Few Necessary Clarifications!

First of all, I would like to say thank you to all the people who supported my decision to withdraw from the NSF and sympathized with my main motivations in this regard, even if they were somewhat vaguely stated.

This said, however, I think a few clarifications are in order:

Firs, I am not given up blogging or activism. Hell, if I did that, I won’t just be a sellout and a coward, I’ll be an idiot too. I mean, we are just coming out of a very important transitional phase with our activities at Tharwa, for all the limited resources we have (believe me, despite some persistent rumors, they are limited, especially considering the scope of work we have to do).

Indeed, our regional network of activists continues to expand on an almost daily basis, with the seeds for full-fledged chapters now sown in a number of countries throughout the region. Moreover, back in April, we launched something that, I trust, will keep me busy for the rest of my life (or, to be more realistic, for as long as we can get the necessary resources for it), namely: the Tharwa Institute for Democratic Leadership, of which I’ll have more things to say in the future. 

And of course, we cannot forget our recent success in monitoring the parliamentary elections and the presidential referendum in Syria, and for organizing a major grassroots boycott of both events. For indeed, and despite all the regime-organized theatrics, which naturally fooled a lot of people who wanted to be fooled, a real grassroots boycott of both events, yes, even the referendum, did take place, and the people who helped produce these feats are still there in Syria preparing for what comes after. No, it won’t be a revolution, but it will be a serious grassroots effort to challenge the increasing mismanagement, corruption, and arrogance of the regime, even now, in these inauspicious and dangerous times.

The ability for the external opposition to modernize itself, its message its operations, its basic structure, would have been a welcome development at this stage, and would have been extremely helpful for the activists inside in the weeks and months to come. Instead, we get more of the same. Naturally, I was frustrated, and drained: I put a lot of effort into trying to make things work in this regard. But, I was not surprise. Yes, my disillusionment was predicted by me as well, and not just by some of my detractors (who seem more gleeful than the event warrants really).   

I repeatedly said on this blog that I do what I do in the face of my growing cynicism, and I made no secret with regard to my misgivings about taking part in oppositional work. But I needed to experiment with this matter, I guess, some things you just have to see and try for yourself: the practical insight is far superior to the theoretical one. 

But, what does it mean to be disillusioned at this stage? Does it mean that I am now busy trying to ingratiate myself to some figures in the regime in order to get back “home” where, for once, I could try in the good graces of the regime? Or does it mean that I may now be more willing to engage in the seemingly benign activities that will move me out of harm’s way?

Well to those who think that I might even contemplate such disastrous courses of action, all I can say is that they really don’t know me. Everything about me simply militates against such “possibilities.” Everything. 

I don’t believe in dualities, or think along linear lines. The decisions ahead me can never be reduced to a choice between the regime and the opposition, so that when I get disillusioned with one side I simply move to the other. Also, the fact that I am willing to embark on some internal review process does not mean that I am going to find the Assads engageable all of a sudden, especially at a time when they are living up consistently and constantly to my worst expectations of them.

No, I can never be “open-minded” in this regard. Hell, I cannot even be “open-minded” enough to accept cooperating with people who remain “open-minded” in this regard. People who think that their “open-mindedness” here can serve the country and the national interest are dead wrong. It can only serve the particularistic interests of the regime, and it might admittedly server their own personal interests a well, but then, this would make them more opportunists than idealists, wouldn’t it?, at least when they insist on staying the course. 

Meanwhile, and for those who think I looked too depressed and worn-out in my last photo, which is indeed the image I was trying to convey, which is why I used an older photo dating back to January 2006, here is a more recent one of me and Khawla, taken just last week at the Great Falls in Maryland. 

And here is a link to a recent profile of me and a blogging buddy in Newsweek.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Very well. We're now on the right track. Great to know depression didn't last long. Good luck. I guess the fools got fooled by showing their true color - mostly snake like with lots of empty words of consolation and apparent encouragement - things they call in common arabic whitewash of faces - tabyid wijj

[Alex]

it might admittedly serve their own personal interests a well, but then, this would make them more opportunists than idealists, wouldn’t it?

Can you explain who is included in this group?

Is George Ajjan an opportunist?

Am I?

Joshua?

If yes, please tell us how.

