November 22, 2007

Let It Snow

Today is officially the first day of snow in Toronto and the GTA. Driving to work was quite an adventure this morning. Though my car is all loaded up with winter tires and a good anti-lock braking system, yet I still felt out of control of the car at some points. Other drivers were being extra cautious, especially women. They were driving extremely slow it was getting on my nerves. I had to turn on my seat massager, put on some relaxing Smooth Jazz music, and munch on a granola bar. That worked, but I still got to work an hour late. Argh!

Look at the bright side, though. The scene around me was magnificent. The city was white as snow (duh!!). I marveled at how detailed the snowflakes looked. And those icicles hanging from tree branches also looked amazing. Oh, speaking of icicles, I highly recommend you to listen to the song "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" on a snowy day, that's what I did. And to add the cherry on top, I got to work before my boss did. He got stuck in traffic too (tee-hee).

By the way, I never let the weather affect me negatively. I won't lie and say I'm looking forward to tomorrow's -9°C (-15°C with the wind chill factor). But there is nothing you can do about it except be prepared. So stop complaining! It's time to pull out the winter gear so you can hit the road with peace of mind.

Please drive safely, guys!

November 20, 2007

Human Rights.. Yeah Right!

I read on the news today that an Egyptian blogger serving a 4-year jail term for insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak has been beaten in prison and sent to an isolation cell.

Abdel Karim Suleiman, a former law student convicted in connection with eight articles he wrote since 2004, was the first blogger to stand trial in Egypt for Internet writings. "I have been subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment", rights groups quoted Suleiman as saying.

I am not taking any sides in this issue. On the one hand, my heart goes out to all those who suffer from human rights violation by governments. On the other hand, I think it was unwise of Mr. Suleiman to insult his country's government in an online website. I mean, come on, this is such a preposterous thing to do. Here is the scenario that he should have seen coming: Someone will read his blog and pass it on to his fellow corrupted police officer who will come and hunt his back down. I'm talking basic common sense here. You don't just attack the government of a third world country that you live in and not expect them to resent you.

November 9, 2007

Influenca is Contagious

It's not a typo. I did mean to write the word influenca in the title with a 'C' instead of the 'Z'. We all know how good it feels when we social influence other people. I'm not talking about peer pressure here. Because peer pressure is when one is forced to do something he might not like just to go with the flow. I'm actually talking about socializing with people and later on seeing for yourself the changes you exerted on them, especially if they were positive changes.

I went to Michigan with some friends and I saw there a friend that I haven't seen for a while. So we had some one-on-one chat time at some Arabic café there. He opened up and told me that he was dating this girl he met at work who's not suitable for him. They both couldn't see any future together, and the weird thing is that they actually talked about it. They both admitted to one another that they cannot see anything serious happening between them. So they just decided to date until he leaves the country. I told him this is so wrong. I really hate it when people get into relationships when they know it's not gonna go anywhere. What a waste of time and emotions!
Of course, I didn't want to be pushful with my views. I didn't want to bore and annoy him. So I just told him how this relationship is not fruitful and should be ended sooner or later.

We finished our drinks and I told him to come spend some time with us at the hotel. So he came and lied down on one of the beds and I went outside the room to check on my friends in the other rooms. Half an hour later, I came back to the room and saw him sorrowfully looking at me. "I broke up with her", he said. I did not believe him at first. But it turned out that he did call her and tell her he wanted to end their relationship. I was really surprised and I had a lot of mixed feelings. I was happy he did the right thing, I felt bad for the girl that cried on the phone, and I felt proud of myself for having the power to convince someone of something without doing much effort.

It's a strategy that anyone can learn. It's just that people don't like to learn things. You must think deliberately (does this word ring a bell?) about the words you're saying before they actually come out of your mouth. You must be committed to the goals of the message you're trying to deliver. Do not use words such as "might" or maybe". Instead, use positive words such as "must" and "will". Don't ever be a dissembler! You have to be truthful and honest. Some people can know the difference in your tone of voice because it does reflect the psychological arousal.

If you care about your friends, you have to take their hand and open their eyes. That's what friends are for. It really grinds my gears when someone says "I don't care what my friends do as long as they don't do anything bad to me". That's only what a selfish person would say. Be nice and support those who might need your help.

Don't you know that we can change the world? I do.

November 3, 2007

And the Blogging Begins

Dear miladies and milords,

If you're reading this, it means that you have clicked through to my little corner of the blogosphere. Thank you for reading. I am most grateful.

Let me introduce myself to you without sounding like those singles from the online dating websites.
I'm a strong believer in Jesus Christ. I am not a simple guy. In fact, I think I'm complicated. Hence, my reviews can be of the same sort. I'm blunt and brutally honest. Sarcastic at times kind of guy and proudly genuine. I get amazed by the simplest things. I like to better educate myself and I cherish good friendships. Also, known to spill and express my views freely and love listening to people's feedback on them.

I'm new to this blogging world. So I'm still fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out how this gets done. Though I've been reading a couple of other people's blogs for a while, I've resisted the idea of having my own. Maybe because I never thought that my writing skills were anywhere near impeccable. And I know for a fact that my posts won't be perfectly formed essays. But I thought that I could make this blog my writing training ground. I'll eventually get better and maybe I could use some suggestions from those who might proofread my posts. So I finally gave in. And you are now reading my first entry in a blog.

If you're still reading, I tremendously thank you from the depths of my soul and the core of my heart. And I sure hope you come back again.