.
The actions of our MPs shows how desperate they are to retain their ‘cash cow’ seats, having not accomplishing anything significant during their tenure, as was intended by the founding father's when the lame excuse for a Parliament was first established (by the Government), having made sure it had limited or no authority, misguided loyalty within and giving the least suitable candidates access to the coveted seats, thus ensuring the absence of a unified front, progress and advancement....
.
and they have not failed on that objective. MPs do not have the power to change life altering laws nor are they suggesting the introduction of applicable regulations, they have not put any effort into exterminating the mistrust between Government and its people, and are absolutely unable to stamp out the ongoing recruitment of foreign mercenaries for the Armed & Special Forces, police department and the Riot police.
.
Since they are powerless and are unable to reach the higher branches where the more juicier leaves are, they have settled for the forrage at ground level .. Alcohol ... Pork ... Prostitution ....
.
I can paint my face red & blue, then perform a rain dance, but that don't mean it will rain.
.
This too, they will eventually find out, are powerless to do .. as their absence would devistate the tourism (wink, wink) influx from our neighbours and the resident foreign nationals.
.
And so by having beaten their drums, the sheep following them will once again vote them back into their seats .. without having ever accomplish a thing.
Citizen X :| This is how i see things... (in layman terms)
Showing posts with label What do you Think?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What do you Think?. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, June 06, 2008
Oh Mama, Obama!!
The American presidency has always been for SALE, this coming term is no exception..
I first heard of Baraka Obama around two years back, on a CBS program about describing him as down to earth, a people's person who had not forgotten his roots even after winning a Seat in the Senate. He was paraded as a man who still visited his constituency, walking the streets of his old neighborhood, as though he never left the community.
I admired that, i thought, may be, just maybe this one could actually make a difference.
A few months ago, he was in the limelight again, this time he had just announced his intentions to run for the Demotcratic nominee and eventual candidacy for President of the United States. His speech pattern seemed to have changed, the way he carried himself too was different. It was almost as thought he was now WHITE. I'm not being racist here, but the fact is he was just talking differently, not in the same manner as before, he had lost his originality and uniqueness. Now, he actually sounded like one of the other political candidates who only cared about winning and appeasing the voters. I was hoping i was wrong.
A few days back, the other shoe fell.
(He has all but won the Democratic nomination, leading Senator Hillary Clinton to concede. )
It was Wednesday the 4th of June 2008, in Washington while addressing the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
HE SHOWED HIS TRUE COLORS AS A BIAST AMERICAN SELLING HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL. HE WAS, BUT IS NO LONGER THE SAVIER; he, like many other American Political hopefuls has bowed down to the biggest lobby in America, AIPAC; the biggest supporters of Israel AND ITS CONTINUING WAR CRIMES.
His speech said it all; he supports the right of Israel to have Juresalam as its Capital.
[I'm all for peace and prosperity, but only through a agreement that is (a) not biast, and (b) demands that Israel pay for all the war crimes, torture, misery, degredation and hardship (helplessness) that the Palestanian people have faced under the ON GOING & ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of their lands.]
People, i give you the next rightful PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA(NS without SOULS).
I first heard of Baraka Obama around two years back, on a CBS program about describing him as down to earth, a people's person who had not forgotten his roots even after winning a Seat in the Senate. He was paraded as a man who still visited his constituency, walking the streets of his old neighborhood, as though he never left the community.
I admired that, i thought, may be, just maybe this one could actually make a difference.
A few months ago, he was in the limelight again, this time he had just announced his intentions to run for the Demotcratic nominee and eventual candidacy for President of the United States. His speech pattern seemed to have changed, the way he carried himself too was different. It was almost as thought he was now WHITE. I'm not being racist here, but the fact is he was just talking differently, not in the same manner as before, he had lost his originality and uniqueness. Now, he actually sounded like one of the other political candidates who only cared about winning and appeasing the voters. I was hoping i was wrong.
A few days back, the other shoe fell.
(He has all but won the Democratic nomination, leading Senator Hillary Clinton to concede. )
It was Wednesday the 4th of June 2008, in Washington while addressing the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
HE SHOWED HIS TRUE COLORS AS A BIAST AMERICAN SELLING HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL. HE WAS, BUT IS NO LONGER THE SAVIER; he, like many other American Political hopefuls has bowed down to the biggest lobby in America, AIPAC; the biggest supporters of Israel AND ITS CONTINUING WAR CRIMES.
His speech said it all; he supports the right of Israel to have Juresalam as its Capital.
[I'm all for peace and prosperity, but only through a agreement that is (a) not biast, and (b) demands that Israel pay for all the war crimes, torture, misery, degredation and hardship (helplessness) that the Palestanian people have faced under the ON GOING & ILLEGAL OCCUPATION of their lands.]
People, i give you the next rightful PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA(NS without SOULS).
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Gay & Lesbian Priests,Should it be acceptable?
Gay & Lesbian priests; what is this world coming to; I’m shocked to what extent people are willing to distance themselves from customs, religion & morality, just to be politically correct & not to be portrayed as a homophobic; when in fact they are stating their truly beliefs; people, the masses, consider them as gay bashers…….I wonder why!
There is no phrase or scripture in any of the three ‘religions of the book’ that recognises homosexuality as an appropriate or acceptable means of living. For that matter, I’d doubt if it were acceptable in any religion at all……Maybe Devil worship?????
It’s the sanctity & divinity of the bond between a man and woman, the scriptures never said Man and Man, nor Woman and Woman, and not even a morphed combination of the two; NO, just the two sexes…MALE & FEMALE.
If god intended for 'Homo sapiens' to become 'homosexual', then I’d think, over the millions of years, we’d have evolved into something similar to a snail, unisex in nature.
Heterosexual not homosexual; two chromosome, an ‘X’ and a ‘Y’, not a ‘U’ chromosome; the defining proof is in the biological difference between a man and a woman; we interlock, fit together, and were always meant to be together. One gets pregnant the other does not; one had a stronger body than the other; one had a soft curvaceous body while the other has a rough exterior; one is gently and kind the other can be stern and ruthless.
But to make my point, let’s not bring religion, physique or any GOD’s intentions into this argument; GAY, Homosexual, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transvestite, call them what you may, have a right; be it known as sexual preference or orientation, to choose the partner that they want to have sex with, realistically that what’s it’s all about, isn’t it?
So ok, they have that freedom; no one can take it away from them, but for them to then turn around and demand to enter the sanctity of a church, as a priest, a man of the cloth, a servant of god, that’s just crossing a bridge that should never be allowed, no where in the job description of a priest does it state the sexual preference as ‘OPEN to ANYTHING’.
A homosexual should not have the right to become a priest, though if you really think about it, with all the publicity going around about priests sexually abusing boys, you’d think priesthood was meant specifically for homosexuals. Sorry, that was a sick joke, but I think you know where I’m coming from.
There is a division between state and religion, so the state can implement laws that gives rights to homosexuals and their life partners, so to speak, but laws are man made, and they can be altered or enhanced based on the acceptance of the masses, yet that freedom is not available in religion, and it should not be.
Homosexuals want to be recognised when they marry each other, and the law accommodates for that, in certain states; they want to adopt children, and some states allow for that as well, by law. I’m totally against it, but I have no say here.
So marriage is their right; adoption, also somewhat a right afforded to them in certain areas; but becoming priests should never be allowed, not even if HELL freezes over…..
I’d still want to see conclusive proof, any evidence at all for that matter, as to why Priesthood continues to be tainted, first by sodomising priests that continually protected and not exposed and expelled, and now by homosexuals.
I’m not a homophobic, I believe in the freedom of choice and sexual preference, but there is a limit to how much morality should be bent to appease others.
Just look at the controversy being caused…in the papers….these days.
There is no phrase or scripture in any of the three ‘religions of the book’ that recognises homosexuality as an appropriate or acceptable means of living. For that matter, I’d doubt if it were acceptable in any religion at all……Maybe Devil worship?????
It’s the sanctity & divinity of the bond between a man and woman, the scriptures never said Man and Man, nor Woman and Woman, and not even a morphed combination of the two; NO, just the two sexes…MALE & FEMALE.
If god intended for 'Homo sapiens' to become 'homosexual', then I’d think, over the millions of years, we’d have evolved into something similar to a snail, unisex in nature.
Heterosexual not homosexual; two chromosome, an ‘X’ and a ‘Y’, not a ‘U’ chromosome; the defining proof is in the biological difference between a man and a woman; we interlock, fit together, and were always meant to be together. One gets pregnant the other does not; one had a stronger body than the other; one had a soft curvaceous body while the other has a rough exterior; one is gently and kind the other can be stern and ruthless.
But to make my point, let’s not bring religion, physique or any GOD’s intentions into this argument; GAY, Homosexual, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transvestite, call them what you may, have a right; be it known as sexual preference or orientation, to choose the partner that they want to have sex with, realistically that what’s it’s all about, isn’t it?
So ok, they have that freedom; no one can take it away from them, but for them to then turn around and demand to enter the sanctity of a church, as a priest, a man of the cloth, a servant of god, that’s just crossing a bridge that should never be allowed, no where in the job description of a priest does it state the sexual preference as ‘OPEN to ANYTHING’.
A homosexual should not have the right to become a priest, though if you really think about it, with all the publicity going around about priests sexually abusing boys, you’d think priesthood was meant specifically for homosexuals. Sorry, that was a sick joke, but I think you know where I’m coming from.
There is a division between state and religion, so the state can implement laws that gives rights to homosexuals and their life partners, so to speak, but laws are man made, and they can be altered or enhanced based on the acceptance of the masses, yet that freedom is not available in religion, and it should not be.
Homosexuals want to be recognised when they marry each other, and the law accommodates for that, in certain states; they want to adopt children, and some states allow for that as well, by law. I’m totally against it, but I have no say here.
So marriage is their right; adoption, also somewhat a right afforded to them in certain areas; but becoming priests should never be allowed, not even if HELL freezes over…..
I’d still want to see conclusive proof, any evidence at all for that matter, as to why Priesthood continues to be tainted, first by sodomising priests that continually protected and not exposed and expelled, and now by homosexuals.
I’m not a homophobic, I believe in the freedom of choice and sexual preference, but there is a limit to how much morality should be bent to appease others.
