أكبر و أنا عند أمي صغير، وأشيب وأنا لديها طفل، هي الوحيدة التي نزفت من أجلي دموعها ولبنها و دمها، نسيني الناس اٍلا أمي، عقني الكل اٍلا أمي، تغير علي العالم اٍلا أمي، الله يا أمي: كم غسلت خدودك بالدموع حينما سافرت، و كم عفت المنام يوم غبت، وكم ودعت الرقاد يوم مرضت، الله يا أمي: اٍذا جئت من السفر وقفت بالباب تنظرين والعيون تدمع فرحا، و اٍذا خرجت من البيت وقفت تودعينني بقلب يقطر أسى، الله يا أمي: حملتيني بين الضلوع أيام الآلام و الأوجاع، ووضعتيني مع آهاتك وزفراتك، وضممتيني بقبلاتك وبسماتك، الله يا أمي: لا تنامين أبدا حتى يزور النوم جفني، و لا ترتاحين أبدا حتى يحل السرور علي، اٍذا ابتسمت ضحكت و لا تدرين ما السبب، و اٍذا تكدرت بكيت و لاتعلمين ما الخبر، تعذرينني قبل أن أخطىء، وتعفين عني قبل أن أتوب، وتسامحينني قبل أن أعتذر، الله يا أمي: من مدحني صدقتيه ولو جعلني اٍمام الأنام و بدر التمام، ومن ذمني كذبتيه ولو شهد له العدول و زكاه الثقات، أبدا أنت الوحيدة المشغولة بأمري، و أنت الفريدة المهمومة بي، الله يا أمي: أنا قضيتك الكبرى، وقصتك الجميلة، وأمنيتك العذبة، تحسنين اٍلي و تعتذرين من التقصير، وتذوبين علي شوقا وتريدين المزيد، يا أمي: ليتني أغسل بدموع الوفاء قدميك، وأحمل في مهرجان الحياة نعليك، يا أمي: ليت الموت يتخطاك اٍلي، وليت البأس اٍذا قصدك يقع علي:
نفسي تحدثني بأنك متلفي روحي فداك عرفت أم لم تعرف

رب اغفر لوالدي وارحمهما كما ربياني صغيرا...............

من كتاب "أسعد امرأة في العالم" للدكتور عائض القرني

I was tidying my room the other day and found a paper among other ones. But this paper was and is until this day very special. It's the paper of my graduation speech in high school. Isn't it funny how years pass so fast without really feeling that. This paper took me 3 years back and I only had to read the first two words to realize that I still remember by heart these words and as if I'm reading them now in that special memorable day.


Ladies and gentlemen, parents, teachers, school principals and to everyone who has made this year fruitful. On behalf of all my colleagues and graduates I would express my feelings on this occasion with these words.
Days and years have passed and we reached the moment we have been dreaming about all these years. The moment when we'll fly out of the nest into the wide world. We finished the stage where we were surrounded and protected by our parents and teachers to a wider world where we'll depend on ourselves.

Though school days were tiring and full of efforts for studying and working hard but the last day of school is a fact today. A day we like everyone here to enjoy to the best they and never to forget. We'll never forget the mess we've caused and we'll confess how naughty we were. High school days are passing but the memories we had from kindergarten to graduation will last forever because these memories were the steps we took to be what we are today. Dear friends, when we get together someday we'll be remember these days and laugh and maybe a tear will be shed cause they are the best days ever when we were together. So, let's have joyful moments. Let's all have fun, for this day will come only once and days will quickly run.

We are grateful to everyone who stood by our side families, principals, teachers and friends. The people who embraced us with love, care and compassion especially parents who stood by our side all the way and suffered Twajihi (1) more than we did. We'd like to show our appreciation for everyone with a big big hug for you all missing you all with the greatest pride being with us till the end. Promising you all to be productive members for our community.

(1) Tawjihi: is a term used in some arabian countries for the last year of high school.

It has been months since I came here.

How are all of you doing?

I am now a consular officer at the North Korean Embassy in Astana.

I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all oppression and shame;
I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men, at anguish with themselves, remorseful after deeds done;
I see, in low life, the mother misused by her children, dying, neglected, gaunt, desperate;
I see the wife misused by her husband—I see the treacherous seducer of young women;
I mark the ranklings of jealousy and unrequited love, attempted to be hid—I see these sights on the earth;
I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny—I see martyrs and prisoners;
I observe a famine at sea—I observe the sailors casting lots who shall be kill'd, to preserve the lives of the rest;
I observe the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon laborers, the poor, and upon negroes, and the like;
All these—All the meanness and agony without end, I sitting, look out upon,
See, hear, and am silent

Israel has decided to reach out to young US men by publishing images of semi-clad female former soldiers in US men's magazine, Maxim.
The pictures are part of a public relations drive to improve the image of the country within the US.

