At Scripps College, there’s a beautiful tradition where students enter the doors of Denison Library upon matriculating, and exit the same doors four years later, on graduation day. With the exception of those bookend events — matriculation and graduation — the stately doors of Denison are always fastened shut.

The University of Jordan also bars its doors behind its graduating classes.

That’s why, when I told my aunt that I’d be auditing classes at her alma mater, she exclaimed: “Maybe we can come visit as your guests!”

“You — my guests? I‘m the guest here. You should be showing me around. You guys are Jordanians and, you, khalti (aunt) — you’re an alumna. When was the last time you visited?”

“I haven’t since I graduated.” My jaw fell. The University is just up our street. ”We’re not allowed on campus,” she explained. “Not even for a visit. They stop you at the gates. You have to have a school ID.”

“What? Why?”

She shrugged. “They’re weary of letting in strangers. You know, the University is crowded as it is and, when there are protests, they already have enough on their hands; they don’t need new people aggravating the situation. Everything has to be under control, you know, and there are tensions at the University.”

“Like what?”

“For example, when I was in college, and Israel did what it does, there’d be pro-Palestinian protests at the University, and many shabab (young men) would line up and do a Palestinian dabke. The Jordanian shabab, instead of reading all this as an act of defiance in the face of Israel read it as a challenge to Jordanian pride and nationalism. It was as if the Palestinians had slighted their host country. So the Jordanians, too, would line up and do their own dabke, each with their own songs and slogans. It was like a show down. Who would out-dabke the other.”

“And what did you guys do, the girls?”

“We’d just watch. Occasionally, it’d get aggressive. Shabab would insult or attack each other. Then the amn (security) folks would intervene and mete out punishments.”

These days, at the University, there is tension in the air, but this time its colors aren’t blue and white. It is election season for student government. So attendance indoors is low, the volume outdoors is high, the temperature is decreasing and the concentration of black-and-white or red-and-white keffiyehs is above average. The sounds of chanting and cheering marched their way into my second-story classroom, despite the closed windows, and I saw a professor ordering the immediate dispersal of a mob that had assembled below his class for a group photograph.

After our class ended, my Spanish friend C and I joined the students pooling at the University human highway. We passed a parked security car in the middle of the crowd and wondered at it. A few steps more and there was no wonder.

Jordanian students, many of them wearing the red-and-white lafha (keffiyeh) were lined hand-on-shoulder, doing a slow-step Jordanian dabke. The stubble-faced young man who led the circular procession doubled as the booming voice that the others echoed.

C shook her head as if to ask, what is it they’re saying. Since this was an election rally, I tuned in for words along that wavelength, but I found that the students were stomping a different tune. They hailed the kings of Jordan, all seven of them (even though, C pointed out, there are only five), declared their love for their country and threw in the traditional “tag tag tagiyeh” for good measure. Only at the end did they mention that they were rooting for that young man to represent the College of Arts.

Having proven loyalty to king and faithfulness to friend, the young men, like a snapped pearl necklace, broke up and scattered. That’s when I, too, snapped out of my reverie and saw myself standing there, watching as my aunt did before me, and realized that another thirty years may pass, but Jordan will be Jordan and girls will be girls.

On Wednesday this week, President Obama will conduct the fifth strategy meeting with his national security team on Afghanistan. Looking how quickly the U.S. is sinking into this hole, I decided to do a little bit of poking around of my own in New York City to get a sense what Afghans living here had to say about what was happening. As expected, many expats were either extremely reluctant to comment or were decidedly politically correct- one of them even quoting Gandhi and Martin Luther King to me. But it was interesting nonetheless to head out Kissena Boulevard, in Queens, which is home to almost 10,000 Afghan expat families.

Many of the Afghans in NYC fled Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation of the country from 1979-89. In recent years, continuous fighting between NATO-led troops and militants in Afghanistan has prevented many of these families from returning to their homeland. “What’s the point?,” asked Ahmad Waish, a law enforcement officer in New York who hasn’t been back home for 30 years. “The Americans may shoot me, thinking I am an Afghan fighter,” said Waish who was dressed in a traditional Chapan (Coat) with a Keffiyeh around his neck, “And the fighters may attack me saying I am American.” Waish has also been unable to visit his father who lives in Kandahar. “My father can’t go outside – he will be bombed to pieces.”

