Pen Thoughts

For the sake of joking and having fun with my wife, I was sharing this picture with a bunch of unlucky friends, my wife included 😂😂 But the truth is, my life was blessed in marriage and outside of it;  It doesn't matter what happens in daily life, the challenges, anger, frustration, sadness, depression and fights, always remember the beauty of that special person you chose to be your partner, your best friend; whatever happens, the core values remains, Love and Respect!!! Happy Valentines Day

I received today a newsletter from Igor Pogany, from MyAIAdvantage about the New York Times suing OpenAI. I met Igor recently in a capacity building organized by the YMCA World Alliance , and he was introducing Chat GPT's unbelievable abilities. The truth is, it feels illegal for anyone to own such an assistance. I spent 20 years of my life developing written communication skills and my ability to articulate plans strategically and tactically. In the hands of way less qualified individuals, Chat GPT can out skill me in producing better-quality papers in a fraction of the time. But let's go back to the main story. ​A federal lawsuit filed by The New York Times accuses OpenAI and Microsoft of copyright infringement, claiming ChatGPT was illegally trained on Times data. If the Times' demands are met, it will spell the end for ChatGPT. For months, attorneys negotiated a licensing agreement that would compensate the Times for the unauthorized use of their content. Recently the ...

  Valarie Kaur is an American activist, documentary filmmaker, lawyer, educator, and faith leader. She is the founder of the Revolutionary Love Project . Kaur's debut book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love was published in June 2020. I was impressed by her description of "listening" and wanted to share her views on my blog: "Deep listening is an act of surrender. We risk being changed by what we hear. When I really want to hear another person’s story, I try to leave my preconceptions at the door and draw close to their telling. I am always partially listening to the thoughts in my own head when others are speaking, so I consciously quiet my thoughts and begin to listen with my senses. Empathy is cognitive and emotional—to inhabit another person’s view of the world is to feel the world with them. But I also know that it’s okay if I don’t feel very much for them at all. I just need to feel safe enough to stay curious. The most critical pa...

I recently had the chance to read about  Richard Hamming , American mathematicians who have countless applications on the evolution of computing technologies, an area that interests me since I was a software engineering student. one of his quotes is really intriguing and inspiring for teachers: "Teachers should prepare the student for the student's future, not for the teacher's past." #students   #education   #future   #teachers   #computing

It is amazing watching this video; I rewound it so many times; if it has to be a scientific observation, it will be a piece of anecdotal evidence that music has a unique quality to be the actual universal language and not math. and maybe that the string theory is correct; This video has deepened my belief that we are, as human beings, more than we appear to be and the connectivity underneath is on so many levels!

Sometimes I enjoy flipping my notebooks to read some quotes I registered from different authors or articles; today, I stumbled against an article quoting Morgan Housel , a columnist at Wall Street and an author as far as I know. I never had the chance to read anything for him though. The quotes were about finding the balance between optimism and pessimism; I guess it is the perfect timing for my Lebanese peers to read this out; here you go: "Optimism is usually defined as a belief that things will go well. But that's incomplete. Sensible optimism is a belief that the odds are in your favour, and over time things will balance out to a good outcome even if what happens in between is filled with misery. And in fact, you know it will be filled with misery. You can be optimistic that the long-term growth trajectory is up and to the right, but equally sure that the road between now and then is filled with landmines, and always will be. Those two things are not mutually exclusive....

  I read the following by writer and entrepreneur Kevin Kelly on the value of friends “Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do, friends can do better. In so many ways a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat.” with a bit of sarcastic opportunism, i tend to fully agree :) cheers to #Friends #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #MondayThoughts

I had the honour to meet yesterday one of the greatest cleric social workers in Lebanon, currently the Archibishop of Zahle for the Christian Catholic family, his Excellence Issam Darwish. I heard so many stories about him before the actual meeting. His reputation is as white as it could be. He created Dar El Sadaqa technical school and orphanage, in his own words: "to answer the needs of the communities". After he initiated the orphanage (Al Dar) in Ksara area, he fought to change the support system within the Ministry of Social Affairs, which they were surprisingly positive to his proposition, terminating the work of orphanages and support families to keep their offsprings at home (of course the positivity died with time passing, for it, was a successful initiative, like every success in this miserable country that was put to sleep). This initiative could have affected negatively Al Dar. Yet, in his excellency's mind, the prosperity of the association that he crea...

Useless information that I would like to share! Larry wasn't the first to discover copy paste. In 1940, scientist Barbara McClintock discovered that if she damaged the DNA in corn maize, the plant would reconstruct the damaged section by making a copy of other parts of the DNA strand, then pasting them into the damaged area. DNA was the first to use copy past # JustSaying   # DealWithIt   # GoogleIt   # TrueStory

A fish was swimming one day in a cool pond at the high western mountains of Lebanon, happily and peacefully. A frog came along and asks the fish: "Heyy, how is the water". The fish look at the frog surprisingly and blankly, responding: "What's water"! If you live in Lebanon, you don't need wittiness to understand who's the fish and who's the frog might be. Yet it is always surprising how resistant some Lebanese on seeing clearly the true colours of our crisis; thus, are completely blind on who hold the responsibilities. It could be blindness, collusion of interests and/or a mixture of both. In any case, this never stop being a perplexing dilemma for Lebanese citizens who have freed themselves from the slavery of sectarian autocrats, or to whom have never given their knees. Even when it comes to advanced liberal forces who have fought against the tyranny of neighbours, they have fallen, as their pride did, into the cracks of the sectarian sy...

