In A Rainbow

Today Moe and I went to the beach . We brought sandwiches to eat as we enjoyed the view.A storm (another one) blew in suddenly . Rain so thick we couldn't see the end of the car . Wind so strong it was rocking the car .The beach started to flood , so we drove away.We headed west , turning around back toward the east to go home. As we drove down the road a huge rainbow appeared low in the sky. Then another rainbow formed above the first , followed by yet another rainbow, high over the first two rainbows . Three rainbows , one on top of the other. I have never seen such a sight before . Too bad we didn't have a camera.

The most awesome thing occurred while driving home ..... we discovered we were inside the lowest rainbow. We were in the violet spectrum of the rainbow. The light was so clear .We felt like we were inside a room filled with a warmish  blue-white light. I know that sounds weird but it is true.I don't think we will forget that experience ever.

The Last 3 Days

Phew ! A lot has happened is the last several days . Hum....It has rained here in Tripoli off and on for the last  48 hours . Probably had more rain than all of last year? It seems like it.It began to thunder and lighting in the early hours of Monday the 3rd. Then around 8 a.m. the storm slammed into the Condo with hurricane force winds , slashing rains , thunder that rocked the building , and lighting so close it was at times in the Condo. Scared the you know what outta of us , Patches La Chat included !The bathroom window flew open and I had to climb into the tub to close the window , all the while being under threat of electrocution from the lighting .The winds were so strong I had to use my entire body weight to force the window closed so I could lock it shut.THEN... the shower curtain falls onto my head . Nice . And while I was trying to close the window uttering choice words at the top of my lungs , Patches our cat, choose that time to have a nervous break down in the hall outside the bathroom door.She was totally traumatized from the thunder.Moe was standing there watching me and the cat laughing his head off. I didn't speak to him for an hour.

This is a picture of the freeway in Tripoli under water on Monday.Go here for more pictures.

What else? The new Libyan Situation Report is out. This report gave us some good news and some sad news . Good news 1st..... they caught and arrested Moussa Ibrahim who was the Ghadaffy spokes person , a.k.a. The Liar . YEAH !!! You must remember him. He was the one that came on TV and said no one was getting killed .His song should be , " Would I Lie To You Baby"? And it is alleged that he was dressed as a woman when captured sneaking out of Sirte.Must be a good and close friend of Saadi Ghadaffy ,lol.

The sad news , well in my eyes it is ..... A Libyan war freedom fighter , who just happens to be a Libyan Jew ( yes it could happen) came to Tripoli with , he says , the NTC permission. He came to clean out the Tripoli Old City Synagogue of trash that has accumulated in it since the last of the Libyan Jews were forced to leave Libya by Ghadaffy in 1969.Mr. David Gerbi  was of course stopped. He asks the question, as do I , will the New Libya be a tolerant place to live or not?

Ok , here is how I feel about the Libyan Jews returning to Libya . If they don't live in Israel and never have , ok . If  they don't support Israel in anyway shape, form, or fashion , ok .If they are willing to return here and live peacefully as Libyans and not a crusading Jews, ok.They are Libyans that have been living in forced exile and want to return home like everyone else.You should read the article to get a better picture .

In the article on the Libyan  Jewish  Freedom fighter , Jalil was quoted as saying ,"Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said. "Everyone who holds Libyan nationality has the right to enjoy all rights, provided that he has no other nationality but Libyan." The thing with this statement is that many Libyans are living abroad with dual Libyan citizenship, including some  members of the NTC.  About yen years or more years ago , Libyans were told that they could hold dual citizenship in certain circumstances.Jalil is a lawyer and should know the law.

And last but definitely not the least .....If you are Libyan , living in the USA , here is a survey for you to take.
A quote from the survey introduction says :"The objective of this survey is the following: 1. Gather demographic data on the Libyan community in the US and collect contact information 2. Get a sense of where Libyans in the US get their source of information or updates on Libya 3. Assess all the Libyan organizations or groups in the US 4. Gauge the Libyan community’s interest in developing an umbrella organization or an assembly of Libyan American associations to unify the Libyan voice in the US." This is a very serious matter. Please take the time to do the survey.

BABYCAKES !

Everyone loves babies , especially if you are not the one that has to change their diapers ,lol.Got this as a email and thought it might brighten your day .Enjoy !

Everyone loves A Good Song with Feeling.

I will slap you silly!!!

Original Gang Sign.

Sup, G?

Is that edible?

WHATEVER MAN…

That’s right baby...I still got it.

Get Outta My FACE!!!

OH! C-c-c-cold Wipes!

I can’t believe this place...

Tonight you die in your sleep!

Yeah… I just farted!

Tell me she did NOT just say that!!


 

No More" Wasta" Favoritism

Mohamed and I were out riding around in Tagura today talking about the new possibilities in the NEW LIBYA. He was saying that if a new policy was made and enforced that nepotism and "wasta" ( who you know) was thrown out the window , then with in one year or less , Libya would be fully functional ,at the very least we would have better drivers on the roads .

