I am not crazy. I am not high. I have just been extremely tired, frustrated, going through crazy life changing events, and oh, my EX emailed me out of the blue. Wasn’t it or isn’t he married you ask?

So, let’s back up a bit. My brother decided to come to visit us with his new baby boy and the rest of his beautiful family. He drove me nutz. Love him, but he is not normal. Kind of like me!

I went on a job interview 2 weeks ago, and I was awesome and great. I had a second interview with dinner, and they told me I am awesome and great! Then, they emailed me saying I am not qualified for the position. (I know what your thinking, wtf?) And then they told me that they wanted to test me to do a couple of computer programming projects (same crap I am doing now) first, and totally not the same as the job posting. They want to first make sure I fit in! I was like wtf? They want me to spend hours of my time, or lack of free time that I got to be tested on TWO projects? No wonder they asked me this, “Why are you a programmer? What is a girl doing being a programmer?” I swear to God they asked me that and I was too enraged to answer that!

Then, my cousin came from Europe! She is beyond crazy. I think it is hereditary trait in my family! She stayed a week and made my life ever so joyful.

Finally, last Wednesday, I received an email in the middle of the night from HIM? Remember him people? The guy I was with for 6.5 years then we fought and blah blah he decided 3 months later to marry some chick from over seas? Umm, and also he was the reason I made this blog a while back? Yeah him! (Link here to read about the past.) You can browse old archives from 2008 or less to learn more.

Anyways, he wrote me a very casual nice email. On Facebook, I asked my peepz what they thought, and most agreed to ignore and move on. I moved on a long time ago people. But what the hell? Seriously, what does he want from me? It has been 2 years and he still cares to email? If you are married, would you want your significant other to remember someone else and email them? I don’t care about the details or assume anything, but honestly, I am not like that! I am not desperate or care to know why. It was hard to move on in the beginning, but life has to continue and I didn’t want to be a part of this crap anymore.

Anywho!! I am a Twitter addict! I am back to my old routine. I micro blog daily! So add me to Twitter @rebelliousgirl or check out my Twitter page (http://www.twitter.com/rebelliousgirl) with my updates. I try to always keep everyone on top of things, and I try my best to ANSWER every single person that messages me though Twitter! My life is boring, but you know what, it may not be as boring as yours! lool Just kidden. I love you all. You guys seriously put a smile on my face and have helped me go through a lot of hurdles in my life for the past 5.5 years!

My blog this year won so many awards, that I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count them! NOT!! (Didn’t I sound cheesy and dorky like the rest of the bloggers out there?) But yes, my blog won a lot of invisible mind boggling awards. I won people’s readerships. That’s the biggest award I can get as a blogger. I don’t care about best blog, or best writer, or best anything. Who cares? It’s like winning a virtual banner to advertise someone else’s bright idea that started the campaign.

Really, if the prize was money based, then people will be all over it! I would be so all over it!

So, I am gonna list the top blog posts this year by comments, my favorites, and ones that I should have never published, but found their way online cause of my insomnia or excessive amounts of coffee!

Top Blog Posts 2009 | Comments & Reactions

1. April 28, 2009 | It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a conspiracy theory!
2. June 7, 2009 | The Arab Blogorette
3. June 16, 2009 | I think it is time for change!
4. August 25, 2009 | Why are Muslims turning Atheists?
5. August 30, 2009 | Analysis: It is much harder to get rid of her
6. September 7, 2009 | Arabs marrying non-Arabs
7. September 18, 2009 | Window shopping for a bride
8. October 27, 2009 | Symbols of being different

Top Blog Posts 2009 | Monaism & Love

1. January 15, 2009 | Are good people always the victims of life?
2. March 31, 2009 | How accurate is this?
3. April 20, 2009 | Airports think I am a perv!
4. May 21, 2009 | A way to relieve stress
5. July 15, 2009 | Teaching a child the basics of the internet world
6. September 6, 2009 | No Comment
7. September 24, 2009 | I am sick and tired of looking for work!!! NO MORE!
8. December 4, 2009 | The typicals
9. December 26, 2009 | I am the master of my choices

Top Blog Pots 2009 | Those That Should Have Never Been

1. January 28, 2009 | The blogging world is run by monkeys
2. May 4, 2009 | I thought I held the title of taking things too seriously
3. June 20, 2009 | The media has been following me for over two decades
4. September 26, 2009 | I don’t like talking about sex in public

I remember four or five years ago, when the climax of the online social networking scene started erupting, and like others who wanted to jump on the bandwagon and take advantage of the revolution, I dropped all my other websites and wanted to join all this commotion. The word web-blog was still unheard of or misunderstood by the majority of the Internet users. Who would want to write anything personal online? Who would read it? Who cares what is said?