Just look at the controversy being caused…in the papers….these days.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
DEAD MAN WALKING, are EXECUTION just??
The state of Texas - USA, executed an inmate a few days ago, it’s 400th since reinstating the death penalty three decades ago; he remained on death row for nearly 9 years, his crime was murder; there are now over three hundred other inmates waiting for their ticket to be punched in, all of them incarcerated for heinous crimes committed, all punishable by death.
Most Texans have accept this as a fact of life and unanimously agree that hard criminals deserve nothing less; but there are some that think otherwise, and continue to protest, staging their dissatisfaction outside the prison gates; before, during and after executions.
In the GCC, Saudi Arabia leads the way with the most executions. Some of them I’ve heard were for hate crimes and murders, others I’m not sure about, but when the power to decide whom can be executed rests with zealous hard-line religious leaders and not the courts, that is somewhat worrisome.
Iran, another country that executes criminals regularly, statistically has the most number of executions in the Gulf region; there have been cases of murderers, rapists, and armed criminals being publicly executed, in the middle of the town streets, using cranes as a lynching platform, for all to see.
In the recent unrest, instigated by the implementation of a ration / quota system for fuel disbursement, a lot of disgruntled Iranians took to the streets in protest; they looted shops and burnt cars. Many were captures; I’ve heard that some were executed and made examples of, soon after the protests stopped. Yet another example, of the misuse of power, by a government that does not follow due diligence, nor has a proper legal system.
Bahrain too is no stranger to executions; over a decade ago a Bahraini was executed for the alleged premeditated murder of a police officer. In 2006, three men were hanged in prison for murder. Today, one Bahraini and three foreigners are waiting on death row, all for heinous acts of premeditated murder, there may be more but figures are hard to obtain. One of the foreigners, i believe, was executed during the beginning of 2007.
I’ve heard/read that Bahrain now retains Executions (‘Capital Punishment,) specifically for the crime of ‘Drug traffickers’. ??????
On 30th December 2006, Saddam Hussain, the infamous butcher of Iraq was executed; he was convicted by an Iraqi tribunal setup specifically to impeach him for his crimes against the Iraqi people. The tribunal turned out to be a joke; the only conviction attained was for the crimes he committed leading to the ‘deaths of over 140 men in the town of Dujail, in1982’.
He raped, pillaged, and plundered Iraq’s wealth and rich culture; he tortured the Iraqi people, and slaughtered and executed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, wiped out all of the opposition, used chemical weapons of the Kurdish civilians, not forgetting the atrocities that were committed during the Iran - Iraq war; and lets not forget when the dog turned and bit the hand that fed it, the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and subsequent seven months of occupation resulted in the rape, torture and execution of many Kuwaiti nationals.
He should not have been executed then and there, just for one of his crimes, but rather, they should have kept him alive and continued the trial until he was convicted with ALL of the crimes he is, was guilty of, and after divulging the names of his foreign accomplish / silent partners in crime, whom ever and where ever, they were. Only then was he to be PUBLICALLY EXECUTED.
Executing him before the 2007 New Year began was a foolish decision, which played right in to the American government’s hands. He was made a martyr rather than being portrayed as the ruthless & black hearted Dictator that he really was….
In some countries, people have been executed because they were revolutionists attempting to over throw rogue or dictatorial governments or political opponents trying to run against them.
People’s views on Execution’s differ, for one, I condone it in cases of child molestation (proven beyond a shred of reason doubt), Rape & Sodomy (again with the presence of forensic evidence) and premeditated murder, INSTIGATORS OF Genocide and the henchmen who carry them out, and yes, Drug Traffickers as well (being caught red handed is proof enough for me).
Wait there’s more; I’d want others to be added to the list of people that deserve to executed;
a) War Mongers and the defenders of oppression,
b) Terrorists,
c) Soldier, Armed & Special Forces that attack civilians,
d) Leaders of Governments that do not recognize the Sovereignty of States and order invasions,
e) Any one who attacks or uses civilians in their causes;
There are many others………….
I was waiting on the former leaders, Milosevic (Yugoslavian - Died in Prison) & Radovan Karadzic (Bosnia Serb- There is a $5 million reward out for his arrest) to be convicted, and then executed for instigating genocide / ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ against the Christians & Muslims…..
Oh yah, yet another young Texan is waiting on ‘Death Row’, to be executed this week, just read today’s Tribune, his crime, being present in the vicinity of a Murder; he was accompanying the person who shot the victim.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Teenage girls that put out, and give away the rest of their lives. WHY?
It’s not easy being born a baby girl, the transition from daddy’s little princess, playing with Barbie dolls, tea parties with little cups and saucers, learning about prince charming; to being a teenage girl at thirteen with raging hormones, a body that’s constantly changing, being told that it’s now natural for your body to bleed, "don’t worry you’re a little woman now", and that your body has just transformed into a baby making factory, keep an eye out for prince charming; to an eighteen year ‘Young Woman’, ready to venture into the world, any thing is now possible with the right education, determination and drive. Prince charming is knocking at the door but you are too busy perming your hair to hear.
Later on as a mature woman, marry the prince and live happily ever after, and maybe make a couple of babies along the way.
But life is not that simple, and we don’t live in Never Never land. There are too many variables; lives get ruined for the dumbest things…..
And so, I was watching the program ‘What not to Wear’ on MBC4, there was a 32 year old woman, whom you could not help but feel sad for, she has gotten pregnant when she was only seventeen, the first time she had sex was also the last time. This permanently scarred her to the extent that she no longer dated and had all but given up on finding a suitable partner to share her life with.
WHY IS IT, THAT TEENAGERS’ CONSIDER IT A COOL THING TO HAVE SEX AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?
Peer pressure, the stupid love stories that they read, the romantic movies that
See, the sexually explicit music videos, the urge to grow up quickly?
Even with sex ED taught in a lot of the schools in Europe and America, public information about the sexually transmitted diseases, the sad stories of teenager’s lives destroyed by having sex and getting pregnant at a young age; it still does not sink into their thick skulls.
It’s hard being a single mother, bringing up a child all alone. By having a child early in life, during the high school years, many girls are unable to complete their education and find it even harder to get a good job to support themselves and their child. In almost all cases, the guy who gets her pregnant is not around, he splits soon after hearing the news, or tries to support and help out, but is too immature and the responsibility far exceeds his abilities.…….
Being a single mother is hard; lost youth, no hope of having a normal life, it’s a tough road up hill, but those who persevere get the best of a fruitful life. Some stick to their guns and take up the challenge and responsibility, other don’t, they give up the child for adoption; then go out with their friends, clubbing & boozing, and move around from partner to partner, not realizing that it can and will happen to them again, it’s just a matter of time.
Some of these teens, having become pregnant, hide the fact until it’s physically impossible, other are found out and are forced to abort; after the birth of the child, some young mothers, with the help of their family, take care of the child, others put the child up for adoption.
Either way, their lives will never be the same.
I blame the parents who have made it acceptable for their children to wears skimpy clothes, go out on dates, have pool parties; but the main reason parents are to blame is not making their homes a haven when the girls and grow up and mature into a responsible adult, tranquility is home is a must, a good father figure, and a mother as a role model to look up to, children need to be loved and nurtures, if they don’t find what they need at home, they’ll seek it in other places, by whatever means.
Some girls may feel that, by putting out, they will be respected and loved, only to find out that they were just another notch on a boy’s ‘belt of sexual conquests’; and since their virginity has now gone with the wind, they no longer have a reason not to continue with their promiscuous ways, like "cheap body spray, giving it away".
This phenomenon is not new to the Gulf, it’s just taboo and no one likes to talk about it. Not talking about, does not make the problem go away.
There are predators out there that tricked teenage girls, fool them into believing they live them and then, WHAM, BAM, thank you MADAM, NEXT………
During my school days, I had such a friend; he too had a ‘belt of sexual conquests’ that had seen a lot of wear and tear. The funny thing is, that today, he is a changed man, very religious, married and, guess what, he has three daughters.
Who said god does not have a sense of humor?
I guess the silver lining here is that, for every girl that does decide to take the fall, there are many others who decide it’s not for them. Their honor is not for sale.
Later on as a mature woman, marry the prince and live happily ever after, and maybe make a couple of babies along the way.
But life is not that simple, and we don’t live in Never Never land. There are too many variables; lives get ruined for the dumbest things…..
And so, I was watching the program ‘What not to Wear’ on MBC4, there was a 32 year old woman, whom you could not help but feel sad for, she has gotten pregnant when she was only seventeen, the first time she had sex was also the last time. This permanently scarred her to the extent that she no longer dated and had all but given up on finding a suitable partner to share her life with.
WHY IS IT, THAT TEENAGERS’ CONSIDER IT A COOL THING TO HAVE SEX AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?
Peer pressure, the stupid love stories that they read, the romantic movies that
See, the sexually explicit music videos, the urge to grow up quickly?
Even with sex ED taught in a lot of the schools in Europe and America, public information about the sexually transmitted diseases, the sad stories of teenager’s lives destroyed by having sex and getting pregnant at a young age; it still does not sink into their thick skulls.
It’s hard being a single mother, bringing up a child all alone. By having a child early in life, during the high school years, many girls are unable to complete their education and find it even harder to get a good job to support themselves and their child. In almost all cases, the guy who gets her pregnant is not around, he splits soon after hearing the news, or tries to support and help out, but is too immature and the responsibility far exceeds his abilities.…….
Being a single mother is hard; lost youth, no hope of having a normal life, it’s a tough road up hill, but those who persevere get the best of a fruitful life. Some stick to their guns and take up the challenge and responsibility, other don’t, they give up the child for adoption; then go out with their friends, clubbing & boozing, and move around from partner to partner, not realizing that it can and will happen to them again, it’s just a matter of time.
Some of these teens, having become pregnant, hide the fact until it’s physically impossible, other are found out and are forced to abort; after the birth of the child, some young mothers, with the help of their family, take care of the child, others put the child up for adoption.
Either way, their lives will never be the same.
I blame the parents who have made it acceptable for their children to wears skimpy clothes, go out on dates, have pool parties; but the main reason parents are to blame is not making their homes a haven when the girls and grow up and mature into a responsible adult, tranquility is home is a must, a good father figure, and a mother as a role model to look up to, children need to be loved and nurtures, if they don’t find what they need at home, they’ll seek it in other places, by whatever means.
