Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Second Lifers
In January 2009, eight of our Egyptian bloggers met with then the US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, James K. Glassman, in the virtual newsroom of the American University in Cairo in Second Life. This is part of it.
The meeting in Second Life is part of a broader collaborative project between Dancing Ink Productions and the American University in Cairo exploring how virtual worlds can be used to augment journalistic goals globally, cut costs and enhance and deepen the interview process by providing access to often hard-to-reach subjects.
The project is directed by Lawrence Pintak, head of the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Research and Training at the American University in Cairo, and produced in collaboration with Dancing Ink Productions and Ill Clan Animation Studios.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The real significance of the Obama Presidency
This is an important read, I think! Moneyshot:
It's kinda already happening!
p>But once you come down off of the Civil Rights Movement high, you might
actually start to think about what Obama's presidency REALLY means. His office
and his job have NOTHING to do with race. His being elected DOES NOT improve
race relations in this country or abroad.
In fact, his presidency has
already proven that Americans are still STUCK ON STUPID when it comes to
cultural and racial sensitivity and tolerance, whether they be Black, White,
Brown, or otherwise.
Case in point:
As the inauguration
approached, more White and Latino Americans began asking my husband and I if we
were excited, if we were "going to party" with "our president", and other
paternalistic, foot-in-mouth questions. Am I planning to 'party' with 'my
president' on Tuesday? I'm supposed to be excited about this just because I'm
Black, with no regard to my values or even my political affiliation? No matter
what I stand for, Obama's being Black is supposed to be enough to make me want
to party? That's how you see it? Of COURSE that's how they see it, because
that's all we project! Then we allow the drive-by media to make it all about
race while pretending it's not all about race! Aaaaagh
[...]
Since Black Americans made this election all about having our first
African-American president, please believe that's what his tenure is going to be
about. The media played on White guilt while Obama campaigned, being sure to put
every proud Black face and African relative the man had on national television.
We showed our preoccupation with race, and they showed it to the world (If you
don't think this was intentionally done and that it didn't affect any White
voters, you are fooling yourself). So, understand that Obama's skin is always
going to be in the forefront during his tenure as president, whether you like it
or not, and whether people are willing to admit it or not.
So, what does
that mean?
* If he makes any huge mistakes (and he will), non-Black
Americans will deflect those failures upon Black leadership in general.
* If Black Americans as a whole do not improve their condition during
his tenure, Obama will appear to be an exceptional African-American compared to
the rest of us ignorant thugs.
* If Hollywood gets too progress-happy,
we may see a huge increase in Black characters who are professionals and
government officials in television and movies - that's just superficial and
annoying to ANYONE who watches it long enough.
* All of the cries of
disenfranchisement will be thwarted and considered baseless because if America
can elect an African-American president, the playing field must be leveled,
right? This isn't good if you are a proponent for Affirmative Action or other
special rights for minorities.
* Black History Month will probably bring
out the nationalistic tendencies in most of us, causing us to overdo it and put
our Blackness in everyone else's face, turning off White Americans who thought
that electing an African-American president was about togetherness and the
progress of the country as a whole when it was really about us 'having our day
in the sun'. This will serve to separate us even more.
* If Obama screws
up royally, White Americans won't be voting for another African-American
president for a long time, considering that so much emphasis was placed on his
being African-American.
Don't get me wrong, people; I understand the
historical significance of an African-American president, and it is something
that should be celebrated. However, I believe that we were exploited by the
Democratic Party and the left-wing media in order to further their own causes,
NOT ours! At the end of the day, we play the race card and we make race an issue
WAY TOO MUCH, even when we have the right to do so. It's like the football team
who discourages end zone dancing - when you have a victory, act like you
expected to. When you make your way to success, have some class; act like you've
been there before. We can still celebrate progress while having a certain amount
of necessary reservation. We want people to treat us as if they are colorblind
when we're not. So, when it works in our favor, we're happy. However, when the
racially charged beast we helped create comes back to bite us in the butt, who
will we blame then>
It's kinda already happening!
About that Inaguration..
..Is anybody else dissapointed that when Ted Kennedy collapsed, he didn't collapse on Robert Byrd? Am I alone here?
And Yes, I am going to miss W.!