This evening I read a report from The Libyan Outreach Group on just this subject.I will post it here for you to read . See if you don't agree with the writes of this article from the Libyan Situation Report .

Situation Report:

 

Libya - September 28, 2011

 

Executive Summary

Highlights
 Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) employees protest outside offices in Tripoli saying they want a clean break from the past regime Article

Newly appointed staff from the NCO are being protested against as they are perceived to be unqualified for their positions. NOC employees are seeking new management, who lack the corrupt behaviors that were rewarded by the Gaddafi regime. Government employed an estimated 80% of the Libyan population and was known to be rife with corruption and bribery. "This is a new era, a new revolution. We paid a lot of blood. We are looking for a huge change," said Haifa Mohammed, who said she worked in the company's sustainable development department. The protesters carried banners saying: "We need a change of leadership to return to work." and "Yes to justice, no to favoritism." (Reuters)

These sentiments are widely felt across Libya as Libyans want to move forward by building a new and better Libya. One fear the people have is repeating the same behaviors and practices of the old regime. The people want a clean slate and do not want to endure hardships caused by corruption and nepotism. During the old regime people were often hired or appointed to position not on merit but because of family or social connection, resulting in many public workers holding positions they were ill qualified for and unable to manger properly. Other employees not showing up to work but still collecting paychecks reducing the amount of jobs available for qualified workers and building resentment from workers who are actually performing their jobs.

The ousting of Gaddafi opens the door for the adoption of clear and desired management best practices, transparent and informed decision making processes, and clear performance management and accountability procedures; ultimately instituting organizational and workplace behavior change within Libya. Libya needs an enterprise human capital management office, dedicated to transforming Libya’s workforce, during this critical time of transition, whereby the international community's transfer of knowledge and expertise will be at its zenith; and giving Libyans the opportunity to learn critical skills needed during this complex and challenging period in Libya’s history.
To contact The Libyan Outreach Group by email go here.
To read the rest of the report go here .

Laugh Of The Day

Life Is So Good !

Fast food is making it's appearance again around town in Tripoli.Moe and I went to a little mall on Friday.We hadn't gone there since before Ramadan.We found a coffee cafe open that had been closed. They had cheese cake, pastries , the best Italian coffee , and best of all for me , PIZZA'S !OMG !!! Fully loaded with all sorts of yummy stuff.

I make a killer pizza .Normally I make a bunch of pizza's before Ramadan starts to put away in the freezer for Ramadan . The rest of the year we buy pizza's when ever we want one to eat.But this year I was unable to make the Ramadan pizza's due to a lack of cooking gas.I have had a craving for just this type of pizza.
We ordered pizza . Had a coffee to go with it and people watched .I noticed that the little hamburger stand next to the cafe looked like it would have hamburgers later in the evening too .

Today we drove past another pizza place that had been open for most of the war but recently was closed. It has reopened . They too have killer pizza. I have my fingers crossed that our favorite shawarma place will get their Egyptian workers back soon.They had 2 brothers that made the best shawarmas in the world working for them before the war.

More good news .... the internet that went off the other day , is obviously back on. Yeah !!! Heard they were doing some tweaking .The Wimaxi is still giving some people problems since they have to down load a program and IF you don't have a internet connection ( i.e. no internet at all) , then HOW do you do that?Luckily for me ( I am tech challenged) my internet connection just worked when I turned on the modium, as I have a different system.

Also , the same day as the internet went out , no connection just coincidence,our land line went out too . Today as we were leaving the house to go to the phone company to report the phone being out , we saw the phone guys at the line box on the street. So, we gave them our phone number and address. When we got home , viola , the phone worked and the internet was back on too !See? Good ,huh?

Then , as if that isn't enough to make life wonderful ,Moe's mobile phone needed money on it but ... here again ... things have changed . The number we used bfore when charging the account has been changed . We were sent a message on the phones telling us how and what to do to recharge the phone BUT ... it was in Arabic. I don't read Arabic.Moe didn't translate the message correctly and I was unable to re-charge his phone.Frustration abounds!Here again ,an angel came to our rescue and charged the phone for us .

More good news , it was coolish today , windy , and partly cloudy .That means we didn't sweat to death while we were out and about.I was able to walk almost pain free in the store today . That must mean the new meds I am taking for my arthritis is starting to work.What a blessing .Walking is highly underrated you know.

Last but least , late tonight , there was a knock on the door . Moe was sleeping . I was alone, not too sure whether or not I should even go to the door . I did in the end , asking through the door who it was before I opened the door . It was a neighbors son.He stood there with his arms full of all sorts of goodies .A flat of eggs ( about 2 1/2 dozen) ,2 kilos of tomatoes , a kilo of potatoes, several kilos of onions, and about a kilo of red hot chili peppers.He said they had just come back to town from their farm where they stayed during the fighting .His mother wanted to share some of their produce from their farm. The amazing thing was , today I had meant to buy these very same food items but became side tracked and had forgotten to buy them until we got home.I didn't want to go back out to the store once home and had decided I would go tomorrow instead . Now , tell me life isn't good.