Some girls may feel that, by putting out, they will be respected and loved, only to find out that they were just another notch on a boy’s ‘belt of sexual conquests’; and since their virginity has now gone with the wind, they no longer have a reason not to continue with their promiscuous ways, like "cheap body spray, giving it away".
This phenomenon is not new to the Gulf, it’s just taboo and no one likes to talk about it. Not talking about, does not make the problem go away.
There are predators out there that tricked teenage girls, fool them into believing they live them and then, WHAM, BAM, thank you MADAM, NEXT………
During my school days, I had such a friend; he too had a ‘belt of sexual conquests’ that had seen a lot of wear and tear. The funny thing is, that today, he is a changed man, very religious, married and, guess what, he has three daughters.
Who said god does not have a sense of humor?
I guess the silver lining here is that, for every girl that does decide to take the fall, there are many others who decide it’s not for them. Their honor is not for sale.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
How serious are the Traffic Directorate with their new campaign? Lets see...
Yesterday’s GDN had an article proclaiming that the Traffic Directorate has now launched a campaign against speeding drivers. The claim is that the number of Drivers caught speeding has increased since last year. I believe them, ignoring the published figures, even a blind can tell you that there are just too many speedsters on the roads of Bahrain, young and old, nationals and foreigners, and lets not forget that our country has become a great weekend get away/destination for our many GCC neighbors…
But that’s not all, Bahraini Drivers believe the ‘Driving License’ grants them the right to do as they deem fit, the pile of metal on wheels is a misleading cocoon of death. Putting pressure of the pedal, releases life sustaining juice, to crank and nudge the bucket of nuts and bolts forward, ever so slowly; yet that is not enough, we want more, to go faster, and faster. So we press down a little bit more, a bit more forceful this time. The pedal reclines, even more juice gets pumped into the tin can’s loins; it purrs, and then speeds up. Now, you’d think that would satisfy us, but nooooo, now our eyes are toying with us, showing us that the car driving to the side is a bit further ahead, your mind kicks in and taunts you. Is the other car better that yours? Maybe it’s faster! Maybe the driver is better than you.
So, down goes the foot, full throttle and away we GOOOOOO.
But wait, the lights are turning red, I’ll have to stop, but that will mean that other car will now catch up, NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!
The foot pushes down, all the way this time, until the pedal can sink no further and is met head on, with a numb thud, the bottom has been breached, the RPM sprints at the speed of light. You cross the line, but the lights have already turned red, no matter, with the speed you are doing, you can easily avoid a collision……..
With all the education that we’ve had, we’re ignorant of the facts and don't realizing the seriousness of the situation, and by not acknowledging that we are riding in loaded guns, every one of us, we continue to roll the dice, playing with people’s lives.
WELL, WHAT DOES THE TRAFFIC DIRECTORATE (TD) EXPECT?
There’s no one really watching us, there are too few cameras, and I can’t help but laugh hysterically when they claim that six new state of the art camera’s are to be installed NEXT MONTH. How many will that make? 10, 12, 20?
WHY CAN’T WE HAVE THOSE LIVE CAMERA FEEDS THAT OTHER COUHTRIES HAVE? In no time at all, they’d pay for themselves, and then generate a large revenue reserve which can be tapped to further improve the road systems.
To make my point, the current TD advertisements hanging on the road sides are pathetic, they are grey and dull, and will be ignored by most drivers. In contrast, the advertisements that Shamil Bank displayed a month back had traffic lights on them, very colorful and eye catching, I never once drove by one without staring at it. Each time i'd see them i'd reduce my speed, only later realizing it was a sale ploy for their visa cards. THAT GO MY ATTENTION, these adverts will have no such success.
And they say they are serious…..
To close off, and I quote from the article here “The traffic directorate is also considering tougher punishment against drivers breaking traffic rules”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? For god sakes, suspend people’s licenses for second time offenders, six months to two years, maybe some jail time will do them some good, or just revoke their driving privileges for ever.
Set up a nation wide database of abusive drivers; provide online access to car rental companies and Sales agents so that the abusers no longer get their hands on a set of wheels, ever again.
There is so much more, be firm in the penalties, don’t give third time offenders an option to bribe their way out of trouble. THE Law must apply to all, normal people and VIPS, NO EXCEPTIONS.
And yet, by the end of the campaign, the message will not penetrate our thick skulls, I wonder WHY?
It’s not our fault; the Traffic directorate is not doing its job right.
Hummmm, maybe......, you think i can use that excuse when i get pulled over for a traffic violation or when I get my mug shot taken, whizzing by the newly installed high tech cameras…
But that’s not all, Bahraini Drivers believe the ‘Driving License’ grants them the right to do as they deem fit, the pile of metal on wheels is a misleading cocoon of death. Putting pressure of the pedal, releases life sustaining juice, to crank and nudge the bucket of nuts and bolts forward, ever so slowly; yet that is not enough, we want more, to go faster, and faster. So we press down a little bit more, a bit more forceful this time. The pedal reclines, even more juice gets pumped into the tin can’s loins; it purrs, and then speeds up. Now, you’d think that would satisfy us, but nooooo, now our eyes are toying with us, showing us that the car driving to the side is a bit further ahead, your mind kicks in and taunts you. Is the other car better that yours? Maybe it’s faster! Maybe the driver is better than you.
So, down goes the foot, full throttle and away we GOOOOOO.
But wait, the lights are turning red, I’ll have to stop, but that will mean that other car will now catch up, NOT IF I CAN HELP IT!
The foot pushes down, all the way this time, until the pedal can sink no further and is met head on, with a numb thud, the bottom has been breached, the RPM sprints at the speed of light. You cross the line, but the lights have already turned red, no matter, with the speed you are doing, you can easily avoid a collision……..
With all the education that we’ve had, we’re ignorant of the facts and don't realizing the seriousness of the situation, and by not acknowledging that we are riding in loaded guns, every one of us, we continue to roll the dice, playing with people’s lives.
WELL, WHAT DOES THE TRAFFIC DIRECTORATE (TD) EXPECT?
There’s no one really watching us, there are too few cameras, and I can’t help but laugh hysterically when they claim that six new state of the art camera’s are to be installed NEXT MONTH. How many will that make? 10, 12, 20?
WHY CAN’T WE HAVE THOSE LIVE CAMERA FEEDS THAT OTHER COUHTRIES HAVE? In no time at all, they’d pay for themselves, and then generate a large revenue reserve which can be tapped to further improve the road systems.
To make my point, the current TD advertisements hanging on the road sides are pathetic, they are grey and dull, and will be ignored by most drivers. In contrast, the advertisements that Shamil Bank displayed a month back had traffic lights on them, very colorful and eye catching, I never once drove by one without staring at it. Each time i'd see them i'd reduce my speed, only later realizing it was a sale ploy for their visa cards. THAT GO MY ATTENTION, these adverts will have no such success.
And they say they are serious…..
To close off, and I quote from the article here “The traffic directorate is also considering tougher punishment against drivers breaking traffic rules”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? For god sakes, suspend people’s licenses for second time offenders, six months to two years, maybe some jail time will do them some good, or just revoke their driving privileges for ever.
Set up a nation wide database of abusive drivers; provide online access to car rental companies and Sales agents so that the abusers no longer get their hands on a set of wheels, ever again.
There is so much more, be firm in the penalties, don’t give third time offenders an option to bribe their way out of trouble. THE Law must apply to all, normal people and VIPS, NO EXCEPTIONS.
And yet, by the end of the campaign, the message will not penetrate our thick skulls, I wonder WHY?
It’s not our fault; the Traffic directorate is not doing its job right.
Hummmm, maybe......, you think i can use that excuse when i get pulled over for a traffic violation or when I get my mug shot taken, whizzing by the newly installed high tech cameras…
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Poverty, despair & Opression has an impact on people's Decency.
I spent almost a whole month in Iran, I was at the doctor’s office, under the surgeon’s knife, figuratively speaking; traveling around, sight seeing tourist attractions, visiting holy sites, shopping extensively because of my wife, walking about and a heck of a lot of other things that don’t come to mind; through all of this I managed extensively use the public transportation systems.
I was driven in the local taxis’, I rode the cramped buses, and the jam packed Tehran metro system.
Now I saw the aftermath of a terrible car accident, a dead drug addict lying in the streets, and avoided an accident just waiting to happen with some faulty wiring that later zapped a child, five minutes after we left a restaurant, the child was terrified but thankfully unhurt; and I also spent the better of thirty four and a half hours out of 48 hrs, traveling cross country on long distance busses, but through all this hardship and inconvenience what caught my attention the most was not the poverty, oppression, corruption or despair but rather one of the effects of these conditions on the proud people of Iran for more that twenty years.
You get to see a lot of strangers and how they interact with one another; everyone reacts differently, through out all my travels and interactions, I observed how people had somehow lost their decency.
Where once the younger generations would get up and give their seats to the elderly, now they just look away and pretend not to notice, where once people stopped to help others in need, now all they do is stand and stair, then walk away without the slightest bit of a guilt.
It’s sad, but you’d think if people were hard life, in whatever manner, they’d at least fight hand and foot to make sure they retain their decency and good within them.
Perhaps people react differently in different places……now
Unfortunately, I have seen slight glimpses of this in our country, I hope they fade away, the diversity in our society has existed for a long time, people have always been good and decant, I just hope that the fact that there have been a large number of newly nationalized citizens, within the last seven years, does not effect such a negative back lash.
Decency is a commodity when lost is not re-attainable, at any cost.
I was driven in the local taxis’, I rode the cramped buses, and the jam packed Tehran metro system.
Now I saw the aftermath of a terrible car accident, a dead drug addict lying in the streets, and avoided an accident just waiting to happen with some faulty wiring that later zapped a child, five minutes after we left a restaurant, the child was terrified but thankfully unhurt; and I also spent the better of thirty four and a half hours out of 48 hrs, traveling cross country on long distance busses, but through all this hardship and inconvenience what caught my attention the most was not the poverty, oppression, corruption or despair but rather one of the effects of these conditions on the proud people of Iran for more that twenty years.
