Arabic Language Institute of America (ALIAmerica) offers professional Arabic language teaching, training, and tutoring services for both adults and children in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The "Asian Festival" is now a two-day FREE ADMISSION event to promote a greater understanding of Asian countries and culture. This year we are showcasing China to celebrate the spirit of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In addition, all participating Asian countries have an opportunity to share their unique music, cultural performances, food, fashion, handicrafts, and other products and entertainment. The Asian Festival which has grown into huge success in the D.C. Metro Area has blended together trade opportunities, product marketing, entertainment, food and tennis, creating an event that has something for everyone, and for all ages!

[ Fiesta Asia! ]

Don't say I didn't warn you, you have 1/2 a day to plan on going yourself...

New onesie: Poopsmith, originally uploaded by Yaty Yasir Kearns.

That's my daughter sporting a Poopsmith Onesie.

The following is a first crack at an ostensive definition of 'American culture'-- things shared by the vast majority (let's say 90%) of native-born Americans. Many of these won't sound 'cultural' at all to Americans; they'll sound like just descriptions of the way things are. But each one of them would be contested in one or more non-American cultures.

[ American culture ]

I'm impressed with this list. I'd say it may even be closer to 95%. Of course there are a few that just don't apply to me, and a few that even I am unsure how the rest of the world works, but I think this is a good primer for the new folks, and for us Americans to remember that the truisms on this list aren't.

2007 SI Folklife Festival!

• Mekong River: Connecting Cultures
  Introducing visitors to the diverse cultures of the Mekong River
• Northern Ireland at the Smithsonian
  Highlighting the rich history, living traditions, and distinctive customs of this beautiful region
• Roots of Virginia Culture
  Exploring the roots of Virginia's contemporary cultural traditions

[ 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival ]

Apparently a Muslim woman in the UK wore an all-over swimsuit to go swimming in Britain and received a bit of flack for it. I just need someone to explain this logic to me:

I'll tell you why you shouldn't go swimming like this in Britain; it's because women in this country are equal to men and are not obliged to cover themselves up when swimming - or indeed at any other time - because some men somewhere have decided that's how it has to be. Women in Britain fought for and died for the right to be equal. In this country we are able to dress, or undress, exactly as we see fit. If that's not your choice, poor you. But don't be surprised when people mock you and pass comment on your totally inappropriate clothing for swimming.

[ Comment by Linda Allan of Bath - The Guardian ]

This is the problem with "freedom" in the west, and likewise the issue I've always had with women's rights in the west. The freedom and choice were hard fought and won, and if you don't use that freedom to choose exactly the same as everyone else, then you are an affront to that freedom. But how is that freedom?

One of the things I've come to respect the most about my wife's country of Indonesia is their respect and reverence for the different traditions, ways, cultures, and practices of the peoples of their country and ultimately the world. They understand that each people have their own adat, and in order to be civilized there must be respect for each other.

Props to Islamophobia Watch.

The inaugural Fiesta Asia event will take place on May 6, 2006 and is free and open to the public. This kick-off event will feature an exciting array of attractions including an open market filled with an assortment of Asian merchandise, live performances, Pan-Asian cuisine, interactive displays, Manga design competition, and much more. The May 6th event precedes a month-long series of activities in venues located in DC metro area.

[ Fiesta Asia - 2006 National Asian Heritage Festival - Washington, DC ]

Ali went last year and said it was pretty cool.

Update: Then Yaty pointed out that Today was the 6th, not tomorrow as Ali claimed... Perhaps next year.

I knew that the famous Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas were from (what is now called) Virginia, but I never knew quite where, or if any of their people were still around, much less if there was a sovereign nation inside of my state. Apparently there is such a place, The Pamunkey Reservation, and it's west of Richmond near central King William County, and this historically important people still dwell there.

Spring in DC has arrived!

The 2006 festival marks the 94th celebration of the original gift of the 3,000 cherry trees from the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, DC in 1912. Come and enjoy the spirit of the season.

[ Official Website of the National Cherry Blossom Festival - Washington, DC ]

This year I hope to see some of it.