Outside the Masjid Saliheen at Kissena Boulevard the streets empty out ahead of the evening prayers. Men in beards and tunic-pants hurry to make it to the mosque in time. Two blocks down, in a park across the street, three men sit in a circle playing Chess or Shatranj on a board made of stone. “We are veterans of war,” says one Afghani who did not wish to be named, referring to the Soviet invasion, the Taliban and the American forces. “We have seen so many killings, homicides. We don’t support war in any form. War is destruction,” he said, adding he was against any troop increase in Afghanistan. As he moved his pawns across the chess board, his companions – a Hispanic immigrant and another Afghani from Kandahar puffed silently on their cigarettes. “I remember the first time America attacked Kabul – the rockets firing- bombs left and right in the city. Sometimes I feel like the war was imposed on America – Sept 11 forced America into this war.”

Other Afghanis like 27 year old Yama Qadari are weighed down by a similar sense of war fatigue and are against putting more boots on the ground. “If there was actually any progress on the ground, then why would we need to send more troops to the country?” asks Qadari, adding there needs to be a cohesive strategy to end the carnage in Afghanistan.

The war in Afghanistan started off as a multilateral effort in 2001. At present, there are 39,000 NATO troops along with 65,000 Americans. If the President decides to dispatch another 45,000 more U.S. troops, the longest American war would also potentially turn into its deadliest. “Afghanistan for the last 30 years has been at war,” added Waish. “ Most people under 30 were born under bullets. Children were born under war. What is the condition of people like that? Their main instinct is ‘kill in order to survive.’”

Others expressed cynicism at the President’s Peace Prize. “What peace are they talking about,” asked Akram Jalali, a former medical worker in Queens.” Everyday there are bombings in Kabul, people are dying all the time, they don’t know the meaning of peace,” he fumed. “People are suffering, innocent civilians are dying. Anyone who has been reading the papers knows the carnage there,” said Waish. Meanwhile, as the Chess game continues in the park, one of the Afghani immigrants sums up the feeling in the community. “Everyone here is tired,” he said. “If only people paid more attention to the teachings of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.”

Despite the gloom surrounding the state of affairs in Afghanistan, some immigrants like Yama Qadari are hopeful for the future. He smiles as he says “No country is beyond repair.”

***Meanwhile, here’s what Fareed Zakaria had to say about the troop surge. He’s vehemently against putting more boots on the ground. Also, keep track of what’s happening in Afghanistan with rovingstorm. He blogs at outofafghanistan.blogspot.com

This piece was also published in the Queens Chronicle.

keffiyeh

Definitia Keffiyeh-ului spune ca este o esarfa patrata, traditionala, din bumbac, purtata de barbatii arabi pe cap impaturita in diverse moduri. De obicei este intalnita in zonele cu climat arid, si este purtata pentru a feri ochii si gura de praf si nisip.

La noi a devenit la moda sa porti aceasta esarfa, dar sa nu stii ce inseamna. La fel ca si cu tricourile cu Che Guevarra, si medalioanele cu semnul pacii. Dar acelea sunt alte povesti.

In trecut, keffiyeh era purtata de catre taranii palestinieni in jurul capului si prinsa cu o banda care se numea agal (cum poarta Yaser Arrafat).

In revolutia iscata impotriva ocupatiei britanice, in anii 1930, keffiyeh a devenit un simbol al nationalismului palestinian,  si a luptei pentru a trece intr-o clasa sociala superioara. Palestinienii din clasele superioare au fost fortati  sa poarte keffiyeh in loc de traditionalul Fez otoman, ca sa isi arate simpatia pentru revolutionari.

Generatiile tinere de arabi poarta aceasta esarfa cu scopul intentionat de a-si arata sprijinul pentru cauza palestiniana, si uneori este folosita de catre militanti pentru a-si ascunde fetele.

Keffiyeh-ul alb cu negru este asociat Fatah-ului, iar cel alb cu rosu, Hamas-ului.

Ca un fel de concluzie, aceasta esarfa foarte la moda si in tara noastra este asociata cu ideea de terorism, si nu ii inteleg pe cei care o poarta.

While the Iranian government is busy pointing to some Western countries such as Britain, France, or the USA for devising a “velvet revolution” in Iran, a new video reveals yet again that the true perpetrators have gone unnoticed:

Indeed, the Portuguese have been suspiciously silent on the recent events in Iran…

Note: The scarf referred to as “Chafiye” in this video is introduced in Wikipedia as “Keffiyeh”. For Iranians this scarf became a symbol of the Iran-Iraq war and also the Basij. The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wears a “Chafiye” in most of his public appearances. Since these types of scarves have only recently become fashionable in Western countries, you could say Khamenei has been a step ahead of the fashion trends!

Here is an excerpt from an article in The National about Middle East-inspired fashion:

Middle Eastern-inspired fashion is currently en vogue around the world from the streets to the catwalks. But rather than merely dabbling in aesthetic exoticism, the designers and brands who are exploring the region’s sartorial traditions are drawing inspiration from a commercial viability that’s given the style such sturdy legs.