You get to see a lot of strangers and how they interact with one another; everyone reacts differently, through out all my travels and interactions, I observed how people had somehow lost their decency.
Where once the younger generations would get up and give their seats to the elderly, now they just look away and pretend not to notice, where once people stopped to help others in need, now all they do is stand and stair, then walk away without the slightest bit of a guilt.
It’s sad, but you’d think if people were hard life, in whatever manner, they’d at least fight hand and foot to make sure they retain their decency and good within them.
Perhaps people react differently in different places……now
Unfortunately, I have seen slight glimpses of this in our country, I hope they fade away, the diversity in our society has existed for a long time, people have always been good and decant, I just hope that the fact that there have been a large number of newly nationalized citizens, within the last seven years, does not effect such a negative back lash.
Decency is a commodity when lost is not re-attainable, at any cost.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Another Sleepless night.
It was around 4:00 am in the morning and i was still wide awake. I tried gulping down numerous glasses of water, i got up and walked around, i did some push ups in a effort to tire my self out. I also picked up my son's PSP and played for a while, seeing that it too was not having a effect on me, i turned to reading.
I remained awake until 7:30 am, when i finally fell asleep and did not wake until just after 12:00 in the afternoon.
So why did i have such a hard time sleeping? You ask.
The reason is simple, i have a big chip on my shoulder when comes to the issue of ownership of Land or a house in our country, Bahrain.
I logged on to the net yesterday after an absence of two to three weeks and one of the few sites that i must visit first had posted an article on this matter.
It's a point of view, the experiances of one person on his plight to achieve peace & security. But it's not the whole picture of what is going on in our society.
Yes, there are lots of Bahrainis who own land, and yes, some saved, other got loans from Banks and yet others got assistance from their parents.
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or one lying anywhere close to me for that matter. I was lucky that my parents put me through private school which led me to getting a good job after graduating from high school. I was not lucky enough to continue my studies until now. I have worked hard to get where i am today but i still have not achieved my goal of owning my own home, this is because of some bad decisiond and the every elusive good luck, which i have none.
Now, you can't get away by saying that people blame the Government for all their problems or only seek assistance from them to get out of a problem, or that people don't bother to get off of their lazy asses to work hard to increase their purchasing power, or save up as much as possible and then apply for a long term housing loan for the remaining amount, there is more......
People have expenses, yes there are people out there who spend like there is no tomorrow and then bitch about the fact that they are unable to afford their own residence and are forced to live in a rented apartment.
Ok, people should learn to spend less and save a bit more, if they haven't started already.
But, when you are not given an opportunity, when the flood gates are opened to GCC nationals and foreigners who have loads and loads of money, levels up to which you are unable to compete, then here is the biggest dilemma. Not the only, but the BIGGEST, which is totally out of our control while the other factors may be in our control.
The price of land was increasing in Bahrain, but not at the rate that is has in the last couple of years. In 2005, i read a statistic posted in one of the GULF financial magazines, if I'm not mistaken (IF I FIND i have retained a copy i will surely post it later on when I get back home). I was astonished to find that Bahrain, the smallest land mass in the GCC had over 4000+ foreigners who owned private land, and non of the other countries, not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE or Qatar or any other, had foreign ownership anything close to that figure. The point being LAND ownership.
So one can be forgiven if they believe the root of problem in Bahrain is only due to the facts that (a) we do not save enough, (b) or don't work hard enough, (c) or for any other reason for that matter..................The fact of the matter is we are trying but each time we get near the dotted line, it gets moved a couple of notches by policies made and implemented by the Government.
Bahrainis need to get good high paying jobs, but to do that they are required to have a high level of education to enable them to compete against the influx of highly educated foreigners' brought in by Employers. Additionally, while on the subject of employment, Employers should be restricted from recruiting a foreigner as a replacement of a Bahraini who has received a better opportunity somewhere else and has left. This is happening more and more, opportunities that must go to Bahraini graduates are being sold off abroad. (Don't get me wrong, I'm no hate monger but one must be fair and honest about the on goings within our country)
So................ go ahead and write your columns, and the self help advise that may or may not help others, it's a point of view that should be out there so everyone can read and get a complete picture of the ins' and outs' of the problems we are facing. This is our god given right.
Me, it's going to take another couple of days to get this out of my system, but by posting my views on this blog, i have vented a lot of the frustration and despair built up in me.
Yes, i will go ahead and read your articles, and maybe i might pick up some pointers on how to achieve my goal of owning the roof that is over my head; and I'll continue to save, and look for better opportunities to increase my income; i might even place a couple of dinars in the local Bank's saving schemes in the off chance that i might actually win something, but i won't hold my breath nor will i be sitting impatiently by the phone for the call telling me of my winnings.
No, I'll be hard at work, trying to climb the corporate ladder, advancing my education and keeping a look out for any off the chance opportunities that come my way to buy a piece of Land or a home.
I remained awake until 7:30 am, when i finally fell asleep and did not wake until just after 12:00 in the afternoon.
So why did i have such a hard time sleeping? You ask.
The reason is simple, i have a big chip on my shoulder when comes to the issue of ownership of Land or a house in our country, Bahrain.
I logged on to the net yesterday after an absence of two to three weeks and one of the few sites that i must visit first had posted an article on this matter.
It's a point of view, the experiances of one person on his plight to achieve peace & security. But it's not the whole picture of what is going on in our society.
Yes, there are lots of Bahrainis who own land, and yes, some saved, other got loans from Banks and yet others got assistance from their parents.
I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or one lying anywhere close to me for that matter. I was lucky that my parents put me through private school which led me to getting a good job after graduating from high school. I was not lucky enough to continue my studies until now. I have worked hard to get where i am today but i still have not achieved my goal of owning my own home, this is because of some bad decisiond and the every elusive good luck, which i have none.
Now, you can't get away by saying that people blame the Government for all their problems or only seek assistance from them to get out of a problem, or that people don't bother to get off of their lazy asses to work hard to increase their purchasing power, or save up as much as possible and then apply for a long term housing loan for the remaining amount, there is more......
People have expenses, yes there are people out there who spend like there is no tomorrow and then bitch about the fact that they are unable to afford their own residence and are forced to live in a rented apartment.
Ok, people should learn to spend less and save a bit more, if they haven't started already.
But, when you are not given an opportunity, when the flood gates are opened to GCC nationals and foreigners who have loads and loads of money, levels up to which you are unable to compete, then here is the biggest dilemma. Not the only, but the BIGGEST, which is totally out of our control while the other factors may be in our control.
The price of land was increasing in Bahrain, but not at the rate that is has in the last couple of years. In 2005, i read a statistic posted in one of the GULF financial magazines, if I'm not mistaken (IF I FIND i have retained a copy i will surely post it later on when I get back home). I was astonished to find that Bahrain, the smallest land mass in the GCC had over 4000+ foreigners who owned private land, and non of the other countries, not Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE or Qatar or any other, had foreign ownership anything close to that figure. The point being LAND ownership.
So one can be forgiven if they believe the root of problem in Bahrain is only due to the facts that (a) we do not save enough, (b) or don't work hard enough, (c) or for any other reason for that matter..................The fact of the matter is we are trying but each time we get near the dotted line, it gets moved a couple of notches by policies made and implemented by the Government.
Bahrainis need to get good high paying jobs, but to do that they are required to have a high level of education to enable them to compete against the influx of highly educated foreigners' brought in by Employers. Additionally, while on the subject of employment, Employers should be restricted from recruiting a foreigner as a replacement of a Bahraini who has received a better opportunity somewhere else and has left. This is happening more and more, opportunities that must go to Bahraini graduates are being sold off abroad. (Don't get me wrong, I'm no hate monger but one must be fair and honest about the on goings within our country)
So................ go ahead and write your columns, and the self help advise that may or may not help others, it's a point of view that should be out there so everyone can read and get a complete picture of the ins' and outs' of the problems we are facing. This is our god given right.
Me, it's going to take another couple of days to get this out of my system, but by posting my views on this blog, i have vented a lot of the frustration and despair built up in me.
Yes, i will go ahead and read your articles, and maybe i might pick up some pointers on how to achieve my goal of owning the roof that is over my head; and I'll continue to save, and look for better opportunities to increase my income; i might even place a couple of dinars in the local Bank's saving schemes in the off chance that i might actually win something, but i won't hold my breath nor will i be sitting impatiently by the phone for the call telling me of my winnings.
No, I'll be hard at work, trying to climb the corporate ladder, advancing my education and keeping a look out for any off the chance opportunities that come my way to buy a piece of Land or a home.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Would one die from 'Chewing Gum'?
Early one morning, just after having a delicious local breakfast, my wife pulled out a pack of chewing Gum from her hand back and offered to share some with the rest of us.
I politely thanked her and declined her offer, but her brother who was sitting across her at the other end of the living room accepted gleefully.
She tossed the chewing Gum across the room, at her brother and it shacked him in the knee, her mother immediately screamed out, "What, are you trying to kill your brother?”
What? I thought to myself, is if possible for someone to actually die from Chewing Gum. We all remember being told white lies by our parents when we were little, of the dangers of swallowing chewing gum, but this was only so that we would spit them out rather that each them and get indigestion, wasn't it?
But lets see, we chew gum, some swallow it & others spit it out. We may shove loads off gum into our mouth to achieve that ever elusive perfect bubble gum, the over inflated bubble that POPS and covers our chin, nose and hair if we are not so lucky, which i am not.
My curiosity got the better of me so i searched the net and came up with the following;
Chewing Gum headlines: (there are many more but i have listed only two)
I politely thanked her and declined her offer, but her brother who was sitting across her at the other end of the living room accepted gleefully.
She tossed the chewing Gum across the room, at her brother and it shacked him in the knee, her mother immediately screamed out, "What, are you trying to kill your brother?”
What? I thought to myself, is if possible for someone to actually die from Chewing Gum. We all remember being told white lies by our parents when we were little, of the dangers of swallowing chewing gum, but this was only so that we would spit them out rather that each them and get indigestion, wasn't it?
But lets see, we chew gum, some swallow it & others spit it out. We may shove loads off gum into our mouth to achieve that ever elusive perfect bubble gum, the over inflated bubble that POPS and covers our chin, nose and hair if we are not so lucky, which i am not.