For some reason I thought Rachael Ray came from a foodie family. Not only is that far from the truth, but when she "hit it" she bought the cabin she was living in. Not some fancy swank mansion, but a cabin in the Adirondacks. Now how cool is that?

Ms. Ray and her mom drove nine hours south in a snowstorm, and she nailed the "Today" show appearance. The next day, she said, the Food Network signed her to a $360,000 contract to teach America what she had been teaching the folks upstate. The first thing she did was to reupholster the old family furniture in the cabin. Then she bought the place.

[ Being Rachael Ray: How Cool Is That? - New York Times ]

I'm no Seth Godin, but it seems to me that you can't go wrong with a statement like this:

To fight Superman, you can't send an ordinary ape — you need Hanuman," he says, invoking the name of the monkey-god hero of Hindu mythology. "And Banrie is Hanuman."

[ TIME Europe ]

I'm rather sure I overheard a very similar statement in a meeting the other day...

Read some Tintin...

At least be familliar with the concept. Once you are done there, make certain you've heard of Asterix and Obelisk too.

I wonder how long it will take before it opens?

A new museum of Islamic art and culture will open in December in downtown Baltimore as part of an effort by Maryland Muslims to promote greater understanding of their religion in the aftermath of attacks such as this month's bombing of the London subway.

[ Islamic art museum set to open in downtown - baltimoresun.com ]

One of DC's true gems.

The Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. are open every day of the year except December 25. Unless noted otherwise, museums are open from 10am-5:30pm; the Anacostia Museum is open 10am-5pm, except during exhibition installation. The Smithsonian Information Center, located in the Castle, is open 8:30am-5:30pm.

[ Smithsonian: Hours ]

In fact I was at least 18 years old before I "discovered" that museums aren't usually free...

Featuring:

• Oman: Desert, Oasis, and Sea
• Forest Service, Culture, and Community
• Nuestra Música: Music in Latino Culture
• Food Culture USA

[ 2005 Smithsonian Folklife Festival ]

As I've said before, if you are new to DC and don't know about the Folklife Festival, make sure you don't miss it. This year it runs June 23-27 and June 30-July 4, 2005 and is open daily 11 am-5:30 pm.

I have many great memories from Festivals past, and never been disappointed except when I messed up the dates and missed the whole thing.

For years the only country in the EU without full recognition of their language was Ireland (though I don't know about the new countries added recently). While I can understand the practicality of this, it always seemed like a bit of a slight. Now that's been rectified:

Ireland's national language is the 21st to be given such recognition by the EU and previously had the status of a treaty language.

[ BBC NEWS ]

Adult swim is about to get sudsier than ever:

The Boondocks, a new animated television comedy based on Aaron McGruder's award-winning comic strip of the same name, will join Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late-night block of animation for adults this fall. Cartoon Network has ordered 15 half-hour episodes of the series, and like the comic strip, The Boondocks is a provocative family-based comedy brimming with social relevance and satire.

[ Animation Insider - CN Announces 'The Boondocks' ]

A quick scan of the Sunday comics quickly reveals that the only one worth reading is The Boondocks, and this deal will ensure that I can continue to shun all newspaper based information.

Though everyone thinks it is. Instead:

Cinco de Mayo ("Fifth of May" in Spanish) is a national holiday in Mexico which commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

[ Cinco de Mayo: Definition and Much More From Answers.com ]

Why not Mexican Independence day?

The rise in Cinco de Mayo's popularity in the United States can be attributed to the Chicano student movement of the late 1960's. Inspired by student-activists nationwide, members of the MEChA organization in California sought to find a day of celebration that highlighted their largely Mexican ancestry. “El Dieciséis de septiembre” (September 16) seemed like an obvious choice, however this day proved too early in the school-year for college students to effectively organize rallies and celebrations. Thus Cinco de Mayo became the de facto alternative for these student assemblies.

[ Cinco de Mayo: Definition and Much More From Answers.com ]

Of course Corona's promotion of the holiday has certainly helped all Americans embrace it. This year, however, is a especial Cinco de Mayo since it's Cinco de Mayo de Cinco or 05/05/05.

