Posted By Yousef

Yes, we should lighten up. We should take things less seriously. We should always compromise and accept new questionable things into our lives. What’s with the people nowadays always clinging to their traditions and what they believe in? Don’t they know we’re in the grey age now? Don’t they know that the less you standout the better it is for everyone else?

Lets be less opinionated and more with the flow…..

So what if we celebrated a pagan occasion?
So what if we celebrated the memory of a Christian priest?
So what and so what again?

We can always go with the flow…

Its easier…

So lets just go with the flow until we are so far away we can’t even look back to where we were.

*yes i’m being sarcastic and i have a headache*

The picture above is taken from Here.

Posted By Yousef

Mariah’s new song “Touch My Body” is set to premiere on B96, Chicago’s top radio station, today the 12th of february at 4:00pm Central time which is 1 am in Kuwait’s time. you can always listen to the station’s live stream by Clicking Here.

Aside from that radio station, all access will make the song available for all of the other radio stations at 6:30pm.

Update!
Thanks to loco for letting me know that the song debuted on B96 a bit earlier than expected!

Here it is

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

And here is the HQ MP3 for you to keep. 😀

Posted By Yousef

I found this nice forum by accident while i was looking for alJawal’s usb modem services (turned out they’re not available yet and the company itself didn’t start its operations in kuwait 😀 ). but anyway, if there are people out there who want a Kuwaiti community to help you out with ur Macs, then this forum should be a great find for you.

——-

Update:
Turned out they have a Blog too.

Posted By Yousef

Ingredients:

-Boneless chicken thighs.
-A cup of coconut milk.
-kurkum (Turmeric)
-onion.
-ginger.
-tomatoes for garnish.
-parsley for garnish.
-green curry powder (1 tea spoon)

boil the chicken thighs until tender, cut em to cubes and keep aside. whip out ur deep frying pan and start by frying the onions (thin long slices) in little oil on low fire. u don’t want to turn them yellow, u should keep them white, so add little water every minute. fry in the mashed ginger, add the chickens, add the korkom (1 tea spoon) and the… i forgot its name.. yeah the curry powder. mix in the coconut milk, season with salt and pepper, raise the fire and stir for 5 minutes then reduce the fire and keep it there to simmer for 10-15 minutes. and just before u serve the dish, mix in the tomatoes and sprinkle some parsley.

bil3afya 😛

There are 2 kinds of heinz ketchup out there. one is manufactured in egypt and the other in the US. their taste is different. so heads up! you can tell by looking at their labels. if you see any arabic translation then its the cheap err.. i mean, its the one from egypt. 😀

If you already know about this and don’t think there is a difference in taste, well, then might as well cut ur costs.. coz there are always the award winning ketchups like this one here:

it was recommended by My dear friend INTER. he said their sandwiches would remind me of the late hungry bunny chain. and it kinda did!

i ordered 2 sandwiches and a fries. the super bunny sandwich (whopper look alike) and the roast beef sandwich. let me start by saying that i do not consider this restaurant a real restaurant, not a real fast food joint, nope, i think of it more like albatriq and sahran kinda of restaurants. mcdonald’s would be gourmet food next to these 😛 . anyway, their super bunny was nice, it was a cross over between the whopper and the big deluxe. i liked it and it did remind of of the real super bunny.

now the roast beef sandwich was reaal nice! i was surprised! they use real roast beef! i don’t know how to explain it.. i liked the quality of their roast beef (although a bit chewy) but nevertheless, it was good and the meat was kind of thick and full of flavor (the tomato and lettuce had to go though). my only criticism and the only thing that bothered me was the quality of their mayonnaise. it had an eggy taste.. yukh.

Overall its a nice little place for when you crave junk food yet u’re sick from the usual places. I personally would definitely go back for their roast beef. and when i’m a bit nostalgic, i’d go for their super bunny 😀 oh and i loved their buns! so fresh!

