Category: Themes

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Excerpts and notes from the “Soft Skills” book

A couple of years ago, I was reading the book entitled “Soft Skills” by John Sonmez. The book was super useful to me especially that I was exploring ways to improve my soft skills and learn all the tricks I can regarding how to start my own business, organize my time, etc.

In this blog post, I share with you some of the takeaways and excerpts from that book.

Continue reading “Excerpts and notes from the “Soft Skills” book”

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The benefits of Onions (Arabic edition)

:اشتروا البصل وكلوه مهما أرتفع ثمنه

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حتى لوكنتم في شهرالعسل كلوه يقول الدكتور داود الربيعي صاحب الموسوعة العربية للعلاج بالاعشاب الطبية
كتبت عدة مقالات عن البصل وفوائده الغذائية والعلاجية 
وكلما قرأت تقريراً جديدا 
تحمست لكتابة المزيد عنه . 
ولما كان الحديث عنه يطول كثيرا فقد أرتأيت كتابته تحت عنوان هل تعلم : –
هل تعلم أن البصل من أغنى الخضار والفاكهة بمادة طبية مهمة تسمى الكوريسيتين ولا ينافسه بذلك سوى براعم نبات القبار .
وهل تعلم بأن مضاد الأكسدة (الكوريسيتن) في البصل تقاوم الالتهابات Inflammations حيثما وجدت وخاصة في الجيوب الأنفية والرئتين .
هل تعلم بأن تناول البصل يمنع تطور مرض السكري من النمط (2) الذي يعالج بالأقراص إلى النمط (1) الذي يتطلب حقن الإنسولين .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يحول بإذن الله تعالى دون الإصابة بسرطان الثدي ، البروستات ، الرحم والمبايض وكما يمنع نمو وزيادة عدد البقع ما قبل سرطانية precancerous lesions
هل تعلم بأن البصل يقاوم هجمات الربو .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يحمي الخلايا العصبية من التلف وما ينتج عن ذلك من أمراض مرتبطة بالجهاز العصبي .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يحول دون تلف الأوعية الدموية وإصابتها بالتصلب ويمنع حدوث الكثير من امراض القلب .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يعزز وجود وتكاثر البكتيريا الطبيعية في الأمعاء مما يحسن امتصاص العناصر المغذية، يعزز جهاز المناعة ويمنع انفلات زيادة الوزن المفرطة
هل تعلم بأن البصل يقتل كثير من انواع الجراثيم في الحلق والرئتين .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يميع الدم ويمنع حدوث الجلطات وخاصة عندما يكون مشوياً وأنه يحذر من تناول مميعات الدم الصيدلانية مثل الأسبرين والورافين مع البصل المشوي أو المقلي وذلك لأنه يسبب زيادة مفرطة في ميوعة الدم .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يخفض الضغط الشرياني لدى مرضى الضغط .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يجلب النعاس .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يمنع نمو جرثوم القرحة المعدية H. Pylori ويقضي عليها .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يخفض الكولستيرول والدهون الثلاثية .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يحول دون حدوث الأمراض المترافقة مع مرض السكري .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يمنع تكاثر فيروس الإيدز .
هل تعلم بأن البصل يمنع حدوث هشاشة العظام .
 هل تعلم بأن البصل يحتوي على كميات وافرة من المركبات الكبريتية التي تحافظ على نضارة البشرة وقوة وجمال الشعر والأظافر.
ملحوظات : -
يقول المثل الشعبي :-
 ( كل بصل وأنسى ما حصل )
 فعلا يعمل البصل على تحسين المزاج ويريح القلب ..
القشور الخارجية للبصل هي الأغنى بمضاد الأكسدة الكوريسيتين ..
لا يفقد البصل خصائصة الطبية في درجة الغليان .
وشوربة البصل نموذجية للحصول على جميع ميزات البصل .
جميع ما ذكر أعلاه هو خلاصة مئات الأبحاث العلمية التجريبية .
اللهم بارك
.. إن أمكن نشرها لتعم الفائدة للجميع .. جعلها الله في ميزان حسناتكم ..