Amusingly, I had a personal website years ago. I wrote out some poems, some thoughts, a little about me, and I attempted web designing something without any formal training. I liked web design because I thought of it as art, and I was an artist. I wanted to show at least one person out there that I have a little of bit of talent and persistence in creating something visual in an open medium.

Over time, this visual design was not enough for me. I can make something visually pleasing, but what about my writing? I practiced very hard. I read so many articles, and took writing courses in University because I wanted to write. I wanted to enhance my talent in writing because I had this tool, this online public presence that would not last unless I improved and became exceptional in it.

Everything that I learned over the years from writing for publication and from web-designing was over whelming, but helped tremendously. However, the only thing that I had to learn on my own is to be honest. To say what’s on my mind, and do the things that I want to do and portray them the way I want them to be portrayed, and let others accept it for what it is.

Be true to your self. Don’t just write for an audience. Write for your self, and convince your self first with a thought before you click that publish button to try and convince others.

The Keys to Open the Various Doors

It is hard to spread the word about something you created. People don’t realize how powerful the social networking medium is. Blogs are a part of it, but other social networking tools (sites) such as Twitter, Facebook, Friend Feed, and My Blog Log are the biggest aides for your blog.

Till now, I know people that refuse to use Twitter and they refuse to use Facebook. They refuse to do anything in the social networking scene and interact with their audience. Yet, they run a blog? And they wonder why it is not as successful.

The year 2009 has truly enhanced my blog beyond belief. Those aides helped me and removed a huge burden off my shoulders from continuing to advertise my blog. I didn’t have time or the patience to do it. I used to go on various blogs and just leave comments just so people will know I exist. I didn’t know who read my blog or who commented on it. I didn’t know how those commentors looked like, their personality, or what they like or don’t like. I couldn’t do my job because I didn’t know who I am up against. I didn’t know who was out there. But now I do…

God bless social networking!

Watch out everyone! You cannot survive as a blogger in 2010 without taking advantage of everything else around you in the social networking scene. I suggest you keep up and see how the Internet is shaping up. It’s going to get very exciting in the upcoming year. I can’t wait.

Where to Find Me?

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rebelliousgirl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebelliousarabgirl

Friend Feed: http://www.friendfeed.com/rebelliousarabgirl

Twitpic Photo Album: http://www.twitpic.com/photos/rebelliousgirl

Technorati: http://technorati.com/blogs/www.rebelliousarabgirl.net

My Blog Log: http://www.mybloglog.com/buzz/members/rebelliousarabgirl

Alexa: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/rebelliousarabgirl.net

and last but not least..

My blog: http://www.rebelliousarabgirl.net

[Link to my Twitpic Album]

Thank God that I am going to only be coding on it. Oh Macs.. why why!!

My first couple of days at work

So far so good. I really like the place. I met a whole more whack of people. When you work for a small business, you start feeling that you are part of the family. I feel like I belong somewhere now and people like me! Unlike those haters from yesterday.

Do you think if a company is owned by Arabs, they would hire me? I don’t think so. They would find something to criticize about other’s appearance first. They wouldn’t take me on, because they only think about looks like some guy did yesterday on Twitter that said, “you are hated by Arab guys because you are unattractive and look like an Indian.” Can you believe that Arabs stoop that low in name calling to insult another Arab and an entirely different culture too? Only on Twitter. And only from Arabs.

Now I will get people commenting on this post saying that I am an Arab hater and racist. When will the circle of hate ever end? Who started it? Definitely not ME!

You know what is funny?

I have never ever in my entire life of blogging or Twittering have insulted someone out of spite and racism. I don’t hate for no reason. I only hate stupid ignorant people. I could care less what race people are from. I am an equal opportunity hater!

