Gregarius

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Unread items (100)

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  رسالة أسرة خالد الفضاله

  Posted: July 4th, 2010, 2:07am PDT

  
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  نم مرتاحاً يا سمو الرئيس

  Posted: July 2nd, 2010, 12:57pm PDT

  
  
  
  عيني عليك باردة يا سمو الرئيس..

  فبينما تنام الليلة على وسادتك الوثيرة، ينام خالد سند الفضالة بالسجن.

  حققت مرادك.. وحميت الكويت من مجرم خطير؟
  
  ألم يكن محاميك هو من دعا إلى توقيع "أقصى عقوبة" في هذه القضية؟
  

  هذا المطلوب؟ سجن أهل الكويت لأنهم أشاروا للحقيقة؟ واشاروا للفساد؟ وانتقدوك؟
  

  
  

  
  
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  السجن لن يسكتنا

  Posted: June 30th, 2010, 1:56am PDT

  
  لا أذكر أني عاصرت فترة في تاريخ بلادي تم بها ملاحقة مواطنيها بهذا الشكل..لم نرى محاكمنا مليئة بقضايا ضد مواطنين -من كافة المشارب- عبروا عن آرائهم وانتقاداتهم للحكومة أو رئيسها مثل ما نراه اليوم..المحكمة حكمت اليوم بسجن خالد الفضالة ثلاثة أشهر مع النفاذ وغرامة ١٥٠ دينار لأنه رأى في تقرير ديوان المحاسبة حول مصروفات ديوان رئيس الوزراء شبهة لغسيل الأموال. المحكمة، كما رأت أن علي الخليفة بريء، رأت أن خالد الفضالة مدان. ولا عزاء لنا في قضائنا الشامخ.آن لهذا الوضع أن يتوقف، آن لنا أن نوقف سجن من يفتح فمه ليتحدث.مخطيء من يعتقد أنه بالسجن يستطيع إيقاف الكلمة أو إسكات الأفواه. أو أنه بسجن معارضيه ومنتقديه فتكون صورته أنصع بياضاً..ولمن لا يعرف حقيقة المصروفات والعبث الذي حصل بالمال العام وحاول الفضالة التنبيه إليه فلم يلقى إلا السجن... تابعونا قريباً جداً
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  عاد لا تاخذونها جد

  Posted: May 17th, 2010, 5:08am PDT

  
  يوم كتب الصديق الزميل الأستاذ (على قولة الديين) رشيد الخطار الفقرة أعلاه، ما كان من صجه حرفياً، يعني كانت رسالة للجاسم عل وعسى يكف عن الهوس الشخصي بذاته، مو حق النيابة. وعاد انتو لا تاخذون كل شي جد.
  
  التقارير الدولية تتوالى، وفضيحتنا بجلاجل، وما تم من إجراءات إلى الآن لا يدخل العقل.
  
  لذلك، عودة لمبادئ الحرية والديمقراطية وحقوق الانسان الواردة في الدستور، أفرجوا عنه.
  
  ودرءاً للأحاديث الآخذة في الإنتشار ولم تعد همساً بأن النيابة العامة يبدو أنها ربما حادت عن دورها القانوني كـ"خصم شريف" .. وهي أحاديث، حتى وإن لم تصدق، ولكنها مضرة طالما مست ثقة الناس فيها .. أفرجوا عنه.
  
  أفرجوا عنه وأكملوا تحقيقكم .. الريال مو رايح أي مكان.
  
  *****
  
  وكما قالها أحد الأصدقاء أمس، تأملوا بفكرة ما يحدث حالياً:
  
  شخص متهم بـ"قلب نظام الحكم" (يا كبرها) .. والناس تنزل للشارع تهتف له.
  
  مو المفروض يهتفون ضده؟ ... في شي غلط.
  
  أفرجوا عنه.
  
  يا ليت عاد على أحد يسوى.
  
  
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  ندرة الرجال

  Posted: May 15th, 2010, 10:12pm PDT

  
  العم محمد أحمد الرشيد
  (1920 - 2010)
  
  عظم الله أجر الكويت
  
  
  الصورة/الرسمة بريشة الفنان علي الجاسم *
  
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  مش معقول

  Posted: May 13th, 2010, 1:51am PDT

  
  هذا نفسه اللي قبل خمس سنين
  
  صادوه
  
  وطاحوا عليه
  
  وكظوه
  
  وفركشوه
  
  
  أميزينغ شلون بعض الناس وجوهها عريضة
  
  
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  خصخصة

  Posted: April 14th, 2010, 11:57pm PDT

  استفزني تصريح النائبة الدكتورة رولا دشتي اليوم للأنباء، ودعوتها لقراءة قانون الخصخصة بتمعن.. الله الله.. على اعتبار أن لغته الفريدة تحمل في طياتها الكثير من المعاني الجميلة التي يصعب فهمها دون القراءة بتمعن.. وكأنه ديوان شعري.صلي على النبي يا دكتورة، فلو كنت مكانك لطالبت بالعكس، ألا يقرأه الناس بتمعن.. لأنه يفشل.-شخصياً، أنا مع الخصخصة قلباً وقالباً، وبالإمكان إعتباري "خصوصي" من كثر دعمي لهذه الفكرة. لكن ليس بهذه الطريقة العشوائية.-لا يمكن بأي حال من الأحوال تطبيق الخصخصة دون وجود أرضية مهيئة لذلك، هذا القانون المعيب عبارة عن تقنين لبيع أصول الدولة دون مقابل تنموي. صحيح الدولة ستحصل على أموال مقابل البيع، ولكن ماذا بعد ذلك؟ مالذي يضمن لنا جودة الخدمات والسلع المقدمة من قبل الشركة المخصصة؟ مالذي يضمن لنا أن تؤدي الخصخصة إلى تعظيم موارد الدولة من المداخيل الغير نفطية؟ مالذي يضمن حماية المستهلكين؟-كل تركيز أعضاء اللجنة المالية هو أن القانون حمل الكثير من الضمانات للعمالة الوطنية.. هذا ليس موضوعنا يا إخوان، موضوعنا أنكم بعد أن تبيعون مؤسسة الموانيء -مثلاً- مالذي يضمن لنا أن لا تبقى بنفس السوء بل وأسوأ؟ ستقولون "قطاع خاص يهدف للربحية، أكيد بيطور"، وهذه سذاجة مفرطة، فهذا يعني أن الخصخصة قائمة على إيماننا بأن القطاع الخاص سيشعر بالمسؤولية ليطور المرافق ويقدم أفضل الخدمات، وهذا ببساطة غير صحيح، لأن القطاع الخاص يهدف للربح -وهذا حقه- حتى لو كان ذلك على حساب الجودة وحماية المستهلك، لأن هذه الامور من اختصاصات الحكومة. وبسبب عدم وجود بنية إدارية ورقابية تعني بهذه الأمور (كهيئة عامة للمواصلات، تضمن كفاءة وتطوير وحماية المستهلك في ما يخص هذا القطاع) لا يمكن أن نجني شيئاً من الخصخصة. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإن عدم وجود نظام ضريبي للشركات (حتى مع إعفاءات تصل إلى 10 أو 15 سنة) يعني عدم استفادة خزانة الدولة من الخصخصة لتصبح بذلك مجرد بيع لأصول وامتيازات خدمات الدولة.-نريد التنمية، ونريد الخصخصة، لكن بالشكل الصحيح وليس بهذه الصورة المشوهة.
  *******تحديث*******النائب مرزوق الغانم يهاجم المصوتين ضد قانون الخصخصة ويقول: من لديه حل لإنقاذ اقتصادنا المريض بتضخم المرتبات والأجور وشح الإيرادات الغير نفطية غير الخصخصة فليقدمه.-التعليق: بو علي، أرجوك أخبرني كيف لهذا القانون المشوه أن يعالج "شح الإيرادات الغير نفطية"؟-الدولة ستتسلم أموال من خلال بيع القطاعات المخصصة لمرة واحدة وخلاص، لا يوجد نظام ضريبي.-بو علي، أرجوك أنظر إلى تجربة محطات البنزين وتخصيصها.. هل هذا ما نريده؟ نفس المحطات السابقة بس تغير الإسم. هل نريد أن نغير إسم "هيئة الموانيء" إلى "شركة الموانيء" ونحافظ على نفس مستويات الخدمة التي تقدمها؟ أو البريد؟ أو النقل العام؟أنت قولي كيف يضمن لنا القانون أن الشركة التي ستستثمر في القطاع ستطوره؟-أنا حسب فهمي، لا يوجد غير أننا نفترض أننا نثق في القطاع الخاص بأن يطور الشركة، وهذا افتراض ليس صحيح بالضرورة، ولا يوجد دولة بالعالم تعاملت مع الخصخصة بهذا الشكل.-يجب وجود جهة رقابية تضمن حد أدنى من الخدمات، وتحمي المستهلك، وتضع معايير الجودة والسلامة والتطوير.-
  أعطيك مثال:-في الولايات المتحدة، هناك ما يعرف بـ Federal Communications Commission، وهي الهيئة الفدرالية للاتصالات، تعني بتنظيم عمل قطاعي الاتصالات والإعلام. هذه الهيئة، قررت العام الماضي أن يتوقف بث التلفزيونات عبر نظام ال Analogue وأجبرت كافة القنوات أن تبث من خلال الكيبل بتقنية الديجيتال، وحددت موعد ثابت للبدء بالتطبيق، يا ترى لماذا؟ لأنها تسعى لتطوير هذا القطاع.-بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإن هذه الهيئة هي من تقرر مواصفات العمل في قطاعي الاتصالات والإعلام، بالإضافة إلى التفتيش على الجودة، وتلقي شكاوى المستهلكين والتحقيق فيها وتوقيع عقوبات على الشركات المخالفة، هذا كله بالنهاية لضمان حد أدنى من جودة الخدمات.-وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإنه غني عن القول أن الولايات المتحدة لديها نظام ضريبي يضمن إيرادات -غير نفطية- للدولة.هذه الأنظمة -وجود هيئات رقابية- ووجود نظام ضريبي، هي أمور لا وجود لها عندنا في الكويت. وهي أمور لا يمكن إدخالها في قانون الخصخصة الحالي والذي صوت عليه المجلس بمداولته الأولى اليوم، بل هي بنية تشريعية كاملة يجب إيجادها قبل إقرار قانون الخصخصة.-لا نضع العربة قبل الحصان وبعد سنوات نقول أننا أخطأنا خصوصاً أنه لا زال في يدنا تلافي هذا الخطأ.-بقي القول أنا لست من جمهور المتظاهرين في المجلس، ووجهة نظري مختلفة تماماً. أنا ضد تخصيص القطاع النفطي، وأجده من المريب أن يكون القانون لم يشر إلى ذلك صراحة واكتفى بالتعليم والصحة، ولكن سأحاول ألا أفترض حسن النوايا. أنا مواطن أريد للخصخصة أن تنجح في بلدي وأن تطبق وفق أسس متينة، وأتمنى من نوابي أن يسمعوني.
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  حديث من القلب

