First Attempt

• I listed topics and gave the students the freedom to choose the topic that interested them and wanted to write about

• I layout the report structure, how it should like and what to include in each

• Abstract: What is this paper about? You can mention the flow of the paper and what the reader expects to read

• Introduction: Talk about your topic

• Body of the report which can include details about your topic, comparison, advantages, disadvantages, usage, future implementations, history, charts, graphs, tables, etc.

• Conclusion: Summary of the whole topic.

• References: books, website and other resources you used to write your report.

Second Attempt

• I chose a single topic, WiMAX

• I broke down the research report into sub assignments so they can build the report as they go along

• For the first assignment, I asked them to write questions that popped in their mind when thinking about the topic. Imagine you’re asking a WiMAX technology expert. For example, What is WiMax? What does it stand for? etc. For assignment 1 a list of questions typed on a single A4 paper.

• In the second assignment, I handed them questions about WiMAX I have prepared and told them now you can compare if you have listed some of the questions you see in the paper or not. In this assignment, they had to answer these simple questions in a line or two and then at the end list all the references they used. All question numbers should tail the end the reference that they used to answer the question.

• Example Question: Q1: What factors affect, if any, the range and signal strength of a WiMAX network?
• Example Reference: www.anywebsite.com–Q1,Q5&Q8

• In the third assignment it was a matter of grouping similar questions and relative information together in a form of a paragraph under a heading. I wanted them to visualise how the report will look like. So there should be a heading, a small description of what they are going to include or write about and list the questions that will form the paragraphs under that heading. Also, the listing of the headings or paragraphs should make sense, for example you can not start with Challenges of WiMAX as the first heading.

• In the fourth assignment, they had to write the report. This will be the first draft.

• The fifth assignment was the final report.

I actually thought this would work. Well it didn’t! This also failed!

“We need to build on common values”

He was discussing that different concepts and ideologies can co-exist, different religions within a region can be peacefully practiced, if the society or as he frequently referenced, human civilization, was built on good values that are common amongst all beliefs.

We are so focused on the things that set us apart and to prove the other wrong which eventually leads to clashes.

Education, Education, Education … Education without hidden agenda, Education without control, Education from qualified scholars who set minds free to think on their own.

Islam today was discussed. What he said is that we are too busy and focused on defending Islam and what Islam is NOT, that we forget what Islam is.

I LOVE examples, it always helps me understand things better. This is how he put the above argument.

It’s like arguing 1+1 does not equal to 3, does not equal to 4 does not equal to 5 … endless possibilites!

He said for us to move forward we need to speak one language, and I immediately thought English, but he said “art”. Which I didn’t get! Some of us don’t get art or appreciate it, myself included, I can’t say I fully understood this point.

Across centuries one civilization rises and is strong but eventually comes weak and dissolves and another takes over. Civilizations need to be built around humans, built to respect, value and cherish human lives, and not upon labels, regions and differences.

I thought the lecture would’ve been better if he had spoken in his mother tongue language and someone translated through headphones. I really felt he wanted to express himself more but couldn’t find the proper words.

What do I want for 2012?

Well 2012 has huge enormous shoes to fill, after 2011 drama queen, but on a personal level … meh … 2012 has only to take one step and that’d be beating 2011!

• Setting monthly goals! Even if they are simple and maybe I can push myself into setting some weekly goals.
• Focusing more on my health, I think I managed this well in 2011 and hope to continue into 2012.
• “Not everybody lives, but everybody dies!”. I really liked this quote. I think this applies to me. I need to have a thicker skin. Not get affected by what goes on around me. Or as my sister says: “The only solution is for you to live in Utopia” and since I don’t, I need to not get affected by actions committed by others that are against my moral standards and beliefs.
• Do one project, even if it is simple.
• Flourish on a religious level. As a kid religion was shoved down my throat, so I shy away by default from religious practices, I do the bare minimum. I don’t want the extreme, but a comfortable level.
• Keep on reading.
• Read more Arabic books.
• Volunteer.
• Don’t shoot me, but I want something more in terms of career, I do not like my job!!! I HATE this in me!!! It’s a dream job for most, but I do not enjoy it! I wish I didn’t have that part in me, where I need to be satisfied, it’s my freaking 3rd job! I wish I had a mentor, someone to guide me, someone who doesn’t give me the answer, just the TOOLS to discover what is perfect for me. Something that makes me HAPPY & CONTENT.
• Forgive! Mostly forgive myself. *though those I need to forgive most probably I won’t*
• Develop myself.
• Be a bit more social  though I think in the past 2 years, I have progressed but I do have set backs every now and then.
• For weekdays, I do not want to do home-work-home scenario even if it’s a stop at the grocery store. I need to break the cycle.
• DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!
• Learn how to spell and pronounce procrastinate :P
• Try and be more tidy.
• Express myself and share.
• Be optimistic! I am a pessimistic person. I keep it to myself mostly. Though I don’t give up easily if something fails … strange! Anyway, I want to be more colourful about life, Yes the sun is shining, the sky is blue, I believe I can fly crap ;p No more DARK thoughts or at least not as much.
• Not wear black as much Take more than 5 minutes to get ready  Be more feminine, defasha ma nabee  swoon once in a while
• Travel.

These are some of the things I thought of. What are your resolutions? Do share. And if you have any ideas or tips to help me with mine, or resolutions I need to include, do not hesitate to comment

Happy New Year

ويسألك يعني أرسم مربع لونه أخضر بس؟

I do learn lessons from people I do NOT like!

Their aim is to provide the best photo collection of the world.

You can load photos of places and countries you visited or living in.

Some of the activities you can do, if you are registered to the site:

• You can like/dislike/favorite a photo
• You can follow photo streams
• You can choose for each place whether you’d like to visit or already have visited it
• Share via G+, facebook and twitter

Kuwait’s stream has only 4 pictures, 3 of them during the dust! Check it out here (Kuwait Stream)

I know there are loads and loads of amazing photographers here in Kuwait so if you are one of them, take the time and start loading your amazing pictures. Check their terms of conditions and privacy to see if you agree with them.

Just to show off Kuwait, to most who still think we live in tents, ride camels and have our own oil wells, what we have and how Kuwait looks like.

Source: AllThingsD

Which do you think is worse, people with no common sense or stupid people?

If you had to shoot one person & you had two choices, a person with no common sense and a stupid person, who would you shoot ?? *ideally you’ll shoot them both!*

Common Sense is defined as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.”

Simple Basic Decisions that one needs to make based on prior life experiences. If a grownup can’t make a sound decision over and over again even if presented with the same situation under the same circumstances, you have no other choice but to fault them!

On the other hand, you can’t fault a stupid person for making the same mistake over and over again! They’re excused. Even if they overload their brains, over work it, overclock it, it is limited, it can’t go beyond certain capabilities such as breathing! It can’t hold current input and retain past results and use both to make the best possible decision! If it were possible, you’d have to change their brains for them to function at a higher level, which is the normal level for most, to understand all their wrongs!

A stupid person may push his/her brain to its maximum extent whereas a no common sense person only uses a fraction of their brain capabilities.

No common sense is worse than stupid!

Please grant me the patience and strength to change the things I can and to accept the things I cannot change please forgive me for terminating and smashing the things I cannot change.

And yeah, the wisdom to know whether to go ahead for the kill or wait and give it another try!

Thank you for everything.

I always opt for https as opposed to http if it is supported by the site or service I’m accessing. I just noticed this in my twitter settings.

For viewing your feed using https, just go to your Settings, under Account and choose “Always use HTTPS“.

So whenever you access your twitter, even if you use http, you’ll be automatically redirected to https.