tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20239917091349508702024-03-08T00:59:07.854+03:00The RedbeltPretending PhilosophyRedbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-1055832655231251282012-07-24T09:39:00.001+03:002012-07-24T09:59:53.252+03:00علاقة التعليم بالديمقراطية<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.155860448256135"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">لا يختلف اثنان على أهمية التعليم بالطبع. فمن الملموس بأن العلم يسهل العمل ويقوي الدولة مما يساعد في بناء حاضر ومستقبل زاهر.</span></span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.155860448256135"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">وقد لا يجد القارئ علاقة قوية بين نظام سياسي وبين التعليم ومدى توفره, إلا إنه يبدو أن الاثنان على علاقة وطيدة.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">لنبدأ على نطاق صغير, ولنتخيل عوضا عن دولة, شركة صغيرة تتألف من 25 شخصا. إن كانت الشركة ذات مديرٍ واحد له الأمر والنهي, فلا يمكن أن تجد في هكذا شركة أخصائيين وخبراء, إذ يؤول أمر اتخاذ القرارات للمدير العام وتنتفي حاجة الشركة للرأي الخبير المستقل. أما إن كانت الشركة ذات هيكل أفقي, فيتعين على المدير العام الاتكال على غيره من المدراء, مما يحتم أن يكونوا على قدر من الدراية والمعرفة. في هذا المثال البسيط, نجد أن الشركة ذات نظام الإدارة الأكثر ديمقراطية تحوي قدرا أكبر من المعرفة والعلم. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">لنأخذ مثلا معيار التعليم العالمي, وهو معيار ثانوي من معيار التنمية البشرية الذي تنشره الأمم المتحدة. بشتمل معيار التنمية البشري على معيار التعليم, معيار الناتج المحلي, ومعيار توقع مدة حياة الأفراد. في معيار التعليم نجد أنه يتكون من 179 دولة مختلفة. تتصدر الدول المتعلمة بلجيكا ثم أستراليا ففنلندا فالدنمارك. فيما يتذيل القائمة تشاد, مالي, بوركينا فاسو فالنيجر.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">لنقارن ذلك بمعيار الديمقراطية العالمي والذي تنشره وحدة الاستخبارات الاقتصادية التابعة لمجموعة "ذي إيكونومست The Economist" والتي تصدر مجلة عالمية بذات الاسم تعني بشؤون الاقتصاد.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">معيار الديمقراطية يقيس عبر 60 سؤالا مدى ديمقراطية الدولة. أمثلة على بعض الأسئلة: "أتوجد انتخابات حرة ونزيهة؟ ما مدى سلامة المصوتين وقدرتهم على التصويت لمن يريدون؟ وما مدى تدخل القوى الأجنبية في الحكومة؟". معيار الديمقراطية يقسم الدول, حسب نتائجهم إلى 4 فئات:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ديمقراطية كاملة</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ديمقراطية ناقصة</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">نظام حكم مختلط</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">أنظمة استبدادية</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">للمقارنة, تجدون الجدول أدناه:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipscgbIE24m47ws8yRHKSLwckZs-w3NwUjMkAeBV60_M6X6gdaWg2bGWUxdQamiB6UXN97La2xmdZlL9tnSZTwLZUYNPYkSNXLsNhiaVDnkFruhHBueo9eV6oVJ8IfJoCUgVHDAnJXXA8/s1600/Education+and+democracy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipscgbIE24m47ws8yRHKSLwckZs-w3NwUjMkAeBV60_M6X6gdaWg2bGWUxdQamiB6UXN97La2xmdZlL9tnSZTwLZUYNPYkSNXLsNhiaVDnkFruhHBueo9eV6oVJ8IfJoCUgVHDAnJXXA8/s1600/Education+and+democracy.gif" /></a></div>
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.155860448256135"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">للتنويه: أتوقع أن يستنكر بعض القراء تصنيف الدول العربية بالإستبدادية, إلا أن هذا ليس رأيا لي بل تصنيف المعيار المذكور.وتجدون وصلات للقوائم كاملة في آخر المقال.<br class="kix-line-break" />من المقارنة المطروحة, في حال الديمقراطيات الكاملة والمنقوصة, نجد أنه في العادة يتناسب الترتيب الديمقراطي مع الترتيب العلمي. فكلما ارتفعت مرتبة الديمقراطية, ارتفع معيار التعليم, أو العكس.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">أما في حال الأنظمة الخليطة أو الاستبدادية, فنرى نتائج متباينة, فمصر مثلا, ترتيبها التعليمي أقل من عمان على الرغم من أنها أعلى في مستوى الديمقراطية. ولعل الأسباب تتعدد هنا فتدخل حسابات أخرى كالفساد وغيره. على العموم, نستطيع القول أن واحدا من هاتين الجملتين صحيح:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">الأنظمة الديمقراطية تضمن تعليما عاليا</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">أو التعليم العالي يضمن نظاما ديمقراطيا</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">من هنا يتضح وجود رباط وصلة وثيقة بين نظام الحكم والتعليم. لكن ما هو المسبب وما هو النتيجة؟ قد نجد إجابة لذلك في دراسة طرحت في الجمعية الملكية الاقتصادية بجامعة وارويك, بريطانيا في 2007.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">وقد تم دراسة 104 دولة منذ 1960 وحتى 2000, واكتشفوا أن الدول التي حصل مواطنوها على 4 سنين على الأقل من الدراسة أصبحت ديمقراطيات, وأن الدول التي حصلت على أقل من ذلك بقيت أنظمة مستبدة.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ما يثير الاهتمام في الأمر هو أن الدراسة اكتشفت أن الفارق ليس التعليم العالي, بل التعليم المتساوي. أي, لا يهم كم عدد حملة الماجستير والدكتوراه. المهم, للحصول على دولة ديمقراطية, أن يحصل أكبر عدد من الناس على تعليم جيد بجودة متقاربة. حيث تذكر الدراسة: "التوسيع المتساوي للتعليم هو شرط اساسي لظهور وثبات الأنظمة الديمقراطية". وقد أضاف كاتب الدراسة, السيد أمبارو كاستيلو كليمينتي: "نتائجنا تشير إلى أنه عوضا من زيادة متوسط سنين الدراسة, ما تحتاجه الديمقراطية هو تحسين نوعية التعليم الذي يحصل عليه معظم الناس".</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">وعلى الرغم من أن الدراسة خلصت إلى أن التعليم هو السبب والديمقراطية هي النتيجة, فقد قال البروفيسور سافيل كوشر, مدير مركز للدراسات التعليمية والديمقراطية بجامعة غرب إنجلترا أن العكس قد يكون صحيحا في بعض الحالات. وقال: "إذا كان هناك توجه للديمقراطية, فسيكون هناك استثمار أكبر في التعليم. هذا يحدث حالياً في أماكن مثل البيرو. هناك أيضا حالات شاذة مثل كوبا التي تمتلك نظام مدرسي متطور لكنها مازالت نظاما استبداديا". وقد يفسر كلام البروفيسور كوشر حالة البحرين, إذ أن مركزها 144/167 في معيار الديمقراطية لكنها في معيار التعليم 62/179 إذ أن البحرين أبدت نوايا لزيادة المساحة الديمقراطية في البلاد.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">وعليه, فيجب الاهتمام بتساوي التعليم الذي يحصل عليه غالبية الناس. وقد يصعب تبيان نوعية التعليم عادة, إلا أنه في البحرين, تم إنشاء هيئة ضمان جودة التعليم, والتي تراقب أداء وجودة المدارس الحكومية والخاصة, والجامعات والمعاهد التدريبية. يستطيع المواطن العادي الولوج لموقع الهيئة الالكتروني والحصول على معلومات عن معظم الجهات التعليمية التي خضعت للتقييم حتى الآن. يتبين لنا اليوم تفاوت جودة المدارس الحكومية بشكل كبير, كما تتفاوت أيضا مدارس البنين عن مدارس البنات. هذا في وقت أصبح التعليم الخاص ضرورة حياتية لفئة كبيرة من المجتمع وما عاد ترفا للأغنياء. وعليه, فالوضع التعليمي في البحرين يبشر بنتائج متفاوتة, مما, إن صحت الدراسة أعلاه, قد تؤخر التحول الديمقراطي في البحرين لعدة أجيال.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/apr/13/highereducation.uk" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2007/apr/13/highereducation.uk</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.qaa.bh/reviewreports.aspx"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.qaa.bh/reviewreports.aspx</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_index"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_index</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: blue; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index</span></a></div>
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-33466905746919407752011-11-21T13:30:00.001+03:002011-11-21T13:55:13.145+03:00نداءٌ للعقل والحكمة<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>لأول مرة منذ عامٍ ونصف, أكتب هنا. ولأول مرة باللغة العربية أيضا. لكني أود أن أقول للبحرين شيئاً, فإسمعوني رجاءً.</b></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">يمر هذا العام
ثقيلاً على البحرين وسكانها. وعلى الرغم من أن أحداثها قد شتت أهلها وأبعدتهم عن
بعض, إلا أن من السخرية أن يجمع الكل على أن هذه السنة مرهقةٌ بحق.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">في بداية العام,
حاولت تبيان نقاط التلاقي والتشابه بين أفراد هذه المملكة. فعلى الرغم من بعض
الإختلافات, إلا إننا متشابهون في الحياة اليومية بشكل كبير. الثوب العربي ليس
حكراً على طائفة معينة ولا العباءة. الكل يستعمل السيارات للتنقل ويسير على نفس
الشوارع. الكل يلبس الجديد في العيد وله نفس الطقوس من عيدية وزيارة أهل وغيره.</span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">إن
كنت جالساً في الفضاء الخارجي تنظر لهذا الشعب بمنظار, فستصعب عليك رؤية فرق واضح عدا أن بعضهم يصلي هنا والآخر هناك.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">وقد نسينا هذا.
