Monday, December 28, 2009

living in an Ice box

This is the title that best suits the weather condition in Beijing (aka Peking) - Mainland China last Friday.
I was in Beijing from Monday till Friday. Upon arrival it was cold, like around zero, which is ok, however by Friday morning the temperature drop to a frigid (-13 C) with wind chill approaching near (-20 C) with Sunny skies. Beijing lies in the northern part of china and towards the eastern tip of Asia close to Japan (relatively close); This kind of cold weather reminded me of my college days at the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Beijing turned out to be a very modern city with really organized infrastructure, clean streets, and excellent shopping malls. It does not fall short of any of world’s renowned capitals, while still accommodating some 15 million inhabitants. I was impressed right from the beginning upon entrance to Beijing Airport terminal. A Very well organized, clean, and huge airport. How huge? Well, you take the subway to reach the luggage pick up area. The hotel was a good 4 star hotel with excellent service and nice restaurants. Even though I was in Beijing on a business trip , but on Friday , i had some time to spare and defied the frigid cold temperature and went shopping. I ended up with nice Chinese gadgets to take home on a nine hour flight to Doha, 8 hours transit time and another 2 hours to Amman. It was a quick journey, and I felt that I visited Tokyo and therefore, I still have plans for future real China visit. To sum up, a well worth while trip that I need to try again when the temperature is not as cold and when I have more time to ramble around.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Unpleasent Treat, Movenpick bahrain

I am leaving Kuwait now back to Jordan, after spending 6 days in Kuwait.
I have not been in kuwait since 2003, but then, i had a splendid stay at Marriott (I was treated lavishly, really pampered in all sense). This time I thought i was making the best decision by staying at Movenpick Kuwait (Free Zone). To be honest, i was a bit disappointed. The only 5 Star aspect of the Hotel is Service, however, the hotel is of poor quality, you can notice that as soon as you get to the reception area. It looks old and unmaintained and the finish is not good.The room is Ok, spacious and clean, but the furniture does lack the 5 Star luxury feel.
I did not enjoy the TV since it has been a while since i watched a NON-LCD any kind of display. It is an old 29 Inch regular TV, with a bad sound quality, and not to mention, a rather poor choice of channels.
One point worth mentioning is the fact that there seems to be a sewage treatment plant nearby, and as such, some times (especially at night any in the early monring hours, it smells like Sh.t). Unfortunetly, these are the periods when i was most likely to be in the Hotel.
The food is good, but the buffet is not a 5 stars buffet from an assortment point of view. That applies to both breakfast and dinner.

In essense, for the amount of money paid, i will not return

as for the general stay, i was there for a short consulting engagmemt at Kuwait University, to check how the team is doing with the Jdeveloper 11g New ADF technology. In all fairness, they are doing very good job and definitely, they are an early adopters to the technology

ammar

Friday, November 27, 2009

العيد بعيدين

and maybe more,

the first reason is because it is EID Al Adha, and instead for writing again and agian about it, i will just refer to
http://oraclejo.blogspot.com/2008/09/eid-dj-vu.html.

and for the second Eid, it about some technical issue that i figured about ADF technology. If you are not familiar with what Oracle ADF is, stop reading because this is not for YOU, or continue at our own risk

Well, i spend the day yesterday fiddling around with ADF binding concepts until i believe i have got it all figured out. I was working with this technology for quite sometime (only from out of the box) but since i am asked to do some consulting job next week in Kuwait, i have been doing nitty gritty details and trying to come done to core of the material.

I have designed two pages one based on on Table DEPT and with the following page definition information

Page definition name ="untitled1PageDef"
iterator name ="deptView1Iterator"

and the other is page is based on TRADE table with the following page definition information

Page definition name ="untitled1PageDef"
iterator name ="tradeView1Iterator"

A trivial scenario would be to read some page1 attribute (Text item) from page1 while running page one. All ADF programmers must have encountered this situation and have done it many times through several different solution. The solution i pick is a solution that i can always use and a solution that depends on the basics (No Eid here)

FacesContext ctx = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
Application app = ctx.getApplication();
ValueBinding bind = app.createValueBinding("#{data}");

BindingContext bindingCtx = (BindingContext)bind.getValue(ctx);
DCBindingContainer dcb = (DCBindingContainer)bindingCtx.findBindingContainer("untitled1PageDef");
DCIteratorBinding Iter = dcb.findIteratorBinding("DeptView1Iterator");
String attr =Iter.getCurrentRow().getAttribute(2).toString();

(note: i know that there are short cuts that would probably eliminate a few lines of code, but at the expense of hiding the basics).


Now, let us move to the following situation. I am running page1 and selected a specific row, and i am moving to page 2 and i am required to find an attribute of on page 1 (which i have already left) . Well many techniques exist and most of them depend on other standard web techniques like using Session Variables, or ADF actions set Action listener etc..
The basic concept in ADF relies on a model object that holds that sources based on View Object. Since view objects are already instantiated by the Application Module and their data is persistent as long as the application module is alive, and since such objects are bound to ADF iterator binding in the binding containers, then, its only makes sense that we should be able to read the iterator binding of any visited page definition.