 

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Cryptocurrency acronyms

If you are in cryptocurrency, then you might have encountered one or more of the following acronyms and wondered what they meant. Here you go:

  • WTC: Welcome to Crypto
  • FUD: Fear, uncertainty and doubt. A propaganda to lower prices.
  • FOMO: Fear out of missing. This is when you invest out of fear and not of educated decisions.
  • HODL: Misspelling for “hold”. People say HODL so that you don’t sell your BTC and hang on unto them.
  • Mooning: Price going up extremely high.
  • FIAT: Government-issued currency, such as the US dollar.
  • Whale: Someone who owns lots of cryptos. They might sells them to manipulate the prices.
  • Bullish: An expectation that the price is going to increase.
  • Bearish: An expectation that the price is going to decrease.
  • ATH: All time high. The highest price a coin has ever been
  • Market Cap: Total supply x Current price
  • ICO: Initial Coin Offering. Like IPO for the stock market
  • ROI: Return on investment
  • Cold storage: Storing the crypto coins offline. Be it on a paper wallet or a hardware wallet.
  • BTFD: Buy the F*king dip
  • NADDIC: Never A Dull Day In Crypto
  • DYOR: Do Your Own Research

Note: This is a live post and will be updated with new acronyms in the future.

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The frugal business man and the sailor

One time, a frugal business man was almost drowning when the cruise ship started sinking. A young sailor throws himself in the water and saves the men. After they arrived to the shore, the frugal business man reached out to his pocket to give the sailor a reward for saving his life. The business man handed him 10$ and said “Thank you”. All the people around the business man, witnessing the situation got disgusted at how cheap the business man and how feeble is the payback for the sailor who saved his life. The sailor then calms the people down and tells them: “He knows more than any of us how much his life is worth”.

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A universal grace prayer

Back in 2007, I went to India to do Dyan Yatra (a spiritual trek/pilgrimage to the foothills of the Himalayas to visit ancient temples). We were a group of 120 people traveling in 4 buses containing 30 people each. We would drive to the foothills of a mountain range, then hike up around 8 to 10 km to reach a small village and the temple we wanted to visit. We would sleep in the village and hike back down the next day and resume our pilgrimage.

One day, we got stuck in a village because of a landslide blocking the road. We stayed an extra day in the village and this is when I befriended an Indian who’s both a homeopathic doctor and a Yogi. I had an extensive chat with him and he ended up teaching me a few handy spiritual practices. One of the things that I still remember and practice to this day was the prayer he taught me to say before eating. It is akin to the Christians’ grace prayer that is recited before food is consumed.

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that I love two things: Prayers and Stories. Anyway, his version of the prayer goes something like this:

Oh my creator and God, thank you for this food. May this food nourish my body, may it be converted into blood and energy that I can use to help and serve others.

This is a very short prayer and is almost devoid of any religious affiliations. It is not a Christian prayer, it is not a Muslim prayer and it surely not a Buddhist or Hindu prayer. It is a simple remembrance that we are grateful for the grace we have in our life and how we intended to return this grace by serving others.

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The prince and the tiger

One day, a prince and his servant were walking in the jungle. Suddenly, a ferocious tiger leapt out of no where and tried to attack them. The servant, out of fear, quickly climbed a nearby tree and took refuge and refused to stay and help his master. The prince, on the other hand, faced the tiger with so much courage and finally killed the tiger.

The prince then calls down his servant and asked him: “Why did you not come down and help me? Come down, I will kill you myself!”

The servant: “I saw a Lion fighting a tiger and it is well known, when those two are fighting, dogs should not get involved”.

The prince then smiled at his reply and spared his life.

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A lesson to my teenage son

One day, a father was lecturing his teenage son about modesty and morality. The son replies arrogantly saying:

“Dad, it seems you forgot that you yourself went through the same age as me and my generation. You have left your father’s house, found a woman, got married and had your own kids. Can’t we do the same as you?”