My curiosity got the better of me so i searched the net and came up with the following;
Chewing Gum headlines: (there are many more but i have listed only two)
- SHANGHAI, June 27 -- A LEXUS driver is believed to have choked to death on a wad of chewing gum that slipped into his trachea thanks to the big bump he ...
- Adult sudden death caused by aspiration of chewing gum
The Histroy of 'The Chewing Gum' (as stated on the net)
Many years ago, archaeologists made a surprising discovery! It seems prehistoric men and women chewed on lumps of tree resin for pure enjoyment, making them the first-ever gum chewers in recorded history.
In the early 1880s, two brothers, Henry and Frank Fleer, began experimenting with chicle, the sticky substance found inside a sapodilla tree. Henry Fleer covered the tasteless chicle with a sugary white coating and named his invention "Chiclets." Meanwhile, brother Frank put together a recipe for the world's first bubble gum, originally called "Blibber Blubber Bubble Gum."
-----------------
I am off to the local store to get be some safe gum.......maybe i could make a bundle if i invent something ......naaaaaa... what's life without taking a little risk now and then...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
End of our National Team.
It saddens me that our national football team has reached this level of mediocrity.
I remember ten to fifteen years back, when the last batch of players were playing, their skills were slowly deterioration and the BFF were unwilling to come to terms and start the rebuilding process.
It took some time before the younger players were given opportunity to play to prove them selves and help then national team improve.
This batch, I fear have also reached the end of their journey and must now give way to the next generation of players.
As usual other Gulf countries have already started this process; Oman are now considered a young up and coming team.
We now have a team of has been's, could have been's, and should have been's.
It is now time to face facts and start the
BUT AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, the Coach will be blamed and replaced.
Not the players, nor the management or the Bahrain Football federation, who are really at fault.
4 - 0, Huhhhhhhhh
I remember ten to fifteen years back, when the last batch of players were playing, their skills were slowly deterioration and the BFF were unwilling to come to terms and start the rebuilding process.
It took some time before the younger players were given opportunity to play to prove them selves and help then national team improve.
This batch, I fear have also reached the end of their journey and must now give way to the next generation of players.
As usual other Gulf countries have already started this process; Oman are now considered a young up and coming team.
We now have a team of has been's, could have been's, and should have been's.
It is now time to face facts and start the
BUT AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE, the Coach will be blamed and replaced.
Not the players, nor the management or the Bahrain Football federation, who are really at fault.
4 - 0, Huhhhhhhhh
The Bahrain National Team is playing today, I fear the worst but am hoping for the best.
I reluctanly write this blog in fear of the jinxing our team, but it must be said.
It's only a feeling that i have, but my gut tells me that Saudia Arabia may out perform us today.
They have some deadly strikers in Yasser Al Qahtani and CO (i can't remember their names now), who move around very well without the ball, who are hard to defend and almost always utalize the opportunities that come before them in front of the goal.
In our last game against South Korea, we won through shear guts and determination, all the players, each and every one of them, defending the goal like its was their lives on the line, where one defender fell back another took his place, it was an ugly win, but a win non the less. Korea had numerous opportunities to finish us off, but they just could not get the ball to cross the white line between the goal posts.
Best of all, the Chess master at the side lines, knew exactly when and who to substitute. Brilliant.
Now, against Saudia Arabia it may be a differenct scenario (I prey to God it's not). I'm hoping that Machella has another trick up his sleaves which he has now revealed to the players.
My FEAR as always is that the players do not play with heart and determination. Although other teams in the tournament may have more skills, faster players and a more experianced front line, our players have proven that they have what it takes to finally achieve what has been lacking in Bahrains long Football history, an Asian Cup trophy and the respect thaT goes with it. BUT i fear...........
So i'll be at work while others wil be sitting at the TV, watching nervously, jumping up and down, nervously as each second passes by.
While my fears turn to reality...................
Update:
The game has started and we are alreacy 1 - 0 down.
BUT i know if the guys play all out, we can DO ITTTTTTT.
Now, back to work...
It's only a feeling that i have, but my gut tells me that Saudia Arabia may out perform us today.
They have some deadly strikers in Yasser Al Qahtani and CO (i can't remember their names now), who move around very well without the ball, who are hard to defend and almost always utalize the opportunities that come before them in front of the goal.
In our last game against South Korea, we won through shear guts and determination, all the players, each and every one of them, defending the goal like its was their lives on the line, where one defender fell back another took his place, it was an ugly win, but a win non the less. Korea had numerous opportunities to finish us off, but they just could not get the ball to cross the white line between the goal posts.
Best of all, the Chess master at the side lines, knew exactly when and who to substitute. Brilliant.
Now, against Saudia Arabia it may be a differenct scenario (I prey to God it's not). I'm hoping that Machella has another trick up his sleaves which he has now revealed to the players.
My FEAR as always is that the players do not play with heart and determination. Although other teams in the tournament may have more skills, faster players and a more experianced front line, our players have proven that they have what it takes to finally achieve what has been lacking in Bahrains long Football history, an Asian Cup trophy and the respect thaT goes with it. BUT i fear...........
So i'll be at work while others wil be sitting at the TV, watching nervously, jumping up and down, nervously as each second passes by.
While my fears turn to reality...................
Update:
The game has started and we are alreacy 1 - 0 down.
BUT i know if the guys play all out, we can DO ITTTTTTT.
Now, back to work...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Three events that lead to the decline of our National Football Team, and now..
On the evening on Tuesday the 3RD of August 2004, what was meant to be the defining moment in Bahrain’s Football history sadly turned out to be the start of its rapid decline into obscurity.
ONE
It was the semi-final match of the 2004 Asian Football Cup held in China and we were one victory away from reaching the final, something that we had never ever achieved, and I believe had we made it through we would have won it without a doubt.
The last dying seconds of the match brought our downfall, we had just come back from a 2 – 1 deficit and were leading 3 – 2, with a few minutes of remaining. It looked very good for us as we were one man up; what happened next can give sports fans nightmares, we just imploded. The defences just began to crumble, the players began to slag and tire and did not return back onto their assigned players, we were unable to clear the football from our half and two critical defensive errors led to Japan tying the match at 3 – 3 and then leading 4 – 3 in the added extra time. When the final whistle blew and the dust settled, our national team fighting spirits receded with the lost opportunity, and it has yet to return.
Following this lacklustre end of game performance, the National team slowly declined into obscurity. Don’t get me wrong we still had, and continue to have good players, but that team in my mind, was the best group of BAHRAINI players that could have achieved a lot; had they won the Asian Cup final, it could have then taken the Gulf Cup in 2004, and also have reached the 2006 World Cup finals much earlier rather than having to play the additional matches, up to our eventual loss to T&T.
Had the former occurred, it would have changed Bahrain’s football history for the better and put us on the ASIAN & GCC Footballing MAP.
TWO
The continued decline was evident in the 2004, 17TH GCC Gulf cup which was hosted by the State of Qatar, the eventual winners. We barely go through to the second round after a fiercely fought match against Saudia Arabia, but we were then bettered by Oman, an up and coming team. We had the professional players but they had the better ones, who played with heart and determination.
THREE
The pinnacle of our demise was the eventual one nil loss to Trinidad and Tobego on 16 November 2005 in the very last qualifications play-off match that would have taken us to the 2006 world cup; we were one player short from reaching the World Cup for the first time in our Country’s history. We lost 1 – 0 in that match and 2 – 1 on aggregate. Mohamed Salmeen had been suspended in the first leg of the qualifying play-off match for a second book able offence; his absence affected us and reduced our firing power and ball movement in the middle of the field; yet another great achievement that was not realised.
What went wrong?
Well for one, some of the players got too full of themselves; they turned professional playing in the regional Leagues and lost sight of the hard work, sweat, defeminisation and the fighting spirit (playing till the whistle is blown) that had gotten them there. Their attitudes changed, they became more like cry babies and hot heads rather than professionals, and dependable members of a National team. Each player was now playing defensively trying not to get hurt, so as not to forfeiting their PAID professional careers.
For another, our best scorer, Alah Hubail got injured and has now lost his finishing touch. The fact is we do not have alternative players, there is no pool of scorers from which we can pick and choose. The players on the National team don’t shoot the ball with any accuracy; they just kick and hope the ball goes to wards the goal. Scorers have to have the touch, and take the opportunities count as they come, in cases of minimal chances playing against tough teams, a superstar takes over and creates his own chances; again, we lack the presence of a player of that calibre.
WHY IS THAT?
Consider how much the other GCC states spend on their football teams or their football federation initiatives to create a pool of players from which they can pick when needed.
We do not have a forward minded presence in our Football Federation, if we did, three would be visits by coaches to the public & private schools where the young players would be taught the basics of football, where the sports instructors in those schools would be put under a vigorous training regime that would improve their knowledge and thereby lead to better training of the students.
Additionally, the exceptional players selected based on their superior skills could then be taken and trained under the wings of professional coaches.
This would start a chain reaction that would positively impacted the younger players and aspired them to play at much higher levels, this may also convince the Bahrain Football Federation to spend more on them and send the exceptional ones to professional Football training schools for further improvement and growth. Sadly that is not to be…
……………………………
Alas, today was day one of the 2007 Asian CUP; and we just lost 2 – 1 to Indonesia.
Need I say more………
On the evening on Tuesday the 3RD of August 2004, what was meant to be the defining moment in Bahrain’s Football history sadly turned out to be the start of its rapid decline into obscurity.
ONE
It was the semi-final match of the 2004 Asian Football Cup held in China and we were one victory away from reaching the final, something that we had never ever achieved, and I believe had we made it through we would have won it without a doubt.
The last dying seconds of the match brought our downfall, we had just come back from a 2 – 1 deficit and were leading 3 – 2, with a few minutes of remaining. It looked very good for us as we were one man up; what happened next can give sports fans nightmares, we just imploded. The defences just began to crumble, the players began to slag and tire and did not return back onto their assigned players, we were unable to clear the football from our half and two critical defensive errors led to Japan tying the match at 3 – 3 and then leading 4 – 3 in the added extra time. When the final whistle blew and the dust settled, our national team fighting spirits receded with the lost opportunity, and it has yet to return.
