Jambino's Joint

I wouldn’t stand in line for this

2012-01-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

And I didn’t. Did Emma have a crush? She gave me her number. If so, then it's something I fail to fathom since I was rude and I acted like I own the place. Is audacity attractive?

A little piece of advice, not to the faint of heart. In these types of joints, wear a black suit and sunglasses at night and just walk in. The bouncers will be confused and they will shy away from any confrontation since they are not sure who the hell you are. Their jobs could be on the line. Getting the undivided attention of Emmanuelle comes naturally after that.

Extreme ways

Off to Paris

2011-12-06T00:29:00.000-08:00

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Speaking of Hotel Costes, I’m off to Paris for a bit of early winter decadence. I’ll be listening to a lot of jazzy R&B, especially Quincy. Here is a sample.
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Playlist-=
If I ever lose this heaven---Quincy Jones
Razzmatazz----------------Quincy Jones
Stuff like that--------------Quincy Jones
Ai No Corrida---------------Quincy Jones
Send one your love---------Stevie Wonder

Listen

Hotel Costes-Reload

2011-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you remember random details from your life for no particular reason, or so it seems. I still remember the first time I stumbled into this joint called Hotel Costes in Paris in the winter of 1999 in the company of a lady friend from Guerlain; it was her idea.
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For some reason, the memory which stuck to my head from the whole experience was not the conversation I had with my date or even the food. I can only remember passing by the DJ booth (Stéphane Pompougnac?) as we were being shown to our table and with a quick glimpse I noticed he was about to play Café Del Mar 5. As we were departing, I became aware of the fact that management was peddling a CD that included the mix I was listening to that night.

That was my first Hotel Costes music purchase. Here is a tribute to all of them covering Vols. 1 to 15. The mix is just under two hours long and it contains my favorite tracks from each volume. It is suitable for a lively cocktail party. Enjoy.
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Costes Mix

Amélie

2011-11-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

I watched Amélie the other night and it’s a pretty good flick in a weird French way, but, the thing I can’t get over is the music. The title theme is hypnotic and Yann Tiersen is an absolute genius. The music kept ringing in my ears and in my car stereo for three days and I love it. Here are two versions of the same composition, one from the movie and the other recorded live with a full orchestra.

Listen

Pre-Party

2011-11-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

This is a no smoking zone.

The party season is here and the key to a good party is atmospherics; this includes lighting, seating arrangement, aroma and music; the latter is my favorite. I like to mix music that sets the mood. It is neither dance music nor sleepy boring elevator music. It has just the right tempo to keep you interested, but not enough to distract any conversation you might be having with someone interesting. The music is sufficient to have you swaying while standing or wiggling in your seat, with your love interest completely intact and others totally oblivious to what’s going on between you two. Here is an example. I call it pre-party.
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Pre-party mix

Hobnoblin with the Goblin

2011-10-24T02:32:00.000-07:00

Have a spooky Pumpkin Day!
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Halloween Playlist
Goblin Girl----------Frank Zappa
Time Warp---------Rocky Horror Picture Show
Nemesis-----------Shriekback
Playground Love---Air
This Big Hush------Shriekback

Listen

Barbecue Weather

2011-10-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Autumn skies in Kuwait

Ah, October, the weather is coolin’, mood improvin’, the barbecue is on and we are chillin’. The temperature has dropped quite precipitously today signaling the official end of summer and the start of the “Sfiri” season. While local lore has it that this is flu season, "Sfiri" has never failed to put me in a pretty darn good mood.
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In the mood playlist--
At last------------Etta James
Mornin’------------Al Jarreau
You’ll never find----Lou Rawls
Let the music play--Barry White
Moody’s mood-----George Benson

Listen

Happy 4th Babes

2011-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Junior working his Ipad. Summer, 2011

Happy birthday son. Tuo padre ti ama molto, molto.

Birthday

Gone native

2011-09-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

Lazy summer afternoon in the veranda. July, 2011

Go Native
To go native means to take on some (or all) of the culture traits of the people around you, often said of people who go to foreign countries or far away cities. These traits may include dress, language, accent, etiquette, religion, etc. [source]

Let me cut to the chase. Its official, I’m in love with Europe.

I am hopelessly in love with Europe; the people, the food, the drink, the music, the architecture. Did I say the music? This is getting serious folks. Can you say early retirement in the Alps?

Music about Europe

Barcelona ----------- Giulia y Los Tellarini
Sous le ciel de Paris --Juliette Gréco
London in the rain -=- Variety Lab
Europa -------------- Carlos Santana
A song for Europe---- Roxy Music

Listen

Packing and Gone in 60 Minutes!

2011-06-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

Have a nice summer.

Music for Night Flight

Listen

Bring me my Bow of Burning Gold; bring me my Arrows of Desire

2011-04-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

King George V, William's great grandfather,
(1866-1936, ruled 1910-1936)
amid the ruins of WWI

I did not intend to watch the Royal Wedding, but since it was the weekend, I had it on TV in the background, that is until the music started. I am a big fan of classical music and I have a particular weakness for choral works, especially those sung live in a chapel or a cathedral. I was totally immersed in the performance, so a huge thank you goes to OSN network for bringing us this experience in full HD and in 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. I enjoyed it enormously.

My favorite recital was “Jerusalem” Hymn. It never fails to give me goose bumps. Incidentally, it has nothing to do with the ancient city of Jerusalem. It is a patriotic poem written by William Blake in 1804 and set to music in 1916 by Hubert Parry amid the horrors of World War I. It describes, in a rather obscure way, the perfect England. Here are the lyrics:

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

Preface and poem in Blake's original handwriting.

It is considered by many to be the unofficial British National Anthem. Here are a couple of versions of it including the sublime rock rendition by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Playlist:

Jerusalem----King’s College Choir
Jerusalem----Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Listen

Jibla

2011-04-01T03:50:00.000-07:00

The Jibla gang (1955). Look at these young men’s faces carefully. If you’re from Jibla, there’s a good chance your grandfather is one of them. Source: Personal records.

I am not a big fan of Kuwait Airways. In fact, I avoid traveling on the National Carrier like the plague for many “technical” reasons. But, the thing I dislike the most is going to their downtown office, and my reasons are strictly personal. You see, I was born in a house in an area which is now a parking lot opposite KAC building.

This residential area is no more. Not only that, but there is zero evidence that this once bustling neighborhood, which many Kuwaiti families called home, even existed. I say this because I hear many references to it being thrown about in the socio-political discourse, but I seriously doubt if any of the young people using it as a metaphor today know where this “Atlantis” actually was. I was born in my grandfather’s house which existed somewhere between KAC parking lot and The National Assembly’s cargo bay. This space was called Jibla.

Music about hometowns

My City Was Gone-----The Pretenders

Streets of Philadelphia--—Bruce Springsteen

Midnight Train to Georgia----Cladys Knight and the Pips

California Dreaming--—Mamas and Papas

Home of the Brave (Credit Racket)-—Laurie Anderson

Listen

Hard Rock Cafe

2011-03-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

The Doors outside the original Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Los Angeles (1969). Source

I have never eaten at the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuwait and I've only been there once to check out the interior design before it opened. Tacky is an understatement. My favorite Hard Rock is the one in London, but that was a long time ago.

Quick, what is the connection between Hard Rock Cafe Inc. and Jim Morrison’s drinking problem?

Answer: The back cover of The Doors “Morrison Hotel” album shot in downtown Los Angeles.

After shooting for the album cover at the said hotel in December 1969, Jim Morrison’s itch took him and the band to a dive bar across the street called “Hard Rock Cafe.” The crew took some pictures at the bar and the band later decided to use them on the back cover of the album and called the entire B-side “Hard Rock Cafe” as a tribute to the joint.