I will post a listing of famous Arabs on Twitter on my site soon, and if any of you can contact them, then please tell them that yalla!! They got to get with the time! Some of the younger ones have Facebook groups that you can contact them directly and maybe can convince them.

I like following celebrities on Twitter. Their life and what they write about is so mundane, it makes us look a little bit more interesting.

Twitter rules, if you don’t have an account, then you are missing out. Mine is @rebelliousgirl.

[source]

How to get a personal blog started

1. Choose an overall theme to your site. I know it is personal, but you have to have some type of focus point to your site. For example, I am known to write very direct and to the point posts. I don’t sugar coat anything, and I chose the idea of rebellious as a way to represent my ideas to the world. Quick and dirty, but to the point, because that’s who I am. So, ask your self these questions:
   1. What do I want to represent to the world? A reiteration of what happened in my daily life or journal of thoughts that lead to discussions about certain issues related to my daily life?
   2. What writing style should I follow? Should it be complex or simple?
   3. Who are my main target audience?
   4. Should I stay focused to one idea all the time, or be unpredictable every day and bring something new to my audience?
2. Should you start a blog from scratch? Scratch means the following:
   1. Buy your own domain name. I prefer this route, because you want your web presence to be unique online. It’s like your name. You are a unique person, so why not have a unique name online?
   2. Install a platform that you are already familiar with and practiced using. I have used WordPress.org for a long time. Before I started this blog, I already knew how to use WordPress and I have used it for other projects. My suggestion for those that are familiar with programming or web design, to test WordPress first and play around with it before committing to it. If not, get someone else to do it for you.
   3. Choose an interface style or theme. I know many people have the hardest time with this, and would rather download a free WordPress template, or buy cheap ones if they are deeply committed. However, if you spent the time buying a domain, buying hosting space every month, then why not spend a bit of time to customize your site? Make it personal. It has your name on it. You don’t want to dress like half the people out there, right?
   4. Spend time upgrading your site. There are many plugins out there that will enhance your site’s functionality.
3. Should I monetize my blog? I know many people want to make money online, especially with their blogs. It’s not that easy, and I don’t recommend you doing it from the get-go. You need to attract visitors first, and many of your visitors are not stupid. If they don’t know who you are, and they realized that your site is still new, and they see advertisements permeated all over the site, then they know you are not being sincere in your writing. You are no longer writing for your self and them, but to only make money off of them. I didn’t start putting advertisement on this blog till after 1.5 years maybe into it.

How to drive traffic and maintain a loyal audience

I know this is the hardest thing about maintaining a site. How to get audience? Is submitting your blog to search engines enough? Should commenting on several blogs just to get your name out there enough?

1. Write a lot of different things. Write anything, and everything possible. Don’t limit your self, or think that “someone” out there is watching. Everyone is watching. Stop this fear from writing and knowing people you know in person might be reading it. Who cares?
2. The more you write, the more search engines are attracted to you. Search engines’ bots love new content. The more you write on a daily bases, the more the bots will go through your site and index new content. The more differing thoughts you have, the more keywords it can pick up.
3. Join social networks.
   1. I use Entrecard on a daily bases, and it is the number one tool for me, as a personal blogger, to attract various audience, and to also see what is out there. The more you drop, limit 300 a day, the more exposure you have online to various people all over the world.
   2. I use Stumbleupon every now and then. I find it a great tool for others to help you advertise certain posts to certain categories.
   3. I use Facebook every day. I find it the most personal way to tell others, I will talk to you. I will be more personal with you, using PM, Wall posts, comments, etc. I am not just a person sitting behind a screen writing blog posts. I am like you, and I don’t mind being friends and getting to know you personally, and vice versa.
   4. I use Twitter all day long. It is the number one way to find me online, and quickly ask me a question. I try my best to answer as soon as I can. I try to write about what I am thinking, how I am feeling, and share some cool links I find online.
4. Get others to subscribe to your site. Everyone will tell you that you must have an RSS feed, and an email subscription link. I agree, however, what I really love is when people bookmark your site to their favorites, or know your link by heart. That’s when you know what you really attracted others and gained a loyal audience. You made your mark online, and people now know who you are.

