Boston Legal

Living up to the bill of rights!

Forgotten Feelings

For years now I have been quite cynical about love, believing that it's a self imposed illusion, ... not deliberately of course, but self imposed nevertheless. Imagine 50 men and 50 women on an island. Each man will unconsciously choose a woman and target those feelings he needs to feel, feelings of need, trust, admiration, and sexual attraction towards her. Now let them be 20 men and 20 women, ... the same will happen. Let me say it another way, if a certain man has a variety space of 40 women in his social circle, he will choose one and "love" her, now let's cut this circle in half, removing his beloved in the process and leaving him just 20 women, I believe he will still choose one and direct his feelings towards her. In that sense, love can be viewed as a sophisticated, unconsciously self imposed illusion!!

But then, ... and few days ago, I was shocked off my feet. I met that girl, and I was totally impressed, felt some feelings I thought myself incapable of. Feelings I hadn't experienced their like in 6 to 7 years. This is not self imposed, or I would have imposed it on myself much earlier. Wouldn't be feeling void all that long. My theory has to be somehow flawed.

TAKTAKA

Among the ideas we have for our companies next computer game, is something GTA-like that heavily incorporates toktoks, So I was thinking about the game, how to make it challenging, and what to name it of course, ... so I thought about the plural of toktok, ... in arabic!! I came with TAKATEK :)

KHAYAL

We are currently registering our company "Khayal" officially as a limited liability company, and I was thinking of a slogan, ... something like "Khayal, ... benkassar sa2f el seya3a, ben3eed tawzee3 el a7mal" :) or "Khayal, wala kan 3al bal, wala 3ad fee mo7al". Any suggestions?

Contrato Novus

Know here, I do not swear undying, unfaltering love, not to you nor to any other, not now nor ever, my experience taught me that love dies, fades, and changes, even the fervent type, ... sometimes converts to even more fervent hatred and spite.

But let's agree, to love, respect and care for each other, support and relief each other, enhance each other's lives, as long as we both want to, until one or both of us want out.

Toktok here toktok there, ... toktok everywhere!

Some of you might already know that I was bitten by a tokok, (ajall, laqad lada3'any al toktok) as I was driving slowly in a small street near home (Agouza). It came from my side, slowly but surely, didn't stop, didn't falter, I couldn't have helped it, only change the spot where it hit me :)

However, it was a minimal accident and I reckoned it a local Phenomenon and didn't give it much care then, until I saw toktok in Haram Street, Mohandesseen, and YES, on the Cairo-Alexandria highway!!! Toktoks are easy to overlook, especially by night due to their almost non existent lights. They are versatile and maneuverable to tell the truth, but only when they are empty, once they are loaded like they are here in Egypt most of the time, they get heavy and unstoppable (I greatly doubt their breaking systems). In accidents, toktoks usually inflict minimal damage (although obvious ones, due to the concentration of force in the toktok's narrow front) but the big issue is, ... there is almost no safety measures for the toktok passengers themselves, small accidents usually result in serious damages to the passengers.

Uhhh, ... Damn me if I don't know, the emergent appearance of the toktok is but a manifestation of Egypt's crushing economical state, but hell, if it must be, then let it be confined to certain areas, bounded by rigorous rules for speed and safety.

The Deebian Brief

As I have been used to brief here about my readings, I send this to declare that for months I haven't found a readable novel. please whoever can help is welcome, my favorite genre is high fantasy, but I don't mind anything really good.

Anyway, I would nevertheless brief about my readings in the last few months.

In the last few months I read the Beautiful book "Sophie's World". Thanks to my friend Walaa.

The book is a great introduction to the history of philosophy in the form of a nice novel. Now I was already reading a great introduction to philosophy that can be found here. And of all the subjects of philosophy I was interested in Ethics (philosophy of rights), political philosophy, and rhetoric (which is not itself a subject of philosophy but is related).

Oh, ... and the fallacies, ... never forget the fallacies, this one was hit, ... I remember feeling thrilled while reading in the topic for the first time, ... you know the feeling, when you are reading something, and you can't stop, you have other things to do, but you can't stop, and you almost wish the topic goes on and on endlessly for you not to lose that feeling. It's a rare feeling, I feel it while reading GREAT novels or really mind-blowing ideas.