I was born in Lebanon in 1981. until the day I started to gain consciousness about my surrounding social paradigm, I learned two things. Our reactions as a cultural entity highly depend on emotions. We can be stupid and illogical. A lot of things changed during my 38 years of living in this shit hole. but the abovementioned facts never changed. In fact, it got worse. We believe silly lies. We discuss meaningless subjects. We do useless jobs, though we hate it, we never try to change. We say whatever it comes from our one cell brain without owning any responsibility. We are fearless and full of fears at the same time. Utterly sectorial. Full of empathy and careless at the same time. We have to admit firs that our downfall, the current one more precisely, is a direct implication of our destructive mindset, contradictive and irresponsible behavior. Lebanon, this is what we are, own it

I find it really weird! On the outset of the 17th October uprising, I started a daily ritual of packing a bag and going to Riad El Soleh area. Though the first day of the uprising I was angry because what motivated people to react on unbelievable, shameless actions of the political elite, was mainly the proposition on Whatsup tax. For me, people reaction was more insulting than the proposition itself. Yet, after the fourth day of the uprising, I only got the sensation of hope and beauty in this new strange movement. I even was fearful the whole thing would end at any second. I woke up every day with an urge that took me to the screens hoping to see roads are blocked, people are in the streets shouting angerly, defying and fighting for their most basic rights. I find it weird, finally courageous and hopeful! In its seventy days anniversary, with lots of ups and downs, resistance, perseverance, and commitment, this uprising still breathing. It was reduced, however, no d...

Though it was the worst year of my life, I can still see the positive things that happened to me, on a personal and professional level. This year, I had the chance to take part in wonderful events and traveled twice to western countries, London during August and the USA/Maryland Baltimore during October and November. At work, my team organized countless training, camps, and activities during this year, that gathered people from different sides of the globe. it was exciting for me to witness cultural bridges being shaped, dialogue and friendship in the making between people that have absolutely nothing in common, except humor, love, and humanity. Even now, at the moment I'm writing this blog, my colleagues arranged a workshop for humanitarian workers on conserving wellbeing in the distressful environment. most of the participants are from Syria. for the last two days, I'm having a wonderful time interacting with them. For these little blessings, I'm grateful  ...

In the 73rd memorial of the Lebanese Independence Day, still, a deep surge of wonder and uncertainty circulate my shallow conception about the country I was born, raised and reborn many times into. A question mark keeps lingering in my head while no definite answer can be reached. Is Lebanon as we know it today, deserve to be an entity inclusive to all its indigenous residents? I was born in 1981, a considerably dangerous year to be alive, or at least to be aware in Lebanon. As it was mentioned on my ID, my residential birth was the nearest hospital possible to the shelter where my parents used to take cover. Up until my 9th birthday, most of my childhood memories were made either in shelters or in a 5 Km radius away from. The crystal clear images in my head remained from the year 1990, when I had my first communion and the battles between the Christian faction “Lebanese Forces” and the Lebanese army. I remember the shelling, I remember death, I remember the voices o...

Regarding the unlawfully Parliamentarian Elie Marouny comment on the role that women play in leading men into rape. A couple of questions should be asked to the parliamentarian, in order to approach the campaign building up against him subjectively: What is the sexual desire that might intrigue him to rape a woman ? If such sexual desire exist in his mind  and he or any other man did the action of rape upon this trigger, shall the rape be justified than ? Wait a minute. This is the "rape" definition in the dictionary:  unlawful sexual intercourse or any other sexual penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth of another person, with or without force, by a sex organ, other body part, or foreign object, without the consent of the victim. DO WE AGREE ON THE SAME DEFINITION ? I personally consider that Elie Marouny committed a stupid gaff over a crucial issue Lebanese women are fighting for and didn't have enough ...

