Results tagged “Rants And Raves”

I am thoroughly enjoying the run up to the Elections, the myriad of satellite shows on Scope TV, AlRai, Nabeeha Tahaluf and others, the campaign headquarter visits, the newspaper and blog articles fueled by scandals and analysis... The media is indeed helping to shape the results of the next election.

The 'mad prophet of the airwaves' Howard Beale (Peter Finch) howled in the classic 70s drama NETWORK, "I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Is the Kuwaiti electorate angry enough to make a real difference on May 17^th?

Technorati : kuwait, politics

Following months of grueling campaigns, set amidst a tense, competitive backdrop, featuring both 'The Economic Family Bloc' and 'The Chamber Bloc', as well as Independent Candidates, elections for the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry ended today with a resounding victory for the 'Economic Family Bloc.' The polls closed at 8pm and unlike previous elections, the ballot counting was manual, not electronic (due to requests by members of the 'Chamber Bloc'); this in turn led to over 12 hours of ballot-counting by the Election Committees.

Decisive results were known at around 8am this morning: incumbent KCCI Chairman Ali Al-Ghanim and the 'Economic Family Bloc' won a landslide victory - a wide margin over their competitors - all twelve of their members re-elected.

Results are indicative of the private sector's desire to maintain stability, equilibrium and continuity in the Chamber of Commerce And Industry; moreover, results telegraph a strong message to any external elements that might have wanted to politicize or exploit the Kuwaiti business community for the sake of demagogic cheap thrills.

(Check Kuwait Times Article for reference).

KCCI Headquarters

An Interview Featuring KCCI Member Mr. Dharar Al-Ghanim

The 'Chamber Group' Headquarters

The 'Economic Family Group' Headquarters

Re-elected KCCI Chairman Mr. Ali Al-Ghanim

KCCI Election Committees Burning The Midnight Oil

Technorati : Chamber of Commerce, Elections, Kuwait

AFP Photo - Minister Nuriya Al-Sebih (seen here with U.S. First Lady Laura Bush)

The Minister of Education Nuriya Al-Sebih recently fired her Under-Secretary Jassem Al-Omar - among other reformist actions she is pursuing at her ministry.

She has more cojones than most of her male minister colleagues combined.

A 'Kuwait Book Fair' is on the horizon. If you are into cheap Arabic paperbacks, social science books, academic journals by 3rd rate Arab institutions and language how-to-guides, held together by make-shift plywood counters and shelves, you are gonna love it. If you are searching for SKINNY BITCH, Khaled Hosseini's THE KITE RUNNER, John Grisham's PLAYING FOR PIZZA and other New York Times best-sellers, I suggest you look elsewhere. Like Borders and Virgin in Dubai or the new Borders in Muscat.

Last Year's Book Fair In Mishrif

The Kuwait definition of irony is....Kuwait Book Fair Next Week and 230 Books Banned.

I may not agree with the politics of the Al-Watan newspaper, nontheless, I have to admit that their new satellite station Al-Watan TV is one slick, efficient piece of programming with variety of shows covering various demographics. The promos and other related material between shows are also professional, well edited and scored - apparently they have a top notch team working behind the scenes as well.

An entertaining satirical show - which gives UAE's Al-Fareej a run for its money - is Bu Qatada And Bu Nabeel, a CGI comedy revolving around a Westernised Kuwaiti, a Bedouin and an Islamist. Kudos to any show that manages to both simultaneously highlight our differences and celebrate them, not to mention offer talented, creative Kuwaitis an opportunity to create such programs.

If I were Al-Rai TV I'd be very nervous now.

As far as KTV is concerned they have become irrelevant with a huge drop in advertising revenue this year due to competition.

A CALL TO WEB CALLS
by Amer Al-Hilal
Reprinted from Arab Times (10th March, 2007)

The Kuwait Ministry of Communications apparently is not familiar with globalization, the shrinking 'world village' and the communications revolution sweeping the world. The bureaucratic, backward MOC mentality is stuck in a 1985 time warp. As reported the last few days, the Ministry of Communications has blocked Internet Telephony Services. One could see this particular train wreck coming ever since one of the MOC Under-Secretaries complained a few months ago of losing "20 million KD" in revenue per year due to the Net services.