Kaffiyehs were an integral part of the Eighties bohemian look worn by American girls. They caught on with Japanese teenagers in the early part of the decade, but by the mid-2000s, however, hipsters from the gritty sections of Brooklyn to the hallowed halls of New York’s universities were again seen sporting the traditional Arab attire as scarves around their necks, making a statement purely for the sake of style.

Read the rest here. I’ve seen a number of girls around my campus wearing stylish keffiyehs. It’s a little strange for me since before this became trendy I spent a semester in the Middle East, where the girls always wear hijabs and the men wear keffiyehs. I must admit that I still have the urge to snicker whenever I see an American female wearing a male scarf. In all fairness, there are Muslim girls who have caught onto the trend and wear keffiyehs as hijabs.

Don’t overreact! I’m not writing anything particularly derogatory towards women in this post. However, as the post assembled in my head, I did notice that most of them related to negative aspects of specific women. Rather than just write it out and have someone accuse me of it, I figured I’d point it out and deny it from the outset, just in case.

O Rly? Ya Srsly!

I don’t feel much of a need to discuss the whole “birther” movement, because it seems to suffer from a touch of insanity, but the so-called “Queen” of the birthers, Orly Taitz, is just batshit insane. In case you don’t know Orly, she’s the dentist/lawyer/real estate agent who, with Alan Keyes, brought the case before the Supreme Court, which promptly threw it out. Here’s her most recent appearance on MSNBC.

In case you don’t have the time, let me give you a rundown.

MSNBC: Can you explain the birth announcements in the newspaper?

Orly: He hasn’t provided the real birth certificate, because Hawaii has two different kinds of birth certificates.

MSNBC: That doesn’t answer the question about the newspaper announcements.

Orly: You’re being rude! Don’t interrupt me! I’m not done.

MSNBC: I just don’t understand what the two different birth certificates have to do with newspaper announcements.

Orly: [Bunch of bullshit - most of it is "Let me answer! Let me answer!" largely to herself interrupting herself]

Basically, the whole birther case is propped up by the issue that a Certification of Live Birth isn’t the same as a Birth Certificate. Most of them say that they circumvented the laws in order to get it, and they rely on President Obama’s step-grandmother’s testimony that he was born in Kenya. Let me get this straight. One woman’s testimony that he was born in Kenya is good enough, but all this paperwork that says he wasn’t is somehow not good enough? That’s called a confirmation bias. On top of that, they’re talking to a woman, through a translator, about something that supposedly happened 47 years ago. Now the big stir is that they found his “official” Kenyan Birth Certificate. Naturally, it can’t possibly be a forgery, but the American one quite clearly is one. Somewhere, the burden of proof is crying.

But let’s discuss Orly’s factual missteps. First of all, she claims that 85% of Americans don’t believe Obama was properly vetted and want to see a birth Certificate. Don’t you think that may be overstating it a tad? Only 15% of the entire country (of which 53% voted for him), suddenly think he’s illegitimate? I saw some recent numbers that said 58% of Republicans think he’s illegitimate, which is nowhere near 85% and that’s not even considering the independents and Democrats. Yeah, I don’t think so, Orly.

Secondly, she lumps Ann Coulter, who called the birther movement crazy, in with the mainstream media. Ann Fucking Coulter! Then, when that erroneous statement is pointed out, she mentions that Ann’s opinion is irrelevant because, “She’s not an attorney.” As much as I dislike Ann Coulter, she got her Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan, the 9th ranked law school in the country. Orly got hers from William Howard Taft University, which sounds prestigious, but is a 33-year old distance-learning school whose law school is unaccredited and does not provide for its graduates to be certified outside of California. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think education is education is education. I’m not going to judge people based on what school they went to, but the quality of education is only as good as what you get out of it. Unless you’re an idiot, you can get a quality education at any school. Of course, not only does Orly strike me as an idiot (negating the previous rule), she seems to have it in amounts that border on retardation. As a rule of thumb, if your “cause” results in me defending Ann Coulter, you’re pretty nuckin futs.

Thirdly, she mentions that Obama is illegitimate not only because he wasn’t born in the US, but because both of his parents were not American citizens. Wrong. First of all, the issue of “natural-born citizen” as mentioned in the Constitution is not actually defined anywhere else by the framers. The United States recognizes the right of jus soli – or, right of the soil – as being a qualification for natural-born citizenship. Which means Obama was born in Hawaii (and he was), he is a natural-born citizen. The citizenship of his parents is irrelevant.