Its located in hawalli, facing the 4th ring road, just opposite the Royale Hayat hospital.

Indoor Bugs and What to Do About Them

Your home is your personal sanctuary. It is where we sleep, dine, and spend a great deal of our free time. Unfortunately, we are often not alone in enjoying this sacred space.

Aside from our loved ones and darling pets, many other little creepy crawlies like to make themselves at home in our living space. While many of these creatures are small and often go unnoticed, some of these pests can cause major problems for your welfare. If you suspect you may have some unwanted house guests, here are nine indoor bugs and what you can do about them.

1. Flies

Flies are a nuisance pest that can contaminate food and transmit dangerous diseases. The most common intruder is the house fly, but your home can also suffer from fruit and horse flies as well. These bugs are persistent and plentiful. If hatching occurs, your problem can go from one buzzing bother to many. While house and fruit flies mainly zoom around and pester, horse flies can bite leaving some nasty welts. These pests should be dealt with quickly.

What you should do:

Because they can transmit nasty diseases and contaminate anything they land on, this is a pest you should deal with immediately. To prevent them from getting inside, keep your home as tidy as possible. Block all possible entryways like doors, windows, and cracks. Eliminate any breeding sites. If you suspect an infestation, it would be wise to reach out to a pest control expert to locate the breeding ground and eliminate the problem.

2. Fleas

These pesky parasites feed off warm-blooded creatures and come in many different varieties: cat, dog, and rat fleas. These critters do not fly, but they jump onto their hosts. They bite and leave painful, itchy red bumps. Normally, you don’t just find one. These pests can not only affect your family but your furry friends as well. Enough of these pests can cause your animal’s serious harm.

What you should do:

With fleas, prevention is the best course of action. Keep your yard clean and try to deter any creatures carrying fleas from entering your yard. Seal all cracks and crevices on the outside of your house using silicone-based caulk. In addition, use flea management for your pests: ointments, baths, and other treatments. If you do have an infestation, vacuum the affected area and dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed garbage bag. Place it outside. If the infestation doesn’t relent, contact a pest control expert to inspect your home. Check out the latest fuze bug reviews.

3. Book Lice or Louse

These little insects are a common parasite often found in damp pantries or storage areas. They feed off mold, dead insects, stored food and other organic matter. These scavengers live indoors, are wingless, and are drawn to places with high humidity and moisture. They don’t cause any physical harm, but they are unwanted, nonetheless.

What you should do:

The best way to keep these bugs out is by eliminating any excess moisture. Run a dehumidifier, make sure your rooms are properly vented, and be sure all your water sources are cared for. If you do find booklice, throw out any contaminated food or items, whether they are cereal, books, flour, or grains. If you wish to keep infected items, like books, seal them in a plastic bag and freeze it. Once the bugs are dead, vacuum up the remains and dispose of them properly.

4. Little Black Ants

Ants are a common invader, especially the little black ants. These pests are normally worker ants searching for food and water for their colony. They act as a search party, checking for ideal places to raid. If you aren’t careful, one can become many and that can be bad news for your pantry.

What you should do:

To protect against these invaders, seal all cracks in your exterior with a silicone-based caulk. Store all firewood about 20 ft from your home and keep your shrubs trimmed. Seek out ant nests and use store-bought killers and repellents to destroy them.

5. House Spiders

House spiders are so stealthy it can be hard to spot them. Cobweb spiders, cellar spiders, and ghost spiders are among the wide variety of housemates you may not know you have. They are very common in homes. They often make webs or hide, making a feast of other possible pests that may reside in your house as well. Less of a pest and more of a small exterminator, house spiders are often harmless if left alone. Many spiders, however, can become an issue.

Posted By Yousef

I want to buy some accessories for my camera. first i want to buy a nice bag that’ll contain everything i have and will have in the future. then i want to buy a good lens with better zoom and with image stabilizer, this one is going to be a bit expensive for my taste, but oh well. then i want to buy some CHEAPER lens just becoz they’re cheap (u know i’ve got to fill the bag i’m gonna buy).. and last but not least, i want to buy a bigger CF card.. i’m not sure why i want to buy a bigger one now.. but it just doesn’t feel right to have a 1GB CF card… does it?

