Thursday, March 19, 2009

Cloud Appreciation clouds are the more subtle manifestations of the weather. There is usually an understated beauty, which is why it is so often overlooked. No wonder, then, they want to show off every once in a while with such explosive, heart-stopping fireworks

WE BELIEVE that clouds are unjustly malignedand
hat life would be immeasurably poorer without them.
We think that they are Nature’s poetry,
and the most egalitarian of her displays, since
everyone can have a fantastic view of them.
We pledge to fight ‘blue-sky thinking’ wherever we find it.
Life would be dull if we had to look up at
cloudless monotony day after day.
We seek to remind people that clouds are expressions
of the atmosphere’s moods, and can be read like those of a person’s countenance.
Clouds are so commonplace that their beauty is often overlooked.
They are for dreamers and their contemplation benefits the soul.
Indeed, all who consider the shapes they see in them will save on
psychoanalysis bills.
And so we say to all who’ll listen:
Look up, marvel at the ephemeral beauty

and live life with your head in the clouds!

at March 19, 2009 1 comment: Saturday, March 14, 2009

يا اوباما انت الامل

مِن أوباما..لِجَميعِ الأعرابِ شُعوباً أو حُكّاما / أحمد مطر
مِن أوباما..لِجَميعِ الأعرابِ شُعوباً أو حُكّاما
:قَرْعُ طَناجِرِكُمْ في بابي
أرهَقَني وَأطارَ صَوابي
افعَل هذا يا أوباما..اترُك هذا يا أوباما ..أمطِرْنا بَرْداً وسَلاما يا أوباما
وَفِّرْ للِعُريانِ حِزاما !!يا أوباما
خَصِّصْ للِطّاسَةِ حَمّاما
يا أوباما
..فَصِّلْ للِنَملَةِ بيجاما !!
..قَرقَعَة نعلِكُ أحلاما
وتَقيء صَداها أوهَامَا
وَسُعارُ الضَّجّةِ مِن حَوْلي
لا يَخبو حتّى يتنامى
وَأنا رَجْلُ عِندي شُغْل
ٌأكثَرُ مِن وَقتِ بَطالَتكُم
ْأطوَلُ مِن حُكْمِ جَلالَتِكُم
ْفَدَعوني أُنذركُمْ بَدءاً
كَي أحظى بالعُذْر ختاما
لَستُ بِخادمِ مَن خَلَّفَكُمْ
لأُسِاطَ قُعوداً وَقياما
لَستُ أخاكُمْ حَتّى أُهْجى
إن أنَا لَمْ أصِلِ الأرحاما
لَستُ أباكُمْ حَتّى أُرجى
لأكِونَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَوّاما
وَعُروبَتُكُمْ لَمْ تَختَرني
وَأنا ما اختَرتُ الإسلاما !
فَدَعوا غَيري يَتَبَنّاكُمْ
أو ظَلُّو أبَداً أيتاما!
أنَا أُمثولَةُ شَعْبٍ يأبىأن يَحكُمَهُ أحَدّ غَصبْا
و نِظامٍ يَحتَرِمُ الشَّعب
اوَأنا لَهُما لا غَيرِهِما
سأُقَطِّرُ قَلبي أنغاما
حَتّى لَو نَزَلَتْ أنغامي
فَوقَ مَسامِعِكُمْ..ألغاما!
فامتَثِلوا.. نُظُماً وَشُعوباً
وَاتَّخِذوا مَثَلي إلهاما
أمّا إن شِئتُمْ أن تَبقوا
في هذي الدُّنيا أنعاما
تَتَسوَّلُ أمْنَاً وَطَعاما
فَأُصارِحُكُمْ ... أنّي رَجُلُ
في كُلِّ مَحَطّاتِ حَياتي
لَمْ أُدخِلْ ضِمْنَ حِساباتي
أن أرعى، يوماً، أغناما
لمطالعة المزيد تفضلوا بزيارة
مجلة رؤية http://www.royaah.net
at March 14, 2009 No comments: You cannot have an IP Camera in Jordan

An IP camera is similar to WebCam, but it is not directly attached to your Desktop via USB. It is Assigned an IP address and therefore, can connect to any point in your LAN.

