Funkengroovin Wednesday - Preview

For full articles or more pics, click on the links.

Sixty Years of the VW Camper

July 30, 2007 It was precisely 60 years ago this week that Dutch Volkswagen importer Ben Pon discovered a vehicle at the Wolfsburg factory, which Volkswagen staff had built for their own use to transport heavy panels around the site. It was this vehicle that provided the catalyst soon afterwards for the first sketch and concept of the "Bulli" (affectionate term for the Volkswagen Camper - the "Kombi" in Australia!), later to become the driving force of the economy, vehicle of choice for the flower power generation, holiday camper and people carrier. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has used the unparalleled history of this vehicle as an opportunity to organise an international VW Camper event from 5th to 7th October at the Exhibition Centre in Hanover.


"Scarcely any other vehicle evokes as many emotions as the VW Bulli. Back then it stood for new departures, economic success, independence as well as fun and travel. It is pleasant, reliable and a real cult vehicle. We want to establish the unrivalled legacy of our brand with the international VW Camper event and hope to revive the Bulli brand in the future" explains Stephan Schaller, spokesman for Brand Management, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.


The action starts on Friday, 5th October when a convoy of historic Bullis will begin their journey from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles plant to the exhibition centre. In the evenings open air cinema nights are planned featuring films where the VW Camper has played a starring role. "Little Miss Sunshine", a heart warming American family road trip movie will be the main feature.
On Sunday, 6th October there will be prizes awarded during the day for historical models in "Oldest T1, T2, T3", "Most attractive T1 to T5", "Most original T1, T2, T3", "Furthest journey" and "Pimp my Bulli" categories. Guests will have the opportunity to see the most attractive and unusual VW Campers in the world and learn from their owners why they love this vehicle so much.

So much for Herbie: 2010 Volkswagen Beetle going full modern

Set to share a platform with the next-generation Rabbit and upcoming Scirocco, the 2010 Beetle will once again be styled in California and engineered in Germany, according to our sources. That, however, is where the similarities will end. Despite its overall success as a revival of the iconic original design, Volkswagen is looking to move away from the "chick car" image of the New Beetle.

FOUND ON EBAY,

Volkswagen Bug Camper, Episode II: Judgment Day

In rearview mirror, that Beetle was fab one

Sure that little putt-putter had flaws, but it didn't deserve to die. It was charming, despite the fact I had to hang my left arm out the window to work the windshield wiper during heavy rains.

I always forgot gloves, but it did have a glove compartment, and I should have kept at least a left one in there for the snow.

I used to talk to my car, under my breath mostly, yet my words had an impact. Even with the window up, I could see them in the mist.

Clarkson and crew attempt to cross English Channel. Emphasis on attempt

Well, the three motoring presenters decided to pull their aqua-whips out of retirement to cross the English Channel, and again, two of the three vehicles met their demise at the bottom of the sea. According to various reports, May's Herald and Hammond's VW van went under within the first few minutes, while Jezza was able to stay afloat long enough to stroke his ever-expanding ego.

Zen and the Art of Volvo Maintenance

In the Colorado Rockies, Matt meditates on the purpose of his cross-country trip at the Shambhala Mountain Center, a Buddhist retreat.

WHAT is the sound, asks an ancient Buddhist koan, of one man driving? In my case, for more than 1,500 miles, the answer was a low-frequency whine emanating from my front wheels. The bearings were seizing up, and the Volvo, which had never moved quickly, lurched forward with ever-greater reluctance.

As I headed north toward Colorado, I began to have visions of my wheels suddenly detaching on a narrow pass in the Rocky Mountains. So I checked the car into the Santa Fe Mazda Volvo (2704 Cerillos Road, 505-471-6700; www.santafecars.com) and spent $454 — three-quarters of which were labor costs — to get the bearings replaced.

“How’s the dharma in Brooklyn?” asked a 19-year-old who introduced herself as “Cara or Sky.”

Huh? I stammered something about not having been in the borough lately, but it was obvious I was out of my depth, that I didn’t speak the same language. Did I have a practice, they asked? Had I studied Shambhala? Had I ever meditated?

No, no, no. Though frugal travel has required me to embrace certain Buddhist conventions — shedding attachments to luxuries, for example — the closest I’d ever come to spiritual enlightenment was drinking bourbon from a silver Tibetan flask I bought in India.

The Ritz? No, It’s an RV Park

Gone are the days when recreational vehicle parks were rustic campgrounds. Now many of them resemble country clubs.

“The W.W. II generation was used to going without, and they knew how to do things, or at least they weren’t afraid of cooking over a fire,” said Linda Profaizer, president of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds in Falls Church, Va. “Baby boomers want everything to be fed to them, and they want it to be easy.”

The lifestyle in these parks doesn’t come cheap. A parking spot, which can be a plain concrete pad or have “build outs” like an outdoor kitchen and bar, can cost $68,000 to $280,000. At Aguanga, a concrete pad generally sells for $80,000 to $120,000. A monthly fee of $330 includes daily trash pickup, water, sewer, cable TV and golfing for members. Owners can rent out their lots when they’re not there for $55 a night.