The name is Rangoli, located in the Radisson SAS hotel.

We went to Rangoli just over a week ago, last thursday to be specific. we went only days after the restaurant’s opening, thats what we were told.

I liked the restaurant, the place was well designed and the amount of spending was evident once you look around at the decorations and the overall feel of the place. I liked how they built the restaurant just under the “alboom” restaurant (alboom means big ship), it was VERY smart of them to use the boom’s lower structure to divide the restaurant in half.. so when you’re in Rangoli you’ll notice the base of a ship splitting the dining area in half. (shown below)

part of the ship’s base

Now the food. I don’t think you can go wrong with this place, we ordered many things from appetizers to main courses and we were all happy with our orders (or at least thats the vibe i got from the others 😛 ). I’m gonna speak for myself now, I ate some battered chicken for starters, i don’t know its name, but it was goooood! and so was the kebab and some other stuff i forgot, they were all delicious. I didn’t know what to order for the main course so i went with the safest dish.. the lamb baryany. the baryany was great as well. their baryany is one of the best i’ve ever tried, for me it ranks 2nd place (1st place goes to Dubai’s Asha’s).

Now the only thing that really bothered us was the service. it was extremely slow. we waited a lot for the food to arrive, the appetizers and the main courses were too far apart. We complained to the waiter and he said that its their first “real” week, and they weren’t expecting so many customers (it was almost a full house) and that the kitchen was facing problems keeping up.. he also promised to do his best to not keep us waiting. (it would’ve been nicer/professional to bring us some drinks or things on the house while they kept us waiting, imo, but they didn’t).

Anyway, overall, I liked the place and I would definitely go back there soon and also would highly recommend it to my friends and family.

Yesterday I went to Shuwaikh’s port near Kuwait University. I wanted to tell everything in details, but that proved to be impossible… so many little annoying details.. most of which were intangible.. you’d have to go there once and know what i’m talking about. Anyway, i picked just 3 incidents, here we go:

1-I had to get a visitor badge so i can enter the free zone area to check-out my packages.. we went to an office’s window (we were not allowed to enter. just wait by the window for the officer to finish your documents and hand it out to you). there were 2 groups of people waiting at 2 different windows, The first window (officer) told me that in order to get the free pass badge, I had to get my Civil-ID and Package-documents photocopied and stamped. i left him and went to the other window (officer) and he told that all i have to do is give him my civil-id in exchange. and i did, i gave him the id and he gave me the badge.

2 employees, 2 different rules. within 5 meters of each other.

2-I went in (the badge of honor in my pocket) and went straight to the warehouse where my stuff was put into a pile. we searched for the mas2ool (the guy in charge), no one was there… only an indian guy (who was a bit moody). turned out the guy in charge (the egyptian guy) is not available right now.. we were asked to wait for about 45 minutes.. (the people at the customs will leave within the next 30 minutes).

I complained, I yelled and I argued… and at the end, the indian guy got sick of me and gave me the egyptian guy’s phone number. i did the same when i called that guy, complained, yelled and argued…

Me: where are YOU!!!
mas2ool: ana 3and almo7akik… (mo7aqiq) ana mash’3ool delwa2t! meen idaak ilrakam dah!
Me: doesn’t matter! just come back now! i’m in a hurry!
mas2ool: i’m with the mo7aqiq!! i can’t come now! give me 30 minutes
Me: what are you doing there? why are you there and not here where you’re supposed to be!? even if you had something important there, you can’t just go and leave your place without anyone else in charge!