How to make money from a personal blog

I honestly don’t have a definite answer. I make money because my website traffic is high, and I have great internet exposure from the several keywords or phrases from my blog posts. However, I had this site for over three years. In the beginning, I read a lot about making money online in the 1000′s of dollars, but I didn’t know how to take those tips and apply it to a personal blog. I found it to be a great challenge. So I decided to focus more on attracting people to come on a daily bases, and have fun with my blog instead. I stay interactive with my audience and show them that I am really just like them. If I end up making 1000′s of dollars from advertisements every month, then great. I know it is nearly impossible and I doubt I will ever, but we can only hope eh? Otherwise, I will do what I have always been doing, writing to tell a story about me, the world that I live in, and the way I perceive many issues in life. Then, things can keep developing from there, right?

And like the song says, “Que Sera Sera! Whatever will be, will be!”

Cheers!

For those that are witnessing the daily trend, I apologize. For those that haven’t, don’t bother. It’s rather crazy. I have to delete, comment, reply back, whatever a blog owner does, to clarify my points and correct people’s thoughts all day long, because some people don’t get it!

It’s giving me a migraine, I need a drink.

Name on Facebook: Rebellious Mona. Can’t miss me!

Name on Twitter: @rebelliousgirl

For those who followed me on Twitter, please message me to follow you back. I am bad at it and I don’t know which are humans or bots.

Oh, by the way, lately I have been getting emails from Guys who can’t read. They send me their number (usually international number), or ask me to add them to MSN (which I don’t have). All I can say to these people, NO! Eff.

Classic! I am still cracking up.

This war in Gaza is tearing me apart. I can’t work or do anything but read the news. I try to spread the news through Facebook or through Twitter. However, Twitter has been such a horrible place lately. Too many attacks. Too many people sending me hateful comments or comments that argue back a fact. How the fuck can anyone argue a stated fact? Tell me how in the world can you, a logical intelligent person argue facts? Can’t you see videos? Can’t you see pics? What? Photoshoped? Video edited? Is that your argument?

I am not supporting either side. I am totally against any organization. I am neither with Hamas or Hizbollah or Iran or Israel or US. I don’t give two shits about any of them, and I don’t agree with any of them. I believe that children and women should not be a target in any war. Even US would never go into a war and start killing anyone. They have a bit more sympathy than that.

13 days and Arab leaders sitting on their asses doing nothing but have closed door meetings with no conclusions. No wonder why I don’t like Arab nations. They probably say, “yah.. let them get rid of Hamas. That’s the intent of the war.” Sure. Hamas is the MAIN target in this war. If it was true, Israel could have easily gotten their ground troops from first day, went to every house and did a search. Capture those they “believe” are with Hamas and detain them. Simple. Wouldn’t that have been easier? Wouldn’t have that been the most logical solution to avoid civilian causalities?

Many people ask me why I complain so much about the hateful comments on Twitter. Why was I a target to hate and they aren’t. Simple. I am Palestenian and I write how much I am disgusted with what is going on. That’s it.

What are people saying to me? I will show you all the Tweets I have been getting.