Of all of the culture shocks that one must deal with when traveling, the biggest one that still continues to shock me is what people eat for breakfast. Of course I don't mean shock like I'm appalled, but shock like you just can't believe it. When I travel internationally, though, I'm a big café breakfast kind of guy. I like anything that smacks of a French influence, it's where I gravitate for my first meal of the day.

Little did I know that all of America was squarely headed toward the coffee and something else quick for breakfast when we were all manipulated into changing our habits:

Bernays used his Uncle Sigmund Freud's ideas to help convince the public, among other things, that bacon and eggs was the true all-American breakfast.

[ NPR : Freud's Nephew and the Origins of Public Relations ]

Absolutely fascinating story. I love food. I love history that all relates to each other. I love the fact that Freud's nephew's name sounds like Bearnaise. Maybe I should think of going back to school to become a Nutritional Anthropologist (but I hate homework).

I tend to think that I have a better understanding of the British, or at least the differences between us (Americans) and the British, than your average American. However there were a few surprises for me on this list:

American English has further changed due to the influx of non-English speakers whose words sometimes enter American vernacular. Many words have entered American English from Spanish, Native American languages, and so on.

[ American English - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]

that neck of the woods comes from a Native American tounge? Brits call squashesmarrows? Savvy comes from Spanish? American English has borrowed from Tagalog?

We invented some words? Sure gerrrymander I knew, but belittle? Applesauce? Teenager? What on earth do Brits call applesauce and teenagers?

And surely, growning up in the midatlantic/north east I have a good grasp of vocabulary borrowed from Yiddish (which are always fun to say), but I didn't realize that maven and drek came from Yiddish, and I thought that skosh did (yet it came from Japanese).

This happened a week or two ago:

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

a. sunshower (34.29%)
b. the wolf is giving birth (0.04%)
c. the devil is beating his wife (6.43%)
d. monkey's wedding (0.16%)
e. fox's wedding (0.15%)
f. pineapple rain (0.03%)
g. liquid sun (0.74%)
h. I have no term or expression for this (55.15%)
i. other (3.02%) (10691 respondents)

[ Dialect Survey Results ]

Thanks to this survey I now call it something like "The monkey and devil got married and gave birth to the wolf", since I can never remember anything on this list...

I may have thought I'd see this on a Microsoft website someday:

ph34r my l33t skillz

[ Microsoft's parent's primer to computer slang ]

But never placed there on purpose, by Microsoft.

As seen on Joe Grossberg and Slashdot.

Odd, no mention of Micro$oft or 114m4 or Micro$ofty 114m4Z...

Which reminds me, I should be wary of my Sidekick II and it's evil H4X0R calculator:

Note the "secret" message typed in the calculator...

A.San did point out that there is only one true way to discover if your kid is a hacker.

My buddy Adam got married over in the North of England so my other buddy Tom and I decided to do the "visit the mother country" deal. It was awesome. I highly recommend to anyone a visit to the Emerald Isle, and I also recommend to anyone to visit the land of your ancestors.

So my best friend, Jill Bauland, is getting married and I'm one of her bridesmaids. The wedding will be in Ireland so I'm finally getting a chance to fly home to my mother country. Green Grass, Good Times and Guinness. Can't wait. I really don't have much to say about the whole thing yet but she insisted I write a post about her so she can google her name and have something come up.

[ Laura Foy...: Always a Bridesmaid... ]

I should say that I still imbibed the alcomahol when I visited, and Galway is a great pub town.

It's a bit surprising that this list would need to be made, but then again not.

Over the years, we've developed a list of issues like these, that we call the 10 Immutable Laws of Security.

[ Microsoft TechNet: 10 Immutable Laws of Security ]

Did they call the list "Immutable" from the start? ;-)

I do believe that we need to start younger teaching things like security. Most security systems need to be explained to be successful, and many of the exploits are the same exploits that have been taken advantage of for years just wrapped up in a new package. The real issue is the changing of our culture so that average joe user understands the dynamic and can guard themselves against black hats and ignorance exploitation.