But let us ponder the issue at hand what is KD 20 million to the MOC? Is this amount more important than allowing our expatriates and businesses to communicate in a swifter, less expensive manner via the net? The majority of citizens in Kuwait are expatriates, and many of them rely on services like Net To Phone because they cannot pay the exorbitant prices by the MOC. These tactics by the MOC are akin to Mafia extortion tactics (arrests, intimidation, blocked sites), forcing citizens to use high cost, sub par services. We are dealing with basic human rights here, the right to communicate with family and friends and not pay outrageous prices.

I am positive tens of millions more get wasted due to corruption and mismanagement at the MOC. The Kuwait international rates are among the highest in the Middle East and the world, technology is catching up; internet telephony services are one day going to make charges obsolete, so the MOC needs to 'get with the program' : preparing itself for its essential and eventual transformation from a traditional, bloated, pedantic government bureaucracy to an "Authority" that provides services and quality control.

Thousands of people are moving away from landlines (part of a global trend) and obtaining mobile numbers (they are the real MOC revenue-killer) - does the MOC intend to sue Wataniya and MTC as well?

Former MOC Minister Masouma Mubarak should have spent more time attempting to 'fix' Kuwait Airways (which is now being sued by 17 stranded passengers in Thailand) than trying to milk every last cent out of poor expatriates and citizens attempting to communicate with others via the Net (I sincerely look forward to a high-tech, pioneering technocrat being offered the MOC portfolio, not Ms. Mubarak again). I also hope expatriates and their representatives in Kuwait help pressure the MOC to revers its course.

For a ministry that has proclaimed its willingness to 'reform,' 'modernize' and avail Kuwait of the latest technological developments in the Communications field, it has failed miserably to keep up with modern trends, limit ISP charges and upgrade its digital and broadband services to be on par with most modern states. The MOC needs to move away from its bureaucratic, inefficient and intrusive Orwellian world into the 21st century.

The new license plates are obviously mierda.

Photograph from Mark's Blog.

Is that the best our prison convicts and wardens could produce (I'm assuming our prison inmates make license plates, if they don't then I've obviously spent too much time living abroad - but let's assume they don't, then maybe they should)? But seriously, if you are going to produce a decent license plate you need several elements (in my humble opinion):

1. A local or geographic fixture (i.e. The Kuwait Towers - if that is unacceptable a drawing of a Hubbly-Bubbly will suffice; if that is unacceptable then a picture of a dead horse).

2. Decent Font (and it would help to have the English word: "Kuwait" in BOLD as well) and a tag line as well, you know how Florida has "Sunshine State," maybe we should have something like "Land of Broken Promises" or "Go With The Flow" under Kuwait.

3. One set of numbers - easier to remember so we can report that turd in the Hummer who almost ran over the senior citizen exiting Marina Crescent's Johnny Rockets.

As horrendous as the new license plates are, they are a tad better than these:

Kuwait-Iraq Occupation License

Madrid, The City I Grew Up In (Photograph by Pedro CZC)

I am a 'Third Culture Kid'.

Even though I am a Kuwaiti, English is my first language and the bulk of my life was spent living abroad: London-born, five years in Rome, eight years in Madrid; two High Schools: New English School in Kuwait and The Oxford Academy, Connecticut.; a Washington DC graduate, who additionally worked abroad for a substantial number of years.

But I am not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have had my kind of life. Third Culture Kids are global citizens: creative, independent, cosmopolitan, multilingual, tolerant, higher than average I.Q., we can live anywhere but we never really belong anywhere.

Here are some characteristics from Wikipedia:

90% feel "out of sync" with their peers

More welcoming of others into their community

Some of them come to terms with the tremendous culture shock and loss that they have experienced. They gain a broader understanding of the world through their varied experiences, while others spend most of their adult life trying to come to terms with those same issues.

Lack a sense of "where home is" but often nationalistic

Depression and suicide are more prominent among TCK's

TCKs share more in common with one another, regardless of nationality, than they do with non-TCK's from their own country.