  Posted: April 1st, 2010, 1:00am PDT

  -لست من المتابعين الدائمين لمقالات محمد الجاسم، فبين فترة وأخرى أقرر أن أزور موقعه من باب "خل نشوف الجاسم شعنده"، وللأسف، فإن هذه الزيارات تكررت خلال الأسابيع الثلاثة الماضية من باب التلذذ بالعذاب. كأن تشاهد مسرحية أطفال سخيفة ظهر يوم الجمعة. أو برنامج على تلفزيون الكويت. تعلم أنه قمة السخافة،ولكن تواصل مشاهدتك.-لم أعترض أبداً على مسرحيات الأطفال، أو برامج تلفزيون الكويت، لأن وجود هذه الأشياء تجعلك تقدر العمل الجميل عندما تراه. لكن الكيل طفح مع مقالات الجاسم.-قبل أسبوع، قررت أن أدخل في جلسة عذاب لأشاهد فيديوات "حديث من القلب" للجاسم. ومع مرور كل ثانية شيء ما يدفعني لأكمل الفيديو. ومع استمرار السخافات وحب الذات الطاغي على ما يقوله، إلا أنني كنت أرى نفسي مضطراً لفتح الفيديو التالي بعد انتهاء الذي سبقه.-محمد عبدالقادر الجاسم، ذلك الطفرة التي لا نعرف من أين أتت، محامي علي الخليفة وكاتب المقال في الوطن، والذي تمكن بخبث من أن يصبح نائباً لرئيس تحرير الوطن أيام المرحوم جاسم المطوع، والذي أخذ يزحف أصبح رئيساً للتحرير وأزاح المطوع، ومارس دوراً بشعاً في الهجوم على النواب الوطنيين والدفاع عن سراق المال العام،، كل هذا كيفه وحقه ولا علاقة لي به.. هذا الشخص أصبح بقدرة قادر منظر الكويت الأول، أو ميكافيلي الكويت، ناقصه بس المنفى، أو هكذا يعتقد، لأنه ما يصير شخص يتكلم عن نفسه لمدة عشرين دقيقة متواصلة!-اليوم، للأسف، قررت زيارة موقع الجاسم مرة أخرى، من باب "خل نشوف شعنده"، خصوصاً بعد أن قرأت خبر عالم اليوم من أن "إعلامي كبير قدم شكوى قانونية ضد محاولة تجسس تعرض لها منزله"، لأن أول من يخطر على بال القاريء عند مشاهدة هذا الخبر هو "محمد الجاسم"، ذات الشخص الذي عندما تعرضت سيارة صديق إبنه للحرق قال "هذا استهداف ورسالة سياسية". نفس الشخص الذي عندما طلب منه دفع كفالة قام ببطولة الفيلم الهندي "ماي نيم إز سجين الرأي".. -اليوم، أود أن أستخدم هذه المساحة المتواضعة على شبكة الإنترنت لأقول لمحمد الجاسم-Please get a life-\
  وأتمنى أن يقرأها الجاسم، أو يوصلها له أحد. في البلد العديد من الكتاب ممن يكلمهم أصحابهم بين فترة وأخرى ويقولون لهم "ترى العين عليك"، أو "دير بالك"، وهناك الكثير من المدونين كذلك، لكنهم لا يعملون من الحبة قبة ويسطرون المقالات ويسجلون الفيديوات لتحتوي في مجملها على مديح للنفس ويقول للناس "أبي فزعتكم"، و"يرقعها" بالقول "مو عشاني أنا.. عشان الكويت"... يا عمي فكنا!-الأستاذ محمد الجاسم، وأقول أستاذ لأنك أكبر مني سناً ولأنك محامي، وأنتوا يا المحامين كل من يسمي الثاني أستاذ.. أنا لا علاقة لي بما هي دوافعك، و"من وراك"، ولائحة الأسئلة الكبيرة التي عرضتها في الفيديو بأن الناس تتساءل بها، أنا راح آخذك -بسذاجة- "face value"، مثل ما تريد لنا أن نفهمك.. ترى في البلد أمور أخرى، بالإضافة إلى ما لا يقل عن مليون نسمة غير محمد الجاسم وفعلته وتركته، أرجوك أن تستوعب ذلك، وليرحم والديك.-وإلى الحكومة الرشيدة، بما فيها من حيتان وخفافيش الظلام، والمتآمرين الجالسين في غرفة ظلمة يدخنون السيجار، أنتم الذين يتحدث عنكم الجاسم. أرجوكم، إذا لم يتوقف عن الحديث عن نفسه، حبسوه وفكونا، أعطوه البطولة التي يريدها، على الله يكف عن الحديث عن نفسه.-وأخيراً، عشان يستانس، ترى إنت أحسن وأقوى واحد بالدنيا. أنت سوبرمان اللي ما تبي تقول إنك سوبرمان. واحنا عارفين ترى، لا تحاتي. بس تكفة، سولف عن شي ثاني.. الفيلم صار ممل.-*****تحديث*****بمحض الصدفة، في اليوم الذي قررت فيه الكتابة عن محمد الجاسم، يحصل الآتي:محكمة الجنح تقضي بحبس الكاتب محمد عبدالقادر الجاسم ستة شهور وكفالة خمسة آلاف لوقف النفاذ في الدعوة المدنية خمسة آلاف وواحد على سبيل التعويض المؤقت في الدعوى المرفوعة ضده من سمو رئيس الوزراء.تعليق: رغم اعتراضاتي على الجاسم، إلا أن عقوبة الحبس بسبب إبداء الرأي أمر غير مقبول، ونتمنى من الجاسم أن يستأنف ليصل حتى إلى المحكمة الدستورية لتقضي على القوانين المعيبة كهذه، وألا يقرر دخول الحسب بحجة أنه مظلوم.
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  كابتن مرزوق 2

  Posted: February 9th, 2010, 2:07am PST

  كتبت عنه قبل سنة تقريباً، وقبل يومين فارقنا.
  
  
  
  خالص العزاء للكويت ولأسرة اللواء طيار متقاعد مرزوق مبارك العجيل.
  
  وشكراً لوزارة الدفاع لنعي أحد روادها الأوائل، ولكن النعي لا يكفي، فأكرر ما قلته قبل سنة عن تخليد ذكرى وإنجاز أول طيار عسكري وآمر سلاح الطيران الكويتي الأسبق، بإطلاق إسمه على إحدى القواعد الجوية أو المطارات، فهذا أقل ما يمكن أن تقدمه الدولة لأحد أبنائها المخلصين.
  
  
  
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  العقل زين

  Posted: January 31st, 2010, 11:55pm PST

  
  التجاذبات ما بين الجهات الشعبية والسياسية وبين السلطة الحاكمة ليست بالشيء الجديد على الكويت، وقد كانت التجاذبات تصل أحياناً إلى مرحلة الندية والخصومة والقسوة في النقد أو حتى القطيعة، لكنها دائماً ما كان يسودها نفس من المسؤولية والحكمة وبعد النظر والإحترام، وعندما نقول الإحترام فنقصد به إحترام المقامات أكثر مما هو إحترام الأشخاص المتفاوت بطبيعته، ولنا في التاريخ أمثلة كثيرة في ما تم توثيقه من أحداث ومراسلات بين المعارضة والسلطة سواء في عهد الشيخ مبارك الصباح، أو في رسالة أهل الكويت إلى الأسرة بعد وفاة الشيخ سالم المبارك، أو في التجاذبات ما بين الشيخ أحمد الجابر وأعضاء المجلس التشريعي، أو حتى في المراسلات الموجهة إلى الأمير وولي العهد أثناء حركة ديوانيات الاثنين. فاللغة المستخدمة فيها تساعد على فهم طبيعة الصراع في تلك الحقبات.
  
  الثابت هو أنه لم تصل تلك التجاذبات أبداً إلى مرحلة الإرتزاق والوقاحة والخلط ما بين الخصومات الشخصية أو حتى السياسية، وبين إزدراء المقمات المصانة دستورياً، أو الواجب صونها من واقع بعد نظر ومصلحة عامة.
  
  لم أستطع مقاومة الشعور بالغثيان من قراءة مقال محمد الجاسم الأخير على موقعه لسببين: الأول هو فقدان الموضوعية والمصداقية بسهولة فقط لتسجيل نقاط سياسية وقتية تجسد في توصيف عودة الشيخ سالم العلي والإستقبال الذي حظي به، ولكن بعد الوطن والناقلات ما على الجاسم شرهة في الموضوعية والمصداقية، لكن السبب الثاني وهو الأهم، ما يحمله المقال من نفس خطير وتلميح غير مسؤول في تعرضه غير المباشر إلى مسند الإمارة.
  
  لمصلحة من التلميح الفج في إزدراء مسند الإمارة؟
  
  الكلام سهل، و"فشة الخلء" أيضاً سهلة، ولكن الصعب هو أن يضمن الإنسان بعض من الحكمة والمسؤولية وبعد النظر في كلامه قبل أن يتفوه فيه. لا أرى أي مصلحة عامة من النفس الآتي من المقال سوى مصلحة الجاسم نفسه في صنع البطولات وتطهير ثوب الماضي الملطخ.
  
  وليس أدل من ذلك سوى "أطروحة" المقال بأكمله، بأن الشيخ سالم العلي هو "الرمز المنتظر".
  
  أتفهم هذا الطرح لو كتبه أحد المطبلين الجدد على الكتابة، ولكن حين يطرحه الجاسم الذي - والحق يقال - لديه قلم كاريزماتي وقدرة على التحليل وساهم بشكل أساسي برفع سقف الطرح، فلا أستطيع أن أصف هذا التحليل إلا بالسخف والعمى السياسي لتسجيل نقاط سياسية آنية فقط ليشفي غليل خصومة يعرفها الكثيرون مهما حاول الجاسم تزيين كتاباته بـ "والله مصلحة الكويت عندي فوق كل شيء" وباقي الكلام الفاضي اللي ما يمشي علينا.
  