The father replied: “No doubt in that my son, however you are from the new generation. You eventually walk the same path we walked but you start that path from the opposite direction and you start from where we ended”.

Indeed, the new generation is all confused about relationships. They have been brainwashed by the media and Hollywood about what is the “right” way to conduct a spiritual and wholesome life that improves the society. I have spoken about this upside down world we live in currently in my article entitled “The seven chakras and spiritual dating”. I encourage you to read this article because it really illustrates how a big number of the new generation of people start a family or a relationship completely backwards under the influence of alcohol and other mind numbing drugs.

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Catching up after a long time

Two friends, Tom and Mark reunite after a long time. They started chatting and catching up.

  • Tom: So Mark, what’s up with you after this long time?
  • Mark: Oh, since then I got married
  • Tom: So that must be good news
  • Mark: No, not really. The wife turned out to be very evil and made my life miserable
  • Tom: Oh, that’s not good
  • Mark: Well, no worries here. We got divorced and she paid me lots of money during the divorce
  • Tom: So, that is of most convenience then
  • Mark: Oh yeah, with all the money, I decided to get into the cattle business, but unfortunately they all died in an accident
  • Tom: What luck!
  • Mark: Luckily, I could sell their pelts for good money
  • Tom: So for selling the pelts, at least you recovered your losses
  • Mark: Yes indeed and with the money I bought a new house
  • Tom: What a turn of events. That sucks!
  • Mark: No not really. The wife was still in the house when it burned.
  • …

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54 sayings about life and relationships

  1. First learn to listen, second learn to judge
  2. Nature gave man two ears and one mouth so that we listen more than we talk
  3. The treasures of the thieves goes back to the kings
  4. Do not offer salt or advise to those who never asked for it
  5. One hundred washes do not make the coal white again
  6. The tired can sleep on a pillow made of rock and can find rest. The lazy sleeps on a feather pillow and can’t find rest
  7. If you were right then no need to raise your voice
  8. Do not befriend those who are shy to announce your friendship
  9. The origin of all good is knowledge and justice, but the origin of all evil is ignorance and darkness
  10. A Tyrant cuts the tree to get the fruit
  11. During the storm, the fishermen befriend each other
  12. When the eagle is sad, he calls the owl “my brother”
  13. One cannot argue when it comes to colors and taste
  14. He who asks for a friend without a flaw, remains a person without a friend
  15. He who helps others so people can see him, cannot help anybody behind the scenes.
  16. A 1000 miles trips start with a single step
  17. Like the water flows back to the ocean, so good deeds go back to the benevolent
  18. It is easy to be a human being, but it is hard to be a man
  19. Success is a ladder that you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets
  20. A small hut to laugh with family and friends is better than a castle where we are lonely and sad
  21. After a good meal, have a nap. After a good dinner take 40 steps
  22. There’s nothing in life to be afraid from, but there are plenty of things worth understanding
  23. Water can wash away almost everything except for a bad tongue
  24. Duties are ligther than a feather but heavier than a mountain
  25. Keeping the head is better than keeping the hat
  26. The home is turned upside down when the cock is silenced and the chicken starts singing
  27. A hand washes the other hand, but both hands wash the face
  28. Do not spend a big part of the discussion talking about yourself and life with acquaintances, instead ask about them and their lives
  29. When there’s so many captains, the ship sinks
  30. If you do good to others, make sure you don’t mention that. If others do good to you, make sure you remember their favor.
  31. Do good to your friends so they appreciate you more. Do good to your enemies so they become your friends.
  32. Justice sleeps sometimes, but it never dies
  33. To become a master, first you have to become a servant
  34. The man loved most the things denied to him
  35. My advise to you is to get married: if you find a good woman, you will have a happy life. If you find a bad woman, then you will become a philosopher
  36. We are all born crazy, except that some stay crazy.
  37. If a woman speaks, then shut up. If she stops, then talk. You better not talk.
  38. Marriage is our last chance for us to grow up
  39. It is not the lack of love that makes a marriage miserable, but it is the lack of friendship in marriage
  40. Love: a temporary insanity that can be cured with marriage
  41. Two roosters were living in harmony until the chicken showed up
  42. Banging the head into the wall brings nothing but swelling
  43. If you saw your neighbor’s beard catching fire, go and wet yours
  44. A bad knife cuts a finger but not wood
  45. A book is a good friend, but unfortunately, its only defect is that it is bought with money
  46. Forgive your enemies but never forget their names
  47. One man in the house is better than ten in the street
  48. A man falls in love with through his eyes and the woman through her ears
  49. A man cannot live because of beauty, but is ready to sacrifice himself for beauty
  50. The mother spends twenty years to make her boy a man, till another woman makes her son a fool in twenty minutes
  51. Sorrow can be a bridge to happiness
  52. He who could not stand being taught for one hour, stays ignorant for ever
  53. Do not become curious about other people’s business lest you hear what you don’t like.
  54. We can understand life if we looked into the past, but we cannot live fully unless we look forward