The fallacies, or more specifically the logical fallacies are some patterns in logic, that are logically incorrect (or at least most commonly used in a wrong way) and yet are usually and very often intentionally used in our conversations, political speeches, and almost everything that should be persuasive in nature.

I will not sum it up here for lack of capacity, but I assure you that understanding it will change the way you interpret words, change the way you think and rationalize, your capacity to retort, and to convince or persuade (or simply defeat) people in conversations.

Being a current big fan of the TV show Boston Legal, I was thrilled to notice how most fallacies are used in each and every closing or cross examinations, and the more brilliant the lawyer, the more seamless the fallacies will be incorporated in his speech. Magnificent.

By some way I do not remember I got from the fallacies to the biases. Cognitive Biases are inherent and socially induced biases in the human cognition (distortions in the way humans perceive reality), and I will not sum them up either, but I will simply testify that it is not a bit less fascinating than the fallacies. It gives you a clearer look into the conscious of people, especially yourself, or the ones disagreeing with you, gives you a better understanding of why they claim what they claim, stand for what they stand for, protect what they protect. Biases can be found at the very core of most human conflicts, understanding it might help lessen solve those conflicts, or at least have a better understanding of their origins. Being conscious of your own biases can help you significantly improving your thoughts and rectifying your beliefs.

I am merely scratching the surface, but I know a good part of my reading in the near future will be in these topics, rhetoric, fallacies, and biases.

Just until I find another nice novel of course :)

Liberal ... Libertarian ... Anarchist

For a long time I thought of myself as a liberal, ... a new liberal to be more specific, but then I don't find the definition of Libertarianism (especially that of rights theorists) to be away from me, and to be honest, ... the subdivisions and sub-subdivisions of political currents and philosophies got me a little mixed up.
Quoting wikipedia:

Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power (especially of government and religion), the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected.^[2] In modern society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed.^[3]

Many new liberals advocate a greater degree of government influence in the free market to protect what they perceive to be natural rights, often in the form of anti-discrimination laws, universal education, and progressive taxation. This philosophy frequently extends to a belief that the government should provide for a degree of general welfare, including benefits for the unemployed, housing for the homeless, and medical care for the sick. Such publicly-funded initiatives in the market are rejected as interference by modern advocates of classical liberalism, which emphasizes free private enterprise, individual property rights and freedom of contract; classical liberals hold that economic inequality, as arising naturally from competition in the free market, does not justify the violation of private property rights.

Hmmm, .... new liberal ... I guess!!

Why I would like to be Alan Shore!!

Yes, I would, it's strange and made me think a lot, he's so not like me!! And he's not close to any of my former inspirers (will talk about them later) either.

But there's something no one can deny, ... he's so sure of himself, so sure of his place in the wold, so sure of his morals, he plays by his own rules, however peculiar you may find those rules and morals.

He has his own set of morals that stem from his own thinking and his views (political, legal, etc.) not inherited nor taken from any specific group.

There is also his way in talking to people, ... I don't want to be that flippant of course :) but to be able to convey your thoughts that eloquently is an invaluable skill. For that I am interested in rhetoric and dialectic, logical fallacies and cognitive biases (this can make another post yet).

And yet, yet another thing, ... (I'm beginning to think that I can go on and on forever) he's brilliant in what he does, ... and like most, I'm a big fan for brilliance.

Hmmm, ... what again, ... he's a lawyer, .... his work is most of the time about people, working closely with them, affecting their lives profoundly.

If you don't know him then you need to watch Boston Legal or the last season of The Practice. It's a character played by James Spader, a brilliant lawyer that is unpredictable and "ethically challenged".

Last but not least, ... he slept with Tara (Rhona Mitra) ;)

Boo7a The Game Video

Boo7a The Game on Dream TV

Religious Authority

I can think of very few things in this universe I despise more than religious authority ... no don't miss my point, I'm certainly not against religion, I'm simply against using it to control, subdue and rule people.