Here is a great articul by the Irish/Libyan writer-actress  Farah Abushwesha on the roll women played in the Libyan revolution and their future role in Libyan politics.

Exclusion of women in new Libya must end

The Irish Times - Saturday, September 24, 2011

Exclusion of women in new Libya must end

FARAH ABUSHWESHA

WORLDVIEW: LIBYAN WOMEN may not have been visible on the streets with guns, but they played an equally important role, displaying courage and strength that has been invaluable to the success of the country’s revolution. So why are women being excluded from decisions and official appointments in the new Libya?
Libyan women triggered this revolution on February 15th, when the mothers, sisters and widows of prisoners killed in the 1996 Abu Salim massacre took to the streets in Benghazi to protest outside the courthouse after their lawyer was arrested.
At home and abroad, Libyan women have protested, smuggled arms, founded civil society groups, raised awareness and delivered humanitarian aid, and continue to do so, taking a central role alongside men in Libya’s revolution – and it has united us.
Yet only one woman is listed as a member of the National Transitional Council, Dr Salwa Fawzi El-Deghali (legal affairs and women). Libyan women were not included as equal partners in last week’s Friends of Libya Paris Conference. There were unconfirmed reports this week that three women – a lawyer, an academic and an activist – have been proposed to the Tripoli NTC council and rejected.
Common excuses for this exclusion, both inside and outside Libya, is that we women must wait until the situation is more secure and that appointments should be made on merit, or that there aren’t enough qualified women to step up.
Libyan women are among the mostly highly educated and professionally highly qualified in the Arab world, and have been working in the public domain in Libya for decades. A double standard seems to be operating with respect to the “appointment on merit” argument: Libyan men with no experience are being appointed to posts. There is naturally a learning curve as Libya rebuilds its institutions, but opportunities should be inclusive of all – across the genders, regions and ethnic groups.
It is time for women to be encouraged to step forward, given their place around decision- making tables and access to the conversations about Libya’s future in accordance with United Nations Security Council mandate 1325, which emphasises the important role women play in peacebuilding.
Women4Libya is a campaign run by Libyan Women’s Society, part of the Libyan Civil Society NGO. It is calling for aid to be ringfenced to support women’s rights; financial aid for civil society and grassroots initiatives set up by women, for women; and negotiations and meetings on the future of Libya to include all tribes and regional representatives, which should include sufficient numbers of women. It has launched an online petition for greater participation of Libyan women in government http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/women4libya
Freedom of thought and expression has not been available to all Libyans for nearly 42 years and it is important that Libyan women who want to be part of the dialogue can participate equally in shaping a better Libya. Such representation should not be tokenistic, nor should it compel women to participate who would prefer to remain in the background working in equally important roles of nurturing families and helping to rebuild local communities. But the choice should be there.
Much is made in the international press of how Gadafy promoted women in unorthodox or sadistic ways – for example, his use of female bodyguards and assassins. The stories are only beginning to emerge of the abusive reality of life for many of these women. Gadafy understood how to use the power of women and how to manipulate society.
Last week saw the arrest of Huda “the executioner” Ben Amer, who at a public Gadafy- staged execution in 1984 grabbed one of the condemned hanging men. She was seen on TV pulling him down until he died. My Irish mother still speaks of her horror at watching that disgusting act. Huda was subsequently made mayor of Benghazi and terrorised the community for many years. We need to move away from this skewed view of empowerment of women; Gadafy does not represent Libyan society.
In the new Libya, there are new heroines. We have seen the iconic images of Iman al-Obeidi, who spoke out about the sexual violence inflicted on so many who have otherwise suffered in silence; the elderly lady praising rebels at a lay-by and giving them her blessing; and Malak, the five-year-old amputee from Misurata – to name a few.
The age of dictatorship is over, 51 per cent the population cannot be ignored or marginalised. We must start as we mean to go on and get women “round the table”, involved as equal partners alongside men. This issue needs to be resolved now to make sure post-conflict Libya starts off on a strong foundation – one that is inclusive and respects the skills and input of all citizens.
Women must be part of the conversation in the new Libya. To do otherwise is not to honour the legacy of the brave Libyan men and women who gave their lives for human rights in the spirit of the country’s revolution.

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Farah Abushwesha is an Irish–Libyan writer and film-maker and spokeswoman for the Women4Libya campaign.
Twitter: @farahabushwesha

Road Traveled

Life is just an adventure with many roads to travel down.Some are bumpy.Some are nice and smooth. Some you can drive fast on and others are sooo slow . Many have speed bumps , detours ,and stop signs,  but all go somewhere.The trick is to enjoy where ever the road takes you , for however long you are driving .That is all I am doing.

I never understood how anyone could make a 5 year life plan. How do you plan that far in advance . Life is so UNPLANNED.