الخوف والغضب والحزن أعمونا. وهذا شيءٌ طبيعي ومتوقع. عندما تزداد العاطفة, يقل
العقل. لهذا نقول للعاشق إنه مجنون ولا يفيق إلا بوجود خاتمٍ في خنصره. ونعذر
الغاضب إن تحدث بما لا يليق, فهو لا يعي ما يقول. بل العاطفة تخرجك من الدين
أحيانا, وسأعطيكم مثالاً حيا: هيا, جرب معي؛ إذهب لزوجتك وقل لها إنك ستتزوج ثانيةً, هيا إذهب. سأنتظرك
هنا.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">....</span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">دعني أحزر: تعالى
صراخها وربما قالت إن هذا حرام ولا يرضي الله ولا رسوله, صح؟ حسنا, إذهب لتراضيها ثمَّ أكمل
القراءة.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">في هذا المثال
كفرت المرأة بحق الرجل للزواج بغيرها, السبب هو زيادة العاطفة التي أخرست المنطق الذي يقول أنها تؤمن بدين يقبل هذا الفعل ولا يجد حرجاً فيه.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">هنا, في البحرين,
ما يحدث, وما نفعل, ليس من المنطق ولا من الدين. لأننا منفعلون.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">حديثي موجهٌ
للجميع دون إستثناء, وإني هنا إذكركم بتواضع, فإن الذكرى تنفع المؤمنين. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">يعلق سمو ولي
العهد الأمير سلمان بن حمد آل خليفة دوماً أن الخلاف ليس بين الطوائف والأديان, بل
بين السياسات. فلا تقحموا الدين فيه. فالمسلم لا يأخذ بعض الدين ويترك بعضه (كما
تفعل الزوجة الأولى في مثالنا). المسلم (وأنت على الأرجح كذلك) سيلتزم بالآيات والأحاديث التالية:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">نحن متساوون<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">للأسف, عند الخلاف, كلٌ ينظر للآخر على إنه أفضل من ذلك وله الحظية عند
الله, وعليه, فهو من فصيلةٍ أسمى. يا ناس, هذا ما أصاب إبليس عندما إعتقد إنه أفضل
من سيدنا آدم.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">قال رسول الله صلى
الله عليه وسلم: "لا فضل لعربيٍ على أعجميٍ إلا بالتقوى". بمعنى:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">إلا: أداة شرط.
يعني, أن الفرق الوحيد (أكرر: الوحيد) هو التقوى. الحمدلله, أرى أن رؤوسكم تهز
بمعنى أن نعم. جيد. إسمعوني:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">من الذي يستطيع
قياس التقوى؟ واحدٌ أحد فقط. هو الله. صح؟ تمام. إذن, لا يوجد إي بني آدم قادر على
قياس التقوى. صح؟<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">حسناً, متى يتم
هذا القياس؟ إن كان الله هو الوحيد القادر على ذلك فأكيد سيحدث هذا في الآخرة أي
بعد يوم القيامة. تمام.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">هذا يعني, حتى أن
تقوم القيامة, فلا سبيل لقياس الفرق الوحيد بين الناس (التقوى). ودون الفرق الوحيد,
فنحن سواسية. منطقي, هاه؟<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">إلا إذا توفى
أحدهم, وذهب للآخرة ليستعلم ثم يرجع فيخبر. ولا أعتقد أن ذلك سيحصل قريباً.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">إذن, نحن سواسية.
أنا وأنت ومن يعارضك ومن غسل سيارتك ومن صنعها ومن خاط ملابسك وكل البشر. على
الأقل, حتى إشعارٍ آخر في الآخرة.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">شعبٌ يسب نفسه<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">منذ فبراير وحتى
اليوم, ارى سباً فظيعاً ومقيتاً. وأرى تهماً تلقى جزافاً على الخلق (وطالني نصيبٌ وافرٌ
من ذلك أيضاً). نعم أعلم أنكم خائفون غاضبون. نعم. لكن عاطفتكم أنستكم قول الرسول
صلى الله عليه وسلم: "</span><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">ليس المؤمن بالطعان ولا اللعان ولا الفاحش ولا
البذي".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">طعّان: مثل أن يقول أحدكم أن هذا فعل كذا وكذا دون أن يرى ذلك. هل رأيته يفعل
ذلك رأي العين؟ أين دليلك؟ أما اللعَان فمعروفة. منذ فبراير ونصف الشعب يلعن الآخر
ويحتسبه عند الله والآخر يرد عليه بالمثل. فلحنا! يا ناس اللعن مذموم وأيضاً لا
يفيد. إسأل حولك, هل إستفاد أحدٌ من اللعن أو خفت مصيبته؟ لا؟ اللعن هو الطرد من
رحمة الله فلا تصدقوا أن لكم هذه القدرة الخارقة. </span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">الفاحش هو ذو الفحش في كلامة وفعله,
والبذي هو السفيه الفاحش في منطقه وإن كان كلامه صدقا.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">عن أبي الغفاري أنه سمع رسول الله يقول: "ولا يرمي رجلا بالفسق ولا يرميه
بالكفر إلا ارتدت عليه إن لم يكن صاحبه كذلك" رواه البخاري، ويقول "سباب
المسلم فسوق وقتاله كفر" متفق عليه. كما قال حبيبي المصطفى " لا يكون اللعانون
شفعاء ولا شهداء يوم القيامة".</span><span lang="AR-SA" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">من منكم يود أن يكون فاسقاً بسب الناس؟<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">لا عقاب جماعي<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">يقول الله في القرآن الكريم: "ولا تزر وازرةٌ وزر أخرى". بمعنى
بسيط: إثم الشيء وعقابه لا يخص إلا مرتكبه. لذا نرى مثلا إن مارس رجلٌ وإمرأة
الزنا, فيقام عليهما الحد كلاهما. لكن, مولودهما لا ذنب له. بل هو بريءٌ حاله كحال
أي مولودٍ آخر. وما مقاطعة البضائع والمحلات عندنا في البحرين إلا عقابٌ
جماعي. لا أعرف شخصاً واحداً قاطع منتجاً
ما أو شركةً ما لأنه رأى صاحب الشركة يفعل ما يستحق. بل الناس تقاطع بناءً على
طائفته أو إسمه. حسناً وما أدراكم ما بقلبه؟ لا يصح العقاب الجماعي, لأن هذا يؤدي
إلى كلام مثل "جماعتنا وجماعتهم" وهذا يتعارض مع التساوي الذي سنه رب
العالمين وذكرته أعلاه. الآية نزلت أصلاً في الوليد بن المغيرة , كان يقول : اتبعوا
سبيلي أحمل أوزاركم ; كما ذكر ابن عباس . وقيل إنها نزلت رداً على العرب في الجاهلية
من مؤاخذة الرجل بأبيه وبابنه وبجريرة حليفه. ويبدوا إننا مازلنا بعد 1400 سنة في
نفس المكان. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">ومقاطعة البضائع, ليس فيها من الإسلام شيء. فما قط سمعت أن الدين أمرنا
بقاطعة كذا وكذا. بل نعرف أن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم إشترى شعيراً من يهودي على
أن يدفع له لاحقاً ورهن درعه عنده كضمان. لم يكن لديهم نقص في التجار المسلمين
أيامها, وخصوصاً في سلعة نفترض تواجدها كالشعير. لكن التاجر اليهودي جزء من
المجتمع ويجب أن لا يُقصى منه. فمابالكم بمسلمين كبروا على نفس الأرض؟<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">لماذا خلقكم مختلفين؟<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">نعرف أن أوجه التشابه بين البحرينيين أكثر بكثير من أوجه الإختلاف. مع ذلك
نرى ضيقي الأفق يطالبون بطرد فئة من البلد (وكلامي مازال للجميع). أما قرأوا قوله
سبحانه وتعالى؟ "يا أيها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكرٍ وأنثى وجعلناكم شعوباً
وقبائل لتعارفوا".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">لاحظوا كلمة "لتعارفوا". لم يقل لتناحروا, لتتضاربوا, لتتقاتلوا,
لتتساببوا. لا. قال لتعارفوا.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">وتتعرف على من؟ هل تستطيع التعرف على من تعرف؟ لا, أنت تعرفه بالفعل. أنت
لا تستطيع إلا التعرف على الغريب أو من يختلف عنك. وهذا الكلام بين شعوب ودول.