Apparently kids today are enjoying Japanese Culture:

Japanese comics, called manga, take up more and more space on American bookshelves, and they've infused new life into the publishing industry. Japanese animation, anime, is on more and more movie and TV screens. Neal Conan and guests discuss the growing influence of Japanese culture in America.

[ NPR : Manga, Anime and Japanese Culture in America ]

Oh, wait, I knew that...

The first speaker's book $a(1400043115,Wrong About Japan : A Father's Journey with His Son) isn't quite out in $a(1400078369,paperback). And Viz published many manga and the magazine Shonen Jump, which I almost picked up for Iman, perhaps when she's a bit older.

NPR had an interesting story about Mormons and Native Americans which is apparently part of a series:

Worlds of Difference uses radio documentary features to explore the impact of global change on local cultures worldwide. Individual pieces air on public radio news magazine shows; they will be compiled and rebroadcast in thematic hour-long specials in the spring and summer of 2005. The goal of the project is to stimulate public discussion on questions of diversity, tradition, identity, connectedness, continuity and change.

[ Worlds of Difference ]

Unfortunately a bunch of the stories seem to have disappeared from their original postings, but a bunch are still available. All rather touching, all rather interesting.

The good news? My favorite manga was made into a movie, and now is being released in the US:

The year is 2131. A non-nuclear war has left the earth barren. Deunan Knute roams the badlands, one of the many soldiers who, with lines of communication cut, continue to fight, unaware that the war has ended. Deunan is never one to take things lying down: a highly trained soldier with police and SWAT experience, she is prepared for nearly anything -- but not for the heavily armed helicopter that assaults her without warning. Before she realizes what's going on, Deunan is losing consciousness: her last thought is hazy realization that she's been hit by a tranquilizer. Not only that, but one of the perpetrators is her old love Briareos. He has arrived with the beautiful Hitomi to intercept Deunan and take her back with the to the enigmatic utopia, Olympus.

[ Appleseed ]

The bad news? Limited release. Apparently there is no perceived market for Anime in the DC area. New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Hawai'i, and Philadelphia are all represented, but nothing anywhere near DC. Obviously the distributors have never been to Annandale or near the Merrifield Theater, I'm sure this thing could run a week or two and do a good deal of business. *sigh* I guess I'll have to keep my eye out for the DVD release.

Your phone has a camera on it, now what? You could take stupid pictures and share them with the world:

This is a public moblog dedicated to the man himself....Spongebob Squarepants (other Spongebob characters can also be posted). If you have a pic of him and wish to post it, email it to Spongebob.daniel[at]tamw.com

[ SpongeBlog SquarePants ]

I found this via Laura Foy's and Mogan Webb'sMoblog. Apparently a few of the G4TV hosts like to share.

Oh, and Hello Kitty too...

Contrary to the opinion of some (possibly most in the US):

"Jihad" is one of the few Arabic words used in English. It means holy crusade[sic], but many Muslims have pointed out that "jihad" is almost always used in English in the context of terrorism, even though the actual meaning is broader. Commentator Anisa Mehdi would like to propose a word that could be used instead of "jihad."

[ Rethinking the Word 'Jihad' ]

My understanding is that jihad means something close to struggle for the sake of God. There are internal and external struggles. Ms. Mehdi makes a good point about how the struggles of those so quick to use the word aren't even struggles for the sake of God. I would also make the point that a physical struggle is actually the easiest of all levels of struggle. Think about when you are upset is it easier to alter your own behavior? To tell others that what they've done should be corrected? Or just hit them?

Very interesting Talk of the Nation. I don't think they truly had enough time to explore and appreciate all views here, though.

Many victims of the tsunami are left with tough questions about fate and natural disasters. Often, they're left with few answers, only their faith. We discuss how Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians reconcile religion and disaster.