Some of them come to terms with the tremendous culture shock and loss that they have experienced. They gain a broader understanding of the world through their varied experiences, while others spend most of their adult life trying to come to terms with those same issues.

I have many Kuwaiti friends but I also tend to shun those who don't know where I am coming from, the shallow fixated on the material and social aspect of society, ignoring culture and arts - Third Culture Kids need the intellectual stimulation, if it isn't there those people might as well talk to a friggin' wall.

I am positive there are thousands of us in Kuwait and elsewhere; people who went to foreign schools, lived abroad, or lived in Kuwait as expatriates and always seem bound here (the way I feel bound to Madrid or Connecticut or Rome). I have been fortunate, through the miracle of the internet to regain and maintain contact with old friends (some dating back to the early-70s); all my friends stem from different stages in life (elementary, high school, college), all religions (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu et all) and countries, ranging from Brazil, to Egypt, to Australia.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to revisit Madrid for business ('The Iraq Donor's Conference'). However, I was unable to revisit old haunts (i.e. school, home) since it was a full schedule: wall-to-wall meetings. I didn't even have the chance to walk down to the Villa Magna Hotel lobby and just reminisce about the old days.

Later on during a busy day I was standing on the hotel balcony with one of my colleagues, looking down at the beautiful, majestic city of Madrid; an emotional moment for me, I blurted out "You know my family resided here 30 years ago when we moved to Madrid." He glanced at me, exclaiming "So? What's the big deal? I stayed here too during the 70s."

He just didn't get it.

Most people are born and raised in one city or country. They grow up with the same friends, they watch their city gradually change, they have roots, they are part of their surroundings, and the tentacles of stability and familiarity are embedded in their psyche. However, Third Culture Kids feel like they've lived a dozen lifetimes; we are almost always haunted by a childhood memory: an old friend, a city, an old home we no longer live in. Nevertheless, we have the distinct ability to look at a problem from two different perspectives: insider and outcast.

It's strange isn't it? We spend half our lifetimes looking forward to living in our home countries; then spend the other half looking back at the past. We don't belong anywhere.

Are you a Third Culture Kid? Is it a blessing or a burden? How do you feel about life and your purpose in it?

Resources :

Third Culture Kids

TCK World

U.S. State Dept: Third Culture Kids

Interaction International

Since the abysmal summer water and electricity crisis we keep hearing of Ministry of Energy tenders, rejected bids, companies withdrawing from the tender, disorganization, corruption within the Ministry and so forth.

Forget the Tender Committee, forget the Ministry of Energy, forget the local agents and representatives, forget the bureaucracy and corruption. We need the government of Kuwait to follow what Dubai is doing concerning upgrading its power needs and we need the government of Kuwait to hire the best people and make the deal.

We need leadership now. Not committees, discussion and kick-backs.

Shuweihat Power Plant - Abu Dhabi, UAE.

From the Reuters report:

International companies which have pre-qualified to bid for one of the largest independent water and power projects in the United Arab Emirates have nominated their contractors for the plan, a magazine reported. Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the UAE federation, which is building the $3 billion project known as Fujairah 2, pre-qualified at least 20 international developers in November for the bids which are due on March 29. "All the prospective developer bidders have now nominated their contractors for the 2,000 megawatt power island and 130 million gallons per day desalination plant, although several have still to confirm their bank groups," the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) reported in its latest edition. MEED said Belgium's Suez Energy International had nominated Germany's Siemens and Italy's Fisia Italimpianti as its nominated contractors. Singapore's SembCorp had selected GE Energy of the Unites States and South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. The developer group of Dubai-based AES Oasis and Japan's Sumitomo Corp had nominated South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co and Japan's Hitachi Zosen Corporation. The team of Britain's International Power and Japan's Marubeni Corporation had picked Paris-based Alstom Power and France's Sidem.

The Cabinet assigned Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Energy on Sunday to take necessary measures for building new electrical power plants to cover the country's demand.

In their regular weekly meeting presided by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, ministers reviewed a report prepared by the ministerial economic committee on the country's demand for electricity in the summers of 2007 and 2008 and necessary precautions and emergency procedures that needed to be taken in this regard.