فياللأسى, في دولةٍ بهذا الحجم إنقسم شعبها وصارت كل فئة غريبةٍ عن الأخرى, تخافها
وتنفر منها. يا للخزي.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">يا ناس, بالله عليكم, ألا تعتقدون إن بمقدرة الله أن يجعلنا كلنا شعباً
واحداً بمذهبٍ واحد؟ لكنه لا يريد ذلك. بل جَعَلنا شعوباً وقبائل عن عمد لنتعارف.
هذه هي مشيئة الله بحسب كلامه عن نفسه.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">مازلت تود التركيز
على الخلاف؟</span></b><span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">لا تدع التعصب
والعاطفة تعميك وإستغفر ربك. أعترف بوجود خلافات شديدة بين مكونات الشعب, نعم. لكن
أن تجعلكم هذه الخلافات تخالفون شرع الله وتبدأون في السب والطعن والقذف واللعن,
فلا خير يُرجى من ذلك أبداً. بل ولا تصدق للحظة أن هذا عمل بطولي أو يرضي الرب إذ
إني أثبتُّ لكم دون شك أن هذا لا يرضيه. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">الإسلام دين سلام
وليس دين كره. ونحن أبناء شعبٍ واحد ومتعلمون, ولسنا همجاً ومتخلفين. مشاكلنا
سياسية, والمشاكل السياسية تحل على طاولة بوجود أوراق وأقلام ونوايا صافية. أنا
أنادي العقل والحكمة الموجودان لدى كلٍ منكم. أناديكم للرجوع لتعاليم هذا الدين
وأن لا تأخذوا بعضه وتدعوا بعضه. أناديكم لتعتصموا بحبل الله جميعاً.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="AR-BH" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">ثقافة البحرين واحدة وممزوجة ولا تفصل. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">الحلوى البحرينية
رمزٌ لنا كفخار عالي. اللؤلؤ إصطادته كل الطوائف. أغانينا, أهازيجنا, مشاريعنا وكل
مافينا خليطٌ منا. لا تنسوا من أين أنتم. أنتم بحرينيون. لا تفترقوا أبداً, نحن
أفضل من هذا.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21px;">رب أرنا الحق حقاً وارزقنا إتباعه, وأرنا الباطل باطلاً وارزقنا إجتنابه. برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين.</span></span></div>
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-81552475660526281432010-04-18T14:40:00.001+03:002010-04-18T14:44:33.102+03:00#blameAhmedZainal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdWfvhXNLPR4mSadedLohahvuztueDFv2eSmQyicRQ_wJ7hasQGx1lWISM-zQ8x_s1RMN1PYei-XY8DGB2V4B85BrNbQ3HozeuMD-y_Ms87YPUyqoXxm91_szKmWaG9g8mor4tIpE3eE/s1600/BlameAhmedZainal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdWfvhXNLPR4mSadedLohahvuztueDFv2eSmQyicRQ_wJ7hasQGx1lWISM-zQ8x_s1RMN1PYei-XY8DGB2V4B85BrNbQ3HozeuMD-y_Ms87YPUyqoXxm91_szKmWaG9g8mor4tIpE3eE/s400/BlameAhmedZainal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blaming Ahmed Zainal is in! <a href="http://blameahmedzainal.blogspot.com/2010/04/some-favourite-random-blameahmedzainals.html#comment-form">Get with it</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-4520749046175735522010-04-04T10:49:00.000+03:002010-04-04T10:49:27.488+03:00Murdering intelligence is a crime.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">In my job, I interview private sector employees and analyze their jobs in order to set a training plan to improve their performance or ready them for a new position. The employees fill out an assessment form before I start and I just seen one of the worst, although a common sight, unfortunately.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">A young man, born on 1987, has a hard time writing properly. Simply writing! He left school at junior high, never finishing it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The number of Bahrainis that leave school is shocking me. I don't have numbers but I constantly see young, very young Bahraini's who are illiterate or are very weak in basic reading and writing. The fact that our kingdom has systems that allow illiterate people to exist frankly sickens me.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">As far as I know, primary education is mandatory. However, if I was, say, to not allow my son to study, are there any penalties to be imposed on me? Would anyone notice in the first place?</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I saw many illiterate working men my age or younger who dropped out of primary school. How on earth is it possible that we cannot track and stop such occurrences? </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I <s>suggest</s> demand that education up to high school be mandatory. Parents who fail to allow their children to study up to high school should be punished by law. Repeat offenders may face numerous penalties aiming to benefit the child. Extreme cases need the child to be removed from the custody of his/her parents and allowed to study should his/her parents deny him/her education or lead destructive lives that prevents the kids from studying.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">And to all the Maatams and Mosques, shame on you. You should step up your game! These places of worship are blessed with strong social relationships and has a social responsibility to society. They should address parents who allow their kids to not study or prevent them from doing so. These social measures would often be more useful than regular legal measures.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The ongoing problem is that the illiterate do not try to improve themselves at all. The government does provide alternatives for adults who wish to finish their studies up to high school, but I have yet to meet one who did despite spending 3 years on this project. I was really ecstatic to hear about <a href="http://a9eel.bh/">A9eel </a>which is a unique programme to promote good work ethics and in turn push for individuals to improve themselves. I hope that the data of my work helped <a href="http://www.tamkeen.bh/">Tamkeen </a>see the extent of the problem and made them come up with this.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">If you know someone who stopped studying, please, talk to them. If you know of a parent who allows their kids to not study, talk to them, to their kids or report them if so needed. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">You can make a change. Real change. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-34141738500079485732010-01-13T10:14:00.002+03:002010-01-13T10:16:09.777+03:00In case of Black Hole, Break Glass.My Physics Professor at NYIT-Bahrain shared this picture with me. She used to work at CERN and one of her physicist friends sent her this:<br />
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<br />
<center><br />
<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=incaseofblackhole.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="640" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/incaseofblackhole.jpg" width="426" /></a></center><br />
<br />
I asked her if this button is real, appearance it is. it shuts down the whole experiment should things get out of hands.<br />
I know the picture is of a wall (or a table, I dunno) and the skeptics will not believe its CERN, well, she gave me one more picture to look at. That's one GIANT machine!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><br />
<a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=CERNdontfeed.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="265" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/CERNdontfeed.jpg" width="400" /></a></center><br />
<br />
This better be on Digg soon or I'm switching to Reddit.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-89790664356452566502010-01-06T18:26:00.001+03:002010-01-06T18:26:35.907+03:00Not as funny as you think<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBJJd8yHrRdfHsjBVtyhzLKaVOyowLvu3cJfuf5OIdhN6tnN99Jf1gTSBCUISfUYc1RwXbWivoP4onkx7_vcyAv1gMEMpzajv_mFicMLy8-fpMRW1x6NHRuGu49WzwHkPjN6tLpTOeFc/s1600-h/photo-795908.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBJJd8yHrRdfHsjBVtyhzLKaVOyowLvu3cJfuf5OIdhN6tnN99Jf1gTSBCUISfUYc1RwXbWivoP4onkx7_vcyAv1gMEMpzajv_mFicMLy8-fpMRW1x6NHRuGu49WzwHkPjN6tLpTOeFc/s320/photo-795908.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423648605130413042" /></a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-84808372531547838362010-01-04T14:22:00.000+03:002010-01-04T14:22:43.439+03:00A Bahraini View PointBahrain is filled with Negative Energy. Its giving off bad vibes or something and it's very contagous. I often adopt a "we-can-do-it" attitude sprinkled with some chllenge in a despeate attempt to infuse those around me with what is now so lacking in my heart.<br />
Lands being stolen, riots for frivoulus reasons, traffic jams, profiteering traffic cops, endless pllution and no hope for individuals of rising in economical class. Everyone has a serious complaint. That amount of negative energy has generated its own mass and gravity that one would need a massive amount of energy to escape from its grasp.<br />
Hence, it is refreshing and inspiring to see tidbits of hope. Shining examples roaming our decayed earth. <a href="http://mahmood.tv/">Mahmood Alyousef</a> (The famous reborn blogger) is channeling his energy to serve the forces of good. His quick video interviews, named Bahraini Views, shows other people who still have that zest, that glimmer in their eyes and that rock hard determination.<br />
Thank you. This is just what I need. Just what, many of us need.<br />
<br />
Please point your browser to their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/bahrainiviews">You Tube</a> page and subscribe to get their latest entries.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/bahrainiviews">http://www.youtube.com/bahrainiviews</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-81701320532184143872009-12-07T12:55:00.001+03:002009-12-07T12:55:35.362+03:00Me no understand!I was working on a Beta version of Microsoft Office 2010. Powerpoint gave me a unique remark. Click on the picture to enlarge and read:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=menounderstand.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" height="239" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/menounderstand.jpg" width="383" /></a><br />
</div><br />
"Whats this? Its all gibberish to me! Naaaahh. Throw it out. Throw all that shit out!"<br />