10 minutes later my problem was solved and we took the packages and went to customs…

3-I took many pictures in that warehouse. of classic cars, big boxes, my boxes and some random dusty stuff..

on our way to the customs (i’m in my car, and my packages in the other big car). as we were driving, the sea was on my left. the port looked very nice and very bloggable.. i opened my window and took out my mobile and started taking pictures.. of the sea, the port, the dock, ships… etc. and then I WAS STOPPED!

G.i.Joe: what are you doing!
Me: taking pictures? 😀
Joe: i got a tip that someone was taking pictures of the dock! give me your id and your visitor’s pass.
Me: (oh the badge! he’s going to take my badge!)
Joe: you know.. if you weren’t kuwaiti, i would’ve had to inform the maba7ith. and they were going to send you to the niyaba, then transfer you to the national security department! bitroo7 ibdahya kint!
Me: shdaaaaaaaaa3waaaaaaaaaaa 😀 😀
Joe: i’m not joking (angry face). you don’t think you’ve done something illegal?
Me: actually, no i don’t.. all i’ve done was take some pictures.. and not good ones at that, since i was driving and shooting at the same time…
Joe: thats illegal!! you can’t take pictures of ports! just like how you can’t take pictures of the airport! same thing!
Me: what are you talking about! there are 2 music videos shot at the airport!! (abdulkarim and ruwaishid’s).. its not illegal!
Joe: look, i think your intentions were pure.. and therefor i won’t be sending you to the police (maba7ith)..
Me: if you want me to delete the pictures i will.. i don’t care..
Joe: well, if you don’t delete them now infront of me, i’m gonna take you to the police myself.

can you believe that!! i mean what kind of a sick, stupid terrorist would use mobile shots to plot an attack! i mean when you have something like this:

the mouse cursor is showing the place where i was stopped

why would you need poor quality, mobile pictures… i guess i’ll never know the answer..

all in all, the experience was an awful and sad one. Kuwait’s system and the guys working in our biggest and most important ministries are stupid and incompetent. i had to race an officer with my car just to get his clearance signature. thats telling!

Thanks to Google Earth for the picture above.

Posted By Yousef

Amazon’s digital music catalogue is all set to go global, and although a launch date has not yet been settled, it shall hit sometime this year. Given Amazon MP3 offers DRM-free tracks, which are generally cheaper than iTunes limited, equivalent offerings, we cannot help but think an epic battle between the big As is all set to take off.

click on Amazon and Here for more info. Thanks INM.

Posted by Yousef

Located between the two main highways linking Kuwait City to the south, the Mall of Kuwait in the Sabahiya area will have a massive retail area of 150,000 square meters. Designed to capture the imagination of the nation, it will be surrounded by gardens, water bodies and some of the most extensive leisure and dining facilities.

The mall will have a hypermarket, five anchor stores, the world’s best brands and spectacular entertainment facilities.

For more information, HERE is the site.

Thanks loco for the site 🙂

Posted By Yousef

NEW YORK – Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan apartment, and police said drugs may have been a factor. The Australian-born actor was 28. Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the residence in the tony SoHo neighborhood, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. A housekeeper who went to let him know the massage therapist had arrived found him dead at 3:26 p.m.

Source: Yahoo News

Mom bought this toy for my nephew who’s less than a year old! The cow makes loud scary noises, walks fast, it has RED eyes, and shakes it head like a maniac….. bs nagi9ha tel7ag wet3eth!!

The free upload space in wordpress was 50MB back when Me and Mishary first started this blog, so we decided to subscribe to the 1GB space upgrade, i think we paid around $20 for the upgrade. Now wordpress decided to up the free space up to 3GB.. and they bumped us to 8GBs (3GBs free + 5GB instead of the 1 GB we paid for) at no additional cost! 😀

I like it when the companies respect their customers! 😀 I’m happy lol and because of this wonderforous occasion, i’m gonna start uploading a song every once in awhile.

*goes to find a song*

Natasha Bedingfield – Pocketful of sunshine

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Thanks intlxpatr for the info!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib0Tll3sGB0&hl=en]

Posted By Yousef

igoloon laiw9alat libyoot mala7… GAMAT isa3aa!

