Jordanians’ source of news

The results of the latest poll on Jordan Planet reveal that the majority of Jordanians (assuming the respondents are mostly Jordanians) heard about the Aqaba terrorist attack through "Foreign TV and radio stations."

Those that heard the news via "State-run Jordanian TV and radio" constituted only 9% of those polled. Now, isn’t this sad? Isn’t national TV supposed to be the first source for major local events? I personally heard about the attack through Jordan Planet after reading Isam’s blog early in the morning. Maybe Ibrahim is right and the reason that people are so tuned off by Jordan TV is the bad graphics.

Still on the issue of online polls, I finally updated the poll on Mental Mayhem. The question is as follows:

  • Is Jordan doing enough to protect citizens from terrorism?

So if you care, cast your vote in the upper left corner of this page!

The sister is here!

Tania at the Lincoln MemoriaMy sister Tania has arrived here from New Hampshire and we’ve been busy for the past two days showing her around DC. Yesterday she had a big day taking an all day DC bus tour, which she enjoyed tremendously. She got to see most everything historic that this diplomatic city has to offer, including the White house, Capitol Hill, Arlington Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial among others.

Unfortunately I could not join her on the tour as I had to work but I met her and the husband right after she finished exploring at the Barnes & Noble in Georgetown. From there we made our way around the corner to the Kennedy Center, where we attended a wonderful Blues concert by a group dubbed the Moonlighters.

Following the concert we headed back to Maryland for some shopping and then wrapped up the day with a little Domino’s pizza at home. Tania left this morning for Alabama but will be back here in a few days for more exploring and family bonding. Life is good.

Nothing beats quality time with a good friend

Serene and me enjoying KramersWe had a wonderful time last night with my good Jordanian-American friend Serene (AKA Ajlounieh), who I got to know back in Jordan some four years ago when we were working for the same company. Our chosen meeting place was a funky coffee shop/bookstore in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle called Kramerbooks and Afterwords CafĂ©.

The place reminded me a lot of Books@Cafe in Amman. For those uninitiated, it’s a bookshop/restaurant combo that is most frequented by the young and hip. I had been raving about Serene to Jeff for a while now and I was really excited that they finally got to meet. We enjoyed our time to the fullest, catching up and talking a great deal about the political situation in the Middle East. There was no way we could skip the subject when Aqaba had been bombed earlier in the day.

Time flew by so quickly. We were even rushed out of the place by the waitress who may have been annoyed by our long dessert-less stay on a busy night. The food itself was divine and the surrounding view of Dupont Circle was exciting for me since I’m still not that familiar with the DC scene.

This is a picture of Serene and me checking out the bookshop side of the place. DC just has so much to offer and I’m ready to embrace its offerings to the fullest.

Jordan under attack

Although I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, I’m extremely furious at what happened in Aqaba this morning [More here]. Those al-Qaeda blood suckers are now roaming freely In Jordan, intent on disrupting the security of the country and intimidating its people. I say to hell with them. Jordan and its people will not be intimated by those cowardly terrorists. I have full confidence in the Jordanian security system. I’m certain they will catch the culprits quickly and deliver the punishment they deserve.

My condolences go out to the family of the Jordanian soldier killed this morning in this horrendous terrorist act. My prayers go to Jordan and its people. May God protect you from the barbarians.