For the last few days, I was following on the elections in Lebanon. It was a thriliing experience. Seeing my fellow Lebanese going to vote... Here are some thoughts that came to my mind:
1- It is energising to find out that a new leader, Saad Al Hariri, emerged so quickly to lead a huge portion of Lebanese so swiftly... Brilliantly, he mobelized, the otherwise "politically lazy*" sunnis all over Leabanon to go and vote... At the same time, attracted the otherwise "politically cautious-to-cooperate with moslems" christinas ... If you re-listen to his speeches, announcements and motivation instigations... you discover that he never used "sunni" vocabulary to agitate suni "3asabiah"... or religeous instigations... To the contrary, he even made them vote for their "all time enemies" like Lebanese Forces and Kataeb... to me, this is a dawn of a good leadership... Is it him or the advisors around him... no one knows...
2- Saad, or Sheikh Saad, has one sin: he is young, which means Lebanese politics might change him to become an "old lebanese mota3aseb"... I pray not! He has one virtue: he is young, which means if he keeps this atitude and thought line, he can take Lebanon to new levels... . Up till now, he showed more maturity than the other young Lebanese leaders who inhereted leadership from their parents (like Sleiman Franjieh, Talal Irsalan, Farid Al Khazen, Walid Junblat in his early days, Pieer Eljumail, etc...) He used the right diplomatic vocubulary, he avoided alienating the enemy, he was talking about choices and not fears, he acted swiftly when it is needed to defend his position, he retracted when retract was wisdom. Till now, it shows that he chooses his battles wisely (for example, he did not retaliate when Hezbullah did not vote for his list in Beirut!)... Is it him or his advisors... I do not know...
3- General Aoun is another story... He excels in driving my feeling from one side to the other... Once, he made me hate him (when he bombarded my neighbourhood and mercilessly killed many inncent people because he thought he is right and everybody else are wrong), at another time, he made me proud being a Lebanese (when he mobilized the Lebanese youth against the Syrians for the last 15 years!) at others, he made me feel he is disgusting when he uses wrong machiavellan tactics to reach his aims... At first, I felt he had a real nationalestic program... which I fully support... at other time, I am convinced he aims at power and he is ready to change his program just to get to the "chair." Now, I feel he is the 70 years old little bully who fights you in the school yard simply because he wants to bully around... when he has strong buddies, he aims at the strong student... if he is on his own, he goes to the week one... and only for one reason... to release his self anger which he does not know how to release except by hurting others... Or is it Alzheimers... I do not know....
4- General Aoun has a basic problem: he thinks he knows all and there is only one truth, which is his truth... and that others are not allowed to have fears, opinions, insecurities and beliefs... this is a dangerous paradigm... this is what most dictators believe... General Aoun, although claims he believes in democracydoes not bow to democracy... when he wins the elections with 30,000 votes... he is a hero and the Lebanese can make the right choices... but when he loses the election, he accuses the 100,000 Lebanese who did not vote for him as ignorants... illiterates... driven by 3asabiah and religeon... and that his lose is victory although he allied with the enemy that his program... this reminds me of Saddam... Saddam always thought he knows the truth for his people... when he lost "the mother of all the battles" he considered himself the winner!... is there a similarity? Is this why Aoun aligned himself with Saddam in the late 80's? Is this concidence or is it a trend? Is Aoun a "demilitarized" Saddam? I do not know...
more later...
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Friday, June 10, 2005
Law in Canada Part 2
I just attended a "Safety Workshop"... it talked about safety at the work place... it was very informative... I learnt quiet a lot... one thing shocked me: As a manager, I am supposed to hold a 5 min meeting every morning with all my team, everyday, for the whole year, just to remind them about safety... Working with computer, I have to remind them that if they fall off the chair or trip over a mouse cord, is hazardous... if I do not do that and someone trips over his chair I will go to jail... yes to jail... If I do it... I am off the hook... This is the Law...
My solution: I am sending an automated email everymorning... I hope no one chokes with my emails... I might go to jail! What is incredible is that it is being done religeously all over Canada... is it because the lawmakers think Canadian forget stuff easily??
My solution: I am sending an automated email everymorning... I hope no one chokes with my emails... I might go to jail! What is incredible is that it is being done religeously all over Canada... is it because the lawmakers think Canadian forget stuff easily??
Law in Canada
An interesting experience I faced recently here... a dealing with a lawyer... We just purchased a house and part of the regulation is to consult a lawyer... we felt good about it because we felt we will have some one to protect our interest... we understood this would coast us $2000 but felt it is worth it... However...
After frustrating delays... we had a chance to meet him... he gave us 15 min... he is so busy.... he had a big pile of papers in front of him... he wanted us to sign them all... the first paper we had to sign said something like "I, the lawyer, do not hold any responsibility for representing you..." Ouch... the next one, he summarized the whole document in less than 10 sec.. he sounded like those who run auctions... I think it is a course lawyers should take... the documents listed set of modofication to our contract... when I asked the lawyer... should I sign it? He said... "I cannot tell you... it is up to you"... I asked for advise, he said "Sorry, I cannot advise you..." I asked him, is it for my advantage, he replied, "I cannot answer this", I told him that you represent me... should I sign it he replied: "You are wasting your time, if I do not finish all the papers in the next 9 minutes, your purchase will be delayed... so either sign or forget about buying the house... He was not ready to represent me... all he did was practically talk like an auctioneer and put an "x" where I am supposed to sign... and I signed... I can do that without a lawyer... I do not know why the regulation requires a lawyer... I practically lost $2000 for nothing... I could have signed the papers myself (an I can ask my son to put the "x"') since this lawyer did not change anything...
