Land of Ideas

Noam Chomsky | Emerging World Order and the Arab Spring

2012-10-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Android Development.. For the impatient

2012-07-08T02:35:00.001-07:00

Android development is getting a hype and buzz nowadays, and it's getting more broader and seems to be a need-to-learn craft for many of us.

Android phones rather than iPhones are cheaper to have, development does not need specific platform or hardware, so it's pretty easy and one can quickly earn money from some attractive Android Apps.

Here is a quick glimpse about Android on developerWorks .. get your cup of coffee (Java coffee) and Enjoy :)

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-android-devel/index.html

Google Open Source Blog: Pseudolocalization to Catch i18n Errors Early

2012-01-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

Google Open Source Blog: Pseudolocalization to Catch i18n Errors Early:

Internationalization (often abbreviated i18n) is the process of making an application localizable for users in different locales, while localization (often abbreviated L10n) is the process of actually localizing an application for a particular locale. In today’s globally connected world, it is rare that an application does not need to support users in many different locales.

Pseudolocalization is the automated generation of fake translations of a program's localizable messages. Using the program in a pseudolocale generated in this manner facilitates finding bugs and weaknesses in the program's internationalization. Google has been using this technique internally for some time, and has now released an open-source Java library to provide this functionality at http://code.google.com/p/pseudolocalization-tool/.

http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2011/06/pseudolocalization-to-catch-i18n-errors.html?spref=bl

Spark people on my Birdthday

2012-01-26T00:35:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday, and I received this card from spark people..

I Believe

2011-12-30T01:26:00.000-08:00

I Believe

featuring Maher Zain

IRFAN MAKKI

When you’re searching for the light
And you see no hope in sight
Be sure and have no doubt
He’s always close to you

He’s the one who knows you best
He knows what’s in your heart
You’ll find your peace at last
If you just have faith in Him

You’re always in our hearts and minds
Your name is mentioned every day
I’ll follow you no matter what
My biggest wish is to see you one day

Chorus:
I believe
I believe
Do you believe, oh do you believe?

MAHER ZAIN
Coz I believe
In a man who used to be
So full of love and harmony
He fought for peace and liberty
And never would he hurt anything
He was a mercy for mankind
A teacher till the end of time
No creature could be compared to him
So full of light and blessings

You’re always in our hearts and minds
Your name is mentioned every day
I’ll follow you no matter what
If God wills we’ll meet one day

Chorus

If you lose your way
Believe in a better day
Trials will come
But surely they will fade away
If you just believe
What is plain to see
Just open your heart
And let His love flow through

I believe I believe, I believe I believe
And now I feel my heart is at peace

Chorus

I believe I believe, I believe I believe

A Cup of Coffee

2011-12-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Life Is Like a Cup of Coffee
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
–author unknown
http://www.spiritualshortstories.com

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution !

2011-11-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

Bridges' Workshops (Level 1 & 2 ) in Cairo .. October Sessions

2011-10-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

For more information, please visit:

http://www.bridges-foundation.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=46&Itemid=68&year=2011&month=10&day=13&title=bridges-workshops-level-1-a-2--in-cairo&uid=cb1bcd00d99be34fdad0cfe74a9ab70d

Confront the Brutal Facts

2011-09-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end -which you never afford to lose- with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be"
Stockdale

A wish.. Journey to Makkah

2011-09-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

So sweet nasheed "Ya Taybah - By Sheikh Mashary Alafasy"..

May Allah bless us with Omra and Hajj in Makkah and a visit to Madinah.. the City of Rassul Allah (Prophet Muhammad - peace be upon him)

السلام عليك يا أحمد ياسين

2011-09-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

هذا جزء من قصيدة كتبها الدكتور عائض القرني .. رثاءا للشيخ أحمد ياسين بعدما .. اغتاله اليهود قرأت القصيدة في لحظة كنت أشعر فيها بالعجز تجاه ما يحدث لأخواننا فجائني مزيجا من الأحاسيس و الذكريات .. شعرت بالعزة و القوة و الغضب معاً .. تذكرت نظرة الثقة في عينيه و تذكرت صورته بعدما اغتيل.. وصور كثيرة لاخواننا يموتون و يأسرون و يجوعون .. تذكرت خيانة أقوام و لا أستثني نفسي .. تركوا أبناء جلدتهم يموتون و ما تحرك ساكنا و الكل في اللهو و الملذات متنعم، فياريت يوم نصر يأتي عن قريب .. يقر أعين قد مزقها ألم الفراق و العجز و يشف صدورا تأججت بنار أوقدها العدو المغتصب