Well, during my past readings , i came to know more things about iterator binding, that i undermined at that time. The Literature about ADF iterator binding says, that after the completion of the JSF and ADF lifecycle, the framework unbinds the iterator binding from its data source and rebinds it again when the page is loaded again. This is done automatically to save resources. This of course does not cause the loss of any data, because the view object is still there in the model layer. It is only the iterator binding pointer is not there and in most cases, it needs not be there since at that time the user is on a different page

So, for now, page2 is displayed on the screen and there is a button on page2 screen and i want to read information from page1, the same information that i read when i was already on page 1.

An innocent attempt would be to use the same code as before, and if you do, you will face a NullPointer exception when you run

DCIteratorBinding Iter = dcb.findIteratorBinding("DeptView1Iterator");

Because as i explained earlier the binding iterator of page 1 (DeptView1Iterator) is not bound after the page lifecycle is complete even though the iterator itself exists?? It will be bound during the iterator refresh step during page reload.

Well, then i can find some why to manually refresh the iterator binding, i should be able to accomplish what i want, and Eureka, after some brain drain investigating, i found it


call getRowSetIterator();


and then I included the above call in my code with my fingers crossed, and the Second Eid emerged for me , it worked like a
charm

FacesContext ctx = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
Application app = ctx.getApplication();
ValueBinding bind = app.createValueBinding("#{data}");

BindingContext bindingCtx = (BindingContext)bind.getValue(ctx);
DCBindingContainer dcb = (DCBindingContainer)bindingCtx.findBindingContainer("untitled1PageDef");
DCIteratorBinding Iter = dcb.findIteratorBinding("DeptView1Iterator");
String attr =Iter.getRowSetIterator().getCurrentRow().getAttribute(2).toString();
//simialr to DCBindingIterator Iter = (DCBindingIterator)Iter.get("binding iterator)
DCIteratorBinding Iter1 = dcb.findIteratorBinding("tradeView1Iterator");
String attr2 =Iter1.getRowSetIterator().getCurrentRow().getAttribute(2).toString();
System.out.println(attr);
System.out.println(attr2);

The getRowSetIterator() binds it again to the data control and hence it now points to current row of the view object (which would be the row you selected in the previous page when you navigated out of it)

Since I became more confident about my knowledge, i thought, ok what if the user ran page2 immediately without running page 1, and tried to access some data from page (1).
There is no data in page 1!!! and that is exactly the case, running the above code would legitimately yield NullPointer Exception. To demonstrate my understanding, i thought i would manipulate the code is a way, that in case the user skipped page1 , it only makes sense to say that in this case, the current row of the first page would be the first row in the view object, I figure what if i execute a query of the first page iterator after accessing it using

Iter.executeQuery();

Again, it worked like a charm

FacesContext ctx = FacesContext.getCurrentInstance();
Application app = ctx.getApplication();
ValueBinding bind = app.createValueBinding("#{data}");

BindingContext bindingCtx = (BindingContext)bind.getValue(ctx);
DCBindingContainer dcb = (DCBindingContainer)bindingCtx.findBindingContainer("untitled1PageDef");
DCIteratorBinding Iter = dcb.findIteratorBinding("DeptView1Iterator");
String attr =Iter.getRowSetIterator().getCurrentRow().getAttribute(2).toString();
//simialr to DCBindingIterator Iter = (DCBindingIterator)Iter.get("binding iterator)
DCIteratorBinding Iter1 = dcb.findIteratorBinding("tradeView1Iterator");
Iter1.executeQuery();
String attr2 =Iter1.getRowSetIterator().getCurrentRow().getAttribute(2).toString();
System.out.println(attr);
System.out.println(attr2);

I know it means nothing to most of you, but it sure does to me and others in who opt to understand the framework that way i want ....

Which brings up a new reason why it a Eid, well, right now, at about 8:10 PM, we are leaving home and heading for a 36 hours vacation at Aqaba, a decision taken at the spur of the moment

Happy Me

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Significant leap forward

the Large Hadron Collider is back after it was damaged last year. This collider is by far the largest ever built and will smash atoms in order to unleash the secrets hidden in the depth of matter.
Exciting experiments shall shed light on the Big Bang theory that explains h the world is started.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Disappointed -- Twice

Once in Dubai, and the other one in Windows 7

As usual, GITEX runs in October and our company exhibits as part of the Jordanian Pavilion.

I do not share sentiments with Dubai's large no of fan. I have always had mixed feelings, but now i have only negative feeling. Even though, and from the outside, it has the looks of modern cities, however, there are fews things that cannot but piss you off.

Upon arrival, i headed immediately to the passport control, and after waiting in a queue for quite sometime, i was relieved that it was my turn to check my passport, only to be asked by a friendly lady to go back to the lower floor and take an Iris Signature. Along the way i found many people returning. How Difficult is it for officials in Dubai to install a sign asking arrivals to take Iris signature before proceeding to Passport Control? The same thing happens every day and nobody is taking any action.