Funnier if you read it in a Chris Rock voice, BTW.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-72632434417596977432009-09-29T23:19:00.001+03:002009-09-29T23:19:10.378+03:00The end of Blogging<div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br><span>In 1996 I had a geocities website which I coded entirely in HTML using notepad. Old school. I also used HTML based chat rooms. That was big then. But times changed. </span><br><span>10 years later I started blogging here on my desktop. And blogging as a concept came to be. </span><br><span>A huge leap to be sure. But, as is the case with print media, blogging as we know it is dying. </span><br><span>It was cute to see people describe thier blogs as ramblings, thoughts, opinions, and the like. It gave humans insight never previously available. Access to restricted news and innermost thoughts to humans. But, is this even valid right now?</span><br><span></span><br><span>I concider my self a good measure of when things are gaining popularity and when they begin to die. It is my opinion that blogging in that sense is dead. I really do not care what bloggers think anymore. </span><br><span>Example: if you overheard someone talk about anything on a supermarket line or on a train or a bank, does it really matter to you? Probably not. It's just something someone anonymous to you said. So what? Why on earth would the same thing matter to me if it was printed on a blog?</span><br><span>Gaining an insight on peoples thoughts was once what blogs enabled you to do. Twitter has since took over that responsability. And still, twitter reflect only the tweeting community, not general public, it is then still a limited tool but it has two advantages. For one, I would think that hot topics and breaking news are better represented by an average of a group rather than the one sided argument of one or two bloggers. Trends in Twitter does that. I also think that the common blogger does not resemble the common man much, twitterers however, while still different, are a closer match. </span><br><span>Twitter is not complete. It will either evolve or something better will come along. But blogs ceased to provide me with solid opinions representative of the masses or unbiased credible news. </span><br><span>So are blogs dead? No. They are simple different. </span><br><span>Specialized blogs are a valuble source of information and expression. While the musings of a random girl or the rants of some man start losing interest, specialized blogs by informed people gain importance. They resemble newspaper columnists. A finance website by someone with a solid background in finance or investment can provide valuable insight. Car blogs by racers and die hard car guys, fitness blogs by trainers or amature players and movie blogs by film aficinados are all good examples. </span><br><span>It is from this understanding that I started two other blogs, <a href="http://arablish.net/" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><a href="http://arablish.net">arablish.net</a></a> is one that focuses on the lack of respect and attention we show to the Arabic language, being an ex newspaper columnist and the son of a renouned poet I saw my self able to add value there. My other blog, <a href="http://ithnain.com/" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><a href="http://ithnain.com">ithnain.com</a></a> is a video cast presented by my self and fellow blogger Eyad Ebrahim in Arabic as we both have around 20+ years of gaming experience. </span><br><span>This blog (<a href="http://theredbelt.com/" x-apple-data-detectors="true"><a href="http://theredbelt.com">theredbelt.com</a></a>), being unfocused has been losing both readership and my interest. Infact, most Bahraini bloggers feel a slump is taking place. Blogs, as they were, are ineffective in this age and have little, if any, impact at all. Posts are dwindeling and bloggers are stopping. In fact, if you are Reading this, chances are that you are, or were, a blogger yourself. It is a small closed inactive community. </span><br><span>It is a shame but it has to be realized sooner or later. Blogs and bloggers need to evolve and provide significant value added. The times are achanging.</span><br><span></span><br><span>I used to blog from my desktop. But not anymore. I now wrote this on an email on a very different device. </span><br><span>Times changed We must change. </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Sent from my iPhone</span></span><br></div><br> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-60150962722842478912009-07-07T16:49:00.005+03:002009-07-07T16:55:08.654+03:00Trustworthy Juice<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/?action=view&current=SNC00467.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 444px; height: 593px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/SNC00467.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This is from a Kuwaiti Juice Company "JUDA". Well, at least they are honest. Someone should give them a call and laugh at them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/?action=view&current=SNC00468.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 373px; height: 498px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/SNC00468.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-19551245445484443242009-06-25T15:46:00.003+03:002009-06-25T15:57:26.793+03:00Daddy Knows Best<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.costumzee.com/view/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/astroboy1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 139px;" src="http://www.costumzee.com/view/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/astroboy1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />My dad returned from China yesterday. So I went to see him and welcome him back. After some small talk he reaches into the still packed suitcase on the floor and yanks out a bag with an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astro_boy">Astro Boy </a>Silhouette.<br /><br />Dad: Here you go.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Red: What's that?</span><br />D: Somethings I got for Baby Tameem. There is a T shirt for you too.<br />*unpacking*<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R: Gee dad! ASTRO BOY! Love that! cute small clothes! I love the T Shirt too. But it looks a bit big?</span><br />D: BIG? Says who?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R: Well look; you got XL. I would need L.</span><br />D: Who says you're a size L?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R: Huh? I do!</span><br />D: No you're not! You are XL, if not XXL even!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R: Wait.. What the?? How can "I" be XXL?</span><br />D: I wear XXL sometimes.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">R: That is your call! I am M or L. This shirt is big!</span><br />D: No you are NOT! You are an XL and this T shirt fits just fine!<br />*goes to toilet, door closes*<br />...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-16948154817194411342009-06-21T14:18:00.004+03:002010-11-21T15:05:24.950+03:00Handicapped Internet for a PremiumIt is no wonder why telecom companies make zillions in this world. From over charging sms rates and data rates to internet. The biggest legal scam ever.<br />
Batelco just released their new pricing. Some will say that these are good. But they are only good when compared to Bahraini rates, which are a rip off anyway. In real life, it is bad. Very very bad.<br />
The rates, if you are still in the dark:<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" class="wp-table-reloaded wp-table-reloaded-id-20" id="wp-table-reloaded-id-20-no-1" style="height: 153px; width: 497px;"><thead>
<tr class="odd row-1"><th class="column-1 header">Speed</th><th class="column-2 header">Price</th><th class="column-3 header">Max Usage</th> </tr>
</thead> <tbody>
<tr class="even row-2"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">10MB</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD80</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">50GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="odd row-3"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">8MB</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD60</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">40GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="even row-4"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">4MB</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD50</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">25GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="odd row-5"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">2MB</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD30</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">20GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="even row-6"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">1MB</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD25</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">15GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="odd row-7"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">640kb</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD16</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">5GB</td> </tr>
<tr class="even row-8"> <td class="column-1" style="color: white;">256kb</td><td class="column-2" style="color: white;">BD10</td><td class="column-3" style="color: white;">2GB</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
How about that?<br />
In a discussion on Facebook in the Bahraini Internet Society's group, I posted this (with correction):<br />
<br />
Some of you may know that I host a gaming show at <a href="http://ithnain.com/">Ithnain.com</a>. So from a videogamer viewpoint: These speeds are useless.<br />
Speeds and ping rates prevent us from playing online properly with other players. Simply the devices and software are not designed for our slow "speednets".<br />
We are falling behind on productivity. As an example: There is a device called <a href="http://www.onlive.com/">OnLive</a>,<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/OnLive.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/OnLive.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 173px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 215px;" /></a> which will be an always connected gaming console. Its minimum (I repeat: Minimum) speed requirement is (real) 1.5MB. I said real, not "up to". That is the minimum.<br />