If not, then maybe you need to explain it to your Lebanese neocon "idealist" readers and supporters.

[Ammar Abdulhamid]

Alex, in your comment on the previous post, you said:

“We discussed at the time your decision to join the NSF and my position was that it is a good thing. Not because I could see any hope for good things to come out of the NSF group, but because it was a necessary experience that you needed to go through. You already experienced the disappointing side of trying to help the regime in reforming Syria, now you experienced the other side of trying to help "the opposition" reform Syria.”

Now, let me nuance things a little:

My efforts to help the regime were not voluntary, I never believed it could reform itself, but, in order to keep my project alive in Syria, I was put in that position, and I have explained this ad nauseam in my early posts on this blog. Still, I did give it my all, just in case I was wrong. But, as you said, my efforts did come to naught.

I had a similar experience with the opposition, albeit the decision to join here was all mine. No element of coercion existed, at least, not physically. Here, too, I gave my all to no avail.

Throughout it all, I was always being public (to the extant possible of course), I shared my frustration, and my sense of success and failure with all, and admitted my errors, when I saw them as such. In fact, in my first posting for 2007 I did say that things will be different for me this year, albeit gradually, I knew a course correction for me was becoming a necessity, and I have been gradually making it over the last few months, and I think my posts reflected that, with all the ups and downs involved.

I just hope that others who are interested in Syrian affairs can undertake a similar review of their positions and activities every now and then. It’s not my job to sort people out. People do that themselves through their actions and words.

The remark I made about people who end up serving the regime’s interests, and sometimes their own as well, was meant as a cautionary remark not necessarily a derogatory one. In other words, I am merely suggesting that the machine of corruption and patronage that the regime has established can suck you in or suck you dry, it will either give you nothing for your effort, or it will make you an integral part of the system. No good can come ever out of it.

People are quite free to try to discover that on their own. It’s often necessary for them to do so, I know that from experience. But passed a certain point, it is only legitimate for people who have my conviction regarding association with the regime (namely: that no good can come of out it) to wonder whether that invisible line between idealism and opportunism had been crossed. In most cases, and knowing how complex things can get, and how complex human psyche is, I am willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, even at the expense of my own comfort level sometimes. But I cannot keep doing that indefinitely.

Indeed, if I am keeping my distance from certain people at this stage, I think that this does represent a good measure of the kind of questions that are reverberating in my head, but it is not necessarily an indication of final judgment on my part. That’s where I stand with regard to you, Alex, assuming that you care.

[Kamal]

Shame,shame,shame,shame,shame,shame,shame on you Alex.

[anon]

اليكس حبيبي
جورج عجان صغير ومو عرفان راسه من رجليه
جشوا لانديس غليظ ودمه ثقيل ومفكر بالشهرة
اما انت فمثل النسوان القدامى عالتمام زائد انك دون شخصية

[Ammar Abdulhamid]

Let me immediately rush to encourage people not to get too personal in their statements. So far we have managed to keep our discussions civil on this blog despite the really big disagreements that we have. This is one of the few successes that we have, let's guard it jealously.

[anon]

What is a man?
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better...

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt

This perfectly describes you, Ammar.

[Anonymous]

O' man. I see there are at least two more individuals (kamal and anon) who are eager to tell alex straight in the face what kind of person he and his friends are. So much for your self praise and the 250 regurgitating ‘farcical’ comments you went through alex. I also assure you the above anon is not the same anonymous writing this comment. So there are at least three individuals now grilling the snake. I understand ammar's concerns about keeping the issue above personal squabbles. But, let's be honest ammar. You have to have some claws sometimes in order to deal with some people. You need them with such sneaky individuals and such current circumstance.

[Alex]

Ammar,

I did not suggest that you should flip to the other side, only to balance your efforts. And you answered me by explaining why it is not good to switch and cooperate with the regime.

I never said it before because I really don't want people to misinterpret my words in the silliest ways (because I don' care), but I will say it here:

For the longest time, your main and busiest blog (Amarji) had a link to Tondy Badran's neocon financed initiatives, and it did not link Creative Syria where I invited you, linked you and reminded you to always make sure you have your articles featured in any discussion knowing very well that your opinion is probably very different from mine.