How Ford Brought Power to the People

Three decades before the muscle car’s heyday, Henry Ford invented the hot rod by bolting a V-8 engine into a light, attractive body in the 1932 Ford.

Three decades before the heyday of the muscle car, Henry Ford inadvertently invented the hot rod by bolting a 65-horsepower V-8 engine into a light, attractive body. His breakthrough cost $460 in its most basic form, a two-door roadster, only $50 more than the same car powered by a four-cylinder engine. Ford figured that even in the depths of the Depression, this was within reach of the working class.


Letters of appreciation came from the dark side. Clyde Barrow wrote, “For sustained speed and freedom from trouble, the Ford has got every other car skinned.” A letter to Ford bearing John Dillinger’s signature, of doubtful authenticity, bragged, “I can make any other car take a Ford’s dust.”

Hot-rodders soon discovered that 65 horsepower and a 75-mile-an-hour top speed were merely the start for the V-8. On dry lake beds, racers in California clocked nearly 130 m.p.h. before World War II. The flathead V-8 was also the engine of choice on dragstrips and oval tracks.

Funkengroovin Wednesday: Funkengroovin in Giza (here's a preview.)

The Citadel

Mosque of Sulayman Pasha courtyard























Muhammed Ali Mosque central courtyard (below)








Helmet from the Police Museum




Saturday we went to the Citadel for our first visit. Arriving just before 10:00 AM there were buses, but no real crowds. About 15 minutes after arriving, the sweat started to pour down drenching pretty much every piece of clothing. Water and other drinks, including non-alcoholic beer, are available from kiosks situated near the various sights. Fortunately someone thought of also strategically setting up trash containers and ashtrays.

We each took a camera and I packed several bandannas. I had read there was a surcharge for cameras - no, at least, not on this day. The cost was 120 Egyptian Pounds for three people. As usual security requires you go through pretty much the same steps you do when flying, i.e. scanned bags and metal detector entrances.

The Citadel is what I would call enormous. You could spend a whole day there, or at least a good part of the day, depending on weather. The prison cells were open, contrary to another post I read on a travel site. Had it not been so hot, we might have stayed longer, but when we arrived home around 1:00 PM or so, the digital thermometer on our back porch registered at 98 degrees, in the shade. Sure enough, as the guidebooks say, there is a wonderful breeze at the Citadel, but it took several hours for my hair to dry after I returned home.

Numerous sites exist inside the compound, including the Muhammed Ali Mosque and the Mosque of Sulayman Pasha, a Police Museum, Military Museum, jail cells, a view of Cairo, which would've been great if it had not been so smoggy. And while you could spend a great deal of time in amazement at a few sites, some are hardly worth the bother. Strangely enough, several of the workers must have been bored. A policeman toured us through the police museum in the little English he knew and the doorman at the Mosque of Sulayman Pasha was extremely informative and helpful, taking us to the best photo areas of the central courtyard and telling us all about the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders topping off the columns of varietal stones. Truly amazing and given his little knowledge of English, he knew exactly what to say to catch our interest. This smallish mosque is amazing - all the detail, cultures and time periods that went into building it, are a story alone. Needless to say, he spotted us a mile away!

I'd like to return to spend some more time at both the mosques and go to the Military Museum, which we decided to skip, since we were literally drenched and exhausted. Several buildings were undergoing renovation and new tiles were being laid around the Mosque of Muhammed Ali.

Next stop, Giza - again!












As usual trash and junk persist to dominate the sites. An Italian restaurant, food and drink kiosks, souvenir shops abound. Actually the souvenir shop in this photo is situated in an excellent place to sit, and put your shoes back on after visiting the Muhammed Ali Mosque.



























Lady in the photo on the left is dressed "inappropriately" and would have to don one of the green Abayas seen in the photo on the right (she walked right in front of my beautiful photo, mucking it up with her ass).

Let me add, that the Citadel is quite liberal in this respect. The man in the photo on the right (wearing shorts) would've gotten bitch slapped by the monks at Meteora for attempting to go into the monastery in such attire. Photo on the left is outside the Muhammed Ali Mosque and the photo on the right is inside the central courtyard of the mosque.





















Airplane from the Military Museum, outdoor exhibit.

More pics here.

Weekend News Roundup

Take it for what it is.


Sorry, but I spent a few hours at the Citadel, in scorching heat. I think you are all capable of reading the headlines and short quotes for yourselves. Suffice it to say, I am wiped out! I hope to get a photo blog together about our self guided tour. Maybe I forgot to mention the kids are in town too, complicating all sorts of daily life, which is actually a good thing, since it takes my mind off of Doggie's passing. On the other hand, the kids have taken to the Strange Cat on my Porch / Chair (feral - check out my flickr site), and have been baiting him with smoked salmon. More on that later, as well.


I'm not even going to bother separating the original quotes into the proper paragraphs this week. I just don't have the energy. Looks like Firefox did that for me, but if you're browser displays massive paragraphs, then you know what happened. Needless to say, any derogatory articles about the U.S.A. are embarrassing and we need need to fix it. What we don't need are stories about how we mistreat our expat workers in Iraq (much less in the U.S.) Someone tell me how far are we from slave labor in Iraq? And why are we allowing the abuses of the Gulf States expat worker practices to be carried out by our own government / contractors?