I rented a car (things went smooth) and upon hitting the street, i just faced a total mess. Lots of constructions and diversions , which is fine, but the signage is just horrible. You start with a sign and when you reach an intersection or a diversion, the signs do not tell you anything, and if you are lucky, you might find a small sign at exactly the intersection, by which time, it is almost impossible for you to change lanes.

it took me exactly 30 minutes to reach my hotel, because i was going around it for several rounds. I made a visual contact early on, but getting there amongst the mesh of diversion and constructions is something that requires quite a bit of training.

Arriving at the expo grounds is also an adventure. It is located next to Dubai world trade center that is reachable from a large round about!! and you can probably imagine the traffic on round about in busy areas. But when you reach the parking area, you also wait in lines only to find a poor parking area with no asphalt. If you are lucky, you find a parking place; mind you, that we are exhibitors and paying a lot to rent an area in Gitex and, therefore, the least of our expectations is find a proper parking location. There are three parking lots A, B, and C, I noticed that C is the least busy of all, so the next morning i thought i was going to play it smart. I waited in the line, and when i reached Parking A, I skipped it so that i can part in C, only to find that C is closed. Of course , no sign or nothing. It seems that in Dubai you need to improve foretelling and occultism skills. Going back to the line would take me another 20 minutes, so i decided to park at the corner of the street. When i returned to my car in the evening, i found a parking ticket saying that i am parking in an inappropriate location.


What added in my disappointment is the big fuss made by the release of Windows 7. I bought a Laptop running windows 7, and immediately hit incompatibility issues:
1- does not run my Vmware virtualization software.
2- took my a long time to make it connect to my wireless router.

problems with windows 7 made my search for critiques about it, and i would like to share with you this article

Under the Hood, Windows 7 Is Vista's Twin

Who is Microsoft trying to fool? Underneath the fresh coat of paint, Windows 7 looks and runs like Vista. Here are the benchmarks to prove it.

http://pcworld.about.com/od/windows1/Under-the-Hood-Windows-7-Is-V.htm

ammar sajdi

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

He was a model professor: generous with ideas, gracious with advice, and intellectually curious about many subjects

This is what students of Professor Richard M. Brown said when he passed away on Aug, 22 09
Brown worked in the Control Systems Laboratory at Illinois (now the Coordinated Science Laboratory) when it was new to campus, helping to set a foundation for digital computer research. He was involved in the creation of such ground-breaking computers as the CSX-1 and the first supercomputer, the ILLIAC IV. PLATO, the first computer-assisted instruction system that helped to develop Internet concepts such as chat rooms and online testing, was helped by Brown’s research on teaching machines.

He did not live to hear what his students had to say about him! He did make a difference and the title just spells it out. If you like it, try to make a difference!

i tried myself, but it seems it shows after we die (if Ever!!!)

annar

Sunday, September 20, 2009

حملة انتخابية بالعيد

كالعادة وكما هو متعارف علية محليا , يدأب المرشح باقتناص الفرص لمجاملة الناس في كل مناسبة بعد سنوات عجاف من البعد والجفاء وانا طبعا واحد من هذا النسيج الاجتماعي ولا اشكل اي استثناء لذا اسمحو لي اخواني واخواتي ان اتقدم لكم بباقة من اجمل التهاني بمناسبة حلول عيد الفطر السعي واذكركم ب


برئاسة الاخ غسان خرفان


Friday, September 18, 2009

البوس ممنوع

القى فايروس N1H1 بظلالة على مراكز الافتاء الاسلامية حيث وردت اخبار ان البوس اصبح مكروها منعا لانتشار الفيروس.
لا داعي للهلع فيبدو ان المنع مؤقتا حيث يتوقع ان يرفع الحظر بعد العيد مباشرة لتستمر عمليات البوس كالمعتاد

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I am surprised too



I am running for Amman Chamber of Commerce board elections

16000 people shall cast their vote on Oct 3, 2009.

To vote, you company must have a captial exceeding 5000 JD and must be registered as a memeber in the Amman Chamber of Commerce.





Tuesday, September 08, 2009

REALSOFT in the NEWs ريل سوفت

http://www.petra.gov.jo/Artical.aspx?Lng=2&Section=4&Artical=133029 http://www.addustour.com/ViewTopic.aspx?ac=\Economy\2009\08\Economy_issue693_day31_id171383.htm http://www.alanbat.net/news/Viewoldnews.asp?Nid=239474 http://www.alarabalyawm.net/pages.php?news_id=180754 http://www.addustour.com/ViewArchiveTopic.aspx?ac=\Economy\2004\09\EconomyNews_Issue14390_Day9_ID85843.htm
http://www.elaph.com/Web/Technology/2008/11/381301.htm


sample

البرمجيات المتقدمة والحلول النقالة تنفذان تعدادا تجريبيا في قطر
[30/08/2009 12:34]
عمان 30 آب(بترا)- انهت شركتا البرمجيات المتقدمة ريل سوفت والحلول النقالة تنفيذ التعداد التجريبي للسكان والمساكن والمنشآت في دولة قطر .