Maxim said it was "pleased" with the result of its collaboration with the Israeli consulate in New York, which came up with the idea.

But some in Israel have said that the images were not appropriate.

"We definitely have public relations problems, and I'm all for creative solutions," Israeli lawmaker Colette Avital said.

"But there are enough beautiful and interesting things we can use to tap into this demographic than to show a half-naked woman in a magazine of this kind, considered pornographic."

According to AP, the photo spread will include pictures of Israeli model Nivit Bash - who served in Israeli military intelligence - and former Miss Israel, Gal Gadot.

The Israeli consulate defended its decision, taken after research indicated that Israel meant very little to young US men.

"Males that age have no feeling toward Israel one way or another, and we view that as a problem, so we came up with an idea that would be appealing to them," said David Dorfman, a media adviser at the consulate.

The photo feature, entitled "Women of the Israeli Defense Forces", will be published in the July issue of the magazine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6221714.stm
Interesting no :)?

Over a month ago, a family friend, 47 years old, was with his family and calmly asked his parents for some money. They gave him $60. He told everyone he was going to the cottage. That was the last time anyone saw Bob.

Every time I ride the subway, another face is flashed across the screens installed in the stations. Today, it’s sadly the same kid who I saw on the screen last year. The people on these bulletins have usually been missing for five years or more. Is there even a point of searching for them anymore?

I always wondered how the police could not find a missing person. Perhaps they did not wish to be found, but many of the faces I saw were only kids. They could have at least sent a letter saying they were okay.

Being so close to this investigation gave me a grim look into the search for a missing person. With no transactions on bank accounts and no sightings since leaving Toronto, there were no leads for police to follow. After a month of investigation, police divers searching the waters close to the cottage and countless friends searching surrounding areas and camp areas, everyone came up empty.

The question begs: Where is his silver Honda? Where is Bob? And why can no one find him?

Delhi's famed 17th centuiry Red Fort has been selected by UNESCO to be on the World Heritage List.

I am really thrilled about this as the authorities in Delhi have been taking special care to maintain the Fort, which is one of the main symbols of India.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/28red.htm

Ok, a test for how this looks like. Taking a recent photo, blabla.

A paragraph break

A line break.
See here

Why don't we rename Global Gallery as Slobal Gallery?

I wonder why on earth TIG is taking so long to approve pictures. It's much easier to post pictures on sites like Facebook and Flickr but I still want to put up pics on global gallery as I feel it's a good way of enhancing TIG's collection. It's too bad that TIG doesn't share my sentiments...

Уникальная структура действует при Молдавской Экономической академии (ASE). Я говорю о Национальной ассоциации молодых менеджеров (ANTIM) и проводимом ими конкурсе на лучший бизнес-план среди молодежи и студентов. В этом году конкурс проводился уже в пятый раз.


Конкурс значительно более комплексный, чем большинство тренингов, которые проходят на экономических факультетах в наших вузах. Многоступенчатая организация (если заявка признается интересной, соискателей обучают основам аналитического подхода к бизнес-планированию и правильному составлению бизнес-планов). В жюри собраны представители самых разнообразных отраслей молдавского бизнес-сообщества, причем в нынешнем году члены жюри имели возможность комментировать свои оценки, начиная с первого этапа до финала. Логичная подсказка или критика могут помочь чуть перестроить стратегию и аргументацию «на ходу». На финальном этапе – личная презентация проекта. Но, каким бы он замечательным ни был на бумаге, расплывчатые ответы на вопросы могут свести все преимущества «на нет». В конце победителей и финалистов ожидают не оценки, а денежные и прочие призы. И, новинка нынешнего года, финалисты могут участвовать в международном конкурсе бизнес-планов, который проводит организация JCI (Junior Chamber International). В этом году он пройдет в турецкой Анталии.

На V конкурс было подано свыше 300 заявок, однако реальные макеты смогли представить 254 кандидата. Среди них была проведена селекция (также впервые жюри работало в режиме online). Оставшимся 35 полуфиналистам предложили представить развернутые проекты, в финал из них вышло семь.