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Bullet art by David Palmer

One day I was taking a walk in Laguna Beach and I ran into an art gallery displaying the art work of David Palmer.

Mr. David Palmer, a 60-year-old California resident, is an American contemporary artist. What drew my attention was the fact that Mr.  Palmer uses bullets to make his art:

I found that kind of art really fascinating. Certain paintings can take more than 1000 bullets to make.

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The 2018 World Predictions – Michel Hayek

Keeping with every year’s tradition on this blog, I am doing a preliminary translation of the 2018 predictions by Michel Hayek.

 

2019 Predictions? Click HERE

Disclaimer:

  1. I am not a professional translator and I do this as a hobby.
  2. I do not claim that the translation below is accurate or true.
  3. I did not translate everything. I skipped many things including predictions of events that are very local to the Arab region and Lebanon.

If you can understand Lebanese Arabic, I have edited and cleaned the TV interview with Michael and made it available here:

More predictions:

Let’s get started! Continue reading “The 2018 World Predictions – Michel Hayek”

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A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.

Memes make rounds on the internet and this time, I received this quote:

A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.

The first thing I did is make sure that this quote is really attributed to Oscar Wilde and it was indeed.

I totally agree with his quote especially in this modern age.

It is hard to find a young woman that is not obsessed about makeup or how she looks. In fact, these days there are less and less true things about a woman’s appearances. Consider yourself lucky if you find a natural woman who is not riddled with insecurities.

Plastic surgery to make bigger breasts, asses or lips are but a minor subset of cosmetic surgeries that are conducted mainly to increase their sexual market value and appeal. Continue reading “A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.”

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Tools for your neck and back

If you work a lot on the computer and sit in the office most of the day then you are bound to start to develop some neck and shoulder pain. To remedy that, you have to take breaks every hour to stretch. Additionally, regular daily exercise is also important. I also found that looking at stereoscopic pictures can ease the strain on your eyes.

For when back at home and if you want to relax, I can also recommend the following two items.

Neck pillow

I have been using the Real-Ease Neck and Shoulder relaxer.

This pillow is travel friendly and helps release neck, shoulder and jaw tension. It retails for no more than 24$.

Inversion Table

I discovered inversion tables a year ago. I found one for 100$ and figured I can try it out. The inversion table takes a bit of getting used to but at the end, you might end up loving it and using it every day.

The benefits of an inversion table are numerous, let me list a few benefits that I personally experienced:

  • Refreshing and energizing: if I am sleepy, a few minutes on the inversion table refreshes me and gives me more energy
  • Relieves neck and lower back pain: by inverting, the pressure is taken off my lower back, hips and shoulders. My joints decompress and relax
  • Boosts blood flow to the brain: due to the inversion effect and being upside down, the blood will rush towards your head and thus oxygenating more of your brain cells

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