Twitter Hate

1. weloveISRAEL @rebelliousgirl had u had rockets raining on u, and civilans, after u gave up land, and made a ceasefire that was broken? 8 minutes ago from mobile web in reply to rebelliousgirl
2. israelforever @rebelliousgirl NY Times? Objective? You MUST be joking. #gaza about 1 hour ago from TwitterFox in reply to rebelliousgirl
3. DaMav @rebelliousgirl Maybe 50 more Fatah murdered by Hamas? #gaza about 1 hour ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
4. ecnyc7 @rebelliousgirl: U & yr people descend from adulterous, sodomistic idolaters who sacrificed their own children to idols. Nothing has changed about 2 hours ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
5. weloveISRAEL @rebelliousgirl no one hates you, we just disagree with ur opinions and r bothered by what ur nation has done to us. about 12 hours ago from mobile web in reply to rebelliousgirl
6. infidelsarecool @rebelliousgirl your vastly misinformed. Pictures of dead people do not tell the whole story. you have no clue who Hamas is, do you? about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to rebelliousgirl
7. infidelsarecool @rebelliousgirl what’s there to agree on? Hamas will NEVER accept anything less than complete annihilation of the Jews. #gaza about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck in reply to rebelliousgirl
8. axelvincent @rebelliousgirl you mean Hamas Canadians??? #gaza about 20 hours ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl</li>
9. ircpresident @rebelliousgirl You stick to reality my lady, sticking to facts make you another Great Expectationsh hero & I’m the Ghost of Christmas past. 6:50 PM Jan 6th from TwitterFox in reply to rebelliousgirl
10. ircpresident @rebelliousgirl You are idiot enough like all the Arabs who still can not separate between the Government’s ass and Egypt. 6:36 PM Jan 6th from TwitterFox in reply to rebelliousgirl
11. katzeroo @rebelliousgirl The location is irrelevent. Hamas is taking up positions there. That’s why the IDF is operating there. #Israel #gaza 1 day ago from TweetGrid in reply to rebelliousgirl
12. mikiha @rebelliousgirl i prefer all the citizens of gaza DEAD DEAD DEAD then one israeli civilian dying GAZA 2 days ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
13. Defeat_Terror @rebelliousgirl maybe u look into hamas eyes and ask them why did they start this war? #gaza 2 days ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
14. thetruthseekerz @rebelliousgirl i dont have a life that is why i am reading the crap you are tweeting sheehs #dumb #biatch 2 days ago from twhirl in reply to rebelliousgirl
15. david_sasson @rebelliousgirl #Gaza That’s because the Hamas leaders are hiding behind woman skirts! 3 days ago from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
16. raffal007 @rebelliousgirl don’t u think Palestinians will be better off without Hamas?. 10:09 PM Jan 3rd from TwitterFon in reply to rebelliousgirl
17. balex @rebelliousgirl Thank you for spreading misinformation. Hamas want a better economy? is that why they’re firing rockets at civilians? 8:09 PM Jan 3rd from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
18. stalyn_says @rebelliousgirl explain to me the 70 virgin thin again? how perverted that mind set is. yet you guys are the pure ones. 7:57 PM Jan 3rd from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
19. WendyRosenfield @rebelliousgirl I admit killing civilians is wrong. Can you? Sending bombers onto crowded Israeli buses is a Hamas tactic. Is that ok? 4:36 PM Jan 3rd from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
20. GuyNesher @rebelliousgirl when Israeli children and women were dying from hamas rockets, did you twitt to protest ? #Gaza 4:02 PM Jan 3rd from web in reply to rebelliousgirl
21. GuyNesher @rebelliousgirl True, but please tell me, where can i find your twit again the hundreds of missiles fired at israeli civilians ? 10:27 AM Dec 27th, 2008 from web in reply to rebelliousgirl

Many people told me to block them, and I did. I have blocked over 30 people off Twitter so far. Most are hateful propaganda Twitter bots. Some suggested I should make my Tweets private. But No. I will never. I want to spread the word in any way I can. That’s the only power I got, and I will use it 100% to my advantage. Also, over 100 people added me to Twitter the past week. I get an email every time someone ads me, and half I do not accept because I don’t know who they are or they are bots.

Today, I got an email from a friend of mine through this blog that is in the US military and has been to Iraq, and he told me this.

This Gaza conflict is making me mad and Isreal has gone too far. If I were US president I would really help Palestine. Isreal claims to be going after Hamas targets yet so many innocent civilians are getting killed. I may be wrong but it seems like Isreal is attacking a large area to take out a smal target within a much smaller area. Heck if the US military did that we would be in a world of hurt.

My high school was predominantly Jewish. I was one of the few Arabs there. I remember non Jews would say they are Jewish just so the traditional Jews don’t give them a hard time. I think there are Jews who are racist. Where I’m from in California there are traditional Jews whose family heritage is from Israel. If someone wasn’t Jewish or were Jewish but their roots were not from Israel they didn’t want to talk to those people. I’m fed up with how Jews until this day go to the extreme wanting sympathy because of what happened to them in Europe during the 40s. I never see Black people wanting sympathy for what they went through in the US for 400 years. They would like peoples understanding, that I can agree with. Same with the Armenians, the generation that went through the 1915 genocide get emotional about what happened and I’ll say that too is understandable, because of what they experienced. With Jews, they use all sorts of ways to gain sympathy and it gets annoying.

I think that’s enough for today. I just watch the news, read articles from all sources (None Arabs), and read many blogs such as Sabbah’s! That’s how I am keeping up with the news, and I spread it as it happens.