  والا بذمتكم، من منكم يبلع قول الجاسم أن الإستقبال الذي حصل هو فعلاً "عفوي" لو لم يقم الشيخ فهد سالم العلي (وهذا الثاني بعد قصته قصة) بالترويج له في الأسبوعين الذين سبقا العودة، ولو لم يقم الإعلام بحشد الناس وجعلهم يصدقون أن فعلاً عليهم الخروج للإستقبال؟ من منكم يبلع سذاجة طرح الجاسم الحالم وكيف "كروت" المقال ببدايته أنه أولاً اعتقد أن الاستقبال مفتعل ولكنه ما شاء الله تبارك الرحمن أكتشف لاحقاً أنه عفوي؟
  
  ومن منكم يبلع ما يطرحه بأن الشيخ سالم العلي هو فعلاً الرمز المنتظر؟ هذا ونحن نعلم أن الشيخ سالم العلي مبتعد عن العمل السياسي منذ زمن طويل ما عدا الفترة المحيطة بوفاة الشيخ جابر الأحمد، ومع ذلك فإن الشيخ سالم وهو بصحته ووجود الشيخ سعد العبدالله على قيد الحياة لم يتمكن من تحقيق المعادلة القطبية التي يتحدث عنها الجاسم، فكيف سيكون الآن هو الرمز الذي سينتشل البلد؟ ويريد الجاسم أن نصدق بأن طرحه موضوعي ورزين وفيه مصداقية؟
  
  نقول هذا مع كامل الإحترام للشيخ سالم العلي والتقدير التام لظروف مرضه ومشاعر أسرته ومحبيه الحقيقيين، فهناك الكثير مما يمكن مناقشته عن الشيخ سالم العالي كسياسي ولكن لسنا بمعرض ذلك في هذا الموضوع، فلا هو وقته ولا لذلك أي أهمية في الواقع السياسي الحالي. ولكن المؤسف هو أن يزج بالشيخ سالم العلي بشكل ساذج لإذكاء خصومة سياسية مكشوفة، والمؤسف أكثر هو أن يصاحب ذلك إنعدام تام للمسؤولية والحكمة في التطرق والتلميح لمسند الإمارة بهذا الشكل.
  
  الآن، هل يلام الناس عندما يصدقون كلام أمثال نبيل الفضل عندما يقول أن للجاسم مآرب أكبر من النقد الهادف والإصلاح السياسي، وأنه مهووس بإزدراء رأس الهرم؟
  
  على فكرة، عندما يطرح نبيل الفضل هذا الطرح فإنه دائماً ما يشمل فيه النائب مسلم البراك أيضاً، ومع الإقرار بأن نبيل الفضل ليس بالضرورة شريف روما، إلا أن السؤال نطرحه مرة أخرى، هل يلام الناس عندما يصدقون كلامه؟ خاصة بعد تصريح البراك بمناسبة عودة الشيخ سالم العلي، والذي إن إختلف في المحتوى عما كتبه نسيبه وحليفه السياسي الجاسم، فإنه حمل ذات النفس اللا مسؤول والغير حكيم.
  
  والسؤال الأهم، مؤكد أن مزيد من هذا الطرح سيطرأ كون هناك من يقدس الجاسم والبراك ويراهم رموزاً يتبعون وهذا حقهم، ولكن من نلوم لو أتتنا سلطة في زمن ما وإستخدمت هذا الطرح ذريعة للإنقلاب مرة أخرى على الديمقراطية والدستور وحرية التعبير؟
  
  بتقولون "معصي ومثل ما ردينا الدستور قبل نرده الحين"؟ ميخالف أنتو زلومة. ولكن أسألوا أنفسكم، مع كل إنقلاب على الديمقراطية في 67 و76 و86، كم خسرنا وخسرت الكويت؟
  
  صح أنا أضع اللوم في تلك الإنقلابات كله على السلطة، ولكن من سيدفع ثمن كل هذا التعثر والتأخر والتخلف الذي شاب مسيرتنا الديمقراطية ونضوجنا السياسي وتطورنا التنموي؟ وإذا تأخرنا من جديد، هذه المرة من نلوم؟ وبشنو راح يفيدنا نلوم فلان وعلان؟
  
  حال الكويت في السنوات القليلة الماضية بلا شك لا يرضي حتى أدنى مستويات الطموح، والنقد ليس فقط مباح بل واجب، ولكن ذلك لا يعفي أحداً من المسؤولية في تغليب المصلحة العامة على الأقل في إستخدام اللغة وهذا أضعف الإيمان.
  
  العقل زين.
  
  
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  مشاري الذايدي: فارق التوقيت بين مجتمعين: الكويت والسعودية

  Posted: January 27th, 2010, 10:07pm PST

  مقال يستحق القراءة للكاتب مشاري الذايدي من جريدة الشرق الأوسط.
  ء
  
  
  فارق التوقيت بين مجتمعين: الكويت والسعودية
  
  

  المشهد المجتمعي مثير للمفارقة بين الكويت والسعودية.

  في الكويت، حيث البرلمان والديمقراطية والجماعات السياسية والصوت العالي وتاريخ المسرح والفنون، تتنادى مجموعة من نواب البرلمان وحشد من شيوخ الإسلاميين لمناصرة خطيب ديني سعودي مُنع من دخول الكويت، حسب آخر روايات الحكومة، خوفا من إثارة الفتنة الطائفية، بعد تهجم هذا الشيخ، محمد العريفي، على مرجع الشيعة علي السيستاني.

  قرأت بيان هؤلاء الكويتيين في الصحافة الكويتية، جلهم غير مشاهير، ولكن بيانهم متجه نحو وجهة واحدة: المناصرة من موقع طائفي، وعزز هذه المناصرة الدينية مناورات سياسية لفظية كقول بعض نواب الإسلاميين، وليد الطبطبائي، إن هذه مشكلة بين العراقيين وشيخ سعودي، «شدخل الكويت؟!». وبعض النواب يسن سكاكينه لمحاسبة الحكومة على هذا المنع «المحرم» للعريفي.

  بداية من حق أي دولة في العالم منع من ترى أجهزتها الأمنية أنه يسبب مشكلة وقلاقل في البلاد ويضر بأمنها العام، ولذلك منعت الحكومة الكويتية في وقت سابق رجل الدين الشيعي الإيراني محمد الفالي، لأنه كان يمارس التهييج الطائفي ويلقي خطبا متعصبة ضد السنة، في بلد صغير محتقن بالتعصب الطائفي خصوصا في الأعوام الأخيرة، وبسبب منع الفالي غضبت فعاليات شيعية كويتية، والآن يشعر أنصار الفالي بأنهم «سجلوا هدف التعادل» في مباراة الطائفية مع خصومهم بمنع العريفي من دخول الكويت، ردا على منع الفالي في وقت سابق.

  مشهد مخيف، والحكومة، أي حكومة في العالم، لا تستطيع التفرج على مباراة تعصب دموية تفتت البلاد وهي لا تحرك ساكنا، أسهل الحلول هو منع هذا الطرف وذاك الطرف كنوع من فض الاشتباك المؤقت، لكن هذا الحل غير كاف، وسيستدعي المزيد من الاحتشاد لرد الضربة وتسجيل هدف الفوز حتى تنطلق صافرة الحكم معلنة نهاية الوقت، وقت الجميع، وربما نهاية السلم الاجتماعي معها لتثور ثائرة الجماهير المشاغبة التي لم ترض بنتيجة المباراة فتحرق وتكسر وتضرب وترمي بشرر.. كما يجري عادة من متعصبي الجماهير.

  للأسف، جماهير الشيعة والسنة، في الكويت وغيرها، ينشغلون بتصفية الحسابات التاريخية وتبيان من هو الأحق والأهدى طريقا وماذا جرى في التاريخ قبل أكثر من 1400 سنة، رغم أن مشكلاتنا هي «الآن»، وحول قضايا تتصل ببناء الأوطان وبناء الحاضن الاجتماعي الفكري للجميع، وترميم فكرة الوطنية والمواطن بعدما تمزقت مزقا بين الطائفية والعشائرية والإقليمية والعرقية، وأصبح الحديث في بلد مثل العراق أو اليمن أو الصومال أو أفغانستان، عن الرابطة الوطنية الواحدة، أصبح حديثا يبعث على الضحك ولكنه ضحك كالبكا.

  بالعودة إلى مفارقة الكويت العجيبة، كيف نفهم أن يزايد تلاميذ المشايخ على أساتذتهم، كما يتحدث كثير من طلبة العلم الديني في الكويت عن تلقيهم العلم من مشايخ السعودية، دلالة على صحة المنهج، يزايدون ليس في مسألة منع العريفي فقط، فهي مسألة ربما تفهم في سياق التراشق الشيعي السني داخل الكويت، وهو تراشق لا تبدو له نهاية منظورة، أسوة بالعراق الجار الجريح، لكن في مسألة أهم لا علاقة لها بالصراع الطائفي، أعني مسألة المرأة.

  قبل ذلك أشير إلى أنني أدرك أن قطاعا عريضا من «طلبة العلم» من إسلاميي السعودية يناصرون كل طرح متشدد ويحاربون كل طرح تسامحي جديد، لكن يظل هذا حراكا مفهوما داخل الحالة السعودية، غير المفهوم هو حماسة الرد من إسلاميي الكويت على مجتهدي السعودية من المشايخ، فهذه حماسة غريبة، وعجيبة من عجائب الزمان.

  الكل راقب في السعودية هذا الحراك الإيجابي والمثير داخل صفوف المشايخ وطلبة العلم الديني حول مسألة المرأة ودورها في المجتمع ورفع الإصر والقيود الوهمية عليها، وكانت الذروة في تصريحات الشيخ أحمد بن قاسم الغامدي رئيس هيئات الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر في منطقة مكة المكرمة، ليست تصريحات فقط بل دراسة شاملة حول مفهوم «الاختلاط» الذي يتذرع به كثير من أنصار التضييق على المرأة ودورها وفرصها في العلم والتنمية، فكانت الإضافة القوية لهذا الشيخ هي في إثباته أن الاختلاط مفهوم محدث و«مبتدع» في الفقه الإسلامي، وأنه لا يعلق على الاختلاط حكم بالتحريم أو الإباحة، فمجرد الاختلاط لا يتعلق به حكم بل بما يضاف إليه من أوصاف وظروف.. وهكذا في دراسة على حلقات نقد بها التشدد في موضوع الاختلاط، نشرت في صحيفة «عكاظ» السعودية المحلية، وبطبيعة الحال لاقت دراسته ردود فعل مؤيدة ومعارضة، هذا شيء طبيعي ومعروف عند كل إنسان يأتي باجتهاد ورؤية مخالفة للمألوف، وما قام به رجل قيادي في جهاز ديني رقابي مثير مثل جهاز الهيئات وفي منطقة ذات مكانة معنوية كبرى لدى المسلمين هي منطقة مكة، يحمل الكثير من الدلالات والإيحاءات، لذلك ما زالت اجتهادات الشيخ الغامدي محل نقاش وتجاذبات، الغامدي لم ينفرد بهذا الكلام بين رجال الصف الديني العلمي، بل قال مثل ذلك، بأكثر من صيغة، أكثر من شيخ وفقيه منهم القاضي الشيخ عبد اللطيف الحارثي الذي صرح بكلام سهل وسلس بأن الاختلاط: «كلمة حديثة وذات مفهوم متسع، ولا يناسب أن نعطيها حكم المنع بشكل عام ومطلق دون تفصيل، فلفظ الاختلاط مضطرب وغير دقيق متى حُكم بأنه محرمٌ جملة وتفصيلا، إذ وجد من يقول: إن الاختلاط محرمٌ أشد تحريم، وهذا من القول على الله بلا علم، ومن الاستعجال في الأحكام بلا دليل، فلا بد من السبر والتقسيم وإعطاء كل جزئية حكمها الصحيح».