If you want to boycott even those who MIGHT look like they are too naive (according to you) not to be sucked into the regime's corruption, but not boycott those who are already corrupted by neocon money, the same group that caused the hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqis, I think there is some more thinking needed on your side.

My approach is to try to include decent, intelligent and productive people, regardless of how much they agree or disagree with me. And I definitely try to read and communicate with those who disagree with me. You are one. And that's why I tried in the past to interact with you.

When I used to engage your readers on this blog last year, we had 100 comments per post. But you really did your best with your newer posts to make this a place for your extreme monologues... and you seem to prefer to keep those 5 identical supporting comments after your monologues.

But you are honest for sure, and I will respect your wish to not have anything to do with my projexts and ideas. And I sincerely wish you good luck.

[Anonymous]

I have a suggestion for you alex:
Rename your site to 'REGURGIRATING ALEX'

You can then use the logo of the brand cheese La Vache Qui Rit as your very personal emblem.

I think it’ll make it look very descriptive of your very ‘creative’ (sorry regurgitating) persona. On top of all that you can ask your readers to keep saying cheese and put them on camera.

Cheers (sorry Cheese) man.

[Anon 2]

Alex ,
Please do not waste your time on changing Ammar , Ammar is a one vindictive person who has only one point , Kill the Assads , Kill the Alawat forgive the sunnies no matter what they did, Ammar would rather watch an accident victim bleed to death than help him if he is not going to get all the credits , That explains his reluctance to help Syria , God forbid the Assads might get the credits even for involving him to help Syria.

[anonymous3]

I think, normal people might have one or two coffee shops they attend regularly, it might be a little more, but when you see someone visiting all the coffee shops in town and try them all and drinks in each one, you start to wonder is this guy a customer or else. And when you see someone who can not assent in discussion and he stops on each word and behave rigorously in discussion, you start to wonder is this guy has mission to do and you start casting suspicious ion. Some blogs are for discussion, some for statements and some are for bloggers opinions, you can not sum all as same. Am I wrong on this Ammar? Just wondering! And the problem is no one cares if this guy or that guy is with or against, because in the end blog sphere is not a classification center, it is a market for views, so wise up people defend your ideas not that regime or that party. We love you Alex, we want you to defend the regime as long as you believe in it and in this venue as a salvage to your beloved country, but please respect other people ideas and stands, after all we need all these groups who can talk and believing in the free speech to stand in the face who do not believe in free speech, we are in same boat.
For all these reasons, I salute you Ammar, because you proved again that you speak your mind, regardless. And even popularity comes second to your thoughts; this will grant you Trust, this one has high value in the market place.

[anon]

اليكس
الناس التي تكتب عند جشوا بيناتنا كل واحد من الثاني
مثلا السيد اخبار بالاس هو نفسه السيد فور بوفيكت انه مضحك مبكي يدل على مدى ضعف الشخصية وقلة الثقة بالنفس ولا اسامة هل تعرف اسامة ومدى استعداده ليمسح ويمسح من هو بالسلطة
انا لا ارى عند جشوا ناس تكتب اكثر من من يكتبوا لدى عمار
كلهم كام واحد عم يبسطوا بعض بشي سخيف وبلا قيمة

[Ammar Abdulhamid]

anon | June 17, 2007 at 05:20 PM
you flatter me abit too much, but thanks.

Anon 2 | June 17, 2007 at 10:05 PM
I never said anything against the Alawites, they happen to be family. I'd forgive the Assads, when they earn it. But so long as they persist on ebig correupt tyrannical people who send young 20 somethings to prison for having critical views, my vidictiveness, as you put it, is well-justified.

Alex, I can only take part in projects that I can believe in, and I started out by appreciating your project, but I cannot anymore. It's as simple as that.

As to the number of comments on my blog posts, well, perhaps there are other ways for one to measure his "success."

[anonymous4-]

Who is Alex? does he work for the Asad regime?
or does he work for Dr LAndis?

[Kamal]

Have you heard the news about Joshua Landis (Syria Comment).