Man, say what you say about him, but he made the last 8 years filled with fun Unpredictability. You just never knew what he was going to do next. If Global consensus was on something, he would be like "Yeah, ok, that's nice." and then does something else entirely. And he gave all my democrat friends ulcers from worry about what he was going to do all the time, and what "democracy-destorying-fanatsy" they could come up with next. I mean, they almost had me convinced that any day now, he and the jews were going to start another 9/11 and pass a law that would make him a President for life, like their Hero Fidel Castro and his fanboy wannabe Hugo Chavez. Even after Obama was voted in, many really thought that Bush was going to start a War against Iran any second now, just to screw over Obama. None of those things happened of course, but damn, he made them really think of new ways he- despite being the idiotic chimp man they knew he was- would geniusly take over the country and maniplate the public. And his people. I miss his People. The fact that Rumsfeld is no longer allowed to do press conferences where he gets to be his asshole self and torture the reporters makes baby jesus weep a little. And Cheney, who actually shot someone and got away with it, nevermind that that someone was his friend. And who can forget Condi and her legs? Or Wolfie and his haircomb or his tunisian girlfriend? Or John "The Moustache" Bolton, who treated the other UN ambassador's like his Prison Bitches?
I am a fan of Chaos, and he gave us that aplenty, which is why I will always love him. For a good couple of years he scared the shit out of every arab leader in the region, and forced some of them, including our own, to enact some democratic reforms. Not bad for a dumb cowboy, no? Plus, look at Iraq today. (Remember Iraq? Whatever happened to those "No blood for Oil" demonstrations anyway? And how did Obama get the anti-war people to support a war in Afghanistan?) Bombings are down, US soldier casualties are almost nonexistant, they are having a new election where the secularists are favored to win over the islamists, and the country has billions of dollars in reserves (74 billion to be exact), not to mention all the Oil that Bush was supposed to steal and never did. Who would've thought?
Yeah, I am going to miss W. , at least for a while, for all those reasons, and because it feels like he was always there as President anyway. Those 8 years did not pass quickly at all, and they were so tumolteous and filled with Drama, that I doubt anything Obama can conjure up (with the possible exception of him getting a white mistress, which would be AWESOME. Double Awesome points if its Ann Coulter) can equal or parallel. Just the slow and expected fall from grace that will take place over the next 4 years, when they discover that the man is not a miracle worker. Let's hope he really does invade Pakistan. Now that will make things fun again.
Cross your fingers boys and girls. I know I am!
I am a fan of Chaos, and he gave us that aplenty, which is why I will always love him. For a good couple of years he scared the shit out of every arab leader in the region, and forced some of them, including our own, to enact some democratic reforms. Not bad for a dumb cowboy, no? Plus, look at Iraq today. (Remember Iraq? Whatever happened to those "No blood for Oil" demonstrations anyway? And how did Obama get the anti-war people to support a war in Afghanistan?) Bombings are down, US soldier casualties are almost nonexistant, they are having a new election where the secularists are favored to win over the islamists, and the country has billions of dollars in reserves (74 billion to be exact), not to mention all the Oil that Bush was supposed to steal and never did. Who would've thought?
Yeah, I am going to miss W. , at least for a while, for all those reasons, and because it feels like he was always there as President anyway. Those 8 years did not pass quickly at all, and they were so tumolteous and filled with Drama, that I doubt anything Obama can conjure up (with the possible exception of him getting a white mistress, which would be AWESOME. Double Awesome points if its Ann Coulter) can equal or parallel. Just the slow and expected fall from grace that will take place over the next 4 years, when they discover that the man is not a miracle worker. Let's hope he really does invade Pakistan. Now that will make things fun again.
Cross your fingers boys and girls. I know I am!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
INTERVIEW WITH US PUBLIC DIPLOMACY CZAR IN VIRTUAL ARAB NEWSROOM
In a first-ever event on the internet, our group of seven (one couldn't make it) Egyptian bloggers conducted a “virtual” interview with the head of U.S. public diplomacy on January, 12.
The encounter with James Glassman, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, took place in a new Virtual Newsroom created in the internet community Second Life, for the Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Here are some highlights:
The full internet broadcast of the James Glassman dialogue with Egyptian bloggers in the Adham Center’s new Virtual Newsroom can be viewed online at: http://slcn.tv/node/2538.
For those who don't know, Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world. Individuals from around the world can gather virtually to meet and discuss issues. They appear in the form of 3-D cartoon-like avatars and can converse via audio or text.
To facilitate the use of Second Life for Arab journalists and bloggers, the Adham Center has commissioned a Virtual Newsroom where newsmakers can hold briefings and journalists from around the world can meet informally to share ideas.