Average performance is suggested at 5mb. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onlive">(Wikipedia)</a><br />
By looking at this device alone we can see that we are no longer going along the rest of earth. Even Facebook, Vimeo & You Tube find it hard when I upload videos and I must use the "basic" uploader for our "slow" speeds. I have 1 Mb at home and 2 mb at work.<br />
Netflix are renting movies online by straeming them in Hi Definition. This would be impossible in Bahrain. When will it be possible? Probably when a strong family business man or a royal makes a similar site and orders Batelco to increase speeds to accomodate this.<br />
These new Batelco speeds and prices are appalling. The prices would be right if you multiply the speeds by 10. ie: 100mb for BD 80, and so on. Don't get me started on the threshold. I do know that a few (very very few) companies abroad have thresholds but they are much, MUCH higher than these weak limits. Threshold should be to prevent you from making your PC a server or a torrent seed point, not to stop you from using the damn connection!<br />
If this situation is not fixed and soon, we could find ourselves in the next two years with unusable websites and services.<br />
You've been warned.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-44337466161731344122009-05-31T15:06:00.002+03:002009-05-31T15:41:19.691+03:00Where is this blog going?I started this blog to comment on another.<br />Then I used it like Facebook for a while.<br />Then I thought I'd write to foreigners about Bahrain.<br />Then I thought I'd write about videogames to Bahrain.<br />About Sports.<br />About politics sometimes.<br />And even about nothing.<br /><br />But I can't help to feel that ... This blog is pointless.<br />nope. It's not doing it for me.<br />I have two other blogs, one is Arablish.net (Arabic) about misuses and errors of Arabic usage. I kinda like this one.<br />The other is Ithnain.com (Arabic also) which is a videogame show which started out monthly and should be weekly starting June.<br />But the Redbelt is rather vague, isn't it? I thought I'd keep it as a free space to write whatever I please, but that does not bring in regular readers, and if no one is reading, it'd be pointless, won't it?<br />I have been think about making this an Arabic speaking blog. If this blog is to make a real impact, it should speak to the masses. Theme? I think I'd still stick with logic. I like logic. That could be a decent them, can't it?<br />Now I need a motive. Why should I change the Redbelt (or keep it at all really)?<br />...<br />...<br />I like to improve "things".<br />people, systems, everthing.<br />If I can sense that I am of use to someone out there, that would give me good reason to blog.<br />I need to sleep on this thought a bit. Please share with me your thoughts as well.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-89677816114743925932009-04-09T13:23:00.001+03:002009-04-09T21:28:06.817+03:00LMRA Taxes, are they any good?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH3yLsMb_RrT9TthlfRBsRwh63Zt3V2KlNXMljyCaK_c3oTgcfVjrGul1yHSpWVqJfOM0Anh5tgb0ilaK20LMvNZkNvc5Xz3uSTmpgZmdj3elle6TbRUD12XELZSXz6lbxFj-OEIxI6Q/s1600-h/LMRA.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 129px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH3yLsMb_RrT9TthlfRBsRwh63Zt3V2KlNXMljyCaK_c3oTgcfVjrGul1yHSpWVqJfOM0Anh5tgb0ilaK20LMvNZkNvc5Xz3uSTmpgZmdj3elle6TbRUD12XELZSXz6lbxFj-OEIxI6Q/s400/LMRA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322629526922085874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have ignored this blog for longer than I should, haven't I? I apologize, and that demands a dedicated post on its own.<br /><br />This blog of mine usually does not delve into politics. If you look at the most used tags, you will surely find politics somewhere at the bottom. My most used tag is of course: Bahrain. Which is why I'm writing today.<br />His Highness the crown Prince has a vision of where he wants Bahrain to be economically. Thus he established the <a href="http://www.bahrainedb.com/">Economic Development Board (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">EDB</span>)</a> which in turn established the <a href="http://www.lmra.bh/">Labour Market <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Regulatory</span> Authority</a> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">LMRA</span> or sometimes pronounced as: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lemra</span>).<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">LMRA</span> has many goals, but one of the main ones are to make <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bahraini's</span> the employee of choice rather than expats, especially if they were unskilled or moderately skilled. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">EDB</span> established another entity called "<a href="http://www.tamkeen.bh/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tamkeen</span></a>" to help with that but more on it later.<br /><br />Now, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">LMRA</span> is taxing companies, they have to pay <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">BD</span> 10 per month per each expat employee they employ. Once that happens the world goes NUTS! "We are DOOMED" cry businesses. For this tax apparently will break their business. Because I am a blogger and not an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">LMRA</span> spokesman I can use colourful expressions like "Fuck you, you dumb fuck. You are what is holding us back." But I wont. :)<br />See, several companies write in the papers saying how doomed they are, some well known papers, oh hell, let me name them: <a href="http://www.akhbar-alkhaleej.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Akhbar</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Alkhaleej</span> </a>& <a href="http://www.alwatannews.net/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Alwatan</span> </a>are at the forefront of a media campaign to battle this tax. <a href="http://www.alwasatnews.com/main.aspx"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Alwasat</span> </a>is also defending the majority of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiite"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">shiite</span> </a>readers with stories on how businesses are failing, families are bankrupt, prices are going up for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Bahrainis</span> and how maybe, just maybe, the government, maybe (did I say that before?) does not care about us poor citizens. Maybe.<br /><br />OK people, calm down. Let me explain why and how this works:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1- Too Many Expats, Too many jobless <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Bahrainis</span>:<br /><br /></span>We do have way too many expats here, <a href="http://www.alwaqt.com/art.php?aid=159319">over 50% 0f the population </a>actually. Companies hire in Bahrain for two main reasons: Cost & Stability.<br />Decreasing costs is at the forefront of any business. So companies here try to pay the lowest salaries possible. But they do that in an unethical way.<br />Picture your friendly road digging worker. They get at best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">BD</span> 80 per month. Just a bit over US$ 200. Yes, PER MONTH. Now obviously this is much less than the job deserves. For one, the workers work under the direct rays of our friendly sun. Next they work in roads which anyone in Bahrain can attest how safe that can be. Not to mention the lousy work environments.<br />This job obviously is worth much more than a mere <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">BD</span> 80 per month. True, it doesn't need a degree, but it is freakishly hard work. What happens is instead of companies paying what the job is WORTH they pay salaries based on MARKET PRICE (See the Supply/Demand image attached). Because there is a supply of cheap unskilled labour, they get aw<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.directopedia.org/onTEAM/wiki/img/9/320px-Simple_supply_and_demand.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 275px;" src="http://www.directopedia.org/onTEAM/wiki/img/9/320px-Simple_supply_and_demand.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ay</span> with paying less than what they should. Just because there are many supermarkets doesn't mean we can pay less than 100 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">fils</span> for a cola can, but companies do. If <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Bahrainis</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">woun't</span> work for that salary, Indians will. If Indians <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">woun't</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Bangladeshis</span> will, if <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Bangladeshis</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">woun't</span> maybe the Vietnamese will. So companies <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">scoure</span> the Earth looking for the cheapest alternative. This creates an unfair work package. This point leads us onto the next: stability.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Bahrainis</span> will not work for such low salaries. And if they did, it's a matter of months or weeks before they can find better jobs. So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Bahraini</span> people will not work for long at unfair jobs. But expats, thanks to a sponsorship system, cannot leave to find another job. They HAVE to stay and work for the greedy employer or be returned home which is often not an option for many of them.<br />This example was based upon road workers but is true for every job capacity.