Поговорим сначала о тех, кто не прошел. Год за годом наблюдая за этим проектом, хочу отметить реальный рост качества заявок. Неплохая проработка темы, финансовое планирование, анализы SWOT и конкурентной среды позволяют говорить о том, что создается слой молодых людей, по крайней мере, понимающих, с какой стороны подходить к бизнесу. Понятно, что далеко не все участники могут этим похвастаться, даже у финалистов случались и случаются такие проколы, что приходится просто улыбаться и делать поправку на возраст. Например, в нынешнем году авторы вполне симпатичного проекта «Пофтошел» (офисный кэтеринг) записали в возможное число потенциальных клиентов 300 тысяч кишиневцев. То есть продавцам кухонных плит и холодильников можно сворачивать бизнес: всех накормит «Пофтошел». С двумя водителями в штате.

К неудачным (но достаточно грамотно проработанным идеям) можно отнести четыре почти одинаковых «оруэлловских» проекта по размещению в маршрутках TFT-мониторов и DVD-плееров, с помощью которых предлагалось развлекать пассажиров рекламными роликами. Естественно, все эти проекты в полуфинал не прошли, однако заставили задуматься: не из кругов ли близких к примэрии такие идеи исходят?

Отмечу несколько интересных, на мой взгляд, проектов, не дошедших до финала. Постараюсь не выйти при этом за пределы сохранности коммерческой тайны. С другой стороны, честно говоря, хочется, чтобы «фабрика по производству проектов», чем на сегодняшний день является конкурс бизнес-планов, потихоньку становилась бы биржей, на которой потенциальные инвесторы могли бы приобретать как перспективные идеи, так и менеджмент для них - два в одном. Начну с подборки, посвященной детям. Вроде бы, в духе времени: сеть дошкольных учреждений начинает выбираться из тяжелейшего кризиса, появляются редкие-редкие площадки для отдыха и развлечений, то есть рынок только начинает создаваться. Санду Балтяну предлагает проект спортивного комплекса «Маленький Геркулес». Проект предусматривает комплексное физическое и умственное развитие детей от 3 до 16 лет и инвестиции в $ 440 530 с трехлетним периодом окупаемости.

Если „Геркулес” направлен на массовых любителей тенниса, бейсбола и пр., то проект Александрины Голуб „Happy Kindergarten” - на VIPов по разумным ценам. Речь идет о садике, в котором детей можно оставлять хоть на несколько часов, хоть на ночь под присмотром профессиональных воспитателей и нянь. В стране ничего подобного пока нет. Правда, и финансовые расчеты заставляют задуматься: инвестиции – 6 млн леев, годовой доход – 23,7 млн.

Симбиоз вышеуказанных идей - Family Sport Center Серджиу Гросу, с несколькими спортзалами различных направлений, двумя бассейнами, включая „лягушатник”, кинозалом, кафе для детей и родителей и пр.

Виолетта Мога предлагает проект детского ресторана „Happy Meal” с внешним интерьеров в виде веселого бургера. Тоже достаточно уникальная идея, которую стоило бы повнимательнее обдумать, ведь именно детских учреждений у нас нет за исключением одного (в тех местах). Правда, там тоже кормят бургерами. Виолетта подсчитала инвестиции - $ 600 000. Идею Марины Мелентьевой, интернет-портал www.moldfashion.com вполне можно запускать хоть сегодня. Такой информационный источник будет объединять всю «модную» сферу Молдовы и обозревать ее. И после некоторых усилий по раскрутке вполне может стать доходным интернет-проектом. Минимальная себестоимость продукта составляет 16 020 леев. Это сумма составлена из оплаты услуг программиста, хостинга, домена, Интернет-обеспечения и регистрации фирмы.

Очень на мой взгляд любопытный проект предлагает Маргарита Сарсова: производство бумажных стаканчиков. Они более эстетичны, более гигиеничны и более экологичны, чем пластиковые стаканчики, на них может быть нанесена символика предприятия, любая рекламная информация или просто красочный рисунок. На закупку оборудования и начало производства необходима совсем не запредельная сумма в 25 тыс. долларов.

К забавным можно отнести проект создания службы велотакси в Вадул луй Водэ. То есть вернуться к китайским рикшам, а уже оттуда, разогнавшись, осваивать IT-индустрию. В финал вышли, как уже упоминалось, семь проектов. Проект Анжелы Гертан предполагает производство одежды для беременных женщин с невысоким уровнем доходов. Инвестиции – 27 тыс. леев. Самое, наверное, большое оживление вызвал проект Думитру Лунгу по производству DVD-дисков из полилактовой кислоты, выделенной из кукурузы. Это технология, разработанная японской компанией Sanyo, противостоит она ныне распространенной технологии изготовления дисков из поликарбоната. Продукт получается экологически дружественный и полностью разлагается в течение 50-100 лет. Инвестиции – 2 млн евро, годовой объем продаж – 3,6 млн евро. Здесь можно отметить, что этот проект, в общем-то, «не студенческий», прошел в финал и занял третье место во многом благодаря очень грамотной проработке и качественной презентации. Думитру сообщил, что он уже третий раз принимает участие в конкурсе, что дало ему необходимый опыт подготовки проектов.