Now, beyond the factual errors, she went so far as calling the mainstream media, “brown shirts.” Yes, because the media ignoring and debunking the baseless claims of crazy people who have a confirmation bias is exactly like Nazi stormtroopers who had street fights with people who opposed them and eventually ran the Hitler Youth.  Clearly, this woman has a way with analogies.

For shits and giggles, I checked out her personal website. Right off the bat, her website is advertised on google as “The OFFICIAL Web Site of Dr. Orly Taitz, Equire”. I wasn’t sure what that last word was, so I ran it through Word’s spellchecker. Either, she likes to ask questions (enquirer), she has many needs (require), is part horse (equine), or she’s a lawyer (esquire). I’m honestly not sure which it is. It could be any of them! The whole site is just riddled with grammatical and spelling errors that a simple spelling/grammar check would solve. On top of that, she encourages the military to revolt against our “illegitimate President”. See, this is how birthers like to pretend they are being impartial. They want him to provide a birth certificate, but they also know he’s not legitimately the President, despite no evidence to the contrary. Now, under the legal premise of innocent until proven guilty, A) he is our President, and B) I’m pretty sure calling on the military to revolt against him could be considered an act of sedition, which is punishable by up to 20 years in jail. See? A cursory Google search gives me the education of a certain William Howard Taft University Law School graduate.

Speaking of Quality Higher Education…

There’s a story on CNN about an alumna suing her university because she hasn’t found a job. http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/03/new.york.jobless.graduate/index.html

According to her, she has a 2.7 GPA and hasn’t been able to get a job in the three months since she graduated. Three fucking months! It took me 2 years to find a job in my field, and she’s suing them for all the tuition plus a little extra. First off, I think they should refund her money, but expunge her record completely. No classes to transfer, no credits, no degree. She probably wants to have her cake and eat it, too, though.

However, I think I’ve spotted part of her problem. According to her, “They favor more toward students that got a 4.0. They help them more out with the job placement.” Read that bold portion again. Have you ever been helped, “more out”? Yeah didn’t think so. You’ve probably been helped out more, though. Or you have helped out more. I think that might be part of her problem. With that in mind, I think the school should give her a refund, but just for the cost of her English classes, because she clearly didn’t pay attention in any of them.

Michelle Malkin, B.I.

I was reading an article today about the 50 most important/influential people on the Internet, and I noticed that Michelle Malkin was listed. Now, besides the disappointment of not being listed myself, this was pretty shocking. She had a national Dunkin’ Donuts ad campaign shut down because Rachel Ray was wearing something that resembled a “jihadi chic keffiyeh”. That’s right. She boycotted an entire company because someone was wearing a fucking scarf that happened to resemble traditional Arab head wear. Christ! It’s not like it was plastered with swastikas. Michelle Malkin, B.I. – Batshit Insane. Tell me this picture doesn’t support that.

And finally…

You know what I’m tired of? Celebrity children. I don’t mean celebrities who happen to be children (through they’re borderline, sometimes). I mean the children of celebrities who would otherwise be unknown were it not a coincidence of birth. What am I talking about? The recent news is that Michael Douglas’ son, Cameron Douglas, was recently busted with a lot of crystal meth. My question is, outside of Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Kirk Douglas, who gives a fuck? I mean, let’s face it, his first name should be, “Michael Douglas’ son, Cameron”. Anytime you preface someone’s name with their relation to someone else, they’re probably not worth the print time. Seriously, I know he probably fancies himself an actor, but what has he done in his illustrious career?

A quick imdb.com check reveals that he played a very important role in the Jackie Chan movie, “Mr. Nice Guy”, as Giancarlo’s man, followed by a demanding role in “It Runs in the Family”. How demanding? Well, not only did he have to stretch his acting chops and play, get this, someone whose father is played by Michael Douglas, but he had to get in character with the knowledge that his grandfather would be played by Kirk Douglas. Tough, I’m sure. Beyond that, let’s see…, he was in a National Lampoon movie and then played a character by the name of DJ Mojo. Can he really be considered an actor or famous enough to warrant mention outside of the local paper where he got busted? I mean, when your resume consists of playing a role you’ve been living your whole life, playing in a National Lampoon movie, and playing a guy named DJ Mojo, I don’t think you’re an actor. You’re just another druggie. Maybe he’s a method actor researching a role.

OK, not really the end yet…

You know what’s a bad name for a business? Cyclone Sound. I saw a van at the theater that was advertising it. Cyclone Sound? Really? You’re sure nothing else captures the variety of human-audible sound like a cyclone? Because I’m pretty sure “cyclone sound” is pretty much “WHOOOOOOSH!” for extended periods of time. Apparently the owners never saw that masterpiece of modern cinema, Twister.