ُو ما أحمد الياسين في الناس مقعد لقد كان سيف الله في حدِّه النصر

و لكننا نحن القواعد بعده وقد ملَّ منا الدهر اذ هَدًّنا الذعرُ

عليه ثياب العز بيضاَ حياته فما مات إلا و هي من سندسٍ خضرُ

و أيقظ بالحق الضمائر بعده كذا في المعالي يفعل الفارس الحرُ

قريبا ترانا قادمين كتائب يوجهنا وحيٌ و يعضدنا صبرُ

سنسجد في الأقصى - بوعد إلهنا - ترقب آذان الحق قد طلع الفجرُ

Being Attached ...

2011-08-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Through my life, I've been always attached to things around me.. and I used to get my personal stability and some times my self esteem from things around me..

I remember those days, when I cried for leaving my school, cried when left my home and went to new one, when my friend traveled abroad, when my Grandma passed away, and even when my favorite mug was broken. Also I remember when I felt miserable for not having the Eid day prayer with my friends as I used to do for the past 10 years, .. it seems that it's not easy for me to let it go.

The worst thing about this, when I feared to leave my comfort zone and move to new one, let me miss a lot of other new opportunities and experiences that would have happened if I just let it go..adapting easy with change, and being courageous enough to turn on a page of my life, and start allover again with a new blank one.

My Mum once told me.. "Love whatever you want, and you will leave it or it will leaves you one day. And do whatever you want, but be sure you will have your deeds written and be faced with it in the day of judgment".. I didn't listen to her by that time, although it was true, but day after day, I started to see people around me disappearing, many things changed, those who traveled, married, my relative died very young while being pregnant, my very successful friend who ran a business died in a car crash, and more of this was happening very fast around me.. It was certainly a message from Allah.. just to wake up.

The point that I didn't realize that this life is a temporarily thing..a bridge.. this is not the end.. so being so attached to things, to people, to a lifestyle, to my family, to my work, didn't make my life any better.. it just made it worse and worse..

So, the truth is that, the only one worthy to be attached to is, Allah (Subhanh we Ta'alah), He is always there, this is the "true" attachment.Those many things around us, are just images that come and go, as a test from Allah, to see how are we going to act. So, if one forgot the main goal, which is to pass the test, and got busy with those images and illusions, life will end up to be so empty, with no purpose, and eventually we will fail in the exam Allah set for each one of us, the exam of life.

In surat Al Kahf (Chapter 18 - verse 45), Allah Subhanuh wa Ta'alah says:

(وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقْتَدِرًا)

(And set forth to them parable of the life of this world: like water which We send down from the cloud so the herbage of the earth becomes tangled on account of it, then it becomes dry broken into pieces which the winds scatter; and Allah is the holder of power over all things.)

When thinking that way, relationships to the physical things around us will begin to change. We need to be fully aware that they really didn't belong to us. They are a gift from Allah. And that how short a time we really have on this planet, and how lucky we are to have the bountiful blessings we are surrounded with, so that we enjoy it, but being aware that the Real life, is in Jannah "Heavens" (May Allah bless us with it)..

كنوز العمل التطوعي في مصر

2011-08-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

هذا النموذج الايجابي جعلني أزداد فخراً و عزة أنني أنتمي لهذه البلد

للتواصل مع جمعية رسالة

الخط الساخن : 19450

http://resala.org/
http://www.facebook.com/Resala.org

When the Word "Terrorist" is not Used

2011-07-26T02:40:00.000-07:00

When I heard about the heartbreaking event that happened last Friday in Norway, I was feeling very sorry for all the people killed and their families..

However, the media the reaction was shocking, it reveals their double standards and the biased way this story and similar ones are being narrated..

This blog post was written by: Jeb Koogler and some the comments on it:

I am struck — if not particularly surprised — by the skewed use of language surrounding the attacks yesterday in Norway. The Western press is largely avoiding the term “terrorist” when speaking of the blond, blue-eyed, Christian attacker, Anders Behring Breivik, who is now in custody after being picked up by the police. The term “terrorist attack” is also absent from the headlines of our country’s major media outlets. (See the lead articles on The Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal.)* Does anyone have a shred of doubt that these attacks — politically-motivated acts of violence against unarmed civilians — would be trumpeted as an “act of terrorism,” and its perpetrator as a “terrorist,” if Breivik was a Muslim?