وتم تنفيذ التجربة بالتعاون مع جهاز الإحصاء القطري وشملت 700 أسرة موزعة على 4 بلديات تمهيدا لإجراء التعداد العام للسكان والمساكن والمنشآت في2010.

وقال بيان اصدرته شركة ريل سوفت اليوم الاحد هذا أول تعداد تجريبي ينفذ استعدادا لتعداد 2010 في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي.

ويعتبر التعداد التجريبي مرحلة مهمة تنفذ في كافة المشاريع المشابهة لاختبار المنهجيات والعمليات والتقنيات والخروج بتوصيات لمرحلة التعداد الفعلي.

والبرمجيات المتقدمة شركة اردنية تم تأسيسها في العام 2002 والحلول النقالة شركة شقيقة سيستر كومبني للشركة الاولى.

واشتملت التجربة على اربع مراحل لمحاكاة خطوات التعداد الفعلي، حيث تم في كل مرحلة استيفاء استمارة خاصة لبيانات المباني والوحدات السكنية ثم المنشات وفي النهاية جمع البيانات التفصيلية للسكان من مواطنين ووافدين.

وجاء في بيان الشركة ان المراحل كافة تمت بسلاسة حيث كان يتم ربط بيانات كل مرحلة بالمراحل السابقة لها لضمان تكامل واتساق البيانات الإحصائية.

ومن أهم معالم هذه التجربة استخدام الأجهزة الكفية الالكترونية بي دي ايه المزودة بالخرائط الالكترونية والصور الجوية لجمع البيانات ونقلها إلكترونيا إلى قواعد البيانات المركزية بدلا من الأسلوب التقليدي الورقي.

وشركة ريل سوفت نفذت تعداد سلطنة عمان 2003 باستخدام الاجهزة الكفية في ولاية مسقط علما بأن سلطنة عُمان شرعت بالتحضير لتعداد 2010 على مستوى السلطنة باستخدام تقنيات الأجهزة الكفية.

يشار ان دائرة الإحصاءات العامة أدخلت وبالتعاون مع الشركة خدمة الاجهزة الكفية في إجراء التعداد الزراعي العام 2007.

--(بترا) ف ح/س ج/ س ق.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Edward Said National Music Conservatory

I have attended the Palestine Youth Orchestra performance that took place this week in Amman, and i must say that given the constraints imposed on a Palestine ensemble of this sort, the performance was far from being ordinary. I was captivated by watching some 50 young musicians mostly in their early 20s orchestrating the marvelous Beethoven’s Third Symphony Eroica, “a tribute to a great man”. The group was led by the acclaimed English conductor Sian Edwards. The event was in Commemoration of Mahmood Darweesh.I am glad i did not miss it

Ammar sajdi

Aug 17, 09

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Looks like i found a new baby

Liferay, an open source content management and collaboration portal.
Seems to have been around for a while, but i accidentally came across it while searching for performance figure on Linux machine required by a client of us here in Muscat-Oman.

Monday, July 13, 2009

effect of sound

human mind can accept to listen tp the same piece of music over and over again. We buy CD's DVD's and previously Cassettes because we want to keep listening, However, we generally, do not wish to watch the same movie over and over again. Buying a Movie DVD is certainly an ineffcient and costly decision. If you pay 20JD for A DVD and watch it one or at most twice, then each instance costs you at least 10JD, however, if you pay the same for a music DVD, you most probably listen to so many times, making the cost of each listening instance very cost effective.
But what we take for granted and i am unable to answer is what is it in our mind set that accept hearing repitition more than visual one.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Marwa is murdered in Germany

Marwa Al-Shirbini, an 32 year pregnant Eygptian women was stapped to death at a Dresden Courtroom by a German citizen of russan descendant. She was suing her attacker after he insulted her for wearing the Islamic hijab.

By the way she was stabbed 18 times, and the police came into the room and shot her husband instead of the attackers (because of his Islamic beard and dark complexion )

Where is CNN! Or BBC why isn't this event occupying the breaking News

to stab somebody 18 times, must have taken long time, where was everybody? And how come the police shot her husband. Why do they assume that we are the attackers, I do not recall that we occupied Britain or occupied Germany to give them the feel that we are hostile in nature, or have done anything to instigate avenge.

Imagine that a German national is stabbed to death in an Egyptian Courtroom. I would be certain that in every newspaper, magazine, News or media broadcast would be talking about this event till we get sick and tired of listening.



Tuesday, June 09, 2009

TAMIFLU BLuff

a month ago, i contracted a medical condition that caused 39 Degree fever for a few days.
I was prescribed TamiFlu.

TamiFlu is being prescribed for Swine Flu and currently it is selling like hot cake world wide.