Islam in Europe:

In Europe, skylines reflect the rise of Islam

After decades of worshiping in basements and courtyards, Muslims are building hundreds of new mosques across the continent.

WIESBADEN, GERMANY - In the Rhine Valley city of Mannheim, the glittering minaret of Germany's biggest mosque overshadows what was once the region's most vibrant church, testifying to Muslims' new confidence as Christian churches are closing down.

Major mosque projects from Cologne, Germany, to Amsterdam to Seville, Spain, have met with fierce opposition and fears that they will serve as breeding grounds for terrorists. Family members of two of the suspects in the Glasgow, Scotland, car bombings this month said the men had been radicalized by Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic revivalist group with plans for an 18-acre complex near London's 2012 Olympic stadium that would house Europe's largest mosque.

Only a handful existed 10 years ago, but today 159 mosques dot Germany today, with 184 under construction, according to the Central Institute for Islamic Archives in Söst.

Vatican City: Islam a Threat, Pope’s Adviser Says

Msgr. Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict XVI’s secretary and close adviser, warned of the Islamization of Europe and stressed the need for the Continent’s Christian roots not to be ignored. In comments released in advance of an interview to be published today in the German weekly Süeddeutsche Magazin, he said: “Attempts to Islamize the West cannot be denied. The danger for the identity of Europe that is connected with it should not be ignored out of a wrongly understood respectfulness.” He also defended a speech Benedict gave last year linking Islam and violence, saying it was an attempt by the pope to “act against a certain naïveté.”

Exapt Workers:

Foreign Workers Abused at Embassy, Panel Told

Foreign workers lived in tightly packed trailers and had "insufficient equipment and basic needs -- stuff like shoes and gloves," Owens said.

They worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and made as little as $240 a month, he said. They were "verbally and physically abused" and had their salaries docked for petty infractions, he added.

Rory J. Mayberry, an emergency medical technician who worked briefly at the embassy site under a subcontract, testified that he was asked by First Kuwaiti managers to escort 51 Filipinos through the Kuwait airport and onto a flight to Baghdad. However, "all of our tickets said we were going to Dubai," he said, adding that a First Kuwaiti manager instructed him not to tell any of the Filipinos that they were going to Baghdad.

He said the men were basically "kidnapped by First Kuwaiti to work on the U.S. Embassy." Their passports had been confiscated, and they were driven away on buses after landing in Baghdad, then were "smuggled into the Green Zone," he said.

Culture:

Two Cultures, Slowly Uniting In Matrimony

The result has been the rise of a hybrid wedding scene in which ever more Caucasian couples eschew pastels in favor of South Asian reds; Middle Eastern and African couples use the ornate South Asian wedding canopies known as mandaps; and South Asian couples include bridesmaids, unthinkable in India or Pakistan.

"It's been fascinating to watch the cross-cultural exchange going on," said Sachi Sood, 27, of Gaithersburg-based Partyland Flowers & Event Decorators. "I feel like I'm witnessing the melting pot in action."

With the melting comes a few misfires, of course. When Foxchase Manor, a wedding hall in Manassas, hosted its first Hindu wedding, the havan, or sacred fire, nearly set off the ballroom's sprinklers.

At Filipino weddings, Cisek is careful to get almost as many photographs of the couple's ninong and ninang -- godparent-like figures -- as she takes of the parents.

For Muslim weddings at which male and female guests celebrate in separate rooms, Cisek dons modest long sleeves and skirts. And she uses only women to process the photos because it would be improper for men who are not related to the female guests to look at them.

Cisek has also learned never to suggest that a Nigerian woman put down her purse for a formal group shot. "A lot of times the purse is considered an essential part of the outfit, along with matching shoes and these fabulous, enormous head wraps," she explained.

Travel:

Suitcases: a window on the traveler's soul

A guide to packing predicaments, from sartorial crises to rides on the baggage carousel.

THE OH-NO-NOT-ANOTHER-BLACK-BAG PACKER: Round and round they go on every baggage carousel: an endless circle of black suitcases, each without any identifying mark. "I know what my bag looks like," the owner insists. Yet he picks up each one to make sure it isn't his – then tosses it back so carelessly that the real owner must scramble onto the still-revolving carousel to retrieve it before it goes around again ... and again ... and ...

A Withered Greek Summer Festival Bursts Into Bloom

The complex at the heart of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival has been transformed from a moribund event into a vibrant arts experience.

Censorship:

Snow demands reporter change 'twisted words' in article

Referring to Snow's words on Wednesday to Kinsolving, Farah writes, "This is a rebuke, and a threat, and an attempt to control Les Kinsolving and WND's right to ask questions at the White House."

Oddly, Farah complains that longtime correspondent Helen Thomas has been "treated with with respect – even deference by Snow," when compared to Kinsolving. However, the most notable occurrences inside the briefing room the last few years have been the contentious battles between Thomas and the White House secretary, including the time when Snow thanked her "for the Hezbollah view."

Farah's column also announces that "Kinsolving will no longer attend" the "Tony-Snow-censored White House news briefings."

Study: Internet censorship spreading

"Recent moves against free speech on the Internet in a number of countries have provided a bitter reminder of the ease with which some regimes, democracies and dictatorships alike, seek to suppress speech that they disapprove of, dislike, or simply fear," the report by the 56-nation OSCE said.

