• Quote of the Day

    28Jul
    Categories: Humor, Quote of the Day Comments: 0

    Student 1: Ilbint hilwe, laaken bisha. (The girl is beautiful, but ugly.)
    Student 2: Mumken? (Is that possible?) Can he say that?
    Teacher: I’m a teacher, not a psychiatrist.

    Context: The translation for hilwe said “beautiful, nice”. Our textbook was written by a non-native English speaker who doesn’t know that “nice” usually is talking about personality, not looks. The entire class was under the impression that hilwe meant beautiful on the outside and/or the inside. Apparently that was wrong. After laughing at us, the teacher gave us the word for nice.

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  • Question about Photos

    25Jul
    Categories: Blogosphere Comments: 22

    Do I have too many pictures per post, just right, or not enough? Is it good to put just a few pictures above the fold and a bunch below or should I keep the posts unbroken in their entirety on the front page?

    Edit: I require responses to this question from 15 people before I post again. :-D

  • The Eiffel of my Eye

    23Jul
    Categories: Photos Comments: 5

    Here’s a sweet shot that Benji took with my 60mm f/2.8 macro of my eye with the Eiffel Tower reflected in it:

    Check out all his pictures. I’m pretty sure it will be some time before I get my Europe pictures posted.

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  • Quote of the Day

    19Jul
    Categories: Humor, Photos, Quote of the Day, Traffic Report Comments: 2

    Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. -Unknown, via justme’s sig

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  • Democratic Energy Strategy (updated)

    17Jul
    Categories: Humor, Political, Science Comments: 2

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) website on the legislation she sponsored:

    The “Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act of 2008” would bar companies from obtaining any more federal leases for drilling onshore or on the Outer Continental Shelf, unless they can demonstrate that they are producing oil and gas from the leases they already hold or are in the process of diligently developing the leases they already hold.


    H/T: Power Line

    More on why there’s not drilling today on those leases and why drilling in ANWR *will* bring prices down now. Also, in 2005 I posted some research done by a fellow-blogger and engineer (Alton Foley) about how the footprint of ANWR drilling is equivalent to scale of a tic-tac in a football field. The idea of environmental impact is laughable based upon scale alone, not to mention a host of other factors.

    One final note: Look at how Obama cleverly shifts the goal posts in this quote: “[Drilling in ANWR] is not something that’s going to give consumers short-term relief and it is not a long-term solution to our problems with fossil fuels generally and oil in particular”. Well duh! But certainly a shifty way to make it sound like it won’t do any good now or later without acknowledging that at the very least it will do good later.

    Update: FactCheck.org:

    Q: Are the Democrats correct in stating that oil companies are leasing 68 million acres in the U.S. that are not being used?

    A: Not exactly. More than 4,700 new holes are being drilled on current onshore leases.

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  • Egypt - Cairo Cave Church

    15Jul
    Categories: Photos Comments: 0

    This church we visited has an interesting putative history (Google cache; they’re having server problems). In any case, it’s an amazing church building.










    Ready for christening?


    Sleeping angel








    Battling for bread




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  • Egypt - Cairo Dinner Cruise

    14Jul
    Categories: Photos Comments: 0

















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  • Quote of the Day

    14Jul
    Categories: Humor, Quote of the Day Comments: 0

    Dorcas’ Quote of the Day:

    Quote of the Day:
    JoNell the nephew’s wife and I are looking at an ad for the new Kit movie.
    Me, to JoNell: Were you into American Girls?
    Matt, interrupting: I’ve been into American girls since I was 14.

    That QOTD (btw, you should read the entire post that goes with the QOTD: it’s great!) reminded me of a conversation I had the other day with a 24 year old Jordanian Muslim guy at Petra:

    Jordanian: I want to find a beautiful American girl. Can you help me?
    Me (laughing): Sorry, but I’m not sure I can–I haven’t found one of my own yet!

    We think such a question is hilarious, but in Eastern culture with arranged marriages, asking someone to help you find a wife is a normal thing.

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  • Egypt - Cairo and Pyramids

    13Jul
    Categories: Photos Comments: 5





    Nothing quite like transporting a tree with a bike







    A unique parking meter system eliminates the need for meter maids and makes sure that you pay before you drive away


    The subway



    The trucks in the foreground are trucks for riot police




    We bought a tour with camels that had admission to the pyramids “included”; this “included” was a trip through a back gate with a baksheesh (gift, tip, bribe) paid to the guard









    The tourist police riding hard after the retreating tour guides who left ASAP after dropping us off. Apparently this section of the tourist police hadn’t received their baksheesh for this particular load of tourists









    Persistence in selling


    One of my companions lent a cheery hand to some of the workers setting up for the night’s program; they enjoyed it





    Beggar











    Man with crutches ascending stairway near rail station



    One of Cairo’s ubiquitous taxi cabs at night


    Cairo at night

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  • Quote of the Day

    12Jul
    Categories: Humor, Quote of the Day Comments: 0

    “There’s only one thing a man can do when in a spiritual and existential funk: buy some new suits.”
    -A man I overheard in the rugged mountainous desert of Petra

  • Quote of the Day

    11Jul
    Categories: Humor, Quote of the Day Comments: 5

    “We’re going swimming tomorrow, enchilada.”
    -One of my fellow American english teachers in Nazareth, meaning to say “Insh’Allah” (if God wills)

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