After doing some research i came to believe that Tamif lu and swine flu are just a bluff

The following is extracted from the following link http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/general/news/swine_flu.html

What are the symptoms associated with Novel H1N1 flu? If I have symptoms, what should I do?A. Symptoms of H1N1 flu are the same as for seasonal influenza: high fever, headache, muscle aches, and cough. Most people will be able to care for themselves at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying home for 7 days from the onset of symptoms. Should symptoms last longer, staying home a day beyond the resolution of symptoms is recommended. Those with more severe problems should seek medical attention.


I am sick. What should I do? What about testing?Measures that can be useful for controlling flu symptoms include plenty of fluids and medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol,) ibuprofen (Advil,) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) at label-recommended doses. These are effective at controlling fever, headache, sore throat, and muscle pains. Aspirin should not be used by children or adolescents, as aspirin use with the flu is associated with a rare and serious condition known as Reye’s Syndrome.Some reasons to seek emergency medical care include chest pain, inability to keep liquids down, seizure, or confusion.University of Illinois students may always call our Dial-a-Nurse, 333-2700 any time of the day or night. Most people who are sick with an influenza-like illness will not require any testing nor will most require any special antiviral medications. Novel H1N1 testing is not available in doctor’s offices. These tests are done by state health departments. In Illinois, only patients who are sick with the flu and who require hospitalization are tested for Novel H1N1. Antiviral medications should be reserved for the very ill or those who could become very ill if they contracted the flu.


Conclusion: the above is an announcement by a university officials to their students, and it clearly states that for the most part, ppl will care for themselves at home without prescribed medication.

Swine flu is no more sever than normal flue
According to Dr. Thomas Frieden, the new CDC director as of June 8, 2009: "There’s no question that a new strain of influenza spreading rapidly throughout the world is a major problem and requires a major response. So far, it doesn’t seem to be any more severe than seasonal flu, but seasonal flu kills 36,000 Americans a year." [84]


How many people have died of Swine flu so far

According to the BBC (UK) - "worldwide there have been 19,315 confirmed swine flu cases in 66 countries, with 117 deaths - all in Mexico and the US."

according to Center of Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm
Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65. and 1-% of those hospitalized are children below 5.



TamiFlu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseltamivir
U.S. Government policy and oseltamivirIn November 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush requested that Congress fund US$7.1 billion in emergency spending for flu pandemic preparedness (the Senate had already passed an US$8.1 billion bill).[58] Bush's plan included US$1.4 billion for government purchases of antiviral drugs.[59]

who owns TamiFlu

It was developed by US-based Gilead Sciences and is currently marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche (Roche) under the trade name Tamiflu

Gilead Sciences:-
formed in 1987, but who becomes board member in 1988? and later in 1997 became the chairman?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilead_Sciences
In January 1997, Donald Rumsfeld, a Board member since 1988, was appointed Chairman of the company.[2] He stood down from the Board in January 2001 when appointed Secretary of Defense at the start of George W. Bush's first term as President. Federal disclosure forms indicate that Rumsfeld owns between USD$5 million and USD$25 million in Gilead stock. The rise in Gilead's share prices from USD$35 to USD$57 per share will have added between USD$2.5 million to USD$15.5 million to Rumsfeld's net worth.[3]In November 2005, George W. Bush urged Congress to pass $7.1 billion in emergency funding to prepare for the possible bird flu pandemic, of which one billion is solely dedicated to the purchase, and distribution of Tamiflu.

currently George P. Shultz (emeritus) is on board.

Some big names surely benefit from selling Tamiflu and the outbreak of swine flue. Responsible reports do not mention Tamiflu as an effective medication aginst swine flu


http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/tamiflu+expiry+date+can+be+extended/3134062

Tamiflu expiry date can be extended is the title of the article with the above link.
It seems that lots of Tamiflu stocks are about to expire! How to get them disposed of?

a Few reports on CNN and get people freak out about the disease. Wait, but the stocks are about to expiry, no worries, the stocks can still be effective for more two years and all of a sudden, TamiFlu is sold out.

see you after a new flu strain is discovered!

ammar sajdi

Friday, June 05, 2009

A Day forgotten

Today June 5th marks the 42nd anniversery of the 6 day war (1967) in which the west bank of Jordan fell under the occupation by the Israeli Army including East Jerusalem.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

twitter

Lots of hype about twitter.
It has forced me to create "follow me on twitter".  But do not expect much from me.
Honestly speaking, i am unable to convince myself of its use for my business. 
my immediate reactions of many twitter sites is WHO CARES, i could imagine myself being responsive to twitter during my teens

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

compelling statement about software practices

When i read the following quote by Fred Brooks, I felt it is so true that i posted it immediately

"The gap between the best software engineering practice
and the average practice is very wide—perhaps wider than in
any other engineering discipline. A tool that disseminates
good practice would be important."