The encounter with James Glassman, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, took place in a new Virtual Newsroom created in the internet community Second Life, for the Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Here are some highlights:
The full internet broadcast of the James Glassman dialogue with Egyptian bloggers in the Adham Center’s new Virtual Newsroom can be viewed online at: http://slcn.tv/node/2538.
For those who don't know, Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world. Individuals from around the world can gather virtually to meet and discuss issues. They appear in the form of 3-D cartoon-like avatars and can converse via audio or text.
To facilitate the use of Second Life for Arab journalists and bloggers, the Adham Center has commissioned a Virtual Newsroom where newsmakers can hold briefings and journalists from around the world can meet informally to share ideas.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
So that they detained me?
"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced"
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Sunday, November 9, 2008
To our Ahmed and Ahmed the terrorists
To our Ahmed and Ahmed the terrorists
who tend to get arrested in American airports for blogging
recommended
hilarious
first time I saw it pissed my pants laughing
198
197 is the number of this post
وصلت القاهره امبارح من نبراسكا مرورا بشيكاغو والمانيا .. الرحله كانت اقل تبعا من الذهاب والحمد لله وصلنا الوطن وبوسنا ارض المطار
الرحله الاولي كانت لواشنطن ونيويورك واماكن تانية زي ساركيوز وهوستن ونورث كارولنيا
.. مبصوط اني كنت واحد من تمانية اللي عملوا كلوا ده ..ومبصوط اني كنت محظوظ في اني اروح نبراسكا .. ومبصوط اني كنت في فريق واحد مع ميرال .. اللي كانت ساعات بتلعب دور انيس عبيد بمنتهي الشطارة ..
مبصوط ان البرنامج كان مع مركز أدهم وكل الناس اللي هناك مستر لوريس وصوفيا وكارول وساره
واخيراً .. سعادتي كلها اللي عمال احكي فيها ... كانت هتبقي ناقصه كتير لو كان الموضوع كله مر من غير شئ معكنن حتي لو صغير واتفه من اني اذكره ..
عشان كده التوازن الكوني يبقي معدول يامانكي
اللي اقصده انه .. بذمتكوا .. مش لو كان البلوج مر بسلام من غير تعليقات أحدهم النكره اللي كان بيتفنن في ان تعليقاته تًبظ صفار وبياض
كان هيبقي دمه تقيل .. اهو كده برضه " ماك سينس " .. وبمناسبة الصفار والبياض .. انا كلمت الميلودي مان يتصرف معاه .. اهو .. هما أجدر بالتعامل مع بعض
-
ولا لو مثلا بعد الرحلتين دول مكناش قرينا بوست إحداهن اللي يفطس من الضحك .. واللي قالت فيه كلام كتير مكنش فيه صح غير انها هبله وحمقاء .. ومش اي حمقاء يعني :-)
.. نهايته .. مبروك ياشباب .. مش مبروك عشان اوباما كسب ولا مبروك عشان ماكين خسر .. مبروك عشان احنا عملنا المهمه كامله وبنجاح
اقابلكوا في نجاح تاني
محمود صابر
القاهره , مصر
8 -11-2008
6.30 PM
6.30 PM
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Funny Mexican and his Obama song
The Funny Mexican and his Obama song
A funny and original Latino Obama song
I met this guy in front of the Skyline polling center in Alexandria, Virginia
this song is his writing and singing
his name is Carlos Solis
Thursday, November 6, 2008
عندما صاحت السيدة كارول: لقد فعلها أوباما..فعلها..فعلها يا ميشيل
كانت ثلاث خطوات فقط تفصل بين السيدة كارول صاحبة هذا المنزل وبين راشيل الفتاة ذات ال14 ربيعا التي أمسكة لوحة مرسومة لباراك أوباما ووضعتها بجوار وجهها وهي تتابع أخبار الانتخابات علي شاشة سي إن إن.عندها صرخت راشيل : "اووووووه لقد حصلنا علي نيوهامبشير"..عندها قفز الجميع فرحا،فقدت حسمت نيوهامبشير امرها لصالح باراك اوباما. وعندما قطعت راشيل هذه الخطوات الثلاث وضعت علي الطاولة التي تتوسط الصالة طبقا من البطاطس الشيبسي امام ما يقرب من عشرة مراهقين سود يتابعون ما يجري في كل ولاية،عن طريق الانترنت وشبكات التلفزيون الامريكي.