  أهمية مثل هذه المواقف من مثل هؤلاء الرجال في مثل هذا الوقت والمكان، هي أنها تساعد كثيرا في تذليل العقبات المعنوية والنفسية لدى المجتمع وتسهم في دفع عجلة التنمية والأهم أنها «تطبع» وضع المرأة المسلمة في مجتمعها السعودي وتختار الأيسر والأسلم من سلة الاجتهادات الفقهية في هذا الزمن، وكالعادة هناك من يكره الجديد ويحذر من التغيير ويظن به الظنون، ولا يجد له مخرجا إلا بأن يتفّه أو يشوه هذه الاجتهادات حتى يظل المجتمع كما هو في نظره.

  يظل هذا حراكا صحيا في بلد ضخم ومجتمع ثري مثل السعودية، نحن الآن في خضم هذه الاجتهادات والنقاشات التي هي دلالة حيوية المجتمع وتفاعله مع زمانه، لكن المثير في الكويت التي يفخر كثير من مثقفيها بحريتها ونموذجها السياسي، وهو أمر صحيح وفخر في محله، لذلك يطرح السؤال: كيف تمضي ساعة المجتمع السعودي باتجاه معاكس لساعة المجتمع الكويتي؟

  هناك في الكويت، وليس في السعودية، من تصدى للهجوم على الشيخ الغامدي وأمثاله، في مسألة الاختلاط، وقالوا بأنها انحراف عن الصواب والهدى، أو بما معناه، وهو ما يعني أنهم يريدون المزيد من التشديد على المرأة الكويتية في اللحظة التي وصلت المرأة الكويتية فيها إلى قبة البرلمان.. أي فوضى فكرية وفقهية هذه؟!

  كيف يريد هؤلاء اختزال الإسلام في قائمة من التحريمات والمحظورات، في حرب الشرعية والفضيلة وبرمجة عقل المجتمع على إيقاع تحريمي مرتاب؟

  كيف ارتد العقل من حماسة العقل والانفتاح والإبداع إلى ما نراه اليوم من صراعات طائفية وغضب من دراسة شيخ سعودي يريد التيسير على المرأة المسلمة، ضمن الشرع؟

  أمر غريب فعلا ما نراه من تقلبات الأيام، وللمفارقة أيضا، كنت أقرأ هذه الأيام مختارات من مجلة الكويت انتقاها المؤلف خالد الزيد وأغلبها بقلم مؤسس المجلة الشيخ عبد العزيز الرشيد الذي أسسها (1928)، وهو من رموز الإصلاح الديني في الكويت بل وفي الخليج كله، هو وشيخه يوسف القناعي الذي كان من أنصار التحديث والإصلاح ومحاربي التزمت والجمود، ولاقى الشيخ وتلميذه عنتا من أنصار التعصب، حتى إن التلميذ غادر بلده فترة ما، وقد هدد بالقتل. أقرأ في هذه المجلة قبل أكثر من ثمانين عاما مقالات تنضح بالاعتدال والتسامح والشعر والأدب والأمل بمستقبل منير.. ليت الشيخ الرشيد يبعث من رقدته ليرى أي شواغل وهموم ينشغل بها الفاعلون السياسيون.

  المشكلة في الحقيقة ليست مشكلة الكويت، بل هي مجرد مثال على هذه المشكلة، فما يجري في العراق أدهى وأمر، وما يجري في الساحة الشيعية عموما ليس إلا ازدهارا مريعا لأحقاد التاريخ والتفكير الأسطوري، ومن يراقب الفضائيات الأصولية، يرى العجب العجاب من تخدير العقول وبعث الأحقاد.

  هي مفارقة فقط أردت الوقوف عليها بين زمن حي ويتحرك، ولو ببطء، وهو زمن المجتمع السعودي نحو التجديد، وبين زمن آخر، مجاور، جامد وخائف، وللقارئ أن يفسر هذه المفارقة، أنا أدونها فقط.. والأمل يغمرني بغد أبهى وأعقل للجميع.

  
  
• 

  Sex Sells

  Posted: January 24th, 2010, 3:37am PST

  
  
  أخــيـــــه بس.
  
  
  قانون المطبوعات يحظر في مادته الـ21 "خدش الآداب العامة." وقانون المرئي والمسموع أكيد فيه نفس المادة.
  
  ومن ضمن تعديلات الحكومة المقترحة على المرئي والمسموع الضيف مسؤول عن بث كلامه كما مسؤولية القناة عنه.
  
  ومع مزيد من الإنغلاق والإنعزال والتعتيم والتستير، مع الزمن سيكون هناك من ستثور غرائزه بالمانشيت أعلاه، وهناك من سيخدش حياؤه. أو يمكن الحين، مو مع الزمن.
  
  فعلاً لا لتغليظ العقوبات، والا شلون الواحد يقدر يروج لجذب الإستثمارات؟ تحدونه عالشر.
  
  
  ما اقول الا ان من تابع زيارة الرئيس سامبي للكويت وخطاباته ومقابلاته، ما يملك إلا أن يحسد الشعب الجزر-قمري على دم رئيسهم وحلاوة طلته. جد يا حلوَه!
  ء
  عشان لا يقولون أسأت لعلاقات الكويت مع الدول الصديقة. خو مدحته خو.
  
  ء
  

2:48AM [The B-Sides]

• 

  Huge Hot Wheels Collection in Kuwait

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 2:46pm PDT by Mark

  A guy in Kuwait posted a video up of his room with the walls covered in Hot Wheels cars. The guy has a huge ass collection and even a life size Corvette rear end sticking out of his wall. I used to have a huge collection of Matchbox cars (and a few Hot Wheels color shifters) but had to leave them all behind during the invasion back in 1990. Sucks. [YouTube]

• 

  More Kuwaiti Rappers

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 8:31am PDT by Mark

  The video above is by Kuwaiti rapper A To The G and he actually mixes in English and Arabic. Video is well shot but skip the first minute. He’s an NES and ACK graduate and you can check out his YouTube channel [Here]. Oh he’s also a boxer.

  The second Kuwaiti rapper is a guy going by the name BigMo. Below is one of his songs you can listen to and you can check out the following link for more songs. [Link] Pretty good stuff.

  Booty. Drugs & Liquor final by BigMo

  Here is his Facebook group. [Link]

• 

  The Bear at Kuwait Zoo

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 4:46am PDT by Mark

  Last year I posted about a bear that was being sold in Kuwait. After readers started contacting Animal Friends they launched an investigation and with the help of the government helped seize the bear. So where is the bear now and how is he doing? Well it looks like it’s at the Kuwait Zoo and judging by the video above having a great time. I haven’t been to the zoo for ages but the bear enclosure in the video above looks pretty good and large. It looks like I need to pass by the zoo soon and update my pictures. [YouTube]

  Thanks sinful eyes

• 

  Al-Qabas apology gone wrong

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 1:43am PDT by Mark

  

  Last month I posted about Aysha, the Bahraini blogger who found out Al-Qabas newspaper had stolen a picture of her and published it in the newspaper without permission. Well Al-Qabas posted an apology a couple of days back… and posted her picture again.

  If you remember, my whole issue was that the newspaper took a picture, my picture, from my blog without my permission. So, when I was informed that there would be a published apology on their site and the newspaper I never, ever imagined that they would actually REPRINT my image. Are they kidding? Are they seriously that naive or genuinely apologizing? My whole issue to begin with was having MY image plastered/printed in the bloody paper to begin with. They must be joking right? A cruel, pathetic joke!

  You can check out her full post on her blog [Here]

• 

  Magadheera

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 1:37am PDT by Mark

  A scene from the most expensive telegu movie, Magadheera. [YouTube]

  Thanks Alex!

• 

  Kuwait Running Out of Water

  Posted: September 9th, 2010, 1:31am PDT by Mark

  

  Kuwaitis are consuming almost more water than the country can produce.

  An estimated 1.5 million cubic meters of water was being consumed daily in Kuwait, dangerously close to country’s maximum production capacity at, the business news site Arabian Business reported.

  According to the report Kuwait, which produces nearly all of its water from desalination plants, produces just 1.51 million cubic meters of water a year.

  Looks like next year we are going to have water cuts in addition to the power cuts. [Link]

  Thanks Burhan

• 

  Lumix GF1 + Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 Lens

  Posted: September 8th, 2010, 8:54am PDT by Mark

  

  I ordered an adapter online that would allow me to mount my Nikon lenses on my GF1 camera. First thing I did when I got the adapter was to mount the gigantic Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lens onto the GF1 which as you can see above looked ridiculous since the GF1 is so tiny.

  So far I really love the GF1, I think it’s my favorite camera ever. My next purchase for it is going to be the digital viewfinder which should make it look pretty ugly but in a good way. [Amazon Link]

• 

  تقحيص المطيري بالعرس الوفره نت

  Posted: September 8th, 2010, 8:26am PDT by Mark

  I can never get enough of these videos. Close call at 3:06. [YouTube]

• 

  Moe is back

  Posted: September 8th, 2010, 8:21am PDT by Mark

  Kuwaiti rapper Moe is back with a new song called “About Me”. According to Moe he wrote this track specifically for the readers of my blog due to the responses he got from his first release. He wrote this track and finished it under a week. You can leave your feedback below. [YouTube]

  Update: Here is a link to another Kuwaiti rapper called BigMo. Below is one of his songs you can listen to and you can check out the following link for more songs. [Link] Pretty good stuff.

  Booty. Drugs & Liquor final by BigMo

  Here is his Facebook group. [Link]

• 

  Ministry of Foreign Affairs iPhone App

  Posted: September 7th, 2010, 2:10pm PDT by Mark

  

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs State of Kuwait (MOFA) released an iPhone app today on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr. I’m impressed that they actually released an iPhone app but I would rather have a Ministry of Interior app which would allow me to save my two cars in it and have it automatically check daily if any of my cars received speeding tickets and then warn me with a pop up notification and a beep. Ok maybe that’s asking too much but still a nice little app that would allow me to check my traffic violations conveniently would be pretty cool. Here is the link to the app [Link]

  Here are the links to my two apps:
  2:48AM
  Kuwait Blogs

  

  Update: Just noticed something funny in the app. When you click on the Embassy Search link you get a list of countries… but they’re not in alphabetical order. I actually can’t think of an order they’re listed in. I thought they were listed by Kuwait’s favorite countries but if that was the case USA and UK would be higher. By popularity? Don’t think so since Egypt would be much higher on the list. Distance? Nope. Random? Don’t think so since the first few countries are GCC countries. Can anyone figure it out? Here is the way they’re listed:

  UAE
  Saudi Arabia
  Bahrain
  Qatar
  Oman
  Lebanon
  Syria
  Jordan
  UK
  Thailand
  Kuwait
  USA
  Australia
  Canada
  Germany
  Spain
  Egypt

• 

  Budy Building Gym

  Posted: September 7th, 2010, 1:45pm PDT by Mark

  

  Make new buddies at the Budy Building Gym.