Fred Brooks

Sunday, May 03, 2009

قرات لك

انتزع مني بطاقتي الشخصية
ليتأكد أني عربية
وبدأ يفتش حقيبتي وكأني أحمل
قنبلة ذرية
وقف يتأملني بصمت سمراء وملامحي ثورية
فتعجبت لمطلبه وسؤاله عن الهوية
كيف لم يعرف من عيوني أني عربيه
أم أنه فضل أن أكون أعجمية
لأدخل بلاده دون إبراز الهوية
وطال انتظاري وكأني لست في بلاد عربية
أخبرته أن عروبتي لا تحتاج لبطاقة شخصية
فلم انتظر على هذه الحدود الوهمية
وتذكرت مديح جدي لأيام الجاهلية
عندما كان العربي يجوب المدن العربية
لا يحمل معه سوى زاده ولغته العربية
وبدأ يسألني عن أسمي جنسيتي
وسر زيارتي الفجائية
فأجبته أن اسمي وحدة
جنسيتي عربية سر زيارتي تاريخية

سألني عن مهنتي وإن كان لي سوابق جنائية
فأجبته أني إنسانة عادية
لكني كنت شاهدا على اغتيال القومية
سأل عن يوم ميلادي وفي أي سنة هجرية
فأجبته أني ولدت يوم ولدت البشرية
سألني إن كنت أحمل أي أمراض وبائية
فأجبته أني أصبت بذبحة صدرية
عندما سألني ابني عن معنى الوحدة العربية

فسألني أي ديانة أتبع الإسلام أم المسيحية
فأجبته بأني أعبد ربي بكل الأديان السماوية

فأعاد لي أوراقي حقيبتي وبطاقتي الشخصية
وقال عودي من حيث أتيت
فبلادي لا تستقبل الحرية

الشاعرة الليبية ردينة الفيلالي

Saturday, May 02, 2009

My Mom sent me this

It seems that my mon hangs out with a group who are deeply in love with emailing. I get emails from her consistently, the following is one that some of her friends sent her and i found it spectacular

ENLIGHTENED
I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made myday!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't havet he strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you tobe, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I 've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned..... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned...... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost, someone will take the ones you miss.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender,because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Zaha Foundation

my Aunt Zaha Jardaneh Mango decided to establish a new non-profit organization called Zaha Foundation. Its main purpose is to serve childhood in Jordan. This effort had commenced many years ago when she started the now successfuly Zaha Cultural Center.


pursue vs peruse

look carefuly, it is not the difference is not only the second letter

P U R S U E
P E R U S E

To me Pursue is more common and i feel it is widely used, However, the other word PERUSE, that you can mistakenly read as pursue, mean to READ CAREFULY

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Cloud Appreciation



clouds are the more subtle manifestations of the weather. There is usually an understated beauty, which is why it is so often overlooked. No wonder, then, they want to show off every once in a while with such explosive, heart-stopping fireworks

visit


Manifesto


WE BELIEVE that clouds are unjustly malignedand
hat life would be immeasurably poorer without them.


We think that they are Nature’s poetry,
and the most egalitarian of her displays, since
everyone can have a fantastic view of them.

We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it.
Life would be dull if we had to look up at
cloudless monotony day after day.


We seek to remind people that clouds are expressions
of the atmosphere’s moods, and can be read like those of a person’s countenance.


Clouds are so commonplace that their beauty is often overlooked.
They are for dreamers and their contemplation benefits the soul.
Indeed, all who consider the shapes they see in them will save on
psychoanalysis bills.


And so we say to all who’ll listen:
Look up, marvel at the ephemeral beauty



and live life with your head in the clouds!






Saturday, March 14, 2009

يا اوباما انت الامل


مِن أوباما..لِجَميعِ الأعرابِ شُعوباً أو حُكّاما / أحمد مطر
الرسالة
مِن أوباما..لِجَميعِ الأعرابِ شُعوباً أو حُكّاما
:قَرْعُ طَناجِرِكُمْ في بابي
أرهَقَني وَأطارَ صَوابي
افعَل هذا يا أوباما..اترُك هذا يا أوباما ..أمطِرْنا بَرْداً وسَلاما يا أوباما
وَفِّرْ للِعُريانِ حِزاما !!يا أوباما
خَصِّصْ للِطّاسَةِ حَمّاما
يا أوباما
..فَصِّلْ للِنَملَةِ بيجاما !!
يا أوباما
..قَرقَعَة نعلِكُ أحلاما
وتَقيء صَداها أوهَامَا
وَسُعارُ الضَّجّةِ مِن حَوْلي
لا يَخبو حتّى يتنامى
وَأنا رَجْلُ عِندي شُغْل
ٌأكثَرُ مِن وَقتِ بَطالَتكُم
ْأطوَلُ مِن حُكْمِ جَلالَتِكُم
ْفَدَعوني أُنذركُمْ بَدءاً
كَي أحظى بالعُذْر ختاما
لَستُ بِخادمِ مَن خَلَّفَكُمْ
لأُسِاطَ قُعوداً وَقياما
لَستُ أخاكُمْ حَتّى أُهْجى
إن أنَا لَمْ أصِلِ الأرحاما
لَستُ أباكُمْ حَتّى أُرجى
لأكِونَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَوّاما
وَعُروبَتُكُمْ لَمْ تَختَرني
وَأنا ما اختَرتُ الإسلاما !
فَدَعوا غَيري يَتَبَنّاكُمْ
أو ظَلُّو أبَداً أيتاما!
أنَا أُمثولَةُ شَعْبٍ يأبىأن يَحكُمَهُ أحَدّ غَصبْا
و نِظامٍ يَحتَرِمُ الشَّعب
اوَأنا لَهُما لا غَيرِهِما
سأُقَطِّرُ قَلبي أنغاما
حَتّى لَو نَزَلَتْ أنغامي
فَوقَ مَسامِعِكُمْ..ألغاما!
فامتَثِلوا.. نُظُماً وَشُعوباً
وَاتَّخِذوا مَثَلي إلهاما
أمّا إن شِئتُمْ أن تَبقوا
في هذي الدُّنيا أنعاما
تَتَسوَّلُ أمْنَاً وَطَعاما
فَأُصارِحُكُمْ ... أنّي رَجُلُ
في كُلِّ مَحَطّاتِ حَياتي
لَمْ أُدخِلْ ضِمْنَ حِساباتي
أن أرعى، يوماً، أغناما
لمطالعة المزيد تفضلوا بزيارة
مجلة رؤية
http://www.royaah.net

