FFS Wataniya!!

FFS Wataniya, I am a LEGAL resident in Kuwait, stop PESTERING me with these ANNOYING msg's aimed at illegals!!

You would think they could check their database for civil ID number and validity before sending out these bothersome msg's =/

If you do not cease&desist, I'm jumping ship to Zain, they're RIGHT NEXT DOOR! =P

Why Israel?

Apparently, there are two things in the world you do not mess with: God and Israel.

Nowadays however, God has become a generic term, recycled countless times and refurbished under a myriad of names including the Entity, the Force, the Receiver etc. So the only thing you do not touch is Israel.

Why Israel?

Why is it taboo for anyone to mention Israel in a bad light without suffering disastrous consequences as a direct and immediate result? Think of Helen Thomas and Mel Gibson.

I am sure no one is a stranger to the Holocaust, it happened, The Nazi's did it, it is a great stain on the history of humanity and to this day, the repercussions are still being felt.

However, this was 70 years ago, are we so obsessed with living in the past that we fail to see the present, or worse, think of the future?

An email is being circulated, it has been in circulation for quite some time now, and it compares the atrocities suffered by the Jews during the holocaust to the atrocities being committed by the Israelis against the Palestinians to date. I will post those pictures at the end of this email.

The BBC recently had an article up entitled Is it ever OK to call someone a Nazi? (link) regarding the stigma of using that term to describe someone, and the antisemitic sentiments it conveys.

Have we forgotten the age-old adage, sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me?

Facebook has recently removed a page entitled "Intifada". (link)

Facebook, , the instrumental pivot, the straw that broke the camels back, the toppler of Goverments, as is evident with the recent uprisings in Tunis, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria etc. It has governments so fearful they took incredible measures to block access to it (as Egypt cut the entire internet to the whole country), there exist a million and one pages regarding all those regions, Egypt, Tunis, Yemen etc. They have been requested to remove these pages, the Friday of Anger, the March of Retribution, We are all Khaled Saeed etc. Yet, they did not.

Now tho, as the Israeli entity has been "threatened", that facebook page has been removed, cited as stirring violence.

It seems that, since the Palestinian issue has not been dubbed a "holocaust", nor have the Israeli's been dubbed "Nazi's", the issue is overlooked and under-signified.

Obama has recently stuck his neck out for the "Libyan People", I want to believe he has their interests at heart, but I cannot help but remember how his predecessor had taken the same stance against Iraq, citing WMDs, to-date non have been discovered, and it has been an apparent ruse to get to Iraqi Oil. So now I feel cautious to believe Obama's intent is not to harvest Libyan Oil. And why?

He was so quick to usher the world into protecting the Libyan People, yet the USA still vetoed the Bill that would condemn Israeli construction on Palestinian territories as illegal under International Law.

Obama still ok'ed a military intervention, despite the fact the UN has a resolution that it is not to interfere in civil wars within countries, and what is happening in Libya right now is a civil war.

Again, I ask, Why Israel?

A little history lesson for those interested, the term "ghetto" was originally derived as an area where Jewish people live. And, from Wikipedia, we get the following:

In the Jewish diaspora, a Jewish quarter is the area of a city traditionally inhabited by Jews. Jewish quarters, like the Jewish ghettos in Europe, were often the outgrowths of segregated ghettos instituted by the surrounding Christian authorities or in World War Two, the Nazis. A Yiddish term for a Jewish quarter or neighborhood is "Di yiddishe gas" (Yiddish: די ייִדדישע גאַס ), or "The Jewish street". Many European and Middle Eastern cities once had a historical Jewish quarter and some still have it.



Jewish ghettos in Europe existed because Jews were viewed as alien due to being a cultural minority and due to their non-Christian beliefs in a Renaissance Christian environment. As a result, Jews were placed under strict regulations throughout many European cities. The character of ghettos has varied through times. In some cases, the ghetto was a Jewish quarter with a relatively affluent population (for instance the Jewish ghetto in Venice). In other cases, ghettos were places of terrible poverty and during periods of population growth, ghettos (as that of Rome), had narrow streets and tall, crowded houses. Residents had their own justice system.