• 

  Kuwait Zoo Tweets!

  Posted: September 7th, 2010, 9:02am PDT by Mark

  

  The Kuwait Zoo surprisingly has a twitter account. Not only that but they’re actually pretty active posting photos and videos. You can check out their twitter page [Here]

• 

  3:33 – A short Kuwaiti film

  Posted: September 7th, 2010, 8:55am PDT by Mark

  Looks like a student film but it’s the first locally produced thriller I’ve seen. What we need is a Kuwaiti zombie movie since I don’t think I’ve ever seen a zombie wearing a dishdashe. [Video]

  Thanks Salem

• 

  Update on the old photographer

  Posted: September 6th, 2010, 1:51pm PDT by Mark

  

  First of all I would like to thank everyone for their support. Other than the tons of comments offering assistance I got a lot of emails and calls offering to help the old guy out. Regarding his residency that’s been sorted out. He’s just been running around a lot trying to get it done and as an 80 year old traveling by bus from location to location it can be extremely exhausting in this weather.

  I passed by him tonight to get a better idea on how we can help him out and I honestly still don’t know what we can do. The only service his shop currently offers is photocopies for 100 fils. I was there for 2 hours tonight and only 1 person came in to get a photocopy done so that’s not really a source of income. There are two things he seems to be bothered about, one is the fact that he doesn’t have a store sign. The second is the fact he bought a small Minolta DiMAGE X1 for like KD10 from this lady who was traveling and he can’t get it to work. It took me a few seconds to figure out the battery needed charging and she hadn’t given him a charger with it so that’s why it wasn’t working. I need to find a battery charger for it and then teach him how to use it. He doesn’t have a computer so not sure what he is planning to do. Oh and I also brought along my laptop with me and introduced him to the internet. It was pretty weird trying to explain how the internet works and helping him pronounce Google which he kept calling Googen.

  Anyway I’m going back again on Wednesday, I told him to think about what he needs or what would help him out and he promised to think about it and get back to me on it. While there he insisted on inviting me to a cold drink which was an RC Lemonade which I thought was pretty old school. I’ll make sure to keep everyone posted if there is anything we can do but for now I think everything should be ok.

• 

  Welcome to Kuwait

  Posted: September 6th, 2010, 3:02am PDT by Mark

  

  Spotted this right outside the airport after you exit the parking lot. It scared the hell out of me…

• 

  In Kuwait since 1959

  Posted: September 5th, 2010, 2:22pm PDT by Mark

  

  I was wondering around tonight when I stumbled across an old photography store. Some pictures in the display grabbed my attention and when I looked inside I spotted an old man sitting reading the Koran and two other interesting photos. I decided to go in and check the photos out and I ended up spending around an hour there talking to the old man.

  

  I won’t mention the photographers name or the shop location since I want to give him his space and privacy but he’s a Lebanese guy who ran away from an abusive father and took the bus and came to Kuwait in 1959. He hasn’t left since… not even once. He worked a variety of jobs here and there and in the end became a journalist and took some really great photos, some of which many of us have come across in one point in time or another. He ended up opening up his own photography shop and it’s been there ever since. Today the shop doesn’t sell anything, he doesn’t have any customers nor even a store sign. He broke the sign ages ago because to keep it up he would have to pay a fee of KD25 a year which he didn’t want to. He sold all his negatives to a newspapers years ago for KD200 and has a few photos he kept which he was selling framed for KD25 a piece but someone bought his photo and then made copies and started selling them for KD1 so that income stopped.

  

  While there I spotted some old cameras behind an extremely dusty display that looked like it hadn’t been open since the 80s and my God what a beautiful camera collection. He had cameras from the 70′s and early 80′s still boxed brand new! He even had the beautiful rangefinder Konica S3 from 1974 which I had purchased used off eBay for KD60 last year, except he had a brand new one all boxed up and priced at KD45! He also had two brand new Nikon F3′s from 1980, a Vivitar 35EE, a Vivitar 35EF, Mamiya 135AF and boxed up Hasselblad but I couldn’t tell what model it was. I really want to buy them all but I don’t think he wants to sell them. He’s pissed off at the whole world, he’s depressed, he’s really old and he doesn’t want to sell anything. He told me 5 months ago his residency expired and he’s now living in Kuwait illegally. He feels that he’s been forgotten and no one cares about him or remembers him. How could someone who’s been in Kuwait for 50 years non stop still require an ikameh to live here? It made me realize that if I lose my job tomorrow I would have to leave Kuwait as well except I am young and I could always move to Lebanon and start a new life or something but this old man, where would he go? He’s easily at least 80 years old, he doesn’t have any family, never married, no relatives and he hasn’t been to Lebanon in over 50 years neither does he want to go back…

  

  I had to leave but told him I would come back again since I wanted to listen to his life story and maybe give him some recognition with my blog. I also promised him the next time I go back I would bring my laptop along since I was telling him about the Internet and he told me he had heard about it but had no idea what it was. I told him I would come back and show him since he seemed eager to know how it worked and who invented it and how it looked. I asked him what time to what time I could find him at the shop he told me 24 hours. Turns out he lives in the shop.

• 

  Sharks of Kuwait

  Posted: September 5th, 2010, 6:34am PDT by Mark

  Not to be confused with The Shark of Kuwait, Sharks of Kuwait is a 22 minute long documentary by AlJazeera English.

  Fifty years ago, the Arabian Gulf was full of sharks. Witness joins an expedition to find out how many have survived years of ecological damage.

  [YouTube]

• 

  Behind the scenes of the Kuwait Kites Team

  Posted: September 5th, 2010, 6:27am PDT by Mark

  They look like they have a lot of fun. [YouTube]
  If you don’t know who the Kuwait Kites Team are click [Here]

• 

  In Focus: Victorinox Kuwait

  Posted: September 5th, 2010, 5:05am PDT by Mark

  

  I’m a huge fan of Victorinox Swiss army knives and if I wasn’t so clumsy with sharp objects I would probably have a nice huge collection at home. Thing is I have three Swiss army knives and have managed to cut myself accidentally with all three (one of them pretty deep) so I’ve kinda kept my distance from them.

  But that doesn’t mean I can’t admire the knives. They have some really great looking ones with my favorite being the bright emergency yellow RescueTool which I’ve had my eye on for a while now. Majority of people don’t know this but we have a pretty good Victorinox dealer here in Kuwait. The shop isn’t in the best location and the interior design is pretty crap (check photos below) but they do have a pretty huge collection.

  The shop is called Shalimar Stores and they’re located in the ground floor of the mall right behind Johnny Rockets Salhiya. Prices of knives vary with the majority falling in between KD5 to KD15. They also carry Victorinox scissors, bags and watches as well. Their phone number is 22451270

  
  
• 

  Burgers are good

  Posted: September 3rd, 2010, 4:29am PDT by Mark

  Hamburger expert and filmmaker George Motz meditates on meat and makes the perfect burger. [Link]

• 

  Kuwait in really really really old magazines

  Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 9:00am PDT by Mark

  

  Yesterday BuYousef emailed a link to an article in LIFE about Kuwait dating back to 1959 which contained a good amount of pictures and information. He had found that article by using the search feature in Google Books and it made me realize I might be able to find other hidden treasure and I did. Since his email I’ve been reading old articles none stop and I’m still not 0.0001% through them all.

  

  A search for Kuwait in Google Books will get you tens of thousands of results but I managed to narrow down the search a bit and found the ones below:

  1952 Venus is a crook in Kuwait
  1955 Proved in the Blazing Heat of Kuwait!
  1958 Fresh Water from the Sea
  1959 Kuwait: the fabulous sheikdom
  1961 A dusty vigil
  1965 Everything’s up to date in Kuwait
  1975 What happens when the oil is gone?
  1979 Bite that tiger
  1980 Solar power station for oil-rich Kuwait

  Some of the interesting stuff I read weren’t just articles about Kuwait but articles that mentioned Kuwait. I didn’t post them above because there were too many but I did read some interesting stories like I was reading an article from 1961 about a Nazi war criminal that was hiding in Kuwait and then I read another small snippet from someone in Kuwait who had sent a letter to Boys Life. It’s just random bits like that which I found really entertaining to read. Google Books is just amazing.

• 

  Street Lamp Numbers

  Posted: September 2nd, 2010, 5:10am PDT by Mark

  

  Not sure if many people have noticed this but street lamps have unique numbers on them. I remember reading once that these numbers are used to identify the location in case of emergency like say you get into an accident and you call for help, you could read them the number on the lamp post and they would know exactly where you are. I wonder if that applies in Kuwait.

• 

  They filled the hole!

  Posted: September 1st, 2010, 12:23am PDT by Mark

  

  I was on my way back this morning from walking my dog when I noticed a lot of dust coming out from the empty sand lot near my house. When I got closer I realized the local baladiya were there with two trucks. They were filling up the hole I posted about two days back! One large truck dumped sand in and around the pit while a larger bulldozer proceeded to fill it up until the hole disappeared.

  That absolutely made my day. Thanks to everyone who helped out, I am sure the whole neighborhood really appreciates this. I also suddenly feel like I am in a real life scene from the hilarious TV show Parks and Recreation which means I should now try and convince the baladiya to turn the empty lot into a park.

  Update: The Governorate of Hawalli responded with the following:

  Dear Mark,

  The Governorate of Hawalli would like to thank you for your kind efforts in pointing out an issue that has been causing distress to the surrounding residents of the area around the “hole”.

  After receiving instructions from the Governor of Hawalli, Governorate officials contacted the appropriate officers at the Municipality of Kuwait – Hawalli Division – and notified them of the issue.

  The Governorate has made sure that the issue has been dealt with immediately and accordingly, and followed up with the Municipality to ensure that the issue was resolved appropriately. We would also like to confirm that the hole, that was unfortunately used as a waste disposal site by many, had been thoroughly cleaned and the waste removed before being backfilled.

  The Governorate of Hawalli has always tried to be on top top of such issues, and hopes that this would only be just one part of a cumulative effort that symbolizes a greater collective awareness, taking us one further step for a cleaner, and hopefully greener, Kuwait.

  It is refreshing to find that such a sense of responsibility and care is still active in our beloved country. On behalf of the entire Governorate team, we would like to thank you all for your support, and the Municipality for their great work and quick response. Please rest assured that the Governorate of Hawalli will always try to tackle such issues in the future head on.

  Of course, there are important lessons to learn from this experience. The strength of Kuwait is not found only in its government, but through the dedication of the people of Kuwait as a whole. It is truly found in the compassionate and caring hearts and the dynamic spirit of our citizens, residents and visitors.

  Thank you.

  I have to say I am EXTREMELY impressed! I am really at a loss for words. I thought no one actually cared about “old” Salmiya but it seems there are some people who do. I did not expect this. I’ve lived on the street for 30 years now and I’ve posted about my frustration before (here and here for example) but now I feel there might be hope. Thank you!