As Glenn Greenwald writes, the reason for this glaring inconsistency is apparent: in the American press and in mainstream political discourse, “terrorism” simply means “violence committed by Muslims whom the West dislikes, no matter the cause or the target.” That someone who “looks like us” and who “believes in our god” (sarcasm) could commit an act of terrorism is, of course, to misuse the term. Christians do not engage in terrorism. It is a term reserved exclusively for Muslims, or at least that is the conclusion that one is forced to draw if one pays even a whit of attention to what our political and media elites are saying these days. Christians who engage in these types of acts are generally labeled “extremists,” not terrorists. And, indeed, that is the term that is now being deployed.
The way that our media and our political elites selectively use the label of “terrorist” — to galvanize fear of Muslim radicalism and build reliable support for our endless war on terrorism — is deplorable. The term has become so politicized and manipulated these days that it is now virtually meaningless in its present usage. Is it fair, for instance, to label (as is often done) Muslim militants launching attacks on an occupying military force as “terrorists?” Conversely, does it make sense to eschew the term “terrorist” when a blue-eyed, white-skinned, non-Muslim attacker with clear political grievances uses wanton violence to gun down nearly a hundred civilians, many of them children? I’m not sure that question really needs to be answered.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTE: In its lead article, the NYT does refer to the incident as an act of “homegrown terrorism.” However, as of 7/23 (UPDATE, 7/24: the headline has since been edited slightly) its headline reads, “Right-Wing Extremist Charged in Norway,” and the three-page article fails to refer to Breivik as a “terrorist” at any point.

أسعد لحظة عشتها

2011-07-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

د / مصطفــــى محمــــود

سألت نفسي عن أسعد لحظة عشتها ..؟؟

ومر بخاطري شريط طويل من المشاهد ... لحظة رأيت أول قصة تنشر لي .. ولحظة تخرجت من كلية الطب ... ولحظة حصلت على جائزة الدولة في الأدب .. ونشوة الحب الأول والسفر الأول..والخروج إلى العالم الكبير متجولاً بين ربوع غابات

إفريقيا العذراء .. وطائراً غلى ألمانيا وسويسرا والنمسا وإيطاليا وإنجلترا وفرنسا وأمريكا .. ولحظت قبضة أول ألف جنيه .. ولحظة وضعت أول لبنة في المركز الإسلامي بالدقي..استعرضت كل تلك اللحظات وقلت في سري لا ... ليست هذه اللحظة

بل هي لحظة اخرى ذات مساء ... لحظة اختلط فيها الفرح بالدمع بالشكر بالبهجة بالحبور حينما سجدت لله فشعرت أن كل شيء في بدني يسجد ... قلبي يسجد ... عظامي تسجد ... أحشائي تسجد ...عقلي يسجد ...ضميري يسجد ... روحي تسجد...

حينما سكت داخلي القلق وكف الاحتجاج ورأيت الحكمة في العدل فارتضيته، ورأيت كل فعل الله خير، وكل تصريفه عدل، وكل قضائه رحمة، وكل بلائه حب ... لحظتها أحسست وأنا أسجد أني أعود إلى وطني الحقيقي الذي جئت منه وأدركت هويتي وانتسابي وعرفت من أنا ... وأنه لا أنا ... بل هو .... ولا غيره...

انتهى الكبر وتبخر العناد وسكن التمرد وانجابت غشاوات الظلمة وكأنما كنت أختنق تحت الماء ثم أخرجت رأسي فجأة من اللجة لأرى النور وأشاهد الدنيا وآخذ شهيقا عميقا وأتنفس بحرية وانطلاق ... وأي حرية .. وأي إنطلاق يا إلهي ... لكأنما كنت مبعدا منفيا مطرودا أو سجينا مكبلا معتقلا في الأصفاد ثم فك سجني ... وكأنما كنت أدور كالدابة على عينيها حجاب ثم رفع الحجاب ...

نعم ... لحظتها فقط تحررت.

نعم ... تلك كانت الحرية الحقة ... حينما بلغت غاية العبودية لله. وفككت عن يدي القيود التي تقيدني بالدنيا وآلهتها المزيفة ... المال والمجد والشهرة والجاه والسلطة واللذة والغلبة والقوة .