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Jim and the band knocking down a few brews at the Hard Rock Cafe. Source

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Soon after the album was released the band received a phone call from a guy in London asking them if they minded if he used the name for a café he’s opening not far from Buckingham Palace, to which Jim replied: “No.” And the rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

For a dramatic portrayal of Jim Morrison's genius and his short and messy life, watch Oliver Stone's The Doors. For a closer look at the man himself, check out the award winning documentary "When You're Strange."

The Doors Sampler

Roadhouse Blues
Light My Fire
People are Strange
Spanish Caravan

Cars Hiss By My Window

Listen

To make it yours, hover over the [Download] link opposite each track in "Multiply", right click then choose "save target as."

Jenna's Joint

2011-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, when I was in college, I used to go to a dive called Jenna’s to unwind after spending a good day in Memorial Library studying for a mid-term in something fun like non-parametric statistics.

Jenna’s was a joint popular with bikers and graduate school dropouts mainly because of the cheap booze. On the bar there was a big jar filled with boiled eggs submerged in water. I guess this is dinner for bikers. They also had an old fashioned vinyl juke box that played music like the playlist below. Oh, and you got to check out Nancy Sinatra’s video. Call me retro, but, her moves are something to behold.
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Playlist
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Them Changes---Buddy Miles
It’s Your Thing---The Isley Brothers
These Boots Were made for Walking---Nancy Sinatra
Low Rider---War
Whiskey and Wimmen---John Lee Hooker

Listen

Bonus Track: Zenga Zenga Song mp3

To save the track on your hard disk, hover mouse over the link then right click and choose [save target as].

Happy 50th Birthday Babes

2011-02-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Arabian Peninsula map published by A K Jonston within his great Atlas issued in Edinburgh in 1867. It is one of the first maps of the 19th century that bears the name of Kuwait instead of Grane. Note that Kuwait is referred to as The Republic of Kuwait to distinguish it from surrounding entities controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Source

Kisses and hugs. I love you.

Listen up (One track 15 minutes)

Spiritual High-----Mood Swings

Italian Packer Fan Goes Nuts!!

2011-02-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Watch him go nuts in Italian.

His story.

The DNA of a Champion

2011-01-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Football Team of the ACME Meat Packing Co. of Green Bay,
Wisconsin, AKA Green Bay Packers (1919).

The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears Sunday in the NFC Championship game to advance to the Super Bowl in Dallas on February 6, 2011. They will play the Pittsburg Steelers for the right to be champions of the world.

The Packers started in 1920 as a semi-professional team made up of the workers at the ACME meat packing company of Green Bay, Wisconsin. They made money by passing the hat to whoever was there to witness the game on Sunday.

The Packers Sam Shields #37 intercepts the game's final pass.

23 January 2011.

Many people don’t know this, but up to this day the Green Bay Packers organization is not owned by an individual or a family as is the case with all other football teams. It's not even a business. They are owned by the residents of the City of Green Bay. Their structure is that of a non-profit cooperative society just like your local “Jameeiya.” All the profit the organization makes goes into the development of the company itself and to the service of the community.

Playlist

Don’t let it End-------Joe Marsala
We Will Rock You--—Queen
I Gotta a Feeling---—Black Eyed Peas
Turn Around-------—Phats and Small
Where the Party at?--Jagged Edge Feat. Nelly

Listen

Labor of Love

2011-01-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to the E-Government Mall at the Liberation Tower to renew the maid’s residency. I was feeling a bit melancholic for some reason; perhaps it’s the winter blues. I parked in the wrong place because I didn’t know where else to park. I was fined for it.

The ladies at the desk were “flirtatious” which made my life easier. This always works for me in government institutions. In general, it was a pretty good experience, all things considered. My only grievance is that I had to pay a 100 KD fine for being late to renew Josephine’s residency. I think it’s excessive.

Music about work

Mercedes Benz-—---------------Janis Joplin
Manic Monday----------------—The Bangles
Nothing But the Rent—----------Gwyneth Guthrie
Think-------------------------—Aretha Franklin
Paying the Cost to Be the Boss—-B.B. King

Listen

Barber Shop

2010-12-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

Ilya Bolotowsky: In the Barber Shop, 1934

Today, after my walk in the “Mamsha”, I went to the Coop Barber shop for a haircut. All the workers there are from Turkey. They are very nice and courteous. For some reason they always call me “Ammi” (uncle), even the guy who’s my uncle’s age. The haircut was ok, not great, but ok. For 4 KD including tip, I can’t complain.

Music about hair

Hairdresser on Fire----Morrissey
A Touch of Grey------Grateful Dead
Gringo--------------—Little Feat
The Barber of Seville- Gioacchino Rossini
Everybody Hurts----—Barbershop Quartet

Listen

Sleep

2010-12-15T02:39:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been unable to sleep in a fulfilling and satisfactory manner. I am not getting sufficient REM and there are no dreams to speak of, not to mention waking up feeling groggy and slow. It must be something in the air, or maybe I need to work on my bedroom’s Feng Shui. Funk knows. Speaking of funk, check out this often sampled gem by the Isley Brothers.

Music about sleep

Between The Sheets-------TThe Isley Brothers
I Go To Sleep---------------The Pretenders
Bed’s Too Big Without You—-The Police
Insomnia--------------------Faithless
Daysleeper----------------—R.E.M.

Listen

Minneapolis

2010-11-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

I don’t mean to gloat or anything of the sort, but our Pack did thump your Vikings pretty good last Sunday. You shouldn’t have acquired Favre this late. There’s an unwritten “no-no” rule against taking an icon from one team to another at the drop of a hat. Not just any team, but one in the same division and a next door neighbor. It’s like marrying your neighbor’s wife the day following their divorce. Not nice.

But, just to show that I harbor no ill feelings toward you, here are some of my favorite classic dance tracks from your glorious city. And, may I add, you haven't produced any noteworthy artists since Prince. What gives?

The Minneapolis Sound (Circa mid 80s)

Minneapolis—----------------------ABC
Human----------------------------Human League
Saturday Love--------------------Cherrelle feat. Alexander O'Neal
I didn’t mean to turn you on---------Robert Palmer
What have you done for me lately?--Janet Jackson

Listen

LEVIS 501 shrink to fit

2010-11-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today I received my Levis (original) shrink to fit 501 jeans. In my opinion, this is the only pair of jeans that deserves the label “Indigo Denim.” This particular item is not available anywhere in the world except the Levis stores in the US. Over there they call it “501 Shrink to fit rigid selvedge.” The “selvedge” is critical for it marks how 501s were made prior to 1967.

I own many 501s. Some of them I wear, some I keep undisturbed. I have a couple from the 1940s and some from the 1950s and several (my favorite cut) from the 1960s. I checked their worth on Ebay. The used ones go for $500+. The “undisturbed” ones are virtually priceless. It depends on whom you ask.

The beauty of this denim is that it takes the shape of your body as you wear it, almost like a cast. It has your signature on it; your butt, your quads, hamstrings and even your calves. Damn! I love my 501s.

Playlist

1. Satellite of love ----------Lou Reed
2. Feelin’ alright-------------Traffic
3. 99 Luftballons-------------Nena
4. Wishful thinking-----------Duncan Sheik
5. Creep (The social network)---Scala Choir

Listen

This is Halloween!

2010-10-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Aaah. It’s that time of year when ghouls and goblins have their way with members of the general public. I don’t know about you, but Halloween is rapidly becoming my favorite holiday, if you can call it that. Think about it. This is the only occasion where both kids and adults get to do something fun instead of just eating and exchanging crisp banknotes.

I think they should declare it a national holiday here in Kuwait and mandate that all members of parliament wear a costume on the 31st of October. Come on, let’s have some fun! Imagine your favorite MP and picture him or her wearing a costume. What would it be?