• 

  Dyson AirBlade

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 2:47pm PDT by Mark

  Ok this might sound weird but one of the things I remember the most about Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport was the hand dryer in the bathroom (video above although it really doesn’t do it justice). It was just incredibly powerful, like it must have been connected to an extra airplane jet engine they had lying around because it was just vicious.

  I never found another hand dryer as powerful until recently while I was in Lebanon I was washing my hands in a bathroom at a mall when I spotted the Dyson AirBlade (video above but there are like a million others on YouTube). Dyson if you don’t know make some very cool vacuum clears and fans so it kinda makes sense I guess that they make hand dryers. Anyway although the AirBlade wasn’t as powerful as the Terminal 5 hand dryer it looked really cool and it currently ranks the second most powerful hand dryer I’ve ever used. So I was checking to see how much it costs cuz it would be cool to get one for the house and it turns out they’re selling on eBay for over $1,200!

• 

  What line?

  Posted: August 31st, 2010, 7:51am PDT by Mark

  

  I passed by Pinkberry last night and noticed they’ve increased the amount of staff from the usual 4 to 15. I am guessing the majority are being trained for the other two new stores that are opening up but with 15 employees the line was nearly non-existent.

  In other frozen yogurt news, I spotted what looks like a frozen yogurt machine being installed and tested at IKEA!

• 

  Goodbye Starbucks, Hello Starturk

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 1:57pm PDT by Mark

  

  This is just amazing! I can’t stop laughing. The Arabic lines read:

  Istanbul in Hawalli
  Restaurant and coffee shop under Turkish management
  Hawalli – Beirut Street
  Next to Al Ameed Coffee, in front of the Pakistani School

  Thanks Phoenix

• 

  Kuwaiti? I don’t think so…

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 9:18am PDT by Mark

  Very strange fellow. [YouTube]
  
  Thanks Saad

• 

  Hovercraft in Kuwait

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 8:26am PDT by Mark

  I didn’t know we had hovercrafts in Kuwait, how can I get a ride in one?? [YouTube]

• 

  Hole in the bus

  Posted: August 30th, 2010, 12:02am PDT by Mark

  

  Spotted this bus on my way into work this morning. Turns out there was a building under construction that was lifting some metal beams via a crane but the beams crossed over the main road where a Citybus was passing by.

  

  On a similar subject some of you might not be aware of this but the employees of KPTC, the public blue buses are on strike because they’re protesting a KD50 salary cut. [News]

  

• 

  Hole full of garbage

  Posted: August 28th, 2010, 6:37am PDT by Mark

  

  I am 100% sure this can’t be legal or healthy. I live in Salmiya in the old souk on Salem Mubarek Street. Right behind my building there is an empty sand lot which is used as a parking by people coming to shop in the street. The sand lot is also used as garbage dump. It has around 7 regular sized garbage cans… and one big hole in the ground.

  A hole in the ground! For some reason it seems the local baladiya or whoever is responsible for garbage collection can’t afford new garbage bins or something and have decided instead to dig a big hole in the ground and fill it up with garbage. Every morning a bulldozer comes and digs up the garbage.

  

  Why can’t they place a large garbage bin or two or three more regular sized ones instead of digging a hole?

  First of all the lot is heavily surrounded by residential buildings. Second of all there is a mosque just 20 meters away from the hole. Finally people use the lot as a parking lot. Salmiya is over crowded and lacks ample parking and people are forced to park in the sandy lot filled with garbage. At night the lot is pitch black since there isn’t any kind of lighting and people end up parking right next to all the garbage bins and holes. That can’t be healthy.

  Hopefully by me posting about this maybe something can be done about this. It’s just too disgusting, I mean it’s a frickin hole in the ground that’s being filled with garbage!

• 

  Closed for renovation

  Posted: August 28th, 2010, 6:00am PDT by Mark

  

  I took the picture above outside Costa at Marina Crescent but I’ve noticed quite a few restaurants have also closed down during Ramadan for renovations. I never liked that Costa branch since I found it too bright and uncomfortable. I’m not a fan of coffee shops anyway but I do prefer the cozy feel I get from Starbucks.

• 

  New Gucci flagship store

  Posted: August 27th, 2010, 8:11am PDT by Mark

  

  As I previously mentioned, Gucci shut down in Villa Moda and are opening up at 360 Mall. Well it looks like the store is practically done and ready to open any day now.

• 

  New organic brands

  Posted: August 26th, 2010, 2:29pm PDT by Mark

  

  I was at Sultan last night when I spotted a new organic corner. What grabbed my attention was the fact they got some new brands including a brand of tea called Clipper which have pretty cool packing you can see below.

  

  I also spotted the Red Bull bottles pictured below in the fridge which reminded me of the Thai Red Bull’s.

  

• 

  Aziz and Ramadan TV shows

  Posted: August 26th, 2010, 2:54am PDT by Mark

  Released earlier this month but I missed it somehow. He’s still funny as usual. [YouTube]

  Thanks Ali

• 

  Building the Perfect Female – Part 1

  Posted: August 25th, 2010, 11:19am PDT by Fahad AlYehya

  

  Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

  This generation’s females are anemic, bulimic, and anorexic. They deny those things ad infinitum, of course, but you can’t really trust anything they say. They think cupcake is a food group.

  

  Because I want to be fair and balanced, I will write this post with my “female” voice. (Yes, I do have a female voice. I keep it locked away safe and sound though. And my female voice is still a beast that will scratch your eyes out. Don’t mess with Lupita, yo!) Take it away Lupita:
  
  75% percent of us are ova’weight, ese!
  It sucks to be fat and anemic at the same time; it’s like you’re fat for nothing. Malnutrition here translates into eating junk calories devoid of any essential vitamins and minerals, replaced by traditional wholesome food.

  But you told us to satisfy our cravings in moderation, homes!
  I worked with women who eat nothing but chocolate, cupcakes, muffins and donuts all day long. Eating desserts and sweets all day moderately is anything but moderate. Eat your 2-3 square meals first and enjoy snacking in between them but in moderation.

  Psshhh, wha’eva fatty! I have a high metabolism and I can eat wha’eva ah want.
  If only I had a fils for every time I heard that, I’d be able to cross all of Lupita’s 160 cousins over the border. Studies conducted in Kuwait have shown that females between the ages of 14-18 are playing Russian Roulette with high cholesterol levels and diabetes. You don’t have high metabolisms; it’s called skinny fat. A person with a high metabolism looks like an anatomy chart. You look like a skinny stripper with extra jiggle.

  Like I could care less what you tink. I’m enjoyin’ life and I’m happy! And my momma tinks I’m too SKINNY!
  My mother, Allah bless her heart, is overweight and your mother’s also probably overweight. Mothers should set better examples by teaching their children on how to eat properly. Unfortunately, mothers enjoy dessert and sweet consumption more than their daughters. No one wants to be fat alone, so listen to mommy and have that extra cupcake. With whipped cream. And mango juice. And ice cream. With fondue on the side. Maybe cookies. Screw it, I’m adding in cookies.

  OK OK! I get it! Save me from my own demise, papi!

  I thought you’d never ask.

  Bad Habits Gone Worse

  Breakfast: – The majority of females are not breakfast-eating-creatures. They just don’t get hungry in the morning, so they tend to wait a few long hours to break their fast. Aside from slowing down your metabolism and increasing the chances of obesity by 150%, eating late breakfasts only increases hunger for the wrong cravings.

  Meal Choices: – If it’s crunchy and looks like it could kill you in a few years, then chances are its being consumed by our female population. They’ll cave in with their cravings, and fast. They’ll skip or decrease wholesome food to make way for a slice of cheesecake or some Garret popcorn that costs more than a 60-day supply of a fat-burner.

  Water Consumption: – I often wonder if females ever received the memo where it clearly stated that “water is essential for life”. I always know I’m in for a challenge once a female client says “maybe 1 glass of water every 1-2 days”, “I don’t like it”, or “it tastes bad” and of course “it’ll just make me pee too much”. Not a lot of you females even reach the minimum requirement for water consumption. You eat food with no nutritional value and you skimp on drinking something that clears all those toxins from your body because it’ll bloat and make you urinate a lot. This is how you get Alzheimer’s.

  Meal Timing: – Whoever invented dessert should be shot in the head. For the sake of everything that is holy, DO NOT eat sweets right after ANY meal! I’m well aware they’re tempting, but it’s like you’re begging your insulin to be shot into a never ending diabetic frenzy. Snacks have calories too, so just wait 2.5-3 hours and eat your desserts in moderation.

  Late Night Pig-Outs: – Females like to late-night splurge in groups of at least 2. The more females gathered, the worse it gets. They always order in extra sweets just to make themselves feel better by saying “hey, it’s not like I ate the whole thing. I’ll just save the leftovers for the starving population of Africa”. Imagine an aerobics class, but instead the actual aerobics you’ve got food, and instead of the hot and fit instructor you’ve got an old ignorant fatty eating her life away one cake at a time.

  The Protein Dilemma

  Majority of females are not avid protein eaters. They favor the sweet and not the salty. They’ll do anything for some hair growth, nail growth and healthy looking skin, yet fail to realize the important factors proteins play in the growth, repair, recovery and rejuvenation of damaged tissue cells.

  Optimal Cell Growth: – You want healthy looking skin, long lucid hair, and nails that would make Wolverine cry in envy? Eat an egg or two for breakfast, 5oz of red meat for lunch and some fish or chicken for dinner. Seriously, how hard is that?

  Anemia: – You bleed uncontrollably once a month. You need the nutrients that are derived from protein sources, yet you reach for that Snicker’s bar to get your sugar-fix knowing well that 2-3 banana’s would help you recover faster. Your body will burn off all cells before you go anemic. Cells being burned include hair (hair loss), skin (pale) and nails.

  Pregnancy: – For the sake of your offspring, do not short change their health by skimping on nutrients. An anemic pregnant woman is no laughing matter. Children should be active, chubby and smart by the time they reach 2 years of age, not skinny, dazed and easily bruised. You’ll need as much cell growth promoting protein to feed that fetus and not fat-promoting cupcakes.

  Metabolic Factors: – Diets that are high in protein and fibrous veggies while low (I said LOW, not NO) in starchy complex carbs are a lot better at ridding fat from the exact stubborn root. Why? Not only does protein consumption provide your metabolism an incredible boost, but it replaces the energy source once used by carbohydrates. Note to Dieticians/Nutritionist/Health Experts: ketogenic diets coupled with healthy fats and fibrous veggies is healthy, risk-free and guaranteed to keep the fat off forever!

  The Carbohydrate Conundrum

  Females are carbovores.

  Didju just call us carb-whores? You don’t even need a billion dollar study to figure that out. All you need is a notepad, a pen or pencil and well-positioned chair at The Chocolate Bar. Every girl aches and tears at the damage that has been done by the oh-so-ill-fated-demise of her carb-dominant life. I’m not telling you to cut them out completely; I’m simply stating that you refrain from eating them alone or overindulging.