The church's history is full of such black eras and horrible acts that I would rather not talk about it.

The Islamic world is also not without precedents in this area, ... and rather some very contemporary ones.

I do believe any Muslim in his right mind would feel as I do, ... religious figures and institutes should function in telling people what is probably right and wrong and why, not what they MUST and MUST not do, MUST or MUST not wear, MUST or MUST not THINK!!

Functioning as knowledgeable and intelligent researchers for matters of beliefs and morals, acting as guides and tutors, not governors, general, not as some kind of behavior police!!

Islam (I believe) has liberated all men from need for any mediator (man or institution) to worship god, one needs no sheikh or mosque to worship god, one but needs his mind (judgment), his soul, and his control of himself (discipline)

I'm not at al against religious figures, ... god knows how I admire and respect several, who has acted as light spots radiating intelligence and wisdome, trying to tutor and liberate people, ... as opposed to those (majority) who have used whatever knowledge and credibility they had to support enslavement of mind and soul for the favor of an unjust dictator, or simply according to some vindictive belief that this is their right or duty.

We're not about history here, so I'll not list examples ... they are plenty, in history and around us.

A religious institution, such as Al-Azhar, should be (as it once was) independent and self sufficient, it's management should be elected (and not assigned from the government)

There is no inclination whatsoever that an Egyptian Muslim should follow the recommendations of Mufty-al-dyar or Dar-al-Eftaa rather than the opinion of other respectable sheikhs or Fiqh schools. (all my respects and admiration to Dr. Ali Gom'a)

Religious liberty, ... that's what I'm talking about!!

Karate, discipline, and respect

Hehehehe, ... that sounded very weird as a headline.

I was recalling my old Karate team, as I practiced karate for most of my childhood years.

The thing that puzzled me the most was the difference between old and new team members. While new members were a bunch of undisciplined rebels, unordered, eager to jest, call names, and just run about doing mischief, old members to the last one of them seemed very disciplined, silent, patient, almost aloof and arrogant, but they were respected.

Don’t assume it’s simply age, that’s not true, new members included many of the older guys, and old members included some of the youngest in the team, nor was it about strength or physical ability, … it was a mystery to me that I only grasped as I ascended in the team and gradually joined the latter group.

With time came knowledge, experience and the valuing of what we did, … with knowledge came responsibility for newer members, to instruct and help them, or just simply be a good role model, … with responsibility came authority and respect, … mark my words, … with adequately fulfilling responsibilities came authority and hence respect and not the opposite. With all that comes a feeling of contentment, of knowing ones place and doing ones part in life.

Alas, all that is lost!!

Malazan book of the Fallen

I write this, not as a review of the novels, many of those can be found on amazon.com, I write instead my feelings about the characters, yes ... the writer was so successful that I have strong feelings for most of his characters.

Anomander Rake, … who cannot feel awe when Rake is involved? The dark, tall, silver haired, almost immortal lord of the Tiste Andii, with a formidable black sword that is more than just a sword, a sword that exudes power, power that Rake totally controls, and uses to extract justice, cold justice, … who can not feel awe? And yet after a while, after you get to know what his motivations, after you see that how he values honor, friendship, and the lives of mortals, you feelings of awe must change, evolve into a more subtle much stronger thing.

Captain Wiskeyjack, the beloved commander, the man with unshakable integrity, who cares for his soldiers, and everybody, even those who are suspected to be evil or criminal, and whose soldiers will follow through just about anything. And yet, ... after getting old, after seeing so much wars and deaths, after being betrayed, he can see and assume the good in people, can love and be loved, stands fast to defend the life of someone because he simply believes she doesn't deserve to die. It broke my heart when he died. Really, I guess that if not for Rake, I would have stopped right there.

Quick Ben, the mysterious witty wizard, with only hinted at powers, knowledge and vision, who more than once challenged gods (ascendants) with his wits and not his powers.

Korlat, ... the female Tiste Andii leader, second only to Rake, from the first moment you can feel compassion coming out from her, and after a while you feel love, love that binds between her and the old all mortal Wiskeyjack, who values her greatly and loves her back. The sheer ammount of silent romance in this relationship almost crushed my soul, made me feel insignificant.