They also reviewed steps taken for implementing these recommendations as well as how to overcome obstacles that were faced during the process.

I would like you to note the words in the article: reviewed, assigned, committee, necessary precautions etc. Not exactly assertive words are they?

It's January 2007 now. There are three Months left before the expected Kuwaiti heatwave hits us. Now whose opinion would you respect? The Tender Committee? The Kuwaiti Cabinet? The Ministry of Energy? They'd pick the cheapest tender and overall worse deal for the country.

I'll take the opinion of Britain's International Power or Suez Energy International or the other specialized entities in determining what is the best, most effective technology to suit our power needs, not some Kuwaiti biased entity with an eye on some 'pay off' down the road (don't tell me I'm overtly negative or exaggerating; after all, according to the Kuwait Audit Bureau, we just lost track of One Billion Kuwaiti Dinars in oil revenue, but that's another story).

HH The Prime Minister - based on what I hear and on my gut feeling (and I do trust my instincts) - is a reformer; the man wants to make a positive difference, but the problem here is the system: our antiquated, bureaucratic, slow as molasses, corrupt, gridlocked cobweb of civil affairs hell.

The UAE almost always picks the best and rarely cut corners. They do the research. They bring in the expertise. They make the decision. They then build it. And most of all, they maintain it. I respect that. Kuwait is too busy attending insipid Arab and Third World conferences concerning the Environment, IT, Water and Power etc, signing memorandums of understanding that will never benefit us: the blind leading the blind, indeed.

After months of political turmoil concerning his tenure as Minister of Information, Mr. Mohamed Al-Sanousi (picture) has resigned (see Asharq Al-Awsat and Safat Square).

Even though Mr. Sanousi is a cultured, shrewd and charming gentleman - as well as a liberal who was always vocal in improving Kuwaiti infrastructure and development - he was an unfortunate catalyst in impeding the freedom of the press and democratic ideals here. Whether that was his choice or not is irrelevant; if it was the latter he should have resigned on principle if he truly believed in freedom of the press.

One would have hoped that he would continue the great work done by former Minister Mr. Anas Rushaid in disbanding the ministry but not only did he not continue the work, he reversed course and attempted to salvage the Ministry. Under his watch, most of the licenses given to new newspapers were allocated only to 'high profile' entities; he attempted to block the '5 for Kuwait' satellite stations; he ordered (then retracted the order) sending a journalist from 'Al-Siyassah' to court for publishing information that was common knowledge everywhere in Kuwait, among other issues.

His repeated defiance of National Assembly members vise a vise the "Quizzing" (i.e. "I am ready, I will make the MP's bite their nails") only added fuel to the fire.

Nevertheless, as much as I may have disagreed with some of Mr. Sanousi's actions in the Ministry, he deserves our sympathy. He has obviously been through much personal and professional turmoil (i.e. his 'Showbiz' B.O.T. being cancelled) and the man deserves some relief and peace of mind.

The beast of burden is the Ministry of Information; it is the entity threatening to eradicate any knight attempting to traverse through its wall of flames. No one will leave the ministry intact, a high price will be paid.

It really is time to break the ministry (the way Qatar did a *decade* ago): the television is sub par, the news is weak, the censorship bureau is unwilling to adopt a ratings system for the cinema, sticking to a 30 year old antiquated code and the foreign press bureau or press attaches would be better served under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other observations.

Like its equally unappealling sister, the Ministry of Education, the Info Ministry will always be at the center of a tug of war between the Government and the Islamists - it is not worth fighting for. Shut it down once and for all. That way we can avoid future 6 month continuous "quizzing" threats paralyzing the system here.

And besides, no democratic state - at the very least, a state with a Parliament and a Constitution - should harbor a Ministry of Information.

Indonesia eager to draw Kuwaiti investments (KUNA)

Jordanian investment authority to open bureau in Kuwait soon (KUNA)

Egypt targets Kuwaiti investments; Both countries facing common interests (KUNA)

Sudanese Finance Minister visits Kuwait to attract investments

Algeria lures investments from Kuwait (Kuwait Times)

I have no problem with Kuwait - through KIA or other entities - investing in foreign countries.