  Complex Carbs: – Have some multi-grain cereal, some rice, potatoes (even fries) and some whole-wheat bread, but not too much. The “stop eating carbs after 3pm” serves well with women. A bowl of All-Bran with Lactose-Free milk for breakfast, red meat with a cup of rice at lunch and…

  Fibrous Veggies: – …a salad and chicken for dinner. Veggies are (are you ready for this?) CARBS! You’re not really low-carbing if you’re eating endless bowls of salad. Surprisingly, not a lot of health experts even recognize this. Minimize complex carbs for fibrous veggies as much as you can, and reap the benefits of a flat and bloat-free stomach. You’ll also fill in all your nutrient deficiencies for calcium, iron, all the B vitamins and vitamin C.

  Fruits: – Apart from their nutritious profiles, fruits contain fructose to satisfy your sugar cravings. Moreover, fruits won’t interrupt fat-burning since the majority of them are low-GI. Nothing rejuvenates the female PMSing body more than fruit consumption. Fruits contain just enough sugar to bump up your blood sugar levels from excessive blood loss and electrolytes to aid in optimal blood pressure regulation.

  Mix and Match: – I’ve seen a few females eat their carbohydrates alone. Adding in extra ingredients would increase calorie consumption, but would best serve weight-loss goals by keeping you fuller longer. Eating pasta without a side order of grilled chicken or shrimp would only increase pasta consumption. Adding in a protein source would provide better appetite fullness before you decide to order that delicious piece of Apple Fritter.

  The Fat Phenomenon

  Females are never short of fat consumption.

  Ay cabrón! See dis burger? I’m doing dis because you told me I was anemic! Females are short of “essential fatty acid” consumption, the omegas. Oh, you mean seafood? I’ve been eating some of that Essa Maki since like piff, pish, fo’eva! Salmon, tuna, almonds, walnuts, flaxseed and fish oil; 5 foods that contain an abundant amount of essential omegas that contribute to successful and long-lasting fat-loss, tissue repair, hair growth, acne-free skin and joint repair.

  Eggs: – Super high in complete protein, eggs contain nutrients that are REQUIRED for living. An egg or two a day will NOT increase LDL cholesterol levels at all. If your reason not to indulge in this protein/fat power food is due to it’s high cholesterol content, then stop it. High LDL levels are due to sugar consumption, not dietary cholesterol. A cookie is not considered a dietary cholesterol source. I eat 3 whole eggs a day, 7 days a week, 30 days a month and 365 days a year. I challenge anyone to a cholesterol blood test.

  Fish: – If you can’t handle the stink, then grill or lightly fry your fish. If not, then indulge in some salmon sashimi (semi-raw fish). Fish is lighter than other protein sources and can easily fit in with any carb source. Try to include seafood 3-4 times a week. If not…

  Nuts: – ..get in a few raw walnuts into your diet pronto. Nuts also contain essential fatty acids. Include 5-10 walnuts whenever you plan on constructing home made dessert.

  Flaxseed: – Flaxseed is considered an alternative remedy for various disorders such as hormonal imbalances, PMS, prenatal or postnatal disorders, menopause and breast cancer. Flaxseed’s also an excellent source of protein and fiber, two things that’ll keep you feeling fuller longer. Ok, bu’ how will dis help me lose deez? *points at waist* Multiple research studies have indicated that including flaxseed in your daily diet can help you manage your weight. Besides controlling your carb cravings by stabilizing your sugar levels, flax expands five times in bulk when ingested. Flax taken half an hour before meals will help you eat less. Opt for Flaxseed oil, granules or soft gels. You said some ting about menstrual cycle? Flaxseed is also used as a guaranteed and natural way to normalize the menstrual cycle, manage menopause, and lower the risk of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. Positive effects include fewer cycle changes (your agonizing terrible mood swings), along with a reduction in ovarian dysfunction, which in turn decrease the development of breast and other cancers.  As women reach menopause, the level of estrogens in their body decreases, causing an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

  

  Until Next Time

  Part 1 identifies what women are doing wrong. Part 2 will hopefully tackle how woman can do it right.

   

  Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

• 

  160km/h car crash

  Posted: August 25th, 2010, 11:06am PDT by Mark

  That’s pretty nasty but surprisingly the driver survived! [Video]

  via autoblog

• 

  More 3gal self defence

  Posted: August 25th, 2010, 1:56am PDT by Mark

  This Kuwaiti jujutsu guy is amazing to watch, he’s got a new video up where he once again shows you how you could use your 3gal for self defense. [YouTube]

• 

  Naif Al-Mutawa on CNN again

  Posted: August 24th, 2010, 4:55am PDT by Mark

  

  Naif Al-Mutawa, the creator of THE 99 comic books was back on CNN two days ago. You can check out the article by clicking [Here]

  Thanks Cheryl

• 

  Another cub for sale in Kuwait

  Posted: August 24th, 2010, 3:33am PDT by Mark

  

  When will people understand that cubs are NOT pets. I hope someone from the authorities or K’s Path can do something about this. [Link]

  Thanks Phoenix

• 

  Kuwaiti Rapper

  Posted: August 23rd, 2010, 1:57pm PDT by Mark

  I’m not really up to date on the latest rap scene since I’m still stuck in the 90s listening to the likes of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Onyx, Cypress Hill, Dr Dre etc.. but I do think that if you are a Kuwaiti and want to rap it might be more interesting to do so in Arabic or Kuwaiti dialect. There are a lot of English rappers out there and it would be easier to stick out rapping in Kuwaiti I guess. Anyway Moe is a Kuwaiti rapper and the video above is one of his songs. Check it out and leave him your feedback. [YouTube]

• 

  I’m back, and fat

  Posted: August 23rd, 2010, 10:59am PDT by Mark

  

  Ok, maybe not fat since I actually didn’t gain any weight on this trip but I do feel flabby. Ten days without my gym routine and ten days of a completely messed up diet full of french fries, mayonnaise and lots of dessert will do that. Not sure what started my downward spiral but I think it was the fact that for the past month I was on a practically no carb diet that consisted mostly of just grilled meat and chicken. I think I just went berserk getting everything out of my system so that once I got back to Kuwait I could go back to my strict routine. This morning before heading to the airport I even had knefe with cheese in ka3k bread (pictured above) which must be like a million calories. I’ve got one more thing I need to do though which is Chinese food. I haven’t had Chinese food since I joined Core Fitness back in January so tonight I’m going to Peacock to celebrate the last day of my 10 day streak of unhealthy eating. Everything will be back to normal starting tomorrow.

• 

  The Kuwait Towers Discotheque

  Posted: August 22nd, 2010, 2:20pm PDT by Mark

  

  Awhile back a reader sent me some PDF files related to the construction of the Kuwait Towers and Kuwait Water Towers. The PDF’s contain photos, sketches and information regarding the projects. For example according to one of the PDF’s the total cost of the Kuwait Towers was KD4,700,000 (or $16,450,000) while the cost of the Water Towers was KD2,800,000 (or $9,800,000).

  

  Among the different sketches and architectural plans lies an interesting bit of information. According to one of the diagrams (close up crop above) there was a discotheque and dance floor planned in the Kuwait Towers on top of the restaurant along with an indoor garden. That would have been a pretty cool club although I don’t know how efficient the elevators would have been carrying the crowd up and down. You can download all the PDF’s and check out a ton of pictures from the construction to the completion of the towers by following this [Link]

• 

  جوجتسو يابانية

  Posted: August 22nd, 2010, 12:50am PDT by Mark

  How to protect yourself in case you get attacked by a glass of water. I like the way he used the 3gal to lock the guys arm. [YouTube]

• 

  Burger King’s NY Pizza Burger

  Posted: August 21st, 2010, 12:31am PDT by Mark

  

  Supposedly it tastes like a pizza-flavored Whopper. [Link]

  Picture from Me So Hungry

• 

  I’m allergic

  Posted: August 19th, 2010, 2:17pm PDT by Mark

  

  I passed by a nose doctor a few days ago because I wanted him to check on my nose since it’s always blocked plus I sneeze a lot. He told me I most probably had an allergy and suggested I pass by an allergy doctor to find out. I did that today and ended up getting an allergy test done.

  I was expecting to get a blood test but the doctor told me she had a more effective method. Basically she took my arm and marked down around 11 letters with a pen. She then started placing drops of various liquids under the letters and then pricking my skin where the liquid drops were located. The drops represented different things I could be allergic to like dust, humidity, dust mites etc.. but just allergies that would effect my respiratory. I then had to wait for 15 minutes so she could check if any of the dots on my arm reacted, one did. Turns out I am allergic to dogs which sucked since I’ve got a dog and have had one for like 5 years now. Before that dog my family had a dog as well so I’ve always been around dogs.

  

  Luckily it turns out there is a vaccine for my allergy which works by desensitization (picture above). For the next 3 years every morning I need to place a few drops of vaccine under my tongue. After 1 year I will be immune to dogs but I need to continue to take the vaccine for 2 more years after that. It was a pretty educational experience and a very easy process so I would recommend anyone who thinks they might be allergic to something to get the test done. For more information check the following website [Link]

• 

  Bull has enough

  Posted: August 19th, 2010, 1:28pm PDT by Mark

  30 people got hurt. They should just ban bull fighting already. [YouTube]

• 

  Holy Sugar-Cravings-of-Ramadan Batman!

  Posted: August 19th, 2010, 1:26am PDT by Fahad AlYehya

  

  Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait

  The first day of Ramadan was a total bust. True epic failure. You guys would’ve been disappointed at the horrors that took place at my family’s futoor table.

  Yet, like the phoenix, I rise again and avail in favor of sticking to my plan like every other dedicated fitness enthusiast, which lasted a few seconds right after the kanafa, atayef and cheese cake arrived, where I yet again continued to disgrace my will and testament in keeping my mouth shut and saving dessert for later.

  Of course a few cups of sage, thyme, ginger, white tea, gymnema sylvestre and peppermint post pig-out should minimize the gut-damage, at least in accordance to my mother.  On a side note, I’ll be discussing more about those 6 herbs and how they can benefit you when indulging in belt-widening carby and fatty mixtures from hell.

  

  This Post’s About Dessert BTW

  I guide you how to eat dessert responsibly, I throw in a few jokes, then you follow my advice by eating dessert responsibly and we all live happily every after. The usual Q&A is available for any necessary inquiries in regards to the subject or any other relevant areas in fitness, health and nutrition.

  Snacking Rules:

  *Dessert should never go above 300 calories.

  *Each snack should contain all macro nutrients, including junk-nutrients such as sugar and fat. Inclusion of all macros balance out the snack, providing a more subtle release of blood sugar.

  *This is bullet point #3 and isn’t remotely relevant to the subject at hand.

  *Snacks are to be consumed 2.5-3 hours after a meal or before a meal.