You cannot have an IP Camera in Jordan

An IP camera is similar to WebCam, but it is not directly attached to your Desktop via USB. It is Assigned an IP address and therefore, can connect to any point in your LAN.

I found a nice IP Camera in Amazon.Com and I ordered it. This IP Camera turned out to hook to a wireless LAN. It arrived to the Airport with Aramex and Aramex told me that since it is wireless you need to get it approved from TRC (Telecom Regulatory Commission). So far so good, i am sure they want to make sure that it works on the standard IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g protocol that uses the 2,4 GHz Bank.

Well, it took a couple of days to get the approval. Aramex told me that you have to wait more since the Camera has to get the approval of Military Security (Al-Amen Al-3askari). That was sometime in January, and after that , there was no news about the Camera. After getting some people make a few calls to make the process faster. I received a call from the Airport last Wed asking me to come on Thursday. I went Thursday early in the morning (I arrived at about 8:15) only to find that the office they asked me to visit was closed. People told me that they can come any moment. It was at about 11 O’clock that somebody came and opened the door.

He invited me in and I told him about the Camera. He opened a folder and looked at some correspondence and told me that this Camera is not allowed to get into JORDAN.

I was really shocked! I could understand that they wanted to know what kind of a camera it is. But to end up banning its entry for security reasons is totally absurd. I am sorry, but how can a wireless camera that hooks to a standard wireless network that cannot send a signal for more that a few meters cause a risk to the national security.

Today wireless networks are everywhere; in fact our office is standardized on wireless! His Majesty the king and through several trips tried so hard to promote the IT industry outside Jordan, but trying to market local companies and try to bring in foreign companies to open offices in Jordan. Imagine what impression such companies would have when they realize that they cannot get their wireless camera in! And then how can we become an IT exporter country according to the Kings wish when we cannot get in some of the basic wireless components ?

I cannot understand why mobiles with cameras are allowed in Jordan!

In the end, the guy was so kind to me and told me that he is going to offer me an option to re-export it! Reporting it according to Aramex will cost me 120 JD just for the paper work and 42 JD as fees (which is more than the cost of the Camera itself)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Term of Art

Intrestingly, according to everything2.com the phrase Term of Art nicely truns out to be



A word or phrase used by practitioners in a field of endeavour which has a precise and typically quite technical meaning within the context of the field of endeavour. Terms of art allow practitioners in a field to communicate with each other concisely and unambiguously.
Inventing suitable yet totally
new words to be used as terms of art is often quite difficult. Consequently, the words which become terms of art often also have non-field-specific meanings. This can create and/or reinforce communication barriers between a field's practitioners and non-practitioners. Unfortunately, inventing totally new words or borrowing words from other languages can also contribute to said communication barriers (see "de bene esse" below).
The
extent to which a practitioner uses their field's terms of art correctly and routinely is a strong indicator of the depth and breadth of the practitioner's experience in the field. That said, the mark of a true adept in a field of endeavour is their ability to clearly communicate advanced field-specific concepts to non-practitioners.
It should be noted that "term of art" is essentially a
synonym of jargon when the two are used in colloquial contexts. On the other hand, "term of art" is a term of art in the legal profession whereas "jargon" isn't!



