتخبات

STEP 2:

If you're born in 83 or after and your name is already enlisted and all you need to do is fill a form.

If you're born before 83 or if your name is not registered for any reason you would need to go to the police precinct of the address on your National ID card and enlist your name in the voting registers or what is called 'قيد إنتخابي"

You would do this first before filling the 'voting card' form. 

STEP 3:

Go back to the police precinct in March and receive your voting card and celebrate being not a loser. 

____________________________

I know I am barking in the dark here but I'm getting my voting card done once and for all. I don't want history to pass by without trying to change it.

I know voting is rigged. We all know that but I believe it is rigged because we let them rig it. The voting turnouts are always depressingly low and if they weren't rigged the Muslim Brotherhood would win anyways. So the only way the rigging is going to go away is if more and more of us to exercise one of the already existing but very fucking few rights we already have - which is voting.

Especially since there are no judges at the ballots anymore. 

We must be there at the parliamentary elections in 2010. 

And much much more importantly the 2011 presidential elections. Oh God does my heart flicker of panic from the thought?

I panic because I don't know if Mubarak - The Father will run.

I don't know if Mubarak - The Son - Jimmy will run. And the idea that Alaa had his literal 15 minutes of fame and the response it had to the backdrop of this whole Algeria thing tells you how easily anyone can manipulate the people - not to say that Alaa was trying to. That's the sad part. It wasn't even planned or Jimmy would've been the one doing phone ins and gaining popularity. Nothing is planned. It's all random. 

Which makes me wonder how many 'random' things will happen with the advent of the Egyptian presidential elections in 2011? 

Prozac? anyone?

ISIS

SOCCER MY ASS!

And the question remains to be 

"What were the Egyptian ambassadors in Algeria and Sudan smoking all this time?"

Was there no intell? 

I don't believe that the Egyptian intelligence did not know about this. 

I believe they knew cuz well... EVEN I KNEW!

I heard from people who were planning to go to Sudan that their contacts in Khartoum were advising them NOT TO COME because the Algerians have been flocking in, spending a lot of money, and buying knives. 

A brief description of the mess here. 

The attacks in Sudan were SYSTEMATIC, the ALGERIAN state was involved, and they were WIDESPREAD.

The attacks were TARGETING EGYPTIAN CIVILIANS going to SUDAN to cheer in a soccer game. 

The Algerian official stance is so shameful that Egyptian Arab Nationalists are having "The worst time of their life" (SM).

The Algerian Minister of Youth and Athletics said in an interview:

 "You know the events that the Algeria squad went through in Egypt and nobody can measure their effect, but the Algerian players stood tall and kept intact their chances of qualification by forcing the Egyptian to go to a play off match. Things were not easy and obviously we had to stand by them. Thanks God we have succeeded somehow since we snatched our ticket to the World Cup and everybody participated in this achievement including the players, fans technical staff and politicians."

What the 'Algeria squad' went through in Egypt is honestly incomparable to what happened to the Egyptian team and supporters in Sudan. 

This is a clear violation of international law governing friendly relations between states and more than anything a violation of Sudanese territorial sovereignty.

This is a clear violation of political protocols.

And it is inspired by hate towards Egyptians and nothing less bitter.

The Egyptian media overdosed on it's own poison.

So whenever any so called Arab country wants to flex its muscles it is Egypt that's always the catalyst? The punching bag? 

Screw that!

And YES! Qatar is the only strategic benefactor from destroying any dignity still left in Egypt's international image. 

You know what? Until there's an official apology, until Algeria is disqualified from the World Cup, and until ALL those (not just the Algerians) who attempted to offend the dignity of Egyptians learn their lesson, I like many other Egyptians will have a bleeding heart. 

© Katherine Du Tiel 2007

And until then the Egyptian government really should declare the Algerian Ambassador in Cairo "PERSONA NON GRATA" - or an unwanted diplomatic personality. 

If you have any material that can be used to incriminate Algeria in this matter please send it to:

 info@wasnotsoccer.com

FACES OF RACISM

This trial must be made into a movie. 

Someone very dear to me told me he was very offended when we saw the images of Marwa's masked murderer in court. 

Why cover his face and show the faces of John Allen Muhammad and Nidal Malik? Cover them as well. 

And while you're at it cover the faces of Rumsfeld and George W Bush.

Cover the face of evil when it's a white man.... show evil when it comes in Muslim packaging. 

When will the West understand? Evil has no race or religion... it's in us all and is capable of coming after any of us indiscriminately!