وشعرت أني لم اعد محتاجا لأحد ولا لشيء لأني أصبحت في كنف ملك الملوك الذي يملك كل شيء ...

كانت لحظة ولكن بطول الأبد ... نعم تأبدت في الشعور وفي الوجدان وألقت بظلها على ما بقي من عمر ولكنها لم تتكرر ... فما أكثر ما سجدت بعد ذلك دون أن أبلغ هذا التجرد والخلوص وما أكثر ما حاولت دون جدوى ... فما تأتي تلك اللحظات بجهد العبد ورغبته بل بفضل الرب ...

ولقد عرفت في تلك اللحظة أن تلك هي السعادة الحقة وتلك هي جنة الأرض التي لا يساويها أي كسب مادي أو معنوي

يقول الله سبحانه لنبيه عليه الصلاة والسلام (واسجد واقترب) 19 – العلق.

................................

دكتور مصطفى محمود

من كتاب السؤال الحائر

Setting Priorities Straight for Ramadan

2011-06-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

اللهم بلغنا رمضان و اجعلنا فيه من الفائزين

آمين يارب العالمين

May Allah make us from those who witness Ramadan, and bless us with all good deeds.

Amen

Ramadan is approaching, it's nearly a month, may Allah bless us by witnessing the month. ProductiveMuslim prepared a series for practical tips for preparing for Ramadan.
You may also have a look on Ramadan Taskinator

Islam in Brief

2011-06-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

My Fellow American .. Breaking the Barriers .. Refuting Misconceptions

2011-06-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

We all know what is the perception nowadays when mentioning some words such as : [Islam - Sharia'a - Hijab - Jihad - ..etc.] , some people build a perception about these words basically from what they hear about from Media, headlines, biased writers and random inaccurate words said here and there, but sadly very few people get to dig deeper and know more about Muslims and Islam from the Correct References.

This mistrust, discrimination, victimizing ourselves and wrongly stereotyping any group resulted in divided torn apart nations, where people failed to live peacefully with each other, each one is considering others as threat imposters and not giving ourselves a chance to listen, just listen, in a trial to spot commonalities and be one integrated nation and deliberately overcoming our diversity.

Yes we do have different numerators,however, we can find a common denominator that group us all.

UPF (Unity Productions Foundation ) started an initiative as a pursuit to truly listen to each other and try to know one another

This initiative is called: My Fellow American Project,

Most Americans have never met an American Muslim. Many only know Muslims through the way they are portrayed in the media. American Muslims are so often vilified as “the other” that it is possible not to recognize that most were born in the U.S. Or that those who immigrated here came seeking the same freedoms and opportunities that have always attracted people to America.
Muslims are our fellow Americans, who today face threats to their civil rights and even their personal safety because of the fearful and often hateful rhetoric that would not be tolerated were it uttered about any other minority group.

Bug Fixing..

2011-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

World Peace Game

2011-06-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/1127

What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

2011-05-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

This article written by Laura Vanderkam touched me a lot, everyday I wake up early to find myself spending about 90 to 120 mins. doing a lot of random stuff, checking FB, replying to emails, reading headlines, talking with my brother, just starring to the ceiling :) and more..etc. , so I go late to work, and accordingly come back home late, so I enter this doom loop of not sleeping well, not going work on time, and missing the fun part of my day where I relax and enjoy quality time with myself and family.

I will leave you with the article, hope you like it..

Mornings are a mad-cap time in many households. Everyone’s so focused on getting out the door that you can easily lose track of just how much time is passing. I’ve had hundreds of people keep time logs for me over the past few years (you can see some of mine here and here), and I’m always amazed to see gaps of 90 minutes or more between when people wake up and when they start the commute or school car pool.

That would be fine if the time was used intentionally, but often it isn’t.

The most productive people, however, realize that 90 minutes, 120 minutes or more is a long time to lose track of on a busy weekday. If you feel like you don’t have time for personal priorities later in the day, why not try using your mornings? Streamline breakfast, personal care and kid routines.

Then you can use 30-60 minutes to try one of four things:

1. Play, read, or talk with your kids.
Mornings can be great quality time, especially if you have little kids who go to bed soon after you get home at night, but wake up at the crack of dawn. Set an alarm on your watch, put away the iPhone, and spend a relaxed half an hour reading stories or doing art projects. If you have older children, aim for a leisurely family breakfast. Everyone talks through their plans for the day and what’s going on in their lives. If family dinners aren’t a regular thing in your house, this is a great substitute.

