I have a good friend, Said, who was born in Algeria.  During the violent civil war that plagued the country beginning in 1991, my friend fled the country for Europe.  He ended up in Brussels, Belgium, which he has made his home for the past 16 years.  Said was a young man when he left Algeria; now, in his late thirties, he desires what we all want for ourselves: a family, a steady job, a secure place to live, and so on.  He called me today and told me that he is atop a large crane in Brussels with two friends, threatening to kill himself and standing off with police -- because after sixteen years of non-stop appeals, he has been denied legal permanent residency in Belgium once again.

This diary started out as a comment in a wonderful diary by wu ming, and I decided to expand my thoughts a bit.  I was unsure about posting this as a diary, but I have something to say and I hear the daily orange can be a good place to share thoughts with like-minded people, so here it is.  

Also, Obama doesn’t surface until the end of the diary, but he is sort of the impetus for the diary.  That being said, this is a diary for all Kossacks and not just Obamaniacs.  For the record, I would be very happy with a President Clinton; however, the Obama stuff in my diary is true and I find it deeply moving personally, which is why I want to share it.

One further note: I have noticed at times in the past with personal diaries that readers will demand or expect more information or proof from a diarist that personal information is true or accurate.  I am willing to assure you that these things are true, but I am not willing to "prove" them by revealing a great deal more about myself.  If that makes you uncomfortable, please feel free to skip this diary or to treat it as fiction.  Thanks.

I was really conflicted on doing a diary on this both stupid and non-politically related topic, but I'm pretty desperate for help as well as low on time, so here you have my cry for help diary.  I'll happily delete if posting this diary is too inappropriate.  I'm also committed to doing penance: now I've tasked myself with writing a scintillating political diary.  :)  Follow me below the fold for details on my mundane problem and how you can help.

According to MSNBC’s website, Saddam Hussein will be executed within 36 hours.  (This development has been diaried: http://www.dailykos.com/... )  The timing of his execution is both interesting and problematic to me, and I wanted to let others in this community, who may not be familiar with Islam, know why that is.

As many of you may not know, Saturday morning is the beginning of the Muslim holy days called Eid-ul-Adha.  This is the "big Eid" lasting 4 days; the slighter shorter "small Eid" takes place at the end of Ramadan (which this year, was at the end of October).  Eid ul Adha has two major elements of signifcance within in Islam.

Apparently Katherine Harris is the victim of a conspiracy to undermine her Senatorial bid.  But we'll have to buy the book if we want to find out who exactly is out to get her:

Harris wouldn't talk details at a campaign appearance Friday, but she was quoted Friday in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune as saying it would be a "tell-all" book about the conspiracy to undermine her Senate bid.

"You'll have to wait and read it," she said. In the past, Harris has blamed the "party elite," the media and disgruntled staffers for her campaign problems.

http://news.yahoo.com/...

As a caveat, this is my first diary, so I appreciate any constructive criticism.

I was having a discussion with a colleague and fellow Dem today, regarding how we were planning on voting for the items on our ballots which have no overt party affiliation on the ballot.  We found that we had both compiled information willy nilly from a variety of sources, and that each had found a dearth of sources which were particularly helpful in compiling information on how we should vote on amendments and justices and such matters.  After all, it (usually) does bolster the Democratic agenda if we keep Democratically appointed justices in power and vote on ammendments which forward Democratic principles.