وحينها قالت لها إحدي الصديقات اللوائي يملأن المنزل:لي صديق يتصل من ولاية أخري يقول لي نحن نسير بصورة جيدة..أوباما يحصد الاصوات ياكارول..إنه يفعلها..عندها مالت كارول علي الارضية الخشبية لصالة منزلها ثم لمستها طويلا بينما تضغط علي اسنانها فرحا "تاتش وود".
كارول سيدة سوداء في نهاية الثلاينات،لديها ثلاثة اطفال،وتحظي بمكانة عالية بين مجتمع الافروامريكيين في مدينة سيراكيوز بنيويورك،لذا فقد كان طبيعيا ان تختار ثماني عائلات من اصول زنجية بيتها لتترقب فيه نتيجة الانتخابات.
الدخول الي بيت كارول لايستدعي الكثير من التدقيق كي تدرك انك في عالم متكامل خاص بالسود.فبين حوالي 22 شخصا في هذا المنزل ،قبيل اعلان النتيجة، كان الجميع يرتدي تي شيرتات تحمل صورة اوباما او ملصقات تشير الي تأييده،بينما اختار تشارلز(15 سنة) ارتداء تي شيرت يحمل صورة القس البروتستانتني مارتن لوثر كينج،بينما موسيقي الراب تصدع من مكان ما،ويقوم كل ثلاث دقائق تقريبا احد المراهقين ليرقص علي ايقاعها.
تنحيت عن طريق السيدة كارول وهي توزع المزيد من بوسترات التأييد علي الطاولة لأجدها تضع علي احدي الرفوف عددين من إحدي المجلات المختصة بعالم السود،كان غلاف العدد الأول يحمل صورة اوباما،بينما الثاني يحمل صورة ميشيل زوجته،وبعدهما بعدة سنتيمترات كتاب اوباما الاشهر "من أحلام والدي".
وعندما دخلت السيدة ميشيل التي تبدو في أواخر الخمسينات ،هلل المراهقون احتفاءا بها وهللت السيدات اللوائي برفقة كارول،فقد كن مشغولات حينها باعداد اكواب البيبسي وأطباق الفراخ المحمرة والمكرونة والحلوي.
قالت لي ميشيل :"أوباما هو الشخص الصح في المكان الصح،انه الرجل الذي سيضع الامور في نصابها". قلت لميشيل هل لي أن أسألك لماذا اشعر ان تأييد هذا المنزل لاوباما راجع بالمقام الاول لانه اسود؟ فردت :"انه يعكس عالما يفيض بالانسانية،انه يمثل خلفية ما تدعو للتفاؤل،الامر ليس لانه اسود فقط..انظر الي ما يمثله باراك اوباما".
ولم تكد تكمل جملتها التالية حتي صرخت راشيل :" ياهوووووووووو لقد حصلنا علي بنسلفانيا" فهلل الجميع وتركتني راشيل وراحت ترقص مع الصبية المراهقين فرحا بفوز السيد اوباما بولاية أخري...وصاحت كارول :"أوباما يفعلها..انه يفعلها يا ميشيل!".
ساعتها
أخذت فيفان ذات الستة عشر عاما زمام المبادرة وقالت لي :"انا أنتمي لعائلة من الطبقة المتوسطة..ببساطة شديد سيهتم بي اوباما ولن يفعلها ماكين"
أخرجت السيدة كارول من الثلاجة تورتة (يصل مقاسها تقريبا الي 40 سم في 20 سم) يحمل نصفها صورة مرسومة لباراك أوباما، ولدي رؤيتها هللت النساء وأطلقن صيحات الفرحة.لكن شيئا ما حدث جعل كارول تحبس أنفاسها .."لقد ضاعت نورث كارولينا" هكذا همست راشيل!
لم يبدد صمت ضياع نورث كارولينا وانحيازها لصالح جون ماكين سوي المزحة التي أطلقتها بيري ذات الخمسة عشر ربيعا وهي تخاطبني :"أتود أن تعرف لماذا أشجع باراك اوباما؟" أومأت لها أن نعم،فأمسكت صورة زيتية له ووضعتها بجوار وجهها وقالت :"لانه يشبهني..ألست تري؟ إنها ذات الملامح". هنا تقول "جاكي" ذات السبعة عشر عاما: لا نعتبر ان اول رئيس اسود هو باراك اوباما..فلدينا جون إف كيندي وبيل كلينتون!
ضحك الجميع،من المزحة التي ترمي الي انهم سود يؤيدون مرشحا اسودا..هكذا هي الحقيقة أو جزء منها!