Интересный и явно требующий дальнейшей проработки проект по посадке ореховых плантаций с последующей переработкой, как плодов, так и листьев и древесины предложил Денис Мунтян. Действительно, пока к нему сложно найти финансирование: 175 тыс. долларов с учетом того, что плодоносить деревья начнут только через 4-5 лет.

Автор проекта Document management center по созданию и администрированию интернет-библиотеки Евгений Зинковский получил предложение продолжить свои разработки в бизнес-инкубаторе ASE.

Победителем стал проект по сбору и переработке пластиковых отходов. Его автор Виталие Семенчук получил первый приз – 2007 долларов от АКБ «Молдова-Агроиндбанк» и ООО «Микроинвест», а также ноутбук от «Риском компьютерс». Вторая и третья премии составили 1000 и 700 долларов, поощрительные премии финалистам – по $ 100.

Председатель жюри конкурса бизнес-консультант Лариса Бугаян отметила, что вокруг конкурса начала складываться сеть по поддержке начинающих предпринимателей. Будущие годы покажут, насколько эта сеть будет развиваться и эффективно работать по внедрению. Это было и остается главной задачей конкурса.

www.monterreyforum2007.org

I became 20 on the 21st of last February. I tried to hide this birthday from everyone and I kind of wanted everyone to forget about it because I just couldn't accept the fact that I wasn't in the teens any more and I entered the 20s. It's really not easy all I could think of is I HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THIS EARTH FOR 2O YEARS & What have I done to my Ummah ,to make this world a better place or simply what did I do to improve everything, WHAT DID I accomplish ?!! and what scared me most was the answer beause deep down in me I know that the answer is NOTHING !!!!!. But when I started getting all the messages ,gifts congratulating me in my birthday it somehow made me feel better since I didn't know how alot of those who sent the messages even remembered my birthday. The best part was when Heba, Lina (my sisters and best friends) and Hamzah (my twin brother and best friend as well) decided to throw me a surprise party (and they did last Tuesday). Ofcourse Heba and Lina made all the arrangements and everything went well until I knew by accident before 2 days. But it didn't matter because when I met them all it was so great we had so much fun and they made me feel better and optimistic ,Coz since 20 years of my age have passed who knows how long I'm going to live ! I've come to a conclusion that I have to be more careful with the way I spend my time coz every second counts and inshallah I'll get out of this life with the satisfaction of ...........;(;)

Thank you Heba ,Lina ,my family and Luma because this is the 2nd time you fool me;) ,well almost fooled me this time ,HEBA thanks a million time

I was thinking about this the other day. Similar to MySpace, a social networking site that many North Americans will likely be familiar with is a site called Facebook. Facebook was originally created specifically for university students to network, send messages and share photos, among other things. At one time, it was only open to university students and you could only signup using your registered school email account.

While not all of my friends have Facebook, those who don't login using other user's accounts to check what is happening regularly -- without doing it, you find yourself out of the loop on friend's lives. This just goes to prove that right now, Facebook is essential to most student's social lives.

Today, anyone can join -- students at any age level, adults, teens and even those who are not attending school. I find now that more than ever, my life revolves around Facebook. Want to know what everyone is up to this weekend? Check Facebook. Want to see photos from the other night? Check Facebook. Need to message your friend who isn't online? GO TO FACEBOOK.

I find that increasingly, it becomes a central place for friends to meet online and share what is going on. Without it, those who are not already insanely social miss out.

Similar to checking email and phone messages, most students today seem to login to Facebook at least once per day -- and that's just the start. More and more frequently now, people will reply faster on Facebook than to emails, especially when it comes to social interaction and with that, people are on MSN less often.

What I wonder is this: Will there be a day when online social networks such as Facebook, MySpace or even TIG will become a manditory part of your day? Let me know what you think!

Brussels should give Moldova a clear perspective for future EU entry on the model of the Western Balkan states, Romanian president Traian Basescu said in the European Parliament on Wednesday (31 January) in a sign of how Europe's poorest state stands to benefit from the Bucharest lobby inside the EU.

"The people of Moldova susbcribe to European values. I'm not talking about the Republic of Moldova, but the values of the people of Moldova who feel extremely European," he said. "If we think of countries that have a European perspective we should think of Moldova and the Western Balkans."

The president showed sensitivity to Europe's current anti-enlargement climate by adding that "Romania absolutely agrees the EU's first priority is the constitutional treaty and institutional reform."