See, it wasn’t all about crazy/stupid women. There was a part about a dumbass guy.

I was watching a really interesting special on Keffiyeh’s the other day.  Its main subject was this little old man who is the last Keffiyeh maker in the West Bank.  Most Palestinian producers have been driven out of business by low-cost Chinese imports.

Al Jazeera English -WITNESS – Made in Palestine (part 1)

But then in part two it gets really interesting when they start talking about an Israeli company that has started producing keffiyeh’s for the Israeli market with a pattern that resembles a Star of David.

Al Jazeera English -WITNESS – Made in Palestine (part 2)

The producers say they are trying to turn something that was a symbol of division into something that can unite people; the Palestinians say something like: “it isn’t enough for them to steal our land? they need our symbols too?” Quite frankly I am not quite sure how I feel about it, I mean lets face it, the keffiyeh has already been tarnished by consumerism and is a meaningless mass-produced fashion statement in cities around the world. I don’t quite buy the goody two shoes “trying to bring Israelis and Palestinian together” bit, but is the fact that the Israeli company is trying to turn a profit on this keffiyeh trend really any worse than anyone else doing it?

Anyone else have an opinion?

Keffiyeh: Israeli Style

Aproveitando essa onda de entusiasmo que me assolou, resolvi dividir com quem se interessar as coisinhas que adquiri ontem na 25. Vou colocar aqui os endereços p/ quem se interessar.

Comprei alguns lenços e material escolar para doação.

Pra ser muito sincera nem eu aguento mais ver tanta gente usando Keffiyeh (conhecido também como lenço palestino). No começo fiquei meio injuriada pelo fato de ser um símbolo do movimento nacionalista palestiniano, o que poderia notificar algum tipo de ofensa à causa. Mas, uma vez que é um lenço que apesar de simbolizar uma causa nobre é também utilizado para proteção do corpo, não vejo problemas, uma vez que ele está também protogendo o de quem usa sem estar lá. Obviamente, falo do uso sem ofender a causa de nenum povo (espero que todos pensem assim).

Assim sendo, embora esteja mais que batido, eu acho o lenço palestino a coisa mais charmosa do mundo! Fica ótimo com roupas mais básicas dando um “tchans” no visual, então aproveitei que estão bem mais baratos e comprei alguns (sem ser o preto e branco, of course!!!):

Esse achei lindo, pq é um vermelho sangue, e é bem maior que os normais – R$20,00:

Tô postando com um pouco de pressa, mas depois volto para acrescentar alguns endereços de lojas, lembrando que nem tudo foi compra em loja!

Até mais!

I don’t know if I completely agree with this article but hey! It’s entertaining.

P.S. I don’t have an American Apparel v neck… they’re gap… Snap!

Taking a trip down memory lane and referencing America’s “elegant street couture” of the 1990s, Givenchy brought to the table a number of interesting juxtapositions of fashion meets sportswear. The styling presented some interesting combinations pairing tight fitting tops with anti-fit bottoms. More specific references included Axl Rose, Michael Jackson and hints of Middle East with kiffiyeh-inspired hoodies.

I love this new Arab inspired line-up, would definately cop the white tee with the red keffiyeh print on the neck.

Ripped from Hypebeast

Near Whole Foods, there couldn’t be a more fitting place to witness this,  a woman was leaving with her groceries.  She was sporting a keffiyeh and a socially responsible cloth grocery bag, riding a fixed gear bike East on 6th street.

You don’t drive EAST on 6th street. It is a one-way WESTbound street.

I don’t care if you are on a bike and are better than me and my evil Dick Cheney approved SUV.  One-way streets are one way streets even if you are pedaling to save the planet.

I do not care if you ride a bike.  I do not care why you ride a bike.  I do not care until you get in my way.  I do not care until I make a left turn onto a one-way street and find you as oncoming traffic.  One-way streets don’t have oncoming traffic.

Congratulations, I nearly hit another car trying not to kill you.

You are welcome.

This title is a bit misleading.  “Hipster” is a ubiquitous term that can refer to either a male or female individual who contains hipster tendencies and characteristics (compare this to the Guido/Guidette distinction).

Contrary to popular belief, there are multiple varieties of hipsters.  A full analysis and discussion of the varied types of hipsters is well-beyond the scope of this posting.  However, if you would like to learn of the breeds, visit “The Source” for a three-part series on classifying and categorizing hipsters.  For those who don’t have the time to read the series, “The Source” generally organizes hipsters into twelve groups: the natural, the newbie, the academic, the dilettante, the flower child, the detached ironic, the yuppie, the artiste, the ex-apt, the activist, the health nut, and the emo-goth.  I will attempt to summarize the various types of hipsters into a common set of characteristics.