The DC Sniper was executed yesterday with lethal injection. He was a muslim convert and his sister states that since he came back from the military he just was not the same. 

At the same time Nidal Malik goes on a shooting spree in Fort Hood killing 13 and wounding about 30. And he will go to military court and might get a death sentence. 

I was never a conspiracy theorist but has anyone seen The Manchurian Candidate?

Anyways... Marwa's murderer is sentenced to life. 

May God rest her soul in the essence of his justice, may He forgive him and his sins, and our sins and the sins of our loved ones and of all believers.

ISIS

I WANT TO PUKE LETTERS

6 OCTOBER - تعيشوا و تفتكروا

"And after the bridge collapsed killing thousands, Cairo was divided in two with a long line of death and destruction in the middle. The government and the religious authorities issued a joint decree declaring that the incident was pure and untampered 'fate' and the only thing we can do is thank god it wasn't the High Dam. All attempts at legislative or judicial measures taken to find someone accountable were aborted in the womb by arbitrary arrests and police crackdowns on anyone who had the nerve to protest.

The anger and the injustice led the authorities to focus even less about the problems the people were now facing and focus more on shutting them up. Day by day the authorities became one Authority that's only function is to protect itself. 

Before this incident, the glue that held the people to the government was the public sector. Now, after the "URGENT Emergency Laws" were drafted in a half empty parliament, a curfew was imposed after dark and sometimes even the city streets that were still functioning were blocked... And thus public transportation was paralyzed along with a number of other public services. The excuse was that the parliamentarians couldn't get to down town and attend the session where the laws were approved because of the difficulties in transportation, however, they all gave their consent on the parliament Facebook group... People can no longer move freely. And still dissent was strong. 

There is something about Egyptians that makes them unlike any people anywhere else in the world. They are divided over the silliest of things and united over the silliest of things. But the fact that Egypt existed first - before religion, oil, the UN, and nuclear weapons - makes all Egyptians believe that Egypt will also exist long after these things are gone...."

- From Somewhere Far

From Somewhere Far...

Back home... after a series of long hard ass days at work... I'm depressed so I'm writing...

1. I dumped him because he was a heroin addict.

That's why I did it... the look his friend gave me when I saw him somewhere by chance is a very patronizing disturbing look... I thought WTF??? I wanted to go talk to him... and ask him... "Why are you looking at me like that? As if I killed him? I dumped your friend that way because he was a Heroin addict.... What? Me dumping him made him relapse?? No it fucking didn't! He was relapsed already and you of all people know that best... don't blame me! I'm sorry I hurt him! And I still feel bad - but I did the right thing. And now I'm safe. Your friend is big enough to find his way... or so he claims and I wouldn't know better.... Now look at me! I'M HAPPY FOR A CHANGE YOU FUCKERS!"... Now would you fucking take the picture?

2. It's like part of your brain has been cursed forever. You know what I miss most? I miss the balls. I had the biggest balls of all time. I would enter and risk every thing for the temporary fake pleasure that fucked my life for a long time - I was hurting myself - BUT DID I HAVE BALLS! Nobody, not even the police, could intimidate me - and getting shot at is pretty intimidating when you're out scoring smack. (not to imply that shooting at heroin buyers is a regular thing - it's not) But now all these homo sapiens who I really am convinced are from a lower species - intimidate me. They intimidate me in life and at work which is sooooo frustrating knowing that none of those strong sturdy men with mustaches and families to feed would stand a second in the war I fought... and am winning at the moment. Still... It doesn't comfort me... That thought used to comfort me that I won a war they would lose - now it doesn't. It's as if that person that I was is now completely gone - which is supposed to be a good thing - but since she's gone I don't have any balls left and I don't know what to do. 

3. I'm so paranoid all the time... I can't relax and I don't have any time for myself. I wish I could isolate myself. I wish I could just jump into a well of unlimited knowledge and information and keep swimming and drinking until I'm high off the truth. 

4. I wish I can just breath this thing out that's stuck in my chest. I wish I can cough it out or puke it out. I wish I can just fart it out my ears or pass it on to the sewage systems... but I can't... It's stuck inside me and won't escape until I'm dead or no more. 

I wish I can weave threads of my own being and wrap myself all around

And find peace and warmth inside my little world where it's dark but light inside 

A lonely little piece of mind that starts to change this skin I hide

With shackles on my feet, I try to find my pot of freedom, the potion, the poison, the elixir

The medicament to pain, the sniper of happiness, 

And drink it bit by bit

I wish all my senses would open and release everything I am. 