في الذكرى ال38 لتغييب الإمام موسى الصدر يحكى عن بائع المثلجات المسيحي العتيق في صور، الذي لجأ الى الإمام الصدر بعدما بدأ يعاني من ضائقة مادية، سببها مقاطعة المسلمين له في تلك المنطقة، بعد افتتاح محل لبائع آخر للمثلجات في جواره من الطائفة المسلمة. في احد الأيام، بعد صلاة الجمعة، توجه الامام الصدر مع مرافقيه وعدد من المصلّين الى محلة البائع المسيحي واكلوا المثلجات عنده. لم تكن تلك البادرة تمثيلية تعايش وطني وما شابه الاقاويل التي تلوث اذاننا عن الوحدة والاخوة بين الطوائف في لبنان وشاكلاتها من الأدبيات الخشبية الكاذبة. ارادها الامام رسالة الى اهل بيته والى العالم بأجمعه بأنه اولاً يحب المثلجات، وثانياً يحب الانسان كما خلقه الله وليس كما صبغه المجتمع . عظمة الانسان ليس بالشعر الذي يمدح أعماله ويهديه صفة البطولة عن حق او عن غير حق. عظمة الانسان ليس في تأليه غير مجدي وغير واقعي وملوث بمصالح وغايات. عظمة الانسان هي بالأعمال الصغيرة التي يتحدى بها كل المعايير، حتى ولو انبثقة عن بيئته ومجتمعه . لهذا، كان الإمام الصدر عظيماً !

Amran Picture from the media outlets The whole world was disturbed when Amran picture caught the eyes. Everybody felt heart aching pain for that it is a very excruciating thing to see.  The matter of fact, when I saw Amran picture I was happy, I was happy for him being alive !! Nobody care about war zone atrocities. All of us are busy with our lives and nothing else matter for us. Suddenly we see a picture and we feel deeply disturbed ! Humans are such an Hippocratic creatures

للعباقرة والمحللين السياسيين والعسكريين يلي متلين الدني تحاليل وتهاليل عن التدخل الروسي المبارك بسوريا، اليكم بعض الحقائق: - المشكلة الكبرى انو سعر الصاروخ يلي بتطلقو السوخوي وف16 اثمن بحوالي 50 مرة من سعر المركبات المقاتلة يلي بيستعملها داعش (يلي يملك ما يزيد عن 12000 مركبة) زائد في حال كانت المركبة مليانة مقاتلين، سعرهم اقل من كلب الشيواوا تبع "باريس هلتون". لأجل هالسبب الحملات الجوية لا تنجح. - مخازن الأسلحة هي مخططة على طريقة العصابات. يعني سعر مجموع الأسلحة والعتاد والزخيرة بكل مخزن أقل من سعر الصاروخ، و هذه المخازن عديدة وموزعة جغرافياً. يعني مستر بوتين ولو استعار حصان مار جرجس وسيف مار ايليا، ما ممكن يقضي على مخازن اسلحة داعش (بفتكر حزب الله استعمل الاستراتيجية ذاتها في حرب تموز) الله بخليكون، حلو عن ربنا تحاليل. وماعاش تشاركونا بمعلومات مدري من وين عن سقوط المنظومة الكونية بهل يوميين. عند القيامة، الله مش بس راح يسأل شو عملت منيح وقبيح، رح يسألك ليش الجدب؟ شو عملت بالمخ يلي عطيتك اياه؟ وشكراً

"The only tie existing today is compassion and the ethical duty of a handful of persons, but this cannot create a global ethical conscience in a world under the influence of a predatory logic" It is something i red for Oswaldo De Revero way back and still lingering on my yellow papers. in the confusion and the wondering of the movement future طلعت_ريحتكم #بدنا_نحاسب #  that gave us so much hope, i remember the wise words Oswaldo mentioned. it kept me thinking, will we ever be able to succeed in building a republic in Lebanon? As well, the world order doesn't look much promising. it is clearly not going toward an environmental neither economical sustainability, and its failure is unavoidable, without a vital and comprehensive commutation. it is very difficult times we are living!!

كتير عنا شغل ووعي تنبني جيل حضاري وانساني. مثلاً حدا سأل عن عمال سوكلين كيف كانو يجيبو عمال ب200$ من الهند ومن سيريلنكا و ينيموون متل البهايم 20 واحد بكل غرفة من دون تخوتة؟ لأ ما حدا كان يفرق معو، المهم الطرقات عم تتكنس! هل هالموضوع كان انساني وليش نحنا منقبل في ؟ بعض الشباب يلي نظموا الحراك وعلى رأسن  Imad Bazzi  كانو ينزلوا على سجن الأجانب في الامن العام تحت الجسر تيوثقوا الانتهاكات الغير انسانية بحق عمال من السودان ومن سيريلنكا ومن الفيليبين  Farah Salka (يمكن هونيك تعرف على م رتوا من إسرائيل). هول شباب بناضلو حتى ما يكون حقك سحسوح  و حتى يكون عنا أبطال مش وزراء وحتى ما يدفع الحمال بسبينس مصاري عشين يشتغل  Abir Ghattas وحتى يكون حقك تروح على حديقة عامة هي اصلاً ملكك  Nizar Ghanem رح يصير في كتير اخطاء وأنا أول واحد رح ينتقد بس شباب وصبايا 29 آب هني اشرف الناس عشين هيك عم بنزل على كل مظاهرة بيدعو الها. ‫#‏ طلعة_ريحتكم‬   ‫#‏ بدنا_نحاسب‬   ‫#‏ مستمرون‬