Examples include:
back door:
In computer security, a hidden way into a system.
In architecture, a door on the back or rear side of a building.
In poker, (roughly speaking) a hand which improves dramatically after the exchange of multiple cards.
de bene esse: in law, formally sufficient for the time being. Somehow, I doubt that this term has much meaning outside of the context of the law.
party:
In law, the claimant or respondent in a lawsuit (there are other "term of art" definitions of "party" within the legal field of endeavour).
In university life, what often happens on Friday and/or Saturday night.
thread:
In sewing, a thin filament or fiber.
In computing, an independent entity executing with the context of a process.
In e-mail or usenet, a chain of messages or posting on, at least in theory, a single topic.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Cebit Computer Fair, what has changed

The last time REALSOFT exhibited in Cebit fair in Hannover, Germany was back in 2005!
The fair started last Tuesday, March 3rd, 09 and will end next Sunday (The day after tomorrow). There is an apparent down sizing in the no of companies participating. Probably affected by the not so favorable mood for extra spending. The number of attendees seems to have diminished since my last visit.
IBM Stand is big and impressive, and managed to attarct attention, especailly in the Clound Computing display area. Microsoft and SAP also have impressive presense, while Oracle presense is not that big.
The weather this year in fine so far, it is definitely warmer than the last time.
The Jordan Pavillion is very nice this time, it is funded by JEDCO and SIPPO. The available services of the Jordanian companies are better than any time before.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Starbucks loses again

more and more, we hear new floating around that Starbucks is somehow affiliated with the Zionist state. Even though the official response of Starbucks deny support to Israel (read below), but it seems whether they like it or not, they are going to stop financial support to anyone but Starbucks itself

1) Starbucks is closing an additional 300 stores, says the Seattle Times, and will eliminate 700 non-store and 6,000 store jobs. The store closings will save the company $500 million per year. Meanwhile, the company is trying to sell a fancy corporate jet it bought last month for $45 million

2) Consumer Reports, conducted a recent coffee study and ranked "Eight O'clock Coffee" as the best tasting coffee and noted that Starbucks, which costs considerably more did not even merit an honorable mention
It seems that the prosperous days of Starbucks are gone! What caught my attention two days back when i was in Oman is that although the campaign against Starbucks reached its peak during the Gaza invasion, Starbucks hang out locations in Muscat city center were packed. There is not execute "Eight Oclock coffee is not only better, but also cheaper"

January 5, 2009
Rumor Response: Starbucks Statement re: Support of Israel

Rumors that Starbucks Coffee Company and its management support Israel are unequivocally false.
Starbucks is a publicly traded company with stores in 49 countries. Though our thousands of partners (employees) and business associates around the globe have diverse views and share many beliefs about a wide range of topics, our primary focus remains to deliver the best customer experience possible. Starbucks is a non-political organization and does not support political causes. Further, the political preferences of a Starbucks partner at any level have absolutely no bearing on Starbucks company policies.

Contact Information:
Starbucks Customer Relations(800) 235-2883info@starbucks.com

read the original
http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=971

the above press release from Starbucks proves that the pressure is working


Ammar Sajdi

Friday, January 23, 2009

Blogging from AFRICA

No, neither in Namibia nor Angola, but rather in Libya.Arrived in Benghazi last Saturday on Libyan Arab Airlines. That is my third or fourth trip to Benghazi.Nothing is changed.

Our visit is to an oil company and we resided on campus in their guest house. And Yes there is a TV, but I guess its screen size is no larger than the screen size of my desktop. It is an old Sony, andif you are lucky you would locate the Remote Control in the room. But don't get me wrong, it is a color TV. The whole setup reminded me of my college days, the dining schedule, the menuthe rooms etc..

Benghazi is a coastal city with pleasant weather; there is a lake inside the city ,almost the same size of Lake Geneva.

As far is Tripoli is concerned(which is a thousand Km west of Benghazi), the winds of change continue blowing; to the better of course

sufice it to say, Libya has a coastal line of 2000 KM of virgin beaches. I heard that construction is already underway for good attraction at the shoreline especially in the gulf of Sirt. Shortly, i hope, we shall be spending some serious vacation time at Libya coastal line.


Ammar Sajdi

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

2 new members into the league of Arab States

and 22 other countries out!

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's prime minister on Sunday denounced Israel's air assault on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip as a "crime against humanity" and called for them to end.

venezuela  Hugo Chavez asks Israel Ambassador to leave the country.


Tuesday, January 06, 2009

لقد أسمعت لو ناديت حياً ولكن لا حياة لمن تنادي


"CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela ordered the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador on Tuesday to protest Israel's military offensive in theGaza strip"


That is Venezuela more than 10000 Km away, shame on us





Sunday, January 04, 2009

مكالمة مع الامل

الشاعر : أحمد مطر
أمس اتصلت بالأمل
قلت له: هل ممكن؟ أن يخرج العطر لنا من الفسيخ والبصل؟
قال: أجل.
قلت: وهل يمكن أن تشعَل النار بالبلل؟
قال: أجل.
قلت: وهل من حنظل يمكن تقطير العسل؟
قال: أجل.
قلت: وهل يمكن وضع الأرض في جيب زحل؟
قال: نعم، بلى، أجل..
فكل شيء محتمل.
قلت: إذن عربنا سيشعرون بالخجل؟
قال: تعال ابصق على وجهي... إذا هذا حصل

Getting Ref of the View Object referenced by the current Iterator binding for One iterator page without knowing the name of the iterator

Getting Ref of the View Object referenced by the current Iterator binding for One iterator page without knowing the name of the iterator ...