Following this lacklustre end of game performance, the National team slowly declined into obscurity. Don’t get me wrong we still had, and continue to have good players, but that team in my mind, was the best group of BAHRAINI players that could have achieved a lot; had they won the Asian Cup final, it could have then taken the Gulf Cup in 2004, and also have reached the 2006 World Cup finals much earlier rather than having to play the additional matches, up to our eventual loss to T&T.
Had the former occurred, it would have changed Bahrain’s football history for the better and put us on the ASIAN & GCC Footballing MAP.
TWO
The continued decline was evident in the 2004, 17TH GCC Gulf cup which was hosted by the State of Qatar, the eventual winners. We barely go through to the second round after a fiercely fought match against Saudia Arabia, but we were then bettered by Oman, an up and coming team. We had the professional players but they had the better ones, who played with heart and determination.
THREE
The pinnacle of our demise was the eventual one nil loss to Trinidad and Tobego on 16 November 2005 in the very last qualifications play-off match that would have taken us to the 2006 world cup; we were one player short from reaching the World Cup for the first time in our Country’s history. We lost 1 – 0 in that match and 2 – 1 on aggregate. Mohamed Salmeen had been suspended in the first leg of the qualifying play-off match for a second book able offence; his absence affected us and reduced our firing power and ball movement in the middle of the field; yet another great achievement that was not realised.
What went wrong?
Well for one, some of the players got too full of themselves; they turned professional playing in the regional Leagues and lost sight of the hard work, sweat, defeminisation and the fighting spirit (playing till the whistle is blown) that had gotten them there. Their attitudes changed, they became more like cry babies and hot heads rather than professionals, and dependable members of a National team. Each player was now playing defensively trying not to get hurt, so as not to forfeiting their PAID professional careers.
For another, our best scorer, Alah Hubail got injured and has now lost his finishing touch. The fact is we do not have alternative players, there is no pool of scorers from which we can pick and choose. The players on the National team don’t shoot the ball with any accuracy; they just kick and hope the ball goes to wards the goal. Scorers have to have the touch, and take the opportunities count as they come, in cases of minimal chances playing against tough teams, a superstar takes over and creates his own chances; again, we lack the presence of a player of that calibre.
WHY IS THAT?
Consider how much the other GCC states spend on their football teams or their football federation initiatives to create a pool of players from which they can pick when needed.
We do not have a forward minded presence in our Football Federation, if we did, three would be visits by coaches to the public & private schools where the young players would be taught the basics of football, where the sports instructors in those schools would be put under a vigorous training regime that would improve their knowledge and thereby lead to better training of the students.
Additionally, the exceptional players selected based on their superior skills could then be taken and trained under the wings of professional coaches.
This would start a chain reaction that would positively impacted the younger players and aspired them to play at much higher levels, this may also convince the Bahrain Football Federation to spend more on them and send the exceptional ones to professional Football training schools for further improvement and growth. Sadly that is not to be…
……………………………
Alas, today was day one of the 2007 Asian CUP; and we just lost 2 – 1 to Indonesia.
Need I say more………
Sunday, July 08, 2007
BanderGate, CNN & now the LA Times; all raising the issue of promoted Secretarianism by factions within the Government. What now?
c) The mistrust by the Government in its population believing that external bodies are influencing their decisions, thus the target populous can't be trusted or depended on,
d) The previous two points leading to the government continuing to employ foreigners in its Civil services & Armed forces'
Quote"Independent observers have criticized the government for regularly staffing security forces with non-Bahraini Sunnis."Unqoute
e) A widening gap between the poor and the rich,
f) A low standard public education system that has not been updated to today's requirements
and many more.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A blogger mentioned in an article earlier this year that the only way forward, was if the Government come out and accepted responsibilities for the role it played in past events, and sincerely apologised for the tragic deaths of many civilians and the torture of prisoners. This would not clear the slate clean but it would prove their seriousness in moving forward and enable progressive dialogue to ensue, with the aim of a better future as one nation. It is not enough to say that we are one nation; we should actually feel like one nation, and not a nation within a nation.
I wholeheartedly agree but also, as the article rightly states;
"King Hamed bin Isa AlKhalifa, the ultimate authority in Bahrain".
Yes His Highness is the ultimate authority in Bahrain and he has on many occasions clearly stated his wishes, both in the past and by reiterating it again on the 20th of June 2007,
QUOTE from another blog
His Majesty King Hamad vowed yesterday that Bahrain’s human rights clock “will never turn back”. He told members of Bahrain Human Rights Society and Bahrain Human Rights Watch: “We will not tolerate any injustices or violations of Bahrainis’ or expatriates’ rights.”
“Our doors have remained open from the beginning for all to report their grievances,” His Majesty said.
With His Highness, the King in the forefront, and assistance from the Prime Ministry, His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa Bin Slaman Al Khalifa, and backed by our forward minded Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, i hope these factions are convinced that the best way forward is together as one nation, we can not and should not support the hard line ideology nor should we as a county, replicate the events that are occurring in countries around us like Saudia Arabia, Afghanistan & Iraq where fundamentalism is rampant or an Islamic state such as Iran or Saudi Arabia; this may lead to the break down of the fabrics of our Society; this is a fact that has been realised by some of these Government who are now having a difficult time combating the movements.
Our loyalty remains with God (Allah), our King (His Highness King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa) and our Country (the Kingdom of Bahrain), it is high time the rest of the faction realize this and allow the cycle of healing to commence. We need to go forwards not backwards.
The article in yesterday's (7th July 2007) LA Times has put the spotlight back on to our country, the last time this happened was with the Bandergate incident.
Transparency, Trustworthy & Accountable; three words that do not come into the picture when talking about entities within the Government.
Why is there still a division?
Well, for one, there are many economical, social & political reasons leading to the continued division;
Some of the more apparent causes are:
a) a high rate of unemployment, even if the Government entities dispute the calims, the figures they release can't be confirmed or refuted by an independant body,
b) continued discrimination of shia majority in Government positions that are considered too sensitive,c) The mistrust by the Government in its population believing that external bodies are influencing their decisions, thus the target populous can't be trusted or depended on,
d) The previous two points leading to the government continuing to employ foreigners in its Civil services & Armed forces'
Quote"Independent observers have criticized the government for regularly staffing security forces with non-Bahraini Sunnis."Unqoute
e) A widening gap between the poor and the rich,
f) A low standard public education system that has not been updated to today's requirements
and many more.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A blogger mentioned in an article earlier this year that the only way forward, was if the Government come out and accepted responsibilities for the role it played in past events, and sincerely apologised for the tragic deaths of many civilians and the torture of prisoners. This would not clear the slate clean but it would prove their seriousness in moving forward and enable progressive dialogue to ensue, with the aim of a better future as one nation. It is not enough to say that we are one nation; we should actually feel like one nation, and not a nation within a nation.
I wholeheartedly agree but also, as the article rightly states;
"King Hamed bin Isa AlKhalifa, the ultimate authority in Bahrain".
Yes His Highness is the ultimate authority in Bahrain and he has on many occasions clearly stated his wishes, both in the past and by reiterating it again on the 20th of June 2007,
QUOTE from another blog
His Majesty King Hamad vowed yesterday that Bahrain’s human rights clock “will never turn back”. He told members of Bahrain Human Rights Society and Bahrain Human Rights Watch: “We will not tolerate any injustices or violations of Bahrainis’ or expatriates’ rights.”
“Our doors have remained open from the beginning for all to report their grievances,” His Majesty said.
With His Highness, the King in the forefront, and assistance from the Prime Ministry, His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa Bin Slaman Al Khalifa, and backed by our forward minded Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, i hope these factions are convinced that the best way forward is together as one nation, we can not and should not support the hard line ideology nor should we as a county, replicate the events that are occurring in countries around us like Saudia Arabia, Afghanistan & Iraq where fundamentalism is rampant or an Islamic state such as Iran or Saudi Arabia; this may lead to the break down of the fabrics of our Society; this is a fact that has been realised by some of these Government who are now having a difficult time combating the movements.
Our loyalty remains with God (Allah), our King (His Highness King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa) and our Country (the Kingdom of Bahrain), it is high time the rest of the faction realize this and allow the cycle of healing to commence. We need to go forwards not backwards.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Isn't it high time we get our very own Railway (Monorail/Metro) system?
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Monorail systems have been built in many countries around the world, many of them on elevated tracks through crowded areas that would otherwise require the construction of expensive underground lines or have the disadvantages of surface lines.
Isn't it time for a Railway System here in little old K.O.Bahrain?
Again, Dubai beat us to the punch a long time ago; back in 1997 they commissioned a feasibility study known as R7100, which was completed by 2000, it concluded that Dubai could no longer wholly rely on Roads Transport System to cater to its escalating traffic demands. The findings also recommended a need for a transit system to ease congestion.
b) A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro (politan) system is a railway—usually in an urban area—with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. In most parts of the world these systems are known as a "metro", in London the system is called the "underground", while in most of North America and in Glasgow, Scotland it is a "subway".
c) To be updated shortly.
Monorail systems have been built in many countries around the world, many of them on elevated tracks through crowded areas that would otherwise require the construction of expensive underground lines or have the disadvantages of surface lines.
Isn't it time for a Railway System here in little old K.O.Bahrain?
Again, Dubai beat us to the punch a long time ago; back in 1997 they commissioned a feasibility study known as R7100, which was completed by 2000, it concluded that Dubai could no longer wholly rely on Roads Transport System to cater to its escalating traffic demands. The findings also recommended a need for a transit system to ease congestion.
Quote from their site: Dubai Metro
The Dubai government commissioned studies to “evaluate most efficient and cost-effective solution to combat traffic congestion” that resulted in the birth of Dubai Metro. Termed as the flagship project of the Roads and Transport Authority, this 15.5 billion Dirhams project will be a benchmark in terms of its state-of-the-art engineering, being an architectural showpiece and for its direct role in providing social benefits.
The project will be delivered in two phases wherein the first stage will construct the Red Line and will run along the famous Sheikh Zayed Road, on a viaduct. The second phase that will deliver the Green line will be built mostly underground. The Red line (Phase I) is marked for completion on September, 2009 while the Green Line (Phase II) is scheduled to be completed in March 2010.
SO WHAT ABOUT BAHRAIN?
