ARABICA - A Daily Shot Of What the Arab World is Saying/Hearing/Sharing

Al Jazeera ran a story citing unnamed Israeli security sources who say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak not only back Muammar Gaddafi, but have also recruited African mercenaries in order to prevent "an Islamic regime" from taking over Libya.

A R A B I C A ارابيكا

By Kristen Gillespie

LATEST ON LIBYA

*Al Jazeera ran a story citing unnamed Israeli security sources who say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak not only back Muammar Gaddafi, but have also recruited African mercenaries in order to prevent "an Islamic regime" from taking over Libya. According to the report, Gaddafi paid Israel $5 billion for the recruiting service, with more to come if the mercenaries quell the revolution. No other evidence beyond anonymous "sources' is provided, and the story has not yet been featured on the home page of Al Jazeera English.

*Al Arabiya posted a picture of Libyan protesters in front of a tank. "Libya attempts dialogue with protesters before resorting to force."

*A tweet from Benghazi: "Gaddafi – you have less than one city left."

*Ammon News posted an item about Gaddafi's supposed Ukranian nurse leaving Libya to return home and a purported picture of said aide, described in a cable released by Wikileaks as "voluptuous' and nearly always by the Leader's side. Commenters gawked at the young, blonde lady in the picture, saying: "God is beauty and God loves beauty"…."No wonder he lost his mind"…and "so who is going to entertain him during exile in Jeddah?" Others concluded she was too young to be Gaddafi's nurse.

*A dance remix appeared on YouTube of Gaddafi's rant-filled speech last week in which he encouraged the people to fight for him, and repeatedly banged his fist on the podium (both of which are used to great effect in the clip). The song is called "Zenga zenga" – meaning "street" in Libyan Arabic. The caption underneath reads: "New 2011 "Zenga zenga" song by Muammar Gaddafi – Freedom for the Libyan people from this rabid dog Gaddafi."

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*A new facebook group called "the Syrian Revolution against Bashar al-Assad 2011" already has more than 28,000 fans. A recent post includes a report by DP-News and highlights a slum close to Damascus airport where the streets and open spaces are strewn with garbage. "No one comes to take it away," one unnamed father says, telling how his young son walks through garbage-filled dirt roads to get to school. "No paved road, no services, nothing," the man says, close to tears. The group administrator titled the post: "Syria - the way Bashar likes it."

Feb. 28, 2011

photo credit: illustir

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ARABICA - A Daily Shot Of What the Arab World is Saying/Hearing/Sharing

A R A B I C A ارابيكا

By Kristen Gillespie

LATEST ON LIBYA

*Al Arabiya posted a picture of Libyan protesters in front of a tank. "Libya attempts dialogue with protesters before resorting to force."

*A tweet from Benghazi: "Gaddafi – you have less than one city left."

FACEBOOKED

Feb. 28, 2011

photo credit: illustir

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What To Do With The Complainers In Your Life — Advice From A South American Shrink

Argentines love to complain. But when you listen to others who complain, there are options: must we be a sponge to this daily toxicity or should we, politely, block out this act of emotional vandalism?

Photo of two men talking while sitting at a table at a bar un Buenos Aires, with a poster of Maradona on the wall behind them.

Talking in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nathana Rebouças

Martín Reynoso*

BUENOS AIRES — Argentina: the land of complainers. Whether sitting in a taxi, entering a shop or attending a family dinner, you won't escape the litany of whingeing over what's wrong with the country, what's not working and above all, what we need!

We're in an uneasy period of political change and economic adjustments, and our anxious hopes for new and better leaders are a perfect context for this venting, purging exercise.

Certain people have a strangely stable, continuous pattern of complaining: like a lifestyle choice. Others do it in particular situations or contexts. But what if we are at the receiving end? I am surprised at how complaints, even as they begin to be uttered and before they are fully formulated, can disarm and turn us into weak-willed accomplices. Do we have an intrinsic need to empathize, or do we agree because we too are dissatisfied with life?

Certainly, agreeing with a moaner may strengthen our social or human bonds, especially if we happen to share ideas or political views. We feel part of something bigger. Often it must seem easier to confront reality, which can be daunting, with this type of "class action" than face it alone.