طرنيب 101

Ramadan is the month of fasting. Not only food, but from bad deeds as well. Its a month when Muslims become closer to Allah and spend more time praying and visiting with their relatives and friends. Its a month when Muslims help the needy and feed the hungry. Its a month of forgiveness and mercy.

But, who are we kidding. Ramadan as all about طرنيب and ارجيلة. For your benefit, dear (fake) fasting Muslims, are the rules of the game copied from 6arneeb.net, where they have a good Java Applet.

To Arabize the rules, bear in mind the following meanings:
Bidding: طلب
Partner: شريك
Opponent: خصم
pass: باص
out bid: إعلى
Trick: أكلة
Trump (verb): طرنبّ
13 tricks: كبّوت
To make your bid: جابها
No Cheating: بلا @#$% . اللهم إني صائم
Spades: بستوني
Clubs: سنك
Hearts: كبّه
Diamonds: ديناري

TARNEEB is a card game requiring skills in bidding, playing and defending. During bidding, partners try to support one another. A player needs to consider his/her partners' cards to identify the best trump suit and the right level for the call of the team. Since players cannot make many bids before they run the risk of being too high, each bid needs to convey as much information as possible, both about distribution and high-card count. In responding to a partner's bid, a player usually passes, jumps in partner's suit with support and a stronger hand or bids a new suit.When a team wins the auction, the other team needs to defend and imagine the declarer's possible hands and work out the best chance to defeat the call.
Here are a few tips for players: Try to figure out the opponents' hands from clues in bidding and during play. Take into account not only what they bid but also what they could have bid but didn't. Keep a running count of how many cards have been played in every suit, most importantly trumps. Bear in mind how many tricks you need to make or defeat a call, and try to imagine the most likely holding the opponents have that will allow you to succeed. Don't make unnecessary bids when it's clear the opponents will win the auction because the less information they have in playing the hand, the harder it will be for them to make it.If both sides have fits and are competing at high levels, it's usually safest to bid a level higher than you think you can make instead of allowing the opponents to play the hand. This is especially true when you hold a single card or no cards at all in your opponents suit. when playing a hand in which a team has plenty of trumps, a common first step in the play is to (draw trumps) that is, to lead them until the opponents have no more trumps then you can lead other suits safely to establish more tricks.

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Quite, Quit, Quiet: Use Them Right ya Bajam!

Quite
adv.

1. To the greatest extent; completely: quite alone; not quite finished.
2. Actually; really: I'm quite positive about it.
3. To a degree; rather: quite soon; quite tasty.

Quit
v.tr.

1. To depart from; leave: “You and I are on the point of quitting the theater of our exploits” (Horatio Nelson).
2. To leave the company of: had to quit the gathering in order to be home by midnight.
3. To give up; relinquish: quit a job.
4. To abandon or put aside; forsake: advised them to quit their dissipated ways.
5. To cease or discontinue: asked them to quit talking; quit smoking.
6. Computer Science. To exit (an application).
7. 1. To rid oneself of by paying: quit a debt.
   2. To release from a burden or responsibility.
8. To conduct (oneself) in a specified way: Quit yourselves like adults.

v.intr.

1. To cease performing an action.
2. To give up, as in defeat; stop.
3. To leave a job.

adj.

Absolved of a duty or an obligation; free.

Quiet
adj., -et·er, -et·est.

1. Making little or no noise: quiet neighbors; a quiet engine.
2. Free of loud noise; hushed: a quiet street.
3. Calm and unmoving; still: a quiet lake.
4. Free of turmoil and agitation; untroubled.
5. Restful; soothing: a quiet afternoon nap; a quiet tune on the flute.
6. Tranquil; serene: a quiet place in the country.
7. Not showy or garish; subdued: a room decorated in quiet colors.
8. Restrained in style; understated: a quiet strength; a quiet life.

n.

The quality or condition of being quiet: “A menacing quiet fills the empty streets” (Time).

v., -et·ed, -et·ing, -ets. v.tr.

1. To cause to become quiet.
2. Law. To make (a title) secure by freeing from all questions or challenges.

v.intr.

To become quiet: The child wouldn't quiet down for me.