Around the ghetto stood walls that, during pogroms, were closed from inside to protect the community, but from the outside during Christmas, Pesach, and Easter Week to prevent the Jews from leaving during those times. Starting in the early second millennium Jews became an asset for rulers who regarded them as a reliable and steady source of taxes and fees. They often went through great lengths to have them settle in their realm, offering protected settlements and endowing them with special "privileges". A first such ghetto was documented by bishop Rüdiger Huzmann of Speyer in 1084.

As history states, Israel is now merely repaying the Palestinians for what was done to its people hundreds of years ago.

As it was evident since 1084, the Israeli's have money, and that is what makes the world go round.

Why Israel, why?


The pictures of the atrocities of the Holocaust (Black&White) compared with the current atrocities of the Isareli's against the Palestinians.

[Warning: Not for the faint of heart, contains disturbing scenes]

Get Ready for Kuwait's Third Triathlon - The Flying Start

You have exactly one month from this date to get in the proper shape, physically and mentally, to take on this amazing event brought to you by The3Club.

I am in the process of setting up a general FAQ regarding proper preparation steps etc. so stay tuned.

And if you are going to participate for the first time, (like me), go for the gold! I'm gearing for the Olympic level!

Preaching Hate to Spread Peace?

We stand at a great controversy in the ever difficult act of being human; preaching hate to spread peace.

To the rational, calculating, logical human being, two opposing ideologies cannot be used to further each other; you cannot heat something to make it cold, and you cannot freeze something to make it hot. Science and nature have taught us that.

Then how is it that we, in an effort to be civil, and reach a status of democracy and well-being only ever described in the most fictitious Utopia, can spew vile and hate-filled words towards another, despite the fact that they are tyrants, dictators, murderers etc?

All religious teachings preach peace, and the art of turning the other cheek, of forgiveness. Yet, there are also preachings for an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, does it not?

In general, in every facet of society, in every morsel of conflict, there will definitely be those who agree, and those who oppose. Outsiders looking in can claim to rational and impartial, but to those caught in the middle, there can be no grey, it is only black and white.

The current events happening in Egypt (Muslim Brotherhood Vs. Democracy), Libya (Gaddafi Vs. his people), Bahrain etc. The list is endless.

Lets take the middle example and build upon it. Gaddafi is now a tyrant, he solidified that status the minute he raised his gun upon his own people and mercilessly shot them dead.

Should we follow his same school of thought, sink to his level and have him killed?

Whenever I see this conundrum, I am always reminded of, no, not religion unfortunately, something far simpler than that.

Superman.

Thats right, a make-believe character with a real set of morals.

Superman is an all powerful, almost omnipotent being, he has many enemies who are much weaker than him, his arch nemesis Lex Luthor is human. Time and time again, Lex Luthor attempts to kill Superman, and time and time again he is defeated.

Would it not be simple for Superman to snap Luthor's neck like a twig, or refrain from saving him after their battle, or blow his car up as he is in it etc. etc.? The list is endless, but basically, Superman has the ability to rid the world of the evils of his foe.

He does not however. Why?

He chooses to see the good in his enemy, that tiny spark, as infentesimal or as dim as it is, he is assured it exists, and always attempt to ignite it.

I find it unfathomable for people to claim to want peace, and yet spew the most vile of insults and derogations towards another, regardless of what that person has done. I am guilty as charged however, so I am not claiming to be that which I advocate.

I guess however, the saying is true:

Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

(If you want Peace Prepare for War)

Out of Context

The best pictures in life are those taken unaware, I found that out during the Keep Kuwait Clean drive (I have been using that picture as my profile pic here ever since).

As I was sifting through the pictures from the Kuwait Charity Run, I came across this:

That is me as well, balancing three Al-Maraie Orange Juice with Pulp in my hand (and holding another one in my right).

Whats the first thing that pops to mind?

Yes, Greed.

Well, to put it in perspective, the sponsors came up to me and asked if I knew what juice they had, I told them I always, always, always have my fridge stocked with orange juice with pulp and mixed berries, yesterday I just got 4 (2 of each). So the guy, being nice, was like ok I will give you more, and he gave me 3 in addition to the one I was drinking.