An article published in the GDN on 21 June 2007 under the title ‘Mega railway project is discussed’, may be a hint that our Government has now somewhat realized that we too require a railway system or metro that is most appropriate for our needs.
Their aim should be to providing a cheaper and alternative mode of transport; it should be a means to ease the dependency on cars and thereby reduce traffic congestion.
The implementation of the metro will not only ease congestion but will also help to improve economic development and urban regeneration, and help reduce pollution. (I stole this like from the Dubai metro site)
WHO SHOULD OWN & PAY FOR THIS VAST PROJECT?
Lets be realistic, the people who can most afford such a project (other than the Government) and actually be adversely affected by its implementation, if they are not part owners or involved, are the recognizable names like E.K. Kanoo, Zayani Group, Almoayyed, BinHindi, National Motor, Behbehani and so on…. Yes, all the giant CAR Dealership owners who are currently wreaking the benefits of an extraordinarily high car sale figure for the past couple of years.
Yes, if such a project becomes reality in the K.O.Bahrain, provided it’s a carefully thought out and intricate network that covers all or most of the areas around the Island, then believe you me when I say that you will get a lot less demand for cars.
There would be a lot less demand for continuous usage of cars; the roads would be less congested, exceptions would be for very long distances not covered by the railway; usually trips to be taken abroad via the Saudi Causeway and later the Bahrain Qatar causeway, the latter may not really necessitate your own personal car as the talk going around is that there will also be a train system built onto the bridge.
Exciting times or NOT!
Ooh, I can just dream of such a day, it would be a huge leap for our country. Sadly, my biggest fear is this may only remain a dream and never a reality, taking into view the fact that a few weeks back, the newspapers indicated that the Government hand a long term Roads Transport System modification plan that goes past 2020. ??
What the hell is that? If we take their word for it, then the projected date for an online fully functional up and running system would be 2080.
I don’t believe I’ll be alive by them, you never know.
BUT for now, I will continue to use my car, and wait impatiently in the long queues, or at the redundant Traffic lights, or search desperately for a vacant parking spot near my residence; while other countries in the GCC surpass us.
WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO US?
a) Mono Rail - A monorail is a single rail serving as a track for a wheeled vehicle; also, a vehicle traveling on such a track.
b) A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro (politan) system is a railway—usually in an urban area—with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. In most parts of the world these systems are known as a "metro", in London the system is called the "underground", while in most of North America and in Glasgow, Scotland it is a "subway".
c) To be updated shortly.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
OOPS they did it again, MPs confess that they do not know what the hell they are doing!
Well, almost…..In yesterday’s Bahrain Tribune an honorary MP confesses that they actually did not know what they were approving, when they signed the 1% forced unemployment contribution into law, that which has now become a thorn in our sides.
They really did not read it, did they? Nor did they understand the implications it would have. Who blames them?
You ask me, the whole useless lot of them, went to work that day, punched in their card so as to make sure they got paid their undeserved dues, voted ‘Yae’ on all the petitions without reading them and then left to go back home to rest after such a long and hard day’s work.
Yes, thinking, or actually trying to think takes a lot out of anyone not used to it.
What’s new?
We, the people of K.O.Bahrain F’ed up when we elected each and every one of them; whether it being members of the Al Asala, Al Wefaq, the Independents, the Government stooges or any other trigger happy Bahrainis who’s motives for acquiring a seat in the Parliament was to get the benefits that went with the coveted position and the pension that will ensue soon after they are kicked out; which will definitely happen since they have already exposed their true colors during the first term.
They have proven this by their unsatisfiable greed which is driving them to further improve their already hefty benefits rather than do what they were elected for, which was to cater for the people’s need, better their lives and protect them against the Government’s unilateral decision & policy making and lack of transparency.
“Why has this happened?” You ask yourself.
I’ll tell you why, because the first year we elected the good for nothing MPs we got diddle, all they achieved was to fattening their pockets and of course continue to benefited from the gifts bestowed upon them, tokens of appreciation from the Government to bud out of their affairs. They exercised a blind eye and were deservedly kicked out by the end of the first term.
So what did we then go out and do?
Don't get me wrong, i not blaiming the Government, who the hell would not try to take advantage of a group of people who really do not know what their duties are and where their loyalty should lay. (I'm not trying to bash the Government at each opportunity i get, but they have become used to their old ways and it's going to be a very hard journey for them to reform)
Poor misguided and ignorant us, we went out and elect another bunch of good for nothing MPs.
What now?
Well, in a little over two and a half years time we will yet again get another opportunity to shove another hot iron rod right up our @$$es, for the third straight term.
I’m looking forward to it.
You know, how does the saying go?
‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’.
I can’t wait to see us get fooled again. Trust me it will happen again; there is too big a divide between the Bahraini citizens now, and this weakness will be further fuel and taken advantage of by the next batch of graduates (illiterate) candidates.
The only way out of this $hit hole is to elect intellectuals and highly educated Economists, Doctors, Engineers, Professors and Scientists; no religious fanatic, no wolves in sheep’s clothing and especially no Government stooges.
FAT CHANCE!
Oh yah, take a good look at the mannequins in the shop windows, they will probably disappear very soon being as they are so sexual in nature and continue to turn us guys in to horny, brain dead perverts.
I’m going to take the MPs word on this.
They really did not read it, did they? Nor did they understand the implications it would have. Who blames them?
You ask me, the whole useless lot of them, went to work that day, punched in their card so as to make sure they got paid their undeserved dues, voted ‘Yae’ on all the petitions without reading them and then left to go back home to rest after such a long and hard day’s work.
Yes, thinking, or actually trying to think takes a lot out of anyone not used to it.
What’s new?
We, the people of K.O.Bahrain F’ed up when we elected each and every one of them; whether it being members of the Al Asala, Al Wefaq, the Independents, the Government stooges or any other trigger happy Bahrainis who’s motives for acquiring a seat in the Parliament was to get the benefits that went with the coveted position and the pension that will ensue soon after they are kicked out; which will definitely happen since they have already exposed their true colors during the first term.
They have proven this by their unsatisfiable greed which is driving them to further improve their already hefty benefits rather than do what they were elected for, which was to cater for the people’s need, better their lives and protect them against the Government’s unilateral decision & policy making and lack of transparency.
“Why has this happened?” You ask yourself.
I’ll tell you why, because the first year we elected the good for nothing MPs we got diddle, all they achieved was to fattening their pockets and of course continue to benefited from the gifts bestowed upon them, tokens of appreciation from the Government to bud out of their affairs. They exercised a blind eye and were deservedly kicked out by the end of the first term.
So what did we then go out and do?
Don't get me wrong, i not blaiming the Government, who the hell would not try to take advantage of a group of people who really do not know what their duties are and where their loyalty should lay. (I'm not trying to bash the Government at each opportunity i get, but they have become used to their old ways and it's going to be a very hard journey for them to reform)
Poor misguided and ignorant us, we went out and elect another bunch of good for nothing MPs.
What now?
Well, in a little over two and a half years time we will yet again get another opportunity to shove another hot iron rod right up our @$$es, for the third straight term.
I’m looking forward to it.
You know, how does the saying go?
‘Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’.
I can’t wait to see us get fooled again. Trust me it will happen again; there is too big a divide between the Bahraini citizens now, and this weakness will be further fuel and taken advantage of by the next batch of graduates (illiterate) candidates.
The only way out of this $hit hole is to elect intellectuals and highly educated Economists, Doctors, Engineers, Professors and Scientists; no religious fanatic, no wolves in sheep’s clothing and especially no Government stooges.
FAT CHANCE!
Oh yah, take a good look at the mannequins in the shop windows, they will probably disappear very soon being as they are so sexual in nature and continue to turn us guys in to horny, brain dead perverts.
I’m going to take the MPs word on this.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
'Road toll' will become a reality in Dubai on 1st July 2007. Should & Will we follow suite?
Dubai will go live on the 1st of July 2007 with 'SALIK', its road toll system; with the current traffic congstion problem and the increasing number of new cars on the roads of K.O.Bahrain, will it be long before Bahrain follows suit.
Quote from the official site
"HOW IT WORKS
Salik is a free flow tolling system without toll booths, barriers, or gates, allowing traffic to move freely through the tolling point at highway speeds.
There will be two tolling points: Al Garhoud Bridge and Sheikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates.
Each time you pass through a Salik tolling point, the toll of AED4 will be deducted from your prepaid toll account using the latest in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.Your vehicle will be identified to the system through communication with the small, thin Salik sticker tag affixed to your windshield."
The Dubai RTA authorities are adamant that the scheme will go ahead as planned even though there has been speculation that it may be delayed because of the public reaction & uproar.
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/06/24/10134636.html
What about Bahrain?
DO WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THIS?
Will implementing such a system benefit us in the long run?
Will the tolls collected in such a scheme be reinvested to improve the road systems, were it to be implementing here?
Would we agree to pay the toll? I don't remember agreeing to the 1% it that still did not stop the government from implementing it!
Huh..., only time will tell.
Personally, i believe there should be a tolling system but only on healivy congested roads & bridges in K.O.Bahrain. It should be a smart system that records data like;
a) the number of times a car drives on the the road in a day,
b) Whether the car is registered under an individual residing in the area, or registered under a company located there,
...... and any other important information that ensures only the people abusing or misusing the roads to be charged.
Fees are not to be charged for normal use.
The fee should not exceed BD0.200 fils.
And the income obtained should only be used as a slush fund to further improve the road systems.
It should not be a personal Piggy Bank for the government at our expense.
What's you view in this matter?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
A simple Hand Shake is just not the same anymore.
A hand shake is not what is used to be, it doesn’t have the same stature as it did before. Now a day, its fist thumping, chest bumping and secret hand shakes. I’m sure this happened didn’t happen overnight, over the last couple of centuries society has changed, people have loosened up and chilled and so has the way we greet each other.But the classic hand shake still exists, people still use it when greeting a friend, a relative, a sports buddy or a business associate and especially a Senior Manager/ employee at work.
Yet, it too has changed.
Here’s what I mean;
I greet my friends in all means and manners possible, some I can’t even mention, yet when the time comes for a dose of the good old hand shake, I’m up for it.