Caladan Brood, the giant warlord with a giant hammer that can shatter the earth and end life as we know it. Despite is still wise and restrained and goes through all those wars for the liberation of mere mortals.

Toc the Younger, ... .

Tattersail, ... .

Captain Paran, ... .

Picker, ... .

....

I'm just tired of writing, .. may continue later!

Ain't Humanity spiraling down?

I got this idea some months back while I was reading about Socrates, the man that long long ago, so bravely died for his ideas, while he could easily avoid it. It struck me hard that this man who lived thousands of years ago (and is no prophet nor claims any divine inspirations), surpasses me (and just about anyone I know, and anyone I can think of in our current days) in the scale of humanity, if intellectual integrity did count at all. I mean, .... shouldn't humanity be ascending? Increasing, maturing, what's the point at all then from living and dying, dying and living, reading and arguing, learning and building? ...



Let the philosophers aside, ... let's look for effective people, (i.e. people with great effect in history, or culture) , can you think of anyone to compete with Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, or even Hannibal? ... let's see, ... Hitler? Bill Gates? Any suggestions anyone?

So I was thinking that maybe for the last millennium, human culture was descending, spiraling down.


Then I though of another metric, ... the advancement of science (esp. humanistic sciences) like philosophy, sociology, etc. Can the maturing of such sciences be used as a metric for the advancement of the human culture? Are those sciences mature at all? And if so, does that mean that humanity is advancing as a whole while individuals are getting less and less remarkable?

Or is it simply waves of flourishing and thriving, between periods of failing and darkness? Such waves being the Greek Culture, Roman Culture, Islamic Culture, European Renaissance.

So are we now in a time of darkness? Am I making any sense at all?

Conditioned reflex

I'm, not really sure the phrase does mean or describe what I wanna say, …

I'm talking about mentally coupling two different things, specific food with specific days, specific movies with specific memories, and in particular specific books with specific songs. I do that all the time, … and it's great, ... I'll give an example:

While reading The Wheel of Time, I was hearing some specific songs for Fadl Shaker, which became mentally coupled with the novel, so that whenever I hear those songs, I suddenly remember parts of the novels, and feel the general feelings of it.

It didn't stop there, it continued through almost all the novels I read, … it works best when the novel contain strong feelings and the songs are really nice and new, meaning you haven't heard them a lot before. And of course it would help if the mood of both did match, although not necessary.

And thus, … some songs instantly put me in the Da Vinci Code, some in Raymond Feist's world, some Robert Ludlum's, etc. It's really cool, and let's you duplicate the experience easily at any time simply by hearing some old songs.

More on those novels

Well, ... ok if someone's interested, ... I'll give brief comments then full reviews if still interested, ...

The wheel of time is very special to me, the whole fantasy thing started with it (excepting LOTR)... it's huge, ... really epic in scale, ... and I have skipped some parts of it, bt hell, ... I have read some other parts more than once, sometimes three or four times, ... ten times in the case of the prologue to the first book.

I got tears more than once while reading it, and got really excited for a long long time, ... .

The sword of truth followed, and while there are similarities, it is really very different than WoT, ... I wrote a simple comparison once HERE.

SoT is philosophical, ... complicated, and very heroic, ... with two too perfect protagonists, and a very lovable grandfather, Zed.

Reimond E. Feist is very entertaining, ... Pug, Arutha and especially James (Jimmy the Hand), are very interesting indeed! with a very sophisticated philosophical view on magic and gods, that I don't think I completely understood!

Emperor is a very worthy read, ... if not for the novel, then for the astonishing life of Julius Caesar, ... simply inspiring.

Dan Brown, ... well, ... most of you know him, Angels and Demons, The Davinci Code, Deception Point, ... etc, ... he is very crafty at cteating suspense, and surely does a hell of research before writng, but hell, ... the characters are the same, even if their names changed, ... the general theme is the same, .. the plot is very similar every time (or rather the premise, as some would say) I like his work, ... but do not consider it literature of high value.