عندها سألت تشارلز ذي السبعة عشر عاما :"لماذا ترتدي تي شيرت يحمل صورة مارتن لوثر كينج الليلة؟"..فرد تشارلز :"أنا أشجع باراك اوباما..وقد كان لكينج حلم..ولاوباما حلم ايضا..انه نفس الحلم..أنا اشجع الحلم".
ثم أردف تشارلز :"انا اتفق معه في سياساته سيما فيما يخص الخارج والقضايا الاقتصادية وموضوع الطاقة" ثم يستدرك :" ماكين رجل جيد ايضا..لكني أميل لاوباما".
تعبت من طول الوقفة التي امتدت لثلاث ساعات تقريبا،وحينها جلست بجوارهم علي الكنبة،وتناولت الصورة الزيتية لاوباما التي تناولتها بيري منذ قليل،فإذا في الصورة تغييرات في الملامح عن الشكل الاصلي..هذه الصورة جعلت اوباما زنجيا اكثير من اللازم!..لقد وسعوا فتحتي انفه وغيروا شيئا ما في ملامحه..عندها لاح تي شيرت تشارلز الذي يحمل صورة مارتن لوثر امام وجهي،فإذا بشبه كبير بين الرجلين بعد التعديل!
هنا يقول جورج الذي يرتدي تي شيرت كبير يحمل صورة اوباما :"سياسة اوباما الخارجية ومقاربته الاقتصادية تروقاني جدا..بينما ماكين ليس كذلك يا تشارلز".
جاءتني السيدة كارول وقالت لي برقة بالغة :ألا تريد أن تتناول أي شيء؟ فشكرتها بشدة،فكررت:من فضلك ان احتجت شيئا ما قل لي،وبينما نتبادل الابتسامات الرقيقة صاحت بييري :"أوووووووووه بنسلفانيا معنا..بنسلفانيا لنا!".
حينها هلل الجميع وصرخوا وراح الاطفال يمرحون هنا وهناك بينما البالونات الحمراء لا تفارق ايديهم،ومن وقت لاخر يوقعون شيئا من مكانه هنا او هناك،الي ان اصطدم بي احدهم،ذو اربعة سنوات فقط،سألته عن اسمه فقاله لي..لم اسمعه جيدا فتهجاه بعنف ! لم استوضحه فسألته لماذا تشجع باراك اوباما،فوضع اصبعه في فمه وقال :"لانه لطيف!".
هنا التقطني فرانك ذو الاحد عشر عاما بعدما انهي مكالمة هاتفية مع احد الاصدقاء وقال لي :"يقولون ان اوباما اشتراكي..انا أؤيده، واعتقد ان شيئا من الاشتراكية مطروح فعلا في سياسته،لكنه شيء سيقودنا للامام وسيحسن اوضاعنا".
وصل المنزل في هذه اللحظة الي درجة من الزحام لايمكن وصفها،الضجيج من كل مكان،راشيل ترقص علي اغنية راب،جورج يتناول طبقا من الحلوي ويقطع الطريق من وقت لاخر،كارول تتمم علي ضيوفها،ميشل تلتقط صورا فوتغرافية من وقت لاخر وتهلل وتصيح "أوباما ياهووووووووووووو".
إلي أن بث التلفزيون تقريرا تفصيليا عن الوضع أشار الي تقارب نسبة الرجلين،عندها وجم الجميع وشهقت كارول،وصمت الاطفال وخيم صمت ما علي المكان لمدة دقيقة تقريبا،بدت خلاله اطباق الحلوي كما لو كانت تشاركهم الصمت هي الاخري وبدا كل شيء في المنزل محبطا،حتي الاثاث نفسه.