I'm only taking a picture of you and a ticking clock to my tomb

5. WOW - that feels better.... any one got anything? 7ad fehem ay 7aga? mesh mohem... 

RAMADAN IS HERE

EGYPTIAN SUMMER THEME 2009: PROSTITUTION & REDEMPTION

I always believed our society suffers severe psychological problems...

And the diagnosis can never be short of a collective form of split personality disorder. And as any other system, we have defense mechanisms to help us cope, like denial, repression, and projection.

This year in Marina (Marina in my view is a phenomena that teaches us a lot about Egypt if observed well) a new pole emerged pulling the social contradiction pool wider. In Marina, a place where bikinis and burqas go literally hand in hand, where the paths of the poorest and richest of Egypt cross, a resort that some have called a consequence of bribery and corruption in gov't realms, sometimes symbolizes a magnifying glass on this frustrated and godforsaken society...

Especially after the 'resort' became less exclusive to the highest elites and its doors were open to poorer people. I don't know but it just amazes me because in Marina it's a different circumstance, it's the Summer, so you can observe the cultural and social as well as the economic gaps of contradictions and paradoxes even more... Anyways... This year billboards like those in the photo appear to have sprung up everywhere in Marina.

Observing this leads me to the following conclusions:

1. We, Egyptians, in the past few years attained new levels and forms of Freedom of Expression in a very capitalistic and commercial sense. These billboards are obviously costly and are payed for by someone to promote religion on the beaches of Marina and some of them are placed right in front of the Sakkara and Drinkies liquor shops.

2. This kind of Freedom of Expression unveiled a lot of social, ideological, and cultural contradictions in our society. This is because practically anyone can now successfully mobilize interest groups, affect public opinion, and communicate practically any type of message through a zillion different media available, which generally speaking is a positive thing.

3. The advertiser in this case has specified a very particular target audience. At first some may view this a positive thing for someone to allocate money just to help spread a positive spiritual message. But we must look deeper. The first question that comes to my mind is "If you're so keen on reforming morals... Why make this ad in English? Why exclude on obvious purpose a huge portion of the Marina population?... If this person wanted to merely remind people of God... Why didn't he make the ad in Arabic?

Because they're targeting a specific group... the exclusively English speaking population of Marina, the mostly higher class people, are the target audience of this ad... And this means that the advertiser assumes that it is only those people who need to be reminded of God...

And this means that he or she hold two assumptions as truth. 1. That the higher class is morally corrupt 2. The lower classes do not need moral guidance (or social reform) as virtue of being poor... What? Am I reading too much into this? I doubt... but maybe

The second and opposite interesting phenomenon is a new means used to practice the oldest profession. Online 'Escort Services' available in Cairo Egypt. Rates of different agencies and independents are posted on these sites, ranging from $100 and 2700LE per hour (300Euros) to 10,000LE per night. Different profiles of girls who'll be in Cairo for a designated period of time constitute a menu of mainly Russian and East European girls.

I couldn't believe it at first so I instantly sent a text message to a Cairo mob number posted by one of the agencies asking to rent 2 girls for 3 hours. Within seconds I get a reply saying only 1 girl is availabe and 'incall'. I replied asking 'Where?' and the answer was 'Fairmont Heliopolis Hotel'.... Tribute to our Tourism Police regulations that forbid unmarried people from staying together in Hotel rooms... but hookers are OK??

NO! That's business.

Not only that... but in a time of economic crisis one of the few industries 'ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW TALENT'... and they're investing in recruiting. I always knew that prostitution hubs exist everywhere. But this, to me, is new and not OK. I just believe that this in Egypt is worth examining especially to the backdrop of Billboards reading "REMEMBER ALLAH", court orders deciding to bar porn sites, while everyday girls get sexually harassed in the street, and Swinger's Clubs are being hunted down on Facebook.

By the way. Prostitution was legal in Egypt pre 1952... and working girls had to get a medical check up and a 'license' to practice... Hash was legal too. Now these things are not legal but ever so much more common than when they were.

I am so concerned at this moment by what is foreshadowed. When we, Egyptians, started possessing a few forms of Freedom of expression and access to information is this how we use it? When we get hold of new technologies do we only use them for our demise? So can the gov't say we don't deserve freedom? I don't know exactly if there's even a specific point I'm trying to make through this post. But I know one thing.

The contradictions and the gaps in our society are by no means only economic.

We are ideologically, culturally, and socially messed up.... Summer 2009 just yields new examples of how.

ISIS