Now the Malazan book of the fallen is a real piece of great work, ... I'm sure to write more about it soon, ... the sheer amount of different characters that you are inclined to love, like or at least have interest in, is wonderous, ... simply fascinating.


Now for some reason, ... I seem unable to finish any book for Stephen King, Robert Ludlum, or Paulo Coelho ... , sure they are great, seems I have some problem, can anyone help??

Novels I've read through the last 3 years:

• The Wheel of Time (11 books till now) Robert Gordan
• The Sword of Truth (11 books till now) Terry Goodkind
• Most of Raimond E. Feist's
• First one of George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire
• 3 of Conn Iggulden's quatro Emperor (waiting the fourth)
• 4 of R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf stuff
• Most of Dan Brown's (couldn't complete Digital Fortress)
• The Rule of Four

Currently reading: Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen (which is very very promising and satisfying till now)

الحشيش

"العمل, إيه العمل, ماتقولّى أعمل إيــــه تارارا .. , والأمل, إنت الأمل, تحرمنى منك ليه ليه تارارا" --- يا سلام يا ست

الشىء الغريب, إنى كل ماشوف حد اليومين دول أو أقعد فى أى قعدة, إلا وتيجى سيرة الحشيش.

والكلام عليه دايما بـ استحسان, فلا هو إدمان, ولا بيبوظ الصحة, ولا هوحرام ولا حاجة أبداً.

بس ماهو بعد الحشيش, الناس بتفوق, وانا مش عايز افوق. وبرضه مش عايز اتسطل, أنا بس عايز انبسط, ... حرام؟ كتير؟ بلاش!

هىء هىء ... "أنا شربت حشيش يا سعاد!!"

!أنا طماع قوى, طماع بجد

عايز أعيش حياه مش مملة, فيها أهداف محترمة وذات قيمة, وفـ نفس الوقت مش متعبة, و لا فيها عذاب ولا كفاح شنيع, وعلى ذلك برضه تكون مسلية و متوازنة نفسيا وعاطفياً, وده معناه انى الاقى إنسانة محترمة, بتفهم وعندها شخصية وفـ نفس الوقت طيبة و حنينة, والأنيل من ده كله إنها لازم تحبنى كمان (مع إن ده هينفى عنها صفة إنها بتفهم و يمكن كمان صفة الاحترام) مش بس كده, انا كمان عايز يبقى عندى موارد غير محدودة, أبنى بيها صناعات عملاقة, و أيّد بيها الإصلاح السياسى, كمان أقرا كل الكتب اللى فالدنيا وافهمها كويس, و يبقى عندى رؤية و بصيرة الاقى بيهم ربنا, ده غير كمان الـ .....

أنا تعبااااااااااان

آه ه ه ... أنا تعبااااااااااان

تعبان مالشغل و تعبان مالوحدة, و تعبان من كونى مش فاهم نفسى ...

أحياناً بحس انى عايز اسيب كل حاجة ورايا واطفش, أروح وانام سبع قرون واقعد لوحدى سبع قرون, والف واسيح فى أرض الله وبلاد البشر سبع قرون, و ساعتها .. هاقعد و أكتب سبع قرون, وأموت وحيد, حزين شريد وراسى عالكتاب أو لوحة المفاتيح.

!!وحلمت بيها

وحلمت بيها ... , ياااااه .. , من إمتى مافكرتش فيها؟! لألأ .. دانا لسة شايفها قريب, و كلمتها كمان, ... ماحستش بحاجة ساعتها, غالباً كنت رافع الدروع!

حتى فـ الحلم كنت رافع الدروع النفسية و راصص المتاريس. وهى كانت بتقرب, .. طبعا خبطط فـ المتاريس!

طبعا ده عمره ما حصل فى الواقع, على الأقل مش فى السنين الأخيرة, ومش معاها هية ... حصل من سنين, وحصل مع ناس تانيين. لو حصل فى الواقع أكيد كنت هاشيل الدروع, .. أكيد!! مع إنّى كل ما بنزّلها باتبهدل, بانبسطلى شوية و بعدين اخدلى خبطة مـ اللى هية! فـ الصميم!