The mecca of hipsterdom is without a doubt Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  If hipsters were a plague, Brooklyn would be the patient zero outbreak site.  All hipsters aspire to live in or at least take a hajj to their promised land.  However, if they are unable to live in Williamsburg other acceptable locations include Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon.

In those locations, hipster usually reside in converted lofts or studio apartments.  With only unpaid internships at Pitchfork/Vice/Radar/Nylon Magazine, being members of multiple bands with names such as Manginica (plays music about the benefits of looking and dressing androgynously) or There’s A Ghost In My Closet (plays music about ghosts with sounds that emulate ghost calls), going to zombie parties (including dance parties, bar crawls, and playing kickball while in zombie make-up), and making great videos like this (The Hipster Olympics), they don’t have much time to have gainful employment.  Then how exactly do they afford their apartments, buy pre-made fixed gear bicycles, pay for their Parliament Menthols and PBR tallboys, and fund their weekend coke habits?  Why with their trust funds of course!  After attending prestigious northeastern prep schools and small private liberal arts colleges funded by mommy and daddy, they move to Williamsburg, Austin, or Portland and live off of their trust funds.

Now you know where they are located and what they do, the question still remains as how to spot him when you encounter “That Guy.”  He will most likely have messy or two-toned hair that obscures his vision over just one eye.  But don’t worry about “That Guy” not being able to see because he will have his unnecessary black thick rimmed nerdy glasses.  If not glasses, he will often be wearing a pair of oversized brightly colored plastic sunglasses at nighttime.  Just like his haircut, if he can grow facial hair, it will most likely be something “ironic” like a handlebar mustache or muttonchops.  Regardless of the season or how hot it is outside, “That Guy” will be wearing some kind of bandana or almost certainly a keffiyeh.  There is a very good chance he will be wearing a shirt from American Apparel, from a thrift / vintage store, or from Urban Outfitters.  Who knew “That Guy” was a mathlete at John F. Kennedy Elementary School back in 1987, that he supports hugs for drugs, or that he is a fan of airbrushed tigers that should appear on the side of a conversion van circa 1976?  His pants will be so tight that they are cutting off the circulation to his legs – someone should tell his sister in middle school that her brother borrowed a pair of her skinny jeans.  To compliment his outfit, “That Guy” will be wearing Converse or some type of neon colored Nikes.  But remember, regardless of what article of clothing it is, he will have to rip holes in it, break it in, and de-new the clothes before wearing them out.

Who knew it was such hard work to appear apathetic?  Oh right, “That Guy” did.

A version of this is up at Mother Jones, but this one is too hard for the homepage.

Oh the keffiyeh. How long have I waited, in vain, for you to die? Before it was the emblem of the hipster generation, the keffiyeh (spelled many ways but worn only one) was the preferred and only headdress for PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and the symbol of Palestinian nationalism. What fatigues were to Fidel, the oragamied scarf was to Arafat.

Thanks to an late aughts explosion of popuarity, the symbol of intifada is now second only to the Che t-shirt for its global ubiquity and collegiate rebel chic. Today, you can buy this fashion juggernaut from half of all street vendors on Earth for a cool five bucks. There are in existance people who are “too cool” for the keffiyeh, but in all my wanderings through Williamsburg, the Mission and Silverlake, I haven’t met them. If Urban Outfitters and Rachel Ray couldn’t kill it, it seemed as though nothing could.

For all of you who were waiting on the “I told you so” moment, here it is.

According to a heart-wrenchingly earnest video by web-magazine Monocle, the global keffiyeh craze  is about to force Mr. Hirbawi, 76, the last keffiyeh factory owner in Palestine, out of business.

That’s because the one you’re wearing (and, increasingly, they ones they’re wearing) are made in China. Ironically, global support for Palestinian-statehood-as-fashion-accessory has put yet another nail in the coffin of the Occupied Territories’ beleaguered economy.

Here’s how it happened: Back in ‘87, during the first intifada, intifadniks couldn’t get enough of Mr. Hirbawi’s $25 scarves. Looser export restricitons meant that Israelis could rep them too, and slowly but surely the scarf and its emblematic pattern began appearing in the West. By the time the second intifada rolled around in 2000,  hardcore activists and the super cool already had them. Somewhere between then and now, the keffiyeh reached its tipping point, and hipsters’ insatiable lust for the scarf lured Chinese manufactures into the gig. Being the Chinese, they were able to undercut the Palestinians by an order of magnitide, and out-export them at every turn. Fast forward about a decade, and globalization killed the keffiyeh.