Brought to you by the "mab3oos Foundation for Global Understanding and Conflict Resolution" at the mab3oos State University

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17 Years

And I am here busting my ass getting a degree after another. I think he had a good run. After all, his wasta should be getting him off the hook soon. Then he will go back and teach more Ajyal....

تحويل استاذ جامعي يحمل (شهادة مزورة) الى المدعي العام

عمان - خالد الخواجا - بعد 17 عاما من التدريس في الجامعات الرسمية حوّل وزير التعليم العالي أستاذا جامعيا الى المدعي العام بعد توقيفه عن العمل لاكتشاف أنه يحمل شهادة مزورة .
وقال مصدر مطلع في وزارة التعليم العالي - رفض الافصاح عن اسمه كونه غير مخول بالتصريح - ان هذا الأستاذ قد خرّج أجيالا من تعليمه حيث تبين ان اسم الجامعة التي يحمل شهادتها في هولندا غير موجودة على أرض الواقع .

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Ramadan iPhone App

the only two iPhone Apps in the App store for Ramadan are these two as of 08/21st/2009

• Sun n Moon
  

• Ramadan

Brought to you by the "mab3oos Foundation for Global Understanding and Conflict Resolution" at the mab3oos State University

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This is just a test

This is just a test post through email using writing pad

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A Smart Post!

Perform you still seem intended for “elegant” noise language in the direction of interest awake the feeling your writings provide? Perform forever attempt in the direction of seem intended for so as to utterance, which you finish awake script the Arabic equal instead, in the direction of bring the precise thought you are annoying in the direction of express? Perform you still discontinue plus believe concerning how awful your script is plus how thick your thoughts plus insight be? Healthy, I consider you perform. All right, you perform you suckie author desire to be. Hit it.

If you just write a paragraph and replace each word with the first suggested synonym MS Word brings up, you end up with the above passage!

compliment of Joey Tribbiani of Friends.

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tag tag tagyeh, shobbakein b3lieh. Rin Rin ya Jaras....(Tag[s] Answered)

Answering Tags is really not my specialty. I am answering these in hope the future will bring upon this blog more intriguing tags. Ones that make you scratch your head and say: ha?

May be I should come up with the next tag (well, after the fashal tharee3 of my previous "joke tag" ya nikdeen).

I will link back to lost within, the source of both tags.


1- What is your favorite quotable line from a movie?
Flanders: the lord is telling me to confess to something.
homer: gay gay gay gay gay gay......
from the Simpsons movie

2-Who is the most famous person you have spoken to?
Mukesh Ambani. For a brief time, he was the richest man in the world. Now he is fifth.

3-How many bags/boxes of potato chips are consumed at your place in a month?
none. Had you said "Flamin' Hot Munchies," The answer would have been ~5 large bags.

4-Who is your all time favorite cartoon character?
Bart Simpson bela monazi3. close second would be 3adnan (from 3adnan wa Lina)

5-What foreign food dish do you prepare from scratch and serve?
tamales! Without bragging, it is easy and I make them better than Latinos themselves.

6-What is your favorite section of the supermarket?
The produce section. I just love it when thunder sounds and water sprinklers spray water on fresh vegetables.

7-What was your high school teams mascot and what were the school’s colors?
Whoever came up with this one is a spoiled private school pampered brat. I think that makes clear the nature of my public high school's mascot and colors!


The second tag was really helpful. I have not listened to my music on shuffle for a while now. So, here we go:

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
bahebo: Ehab Tawfeeq (ouch!)

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Voto Latino: Molotov (Couldn't be any more true. If I had to shed my Arab ethnicity and pick another, to be a Latino would be the obvious choice. A Guatemalan to be precise. wink wink)

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Eres Tu: Alabina & Gypsy Kings (wow, you are what you listen to!)

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
La Pollera Colorada: Charlie Zaa (I just like girls in skirts for some reason!)