راح الحاضرون يستأذنون رويدا رويدا،واضطررت لترك منزل السيدة كارول فقد وصلت الساعة الثانية عشر الا عشر دقائق تقريبا،وحين قطعت المسافة عائدا نحو الفندق،بينما الطرقات هادئة جدا،سمعت صيحات النصر :"أووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووه..فعلها أوباما..فعلها"
تسجيل لفيديوهات التغطية الحية للإنتخابات الأمريكية أمس
تسجيل لفيديوهات
التغطية الحية للإنتخابات الأمريكية أمس
لمن فاتته التغطية الحية أمس يمكنك مشاهدة تسجيل للفيديوهات التي تم بثها على
الهواء مباشرة من تليفون العبد لله المحمول مباشرة للمدونة في تجربة ربما هي الأولى
من نوعها في المدونات المصرية ونقلة نوعية مطلوبة في تغطية المدونات للأحداث تثبت
أن المدونات أيضا تستطيع نقل الأحداث على الهواء وقت حدوثها
نعتذر عن قلة جودة وتقطيع الفيديوهات حيث ان سرعة الشبكة كانت تتارجح بشدة أمس ربما
بسبب الضغط العالي عليها بسبب الإنتخابات
لكن دعونا نزعم أن التجربة الأولى للمدونات في التغطية الحية قد نجحت
ولا إيه رأيكم
بقى أن نجربها في مصر
فيديو من مركز تطوع لحملة أوباما في اليوم السابق للإنتخابات
لجنة إنتخابات
العبد لله قدام اللجنة
هو فين الأمن المركزي الأمريكاني
أمريكي مغربي يدلي بصوته
أمريكي فلسطيني أدلى بصوته
أمريكية منقبة أدلت بصوتها
الراجل اللي بيشتغل في البنك الدولي
المكسيكي الظريف وصورة أوباما
أغنية من تأليف المكسيكي الظريف عن باراك أوباما
إغلاق لجنة الإنتخابات في فرجينيا
حفلة مشاهدة لنتائج الإنتخابات والإحتفال بفوز أوباما
إعلان فوز أوباما على السي إن إن
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
And from heaven, the rains fell
Bring It On!
Charlotte, North Carolina, Last Obama rally of the campaign-24 hours before he was declared president of The Free World
Are you America?
Of all the unexpected occurences that fill my life as I tread on the path that I forge myself as I go along- I never would have expected to one day be able to say I had seen the president of the United States in person. Not only because it is so far fetched but because its not particularly a life goal I aspire to, and seeing the American president sounds like its something that would only happen if you really, really want it to.
Before someone calls me out on a technicality- yes, I do count seeing Obama the day before the elections, November 3rd, to count as seeing the U.S president.
Zeinab and I ended up at the last Obama rally of the presidential campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the span of a few hours we had met a group of Canadians in the lobby of our hotel in Chapel Hill, NC, who had actually driven down from Ottawa to help campaign for Obama and were about to take the 2 hour drive from Chapel Hill to Charlotte in order to see the rally, and do some volunteer campaigning in the last hours where their efforts could still make a difference on what they called "the road to change". Zeinab and I were welcomed by Mitch, Bart, Tyler, Michael and Adam to join in. We went to Charlotte, we canvased, we door-to-doored, we got volunteer tickets, we went to UNC Charlotte, we shuttled, we queued, we stood in the rain, and in the end, we were only 10 feet away from the man who would be the president 24 hours later.
Because we had canvased for the campaign, we were given priority tickets and ended up so close to the podium I could see Barak Obama's facial expressions, I could see his pupils darting from side to side, and slow down as he spoke of the passing of his grandmother. I could see his hand gestures as he articulated the promises we will inevitably discover if he will keep. And I stood in the midst of the ritual chanting his supporters boomed, in unison, totally engulfed, although I was not one of them. So this is what its like to have a leader, I thought, to want one, or respect one, or find one. Interesting. Everything in America is fun though, what would elsewhere be an intensely policed and secured gathering, burdened by the idolization of national emblems, in America, is a toe-tapping Country music, and people throwing back small American flags back into the crowd to fight over, while the rain hits down on cotton caps with Obama's smiling face printed on the front in a combination of bright green and red, and puns like "Barack to the Future." Someone passed me a flag to, because my hands were busy holding the camera, it was thoughtful of that stranger I suppose. I took it from them kindly, but I didnt know what to do with it. I stood there filming and tapping my toes and rocking in the rain, totally engulfed, but not one of them.
Before someone calls me out on a technicality- yes, I do count seeing Obama the day before the elections, November 3rd, to count as seeing the U.S president.
Zeinab and I ended up at the last Obama rally of the presidential campaigns in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the span of a few hours we had met a group of Canadians in the lobby of our hotel in Chapel Hill, NC, who had actually driven down from Ottawa to help campaign for Obama and were about to take the 2 hour drive from Chapel Hill to Charlotte in order to see the rally, and do some volunteer campaigning in the last hours where their efforts could still make a difference on what they called "the road to change". Zeinab and I were welcomed by Mitch, Bart, Tyler, Michael and Adam to join in. We went to Charlotte, we canvased, we door-to-doored, we got volunteer tickets, we went to UNC Charlotte, we shuttled, we queued, we stood in the rain, and in the end, we were only 10 feet away from the man who would be the president 24 hours later.