هل لعبة "3 سبعات" لعبة آل الأسد؟ الديكتاتور الشاب الذي صوّت له 97 بالمئة (وكسور) من السوريين لكي يتحكّم بهم لمدة 7 سنوات مقبلة اختار أن يدشّن عهده الزاهر بمحاكمة 7 من شبّان المعارضة السورية وطلابها، فوزّع على 2 منهم 7 سنوات سجن وعلى 5 آخرين 5 سنوات سجناً بتهم "كتابات أو خطب لم تجزها الحكومة تعرض سوريا لخطر أعمال عدائية أو تعكر صلاتها بدولة أجنبية أو تعرض السوريين لأعمال ثأرية تقع عليهم أو على أموالهم"، و"نشر أنباء كاذبة أو من شأنها أن تنال من هيبة الدولة أو مكانتها المالية".

باختصار، الشبّان السبعة، الذين تعرّضوا للضرب والتعذيب، سيظلون جالسين في السجن حتى العام 2014 أو حتى العام 2012، في حين سيظلّ الديكتاتور الشاب جالساً في "قصر الشعب" حتى العام 2014 أيضاً! هذا إلا إذا حدث "شيء ما" وتبدّلت الأدوار، من يدري...!!

دمشق: أحكام مستنكرة بحق معتقلي الرأي من الشباب الديمقراطي السوري

قبل ظهر اليوم الأحد 17/6/2007 ، أصدرت محكمة أمن الدولة العليا الاستثنائية، على جري عادتها السيئة السمعة، أحكاماً شديدة الظلم بحق سبعة من معتقلي الرأي الشبابي الديمقراطي في سوريا.

وجاءت هذه الأحكام كما يلي:

الحكم بالاعتقال المؤقت لمدة 7 سنوات مع التجريد من الحقوق المدنية على كل من:

1- طارق الغوراني تولد 1975 مساعد مهندس.

2- ماهر إبراهيم اسبر تولد 1980 أعمال حرة.

الحكم بالاعتقال المؤقت لمدة خمس سنوات والتجريد من الحقوق المدنية على كل من:

3- حسام ملحم تولد 1985 طالب في كلية الحقوق.

4- عمر العبدالله تولد 1985 طالب في كلية الآداب - قسم الفلسفة.

5- دياب سرية تولد 1985 طالب.

6-أيهم صقر تولد 1975 أعمال حرة.

7- علام فاخور تولد 1979 طالب في كلية الفنون الجميلة - قسم النحت

أما التهم التي حكم عليهم بموجبها فكانت كالعادة هي (القيام بأعمال أو كتابات أو خطب لم تجزها الحكومة تعرض سوريا لخطر أعمال عدائية أو تعكر صلاتها بدولة أجنبية أو تعرض السوريين لأعمال ثأرية تقع عليهم أو على أموالهم) ونشر أنباء كاذبة أو من شأنها أن تنال من هيبة الدولة أو مكانتها المالية).

وكان هؤلاء الشبان كانوا قد اعتقلوا منذ أكثر من عام على خلفية نشاط شبابي ديمقراطي مستقل، أبرز ما فيه نشر بعض المقالات على شبكة الانترنت! وقد وردت شهادات عديدة عن تعرضهم خلال التحقيق والتوقيف لشتى أشكال التعذيب النفسي والجسدي وسوء المعاملة.

جدير بالذكر أن منظمات حقوقية ومدنية عربية وعالمية، أبرزها منظمة العفو الدولية، تقوم حاليا بأوسع حملة تضامن مع الشبان المذكورين.

[Alex]

Anonymous4-

Alex works for no one. Believe it or not, I spent over 3000 hours the past two years doing whatever I did, because I love Syria and I will not wait for the Americans to overthrow the Assad regime and bring us "democracy" before I can do something useful for Syria. As a matter of fact, it was the day the unguarded Iraqi museum was destroyed while the Iraqi oil ministry was safely guarded by the Americans that I knew what to expect for the years to come.

Gibran (anon)

My ever confident Lebanese fan, I think it will be very hard for you to accuse me of doing things to promote myself .. I rarely use my real name, I don't put my picture on my sites, and I refused every offer to meet in Washington or Damascus with anyone. Ammar should remember a couple of these offers.

I have my own successful business and I am busy publishing my academic research findings in scientific papers. You can check my name in this conference for example.

