This is the second part of yesterday’s post.. or in other words, today’s latest events. Ok, so this is what happened today! I went to work early, like always. So one of the guys came in soon after me and discussed what happened in yesterday’s meeting. I told him other things that have been going on and he told me, “Don’t worry about it. Just learn to say no.”

About 15 minutes later, I had to step out. I came back within 10 minutes, and the moment I got off the elevator, I could hear a loud women’s voice arguing. You must know, that the office suite is one of three on that floor. If I could hear her right off the elevator, then anyone else can.

I heard the raging voice, and I quickly ran down the hall way to another quicker access door to where my desk is. (The bosses are not there from today and all of next week). Then I told the other programmer, she is at the front angry and won’t stop complaining. He said, “Why?” I told him, “Don’t you remember yesterday?” (He doesn’t care at all really.)

I sat quietly on my desk working with my headphone on and groovy Mona music. Few minutes later, she raged down the hall with a frantic voice and said, “Good morning! This is the new tech support lady!”

When I heard that, I refused to answer back or even bother with her. She scares the hell out of me. I don’t understand her problem. She works in a small company that is quickly turning its focus to software only, and she is supposedly managing the customers. Why does she complain? She doesn’t even have to do anything technical at all. The work has been delegated equally to everyone that has the knowledge and experience to do it. Her job is to take off the load from me when people ask me stupid questions about how to find this in the software or do you have this yet? She does not understand that, and she thinks she is doing the “technical” part now.

She refused to talk to me most of the day, like I did something horrible to her. I didn’t do shit. All I know I was hired for one very important thing that is pretty much keeping the place alive and keeping her job. She just wanted to take advantage of me because I am nice and responsive. Now her scapegoat (me) is no longer available!

Technical to me means something totally different. To me technical is understanding technology and how it works. To me technical is solving complicated technical problems from years of experience and practice. To me technical is trying to figure out bugs, and quickly solving them in order for someone else to continue on using the technical product. That’s it!

You see, this is life. The majority of people who have a job are incompetent fools. Or they are people who only know how to do one thing, and do not ever want to learn or refuse to learn anything new. They are stationary in their fields, and to them change is a big stumbling block to their life! They hate it. They don’t want to do it, and they argue any way they can to not have to do it.

Unfortunately, if you are not ready for what will happen next week, then yesterday seems like last year in this rapidly moving world.

A lot of you who have been keeping up with my blog, especially the past couple of days, have noticed that my year started out with a bang! Who knew it would be that exciting? I wish every month was like this, but minus the pointless trash talk that leads to no where.

I wish I could really engage in a debate that was not initiated with personal attacks. I am tired of those. Honestly, I always wondered how famous bloggers, that have been doing this for years, manage to keep their calm and not act irrationally. It takes a lot of guts. In my case, it was really personal. It was not someone I did not know at all. It was someone (guy, non-Arab) that I knew for YEARS! Many many years. Sad that things had to end this way. Anyways, time to move on.

For those that think I was a bit heartless, then tell me what would you have done differently? Come on now. Don’t be shy. I think you would have done a lot worst, but meh. I am too old for that.

Anyways, enough chit chatting about the past. Let’s go on. So, let me talk about my work. After a very stressful day on Monday, and not so crazy on Tuesday morning, the end results on that afternoon were beautiful! Magnificent! Amazing! Stupendous! I don’t know how many more adjectives I can keep blabbering on, but hell yah! After 3 months and a week of creating something from scratch, the application was amazing! A certain group of professionals in USA loved it! I guess my company will be diving into the US market soon. Sweet!

What more can I ask for? It’s like being an inventor, designer, artist, and thinker all in one.

Did I ever mention that I love what I do as a web application developer? Amazing work I tell you. If you are an aspiring programmer, learn web development. That’s where the future is going, and the internet will consume the world!

Therefore, I slept early yesterday around 9:30 pm, and I woke up refreshed and feeling happy! Yaay! If anyone tries to ruin my mood again, I will use my secret weapon: the keyboard!

This is part three of the year end manifestation of the life of my blog.

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

This is part one of the year end manifestation of the life of my blog.

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

All I can say, who ever wants to work with me in real life has to realize that I am so used to working with men, that I try so hard to not let my female hormones cloud my judgments. I am not saying women are not hard workers or can’t think straight. It is just women’s way of approaching things is way different. Thank God I am a programmer, and I work around guys who only talk about video games and movies. Cause if the conversation gets deeper than that, then I start blocking everything around me, and crank up the high beat dance music and ignore any pointless yapping.

[Photo Source]

I reset my keyword search phrase listing 2 days ago. I wanted to show you guys that I am not the crazy insane girl that is spreading nastiness. Well, now I am, but I am trying to prove a point here. 50% or more of the people that visit my site from search engines are sick minded nasty people.

Warning! The following list contains horrible nastiness. Read at your own discretion. It is rated 21+! I wrote none of this, and I have no intention to discuss them. Read and make your own judgments. And don’t be surprised that the people that comment on my site or write me angry emails are one of those people that searched for something “very secretive,” but received something worse: ME!

The last two columns are the number of times the phrase was searched, and overall percentage.

If you reached this far, then you seriously have too much time on your hand. If you skipped it all, and read this, then you are smart and have better things to do with your life!

I was stuck in a big hole today!

I spent 4 hours trying to figure out one single problem!

My hair turned white from the anger within me and mom asked me when I got home, “How the hell did it turn white in 2 days?”

I kept trying 2132131 different ways!

In the end, the clock read 4:30 pm, and I said, “UFF!!!!!!! SCREW IT!” I got up and went home!