As I was walking away with my spoils, I spotted three policemen in the shade asking one of the volunteers to pass them some water (warm), so I went over to them and gave them those 3 juices.

Model behavior yeah?

There, the truth is out :P

Wikileaks - Kuwait Style

And what The Arab Times does not tell you is this:

http://www.kuwaitwikileaks.org/

Have @ it!

From the Arab Times:


Kuwait Wikileaks was officially launched on Monday with the publishing of the whistleblower website’s first group of classified documents pertaining to the State of Kuwait.



The eight documents published on the site include reports by the state’s Audit Bureau on the purchases of His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, using public funds. The purchases amount to more than KD 1 million and include watches and other miscellaneous items for unknown Arab, Turkish and African women as well as foreign governmental officials.

Founder of Kuwait Wikileaks, environmental activist Khaled Al-Hajeri, said that new documents will be uploaded regularly within one week or two week intervals. Al-Hajeri, who is also the head of environmental NGO Green Line, described the site as a social entity that monitors all authorities while aiming to establish transparency in the country and put a stop to corruption.

“Some people perceive that the site aims to publish scandalous information and that is not true. What we aim to do through this site is to promote an independent monitoring culture so that Kuwaiti society is able to be fully aware of what is happening in their reality. We also aim to curb any unsubstantial rumors that have harmful effects on Kuwaiti society,” stressed Al-Hajeri at a press conference on Monday.

Access


The website is easy to access and is simply chronicled into six sections of documents: historical, judicial, legislative, executive, private sector and civil society intuitions. Al-Hajeri said that document needed for public awareness will be published, not only ones that reveal violations and corruption.

Other documents on Kuwait Wikileaks reveal correspondence between the US military and the Kuwait Municipality, the Ministry of Health and the Public Authority for Industry. The Kuwaiti authorities warn the US Army that their food supplies are stored in heavily polluted sites at Abdullah Industrial Port.


The site alleges that the US military in Kuwait provided its soldiers with food supplies that were stored in the heavily polluted sites, despite warnings from the Kuwaiti entities.

Furthermore, there are documents on Lebanese President Michel Suleiman’s authorization to hand over a Kuwaiti citizen to Iraqi security authorities for prosecution. This is despite of a security agreement between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Lebanon, which sets the basics of exchange of nationals belonging to both countries.

Moreover, there are reports on Kuwait Petroleum Corperation (KPC) alleging that the company burns natural gas amounting to KD 1 billion, then claiming scarcity of gas in Kuwait.


“The documents are protected from forgery and the site is protected from hacking as the documents are uploaded and saved in independent sites,” Al-Hajeri said, noting that there were unsuccessful attempts to hack the site.






He added that the website will provide documents by the Audit Bureau and the legislative and executive authorities after they have been checked for authenticity by volunteer experts of Kuwait Wikileaks to prevent the publishing of any forgeries.






“It is not expected that the website becomes the only website of its kind in Kuwait or the Arab region and we urge that there be other wikileaks websites that make officials within important entities cautious, thereby forcing them to take responsibility for their actions and performances,” said Al-Hajeri.






The activist expressed support for truth-seeking and sincere Arab youth and encouraged them to promote the culture of wikileaks within the Arab region.






He added that the non-profit organization of Kuwait Wikileaks was surprised to find that there were four similar websites set to launch without the names of the sites’ founders. He explained that one of the conditions of a wikileaks website is its credibility, and that is established between the site and the users when the founders are in full public view.






Al-Hajeri stressed that the website is designed to protect Kuwaiti society, not to harm it, as it is the right of all citizens to be aware of the actions of officials in various authorities.

Happy Mothers Day

اهداء لكل ام في عيد الام



Mothers are the most under-rated, under-appreciated, over-worked, under-compensated beings on the planet. It seems extremely ironic to give just one day of thanks to the person that carried us all for 9 whole months.

This is a time to make a big fuss over mothers, new, expecting, to-be etc. but remember that it should be maintained for as long and as much as possible.

To those that have lost their mothers, I truly apologise and cannot begin to fathom what you are going through, I just pray that in your hearts you know your mother looks down upon you smiling and wishing you all the very best in life.