Is it yet another case of globalization ruining the world, or are Chinese keffiyehs just a natural outgrowth of Marx’s commodity fetishism? After all, what can’t be commodified these days?

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not one for trends. I’ve succombed once in a while but for the most part I like to stay away from things that will be dated in three months.

There’s one trend that irks me to no end. I hate it. I don’t think it’s cute. I actually think it’s pretty dumb. And unfortunately it’s a trend that has been seen on guys and girls alike.
You’ve seen it.
It’s the @#$%*$ SCARF! Just thinking about it bothers me. LOL! We’ve seen it everywhere from starlets walking around in maxi dresses and a scarf (Help me understand…the body is hot so you wear a dress. But the neck is cold? Your solution is to rock the clothing equivalent of a neck pillow?)

to day time talk show hosts rocking it as if it were going out of style…WHICH I SO WISH IT WOULD! (I love you, Ellen, but PLEASE stop it with the scarves already!!)

To me, this trend looks like a bib for adults. Fashionistas may try to tell me to focus on the fabric, the color, the print, or whatever, but seriously…it’s a freaken bib. LOL!
(I’m cracking myself up over here).
What happened to good old chains or necklaces for neck adornement?
The worst of the trend was on last night’s So You Think You Can Dance. Mary Murphy, I love you dearly, but WHAT THE HELL was that monstrosity hanging from your neck? It had a graphic print. It had tassles. It had fringe. It was color coordinated to your top. It was so damn big, I think it started at your neck and ended at your belly button. HORRIBLE!

I think the worst offenders are the guys that rock this style. Oh my goodnes, how I hate it. I love Justin Timberlake but when he dons the scarf I just want to cry.
You’re too handsome, JT, to do this retardness. Please don’t!

I can suffer in silence when I see the trend on girls.
I close my eyes, shake my head, and inhale deeply when I see it on guys.

But what really irks me to no end is the wanna-be keffiyeh scarf.

Why?
Who?
When?
Why are people rocking the traditional Palestinian scarf (think Yasser Arafat) as a trend?
Who said it was trendy?
When did they say it was trendy?
When can I punch this person in the face? LOL!!! (Oh man, I’m cracking up!)
Some people can claim that they’re rocking it in solidarity and I guess I’ll believe them. But you know the majority are wearing it because it’s the new thing at Kitson or __________ (insert name of other trendy shopping location).

Just ridiculous. To me anyway. You may be reading this while sporting a scarf. In that case, DO YOU! I’m all about everyone loving themselves and being individuals. So rock that scarf with pride, with your head held high, and with neck sweat. LOL!!
I kid, I kid.
Seriously though, DO YOU!

I will just smile and keep my comments to myself…or just post them here for all the world to enjoy.

Enjoy, world!

So much to tell.

May 9th

At work were shooting a commercial for the gym. And as it looks now I’ll make it on camera, which is really cool! I now understand why actors get paid the big bucks- take after take after take.

It’s in post production right now, as soon as it’s running I’ll of course post it on here.

Also it was my birthday! So we decided to do what we were suppose to do a few weeks back, get a hotel in Toronto and  party up.

the view

Dinner. The wine went straight to my head!

So many candles I couldn't blow them all out!

Showing love.

May 10-21st

About a week before my birthday I made it to 199lbs. 1 pound away from my  goal.  Howeger I could feel myself breaking down. Not because of the additional weight but because I had been lifting heavy and hard for the past 6 months!

In fact it’s surprising I wasn’t feeling worse. Normally I recommend not going more than 12 weeks hard with out some kind of down week or rest week.

In a future post on ‘joint savers’.

May 23rd

Ever been to a bodybuilding/ fitness show? If you enjoy people watching it’s a must!

My ‘yes woman’ Melissa (she’s saying yes to all invites) tagged along with me to the show, I told her she’d get amazing material for her blog, and it did not disappoint.

These shows are a sub-culture of the gym goer. If you aren’t a regular gym-rat it will never completely make sense! That being said, even I was a little awe struck, by all the overly tanned muscular bodies in swim suits everywhere.

apparently pimpin' is easy!

this is guy was a monster!

Even though I was about 15 pounds heavier than at the beginning of the year, I felt small!

The contest took place in a school auditorium but the real show was out in the halls. I gotta admit I loved just watching all of these personalities, and watching Melissa’s reaction to them!

I made her get a picture with a couple just so she could post, and I also had to have something (other than memory burn) to remember the experience.

best picture ever!

I think I'm the whitest person in the picture!

Lisa and James were more than happy to pose with us, they made our night!

My gym had people competing and they did very well. A first place, 2 seconds and a third. Congrats- Cara, Nathalie and Ron! And congrats to my other friend Rachel on a first place finish.