2. Exercise.
You shower in the morning anyway, so why not get sweaty first? Trade off mornings with your partner on who goes out and runs and who stays home with the kids. Or, if your kids are older (or you don’t have any) work out together and make it a very healthy morning date.

3. Indulge your creative side.
Lots of people would like to resurrect a creative hobby like painting, photography, scrapbooking, writing, even practicing an instrument. What if you went to bed a little earlier three times a week? Skip that last TV show or those last emails and get up a little earlier the next morning to put in some time at your easel before the day gets away from you.

4. Think.
Strategic thinking time is incredibly important for seizing control of our lives. Spend 30 minutes in the morning pondering what you want to do with your time. You could also use this time to pray or read religious literature, to meditate or write in a journal. All of these will help you start the day in a much better place than if everyone’s running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Article: http://www.bnet.com/blog/time-management/what-the-most-successful-people-do-before-breakfast/439

Osama Bin Laden is Dead - Prove It

2011-05-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Since I heard about Bin Laden, and I was not believing, same was many people.. I thought about sending a message to the White House, asking for any REAL EVIDENCE that the story they are saying is true..

This Hollywood flavored Drama, disguised images, contradictory and inaccurate stories said were not satisfying, and pushes pople to think that this is only a propaganda and marketing campaign (yet not a common one) for Presidency Elections in 2012..

We didn't see him alive, shall we believe it when he is dead? He's kind of a ghost, that United States created and they want us to believe that their super unbelievable agencies of intelligence succeeded to capture this ghost, kill him, then through him in the sea ... Why in the world we need to believe this ?!!

However, this is the reply I received from the White House,

Dear Friend:

Thank you for writing. President Obama has heard from many Americans about our national security and the successful operation to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, and we want to make sure you are aware of some relevant information about this issue.

President Obama understands that his most important duty as Commander in Chief is to keep our Nation safe and secure. Over the years, the President has made it clear that we would take action if we knew where to find Osama bin Laden. As part of the Administration's focused efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qa'ida—the terrorist organization which carried out the September 11, 2001, attacks on our shores—the President directed the Central Intelligence Agency to make the killing or capture of Osama bin Laden, al-Qa'ida's leader, a top priority.

On April 29, 2011, President Obama ordered the operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, bringing to justice the terrorist responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent people in the United States and around the world. This mission could not have been carried out without the extraordinary work of our military and intelligence community, and we are grateful for their courage and professionalism.

Here are some more resources on this situation you may find informative:
Watch the video or read the transcript of President Obama's address to our Nation on the death of Osama bin Laden: www.WhiteHouse.gov/blog/2011/05/02/osama-bin-laden-dead

Visit the Department of Defense's website on the death of Osama bin Laden: www.Defense.gov/home/features/2011/0511_bin-laden

Thank you, again, for writing. President Obama is grateful to hear from thousands of Americans each day, and we appreciate your taking the time to contact the White House.

Sincerely,

The White House

I Invite you to read this post :

Truth is like Oil, It always Flow on Top

Do Good Anyway

2011-05-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

" By Dr. Kent M. Keith "