But as long as others don't invest here; as long as we are not an attractive investment locale, then we will never truly be a successful state.

Ever since my father took me to a reissue of Charles Chaplin's MODERN TIMES at a cinema in Rome during the early 1970s, I have been a film aficionado and not only enjoy cinema but the movie palaces that I grew up with in Rome, Madrid and London.

What I find immensely sad is that a lot of the single-screen movie theatres I grew up with have either been converted to multiple screens or torn down altogether. The experience of sitting in a Stall or Balcony seat in a 1200 plus seat theater with a massive Cinerama-like curved screen, with ushers moving around selling popcorn, sweets and drinks inside the theater, is an experience I miss. Sure there are a a few of the large theaters left: Odeon Leicester Square, London, Uptown Cinema, Washington DC, among others, but they are few and far between now. Many of the theaters I enjoyed in London, such as the Odeon Haymarket, the Plaza Cinema, Rialto, among many, have also been torn down and/or replaced with much smaller cinemas (i.e. Warner West End, Odeon Marble Arch).

ODEON MARBLE ARCH

The Odeon Marble Arch had one of the best screens in London. During the 1960s it was refitted with a Dimension 150 screen capable of playing "Road Show" epics such as PATTON, HELLO DOLLY! IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD and others films. I remember seeing many films in this theatre including HERBIE RIDES AGAIN (1976), A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977), RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), among many other films.

The Odeon Marble Arch. The year must be 1948 because A SONG IS BORN is playing.

Odeon Marble Arch (1967) The expensive Fox musical DR. DOOLITTLE playing on a Dimension 150 Screen.

The Odeon Marble Arch today. The 1 screen massive theater was turned into a multiplex with 5 screens.

ODEON SWISS COTTAGE

The proximity of this cinema to my granparent's home in London was a reason why I used to frequent this joint. The cinema went from one large screen to two screens and eventually to 5 screens (during the last few years). The concession area is still large but the small multiplexes are very disappointing.

Looking at some of these pictures, I can still visualize myself standing outside the foyer, inhaling the strong hot dog aroma, and anxiously awaiting the opening of the doors to films such as SHOUT AT THE DEVIL (1976) and THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1975).

Odeon Swiss Cottage (1968). The Russian Best Foreign Language film (WAR AND PEACE) is playing in Two Parts.

The cinema today.

THE RIALTO

The Rialto is off Leicester Square (adjacent to 'Planet Hollywood). By the time I frequented this theatre in the 1970s it was showing B movies such as BLAZING MAGNUM (1976), THE STUD (1978) and THE BITCH (1979).

The Rialto (1949) (Photograph by Grenville Barret)

The Rialto (1964) (Photograph by Ken Roe)

The Rialto Today

THE PLAZA

One of my favorite cinemas in London was The Plaza, on lower Regent Street. It was a CIC (Paramount, Universal) cinema I remember watching films such as SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, AIRPORT '77, STAR TREKs II - V, AIRPLANE! and many others. It was a multiplex, with two large theatres and three smaller ones (the larger ones had a red colored, plush interior). I remember they had a Baskin Robbins in the lobby. Unfortunately, the cinema is no longer there, having been replaced by a supermarket.

The Plaza during the early 1980s. TIME BANDITS, AIRPLANE and LIFE OF BRIAN are on the marquee.

THE ODEON HAYMARKET

The Odeon Haymarket was a one screen theater, located on a basement level, the corner of St. James Market, not too far from Leicester Square. It had a large screen and a an intimate ambience. I remember it also used to screen Buena Vista/Disney films such as FANTASIA and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. The theatre unfortunately has closed down as well.

The Odeon Haymarket circa 1962 (Posted by Ken Roe)

The inside of the Haymarket (Photograph Ken Roe)

A 1995 Haymarket interior photograph (Image by Bridget Smith)

The Haymarket after its closure (Photo by Ian Grundy)

Robert Altman, one of the most talented and prolific American Directors has passed on at 81 (LINK).