"Speaking out has never been easier than on the Web. Yet at the same time, we are witnessing the spread of Internet censorship," the 212-page report said

.

Israeli textbooks anger nationalists

ABU GHOSH, ISRAEL - When Issa Jaber was teaching civics and history, he tried as much as possible to stick to the books. The texts, issued by the Israeli Ministry of Education, teach the history of the Jewish state's establishment in 1948 from a natural perspective – its Zionist founders.

Except that for an Arab teacher to stand in front of a classroom and speak about Israel's War of Independence and not mention that Palestinians call the same event the Nakba (Catastrophe) isn't so natural. Recognizing that, this week Israel's Minister of Education approved an Arabic textbook mentioning the Nakba, a move that is garnering applause in some corners and outrage in others.

This article seems very similar to one I posted previously.
Sarkozy's tight circle of media friends

The concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few well-connected industrialists has been building for years. But the circles of influence, wealth, and political power have converged to an unusual degree in Mr. Sarkozy's France. This month, the country's richest man, who was also the best man at the president's wedding 11 years ago, is negotiating to buy France's leading financial newspaper, Les Échos.

Photos embarrassing to Sarkozy have been suppressed, and unflattering articles pulled before publication. Sarkozy has denied meddling, but whether they were prompted by direct interference from above or self-censorship on the part of overly cautious editors, the incidents have set off newsroom protests.

Among Sarkozy's intimates is Serge Dassault, owner of the historically conservative Le Figaro newspaper and a senator from the president's right-wing party. Martin Bouygues, godfather to Sarkozy's youngest son, controls the biggest French television channel, TF1. A string of media properties is also owned by Arnaud Lagardère, an aerospace company chairman who once said he and Sarkozy were as close as brothers. Journalists at his publications have repeatedly accused Mr. Lagardère of politically motivated interference.

The latest focus of journalists' suspicion is Bernard Arnault, chairman of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. The prospect of him controlling Les Échos is causing as much journalistic angst here as Rupert Murdoch's impending purchase of The Wall Street Journal in the US.

Bad News Tests China's Propaganda Arm

After a meeting of top Beijing propaganda officials, for instance, the capital's newspaper editors and television news directors last week were handed a list of newly off-limits subjects, Beijing journalists reported. The list included food safety as well as riots, fires, deadly auto accidents and bloody murder cases, they said.

"Our bosses said the next couple of months, preceding the 17th Party Congress, will be very tense," a Beijing reporter said after getting the new instructions.

In Memoriam

Spirit In The Sky 

Beware: This is not a poem!!!!

I miss Doggie sitting in the kitchen, staring intently,

slobbering while I cook dinner
I miss Doggie's look of appreciation for a dinner she loved,

and making the kitchen floor sloppy as all hell

I miss tripping over Doggie in the kitchen when she lays

down in the most inconvenient spot
I miss Doggie stealing a guest's chair at the table,
while they got seconds from the kitchen
I miss Doggie's howls
when the elevator in Baku took too long
I miss Doggie pissing in the elevator in Baku,
just before the biggest snob stepped inside
I miss Doggie talking to me, howling, yowling
and letting me know her thoughts
I miss Doggie spooning with me, jumping on the bed,

cold nose to nose with me, and then relaxing together
I miss Doggie sticking her tongue in Boss Man's mouth
when she thought she was hot, and I was not
I miss Doggie following me around, endlessly,

room to room as if I'd suddenly disappear
I miss Doggie annoying the fuck out of me
at all hours, because she was getting old
and needed to piss
I miss Doggie's smiles when she was happy, I regret seeing

her sad looks when she saw me leaving with packed bags
I miss Doggie running, skidding onto a carpet,
or on the bed, rolling around,
rollicking in joy, and barking - woof, woof!
I miss everything there is about Doggie,

her smell, soft hair, and bad breath
I just miss my Doggie

We went to visit Doggie's grave on Saturday. We preferred that she be cremated so we could do as we please with her ashes. That's not an option here. Here's pics of Doggie's grave. I suspect, because they have two sites, separated by a central park, that the females and males are in segregated areas (that's just a guess). Each site has a plant, to represent life's rebirth after death (I'm not happy with the spiky plant. I would've chosen something a bit more feminine - like a small hibiscus tree, a rose bush, something with flowers.) Given the fact that we didn't have any choice, I have to live with it. At least here, she has company.

Thirteen and a half years ago, our daughter was attending a once a week "non-sectarian" Bible Study group, after school. Since Boss Man is a fallen away Catholic, and I'm a disgruntled Greek Orthodox, when our neighbor approached us about Bible Studies (non-sectarian,) we thought it was a "good thing."  We had hoped that our daughter would learn about the Bible, and not be preached to.

In 1994, our Number One Doggie passed away. Awesome Daughter, who was nine at the time, sadly went to Bible Studies.

The teacher asked her, "What's wrong Awesome Daughter? Why are you so down in the dumps?"

Awesome Daughter told her about how Number One Doggie died, but how she was okay with it, since Doggie was in heaven.

Teacher said, "Dogs don't go to heaven. Who told you that!"