Because we had canvased for the campaign, we were given priority tickets and ended up so close to the podium I could see Barak Obama's facial expressions, I could see his pupils darting from side to side, and slow down as he spoke of the passing of his grandmother. I could see his hand gestures as he articulated the promises we will inevitably discover if he will keep. And I stood in the midst of the ritual chanting his supporters boomed, in unison, totally engulfed, although I was not one of them. So this is what its like to have a leader, I thought, to want one, or respect one, or find one. Interesting. Everything in America is fun though, what would elsewhere be an intensely policed and secured gathering, burdened by the idolization of national emblems, in America, is a toe-tapping Country music, and people throwing back small American flags back into the crowd to fight over, while the rain hits down on cotton caps with Obama's smiling face printed on the front in a combination of bright green and red, and puns like "Barack to the Future." Someone passed me a flag to, because my hands were busy holding the camera, it was thoughtful of that stranger I suppose. I took it from them kindly, but I didnt know what to do with it. I stood there filming and tapping my toes and rocking in the rain, totally engulfed, but not one of them.
change is possible
yes ...
amirca chosed the change ..
maybe obama wins not the best thing for all democracy dreamers in meddle east contrys !.. and maybe the relitonships betwin the new american adminstraiton headed by obama going to support all the dectatoric regims.... becouse obama want to be good with the all ..
but obama elected .. means change is possible ..
and now it's our time to do it in egypt and in any country need real change even if with out any out side effect!
-------
Mahmoud --
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.
We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.
Thank you,
Barack
amirca chosed the change ..
maybe obama wins not the best thing for all democracy dreamers in meddle east contrys !.. and maybe the relitonships betwin the new american adminstraiton headed by obama going to support all the dectatoric regims.... becouse obama want to be good with the all ..
but obama elected .. means change is possible ..
and now it's our time to do it in egypt and in any country need real change even if with out any out side effect!
-------
Mahmoud --
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.
We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.
Thank you,
Barack
Where do we go from here?
Watching the news channels in the US this morning, I am both amazed and amused by their inability to deal with the Obama win. It's like the old song lyrics go: "The Battle is done, and we kinda won, so we sound our victory cheer. Now tell me, where do we go from here?"
CNN is still a cornucopias of holograms and colors, with them still stressing over the number of senate and house seats whose ballots haven't been counted yet, and getting the right amount of popular votes for each candidate, because while it was important to let McCain know that he lost, it's even more important to twist the knife, because, otherwise, where is the fun in that?
MSNBC , on the other hand, has calmed down a little bit since yesterday cry-a-thon (seriously, news anchors were crying from Joy. So much for media unbiasedness), and are now getting down to the business of "Who will be in an Obama government", and arguing over every hypothetical appointee- even though Obama didn't choose anybody yet. Bush is so not mentioned anymore I think he should like bomb somebody, as if to remind the people that he is still around, and has 2 more month in office, during which he can still kind of do damage. Come on Bush, be a maverick: Bomb Vietnam or something. They will never see it coming!
A brief switch to the land of BET (that's Black Entertainment Television for you, whitey) has shown a a talk show where the host was asking a number of very well dressed Black folks what they should do to help the first black President, and one of them said that they now have to become more responsible, better husbands and wives, make sure that their kids stay in school and get an education,so that Obama can have- and I am not even kidding here- a "grassroots army of supporters" ready to come to his aid when he needs it. And that's when I switched the channel, because if you were waiting on a President from your same ethnicity to make sure your kids get an education, for no other reason than have them become soldiers for his cause, then, ehh, I don't even want you to vote. Nothing personal, You just don't sound all that well in the head to me.
And finally- and I have kept the best for last- Fox news. Oh Fox news. Watching Brit Hume yesterday referring to himself as a "Child of the civil rights movement" just made me fall off my bed and into the floor laughing my ass off. Way to Go Brother Brit. And then this morning they had Karl Rover Over to explain to them what happened: The news anchor asked bewilderingly "we always thought the country was center right, is this no longer the case?", to which Karl assured him that it is the case, by stating that Obama's policies of "cutting taxes for 95% of the american population" and "not having the government in complete control of health care" are both right-wing positions, and that's what won him the election. So Obama is a right-winger now? And here I thought he was a socialist communist godless muslim. My bad. So, I guess, for all you right wing people out there, Hurray for us. One of us just became President. Let's break out the champagne.