Oh, and, the playlist is predictably ghoulish. Goths and Emos, knock yourselves out.

This is Halloween _____ The Nightmare before Christmas
Theme from Coraline ___Bruno Coulais
Everyday is Halloween___Ministry
What’s this?__________Nightmare revisited
Sally’s song__________Amy Lee

Listen

Let's Protest

2010-10-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

Never a dull moment on campus. One of many

student protests in the late sixties. Note how males

and females had similar hair styles. I wonder where

these people are now.

Today I received an email from the alumni association asking me to update my profile. I went to a school famous for student protests. To me, this quality made the campus both lively and mentally stimulating. The height of the protests was in the sixties when students opposed the United States involvement in Vietnam and the resulting draft.

Unfortunately, that was well before my time, but they still had protests of every kind when I was there. The last one I witnessed was about the right of female students to go topless while sunbathing on the shores of Lake Mendota, just like their male counterparts, without fear of persecution by the university governing body.

Playlist

Me and Bobby McGee -----Janis Joplin
Mrs. Robinson -------------Simon and Garfunkle
For what it’s worth--------Buffalo Springfield
Lady D’arbanville----------Cat Stevens
Suzanne-------------------Leonard Cohen

Listen

Moonrise

2010-09-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

I was about to embark on a semi-treacherous mountain hike in Heidi-land when I took this picture. I call it “Moonrise” because the moon looked as if it were rising just like the sun. But of course, it’s just a visual mind trick thanks to the mountainous terrain. The lack of oxygen in this altitude only adds to the illusion. It was fun to look at, and romantic too.

Playlist

1. Moonlight in Vermont --- Frank Sinatra
2. Dancing cheek to cheek --Fred Astaire
3. Arthur’s theme --------– Christopher Cross
4. Summertime ------------ Ella & Louie
5. Amdjer de nos terra ---- Cesaria Evora

Listen

Have a nice day!

2010-05-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

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Straight from the vinyl vault. Stuff from the mid 70s.
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The playlist:

You're so vain -------Carly Simon
Oh, what a night ----The Four Seasons
Make it with you ----Bread
Me and Mrs Jones ---Billy Paul
Let's stay together --Al Green
Without You --------- Nilsson
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Listen

It's beyond my control

2010-02-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

I was watching this flick last night when I realized I had incidental music related to it. This is my favorite scene. It's brutal, but supremely acted. Malkovich should have gotten a best actor award for his role.

Music

Beyond my control by Mylene Farmer

On this Valentine's day..

2010-02-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

Make love. It's fun and it's good for you. You'll burn lots of calories, supercharge your metabolic rate, and you can have beautiful babies in the process.

Music for seduction. Playlist shmlaylist. Sometimes you just gotta let art flow.

New Year's eve in Dubai

2010-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hardly an original idea of how to spend new year's eve in these parts, but I couldn't think of anything better on such short notice. I don't know about you, but my relationship with Dubai is not what it used to be. It has fizzled in a big way. The thrill is definitely gone. Here's a taste of my impression, or at least how everything sounded to me..

"Oh look! There's a tall building on your right and another one on your left. Check out the traffic on this brand new highway. Isn't this the best looking gridlock you have ever witnessed? And, by the way, we now have the world's tallest empty building, and we changed it's name from "Burj Dubai" to "Burj Khalifa"; you know, the guy who's footing the bill for our multi-gazillion Dollar hellhole. "

"We have such a hardcore fetish for the word "Burj", the second syllable is almost meaningless. That's why we sell it to the highest bidder. We also sell car plates, cell phone numbers, VIP seats @ any-event Dot Com. We are so desperate for cash, it's actually funny. How about you people from Kuwait; you got cash, No? "

Music for hotels (with lots of floors and minimalist interior design).

Pssst! Hey you! Yes you! Come here. Come closer. Come on, don't fret. I promise not to bite your ear. New for 2010. All tracks are full- fledged, downloadable m-p-3s.

India Soul Food

2009-12-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I made chicken curry, the one pictured above. I'm getting so attached to the kitchen; I might as well quit my job and become a chef in a restaurant. Anyway, the recipe is ridiculously simple. It's made up of chicken breast, tomato sauce, green peas, onion, Madras curry and chutney. It takes about half an hour to prepare and cook. This is my version of the Indian original, but it contains lower fat and salt and it's less, how shall one put it, "fragrant." In other words, the curry smell won't stick to your clothes.
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This dish is best served with boiled white rice. You can make it extra spicy by adding chili powder to the mix. You can also make it more "saucy" by adding chicken stock. Mine is a bit on the "dryish" side so as not to turn it into "Chicken Marag."

This concludes my posts for 2009. See you on the other side of midnight.

India Soul Music [Listen]

Vinyl is not dead, it just smells funny

2009-11-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

As promised, I transferred some of my vinyl music onto CD. It wasn't too difficult, but it was a bit tricky. All the tracks below were burned to CD from 45 RPM singles. They were then saved as wma files on my laptop from which they were uploaded to Multiply.com, who, by the by, you need to join to listen to the music. You may want to turn the volume up a notch. Analog does not pack the same punch as digital, but it sounds cool nonetheless.

The Playlist

1. Copacabana -Barry Manilow

2. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

3. The winner takes it all - ABBA

4. Anarchy in the UK - Sex Pistols

5. John, I'm only dancing - David Bowie

6. Video killed the radio star - The Buggles

7. Rock your baby - George McCrae

Now, listen up! [LISTEN]

Today I made Spanish Tortilla

2009-11-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

Spanish Tortilla, AKA "Tortilla de Patatas" is a delicious yet simple dish. There are several variations of it, but the main ingredients are always eggs and potatoes. It is the perfect food for brunch, to be served with a side dish of Kalamata olives and sliced Brandywine tomato dipped in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and dill. You can enjoy it with coffee, or a highball glass of Bloody Mary garnished with celery stalks and pitted green olives, or both.

Musica por Tortilla de Patatas

Today I made Cashew Chicken

2009-11-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

Like most people, I like to chomp on Chinese food every now and then. The problem is, Chinese take away in Kuwait is largely crap. The salt and MSG levels in a single serving is enough for a whole village, for a year; and the taste, well, it's just salty. This is used mostly to cover up the lack of freshness of the ingredients, or worse. So, I figured, what the hey, if you can't beat them, buy a Wok. The result was pretty darn good as you can see in the picture above. Click on the image for a larger version.

Music for Chinese food [Listen]

I Ain't Afraid of no Ghost

2009-10-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all of you Ghosts, Goblins, Witches, and especially Bats :)

My vinyl record collection

2009-09-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have been collecting music recordings since I was seven. Much of it was in the form of vinyl and cassettes. The cassettes are gone, but the albums, to my surprise, were still in my father's house, when I bothered to investigate the matter. I really thought they were gone too, what with the Iraqi invasion and all, but I was delighted to find a few hundred of them in the basement. Not only that, but I also found a couple of Tee 12s in near mint condition to boot.
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Some of these records belong to me, others belong to my brothers, but I got them all now, over 1000 of them. The music spans the 60s, 70s and 80s. The genres are all over the place; Motown, Jazz, Rock, Punk, Funk, Reggae, New Wave, and even some Classical and Arabic stuff.
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I am definately going to keep them, but the challenge now is to store and archive these babies. They are quite bulky and heavy as heck. Moreover, I may want to transfer some of them to CD format for me to listen to in the car. I've never done it before, but I think I have most of the hardware to accomplish the task. The turntables are in fine working order. I have a CD (not mp3) recorder with analog inputs, and I ordered a couple of Shure cartridges from Amazon, as well as a phono preamplifier to boost the signal to line level.