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Eres: Cafe Tacuba (wow. si, eres lo que mas quiero en este mundo)

6. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Saturday Night: Ozmatli (I am not really a party person. But, the tone of this song puts me in the mood to party)

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
When a man loves a woman: Ray Charles ( I am Romantic [also tall, dark and very handsome])

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Eyes like yours: Shakira (clarification: I only have this song because it has some Arabic lyrics in it)

10. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Regalame la silla donde te espere: Alejandro Sanz ( I am always late, aren't I?)
Regálame la silla, cansada de la esquina
donde te esperé, donde siempre te esperaba, amor
yo puedo regalarte alguna risa
y hacer una canción

11. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Se me olvido otra vez: Mana (no comment)

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Unforgettable: Frank Sinatra (in every way. true!)

13. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
En el jardin: Alejandro Fernandez (More like in the dog house!)

14. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Guajiro: Orishas (I like Orishas, but not in a wedding!)

15. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Adda El Leil: Ehab Tawfeeq (What the hell?!)

16. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
El hijo del pueblo: Vicente Fernandez (I like to play soccer. Does that count? I played it in the village. A lot.)


17. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
No es lo mismo: Alejandro Sanz (exactly, d5ool el 7ammam mish zay 6loo3oh!)

18. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Ainy alli enkawa: Ehab Tawfeeq ( Stupid shuffle. I have 4 songs for ehab. out of 1200. what are the odds?)

19. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Fotografia: Juanes ( I should have posted some photos)

20. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?
Ella es la girafa: Calle 13 (atrevete! I am just a guy. a normal guy)


I am tagging the last 3 that left comments on this blog, and were not included in this tag:

Hareega (answer the damn tag or else)
Asoom (I know you are busy with school and stuff, but come on)
Qwaider (this should give us a break from relationship and marriage related posts!)

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Video and Lyrics .......... حبيبة بابا...رشا ...... أمورة بابا...رشا

x2

حبيبة بابا...رشا

أمورة بابا...رشا

كتكوتة بابا...رشا

سنيورة بابا...رشا

x2

الصبح بدري تصحى

تجري و تؤلي: إصحى

وتبوسني أنا و ماما

و تملى بتنا فرحة

مشيتها غِنوة رئيئة

ضحكتها حلوة بريئة

في كل شيء نضيفة

و طبعها لطيفة؟

{البنت}: حبيبة بابا...رشا

x2

نبيهة و طالعة شاطرة

تئعد تكتب تئرا

ترسم عصفور و شجرة

و تعد لحد عشرة

يا غنوة الاباني

يا بسمة الاماني

يا معطرة زماني

دي روحي و عئلي...رشا

{البنت}: حبيبة بابا رشا

x3

حبيبة بابا...رشا

أمورة بابا...رشا

كتكوتة بابا...رشا

سنيورة بابا...رشا

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Why Arabs Will Never Be. Ever. (3)

Everyday, you would go for a local Arabic newspaper, or may be a an Arab news website, in hope of reading some news. Instead, you are faced with the Leaders' daily log. As if Arab Newspapers and News website have become the unofficial "blogs" of Arab Leaders. I leave you with a slide show of recent homepages/cover pages from the "Official" Arab Media.

Notice how the leaders of Arab countries occupy the cover page headlines.

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Question of the Moment: Laptop Use in the Bathroom.

I do like to have reading material for those longer stays in the bathroom. Sometimes I grab a book, others a newspaper or a magazine. But, occasionally, I continue reading your blogs, dear readers, while I am taking care of business i.e. multitasking.

So, since more people use laptops than ever, and with the wide spread of wi-fi internet access, do you also use your laptop in those extended visits to the bathroom?

(coming soon: live blogging from the can)

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Why Arabs Will Never Be. Ever. (2)

The Arab participation in the Summer Olympics goes back to the Stockholm Games of 1912. That summer, Egypt was the sole Arab participating country. Since then, more Arabs participated as more nations came to exist and the Olympics became the prestigious international athletic event. However, the increased presence in the games was never enough reason for Arabs to excel and win. For the sake of illustration, below is a table of all medals won by Arabs since, and including, 1912, but not including the current, 2008 Beijing games.