ستون عاماُ ما بكم خجل

2011-04-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

إن سار أهلي فالدهرُ يتّبع**يشهدُ أحوالهم ويستمعُ

يأخذ عنهم فن البقاء فقد**زادوا عليه الكثير وابتدعوا

وكلما همّ أن يقول لهم** بأنهم مهزومون ما اقتنعوا

يسيرُ إن ساروا في مظاهرةٍ في الخلف فيه الفضول والجزعُ

يكتب في دفتر طريقتهم** لعله بالدروس ينتفعُ

لو صادف الجمعُ الجيشَ يقصده** فإنه نحو الجيش يندفعُ

فيرجع الجند خطوتين فقط**ولكن القصد أنهم رجعوا

أرضٌ أُعيدت ولو لثانيةٍ**والقوم عزلٌ والجيش مدّرع

ويصبح الغازُ فوقهم قطعاً**أو السما فوقه هي القطعُ

وتُطلب الريح وهي نادرةٌ**ليست بماءٍ لكنها جرعُ

ثم تراهم من تحتها انتشروا**كزئبقٍ في الدخان يلتمعُ

لكي يضلوا الرصاص بينهمو**تكاد منه السقوف تنخلعُ

حتى تجلّت عنهم وأوجههم**زهر ووجه الزمان منتقعُ

كأن شمساً أعطت لهم عِدَةً**أن يطلع الصبح حيثما طلعوا

تعرف أسمائهم بأعينهم**تنكروا باللثام أو خلعوا

ودار مقلاع الطفل في يده** دورة صوفي مسّه ولعُ

يعلمُ الدهر أن يدور على** من ظن أن القوي يمتنعُ

وكل طفل في كفه حجرٌ**ملخّص فيه السهل واليفعُ

جبالهم في الأيدي مفرقةٌ**وأمرهم في الجبال مجتمعُ

يأتون من كل قريةٍ زُمراً**إلى طريقٍ لله ترتفعُ

تضيق بالناس الطرق إن كثرواوهذه بالزحام تتسعُ

إذا رأوها أمامهم فرحوا **ولم يبالوا بأنها وجعُ

يبدون للموت أنه عبثٌ **حتى لقد كاد الموت ينخدعُ

يقول للقوم وهو معتذرٌ**مابيدي ماآتي وماأدعُ

يضل مستغفراً كذي ورعٍ**ولم يكن من صفاته الورعُ

لو كان للموت أمره لغدت**على سوانا طيوره تقعُ

أعدائنا خوفهم لهم مددٌ**لو لم يخافوا الأقوام لانقطعوا

فخوفهم دينهم وديدنهم **عليه من قبل يولدوا طُبعوا

قُل للعدا بعد كل معركةٍ**جنودكم بالسلاح ماصنعوا

لقد عرفنا الغزاة قبلكمو**ونُشهد الله فيكم البدعُ

ستون عاماً ومابكم خجــلٌ**الموت فينا وفيكم الفزعُ

أخزاكم الله في الغزاة فما **رأى الورى مثلكم ولاسمعوا

حين الشعوب انتقت أعاديها **لم نشهد القرعة التي اقترعوا

لستم بأكفائنا لنكرهكم **وفي عَداء الوضيع مايضعُ

لم نلقى من قبلكم وإن كثروا**قوماً غزاةً إذا غزوا هلعوا

ونحن من هاهنا قد اختلفت**قِدْماً علينا الأقوام والشيعُ

سيروا بها وانظروا مساجدها** أعمامها أو أخوالها البِيَعُ

قومي ترى الطير في منازلهم **تسير بالشرعة التي شرعوا

لم تُنبت الأرض القوم بل نبتت**منهم بما شيّدوا ومازرعوا

كأنهم من غيومها انهمروا**كأنهم من كهوفها نبعوا

والدهر لو سار القوم يتبع**يشهد أحوالهم ويستمعُ

يأخد عنهم فن البقاء فقد**زادوا عليه الكثير وابتدعوا

وكلما همّ أن يقول لهم** بأنهم مهزومون مااقتنعوا

للشاعر الفلسطيني : تميم البرغوثي

IBM...100 Years Old Company

2011-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

From 1911 to 2011, there a lot to be mentioned about this corporation, I used to be amazed by IBM's history, persistence and discipline. May be nowadays its presence may not be tangible in comparison to the new players , such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and others. But IBM are still following their Hedgehog principle, their have their special customers of governments, research labs and big organizations along with individuals.

For younger generations, who just know IBM as that company registering thousands of patents every year, it may not register that this technology giant created the precursor to the modern PC, was the computing power behind the Apollo shuttle missions, put in place the system that would become the universal barcode, invented the relational database, DRAM, fractal geometry, and that little nub on laptops you can use instead of a mouse.

More recently IBM has been involved with the Genographic project which uses DNA as a tool to track back humans to their beginnings. But the work being done, the data collected, and the systems being produced could one day lead to a very much more personalized health care solution tailored to the individual.

Have a look on IBM's "Icons of Progress", to know more about the achievements and breakthrough they have introduced to the computer world.

The amazement here is about the mentality of the management and organizational behavior that was behind these many successes (and failures for sure). Many software engineers know that IBM might not be the best company to work for, comparing to other young companies who exert a lot of efforts to be more people oriented and attract employees through their working environment and ecosystem.

However, it's a case worth of study, what makes a company stand for 100 years?!

http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/ibm-celebrates-100-years-of-invention-and-breakthroughs-20110124/