  Serious Offenders

  1) Atayef or Qatayef: These suckers are like  miniature crepes with an assorted selection of fillings, ranging from whipped cream, cheese, melted chocolate, syrup, fruit and any other stuffing our hearts desire.

  Problem: Aside from being carb grenades, these things need to be fried in order to be enjoyed. After receiving the fry treatment, atayef’s are served with a side bowl of syrup, increasing your chances of obesity and making your inevitable fatness that much greater. Try eating only a few. Each piece pulls in another, and since these suckers are devoid of fiber, you’ll still feel light after consuming 10.

  Caloric Damage: 1 piece contains 140 calories, 12g of fat, 8g of carbs and 0.3g of protein.

  Solution: Mix whole wheat flour w/ all purpose flour. Use fat-free & sugar-free fillings. Bake the atayef’s instead of frying them, applying a spray or two of non-stick fat-free cooking spray on the baking pan and on top of them. If baking is not your thing, use canola oil and lightly fry. Feel free to dip them in sugar-free syrup for added taste.

  Preferred Portion: With or without my proposed solution, consumption should be limited to no more than 3 atayef’s per snack, accompanied with one of the drinks prescribed at the end of this post.

  2) Kanafa, Kunafa, Kenafa: If kanafa was blasphemous to eat, then I’d be lying in hell right now. I try my best to avoid this dessert as much as I can; one bite can determine whether or not I’ll be maintaining my abs for the summer. Composed of sugar, cheese or cream, kanafa pastry, sugar, walnuts, more sugar, sometimes lemon, extra sugar, more cheese or cream, butter, shredded wheat, and some more sugar, these ingredients pretty much define what will happen to your stomach and physique once you ingest copious amounts.

  Problem: Read the ingredients above again. They taste so good and people are often mistaken by what the correct amount to eat.

  Caloric Damage: Kanafa outlets sell by the kilo, so 1/4 kg would get you 500 calories, 26g of fat, 60g of carbs, and 12g of protein.

  Solution: “Kanafani” and other kanafa shops started serving supposedly low-sugar & low-fat kanafa’s. I haven’t personally tasted them, but I’m sure they’re worth a try if you happen to love your love-handle-free physique.

  Preferred Portion: Buy a 1/4 kg and split it in two, accompanied of course with the prescribed drinks below. Serving size should be no larger than four of your fingers closed (from index to pinky, excluding your palm).

  3) Ice Cream: Nothing soothes a trainer’s high metabolic rate and body heat more than ice cream. Since we’re in the midst of hot weather and agonizing humidity, ice cream would be the dessert of choice; or at least for me.

  Problem: I’m sure all of you are well aware of the ingredients used to make ice cream, which include and aren’t limited to milk, cream, sugar, butter and flavoring. Let’s face it, who orders a scoop of ice cream without toppings and just leaves?

  Caloric Damage: Again, this highly depends on how many scoops and toppings of preference. A scoop ranges from 90-120 calories, 1-10g of fat, 10-30g of carbs and 1-15g of protein. Out of all the desserts and sweets, ice cream should make you feel less guilty when consumed. However, if you plan on adding cake batter, Snickers, M&M’s, and whatever items Cold Stone Creamery and Marble Slab Creamery have to offer, then stick to 1 item per scoop.

  Solution: The majority of fat-free & sugar-free versions out there all infused with artificial chemicals and ingredients that make my stomach bloat and churn more than consuming KFC for 2 straight hours. Go for all-natural or all-organic ice cream and enjoy what nature has so dearly blessed us with.

  Preferred Portion: Opt for 1-2 scoops (remember, no more than 300 calories per snack) of any flavor plus 1 topping (liquid toppings equivalent to 1 tablespoon).

  4) Sab El Gafsha: No idea what people call these, but in Kuwait we call them “Sab el Gafsha” or to put the image of the dessert in a more literal term, “big dough balls”.

  Problem: To give some of our expat readers a clear image of what this Kuwaiti dessert is, sab el gafsha or these balls of dough are composed of dough (all-purpose flour w/ liquid, water or milk) and fillings similar to qatayef’s, hence fried and dipped in syrup before serving. Problem? Fried dough balls filled with cream and dipped in syrup. Don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty offensive to me.

  Caloric Damage: Each piece has around 300 calories, 40g of carbs, 12-15g of fat and negligible protein. Fat grams actually surpass 15g since the dough does a great job at sponging in copious amounts of frying oil.

  Solution: Opt for “lgaimat” or “little dough balls” which contain around 40 calories per pop. Basically, lgaimat are smaller versions of Sab el gafsha and less offensive to eat.

  Preferred Portion: Limit consumption to 3 lgaimat and save yourself the hassle of extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. Follow the instructions in #1 (Qatayef) for healthier ingredient substitutions.

  5) Girs E’gaili: A huge cupcake/pound-cake cut into multiple slices, with ingredients including cake mix, zafraan, cardamom powder, eggs, butter or oil, and cream. This stuff can fill your appetite in a heart beat and the ingredients can be easily replaceable into healthier alternatives.

  Problem: If qatayef’s a carb grenade, then this cupcake’s a carb nuclear bomb. Majority of calories are not as equal as the other desserts presented above, so be wise with your portions.

  Caloric Damage: 1 moderate slice would come around to 230 calories, 15g of fat, 34g of carbs and around 4g of protein.

  Solution: Look for a more healthier cake mix and replace the butter with a less fattier spread (found at Sultan Center and Lulu Hyper Market), replace the cream with a low-fat or fat-free version and add in a few egg whites to boost protein consumption and thickness of each slice.

  Preferred Portion: Limit yourself to 1 thick slice without any additional toppings.

  6) Um Ali: A delicious Egyptian dessert that doesn’t look the part, but most certainly tastes like heaven on a plate. This Egyptian bread pudding contains ingredients that will clog your arteries upon consumption, including A LOT of sugar, A LOT of full cream milk, A LOT of full fat whipped cream, A LOT of cinnamon, A LOT of nuts (almonds or walnuts), A LOT of sultanas and a ridiculous amount of puff pastry just to even out the pathetically large list of ingredients.

  Problem: This is what you order for your last meal whenever you’re sentenced to death, because 1) you won’t have to worry about exerting that much energy to burn it off and 2) you’ll die of a heart attack anyways. On a serious note, this volcanic pudding contains everything bad for you, but in very large portions.

  Caloric Damage: Around 200g (a large serving spoon) would set you back with roughly 500 calories, 30g of fat, 60g of carbs and 8g of protein.

  Solutions: Artificial low-cal sweetener, non or low-fat milk, non or low-fat cream, and raw nuts. The rest of the ingredients stay the same since the majority of the damage lies in the refined sugar and full-fat dairy products.

  Preferred Portion: Um Ali’s usually served in small bowls with teaspoons. Stick to one small bowl and savor it with a teaspoon slowly. If you happen to reach for seconds then do yourself a favor and knock yourself out.

  The Usual Suspects

  Short bursts on everyday desserts/sweets/snacks and their preferred portions:

  1) Chocolate Bars: 1 bar of any kind per snack. The more ingredients the higher the caloric value. For example, the nuts and caramel loaded Snickers bar has 300 calories, while a chocolate wafer KitKat bar has around 100-150. Choose the former if you’re too hungry.

  2) Cookies: 1-3 cookies depending on how big or small they come. A large portion is similar to a Fudd’s or Hardees cookie, while a moderate portion is exactly the size of Choowy Goowy’s delicious, soft and organic version. Eat the latter for taste and purity.

  3) Cupcakes: 1 large cupcake or 2 small ones. The calories are usually packed in the topping, including fat & carb heavy pudding or whipped cream. You pretty much know something is bad for you when half of the Kuwaiti female population consider cupcakes one of the four major food groups.

  4) Potato/Nacho/Bagged Chips: An example of a perfect serving size is the small Lay’s chips served at Subway. Most potato or chips of any variety are moderate in calories, ranging from 100-200 per small bag. As such, getting away with 2 small bags per snack wouldn’t hurt too much.

  5) Juice: People often make the mistake of thinking that freshly squeezed juice has the exact same benefits as whole fruit. That pile of pulp and fruit surface you threw right after “juicing” contains all the essential ingredients to a healthier lifestyle, including much needed pectin, a fiber that absorbs fat cells and tip toes them out of your body. If juice is what your heart desires then by all means indulge in freshly squeezed juices and not supermarket sold concentrates and sugar-added varieties. (p.s. Apple juice is the worst offender, even when served fresh. Drinking it wouldn’t differentiate its effects to a can of sugar-packed soda).

  6) Local Coffee Shop: Frappe’s and latte’s are all fine, as long as you stick to a “Tall” [size], accompanied with “Skinny” ingredients, including skimmed milk and sugar-free syrup. Every coffee shop in Kuwait serves sugar-free and fat-free varieties, so why take the risk with their calorie-loaded counterparts?

  Damage Control

  Well, you can’t completely undo any super-high-calorie-load-induced damage, but you can sure as hell minimize it. Sip on one (or a mix of all) of the drinks below for benefits that far exceed damage control:

  1) Green Tea or White Tea: Reduces the risk of cancer by cutting cellular damage by 25%, reduces cavities, and enhances weight-loss.

• Serving Size: 4 cups a day.

2) Sage (“Marameya”): Manages mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and may also reduce agitation, reduces secretions of the sweat glands, helps in digestive disorders, and has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, used for almost any type of infection or inflammation.

• Serving Size: 10 leaves in a container of hot water and drink throughout the day.

3) Thyme (“Za’tar”): Treats sore throats or infected gums, helps ease rheumatic pain, cuts down on flatulence, reduces headaches, beneficial in treating coughs related to colds and flu, used to treat anemia, bronchial ailments, and intestinal problems.

• Serving Size: 1 teaspoon per cup, 2-3 times a day

4) Ginger Tea: Improves circulation and blood flow, relieves cold and flu symptoms, eases stomach cramps, improves digestion and relieves nausea, reduces menstrual cramping, helps regulate blood sugar, and boosts the immune system.

• Serving Size: 2 inches of ginger, sliced thinly, boiled in 4 cups of water.

5) Peppermint Tea: Has the ability to treat indigestion, respiratory problems, headache, nausea, fever, and stomach and bowel spasm, improves blood circulation, urinary tract infections, and reduces stress, depression and mental exhaustion.

• Serving Size: 1 teabag per cup

6) Gymnema Sylvestre: contains substances that decrease the absorption of sugar from the intestine and may also increase the amount of insulin in the body.

• Serving Size: 1 teabag 15-20 minutes after the consumption of a carby snack or meal.

All of the above can be found at any Sultan Center. You can pick one of the drinks or mix them altogether for a banging beneficial herbal orgy.



Having said all that, I know them sweets are sometimes too good to pass up. I implore you to abstain from partaking in too much sweetness. Remember, when Ramadan is done, it’ll still be relatively hot, and I don’t think you want to parade around shirtless in Sharm or Dubai with a gut from loving Um Ali a little too much.

Posted by Fahad AlYehya | Core Fitness – Kuwait