Mugs with writable surfaces, you can now write and play with your mug while enjoying your favorite drink. yes thats right.. the mugs comes ready with 2 pieces of chalk for a quick start! 🙂

Tea

Tic Tac Toe ( X O )

Sudoku 😉

Here is the Site if you’re interested.

PS. Mishary & INM, you remember the place where we bought the mugs (blue and orange mugs) that 2001 summer? its the same place! 😀

The other day i was in our local co-op (jam3iya) and there was a big billboard in there thanking the area’s people and contributers. as I was reading, i noticed that there was a new area name in there… “mbarak al abdullah al jaber” (A.K.A. ‘3arb Mishref).. i stood there reading the billboard.. but i couldn’t really finish it! i stopped and asked mom about that new name and what it supposed to stand for? and why?? why would anyone name a nice man6aqa with that name?

the first thing i wanted to know was “what did this, i’m sure honorable, guy did to deserve such honor?” mom thought for a moment and then said “well, he did nothing aside from that he once lived in a nice house in the area.”

Mom and me continued discussing this subject, and she came to the conclusion that “some names are being used for the sole reason of them being from the royal family and that they’re dead now”. thats the only reason.. they’ve died and by being dead they were entitled for an area named after them…

We talked about another issue as well.. it is very difficult for the non-Kuwaitis (like expats), I’m sure they’ll find it very difficult to pronounce the areas names, let alone knowing the difference between them! its very confusing to them.. i mean think about it (jaber al ali, ahmad alfahad, abdullah almbarak, mbarak alkabeer… and so on).. can you see how its confusing? the whole thing is reaching a point where its failing to serve the only purpose it was intended to serve!

Now, don’t get me wrong, i’m all for being patriotic and rewarding the people who made a difference in this country. but I wish we’d cut back on this type of area naming.. we don’t need so many names from one family, be it the royal family or any other family! we need to to be true to ourselves more often, and we need to keep the names of those who helped shape todays kuwait alive… and not by naming the areas after people where their only contribution to kuwait is there death.

I really want to go into the road and highways’ names (shari3 ilmalik fahad, shari3 ilmalik 3abdelaziz, shari3 ilmalik faisal, they’re shari3 ilma’3rib, shari3 f7ai7eel and shari3 ireyath respectively). but i think what i wrote up to now is enough for now.. 😀

Here is a list of Kuwait’s areas with royal family members’ names. and you judge for yourself who’s worthy of such honor and who’s not: (I kinda like some of the names but DEFINITELY not all of em):

-Ali sabah alsalim
-Fahad Alahmad
-Sa3ad albdullah
-Jabir alahmad
-Sabah alahmad
-Sabah alsalim
-Abdullah asalim
-Mbarrak al abdallah al jaber
-Salwa
-Alahmedi
-Sobahiya
-Alde3eya
-Aljabriya
-Mbarak alkabeer
-Alahmedi
-AlSalmiya
-Sabah alnasir
-Jaber al ali

You can check this Thread to find the meanings behind some of the names.

The picture was taken from Cajie.

Caffeinated soap has been launched to help people who don’t have the time for both a shower and a coffee in the morning.

Manufacturers claim their Shower Shock soap releases caffeine that is absorbed into the user’s system and provides the same hit as a two cups of coffee.

Note: 7asafa Mishary sharait makeenat ilgahwa gabil latadry 3an halsabona 😛

Credit: here & here

Steve Job’s keynote revolved around 4 announcements:

1-New Airport base with 500GB or 1TB harddisk. now you can sync your time machinr wirelessly.
2-New Iphone and Ipod touch softwares. should be a nice boost to iphone owners.
3-Added Movie Rental feature to the iTunes store.
4-Introduced a new line of laptops, called Macbook Air. the Tiniest laptop in the world. the price ranges from $1799-$3098. a bit expensive.

here are some more pictures..

Link: Apple