The Independent

Everything you ever wanted to know about Beirut but never dared ask

Dear all,
Many thanks to the people who are concerned about the situation, and who are helping me maintain some sanity.
In case you are interested in knowing more about what's happening here are a few useful links:

Robert Fisk's daily updates from lebanon in the independent:
http://www.independent.co.uk/

If you are not squeamish
http://www.fromisraeltolebanon.org/

A good blog by a friend of mine (would love to have your comments there too):
http://waronlebanon.blogspot.com/

Another blog:
http://lebanonunderattack.wordpress.com/

also i am going to this demonstrattion on saturday in london:

"Below are details of a march against the war. Please join. It is very important that everyone does. If you cannot make it,
please contribute by forwarding these details and spreading the word. Also find attached a map of the location.
Thank you so much.

Details of Lebanon demonstration in London:

LONDON: Saturday 22 July

* Hands Off Lebanon * Freedom for Palestine
* Don't Attack Syria. * Don't Attack Iran

Assemble Embankment 12 Noon
Nearest tube: Embankment

Download leaflet with full details here:
http://tinyurl.com/fled6


Regards
Hatem

The Red Chicken doth Hail like it may on Thursday

In typical fashion, as soon as I say I'm afraid of something I must therefore control it in some way (look out world). It is kind of a sick way of dealing with theings I suppose, probably somewhat like a dictator may look at life....Funnily enough, I managed to be voted 'Most likely to be a Dictator" in High School. It was put it on the list as a joke (i think...) and well the rest is history. Even funnier, is that a old old friend from our wee tots days, who also hails from the little bohemian village of Hayward on the Southern MN border, a boy called 'Brock', (believe it or not) was my 'other half'.

But, I reckon you don't care.
I find myself very often in a state of rhizomatic (and repetitive) thought. As you all know, that crazy fashion duo, D&G would say, "this is completely normal, drink some tea and go to bed you fool". I think the tea may be the problem...for I am giddy with pleasure when I sit down with my tea to read Moby Dick (out of order, way better - I promise) or to organize a series of 8000 words, sit with them for an hour and then reorganize them and do it again shortly thereafter.

Again, I reckon you don't care.
Who does though? I read a few of the current 'to be graduated soon' students' essays over the past few days, and every credit, it got me a thinkin'. What sort of people do MA in Fine Art? Just kidding, that isn't what I thought at all. I thought, who are these people? Really. I had no idea you were so clever. Now, I don't mean that to be as rude (as I tend to make most things sound), but you ought to have given yourself a little more credit earlier on.

I sat in the Prof Practice seminar, pleased that I did actually know what it was. Kinda, not as though I really do it, but the thought is there - it's a start, eh? And when this idea that the level of productivity, in the UK i assume, was so low because some RIDICULOUS percentage of people (in offices) have no idea what they're doing. I thought, wait a tick -- I remember a whole lot of "i don't know what i'm doing"s through this past year, and still title my own project the equivalent of "WHAT AM I (MS SK FRITZ, lover of trees and ponies, rollarskating without falling down, mudpies and grape koolaid) DOING HERE?" So why didn't we have a little goal setting session early on, say in the first month? Not a tell us your plans for life session, but a little 'assistance' maybe, to help us know what we think we want to get out of this.

Again, "I ....don't care." Yeah.
Why should professional practice wait until you've left your support system? Why should it wait until you're so far in your own armpit of your degree exhibition and your job, and your wife and your broken car or country, that even if the world ended today, you'd still be next week bloody catching up with your life? Why not create - or use our means (aka this site? our contacts? our uni?) to create professional practice within? "I do that." You say.

To this? I say, UNZIP YOUR MOUTHS. I'd like to hear all about your work, professional and academic a little bit more next time, all the time.

Network me in next time, cause I got lost in my armpit a really long time ago and I'm not even doing my degree show this year. If someone could please have pulled my little red radish head out of the ground, I'd appreciate it now.

IS THIS FACT OR FICTION, is this JOURNALSIM?

Is this now or later? (or now&later...though I always thought those were a little too tangy for me.)