The first Altman film I recall seeing was BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS at an upscale Madrid theatre in 1976. I was a big Paul Newman fan (having seen him in THE TOWERING INFERNO, HOMBRE and other classics) and a big fan of Westerns so I went to see the film expecting lots of gunslinging mayhem; surprisingly, the film was a bit more meditative, complex and darker than I expected - the Altman touch.

Interestingly enough, I just viewed Altman's final film A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION a few days ago and enjoyed it (it might not be everyone's cup of tea). I recall checking out the DVD extra materials and really enjoyed the Altman interviews; he always comes across as a smart, sly, Southern gentleman.

Altman's westerns were thought-provoking and gritty (MCCABE AND MRS MILLER ) his comedies were as cynical as those of Billy Wilder (A WEDDING, M.A.S.H. CALIFORNIA SPLIT). He could tackle cartoon musicals (POPEYE), Depression-set crime dramas (THIEVES LIKE US), political dramas and satires (TANNER '88, SECRET HONOR); he was a versatile filmmaker.

Of course he will always be known as the director of the 'overlapping dialogue' movies, but he was a great director, adept at different genres (a la John Huston) and masterful with ensemble pieces. His first big hit was the hilarious, though-provoking comedy M.A.S.H. - which was also regarded by many as a parable of American involvement in Vietnam.

NASHVILLE is a classic of course but I also loved THE LONG GOODBYE, one of the finest, most cynical gumshoe movies ever made and a great look at the L.A. of the 70s. I recall seeing this film for the first time during the early 1980s during KTV 2's 'golden era' when Farouq Abdel-Aziz's 'Cine Club' was not to be missed every Monday night.

THE LONG GOODBYE is genius.

Elliot Gould effectively played a downbeat, cynical Philip Marlowe (a far cry from James Garner or Robert Mitchum's take on the character). Sterling Hayden was unbelieavably brilliant in the film and Director Mark Rydell (ON GOLDEN POND) played a nasty piece of work, brutal to the ladies. The film is a devilishly entertaining and smart look at private eye's tribulations in seemy 1970s L.A.

I still remember the final, shocking scene in GOODBYE, echoing both THE THIRD MAN and DIRTY HARRY 's climax - if you haven't seen this film you are in for a real treat.

Look at directors nowadays...how many will end up doing as many genres as a Huston or Altman and still do it with their own little trademarks and imprints *and* keep working well into their 80s making great flicks (i.e.GOSFORD PARK)? Very few.

Even though Altman was in his 80s, his death does not negate his loss to the world of cinema. He was a true original.

Robert Altman filmography.

Kuwait Airways loves to live in denial it seems.

The airline whose technology and customer amenities are stuck in a 1982 time-warp returns with a vengeance! Yes, my friends, the airline that breaks down in midair and has to return to its point of origin; the airline whose own employees will admit to you has a 'terrible maintenance and servicing record'; the airline that bumps confirmed passengers off a route in order to add VIPs or 'friends' of the staff; the airline that has been losing tens of millions of KD a year for decades and needs annual financial infusions from Parliament to keep it alive; yes, that airline.

Apparently it participated in some two-bit competition and won first prize (were the judges drunk?). Examine the advert above (courtesy of Story Of Kuwait and 2:48AM).

Who were the runner-ups? Tanzanian Express? Madagascar Airways? O'Reilly's Flying Leprechaun?

Here is an update on the power outages in Kuwait (Link). Electricity has been going out in different areas of Kuwait today, sometimes for an hour or more. They are expected to last for between five to ten days and may occur in the afternoons

So get those candles and supplies out just in case your area gets affected. Considering it's over 50 degrees outside, this won't be easy.

I'm going to refrain from my usual rant about government inefficiency and lack of planning (you can all rejoice!).

Can Someone Fill These Up, Please? (Photograph by Mark)

I live in a residential area within the city. There is no water.

This is the third time this summer that I have had to call a water truck to pass by the house.

The "planning" in this country is appalling. What use were all the ministries (planning, interior), "supreme councils," census bureaus ad infinitum if they could not predict years ago that - based on our growing population - we would have a water crisis? And if they did come across such a piece of information, why didn't they act on it.