I will post the audio results as soon as I get to it. Meanwhile, enjoy the hits of the summer of love, Europa edition, 2009 :)

Listen

Summer Hits

Happy birthday babe! Papa loves you :)

2009-09-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Crans-Montana. Summer, 2009. Nikon D80

People tell me you're gonna be a heartbreaker when you grow up; So be it. I love you nonetheless. Happy 2nd birthday son :)
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Papa

Long may you run

So, you wanna do it? Right here on the oriental

2009-08-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

Classic quicky Ph**k scene with the ex :)

Off I pop!

2009-07-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

I'm outta here. I need a long vacation. It has been a long year and we're barely half-way through it. I'll try to post something trivial whenever I can; perhaps the view from my window or my mixed salad with a 3000 year old oil and vinegar dressing. ;)
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Y'all have a fantabulous summer :)
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MUSIC FOR FLYING

The Playlist

1. Love in War------Rucyl

2. Kalp Kalbi-------Asli Güngör

3. Friend------------Silky Sunday

4. Kiss Me----------Kieser feat. Jen

5. Tutta Pe, Me-----Gaudi

Is this Amazon's worst product review?

2009-06-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

This review cracked me up! Yes folks, now I'm being entertained by bad product reviews on Amazon. Can it get any more pathetic than this? Man, I need a vacation.

1.0 out of 5 stars *****

At a loss for words, May 20, 2009
By
Anthony "AW" (NY) - The second I saw this thing I knew I was sending it back. The fact that the clasp was missing a piece (couldn't put it on) just helped the decision. would have been fine if it were $50 (and came with a working clasp), but it's too expensive for a "toy." Picture was very misleading: is it a cartoon or photo? Also, my guess is it was completely made in china. For [...] bucks it didn't even come in a watch case. It came in a cheap carboard braclet type box that was partially crushed. couldn't have been more dissapointed. The return went smoothly and all is well, but I won't be looking at this brand again.

مدونة جامبينو تدعم أسيل العوضي في الدائرة الثالثة

2009-05-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

أسيل العوضي

Jambino’s Joint endorses Aseel Al-Awadi in the 3rd district

I think it’s about time we had women in our national assembly. Men have had their chance and they have caused nothing but damage, especially in the past few years. There is so much testosterone in the previous assembly and the one before it, that if we kept it up, we will pretty soon have literal pissing contests in Abdullah Al-Salem Hall!

As a result, I have decided to give my vote to fellow citizens whom I believe possess intellect, dedication and grace. These fellow citizens happen to have the XX chromosome, which I believe is an added value to the whole enterprise. Study after study have shown that women in public office are less prone to corruption, more disposed towards law and order, and less inclined to start a war with other countries.

Therefore, I am of the opinion that having as many women as possible in the legislator is a good thing for the country. So, I urge you, my fellow citizens, especially YOU women, to vote for at least one woman in your district. Even if she doesn’t stand a chance to win now, it’s a step in the right direction and she may very well win in the next elections, which incidentally, could be six months from now.

And WOMEN! Dog on it! There are more of you than us as registered voters, so it is theoretically absurd that not a single woman wins a seat in the parliament! Do something to change this impossibly unrealistic and unrepresentative picture of our country for your own sake, if nothing else.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Anthem

Bizzy, bizzy..Bizarre Love triangle.. etc.

2009-04-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm so Bizzy (sounds more linguistically correct than busy, don't you think?) making lots of money; millions! No! Make that gazillion trillions! ;p I ain't got time to post. So, I leave you with this nifty Pet Shop Boys performance at the Brit awards.

Today, I signed a deal..I think

2009-03-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

I think I managed to convince the board that the project is recession proof. I believe it is, but my business partner insisted that I wear a dishdasha for the meeting. He believed it will sell the project faster. He was right.

The Music

Patriotic salad!

2009-02-19T12:19:00.001-08:00

To all of you Dean & Deluca snobs out there, check this out! This is my homemade Kuwait national day salad. All the ingredients are from the coop, and most of them are home grown :)*
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Kuwait cucumbers

Kuwait tomatoes

Kalamata olives

Pesto & Maabooch dressing!
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*The colors reflect the national flag.

Happy birthday Kuwait! I love you :)
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Playlist:

1. I know what I like...............Genesis

2. When I live my dream.........David Bowie

3. Children of the revolution....T. Rex

4. Also sprach zarathustra.......Richard Strauss

5. Radiophonic.......................Pet Shop Boys

Listen

Joaquin and Dave...Too funny!

2009-02-12T14:13:00.001-08:00

Joaquin Phoenix On Letterman 2 11 09 Visit Http://www.CashWithoutTheLabor.com/pips.html - Funny videos are here

I had tears in my eyes and snot gushing out of my nose watching this! :)

Shaftesbury Avenue

2009-02-06T04:58:00.000-08:00

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Hello! Can you hear me? Please don't go. Where are you going? Isolation has an ugly face. Surround me with your words.
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The Music

Bravado

2009-01-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

I realize that discussing personal finances in public is impolite, but, in the spirit of the Arab Economic Summit held here in Kuwait, and in light of the global financial meltdown, I figure, what the hey?

Me: Entering a local bank, unshaven and wearing nothing but a frown and a hooded sweatshirt along with oversized Khaki cargo pants.
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Teller: Yes, how can I help you?

Me: I would like to transfer my money to another bank.

Teller: Oh, you need to go upstairs for that.

Me: Ok, thank you.

Upstairs teller (UT): Please take a number and have a seat.
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Me: Ok.

UT: Yes, how can I help you?

Me: I would like to transfer money from my account to another bank.

UT: What's your account number?

Me: I don't know.

UT: May I see you civil ID please.

Me: Yes.

UT: (hasn't seen my account yet). So, how much would you like to transfer? You know, we charge 1 KD for local wire transfers.

Me: *******

UT: Excuse me?

Me: *******

UT: (My account pops up on her screen).

UT: Excuse me. I'll be right back (she goes to the fat branch manager FBM).

UT: (Comes back with FBM). Why do you want to transfer? Have we done anything to upset you?

Me: No, the other bank gave me a better interest rate and yours cannot match it. Nothing personal; it's strictly business.

Accompanying soundtrack

It's a one time thing, it just happens alot

2009-01-03T16:15:00.000-08:00

It's a one time thing, it just happens alot. Walk with me and we will see what we have got.

Oh, happy new year!

The music

A corny Xmas post

2008-12-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

A blurred, jazzy image of my Xmas tree.

Simply having a wonderful and jazzy Xmas time. May you have an uptempo life with lots of rythm, and no blues :) Merry Xmas!

The Jazzy Xmas Playlist:

1. Jingle Bells----------Diana Krall

2. Let it snow----------Michael Bublé

3. Special gift----------Isley Brothers

4. Wonderful Xmas---Paul McCartney

5. Sleigh ride-----------Ella Fitzgerald

Listen

Mr. Creature of habit

2008-11-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

As I grow older, I noticed that I am becoming more and more habitual. I like to have an orderly and predictable environment. Take my walk in the “Mamsha” (walkway) as a case in point. I always go there at the same time; I park my car in the same spot and I do the same stretch routine before I start walking. I almost always hum a tune as the walk begins; it’s a sort of mental stretch routine, if you will.

For me, walking in the mamsha is not physical exercise really. It is more of a mental exercise. I use the time to think. Walking in fresh air helps me to think more clearly, that is why I always walk alone. Sometimes I think out loud, as in talk to myself. It helps, of course, that the walkway is almost always deserted, lest people think I am a schizophrenic or “weswasi” as we say in these parts.