Oh, gee, let me guess who told her that - maybe her parents who were trying to ease the pain from the loss of a dog; a dog that helped both children learn how to walk; helped both kids learn how to fight for food (like by grabbing it right out of his mouth, and then back into theirs); and helped two kids learn what loving and caring is. That incident turned Awesome Daughter away from religion, a religion that professes love for every living creature:

Genesis 9:8-9. Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: "I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you - the birds, the livestock, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you - every living Creature on the earth."

Genesis 9:12-13. And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Ohh, and I would like to thank the thoughtless bitch, by dedicating a video to both Number One Doggie and most recently deceased Vagabondblogger Doggie. There is nothing for me to say, that would describe my feelings towards the heartless depiction of religion this bitch displayed that day to my daughter. 

Now a video, dedicated to them all - not just to the Vagabondblogger Doggies, but to all creatures of the earth, great and small:


Gareth Gates and the Kumars, Spirit in the sky

Funkengroovin Wednesday - Pimp My Ride

Here's a 1971 Beetle that's been "pimped out" by the young man who owns it. He found most of his supplies at Arabcom Car Styling, and did most of the work himself. I tried to take pretty comprehensive photos, so each picture should speak for itself. There's some color compromise, as I took the photos at night, and for some reason, I keep encountering distortions (especially with the flash). 

This may not exactly be the "Pimp My Ride" result produced by MTV, but it is a pretty damn thorough Bug re-do, involving a new engine, ricaro style seats by simota, xenon lights, custom speakers and wheels. 

Even though Pimp My Ride is setting up shop amongst the riches of Dubai, they would be much more appreciated in here Cairo, from what I've seen. Granted they can rake in big bucks down there, from the Emiratis who have loads of money to throw away, but here in Cairo, are the true car lovers and preservers (bastardizers, pimps, and tricksters). Take no offense at those terms, because the guys here have truly made over their VW's to the point where you can't tell what year the car was released. They do what they can, with what they have on hand, and we should all give them kudos!

Pimp My Ride, Cairo! That has a nice sound to it. Now if only we could convince them to come.












































































Sting feat. Cheb Mami - Desert Rose (Original)

Funkengroovin News

I decided to cut the news from the photo blog this week, due to the amount of both news, and photos. Photos of my most recent Cairo find will be posted in a separate blog.



A friend sent me this photo. It's a police car, double-parked, with a boot attached - only in Egypt!




We are failing

BUNGLING Top Gear stars were slammed by coastguards after trying to sail the Channel in three cars.

Two of the specially-adapted vehicles sank within minutes of leaving Dover.

Presenters James May and Richard Hammond had to hitch a lift on Jeremy Clarkson’s Nissan 4x4, which had an outboard motor tacked on.

Daredevil Hammond, 37, had attached a propeller to a VW camper van while May, 44, adapted a Triumph Herald into a sailing boat.

No-one from the BBC was available for comment. The episode is on BBC2 in the autumn.

Can VW Finally Find Its Way In America?

Dealers think VW blew a golden opportunity when it chose not to introduce an updated version of the wildly popular Microbus from the '60s and '70s. Instead, the company is launching a repackaged, Volkswagen-branded, Chrysler (DCX ) minivan. Casey Gunther, VW's top-selling U.S. dealer, in Coconut Creek, Fla., is worried. "We're missing the funkiness" that U.S. buyers expect from VW, he says. "The Germans don't understand." And unlike in Europe, affluent buyers don't see VW as an aspirational brand.

Rx for VW USA

The brand needs a piece of showroom excitement that draws on VW's history to enliven the brand and juice up VW enthusiasts. The Microbus would have been the right design.

As much love as Volkswagen fans have had for the brand, since 2000 owners have become more vociferous on the Internet about their problems. They are increasingly less willing to put up with bad service and problems that land their cars in the shop.

I have heard VW executives jokingly refer to glitchy vehicles as "Monday cars," which are cars built by workers on Monday morning after a weekend of revelry. I have never heard Toyota or Honda speak of Monday cars. In any case, the problem is worse than that. VW ranks in the bottom fifth of J.D. Power's rankings for initial quality (first three months), vehicle dependability (first three years of ownership), and sales satisfaction (service). (Like BusinessWeek, J.D. Power is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP).)

Egyptian best-seller brings to literary sphere wisdom of Cairo's taxi drivers

CAIRO, Egypt: Most Cairenes see the city's army of taxi drivers as rude and conniving, overcharging their passengers for uncomfortable rides in aging cabs. But first-time author Khaled el-Khamissy saw them as the lens through which to view all Egypt's woes.

His book "Taxi, Tales of Rides" has become a best seller in Egypt, recounting nearly 60 dialogues between el-Khamissy and Cairo cabbies that unmask some of the darkest sides of Egypt — dictatorship, police brutality, corruption and exclusion.

"Taxi" is based on el-Khamissy's conversations with cabbies over a year ending March 2006 — a period when many in Egypt saw hope in a series of anti-Mubarak protests by pro-democracy activists seeking change, only to see it dashed when the 79-year-old leader won a fifth, six-year term in office and his party won a large majority in a general election marred by fraud.