The last five years have been very good to us. An oil windfall. We are fat with cash and still basic services (water, mail, phones etc) are lacking. It is the government's responsibility to effectively use resources to provide its citizens basic goods and services, not Parliament's.

The Kuwaiti government desires to implement Income Tax in Kuwait? A government that cannot even allocate basic services such as water, electricity and an efficient postal system?

You've got to be kidding me.

The powers that be will spend more time fighting over who or what company gets what cut than actually implementing anything.

It's all over the wires now (LINK):

"The one million citizens of Kuwait, where government financial assets have topped $166bn, are to receive a grant of 200 dinars ($690) each, the government announced on Sunday.

"In accordance with directives by the emir, the cabinet decided to provide all Kuwaiti citizens with a grant of 200 dinars each," state minister for cabinet affairs Ismail al-Shatti said after the cabinet weekly meeting".

I have a suggestion: How about the government keeps its meagre KD 200 and offer us the following:

* Uninterrupted water.
* Strong infrastructure.
* Decent health care and hospitals in all areas.
* Eliminate or lessen bureacracy.
* Shares to all citizens in newly privatized companies.
* A "Vision" for the future of Kuwait and its citizens.
* Decent jobs without glass ceilings to young people.
* Clean up the environment and limit toxic and environmental waste from oil companies and factories.

I'll take any of the above goals as opposed to getting KD 200 every few years while the country makes billions off oil unable to efficiently spend or nurture the revenue.

Oh, I almost forgot, the public would also appreciate stable internet that doesn't "break" days or weeks on end (I can't even imagine how financial and public institutions are coping with this).

A few months ago I linked a Nora Bostany Washington Post story about Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa and his inspirational line of Muslim superheros THE 99.

Well the great news is THE 99 has joined Marvel universe! Click HERE to access Teshkeel Comics.

In an email to Hilaliya Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa explained how THE 99 came about:

In the summer of 2003, after completing my MBA from Columbia I made a decision to combine the two very distinct parts of my educational life in a search to create new superheroes for the children of the Islamic World. The result of my search is The 99. The 99 is a series of traditional superhero comic books geared to the imagination of children and young adults. The 99 name is taken from the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. These attributes ­ strength, honor, truth, mercy, invention, generosity, wisdom, etc. -- combine to become the super powers of my superheroes. With the caveat of course that no one hero has more than a single power and no one power is expressed to the degree that Allah possesses it. My superheroes would be built neither on the Western style of individual heroes like Superman, Batman and the like nor on the Eastern mold of Pokemon where teamwork and shared values could overcome all. It would be an amalgam of East meets West-an appropriate compromise given the foundation of Islam and the geography of the Middle East. And so it was, armed with my characters and a business plan seeking the seed money to bring my characters to life, that I set out in the fall of 2003 to find my market and my financing.

Al-Mutawa is a true Kuwaiti hero, a creative and innovative individual who managed to meld pop culture elements with moderate and positive Islamic ideals in an effort to encourage Muslim virtues of tolerance, peace and non-violence.

The government of Kuwait could learn by Al-Mutawa's example. You don't need elaborate, stuffy conferences with dozens of talking heads philosophizing about why radicalism is present in some Arab societies. You need more creative, talented people like Al-Mutawa and you need society to nurture them. His example is worth 1000 government morale or moderation "awareness campaigns."

We wish Al-Mutawa much luck and success.

(Reprinted from Salon.com)

The Kuwait Halliburton scandal continues to rear its ugly head in the American media.

According to The Los Angeles Times Editorial (March 4, 2006):

"U.S. taxpayers are getting an expensive lesson in the costs of private contractors" and that Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellog, Brown and Root overpaid $208 million for transporting oil to the U.S. Army in Iraq subsequently leading the U.S. Government to shell out $204 million in 'reimbursement costs' to Halliburton.

The Editorial cited the reasons for the exhorbitant cost:

"The conditions of war and the fact that Kuwait Petroleum Corp., the company that supplied the oil itself, backed Altanmia during the negotiations and was a hard-nosed bargainer".

Free polls from Pollhost.com

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