I grew up in this area, so I’ve been walking the same parts since I was seven. I still remember certain events that happened in each location along the way. For example, I know the exact spot where I stepped on a rusty nail after which my father had to take me to the “Mustawsef” (Clinic) for a bandage and a tetanus shot. Or the time the stray dog that terrorized the neighborhood kids came after me and instead of running away I stood my ground and kicked him in the snout when he was in range. The poor bastard didn’t see it coming. No one saw him again after that.
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The Playlist

1. Yes boss---------------Hess is more

2. Love is the drug-------Roxy Music

3. Bluebeard--------------Cocteau Twins

4. Maggie May------------Rod Stewart

5. Long, long journey----Etta Jones

Listen

The second window to the right

2008-10-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Evian, France. Click on the image to enlarge.

Come up and see me, make me smile. I'll do what you want, running wild.

The playlist

1. Come up and see me ----------Steve Harley
2. I'm not in love------------------10cc
3. Una notte a Napoli-------------Pink Martini
4. Boulevard of broken dreams--Tony Bennett & Sting
5. Music matters------------------Cass Fox & Faithless

Listen

Be Optimistic

2008-10-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Evian, France. Nikon D80 w/ zoom lens set @ 18mm. Click to enlarge.
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I am accused of being extremely conservative and not so sexy financially. I have no taste for flashy cars or expensive watches. My friends call me “Shayeb Najdi” in reference to my conservative investing style which yielded a steady 7% per annum over the past five years. The same people, after losing 83% of their liquid assets in the stock market in the space of a month, look at me today as the financial genius of main street, Q8. I am not the one to gloat.

To all of you so called small investors, first of all, let me clarify, you are not investors; you are small time speculators. Some of you are so inexperienced and so foolish, you should be committed. What you did was gambling and to make it worse, many of you were gambling with somebody else’s money, i.e. the bank.

Foolish money disappearing

Some speculative behavior was so bad, it was bordering on criminal, and I am talking about those who gambled away their children’s future by borrowing against their house or selling the damn thing outright and then renting it from the buyer just to generate cash to throw at that bottomless pit known as the Kuwait Stock Exchange. What in the devil’s name were you thinking? I have no sympathy for you personally, but the thought of your poor children just breaks my heart because they had nothing to do with your utterly foolish behavior which was driven by personal greed and nothing else.

End of sermon, now to the music.

The Playlist

1. Optimistic ---------------- Sounds of Blackness

2. Long hot summer --------The Style Council

3. Electrolite -----------------R.E.M.

4. Once in a lifetime---------Talking Heads

5. Crazy-----------------------Patsy Cline
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Listen

Ps. If anyone knows how to upload the playlist and publish it as regular mp3 files, I'm all ears.

Lavender fields forever

2008-09-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I took this picture while seated in a café opposite Lac Moubra. I was on the right hand side of the café looking northwest. They were playing jazz on the café’s sound system; Coltrane no less. The mixture of Jazz and the weather, plus the view, was intoxicating to say the least. I wish I could bottle that moment; I can’t, so I took a picture of it instead.

There is no rhyme or reason to the playlist below except that it’s a pretty good representation of what I was listening to in the car and/or at Leo’s Bar.

1. Do I have to?--------------Pet Shop boys

2. C'est chelou-------------- ZAHO

3. Amazzonia----------------Giorgio Giordano

4. Führ mich ans licht ---- Xavier Naidoo

5. Shine on (Remix) ------- R.I.O.

Listen

Cold Mountain

2008-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

It gets pretty cold up here, even in August, but, I got my Green Bay Packers sweatshirt to keep me warm :) Check it out! This is my first post from the middle of nowhere using a wireless thingy and with a picture of my feet to boot. Cool!

Musique

Float: A musical conspiracy

2008-05-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

In the previous post Shurouq asked me to shut up and play some tunes, so here goes. The choice is mood oriented. Think of it as a soundtrack to your day; one minute you’re up, the next your down, after that you’re either contemplative or playful. It could go either way.

Enjoy :)

The playlist:

1. Waltz 2 - Dmitri Shostakovich
2. Weird Fishes - Radiohead
3. Waiting for the night – Depeche Mode
4. Mi bon bon – Los Rayes Locitos
5. Love is here where I live – EBTG
6. This city never sleeps – The Eurythmics

Listen

I haven't voted

2008-05-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Well, not yet anyway. According to KUNA the turnout in the 3rd district is only 28% at this time (3:30 pm). I'm guessing it's because of procrastinators like me who just had lunch and are looking forward to a short siesta. It should hopefully pick up around 5:00.

I have an observation about Al-Rai TV reporters, who hail mainly from Lebanon and Egypt. They open each live report from the various districts by saying something like: "So far there are no signs of trouble or violence and everything is proceeding peacefully." WTF!? Never mind not hiring Kuwaitis for this job, but why didn't Alrai inform their reporters, before hiring them, that unlike their countries, we don't normally have violence in our elections. Don't confuse the illegal tribal elections with the general elections.

And, for crying out loud STOP CALLING IT A WEDDING!

Off to bed I go. ZZZZZ :)

Update

I cast my ballot at 6:50 pm in the Adailiya polling station. There were more cars outside than people inside. As I entered the school ground I was greeted by a guy who recognized me, but I had no inkling who he was. He grabbed me and introduced himself. He was a classmate from primary school! How the heck did he recognize me? He wanted me to vote for someone I did not favor, so I gave him the typical inshalla with a smile. Eventually, God didn't will it.

There were only three guys ahead of me so the whole thing took 15 minutes. While waiting I overheard one KTV reporter say that the turnout was 70% at the time. Not bad. It should hit 80% by closing.

Update 2

The final turnout tally from Adailiya is 77.5%. I am not going to make any predictions, but I will take a calculated guess. At worst there will be two new faces in the 3rd district. It is not impossible to see three. It will be a major surprise if we see more than that because it means someone big lost. As for women, the two ligit contenders are Rolla Dashti and Aseel Al-Awadi. There is a decent probability that one of them will win, but I doubt both.

Ruined in a day. Politica kuwaitiana

2008-05-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

Due to favorable circumstances beyond my control, I have Thursday off. I really believed I had an extended weekend suitable for a mini-vacation somewhere close. However, the powers to be had other ideas by having elections next Saturday. What should I do, abandon the elections? Well, of course not! So here goes my political playlist for our political weekend. And, oh by the way, the picture above is not from Madame Tussauds wax museum.

The playlist:

"The Equaliser" - The Clash

"Shame" - Sugar Bullet

"What do you want from me?" - Monaco

"How can you expect to be taken seriously?" - Pet Shop Boys

Listen*

*To listen to my fabulous music, you need to join Multiply.com for free. It takes 40 seconds tops.

It's my hotel and I ban if I want to

2008-05-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

The rotating restaurant atop the Hyatt-Cairo
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Saudi sheikh bans alcohol at Cairo Grand Hyatt Hotel

CAIRO, May 2, 2008 (AFP) - A luxury Cairo hotel has stopped the sale of alcoholic drinks on the orders of its Saudi Arabian owner, who is a practising Muslim, the assistant manager said on Friday.

Owner Sheikh Abdel Aziz Ibrahim bin Ibrahim visited the five-star Grand Hyatt Cairo on Saturday and ordered all alcohol stocks be destroyed and banned its sale to conform with Islamic law, which forbids alcohol consumption.

No alcohol has been sold since the start of the week, assistant manager Nivine Sami told AFP.

"But the decision has not definitively been made yet. Discussions on this subject are ongoing between the hotel chain and the owner," she added.

A tourist official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the hotel could be stripped of three stars if it continued to not serve alcohol, as three-, four- and five-star hotels were obliged to serve alcoholic drinks.

Source

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!يبه فندقي و كيفي! ما أبي خمر يعني ما أبي خمر و خل ينزلونه الى نجمة وحدة ان شا الله. حلالي و كيفي :)

Summer Booze-Free Mix

The candidate and the ever eroding middle class in Kuwait

2008-04-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is a four act opera by David Bowie. I believe it is well suited for Kuwait today. Due to the overwhelming housing and living costs, the middle class family is in serious trouble, and, as the middle class family goes, so does the rest of the country. Are any of the candidates addressing this?