I found a nice IP Camera in Amazon.Com and I ordered it. This IP Camera turned out to hook to a wireless LAN. It arrived to the Airport with Aramex and Aramex told me that since it is wireless you need to get it approved from TRC (Telecom Regulatory Commission). So far so good, i am sure they want to make sure that it works on the standard IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g protocol that uses the 2,4 GHz Bank.

Well, it took a couple of days to get the approval. Aramex told me that you have to wait more since the Camera has to get the approval of Military Security (Al-Amen Al-3askari). That was sometime in January, and after that , there was no news about the Camera. After getting some people make a few calls to make the process faster. I received a call from the Airport last Wed asking me to come on Thursday. I went Thursday early in the morning (I arrived at about 8:15) only to find that the office they asked me to visit was closed. People told me that they can come any moment. It was at about 11 O’clock that somebody came and opened the door.

He invited me in and I told him about the Camera. He opened a folder and looked at some correspondence and told me that this Camera is not allowed to get into JORDAN.

I was really shocked! I could understand that they wanted to know what kind of a camera it is. But to end up banning its entry for security reasons is totally absurd. I am sorry, but how can a wireless camera that hooks to a standard wireless network that cannot send a signal for more that a few meters cause a risk to the national security.

Today wireless networks are everywhere; in fact our office is standardized on wireless! His Majesty the king and through several trips tried so hard to promote the IT industry outside Jordan, but trying to market local companies and try to bring in foreign companies to open offices in Jordan. Imagine what impression such companies would have when they realize that they cannot get their wireless camera in! And then how can we become an IT exporter country according to the Kings wish when we cannot get in some of the basic wireless components ?

I cannot understand why mobiles with cameras are allowed in Jordan!

In the end, the guy was so kind to me and told me that he is going to offer me an option to re-export it! Reporting it according to Aramex will cost me 120 JD just for the paper work and 42 JD as fees (which is more than the cost of the Camera itself)
at March 14, 2009 1 comment: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Term of Art

Intrestingly, according to everything2.com the phrase Term of Art nicely truns out to be

A word or phrase used by practitioners in a field of endeavour which has a precise and typically quite technical meaning within the context of the field of endeavour. Terms of art allow practitioners in a field to communicate with each other concisely and unambiguously.
Inventing suitable yet totally new words to be used as terms of art is often quite difficult. Consequently, the words which become terms of art often also have non-field-specific meanings. This can create and/or reinforce communication barriers between a field's practitioners and non-practitioners. Unfortunately, inventing totally new words or borrowing words from other languages can also contribute to said communication barriers (see "de bene esse" below).
The extent to which a practitioner uses their field's terms of art correctly and routinely is a strong indicator of the depth and breadth of the practitioner's experience in the field. That said, the mark of a true adept in a field of endeavour is their ability to clearly communicate advanced field-specific concepts to non-practitioners.
It should be noted that "term of art" is essentially a synonym of jargon when the two are used in colloquial contexts. On the other hand, "term of art" is a term of art in the legal profession whereas "jargon" isn't!

Examples include:
back door:
In computer security, a hidden way into a system.
In architecture, a door on the back or rear side of a building.
In poker, (roughly speaking) a hand which improves dramatically after the exchange of multiple cards.
de bene esse: in law, formally sufficient for the time being. Somehow, I doubt that this term has much meaning outside of the context of the law.
In law, the claimant or respondent in a lawsuit (there are other "term of art" definitions of "party" within the legal field of endeavour).
In university life, what often happens on Friday and/or Saturday night.
In sewing, a thin filament or fiber.
In computing, an independent entity executing with the context of a process.
In e-mail or usenet, a chain of messages or posting on, at least in theory, a single topic.
at March 12, 2009 No comments: Friday, March 06, 2009

Cebit Computer Fair, what has changed

The last time REALSOFT exhibited in Cebit fair in Hannover, Germany was back in 2005!
The fair started last Tuesday, March 3rd, 09 and will end next Sunday (The day after tomorrow). There is an apparent down sizing in the no of companies participating. Probably affected by the not so favorable mood for extra spending. The number of attendees seems to have diminished since my last visit.
IBM Stand is big and impressive, and managed to attarct attention, especailly in the Clound Computing display area. Microsoft and SAP also have impressive presense, while Oracle presense is not that big.
The weather this year in fine so far, it is definitely warmer than the last time.
The Jordan Pavillion is very nice this time, it is funded by JEDCO and SIPPO. The available services of the Jordanian companies are better than any time before.
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