His aside about "the Republic" referred to Moldova president Vladimir Voronin's recent pro-Moscow swing.

But the linkage of Moldova with the Western Balkan countries - some of which are already EU candidates and all of which got a firm promise that their "future lies in the EU" at the December 2006 EU summit - runs counter to prevalent EU thinking on Moldova as a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) state instead.

The ENP, which covers 19 countries in a ring stretching from Morocco to Belarus, gives zero promise of enlargement with EU-hopefuls such as Moldova or Ukraine seeing the policy as a 10-year or more waiting room before any talks on accession can even begin.

Moldova wants to break out of the ENP club by converting its current "Partnership and Cooperation Agreement" with the EU - which expires in mid-2008 - into a new "Association Agreement" with a declaration that gives clear commitments on future accession: a feat that Ukraine is also trying and failing to accomplish.

"We have to take one step at a time," Hans-Gert Poettering, the European Parliament president and self-proclaimed confidante of German leader Angela Merkel, said on Mr Basescu's ideas.

"We have to assist Moldova in moving along its European line. But we've got to bridge the next few years with a neighbourhood policy."

A Moldovan diplomat told EUobserver "we are not asking for detailed terms but we do want a clear perspective to be built into the commitments, " comparing his country to EU candidate Macedonia. "We have the same level of development, the territory is about the same size, the population is about the same size."

He acknowledged that Moldova's problem with Trasdniestria - a breakaway republic on its eastern border stuffed with Russian ammunition dumps and soldiers - will not make the EU any more keen to give acccession promises, but said an EU entry horizon "could help conflict resolution in this region."

Romania joined the EU in January 2007 in a move that has seen over half a million of Moldovans scramble to get Romanian (and so EU) citizenship, on the basis of the close historical ties between the two states: Moldova was part of Romania as recently as 1939.

"You know these people are really Romanians - they speak the same language, they have the same values. Moldova is still really part of Romania," a senior Romanian diplomat told EUobserver, with the two countries flirting with the idea of reunification in the early 1990s but with talks coming to nothing in the end.

"Romania will lobby relentlessly for Moldova's eventual accession to the EU despite an unfavourable climate in the EU toward further enlargement, offering to act as Moldova's 'advocate' in the EU and other international forums," CEPS analyst George Dura recently wrote.


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This is the editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times

The Russian Government’s coercive tactics to take control of the Sakhalin II project hasn’t gone very well with the international business community. While it’s the government’s right to protect its interests (and the environment), the manner in which it went about the Gazprom “takeover” of the Sakhalin II project was unbecoming. Starting with the dismantling of Yukos, the government has been on a collision course with international companies operating in the oil and gas industry. In just 3 years, Russia’s image has taken the kind of pounding that would have been unthinkable in the post-Cold War era.

Despite membership (and presidency) of the Group of 8 industrialised and democratic nations, Russia has maintained several relics of the dark past such as an unreformed judiciary and police. The country has also curtailed individual freedoms guaranteed by the new constitution such as freedom of speech and movement. Sakhalin and many other regions in the Russian Far East have been re-declared border zones, with an eye on restricting travel. Most countries restrict access to sensitive defence establishments but the authorities in Russia have gone overboard.

Short-sighted visa and immigration policies have made it difficult for companies to get work permits for skilled specialists, while at the same time, the country is flooded with illegal immigrants from the former Soviet Union (taking advantage of no visa restrictions) and China (using improperly manned borders and lax border-visa regimes).

In Sakhalin, the oil and gas industry has created an economic boom and the quality of life and standard of living has drastically improved but a large proportion of the populace remain economically vulnerable. The administration, at one time, promised large allowances to each Sakhaliner on the lines of what residents of Alaska get but not a single kopeck has been paid.

Sakhalin’s environment is also at the receiving end of a beating from several elements although media coverage is restricted to the Sakhalin II project. It’s not a matter of too much concern for the media and the greens that the forests and wild areas of the island are slowly turning into landfills. Poachers are driving several species of marine life to extinction and criminal elements are making a killing on caviar, salmon and crabs.

It’s obvious that Sakhalin and Russia need major changes. Being such a large country with a unique set of problems, no western model really suits Russia but there has to be a point where reforms and changes are initiated. Russians aspire to have their country as a member of the civilised family of nations and this is no mean task. Unless the establishment makes tough choices in 2007, Russia will keep going backwards and fall deeper in to the dark pit. It would be tomfoolery for the establishment to think that record-high energy prices will last forever and that belligerence towards other countries and its own citizens won’t have any serious after-effects.