Sweet thing (music) (lyrics)

Candidate (music) (lyrics)

Big brother (music) (lyrics)

Chant of the ever circling skeletal family (music) (Rut, rut..!)

Parole, parole!

2008-04-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

I can’t get this damn song out of my head. It’s been playing in the car for two weeks now. The sexual tension in the lyrics, as well as the wonderful voices of Dalida and Alain Delon, are nothing short of magnificent.

Alain Delon is famed for his looks, but the quality which I so desire is his voice. I always wanted a voice like Delon. To get this voice, genes are not sufficient; you need to be a heavy Gitanes smoker. Smokes do slight damage to your vocal cords early in your life to give it that sultry quality. I don’t smoke, and I never did, so there goes the sultry voice.

The Youtube clip above is of the French version by Dalida and Delon, while the link below is the Italian original. Enjoy :)

Parole, parole!

الليل يا ليلى يعاتبني

2008-03-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

How about some Arabic poetry for a change? ;)

الليل يا ليلـى يعاتبنـى - ويقول لى سلم على ليلى
الحب لاتحلو نسائمه - الا اذا غنى الهـوى ليلـى
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ليلى

Stop making sense!

2008-03-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, mourning Ahmad has been an emotionally draining experience. I know it’s presumptuous of me to say that, given what his family must be going through, but allow me this privilege, if you will.

When someone dear to you passes away, you go through a period of soul searching. You ask yourself philosophical questions like: Why I am here and what happens after I’m gone? Well, I won’t go through that. Screw it! Life is too short and I am not Jean-Paul Sartre.

What I feel like right now is to be alone floating in a swimming pool under the Arabian sun in the backyard of my villa in Jumairah, Dubai, sipping on the finest Pina Colada ever mixed by me, or savoring a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio. There is one problem though; I don’t have a villa in Jumairah, Dubai!

I don’t go out much in Kuwait. Most of my leisure time is spent outside Kuwait, but every time I am outside Kuwait, say for a week or two, I start missing Kuwait. Why? Am I getting old? I’m starting to remind myself of my late father. Oh no, I’m getting philosophical. STOP! STOP!

As a compromise I am thinking of living part time in Dubai, as in buy property there and get away from Kuwait every weekend and holiday, and it’s just an hour and a half flight away, and with Al-Jazeera charging 7KD a pop, this will be like paying for a bus ride from Madison to Chicago!

Dubai has everything that Kuwait hasn't. What's more, it is conveniently located an hour and a half away and there is no visa requirement or taxes to pay, so I can go back and forth as much as I please. It makes sense to me. Si o No?

Jumairah Mix

Thank you for being you

2008-03-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

1949 - 2008

As far as I'm concerned, you are still here. I love you. Thank you.

Ahmad

To all my lovers and ex-lovers

2008-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

This image is for entertainment value only. I nailed none of them,

Honest!

No, I'm not talking about physical contact with the honeys on the beach or on the blog, I'm talking about my previous blog @ http://jambino.blogspot.com/. To my surprise, many of the mp3 links there are still valid! Hurry up and download them to your iPod! I will do my best to fix the links here ASAP. Meanwhile, enjoy the music :)

Cheers :)

The importance of being Puerto Rican

2008-02-23T11:01:00.000-08:00

Did you know that as a Kuwaiti you are a dead ringer of a Puerto Rican? Everyone here looks like they are from Marina Mall, but with tattoos.

Puerto Rico Mix

Music for Seduction

2008-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Gents, do not play this music before or during your romantic dinner with your bella donna, you will come across as too aggressive and pushy. Play it afterwards in the privacy of your crib, if you get that far. In other words, only play this music when you reach third base with the bases fully loaded.

Happy Valentine’s Day! :)

Music for seduction

Look Back in Anger. David Bowie (1977-1980)

2008-01-27T14:34:00.000-08:00

I am amazed at the fact that he is not knighted yet! David Bowie is a British cultural icon who is at least at the same level as Elton John, and in my opinion, he surpasses him handily in terms of musical influence.

Anyway, here is a playlist dominated by his Berlin period, including the anthem "Heroes" sung in German (Helden) which is a rare recording I am happy to have in my music library. Enjoy!

Bowie (1977-1980)

Are friends electric?

2008-01-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside and the paint is peeling off of my walls...
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Electric

Freak like me

The Walk

2008-01-03T10:01:00.001-08:00

I was halfway through my walk in the “Mamsha” when I ran into a childhood friend. After exchanging greetings and pleasantries I congratulated him for losing almost half of his weight (The only thing I recognized about him was his face). He always had serious weight problems, and I mean medically serious. Doctors warned him that his life was at stake, if he didn’t lose weight. He was so proud of his accomplishment; he was actually wearing tight jeans! I’ve never seen him wear anything other than a Dishdasha before!

We continued chatting about real estate price inflation (he’s in the business) and how some areas have “hadam” (unsuitable for living) houses upward of a million KD easy. The exchange lasted a few minutes after which we said goodbye and parted ways.

About ten minutes later while still walking I was approached by a dark, thin Asian man wearing work overalls. He lifted the palm of his right hand revealing a hundred fils coin. He asked me: “Sir, I need fifty more fils to catch a ride on the bus.” I normally carry nothing on me while walking, no wallet, no phone, nothing except a bottle of water, so I said: “Sorry, I can’t help you. I have no money.”

Ten steps later I stuck my hand in the pocket of my Green Bay Packers sweatshirt, and there it was a fifty fils coin, apparently leftover change from my last turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich order at Subway. I swiftly turned around (it felt more like slow mo) and started yelling at the man: “Hey, hey! Come back!” while waving the coin. I gave him the fifty fils, he thanked me and went on his way.

Everybody hurts

Psycho broke into my Hotmail account!

2007-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

Actually, it's not even a hack, it's just a matter of changing my password. Anyone can do this! Try it. Abuse your best friend's trust and simply type their email on Hotmail, then ask to change the password and Voila! They can't access their email unless they have a backup password.
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Dear Psycho*,
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This reflects on you, not me. This is my least secure email, that is why you were able to do what you did. But, seriously, think about yourself, you are losing it. You need help.

Good luck and God speed :)
-

Creep

*Psycho knows who she is.

Floating this Xmas

2007-12-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite time of the year. The weather is cold (although not cold enough this year, global warming?). I took the above picture of my Christmas tree with a Nikon D80 and then PhotoShopped it almost randomly. The result is kinda neat. It would make a nice Christmas gift wrap paper, don't you think?

I don't know why this tune makes me feel like I'm floating on air.

Buzztime

2007-11-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to a lot of jazz lately, A LOT! Mainly classic jazz; Coltrane, Miles, Ella, Big band. The Best of Ella and Louis has got a hold on me for the past few days. I am totally oblivious to traffic. How can you not love these two? They are so incompatible, they are lovable :) Listen.

Ella & Louis

Thank you for being you

2007-11-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

Brett Favre @ 38 years, completed 20 consecutive passes to five different receivers using five different formations during one stretch. People, this is not sportsmanship, this is arts and science! Sports commentators are stunned. The Packers won tonight.

Green Bay Packers 38 - Detroit Lions 26

Thank you number 4, I sincerely thank you.

I believe tonight

Beaujolais Nouveau

2007-11-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

One word; Yum!

Beaujolais Nouveau: Red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. It is the most popular vin de primeur, fermented for just a few weeks then officially released for sale on the third Thursday of November.

Beaujolais Nouveau: A painting (above) by American "realism" artist Terry Rodgers.

T'is the season :)

Music for modern pleasures

The Juice does Chicago

2007-11-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Juice: Black suit, white shirt, no tie.

Bouncer: Are you on the guest list sir?