Watch me tomorrow morning figuring out how to set the dynamically made on the fly stupid foreign key value in the database with one easy step that I was too blind to see!

Now you know my daily work dilemmas! How much time can Mona waste trying to solve one problem?

I need to start drinking 4 or 5 cups of coffee while at work. I only had one today, and look what happened!

UGGHHHH!!!

Coffee! Coffee!! Coffee!!!

Can someone buy me these for my birthday in 2 months? You guys can start the Rebellious Arab Girl Coffee Obsession Fund!

Link to purchase

 

Link to purchase

Some people in the past have asked me why I have advertisements on my site. I replied that I was poor and I needed money from writing such mundane things on my blog. Since I have been finally employed by the good people who realized that maybe I do have a talent, then people will now question why I am still monetizing my blog.

I know advertisements are annoying, and they make pennies a day. However, I am going to leave them for two reasons:

1) I have a significant number of lovely daily readers.

2) I am going to use the money for something more than my self and to help others.

Therefore, I have decided that the money I make from my site will be sent to an online Palestinian Children’s Charity. It has absolutely no political affiliation. It is just money to buy medicine, etc. I could care less about politics or any stupid organization, and I support no one.

The rest of the money will be used for hosting my websites and domain renewals, and any other miscellaneous online purchase I need for my sites.

Random Thoughts

Well, I have been on a shopping frenzy lately. I had to go buy new clothes for work. And this is no ordinary work. I can’t dress like I just got out of bed and put on the first thing I saw in the closet that is still not ironed. Oh no. No more! I have to look like I am actually going to work! Not only that, all my clothes are too big on me. I lost so much weight from sitting at home eating my self up from anger and depression, that I was in desperate need of a new wardrobe! So, I am slowly picking up new clothes and will get a lot more later and throw out the old. I only go for sales. I don’t like spending money on clothes. I find it a waste!

Also, it is so much fun walking in downtown and looking like I a little career girl! Hehehe! I look so sophisticated for a programmer. But hey! I get treated well! I get a kick ass view (click to view), free hot drinks, and free lunch every Thursdays. Now that’s the life!

I have to bring up one thing before I ask everyone how they like the new blog re-design, and this is more of a rant than anything.

YOU EMPLOYERS OUT THERE! I MADE AN ENTIRE NEW TEMPLATE IN 2 DAYS! YOU DON’T WANT TO HIRE ME, THEN FINE! I WILL KEEP THE SKILLS TO MY SELF! IT IS YOUR LOSS!

Phew!!! Got that off my chest. So, I added a few more things, and I will be adding more stuff in the coming days. This is Beta version of my new template. I added lots of cool things that you may have noticed:

Featured Post

I added a featured post glider on my main page. I will be featuring old and new posts that I love and I want to keep alive. It is more of a way for new visitors to know more about me, and the various subjects that I write about.

Help

I added a more helpful way to subscribe to my site for those that are not aware of the various methods. You can see the help icon at the top right corner next to the subscription area. If you click on it, it will take you to a subscription help page with in depth detail of various methods to subscribe to my site.

Advertisement

I am accepting new graphical ads to my sponsors area. Click here for more information of methods to advertise on my site. If you want to feature your blog/site on my sidebar, then it is $5.00 a week. Not bad eh for 100’s of visitors a day to look at it?

Also, I am no longer accepting link exchange. If you want to advertise your site on my blog, then you can do it with either Entrecard Card Exchange, or $10.00 or $15.00 a month. Check advertisement page for more details.

Umm, and I got a new girl that looks like me. Dark, Arabic, and wicked cool!

The contest this month is a bit more challenging, but a fun little game that everyone can play. You must read the rules very carefully and follow them so you can win a $50.00 US Amazon Gift card.

How to play the game called Change my Thoughts:

I will start the game. I will provide a very general random thought (topic). What you will try to do is continue my thought, but try and change each other’s thoughts regarding the topic to your own, and convince others of why yours is better. The game is to keep breaking other’s thoughts and convince others of your own thoughts by starting a new similar topic so everyone is interested in it, and can comment on it. The most talked about and interesting detailed topic based on the general topic that I started, will win the $50.00 US dollar Amazon Gift card.

The game will be hard, and you cannot go completely off topic. For example, if the topic is about female power in the middle east, then you cannot change the topic to space travel. However, you can change the topic to female roles in politics, or something of that nature. Be creative and interesting, but don’t write an essay. You can keep commenting back and forth, and convince others why your opinion is better then theirs.

Rules  & Other Information:

1. The contest will run on this blog till July 6th, 2009.

2. You must provide a valid email address when you comment.

3. You must be interactive and keep commenting. If you only comment once thinking you changed other’s opinions, then you will not be qualified. You have to comment on each other’s thoughts, and only while doing so, you can change the argument by providing a valid counter-thought.

4. You must keep track of your own topic, and must use convincing ideas that will interest everyone, especially the judge, which happens to be me!

5. You cannot go off topic at all, or ask me any questions regarding the rules, etc on this post. Email me your questions, or I will delete your comment. If you keep asking questions or going off topic, I will disqualify you.

6. I will jump into various topics, and I will try to convince others of my opinion as well. So watch out!

7. I will announce the winner on July 7th, 2009.

The Topic:

This generation of teenagers are very exposed and corrupted by the media and advertisments in various ways such as cable TV, internet, etc. Will they grow up to be very demanding and hard to satisfy if we don’t do anything about it now, or is there a way to limit the exposure, and teach them that life can be lived and enjoyed by simple means?