Speaking to my boss today he told me next time he’d get me back stage…Melissa we have another road trip!

I don’t know who was DJing this show but the music was good, so much so that Mel and I decided to head to Hess Village (a collect of bars e frequent) and meet up with other friends to go dancing.

The Keffiyeh

Before going to the bar I threw on a keffiyeh. And I do wear it both as a political/ fashion statement. It was met with mixed reactions, some said ‘gay’ some said “Brad Pitt wears them” and a girl did buy me a drink, I had an ice breaker all night.  So it can’t be that bad!  I’ll have to try it again and see what happens.

Not sure what i’m talking about? Check out the videos…

David Beckham, Kanye West, Rachael Ray, Sting, Colin Farrell

As I see it people just need to be educated on what it stands for. What do you think of them?

Over all the 23rd was a fun day!

Whew, well thats it for now. Off to watch Lebron…

Music: Lux Aeterna – Requiem For A Dream OST

Freedom Flags (Keffiyeh)

Freedom flags all float in the air
The black and white pattern, it quivers, it quivers
And is hoisted, wet by salty tears
As the screams make the ground below them shiver

And the freedom flags, they keep floating in the air
Silently, silently they whisper of despair

Freedom flags all lie around their necks
Strangling the dead, they slither, the slither
As the children of Abraham start to annex
And the freedom flags all begin to wither

And the freedom flags, they stop floating in the air
As the men behind walls beings to cheer

Freedom flags all crumble in the dust
The missiles meet their casualties in infatuation
And the blood is spilled on the pillow of unjust,
As Abraham’s children admire their creation

And the freedom flags are buried into the crumble
Around the necks of those who were humble
And those remaining, they crash and they stumble
Over fathers and daughters, as the missiles tumble

The freedom flags can’t lives protect, from the system’s defect
Only of the dream it can reflect, and of the fight for respect

The freedom flags, they float silently
The freedom flags, they all float violently

Thou shalt not kill…

Silence.
Before the storm.

“It started too soon” the daughter cried.
Her father was gone,
Her mother had died,
And she was left behind.

The time has come, in this gunpowder whirl
With the Keffiyeh around her head,
She whispered to her darkened dread,
“Maybe it is time for me to leave this world…”

Because I fancy writing.

Originally posted @ http://www.thecommentfactory.com/freedom-flags-keffiyeh-a-poem-1158

Martin in the Margins on the G20 protests in London:

[...] As for the make-up of the crowd, a large proportion of them seemed to be London University students out for an end-of-term carnival, plus a hard core of balaclava and keffiyeh-wearing activists playing at being revolutionaries for the day.[...]

And here is Russell Brand so attired.

If I’m reading right, this is Brand’s account*. He is quite articulate, to my surprise.

As I met the throng, the incongruous mass that occupied the Square Mile – making it, for once a Hip Mile, I breathed in the banners and chants and the sweet youthful purpose that prevailed from those present regardless of their age – the Sixties refugees all tie-dye and ganja seem younger somehow than the black-block adolescents in their secular hijabs of hoods and scarves.

I like that phrase “secular hijabs”. Certainly, he is right about this:

Capitalism has failed us. All of us, even people who’ve recently become well off, like me. The system has failed because it’s created disparity and discontent because it is devouring the planet. It is irresponsible and unaccountable and it will forever cyclically fail so we need to look at an alternative.

Another good phrase, this time from Brendan O’Neill**: “apocalypse porn”.

Soundtrack: Gary Clail.

*Ah, here is the original source.

**Yes, I know he is a wanker.

Commonly referred to as the “Houndstooth Desert Scarf” “arabic rag” or “the Arafat scarf” (not at all offensive), the Keffiyeh scarf has proven itself to be multi-functional within the Hip-Hop community. Rappers often wear the scarves to align themselves with political statements that they may or not be aware of. The signature “red is for the revolution” color, implies that not only is the rapper into the revolution, he’s into the Arabic version of it, which in the mind of most middle Americans means a Jihad. Not too many rappers know what a Jihad really is nor would they even know what to do in one, but the idea that they might partake in it is reason enough to wear the scarf. For rappers who understand the potential political undertones associated with a Keffiyeh scarf, they wear it as a means of appearing sophisticated and gentlemanly. This version of the scarf is usually worn in the black and white pattern – hence the nuvo-titling of Houndstooth Desert Scarf. Finally, as the scarf trickled down to the Hipster Rap movement, it just began to serve as a means of neck warmth in the crispy Brooklyn weather…available in pink and purple.

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It all began as I was on John Mayer’s homepage a couple months back, when I found a link to his twitter. Now everyone is Twitter crazy =)