Anon (Arabic)

"Ford Prefect" is a friend of mine. He comes from one of the classiest and most accomplished Syrian families that I am sure you respect. He is a director in a big American corporation. Believe me he is not Akbar Palace. Akbar is really an American Jew who used to live in Israel.

Anonymous3
I fully respect Ammar's right to have his opinion. As a matter of fact, I even invited him again to say his opinion on my new forum on the Golan Heights.
The issue I tried to raise and he still has no answer to is: Ammar does not practice what he advocates! ... he only links sites that share his goal of removing the Syrian regime at any cost. Half his friends and backers are neocons. Even when he claims he used to believe in my project, when I was happy to offer him the most visibility on my Think Tank, he still could not add a simple link on his blog next to Tony Badran's neocon sites that he loves and believes in so much.

These are the people who are paying Tony Badran who Ammar proudly links.

Ammar

No need to explain why you do not believe in my projects anymore. The answer is very simple: you don't believe your strategy is popular anymore.

If you showed up on the discussion on the Golan heights you would have sounded almost exactly like Farid Ghadry ... you would have repeated your typical suggestion to the United States and Israel to not negotiate with Syria today because if they returned the Golan to Syria now it would also benefit the Assad regime, and you would rather not have the Golan than to see Bashar gain more popularity.

When I invited you to write, I wanted to check readers' feedback to see if your opinion is popular with Syrians (or with Israelis). But I was also hoping to be surprised to read that perhaps you started to change your approach. Not to switch 180 degrees, but to maybe become something like Rime Allaf who spends a lot of energy criticizing the regime. Her excellent article on the Golan Heights that she submitted was very popular with ALL the readers.

When you refused to write, I knew that you did not change a thing. Because you can't change.

I won't invite you directly again although you are always welcome to join and write anything you like.

The "success" of your blog is not measured by the variety or the number of participants or their quality, in the comments section, no. Because you decided you are happier with your old monologue. Falling from 100 long comments to 3 or 4 repetitive supportive comments (usually from Lebanese and Israeli readers) did not give you any indication that most Syrian readers got disappointed in your extremism and in your neocon Washington allies and in your NSF membership...

For every political prisoner the Syrian regime put in jail the past few years, the neocons caused the killing of thousands of Iraqis ... for every political prisoner that was slapped on his face in a Syrian prison, a thousand Iraqi refugees sold their daughters to prostitution to be able to live, thanks again to your neocon allies.

Did you take math in school?

Pick your favorite devil.

[Anonymous]

Even when you're trying to justify yourself, Alex, you have the inherent characteristic of showing your self centered narcissism through your words. It is as if you're born with it man. It is as if you're incorrigible. Besides, why are you so hostile to those you label as neo-cons? I don’t think Tony Badran even cares about your existence. I mean, come on man they have their right to have their point of view heard and respected even if you don't agree with them. I personally think they have done a lot of good things in bringing to the full attention of the world public opinion the dangers of such groups as the dictators of Iran, Syria, N.Korea, Sudan and others. They may have been a little naive about spreading Democracy, but that doesn't mean we should go on every blog and offer apologies to demagogues such as Bashar, Ahmedinejad, Khamenei, Hezbollah, Hamas and others as you have been doing for the last three years until you rightfully earned the derogatory title of Assad regime apologist par excellence. In fact, we as believers in human dignity and freedom should find a way to correct the mishaps committed and find a way to jumpstart the democratic crusade for the good of humanity of which Syria may be a beneficiary. Alex, stop being provocative and ask yourself before you ask others silly questions about learning math. Are you really concerned about Syria? Or are you concerned about yourself as a member of a minority Syrian group that wrongly feels protected by another minority ruling the country as thugs by military force. Remember the minority complex that was brought to your attention by some True_facts blogger some time ago. As a resident of Quebec you should be the first to acknowledge this fact. Come on man get out of your cocoon and make a personality for yourself. How long do you think you can rely on the mirage of being protected by minority thugs? And how long do you think the majority of the Syrians will remain silent to such anomaly? And what will happen to your likes when the volcano erupts? Or do you think you can rely on your drum beating skills by switching the beat to the tune of the new regime when the regime falls and the rule of Syria is restored to its rightful owners? You know what they call this? It is cheap and coward opportunism.