I personally have a firm hand shake, and would like one in return, it just some how feels right; so when I’m greeting someone, I hold out my hand waiting anxiously to greet the other person’s, with my thumb expecting to make contact with their’s before the grip tightens, and shake if necessary (this being and the upwards and downwards motion). AT THIS MOMENT I SUGGEST THAT YOU REFRANE FROM ALLOWING YOUR MIND TO WANDER, THE SUBJECT MATTER IS NOT SEXUAL IN NATURE, PERVERTS!
Anyways, I’m almost never met with as firm hand shake, people either grab the four fingers or just grasps at the tips of my fingers and shake, or just hold that position; or our wrists may completely interlock but they have a soft and unwelcoming grip.
Why is that?
I can’t enforce change onto others but if you every do meet me out side, don’t forget, interlock, firm grip, and shake if necessary.
PLEASE REFRANE FROM YOUR FILTHY THOUGHTS, I only have clean intentions here.
I promise.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
1% here, 1% there, it's now LAW. What Now?
By now it has become common knowledge that the government unilaterally has decided to pool 1% of monthly income from the private sector, basically from our hard earned salaries, to be used as a slush fund for the unemployed.
The drone MPs, in effect, have put their A.O.K. on it as well and businesses have officially been instructed to started to leach funds out of salaries, before employee pay cheques are handed over.
Oh yah, i forgot to mention that our GOSI contribution, which most bahrainis will not see a cent of during their life time, has been increased from 5% to 6%. The 1% extra will be deducted back valued from May.
So in effect, i will get 8% less this month to the usual 5% GOSI contribution deducted each month; the additional 3% being, 1% for the unemployment slush fund, the other 2% being the increase in the GOSI contribution for MAY & JUNE, and 7% from next month onwards.
If salaries in Bahrain were adjusted for the inflation rate and the yearly increment, if any, was significant, this would not have a big impact on our day to day lives. Unfortunately here in la la land it WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.
MPs and Ministers are eXcluded, WHY?
They get the big bucks, then why in the world would one not expect them to cough up their contribution? They too must pay their dues to Society, Don't you think?
The fact is all the MPs would have immediately voted against the scheme had they been included as well.
All employees of the 'Ministry of Interior' are excluded as well; namely the Armed forces, Public Police & Riot Police; WHY?
FACTs
If you want to look at it from a religious point of view, it is haram, this is not ZAKAT.
If you look at it from a legal point of view, IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL, we are being forced to pay, I NEVER AGREED TO IT.
Questions: Why don't they make it a voluntary contribution?
Answer: Simply because no one would voluntarily contribute.
FACT
So what is left out of our meagrely salary?
Peanuts!
What guarantees is there that the slush fund will not be used for alternative means, similar to what was and is happening in some ministries?
Mark my words, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, the Government will implement TAXATION, and we will have to pay it, no question's asked.
Now excuse me as i have to trim down my monthly spending & recalculate my saving, what ever is left to save.
PEANUTS, huh!
The drone MPs, in effect, have put their A.O.K. on it as well and businesses have officially been instructed to started to leach funds out of salaries, before employee pay cheques are handed over.
Oh yah, i forgot to mention that our GOSI contribution, which most bahrainis will not see a cent of during their life time, has been increased from 5% to 6%. The 1% extra will be deducted back valued from May.
So in effect, i will get 8% less this month to the usual 5% GOSI contribution deducted each month; the additional 3% being, 1% for the unemployment slush fund, the other 2% being the increase in the GOSI contribution for MAY & JUNE, and 7% from next month onwards.
If salaries in Bahrain were adjusted for the inflation rate and the yearly increment, if any, was significant, this would not have a big impact on our day to day lives. Unfortunately here in la la land it WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.
MPs and Ministers are eXcluded, WHY?
They get the big bucks, then why in the world would one not expect them to cough up their contribution? They too must pay their dues to Society, Don't you think?
The fact is all the MPs would have immediately voted against the scheme had they been included as well.
All employees of the 'Ministry of Interior' are excluded as well; namely the Armed forces, Public Police & Riot Police; WHY?
FACTs
If you want to look at it from a religious point of view, it is haram, this is not ZAKAT.
If you look at it from a legal point of view, IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL, we are being forced to pay, I NEVER AGREED TO IT.
Questions: Why don't they make it a voluntary contribution?
Answer: Simply because no one would voluntarily contribute.
FACT
So what is left out of our meagrely salary?
Peanuts!
What guarantees is there that the slush fund will not be used for alternative means, similar to what was and is happening in some ministries?
Mark my words, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, the Government will implement TAXATION, and we will have to pay it, no question's asked.
Now excuse me as i have to trim down my monthly spending & recalculate my saving, what ever is left to save.
PEANUTS, huh!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Is the 'DREAM' really over?
Last month, the government banned local Satellite shops from selling reprogrammed receivers that were used to illegally view subscription channels.
This whole market started off with the launch of counterfeit subscription cards, that were cheaper than the original ones, the Satellite companies fought back with smarter and better encoding & encryption systems which would change the codes numerous times each minute and could only be read by the original cards. Inventive programmers and engineers were able to find alternative means of working around the efforts of the Satellite channels, either directly through reprogramming receivers or by installing pre-programmed chips onto the units.
Now, there are numerous types & models of receivers that can be programmed to either accept 'serial codes' manually input or connection directly to the internet for updates, all of them give free access to channels showing programs which we would not see otherwise, without having subscribed to the actual distributors or local agents, and paying a hefty monthly/yearly fee.
The most infamous of these has been the 'Dream Box' (DB), a receiver that connects to the internet, and automatically accesses a dedicated IP address located somewhere on the net, the address of which has been programmed into the receiver unit itself. The receiver automatically synchs and updates codes by retrieving them directly from distributing IP addresses, thereby preventing disruption of the illegal service, to the satisfaction of the customers.
This was of course done for an initial purchase and installation fee, followed by a yearly subscription fee that was much less than one would have to pay through legal channels.
Today's article in the GDN titled 'Clampdown on 'Dream Boxes'' may be a formal confirmation or a reinforcement of the government's seriousness in this matter, directed to the Satellite shops, who have in turn adhered to the ban and discontinued stock piling the DBs receivers for sale to consumers, this is definitely a blow to their bottom lines.
YET, there is always a black market, and greed is the driving force behind any illegal scheme, so the sale and installation of such receivers will continue; only now the purchase price will become higher but still cheaper than getting the service through legal channels.
If the government is serious, they will come down hard on the perpetrators, this will surely force many Satellite shops to close, as most of their income is a direct result of the sale of such illegal services, though they may not be officially announcing it.
To an extent i say the satellite channel distributors deserve this theft because of the high subscription prices that they charge, due to the distribution rights that they purchase for the various desired channels and the monopoly that they then have on the market.
On the other hand, illegal is illegal is illegal, so i think the best rout should be for the Satellite channel distributors to lower their subscription fees to such an extent that it would not be cost effective to install the illegal receivers.
What next?
This whole market started off with the launch of counterfeit subscription cards, that were cheaper than the original ones, the Satellite companies fought back with smarter and better encoding & encryption systems which would change the codes numerous times each minute and could only be read by the original cards. Inventive programmers and engineers were able to find alternative means of working around the efforts of the Satellite channels, either directly through reprogramming receivers or by installing pre-programmed chips onto the units.
Now, there are numerous types & models of receivers that can be programmed to either accept 'serial codes' manually input or connection directly to the internet for updates, all of them give free access to channels showing programs which we would not see otherwise, without having subscribed to the actual distributors or local agents, and paying a hefty monthly/yearly fee.
The most infamous of these has been the 'Dream Box' (DB), a receiver that connects to the internet, and automatically accesses a dedicated IP address located somewhere on the net, the address of which has been programmed into the receiver unit itself. The receiver automatically synchs and updates codes by retrieving them directly from distributing IP addresses, thereby preventing disruption of the illegal service, to the satisfaction of the customers.
This was of course done for an initial purchase and installation fee, followed by a yearly subscription fee that was much less than one would have to pay through legal channels.
Today's article in the GDN titled 'Clampdown on 'Dream Boxes'' may be a formal confirmation or a reinforcement of the government's seriousness in this matter, directed to the Satellite shops, who have in turn adhered to the ban and discontinued stock piling the DBs receivers for sale to consumers, this is definitely a blow to their bottom lines.
YET, there is always a black market, and greed is the driving force behind any illegal scheme, so the sale and installation of such receivers will continue; only now the purchase price will become higher but still cheaper than getting the service through legal channels.
If the government is serious, they will come down hard on the perpetrators, this will surely force many Satellite shops to close, as most of their income is a direct result of the sale of such illegal services, though they may not be officially announcing it.
To an extent i say the satellite channel distributors deserve this theft because of the high subscription prices that they charge, due to the distribution rights that they purchase for the various desired channels and the monopoly that they then have on the market.
On the other hand, illegal is illegal is illegal, so i think the best rout should be for the Satellite channel distributors to lower their subscription fees to such an extent that it would not be cost effective to install the illegal receivers.
What next?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Have you ever blanked out in an EXAM?
Well, have you?
I did yesterday during an exam.
I confess, I did not take advantage of the weekend to catch up but studied only during the morning of the exam; but I knew everything, so what went wrong?
I had a good nights sleep the previous day, so I wasn’t stressed out. I had three Red Bulls energy drinks to keep the blood pumping and the adrenalin at a high level.
So why did I blank the moment I saw the first question, which was the easiest question of the lot.
I had no problem remembering the answers to the other tougher questions, but whenever I glanced at question numero uno, the invisible brick wall came back and smacked be rights in the face.
I hope I get off my lazy @$$ and study for the other exams BEFORE HAND.
But......., I very much doubt that will happen.
I did yesterday during an exam.
I confess, I did not take advantage of the weekend to catch up but studied only during the morning of the exam; but I knew everything, so what went wrong?
I had a good nights sleep the previous day, so I wasn’t stressed out. I had three Red Bulls energy drinks to keep the blood pumping and the adrenalin at a high level.
So why did I blank the moment I saw the first question, which was the easiest question of the lot.
I had no problem remembering the answers to the other tougher questions, but whenever I glanced at question numero uno, the invisible brick wall came back and smacked be rights in the face.
I hope I get off my lazy @$$ and study for the other exams BEFORE HAND.
But......., I very much doubt that will happen.
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