Juice: I believe so (a crisp, pre-folded $20 note slipped in the bouncer’s hand. A bit cheap, but it worked).

Bouncer: Of course (Opens the red velvet rope).

Juice: Steps down the stairs and with every step the thumping bass gets louder.

Juice: The stool on the far corner of the bar is empty; perfect. A good vantage point makes things easier. I’m not in the mood for too much effort.

Juice: Bartender! I’ll have a Stoli on the rocks, and keep the tap open.

Chi-Town live progressive mix (It grows on you).

Blu Ray High Definition Disc: The DVD killer?

2007-10-31T11:56:00.001-07:00

In a previous post I wrote about the DVDO high definition video scaler which does a good job converting standard definition video into finer high definition images. I mentioned that, while it does a good job cleaning up the signal, it does not make it Hi Def. To get the full experience of Hi Def you need Hi Def signal @ 720p or higher. No such material exist on or off the air in Kuwait or the region right now.

Enter the Blu Ray disc player. I ordered mine from Amazon along with a bunch of Blu Ray discs from different genres and I received them yesterday. Blu Ray discs have a capacity of 25 GB compared to the normal DVD’s 4.7 GB. This enables it to store uncompressed high definition video (@1080p) and audio (@ 96kHz/24 bit).

I will not bore you with any further techno babble. Instead, I will tell you about my first hand experience with it. Now, I am not a die hard fan of Destiny’s Child, so it says something when I watch their entire concert in Hi Def, twice! The show was great and well produced and choreographed, no doubt, but the sound and image quality is what got me. The picture and sound were so real it was like being there! I have been around quality audio and video for a while, so it’s not easy to impress me, but this, folks, is indeed impressive with a capital I.

The only downside is if your eyes and ears get used to this, you will be so spoiled, you won’t want to go back to regular DVD, let alone TV broadcasts. The other thing is the limited number of titles available at Amazon, although they are increasing every month or so. I believe if this format is commercially successful, it will replace DVD just like the latter replaced the VHS tape.

One last thing. There is a format battle raging right now between Blu Ray and its competitor HD-DVD. I feel the former will win because it is supported by more manufacturers (Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer and LG to name a few) and Hollywood studios. That is why I put my money on it.

Other Blu Ray discs used for this review:

The Pat Metheny Group – The way up (live)
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live at Radio City
Planet Earth – BBC

The Ghost (Halloween bonus)

It's been a bad day, please don't take a picture

2007-10-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

I must have gotten off the wrong side of the bed today. My mood was supremely bad for no particular reason. You don't want to be around me at this particular juncture. Me! Moody?

This is one of the most underrated songs in my book.

Bad day

Dance! I say!

2007-10-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Rama is over, so let's Jam! I want to see you sweat!

OK, if you insist.

Jambathon Mix

You can’t be serious!?

2007-10-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Dr. Alia Shuaib at Al-Watan TV Ramadan gala

Look, I am all for the freedom of expression and individualism. I also believe that eccentric people add color and vitality to society. BUT, how would you like to be operated on by a surgeon dressed in a Big Bird suit because he wants to express his creative urges repressed during childhood?

For crying out loud, isn’t this lady a college professor? Somebody correct my info please.
-

-
How can you expect to be taken seriously?

Zain: A re-branding disaster for the ages

2007-09-23T04:06:00.000-07:00

MTC's CEO Mr. Saad Al-Barrak impersonating Borat

The brand name sounds like a cheap perfume shop in Mubarakia. The color scheme looks like a lounge-chillout CD from the late nineties. And the slogans; yes slogans, not one, but five or maybe 15, would get a marketing student at a third rate community college a D-! One of them actually says: "Zain, my perfume dispenser!" Perfume dispenser!? You're marketing a frigin' mobile service, not Mubkhars! The other one says: "Zain, my choir!". Excuse me? A mobile service that actually sings the Gospel!? And, in a Muslim country during Ramadan!? If that's not enough, (and by Golly, don't you think it oughtta be?) they go ahead and steal the title to Louis Armstrong' most popular balad for their motto!

To anyone who knows anything about this madness, can you name the agency who's responsible for this campaign? They belong in the advertising hall of shame, or alternatively, advertising hell.
-

What a wonderful world

High Definition TV now available in Kuwait

2007-09-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased an HD (High Definition) plasma video panel with a native resolution of 1080p. Unfortunately, unless you’re using Blue Ray or HD-DVD, there is absolutely no programming available on or off the air in Kuwait to match this resolution. So the capability of the plasma is gone to waste. Even worse, a high resolution display actually exaggerates the imperfections in regular broadcast signals.

Enter the DVDO iScan VP30. What this black box does is nothing short of remarkable. At first, I thought it was a luxury to get this box, but after using it I highly recommend it to anyone with a HD display 50” or larger.

This unit is also known as a “scaler” and what it does is it “scales” (aka up conversion) whatever signal you feed it to match the “native” resolution of your display. Standard Definition TV signal comes in at 480i (480 vertical lines interlaced) which is the lowest definition in this day and age. You feed this signal from your satellite receiver (@ 480i) into the box through component video and from the box it goes to your display via HDMI. You get to choose the desired “rescaling”. It can be anything from 480p all the way to 1080p (the P stands for progressive scanning).

Now, don’t get too exited. It won’t turn Kuwait TV broadcasts into ESPN-HD, but it will do a very nice job of cleaning the signal and removing any digital artifacts. When you set the output to say 720p, it will over sample and de-interlace the signal producing a smoother image. This is especially useful for sports programming where there is lots of movement.

The VP30 does a great job up converting regular DVDs so much so that some people were convinced I was playing Blue Ray discs! The wow factor here is fantastic! I showed my friends an early generation DVD of “The Fifth Element” which I bought in 1998. The result was stunning. The colors were so vivid and the detail was so crisp I could count Milla Jovovitch’s eye lashes!

All and all, I think it’s a good investment especially if you live in a place where there is no HD programming like Kuwait. The DVDO VP30 retails at $1999 in the US, but you can get it for $1500 if you shop around.

Whew! It’s been a while since I wrote something nerdy ;)

And now, as always, La música continúa...

Milla's Desperate Housewives Mix

(Careful! This is a one hour HD mp3 mix :)

MTC Leaving Kuwait?

2007-08-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) is considering moving its headquarters from Kuwait to either Bahrain, Dubai or Amsterdam, the operator said in a statement on Tuesday. MTC, the second largest Arab telecom operator and Kuwait's largest publicly traded company, did not say when it would make a decision. Company officials were not immediately available for comment.

Continued

Question:

If your current employer decides to move some of their operations outside Kuwait to places like Dubai or Amsterdam and you were given the option to move, would you move or stay and why?

Mighty Quinn

I lost a good chunk of Dead Presidents!

2007-08-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our retarded banking system, a transfer from Cyprus to Kuwait took a whole damn week! As a result, I lost three fils on the buck! A**holes!

Chill Dude! (Mix)

Conan O’Brien is not funny!

2007-08-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

I’m sorry, he’s just not funny. He looks like an Albino amoeba from hell and his hairdo looks like a Gaudi window frame, AND he is not funny. He is no David Letterman. I’m shocked he lasted this long.

Seasons in the sun

Geographically inaccurate small talk with a club performer

2007-08-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Me: That was a great performance. So, where are you from?

She: Argentina.

Me: Ahh, Rio de Janeiro!

She: ???

It all ended right then and there.

Carnaval

Pimp my Ride. No really!

2007-07-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine inherited, among other things, a 1955 Chevy Bel Air Sedan. His dad bought it from Al-Ghanim at that time. He must have been their first customer or something. Anyway, the car is in a good condition given that it's been parked in their house for like a century. It is not operational, but nothing in it is broken. It just was not used for such a long time. Here are the questions:

1. What is the car worth (as is)?

2. Are there any good companies that can pimp/restore a ride to world standards in Kuwait?

3. How much will it cost? Give me a range. Everything in the car needs work, but like I said, nothing is physically broken.