[ NPR TotN ]

The caller “Fathima” who doesn't identify her religion is clearly a Muslim. Her point is valid, but perhaps too much of a tangent. I felt the Imam did bring up an important point about testing vs. punishment, but left off other important concepts like why it is better to be punished in this life than the next. More importantly, I think, one of the Muslims should have touched on the concept of punishment of a society for societal ills.

As for the non-Muslims, who's opinions I am not as familiar with, I'm not sure the “end of days” scenario of the Jewish gentleman was truly on topic, he seemed to be more concerned with Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and to imply that disasters of this proportion didn't occur before that invasion is a bit out there.

I also found the information about Krakatoa to be very intriguing, and may have to purchase his book.

Big Boi will likely be fine, just have an extra buttery brisket.

pat

an individual serving of butter. In the U.S. food industry, restaurant servings of butter are usually packaged at 48 pats per pound, making each pat 1/3 ounce (about 9.45 grams). In recipes, a pat of butter is typically 2 teaspoons (1/3 fluid ounce, or about 10 milliliters).

[ Units P ]

And if you haven't a clue what I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky. (Though Wayne Newton is correct, and Snoop's laundry should come out fine.)

Less frequently, men will call women dudes and vice versa. But that comes with some rules, according to self-reporting from students in a 2002 language and gender class included in the paper. "Men report that they use dude with women with whom they are close friends, but not with women with whom they are intimate," according to the study. His students also reported that they were least likely to use the word with parents, bosses and professors.

[ Dude -- professor studies 'dude' ]

I've used it for men, women, children, my Dad, boss. And I'm glad to hear it's staying, because I don't think I could stop myself.

I caught VH1's Hip Hop Honors, and unlike some other awards shows or hall of fame inductions, this was the real deal. MCs, DJs, Taggers, Breakers: all were in the house, all in full effect.

With what I believe is the first annual Hip Hop Honors (at least I hope so) VH1 honors those who have started a movement we call Hip Hop:

• DJ Hollywood
• DJ Kool Herc
• KRS-One
• Run-D.M.C.
• Public Enemy
• Rock Steady Crew
• Sugarhill Gang
• Tupac Shakur

And everyone was in the house, at least the east coast was well represented. I didn't see Dre, or Snoop, though Ice-T was there and Tupac was honored. It appeared that they went way back (thus DJ Hollywood and DJ Kool Herc) to start this tradition where the lifestyle began. I expect if this is repeated next year will be more “west siiiide” and eventually honorees will be pulled from all over.

Although the crowd didn't seem to get into it as much as I did (they seemed to be more hyped for Fat Joe), the Beastie Boy's tribute to Run-DMC was great. Doug E Fresh joins toward the end with the beat box, and even Flavor Flav can get into it.

If you do catch the show, you may believe as I do, KRS-One is the happiest guy around these day. He just doesn't stop smiling.

And Doug E Fresh started his set, in which he ended up MCing with 3 DJs, with Kid Rock. And I must say Kid Rock is not bad, it's clear he hasn't kept up his DJing skills while becoming a performer in his own right, but he can work the wheels of steel mos def.

In the last few years, Japan has become a rising force in a wide swath of fashion-focused industries, from kids' toys to entertainment, cell phones, and car racing. In an April report, Tsutomu Sugiura, director of the Marubeni Research Institute, figured Japan's cultural exports, including music, books, magazines, films, handicrafts, collectibles, patent royalties, and performances at $15 billion in 2002, up from $5 billion in 1992.

[ Yahoo! News ]

This is quite a shock to me. Perhaps I've been too busy playing my Nintendo and watching Cartoon Network to notice this trend. I wonder what sort of influence the Japanese have had on my life? Certainly I don't have any $a(B000003KYZ,music), $a(093896500X,books), magazines, films, handicrafts, or collectibles from Japan, or do I? Perhaps Yahoo is on to something here...

In order to appreciate Homestar Runner, you need to get past the queasy feeling of uncertainty and illogic. I have now found the panacea for this condition:

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Decemberween Special

This “spin off” from Homestar Runner is so confusing, that watching it will make any other Homestar item appear 100% normal, if not two or three hundred percent.

[ For Trevor ]