As for Palin, my dear lovely Palin who I will miss so much (and yes, I still have a crush on her: A beauty queen who runs shit in her own state, likes having kids -i.e. screwing- and her hobbies include shooting wolves from Helicopters? I WANT THAT!! Any Junior Palin's out there? I am single, baby. Hit me up), there is nothing on her since she last appeared crying yesterday. Whether she is the future of the republican party, or the next White Oprah, we don't know, but I know that she shouldn't run in a national election again. As this father of a friend of mine said to me yesterday "Palin..good for erections..bad for elections". Wise words from a wise man, one that we all could learn from.
And last, I leave you with this average Obama Voter, who will most likely hate him once he actually has to govern the mess that is the USA today.
And if you are curious why she will hate him, just watch this video, and just wait for the day when Black voters will turn on Obama and say things like "well, you know, he is half-white!"
Until that day comes, my friends, smoke'em if you got'em.
CNN is still a cornucopias of holograms and colors, with them still stressing over the number of senate and house seats whose ballots haven't been counted yet, and getting the right amount of popular votes for each candidate, because while it was important to let McCain know that he lost, it's even more important to twist the knife, because, otherwise, where is the fun in that?
MSNBC , on the other hand, has calmed down a little bit since yesterday cry-a-thon (seriously, news anchors were crying from Joy. So much for media unbiasedness), and are now getting down to the business of "Who will be in an Obama government", and arguing over every hypothetical appointee- even though Obama didn't choose anybody yet. Bush is so not mentioned anymore I think he should like bomb somebody, as if to remind the people that he is still around, and has 2 more month in office, during which he can still kind of do damage. Come on Bush, be a maverick: Bomb Vietnam or something. They will never see it coming!
A brief switch to the land of BET (that's Black Entertainment Television for you, whitey) has shown a a talk show where the host was asking a number of very well dressed Black folks what they should do to help the first black President, and one of them said that they now have to become more responsible, better husbands and wives, make sure that their kids stay in school and get an education,so that Obama can have- and I am not even kidding here- a "grassroots army of supporters" ready to come to his aid when he needs it. And that's when I switched the channel, because if you were waiting on a President from your same ethnicity to make sure your kids get an education, for no other reason than have them become soldiers for his cause, then, ehh, I don't even want you to vote. Nothing personal, You just don't sound all that well in the head to me.
And finally- and I have kept the best for last- Fox news. Oh Fox news. Watching Brit Hume yesterday referring to himself as a "Child of the civil rights movement" just made me fall off my bed and into the floor laughing my ass off. Way to Go Brother Brit. And then this morning they had Karl Rover Over to explain to them what happened: The news anchor asked bewilderingly "we always thought the country was center right, is this no longer the case?", to which Karl assured him that it is the case, by stating that Obama's policies of "cutting taxes for 95% of the american population" and "not having the government in complete control of health care" are both right-wing positions, and that's what won him the election. So Obama is a right-winger now? And here I thought he was a socialist communist godless muslim. My bad. So, I guess, for all you right wing people out there, Hurray for us. One of us just became President. Let's break out the champagne.
As for Palin, my dear lovely Palin who I will miss so much (and yes, I still have a crush on her: A beauty queen who runs shit in her own state, likes having kids -i.e. screwing- and her hobbies include shooting wolves from Helicopters? I WANT THAT!! Any Junior Palin's out there? I am single, baby. Hit me up), there is nothing on her since she last appeared crying yesterday. Whether she is the future of the republican party, or the next White Oprah, we don't know, but I know that she shouldn't run in a national election again. As this father of a friend of mine said to me yesterday "Palin..good for erections..bad for elections". Wise words from a wise man, one that we all could learn from.
And last, I leave you with this average Obama Voter, who will most likely hate him once he actually has to govern the mess that is the USA today.
And if you are curious why she will hate him, just watch this video, and just wait for the day when Black voters will turn on Obama and say things like "well, you know, he is half-white!"
Until that day comes, my friends, smoke'em if you got'em.
البرقية المنتظرة
بعث الرئيس حسني مبارك برقية تهنئة الأربعاء إلى الرئيس الأمريكي المنتخب باراك أوباما.
وأعرب الرئيس مبارك فى البرقية عن التطلع لإسهامه (أوباما) البناء في حل القضية الفلسطينية وتحقيق السلام العادل والشامل باعتباره المتطلب الرئيسي لأمن واستقرار الشرق الأوسط.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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