The mirror that the drivers hold up to Cairo life has made el-Khamissy's book a surprise hit. Since it was published earlier this year, it has sold more than 35,000 copies, a best-seller by Egypt's standards, and is in its fifth edition.

It will soon be published in English, and there are plans to make it into a TV series.

Around the world, by road

How an adventurous duo travelled thousands of kilometres — and through dozens of countries — in their car?

At a time when the trend is to notch up air-miles, this medico couple decided to do it differently — notch up over 20,000 km on ground. It was a dream they nursed for nearly two years, before they could put it in action, having gathered enough money to set off on their own!

In terms of red tape, Egypt made up for all the countries that they passed through. “We spent over six hours at Customs to get the paperwork sorted. Running from one window to another, paying endless fees, getting the locals to fill out Arabic forms, fixing Arabic registration plates to our car, emptying out our luggage for the sniffer dogs, the hot afternoon was endless...” remembers Gopaldas.

Driving in Egypt was less harrowing though. Despite checkpoints at every corner, the locals were as friendly as those in Syria or Jordan.

My Volkswagen runs on veggie oil

Chantale Doyle needs fuel, but she's not looking for a gas station.

Instead, she steers her Volkswagen van down a narrow, graffitied Toronto alley and parks behind a pub. She walks past the flies buzzing around the recycling bin and peels the lid off a 60-gallon steel drum.

Ignoring the Tim Hortons cup and plastic bags floating on the surface, she peers at the viscous, cola-coloured liquid. "Ooh," she says appraisingly. "That's totally usable."

A few minutes later, and with permission from the slightly bewildered pub manager, she's pumping the used restaurant grease into a plastic container, from which it will fuel her diesel van as she drives to Vancouver.

Any diesel car can be converted to run on veggie oil. In fact, Rudolf Diesel used peanut oil for fuel when he invented the engine in the 1890s. Converting a diesel engine requires installing a second fuel tank and a mechanism to heat the oil so that it's thin enough when it enters the engine.

She bought her van off eBay, and has spent the past three months living in it as she travels through the United States and Canada, talking to people about her veggie van. (She cooks up fries in the van, gives away the food and then shows people how the used oil powers her ride.)

Gales, tent pegs and ear plugs: the perils of being an Alpha Mummy

Which leads me, inevitably, to our recent weekend camping trip. I was persuaded to go by an intrepid friend; she had a camper van and would provide me with a tent; what did I mean, I’d never been camping? How could I deprive my children of such an essential experience? That did it, of course.

An extraordinary buzz has enveloped camping this year. You can’t get a word in edgeways at dinner parties without hearing people droning on about Cath Kidston tents, VW camper vans and the stunning field in the West Country where you have to know the farmer but which is the only place for a really authentic camping experience. I conjured visions of an Arcadian idyll that was a cross between Enid Blyton and the Boden catalogue.

VW developing electronic sun-visor embedded in windshield

It's an electronic sun visor. Similar to those auto-dimming rear-view mirrors or opaquing sunroofs seen on Maybachs and the like, this is a system embedded in the windshield glass that tints only a portion of the window exactly where it's needed. It's described as an electronic anti-glare system and uses an "electronic matrix" that is controlled by a computer. Ok, sure

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The American Muslim

As stated in my Weekend Update Prelude, this week The Washington Post, Slate and Newsweek are coordinating efforts to host a discussion about Islam, called "Muslims Speak Out." Newsweek has already issued it's Special Edition and WaPo has started it's weeklong special with Ali Gomaa: Jihad Misunderstood, Misapplied; ABDUALLAH AL-ASKAR: Terrorist Acts an Abomination; MERVE KAVAKCI:Women's Rights or Privileges?; CHANDRA MUZAFFAR: Free to Believe, or Not; By Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn: Why "Muslims Speak Out" Matters; Interfaith Dialogue, Understanding Vital to All




Warning: Listen Up! The sound on this video is not good. (Also, if it quits working, you can get the link on the main Newsweek, Islam in America page.)






Check out: Islam in America, A Special Report with the following articles: (all links available on the main article page)

The Ideals We Share

Internet Imams: Inside the Cyber-Jihad

What It's Like to Wear the Hijab in the U.S.

On Faith: Muslims Speak Out on Violence, Human Rights, Religion

Photo Gallery: Portraits of a Community

Video: The American Muslim

Graphic: Where They Come From

Muslims and Soccer: A High School Controversy

Poll: Americans Are Mixed on U.S. Muslims

Slam Dancing for Allah

Live Talk: Islam in America

Weekend News Roundup

My personal favorite from this week has got to be: TSA Moron Mistakes iPod Charger for Bomb Equipment.  This just displays the intellectual capacity of the average TSA worker and, just leads us deeper into the Stupid Well.  On the other hand, who would be so insane, and so addicted to their iPod that the normal battery time isn't enough?  With TSA questioning geeks and their inventions at a regular pace, our lives are invariably going to be more frustrating.  I like people who can make their own stuff like at make.com, but just like I say to the fat lady in the bikini - put it in the backyard.  Nobody wants to see that shit, especially at security in an airport.   You're doing nobody service making us miserable having to live with your addictions / ego.  And to the TSA workers, "go back to working at KMART!"