[Alex]

Gibran,

"They may have been a little naive about spreading Democracy"

Poor little naive Neocons who are full of good intentions!

:)

Like poor Wolfowitz and his threats full of four-letter words to anyone who would stop him from giving his girlfriend an excessively high salary.

That's the kind of moral leadership one should follow!

And I don't care what Tony Badran thinks or does not think of "Alex". If there is one thing I respect from him, it is the fact he does not waste my time or his time arguing with me.

[Anonymous]

"If there is one thing I respect from him, it is the fact he does not waste my time or his time arguing with me."

You got that right on alex. It is a waste of time arguing with you. The keyword is what we started with: REGURGITATING ALEX.

Keep up the good work. And go ahead and use the La Vache Qui Rit emblem as your personal insignia.

Who is Gibran by the way?

[anon(Arabic)]

اليكس
صدقني فردك علي اشعرني وعلى الاخرين اشعرني بانك لست كالنسوان القدامى ولكن ايضا كالحموات الميدانيات ههههه
المهم يا اخي يجب عليك ان تعتمد على نفسك وتناقش بكرامة وان يكون لديك مبدا
صدقني فانت موضع للتساؤل فلا احد سيصدق ما تقوله
وانا اعرف فورد بورفيكت اكثر منك واعرف انك تعرف انه نفس اخبار بالاس وهذا ليس مهم اطلاقا فالرجاء عدم مناقشة
المهم في الموضوع انك تتصرف بطريقة لا تبين انك موضع للثقةوللاحترام

[anon(Arabic)]

اليكس
سؤالك عن مرتفعات الجولان كان سؤلا سخيفا جدا هذا السؤال يجب عليك ان تساله لطلاب السادس الابتدائي وان يكون موضوع انشاء
والتعليقات على سؤالك كانت اسخف وللاسف الم تلاحظ ذلك
وباعتقادي انك قللت كثيرا من قيمة موقعك الالكتروني من عنده الوقت ليقرا ماذا يريد ان يقول لاسرائيل مثلا منيف او طارق الخ

[Babs]

Paul Wolfowitz Alex? Wow, you are reaching big time. NO ONE in the Arab world has ever pulled a power play for their silk pony?
This discussion is pathetic. Ugly, horrible NEOCONS... The devil itself!
Get a life Alex and while you are doing that, grow up. You sound like a petulant child that wants two cookies when his mother only gave him one.

[Amr]

Hi Ammar Kefak?

I compiled a list of questions and I am sharing them with few people.. I want to run it by you as I am intersted to see if we can trasform them into pols. here it is:

Lets try to keep Arab Governments and the Arab-Israeli conflict aside for a moment and attempt to answer few crucial questions:

1. What are two attributes/characteristics of Arab Societies (trickling down to individuals) that if acquired on a wide scale, would propel and transform Arab societies into prosperous and healthy societies.
2. What is the one thing that constitutes the highest risk/danger facing Arab Societies today.
3. How do we want to position our selves as Arab societies 50 years from today? Do we want to become Knowledge based societies, Open Markets and borders, or Socialistic societies.
4. Do we want our governments to enforce the practice of Islam (Al-’ebadat) and be ruled by clergy? Or given that most Arab laws are already inspired by Islamic Law, do we assert personal freedom of faith and practice and leave the role of running the government for bureaucrats??
5. Given that Arab culture- a subset of Muslim civilization- blended with regional and local cultures is the dominant cultural force in the region. How do we envision our relationships with religious and ethnic minorities. Do we endorce a policy of Arabization, or do we excerice a plicy of promoting minority sub-cultures.
6. What do we envision and aspire to be the rule of women in Arab Societies? fully Working,educated, competitive moms? or quasi-educated semi-employed houswifes.
7. Are Islamic institutions in need for reform? Are we satisfied with those in charge of thse institutions? Are we with/against promoting progressive Ijtihad?

8. What is our positions of (" Takferi islamists") who advocate intolerance and even violence against those whome they disagree with? Should that (advocating such as a school of thought) be a crime by itself? or should they just be?

Did I miss something?

[Amr]

You withdrew from NSF? I think that's a good move. Politics is dirty besides I never thought that you had the right creditials that makes you a dirty person. hehe, Good luck and all the best.

Amr