	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Algeria	4	1	7	12
Djibouti	0	0	1	1
Egypt	7	7	9	23
Iraq	0	0	1	1
Kuwait	0	0	1	1
Lebanon	0	2	2	4
Morocco	6	4	9	19
Qatar	0	0	2	2
Saudi Arabia	0	1	1	2
Syria	1	1	1	3
Tunisia	1	2	3	6
UAE	1	0	0	1
Total	20	18	37	75

The medal count is of those that participated and won medals. (source)

For comparison purposes, throughout the history of the Olympic Games, New Zealand (a country of 4 Million) won 77 medals, Austria (8 Million) won 83, Greece (11 Million) won 104......

you get the point. Arabs suck ass (more on this phrase in a future post). you know, Arabs will probably lose at a "Who Sucks More" Competition.

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Bored??? Here is something to do...

Well, the summer is coming to an end. I know many of you are waiting for either school to start so you can get out of the house, or so your kids can get out of the house. Either way, you are sitting burning in anticipation and are biting your nails. So, being the good Samaritan mab3oos that I am, I came up with an idea:

1. create a free email account (gmail, hotmail, yahoo,...) (lets call it Acc#1)
2. Create another account in the same way (Lets call it Acc#2)
3. Forward all incoming emails from Acc#1 to Acc#2
4. Forward all emails from Acc#2 to Acc#1
5. send an email to one of them

watch as both email accounts keep sending the same email back and forth. voila...


.

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SinTracker: the iPhone App that never made it.

These days there are iPhone applications for almost everything. There is the news and weather, the fat counter and mortgage calculator, and there is the countless games and the infamous $999 "I am rich" app. However, I just thought of a great idea for an iPhone application. The SinTracker is basically a tool to track your balance of Sins vs Virtues. As you go along with your day, this app will keep track of your good and bad actions and tallies up your negatives and positives and reports to you the net balance by the end of the day. The good thing about the balance is that it "rolls over." As in your cell phone minutes, if you had a positive net balance, you would still have them in your account for the following day.

Lets say you have the urge to kick an innocent, old man in the nuts for no apparent reason what so ever, beat up a pregnant woman, or may be steal the ice cream from a little kid, just accumulate enough "virtue points" and go on a nut kicking-pregnant beating-Ice cream stealing spree. But, lets say you have been bad lately, you better do more positive actions to bring the balance closer to zero and start winning more virtues by, for example, alerting the elderly of nut kickers in the area.

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Why Arabs Will Never Be. Ever. (1)

These are actually three different photos I took in Amsterdam. In the Arab world there is really not a single decent public transportation system, let alone a private one. These photos were taken right in front of a main train station in the city. Notice that there is a three-story parking structure for Bicycles only.

Every where you would see a ton of bicycles next to every other rail/bus stop.

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"Jordan Business" Power 30 and why it is irrelevant

"Jordan Business" magazine just released their list of the most influential personalities in Jordan. The list was supposed to be on their website by Aug. 1st, but it just came up in accordance with Jordanian traditions of having no respect for time. Anyways, the list includes many notable names that we see, hear, and read about day in and day out. however, I believe the list isn't even worth the paper it was printed on in the print version nor the space on their website. I am not lessening the importance of the people on the list. For most of them are great people. But, the problems with the list started with the nominations.

The magazine basically imposed a list of people on the public to choose from. The problem with this undemocratic step is that it eliminated the possibility for other great people to be acknowledge and others to be simply put under the microscope for whatever they have done, negative and positive, to influence life in Jordan. The magazine could have at least implemented a "write in" mechanism for readers (voters) to be able to endorse a candidate of their choosing.

The other problem with this list actually carries over from the one above. The magazine chose to self censor in order to please and get the list tradition going. It chose to keep off the list some very influential names, who actually control the business environment in the country and the government itself. The magazine realized its mishaps by including "Honorary Selections". These are the ones that phoned in and threatened to kick some ass.

This is a link to the list.


Brought to you by the "mab3oos foundation for global understanding and conflict resolution" at the Mab3oos State University

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What Would You Do If You win The Lottery?

I am planning on winning the lottery next week. Therefore, I am seeking ideas on how to spend the winnings. I am expecting around 10 Million dollars. Any ideas on what to do?

P.S. Please no crap about the following:

1. odds of winning. I've had my share of statistics courses to figure that on my own.
2. "Don't waste you money." If you don' play, you won't win.
3. "oh, give it to me." no I won't.
4. or other crappy, pessimistic advice.
   

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