Nothing we can say can ever be thanks enough to a mother, so let us celebrate by showing love.

I for one know I am not the perfect son to my mother, I get angry at times and yell when I shouldn't, but I know she knows how much I love her, and I never let a chance go by to tell her that and show her.

I get mad at my mom if she treats me like a child (don't forget to take this, that etc), but if I do forget, I blame her for not reminding me, even tho I got into an argument with her for coddling me.

That is the paradox; we hate it when we have it but we miss it when we don't.

God bless Mothers.

الجنة تحت اقدام الأمهات

Kuwait Charity Run 21K- The Pictures

What a magnificent day it was yesterday.

Off the bat, the Kuwait Charity Run turned out to be a huge success; 57,000KD was raised for the Bait Abdullah Childrens Hospice, and much joyment was had by all who attended.

We started off early, I was there by 7am, ample parking, however no sooner did the clock hit 7:10 that the parking lot became jam-packed. I quickly walked over to Starbucks, amazed by my then leg-strength and feeling like a million bucks.

I met up with some friends and we started doing our own warm-up (lets face it, the aerobic/dance warm-up that they did was not useful and was more for show than warming up, honestly!).

I did meet my ex-PE teacher from, well, not SO long ago, but yeah! She was there!

Enter 8am, the race drew near. The 21K-ers were asked to line up first, the anticipation was killing me, I mean, honestly? To jog from Marina Crescent to the Kuwait Towers AND back? I decided to play it by ear, feeling that my cardio training at the gym would save me.

On your marks, Get Set, GO! And the race was on!

By the first 1K I was doing ok, good speed, but, as is my bane, I had to go all monkey and hurdle over the signs! I kept up my momentum till the 5K mark, then I started to slow down, conserve energy, and work on bursts of speed, people were catching up to me (some old folks mind you!) and I would be like, with my inner voice, "haha! I'll catch up to you later!"... Sadly I never did tho! And it was frustrating having people keep passing you! Anyway, it was not about the competition, but the cause, so I just kept going, like the Energizer Bunny.

When we came upon the 10K mark, never was I happier to see the Kuwait Towers, and never had I gazed upon them from that distance, and that angle, to fixate on them as a goal on foot for 10K is more than exhilarating. As a mark of actually passing the 10K mark (as if the tracking chip on my shoe was not accurate enough), a young child was giving out white hand bands (rather nifty I might add), and then the return journey commenced!

There were some folks from Japan out on the route, with Japanese flags, I said to them the only phrase I know in Japanese "Oregato Gozaimas" (thank you very much), I did not know any condolence phrases unfortunately, may god be with Japan in its time of need, and bless the Fukushima 50.

So, again, with the people passing me, but, if anything, I did have two victories in that one person who had previously passed me I was able to overtake, and another person that was neck-to-neck with me fell back after I pushed myself forward.

But, I was passed by quite a few people, including a fellow cyclist from the DBCK, who I estimate to be well over 50, but mashallah, he beat me by 10 minutes!

The final stretch, the last K, I almost got lost as I was running the wrong way in the parking lot, then I just turned my attention to the floats and voila, I passed the finish line at full speed.

I had originally intended or hoped to finish the race in 1hr45 minutes, apparently my internal clock got that mixed up and I ended up finishing in 1hr54! Not to shabby for me, as I usually run a weekly 13K in 1hr20, so yeah, I was proud of that moment!

Until ofcourse, I heard the official time for the #1 (I was #58), he finished the race in (hope you are sitting down), 1hr06!!

The race was well organised but not well hydrated, back in the 10K last November, at every K mark there was a stand with hydration etc. and persons to cheer you on. This time, there was not (water at every K) and the volunteers were more dispersed. What was better was the fact that they were giving out smaller bottles of wter than last time (a waste coz most people would take one sip and throw the rest away), or they were giving out cups of water. However, the cups of water cannot be drunk on the go, and you need to stop to drink it properly.

Despite all that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon!

Now I leave you with the stills :)

a huge round of applause for the volunteers, without their help non of this would have been possible



Reach for the skies! (I'm the odd one out :P)





The excruciating route!