Antiquities:

More on Marbles in Motion

This is called architecture as moral pressure. 

Fashionable Fundies / Hijab:

The New Swimsuit Issue
Move over, Tankini. Since the full-coverage swimsuit dubbed the Burqini (as in burqa plus bikini) hit the international market in January, devout Muslim women have been snapping them up. T

The Stupid Well aka Passports / Gate Rape:
TSA Moron Mistakes Ipod Charger For Bomb Equipment


U.S. Will Allow Most Types of Lighters on Planes
Aviation authorities concluded that it was a waste of time to search for the lighters before passengers boarded.

Lawmakers said that if Mr. Reid had used a lighter, instead of matches, he might have been able to ignite the bomb, but Kip Hawley, assistant secretary for the Transportation Security Administration, said in an interview on Thursday that the ban had done little to improve aviation security because small batteries could be used to set off a bomb.

Matches have never been prohibited on flights.

“Taking lighters away is security theater,” Mr. Hawley said. “It trivializes the security process.” The policy change, which is to go into effect on Aug. 4, applies to disposable butane lighters, like Bics, and refillable lighters, like Zippos. Torch lighters, which have thin, hotter flames, will continue to be banned. A ban on liquids in containers greater than three ounces, which was imposed last summer after the disruption of a plot based in London to blow up planes headed to the United States, will remain in effect, but the security agency will modify its rules related to breast milk. Passengers will be allowed to carry breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint. Currently, breast milk is allowed only if a passenger is traveling with an infant. In late 2005, security officials lifted a ban on small scissors, screwdrivers and other small tools, making a similar argument that searching for them was a waste of time. 

In the coming months, the agency will install new equipment intended to improve its ability to intercept explosives. The new equipment will include advanced X-ray machines that rapidly examine carry-on bags from many angles, making it easier to identify bomb components, and hand-held devices that can determine whether a liquid might be explosive. 

International Politics: 

Why Did the Cairene Cross the Road? 

To the uninitiated, Cairo traffic is ferocious and dangerous. (The July 17 New York Times described it as "chaos.") Yet Cairenes think nothing of walking in the street (unavoidable, given the dilapidated or nonexistent state of sidewalks in many areas), darting across four lanes of traffic, and wading into masses of oncoming cars, buses, and trucks. Although Egypt has its share of traffic deaths (about 6,000 per year, not too much more than Turkey—a country of roughly comparable population—which averages 4,500 traffic fatalities a year), most Cairenes seem fearless. After a few months, even I had no problem ambling through traffic along Cairo's central axes. Why? Well, I didn't go to Egyptian driving school, and I didn't study Cairo's traffic laws, because they don't matter much. Instead, like most Cairenes, I became habituated to the informal rules of the road. I eventually grew to learn—after quite a few near misses—when to cross a busy street, when to stay put, when a car would swerve, and when it wouldn't. As a result, Cairo traffic doesn't look so menacing to me anymore. 

The point of all this is not simply to reminisce, but to point out one of the least understood but critically important factors that influence politics: informal institutions. These uncodified rules shape people's behaviors and expectations and contrast with formal institutions—such as constitutions, laws, decrees, and regulations—that also frame the way people think and act.

Muslims in America: 

From Muslim Youths, a Push for Change

Participants at Unprecedented Summit With U.S. Officials Confront Extremist Images Attending what Muslim American activists say is the highest-level meeting ever between Muslim American youths and U.S. officials, Mohamed Sabur couldn't help but notice a frustrating paradox. Part of what motivated the 23-year-old to leave computer science for politics was anger at seeing his community constantly defined by extreme topics such as religious violence. And yet Sabur sat last week through unprecedented meetings with officials from the departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice, and one subject kept coming up: Muslim American youth radicalization. A video accessible on same page, as well. 

Articles On Egypt:

 Mahfouz Illuminates Hidden Horrors 

Like Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon" or Victor Serge's "The Case of Comrade Tulayev," this fierce yet subtle novel lays bare the worst evil of totalitarian states. The evil lies not solely in the sudden arrests, the interrogations, and tortures, all of which are conveyed in stammered disclosures in "Café Karnak" — a device that gives them the impact of testimony — but in the way in which state terror contaminates its victims. Friendship becomes suspect and love is riddled with mistrust. In the characters of Qurunfula, the retired dancer who runs the café (and whose name means "clove," a fragrant but biting spice), the young dreamers Isma'il and Zaynab, as well as the sinister Khalid Safwan, we witness the relentless extinction of hope. 

Female circumcision holds sway in Egypt 

Cairo: To Sayeda, a mother of three girls, the Egyptian authorities' high-profile campaign to eradicate the age-old practice of female circumcision is due to "Western pressure". "My three girls have already been circumcised because this protects their chastity and is in line with our religious teachings," says Sayeda, a 38-year-old Muslim, who lives in a slum on the outskirts of Cairo. "My neighbours have circumcised their girls too. I have been told that only Jews do not circumcise their girls." 

Egypt: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere

In other words, the Egyptians aren't merely sitting in front of their computer screens, blogging about the change they'd like to see happen — they are deeply committed to being a part of the process. By acting as watchdogs on the government and on the country's mainstream media, they have gained credibility beyond their local audience and attracted the attention of regional and international media that is following their every move.