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2- Making things even:</span><br />So since they hire for cost and stability, these reasons must be made equal to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Bahrainis</span> and fair for all. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">LMRA</span> tax serves to make expats a more costly option. But still, that alone is not enough. So the next logical step is to abandon the sponsorship system and adopt issuing working Visas to expats. Giving expats the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">liberty</span> to change employers if a better chance come up.<br />In essence: if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Bahrainis</span> will not stay and work for you, eventually expats <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">woun't</span>.<br />Companies which have crappy packages or working conditions get around the high turnover in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">Bahraini</span> staff by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">hiring</span> expatriate ones.<br />When this system is fully in place, it will mean that companies cannot hire for cost nor stability anymore. They must hire for competency and competency alone. If you can do the job, well, you are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">hiered</span>.<br />What this also means is that the salaries will get better organically. If a company suffers from a high turn over of staff because the package or work <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">environments</span> are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">lousy</span>, then they HAVE to make them better to attract people to stay.<br />Eventually this will happen:<br />Companies offer better jobs, better salaries and also have better quality because they hire for competence.<br />Good no?<br /><br />So Why are they making a fuss? Because they are greedy.<br />They want to keep earning money as if its 1985. Same profit model. The thing is, they can't. They just can't. The world is different now.<br /><br />The companies that are going to be stubborn and stick with unfair low salaries will simply have no one to work for them. They have two choices:<br />1- Improve working conditions, including salary, benefits and safety<br />or<br />2- Die<br /><br />If you have no one to run the business, you don't have a business. So businesses better step up.<br /><br />So companies are complaining about paying <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">BD</span> 10 per month. Big freaking deal! You will not go bankrupt because of that and if you are, then you have another problem.<br />Lets imagine shall we? You have a business, OK? And you employ 50 expats. Fine? Which means you have to pay 500 per month. OK? See, that should NOT be a problem. Because if you have 50 staff members, and 500 dinars a month puts you in the red, then, you are running a real crappy business my friend! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">BD</span> 10 per employee should in no way make companies go bankrupt or affect their profit in a significant manner. If it does then here are some solutions:<br />a- Go to business School you idiot<br />b- Change the business you are in<br />b- Sell the business. You are crap and lazy.<br /><br />Companies that wish to AVOID paying extra fees for expats should simply hire <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Bahraini's</span>. If you simply click on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Tamkeen's</span> website, you can see that they will go out of their way to help you and train all the staff you need for free. There is really no <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">comparison</span> here:<br />Unskilled uneducated expat + fees? OR Skilled and Educated Local + No fees + <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">lotsa</span> support?<br /><br />This model will cause the price of goods and services to spike up <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">of course</span>. After all, companies are not used to this. However, salaries should also spike because of this, so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">theoretically</span> you will not feel it.<br /><br />I personally feel this is a great step in the right direction. I am passionate about it and can't wait to see the fruits. I know we will soon get into a "Storming" phase, but will eventually move on to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forming-storming-norming-performing">Norming & Performing phases </a>in the future.<br /><br />If only companies see things the way I do.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-32604956373553514802009-03-08T20:52:00.000+03:002009-03-08T20:53:23.143+03:00Umm alhasam's speed<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-psIY3yIOLjHTdrvb3GGKVjDNYLfnLjenKCogbb8_yCn6DJkAZOY8OCZiw9q4qldciLmerJ5QO2CYK6stFE_tVHOrviby34AkGhKbSJWdpJqAlx1v6L21TV5yqu4-PUIsI1MGS3GtWnI/s1600-h/SNC00380-703150.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-psIY3yIOLjHTdrvb3GGKVjDNYLfnLjenKCogbb8_yCn6DJkAZOY8OCZiw9q4qldciLmerJ5QO2CYK6stFE_tVHOrviby34AkGhKbSJWdpJqAlx1v6L21TV5yqu4-PUIsI1MGS3GtWnI/s320/SNC00380-703150.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310876541612623922" /></a></p><SPAN style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-WEIGHT:Normal;'>This was taken (and written) in Umm Alhasam's traffic. The 2 is my calculated average speed.<br>I think I can speak for everyone when I say: "FUCK THAT!"</SPAN><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-51837720621173026632009-02-15T14:08:00.003+03:002009-02-15T14:14:46.552+03:00Bahrain is in which country?The Google search results as of today moments ago. Look at the highest two search results. <span style="font-style: italic;">(Click to Enlarge).</span><br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=Bahrainis.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 454px; height: 283px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/Bahrainis.jpg" alt="Bahrain,The Redbelt.com" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Priceless.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-79391824809479778762009-02-09T10:59:00.003+03:002009-02-09T11:13:49.932+03:00Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T Test drive [Redcast]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ocsERJRTzo&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ocsERJRTzo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />The car was real fun to drive, although I do demand more power than the 2.0T offers. However the turns were tight and the suspensions stiff (this may turn some people off).<br />The Turbo's boost is hardly felt, it seems to kick in after 2000 RPM but it isn't noticed unless you are trying to notice it on purpose. The doors open and close firmly which is pleasant. The Mustangs and Camaros I've seen had their door rattle when I close them despite being brand new in the show room.<br />I didn't like the fact that the RPM was over 3000 when driving on 120 kph, guess the V6 will take care of this hopefully.<br />Smart features I liked: the boot (or trunk if you're American) is quite spacious for a car like this. Moreover, the two rear seats can be flattened to increase space. And you can do that directly from behind the car by pushing a button. You don't need to do it from inside the cabin.<br />Another tiny feature I liked was the locks. Most cars lock the doors when it starts to move, and so does this one. But the coupe actually opens the doors again for you when you shift the gear to "P". Cute!<br />Overall I am happy with the quality and ride. This car is perfect for a daily driver that does not mind a stiff sporty ride. It is also great for tuners that do not care for warranty.<br /><br />Way to go Hyundai. It's cars like these that will make your brand a little more desirable and exciting.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-21265512716161241442009-01-26T14:49:00.005+03:002009-01-26T15:21:07.020+03:00Liberating Speech<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapr7_ZztszvZWxc68P0tvGcvd4f31s-M7vI-e1lGbxYuoNTh1k3l95wWtPUUnopNFo3CKXvs9FLnv5VAjsEUYCjb-hvkzjS3UUFsFMg-aJGMS0hVF8kU8KdnuhOeH7Xp-sYFNsjz1_rg/s1600-h/moz-screenshot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapr7_ZztszvZWxc68P0tvGcvd4f31s-M7vI-e1lGbxYuoNTh1k3l95wWtPUUnopNFo3CKXvs9FLnv5VAjsEUYCjb-hvkzjS3UUFsFMg-aJGMS0hVF8kU8KdnuhOeH7Xp-sYFNsjz1_rg/s400/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295576187109520450" border="0" /></a>
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mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:1946889367; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-1580034674 134807567 134807577 134807579 134807567 134807577 134807579 134807567 134807577 134807579;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Five days ago, I wrote a note on Facebook:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Imprisonment of Speech</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am sure most of you know of the efforts of the Ministry of Culture and Information to ban websites. I think we are all together that this is unacceptable, unimplementable, and simply put: ILLEGAL as it goes against the Bahraini Law which protects the freedom of speech.
<br />A group of us tried to avoid this by introducing the Anti Hate Code of Ethics (<a href="http://www.bahraincodeofethics.com/" target="_blank" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this),">http://www.bahraincodeofet<wbr>hics.com</a>) and prefer that any offending website be prosecuted under the law with a chance of representation rather than resort to this old and ineffective method.
<br />
<br />My friends,
<br />Whether you signed the code or not, I implore you to write about the matter in your own blogs. We should also unify our forces to make our voice heard. We could hold up a rally or send one letter of objection bearing our signatures. I invite you to come up with more suggestions on what we can do about it.