One week after that, still he did not finish our paperwork... not only that, he is charging us $50 per day for the delay he is making...
In my opinion, this is organized theft... but this is the new way of the "law"... and there is nothing we can do...
After frustrating delays... we had a chance to meet him... he gave us 15 min... he is so busy.... he had a big pile of papers in front of him... he wanted us to sign them all... the first paper we had to sign said something like "I, the lawyer, do not hold any responsibility for representing you..." Ouch... the next one, he summarized the whole document in less than 10 sec.. he sounded like those who run auctions... I think it is a course lawyers should take... the documents listed set of modofication to our contract... when I asked the lawyer... should I sign it? He said... "I cannot tell you... it is up to you"... I asked for advise, he said "Sorry, I cannot advise you..." I asked him, is it for my advantage, he replied, "I cannot answer this", I told him that you represent me... should I sign it he replied: "You are wasting your time, if I do not finish all the papers in the next 9 minutes, your purchase will be delayed... so either sign or forget about buying the house... He was not ready to represent me... all he did was practically talk like an auctioneer and put an "x" where I am supposed to sign... and I signed... I can do that without a lawyer... I do not know why the regulation requires a lawyer... I practically lost $2000 for nothing... I could have signed the papers myself (an I can ask my son to put the "x"') since this lawyer did not change anything...
One week after that, still he did not finish our paperwork... not only that, he is charging us $50 per day for the delay he is making...
In my opinion, this is organized theft... but this is the new way of the "law"... and there is nothing we can do...
Tuesday, June 7, 2005
When will I do the leap?
This morning, I was thinking about the sturcutre of this weblog... I discovered I still have a lot of leaping to do to move to a newer learning paradigm... or as Etien calls it, new learning community...
I have a strong belief that "Organized Chaos" -- or what I call Google Way, -- is the new trend of living, thinking and working. This means, do not store items incategories, just throw them anywhere in any order, and use technology to sort them out, exactly like Google or Gmail do. The "structured approach" popularized by the Industrial society is becoming obsolete. I believe in that. It is part of my "knowledge"... yet I do not apply it... so it did not elevate to become applied knowledge-- i.e. Wisodm.
As a proof to this, is the structure of this weblog. Instead of having the ideas thrown in with no order and allowing the search engine to organize it, I still use cateogries to organize my thoughts... When will I do the leap? Days will tell!
If you are reading this, please comment on them and tell me I am not crazy!
I have a strong belief that "Organized Chaos" -- or what I call Google Way, -- is the new trend of living, thinking and working. This means, do not store items incategories, just throw them anywhere in any order, and use technology to sort them out, exactly like Google or Gmail do. The "structured approach" popularized by the Industrial society is becoming obsolete. I believe in that. It is part of my "knowledge"... yet I do not apply it... so it did not elevate to become applied knowledge-- i.e. Wisodm.
As a proof to this, is the structure of this weblog. Instead of having the ideas thrown in with no order and allowing the search engine to organize it, I still use cateogries to organize my thoughts... When will I do the leap? Days will tell!
If you are reading this, please comment on them and tell me I am not crazy!
Monday, June 6, 2005
Why Knowledgiate and Wisdom
In this space I will address some of my passion... learning is my passion... my own learning as well as the learning of others...
Classical Education define learning as the ability of retaining information. I consider learning the transformation of learning to knowlwdge... thus knowledgiate (bil libnani!) while Wisdom, in my opinion, is the application of knowledge in everyday situations...
So expect some wisdomw through applied knowledge...
Classical Education define learning as the ability of retaining information. I consider learning the transformation of learning to knowlwdge... thus knowledgiate (bil libnani!) while Wisdom, in my opinion, is the application of knowledge in everyday situations...
So expect some wisdomw through applied knowledge...
Why Canadieh
I am training to become Canadian. Almost two years passed since my family and I decided to become real Canadian. This is a massive mental leap that I am passing through... frankly, I am enjoying this metamorphosis... In this space, I will try to express what I pass through during this change. Canadieh is the Lebanese way of saying Canadians...
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
LINC Lecture
22 March 2004 - Hotel@MIT
Welcome Speech: Robert Brown and Dick Larson.
Building Kg required generations.
- Web-based Learning Management System - LINC will give out free!: customizable - require localizing - sustainable -
- LINC: trying to help development countries get into the learning.
Bob Brown: help gloab higher education
"Change is the main challenge... that will lead the 21st centruy"
Welcome Speech: Robert Brown and Dick Larson.
Building Kg required generations.
- Web-based Learning Management System - LINC will give out free!: customizable - require localizing - sustainable -
- LINC: trying to help development countries get into the learning.
Bob Brown: help gloab higher education
"Change is the main challenge... that will lead the 21st centruy"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)