4. How much will it sell for post-pimping? Is it worth the investment?

I'm thinking of this as a joint venture.

Much obliged :)

Never let me down/Behind the wheel

Ship arriving too late to save a drowning witch*

2007-07-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

So my biz travel took me to Dubai this time. I stayed at a beach resort (sosueme). The following occurred on my first day on the beach after a long day of nothing but hard work (honest).

As I stretched on the lounger sipping on gin and juice, a Saudi couple in their twenties (honeymooners?) pass by. The guy was holding a bottle of Budweiser while the woman was shrouded in black; not “munaqaba” mind you, no she was wearing a pair of jeans that were being severely tested by her “ardaf”, but she had black cloth all over the place. The guy was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

So the guy heads to the water sports station and starts yapping with the two Philippinos there. Minutes later he commences to put on a life jacket. His wife followed suit and this is when the fun began.

I was like ok maybe they’ll take a ride in a boat or a yacht somewhere on the other side. NO! They were going parasailing!

The two Philippinos head to the yellow powerboat parked about 30 meters in the water at about waist level. The Saudi guy with his bottle still in his hand heads toward the boat while his wife was still onshore with a big exclamation mark over her hejab. She must have been thinking WTF!?

Hubby goes: “Yalla taaly ya mara, aadi la tkhafeen. She proceeds into the water fully clothed, hijab and all. It was wavy and because she was wearing a life vest, she was pushed around pretty good. As her attire absorbed more and more water it got heavier. This, coupled with the life vest resulted in some very interesting hydrodynamics. She lost her balance and fell into the water more than once.

By the time she got to the boat she must have been totally exhausted. She couldn’t get on board. The wet attire and wobbly ardaf must have taken their toll on her stamina. The Philippino boat guys couldn’t help because they can’t touch her (haram). Her wasted hubby was sitting in the back of the boat still sipping on his Bud while this was taking place.

Her hijab got entangled in the boat and came completely off. At this point, I’m in tears watching events unfold (I kind of felt sorry for her too). When she finally got on board, you’d think her hubby would apologize for all the trouble and humiliation he put her through. But no! With his Bud still secure in his right hand, he nonchalantly puts the harness on her with his left followed by a loud “La tkhafeen, tara walla wanasa” as he gives the captain the thumbs up. I have never seen so much wet black cloth so high in the air before.

Et toutes ces choses

*Title inspired by a FZ album of the same name

Polite business lunch conversation in Cyprus

2007-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Business guy: I was in Madrid yesterday and the high was 20 degrees!

Me: Indeed! That is rather cold for this time of year, isn’t it?

Business guy: Yes, it is.

Me: The low in Kuwait right now is 32 degrees.

Business guy: My, that’s really hot.

Me: Umhmm. How’s your stake?

Dum Dum Dee Dee Dum

About last night...

2007-05-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

All the things we said, all the things we did...

Last night

Fascism at home! Virgin Closed!

2007-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

In the previous post I featured David Bowie's brilliant album "Diamond Dogs" in which he reflects on state fascism based on George Orwell's Novel "1984".

Folks, this is no exercise in Borjouis coffee shop talk, this is real! It is happening right here, right NOW! The state is interfering with our right to read, hear, and watch stuff in the most insulting way anyone can imagine! I can't believe I'm seeing this bloody red sticker on a mainstream shop in my Kuwait! Kazakhstan, maybe, but not Kuwait!

Tolerate this at your children's expense.

Music

Diamond Dogs

2007-04-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

And in the death; As the last few corpses lay rotting on the slimy thoroughfare. The shutters lifted in inches in temperance building. High on poacher's hill, And red mutant eyes gaze down on hunger city.

No more big wheels,Fleas the size of rats sucked on rats the size of cats, And ten thousand peoploids split into small tribes Coveting the highest of the sterile skyscrapers Like packs of dogs assaulting the glass fronts of love-me avenue, Ripping and rewrapping mink and shiny silver fox, now legwarmers, Family badge of sapphire and cracked emerald.

Any day now! The year of the diamond dogs

This ain't Rock and Roll, this is genoside!

Diamond Dogs

Bored with music

2007-04-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm bored with music today. Everything sounds the same. There is nothing original out there anymore. Even Amazon's recommendations are boring; Buddha Bar MCMXVXIII! Help!

Here is a random selection of music from my library. I picked it out randomly, but now I think I'm seeing a pattern, or maybe not. Can you see a pattern? Anyway, please recommend new fresh music. I don't care what genre, as long as it's something different.

My iPod thanks you.

Random Music

So?

2007-03-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Listen to me! This is basically a PR job. If Mick Jagger can get away with it, you can get away with it too. Ok?

Music

Mall Culture

2007-03-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

I swung by the Avenues mall today. It’s still not officially open yet. The grand opening will be on 29/3. The place is quite big, and this is just the first phase, with four more to go over the next couple of years! I don’t like shopping malls; in fact, I don’t like shopping, but, this place would be great for morning jogs during summertime. Phase one is at least one kilometer long.

The complete project could end up as a five kilometer stretch of Zaras and H&M s. One of the British managers I chatted with said this is the biggest mall in the Middle East and that I should be proud of it. I said: "I'd be proud of it, if I owned it, you schmuck" . Kidding! I do own it (pause)..... not ;)

Absolutely Fabulous

Sub-Woofer

2007-03-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

I installed a subwoofer in my SUV today. I also got "Borat" and "The Departed" DVDs from ARAMEX. Nifty treats for the eyes and ears :)

Subwoof this!

We are fat… again!

2007-02-27T02:08:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row Kuwait beats the United States in the top ten fattest nations in the world. Kuwait is ranked number 8 while the US is number 9. Why is that? To get the answer, go to the food court in any shopping mall and look at the number of people lining up at Burger King or Micky D’s versus the Chinese joint or the Sushi stand. Couple that with the attitude of a car driving nation and you get a recipe for disaster. This is not funny folks. I have seen 9 year old kids who weigh more than me and I am not a small guy. The government should act on this information.

Something's got to give

MTV has lost its groove

2007-02-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

I can’t remember when the last time I watched MTV was. I remember back in the day when MTV broke out new artists like Mazzy Star and Alanis Morissette, and even the heyday of adolescent humor cartoons like Beavis and Butthead and the Brothers Grunt. But now, it appears that MTV has lost its groove and its no longer influential in shaping musical tastes.

Wired magazine reports this is due in large part to blogs and other online venues that post music.

Random MTV hits from the glory days

The Obliquus externus abdominis and other 'feel good' body parts

2007-02-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

I must say, I’m quite proud of myself. It’s been over a month now and I still haven't quit. I wasn’t sure if I could stay true to my New Year resolution to hit the gym almost daily, but I did, and it’s beginning to show. Mind you, I haven't turned into the Incredible Hulk, but my fitness level has definitely improved. I need to continue psyching myself up to keep doing this in time for the sea and sand season :p

Question: Why does muscle mass “feel” better on one's body than fat? Is there any scientific reason for it?

Happy World :)

For your own good

2007-01-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to a government agency to conduct some business in full Kuwaiti regalia. I had to be there in person to sign some stuff. Actually, I was somewhat surprised. The building was ugly as sin, but the people inside were quite nice! I actually chatted up a Munaqaba worker. She was going to go for it too. Manipulative Devil! :p

For your own good

Which is worse, depression or boredom?

2007-01-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

Depression is probably the right answer, but boredom is no fun either. I just came back from a place where I was thoroughly bored. At least I still smell good..

Boredom Mix

The future of the future

2007-01-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

It's so bright tonight.

Stay Gold