<br />
<br />Regards,
<br />
<br />Manaf Almuhandis
<br />Redbelt
<br />
<br />TheRedbelt.com
<br />Arablish.net
<br />Ithnain.com
<br />Bahraincodeofethics.com</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, this has started with Shaikha Mai Alkhaleefa taking the helm as a minister. I am a fan of much of her work. She brought a breath of fresh air to Bahrain when she saved our souls with the “Spring of Culture”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, I would have to disagree with her on this virtual blind fold. Let me try to paint you a picture:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is the 1980’s. No internet and no Satellite TV channels and nothing. The only communications we have with the outside world are videotapes, cassettes, books and magazines.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In these simpler times, banning something would actually work. If the government says for a reason or another that a film for example is unacceptable and not wanted, the majority of the population, if not all, will not get to see it. Tapes will be easily found and confiscated. And then what? Banning media at that age was quite effective.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But that was a long, long, LONG time ago. Just look at my brother, he was a mere idea in ’86 and was born in ’87. Today he is a 186 cm tall man, with a goatee, driving license and a college degree. Media has grown that much too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What is the ministry hoping to achieve? Seriously? If they think they can stop people from accessing info and media in 2009, they must be delusional. Let me just count the ways that I, a non IT technician, could think of:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=""><span style="">1.<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr"></span>Use a proxy website. I know these get banned too, but hundreds pop out every day. The proxy websites are aware of that and email their customers a list of new addresses periodically. </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=""><span style="">2.<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr"></span>Use a programme like Hotspot. Even if the download site is blocked, many have it and will circulate it through email forwards to all of Bahrain by this weekend.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=""><span style="">3.<span style=";font-family:";font-size:7;" > </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr"></span>Subscribe in RSS & Atom feeds: Simple. All blogs and many websites have them now. Simply click on “Subscribe to the Redbelt” to the right side bar and you will see the familiar orange box looking icon. Just click that icon wherever you go and you can get the posts immediately by email. Or you can use a service like Google Reader to read it there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is just off the top of my head. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let us assume I had a blocked website (god forbid), I can easily clone my ENTIRE website and have it running from a free server with a new unblocked address. I can also email all my readers so they would know. Effectively making the ban absolutely <b>worthless</b> in 15 minutes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I do understand that Shaikha Mai Alkhalifa, and the rest of the people at the ministry, mean well. So, here is my honest solution to the ministry: Go with the flow.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Example: In martial arts; to stop a punch you can either block it (which uses lots of energy and you risk injury) or... redirect it. Like Akido. Look at the following video.</p>
<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HB01hhonf8Q&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HB01hhonf8Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, this is implementable in real life.In practice we can look at Apple:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One day, people found out that MP3s were popular. CD sales went down. Piracy went up. All the companies started <b>FIGHTING</b> mp3 sites trying to stop it, but they couldn’t. They still can’t. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Apple went and introduced <a href="http://www.itunes.com/">itunes</a>. If people want MP3s, give them MP3s! So simple. It worked.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The ministry is trying to block sites, which is pointless. I will still go to the same websites I went <span style=""> </span>to and get all the media I got before the ban. I REPEAT: I will still go to the same websites I went <span style=""> </span>to and get all the media I got before the ban. <span style="font-style: italic;">I am not affected. Bahrain is.</span>
<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am concerned about the public view of the ministry and, by extension, Bahrain as a whole. We don’t want the world to think that we are ruled by a dictatorship do we? Especially when reality is anything but that. In our post reform Bahrain, freedom of speech is guaranteed in the constitution itself:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Chapter III, Article 23 (General Rights and Obligations): “Freedom of opinion and scientific research is guaranteed. Everyone has the right to express his opinion and publish it by word of mouth, in writing or otherwise under the rules and conditions laid down by law, provided that the fundamental beliefs of Islamic doctrine are not infringed, the unity of the people is not prejudiced, and discord or sectarianism is not aroused.” </blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The National Action Charter also addressed the matter:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>The National Action Charter, Chapter I (Fourth: Freedom of expression and publication): “Every citizen shall have the right to express himself orally, in writing or in any other way of expression of personal opinion or creativity. Under this law, freedom of scientific research, publishing, press and printing are ensured within the scope specified by law”, provided it is a responsible freedom within the scope of preserving the social fabric, and does not infringe on the freedoms of others or their religious, sectarian, or intellectual affiliation.</blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I strongly suggest that the Ministry uses our Judicial system. If a website is considered offensive, a court case can be filed and the law will take its proposed course (That is, after all, why we have courts in the first place).<span style=""> </span>Even if there was a need to rush and take a site down in a short time, an urgent case can be filed and such an order can be had within a day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I hope the ministry takes heed of my humble advice.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I thank the many bloggers who wrote on the matter:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://eyadone.blogspot.com/2009/01/interet-cesorship-until-when.html">Eyad's Coffee Break</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://elzeeyed.com/ydome/?p=359">Yagoob's Dome</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://marhoons.com/blog/archives/50">Marhoons.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.ammaro.com/2009/01/cant-hold-us-down.html">Ammaro.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://riadzany.blogspot.com/2009/01/solidarity-with-bahraini-bloggers.html">The view from Fez</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://sillybahrainigirl.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-google-translate.html">Silly Bahraini Girl</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://sasinsaudi.com/2009/01/25/what-the-hell/">S as in Saudi</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://hayatblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-post.html">Hayat</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://bolafee.jeeran.com/archive/2009/1/787484.html">Mughtarib (Ar)</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://mylifemyview.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/wtf-are-you-kidding-me/">Another Day in my life</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.khalidbahrain.com/blog/?p=544">Khalidbahrain (Ar)</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">And many, many more...
<br /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-18270602088142437202009-01-10T21:02:00.001+03:002009-01-10T21:02:20.798+03:00IDF officers admitt there was no gunfire from Gaza school In briefings senior [Israel Defense Forces] officers conducted for foreign diplomats, they admitted the shelling to which IDF forces in Jabalya were responding did not originate from the school. UNRWA is demanding an objective investigation into whether the school shelling constituted a violation of international humanitarian law<br/><br/><a href='http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054009.html'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/world_news/IDF_officers_admitt_there_was_no_gunfire_from_Gaza_school'>digg story</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-12218182044850450672009-01-09T18:37:00.003+03:002009-01-09T19:14:06.269+03:00Support GhazaYou may have noticed that this blog wasn't updated with a "Happy New Year". The thing is the new year didn't start happy. Israel keeps bombing the innocent civilians of Palestine. The death toll at the moment stands at 765.<br />When we hear of the death of one person, we feel sad. Millions felt sad when Bernie Mac died. When Anna Nicole Smith died. When Foe died on the pitch. the examples are numerous.<br />But 765? It's only a number. You don't know them. Stalin said it best: "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic."<br />People are angry, this blogger included. Today, a Rally to express this rage started out after Friday prayer.<br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rP7EFabquYw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rP7EFabquYw&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />Here is my $0.02 analysis:<br />Israel claims that Hamas is shooting at Israel and that they hide between civilians. Thus the civilian deaths. Lets analyze this:<br />1- Hamas could be hiding between civilians. But after 765 civilian deaths, this is proven to be a failed tactic as Israel will bomb you anyway. Hence, if I was a civilian, I wouldn't harbor Hamas in my house. No sense the two of us dying. My civilian death will add nothing.<br />But this is not the case, is it? As I see more civilian deaths every day; this leads me to...<br /><br />2- Hamas is NOT hiding between civilians. Which would make sense as Israel claims rockets are still being fired at them. Which means they're not dead yet nor their machinery is destroyed. If this is so, then the only reason I can think of to continue the raids...<br /><br />3- Israel is killing civilians on purpose to: a) inflict internal pressure on Hamas to cease. And b) Decrease the number of Palestinians anyway.<br /><br />So I do think that Israel is committing mass war crimes here.<br /><br />Another catalyst for killing Arabs is Money. Someone somewhere is making money off of it. Rationale:<br />Israel is the <a href="http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/who-gets-us-foreign-aid.html">#1 recipient of American foreign Aid</a>.<br />$2.4 Billion is given away to Israel per year. This will change starting 2009 to be $30 Billion per annum for the next 10 years (That is a total of $300 Billion, my friends).<br />Purpose?<br /><br /><blockquote>Virtually all of this money is used to buy weapons (up to 75% made in the U.S.).<br /></blockquote><br />So the US gives money to Israel, but forces it to spend three quarters of it on American weapons.<br />In plain simple English, to me American friends:<br />Someone is taking your tax dollars, giving it to Israel, and is TELLING Israel to give it to certain arms merchants.<br />You may as well just give the money to the Arms merchants yourself!<br /><br />If I was an Arms merchant who can get access to these billions upon billions, I would certainly "secure" my friends in the government who would "facilitate" such laws. I would also be tempted to "increase demand" in Israel by, well, I dunno. Faking attacks? Spreading rumors? Inciting Hamas (or any other) to strike? Having Israel in need of Arms gives me the Ferrari liquidity I need.<br /><br />People, the ones dying in the middle are innocent. If you have to be a skeptic then most of them are innocent and I don't buy this collateral damage crap.<br />Do something about it. I'm not talking about mere donations. That is simply giving the man a fish. Please, do something to break this vicious cycle. I implore you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-5547105858084307222008-12-23T02:00:00.004+03:002008-12-25T11:48:44.722+03:00Redbelt Blacklists Chili's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chilis.com/images/better-logo2.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 101px;" src="http://www.chilis.com/images/better-logo2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Chilli's is one remarkable restaurant. A historic restaurant. It first opened up in Bahrain in the dawn of the Seef Mall era. lines of people waiting to sample its delicious food and did not mind waiting for hours. It was the hip place to be and any body who was somebody was seen at Chilli's .