Egypt: Inside the school of the Egyptian blogosphere (Part 2)
In order to better understand this highly organized Egyptian blogosphere and how bloggers perceive their role in this new, turbulent phase in their country's history, on March 15, 2007, I talked to three young Egyptian bloggers and activists: Rami Siam, Arabesque and Amr Gharbeia.



Internet Anonymity (Not!):

On the Internet, everyone may find you're a dog
Anonymity on the Web may seem attractive, but how you use it raises interesting ethical dilemmas.

There is also that nasty ethical issue: Just because you can write under a pseudonym doesn't mean you should, especially if it compromises your integrity or threatens your company.

Avoiding the use of pseudonyms online is not just good advice for public figures, it works for everyone. The freedom of the Internet doesn't mean you can do whatever you want without consequence. Many ways exist to trace "anonymous" posts. The Los Angeles Times, for example, used Internet addresses to trace Hiltzik's postings back to his work computer.

When speaking about the Internet at conferences or seminars, I give this advice about e-mail, posting comments in a forum, or sending instant messages: Don't write anything online that you would not like to see on the front page of The New York Times. Ask Bill Gates: That's where his e-mails ended up during the Microsoft antitrust case in the late 1990s.

On the Internet nobody may know you're a dog. But don't count on the fact that someone won't be able to find out where that dog lives.

Censorship: 

How Porn and Family-Friendly Photos Coexist on Flickr 

A country in crisis as fearful government cracks down on Islamist opposition 

Mubarak's obsession with Muslim Brotherhood deals blow to multiparty politics

House Committee Examines Human Rights in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Cuba

Weekend News Roundup - Prelude

CNN is hosting a debate for the Democratic Party Presidential Nominees and asking people to submit questions: Your voice wanted in historic election debates

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For the first time in presidential debate history, user-generated video will drive two unprecedented debates.

On July 23 at 7 p.m. ET, the Democratic candidates for president will face your questions. No journalists. No panelists. No filters.

Just the people's questions and the candidate's answers. The Democratic candidates will be confronted with the questions you send in via YouTube.

CNN's Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour debates and pose follow-up questions.

You will be able to submit questions on YouTube until July 22. The site includes the questions sent so far along with some tips on how to help get your video chosen

Immediately after the debate, user questions and candidate answers will be featured on YouTube and the full debate video will be available for viewing on CNN.com. Also, on both sides, people will be able to engage in community features, extending the life of the debates, and participating in the ongoing political dialogue.

So, participate and add your voice to this historic event. Watch the debates live online or on air on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, CNN Radio and CNN Airport Network.

Here's a sample question which mimics the iPhone ads: CNN Debate Question


On Faith' Hosts Online Dialogue With Muslim Leaders About Terrorism and Human Rights
I linked to an "On Faith" video previously, in reference to why some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab. This coming week The Washington Post, Slate and Newsweek are coordinating efforts to host a discussion about Islam, called "Muslims Speak Out." For a short description, see quotes below. For the full article, go here.

Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive announced today that several leading Muslim clerics and thinkers from around the globe will participate in an unprecedented online dialogue about their religion, terrorism and human rights on the joint washingtonpost.com and Newsweek blog "On Faith," which explores the intersection of religion and culture. The event, "Muslims Speak Out," is being presented in conjunction with Georgetown University and will run from Sunday, July 22 through Friday, July 27. http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/

The Washington Post Company will coordinate across its national media outlets to cover this critically important topic, each featuring unique stories and reporting. On Sunday, July 22, The Washington Post's Outlook section will run articles about Islam and its religious tenets; the issue of Newsweek on newsstands on Monday, July 23, will feature this in its news coverage; and the entire week of July 22 the online magazine Slate.com will cover the topic through text and photography features. Post/Newsweek television stations across the country will also participate in the event, and content from On Faith will also run in newspapers around the world that are part of The Independent Media Group.

All of the panel's participants will also be able to respond to comments and questions left by readers, creating a dialogue and a bridge to mutual understanding.

Scheduled to contribute pieces are President Jimmy Carter; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; former South African leader Nelson Mandela; Congressman Keith Ellison (the only Muslim member of Congress); University of Chicago professor Martin Marty; Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia; and John L. Esposito, Dr. Akbar Ahmed, Judea Pearl, and Bishop John Chane who will discuss together the relationship between Muslims, Jews, and Christians.

Among the best-known prominent Muslim thinkers and religious leaders expected to take part in this event:

-- Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, one of the leading Shi'ite Muslim religious authorities in the Islamic world, and a former spiritual adviser to the Lebanese Shi'ite resistance movement, Hezbollah;
-- Tariq Ramadan, professor of Islamic Studies and senior research fellow at Oxford University. Selected by Time magazine as one of the world's top 100 thinkers and scientists in 2005, Ramadan relinquished his appointment to a tenured professorship at Notre Dame University in 2004 after the U.S. government revoked his visa;
-- Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the Mufti of Egypt and a leading Sunni Muslim religious authority;
-- Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia; and
-- Sheikh Rashid Rashid al-Ghannoushi, the Muslim intellectual and exiled leader of Tunisia's Islamist opposition movement who is widely considered an Islamic radical in his native country.