<br />Not anymore.<br /><br />Chilli's "celebrate" now the opening of their 10th branch. I mourn a once prestigious brand.<br />Ever since the Jawad group acquired Chilli's from its previous owners and the quality of food and restaurant experience declined really hard. Jawad does operate some good restaurant. I am a fan of the Great Kabab Factory for example. But they really screwed the Chilli's brand.<br />I would usually say that this is my humble opinion. But it's not. This is fact. And I have photographic proof. I'll get to that in a second, but first of all let me discuss what I don't like:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">lower food standards<br /></span>Everyone is talking about this. Have you looked at your dish recently? There are no broccolis anymore. There is Cauliflower instead. Why? It is <span style="font-style: italic;">CHEAPER!</span> Yes, they are cheap.<br />Zucchinis are no more to. Instead, you have carrots. Again they are cheaper. My friend Nawaf innocently called a waiter to alert him to this situation:<br />Nawaf: "Excuse me. There is no Broccoli in my plate."<br />Waiter: "Yes sir. We are serving Cauliflowers instead."<br />N: "Cauliflower? did you run out of Broccoli?"<br />W: "No sir. We have updated our steamed vegetables. We don't serve Broccoli anymore This is it now"<br />N: "B..But the pictures in the menu is different!?"<br />W: "Yeah...... well.... we don't have Broccoli anymore. This is our NEW steamed vegetables."<br /><br />Not only do they not serve it. Broccoli became a black market item at Chilies! At another visit"<br />Nawaf: "Excuse me. There is no Broccoli in my plate." (Please read the conversation above again then follow up with this)<br />N: "I don't care. I WANT BROCCOLI. I want my food the way it was meant to be!"<br />Waiter: "But we don't have any!"<br />N: "OK. Take my dish back. I don't want it."<br />W (thinking hard then looking left and right): ".... ... OK, OK..... let me see what I can do. I'll try to secure some for you."<br /><br />At this point my jaw just hit the floor. THE WAITER WAS GONNA HOOK US UP WITH BROCCOLI! I felt like I was buying drugs! It was there in secret and all hush hush! WTF?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Customer Service? Why?<br /></span>Chilli's always greeted patrons with a smile. The waiter / waitress helped us rather quickly and get down to their knees to take orders so they would be at our seated eye level. No more.<br />Now you wait, wait, wait, call, call, stop, call again then SHOUT so the waitress comes and hands out menus to you and leaves. When they take orders they no longer kneel down anymore.<br />This might be insignificant to some, but it shows that the value of the franchise simply eroded.<br />In my last visit to Chilli's @ Dana mall, no one came to take our orders. The restaurant seemed obviously understaffed. We begged for menus, just the menus. The supervisor threw the menus at us in a hurry and said that they were busy, with a nice frown on his bald face. Wow. Thank you for making me feel welcome. Guess which finger I'm holding up?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Smell</span><br />Being greedy, Chilli's management are trying to adopt the Costa Coffee approach: be in as many places as possible. This caused rather unsuitable locations. Like the Chillies @ The Centre. It is so small that patrons clothes reek of cooking odours because the kitchen is too close to the seating area. Also the sound of pans clonking, orders shouted and food sizzling is exactly what I need to relax.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The destruction of a Concept </span><br />Chilli's was a "Casual Dining" experience. With the number of restaurants there is now and the lower standards, "Casual Dining" just changed into "Overpriced Fast food". It is. It's just is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lower Hygiene and Cleanliness </span><br />It is not strange to see things on the floor, spilled drinks on the tables and tables that are just not cleared. I took pictures in my last visit to Dana Mall branch. Just look:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=SNC00182.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 350px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/SNC00182.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Look at the table: Empty bottles, half drunk glasses, a bag full of garbage on a food counter, bananas thrown on the table after Hastingly preparing something. It was messy.<br />Look here:<br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=SNC00184.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/SNC00184.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Garbage greeting you at the entrance.<br /><br /><a href="http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/?action=view&current=SNC00183.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 501px; height: 374px;" src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b291/Redbelt/Bloggy/SNC00183.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And in between the tables inside as well.<br />The staff were simply walking past / walking over the trash.<br /><br />Chilli's Bahrain was asking for it for a long time now. TheRedbelt.com is blacklisting Chilli's Bahrain on the following charges:<br /><ul><li>Bad Service</li><li>Low Hygiene<br /></li><li>Bad Quality</li></ul>At least these three problems must be solved before their name can be lifted from my list.<br /><br />This blog post will be sent to officials at Jawad Group and also submitted to Chillis .com via their feedback form.<br />Kindly leave your opinion on the poll to the right and on the comments to this post. I look forward to hear what you all think.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-56895839873980419352008-12-23T00:58:00.002+03:002008-12-23T01:02:33.467+03:00The penelty for rapistsThis poll was the lowest participated poll. Only Two entrants? I expected more specially concidering how touchy the subject is. Anyway, the results were:<br /><br />How should rapists be punished?<br /><br /><table style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Fined and made to sign a a pledge">Fined and made to sign a a pledge</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Fined and made to sign a a pledge"> 0 (0%)</div> </div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Should serve some jail time">Should serve some jail time</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Should serve some jail time"> 0 (0%)</div> </div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Shuld serve a LONG jail time">Shuld serve a LONG jail time</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Shuld serve a LONG jail time"> 0 (0%)</div> </div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Should be executed">Should be executed</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Should be executed"> 2 (100%)</div> <div class="resultBar" title="Should be executed" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: -1; width: 100%;"> </div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Votes so far: 2 <br />Poll closed<br /><br />Please take another look at my post about the <a href="http://theredbelt.com/2008/12/raping-kids-is-fun.html">rape of a mentally challenged Bahraini boy</a>. It deserves more attention than it got. Thank you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-4325561049236267572008-12-05T04:13:00.002+03:002009-01-20T18:13:34.648+03:00Charity Stamps [Poll]<table style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Love them!">Love them!</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Love them!"> 0 (0%)</div> </div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="It must be optional and transperant">It must be optional and transperant</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="It must be optional and transperant"> 3 (75%)</div> <div class="resultBar" title="It must be optional and transperant" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: -1; width: 75%;"> </div></div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="Hate them.">Hate them.</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="Hate them."> 1 (25%)</div> <div class="resultBar" title="Hate them." style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; z-index: -1; width: 25%;"> </div></div></td></tr> <tr><td class="answerText"><div title="I really don't care.">I really don't care.</div></td> <td style="margin-top: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><div style="position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="resultText" title="I really don't care."> 0 (0%)</div> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Votes so far: 4 <br />Poll closed<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-19631657202433712082008-12-05T03:19:00.002+03:002008-12-05T04:11:02.041+03:00Raping Kids is FUN!You may have heard or read about the recent rape crime in Riffa where <a href="http://www.aafaq.org/news.aspx?id_news=7507">4 adult men kidnapped a 15 year old boy (ar)</a>, raped him and then let him go after threating him to keep quite. Thank god he didn't and he is mighty brave for that.<br />However, many writers in the local media, and some <a href="http://abdulemam.blogspot.com/2008/11/crime-of-father-regime-my-passport-for.html">bloggers </a>too, have turned this into a citizenship issue, claiming that some of the rapists were not "original" Bahrainis and that the government's naturalizing efforts are bringing this on us.<br />While this theory may hold some water, the bulk of the people are forgetting the actual problem: A CHILD WAS RAPED!<br />The only reason this incident got so much exposure was because of the involvment of the naturlised men. People who were against the practice used this all too well, and so they should. But, do you have any idea how many incidents actually go on but never reach the surface?<br />I'm not even talking about unreported incidents, I'm talking about incidents with reports to the police and everything. Let me give you one example here:<br /><br />This is a real story that I got first hand from a Bahraini family. A divorced mother is raising two boys, one adult and the other is mentally challanged, let us refer to him by "H".<br />H was raped by 2 adult men in their mid thirties three years ago. The rapists were Bahrainis and live in the same neighbourhood.<br />H was in a very sorry state. But he was able to describe to his family what happened and he was able to identify the men. The mother and the brother go to the police.<br />Very very long story short: The men were seized, were given a fine of BD 100 each, signed a pledge to never do that again then off they went back home.<br />Justice was served.<br />Oh, I forgot. The police threatened to throw H's brother in jail. Why? They thought he was a "witness" and said he shouldn't have stood by idally watching his brother get raped. He tried his best to tell them that he was NOT there and he merely "transelated" his brother's words to the police. No, he had to pay a BD 50 bail to keep him out of jail.<br />To recap; this is the view point of the mother: My mentally challanged son gets raped, the rapists live in the neighbourhood and are back where they are. My son is scarred for life. My other son gets threatened with Jail time for actually going to the police for help.<br />Nice.<br /><br />Dear readers, this story is real, happened three years ago. All parties are pure Bahrainis. It never saw any media coverage at all. This blog post is all it got.<br /><br />Just last week, the police called the brother, saying that the BD 50 bail money shouldn't have been taken and they want to give it back. But in order for them to do so, they asked him to write a letter saying that the first police report was not correct. This sounds fishy to me but I guess the police are under heat because of the Riffa Boy story.<br /><br />I for one think that a fine and a pledge is way too soft for such a brutal crime. I demand that proper Sharia law be enforced. Rapists should be executed. Society has no place for them. We need new laws and we need them to be firm and strict. I'll say it again:<br />I WANT THE DEATH PENELTY FOR RAPISTS.<br /><br />If anyone who reads this can bring justice to the victim, please get in touch with me. Leave a comment.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2023991709134950870.post-27900956467129809202008-11-24T17:01:00.005+03:002008-11-24T18:30:47.442+03:00Mahmood's Den Farewell Speech [Redcast]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ug_qmOvPV7k&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ug_qmOvPV7k&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Mahmood was the man behind <a href="http://mahmood.tv/">Mahmood's Den</a>, one of the most influential blogs in Bahrain. He is retiring from blogging and that was taken in his blog's farewell party Saturday 22nd of November '08.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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<script src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Redbelthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338152724455215900noreply@blogger.com8