We start off with BlogAllAlong in a post entitled ‘Do You Feel Relaxed At A Kuwait Cinema?‘ which criticizes a study publicized by Cinescape (the Kuwait National Cinema Company) claiming that 96 per cent of audience members in Kuwait are satisfied with the cinemas and overall services. BlogAllAlong highlights the print and sound quality of the films, the excessive editing which now includes political themes (Cinescape does not have a ratings system like the rest of the Gulf countries) and more.

The blogger defends her point of view concerning her dissatisfaction with Kuwait cinemas:

Cinescape is using a study made by FAME (Film Audience Measurement and Evaluation), based in UK, which claims 96% of the movie-goers are not distracted, and happy with the movie visit. I tried to reach this study but this is the closest I got. The study as Cinescape puts it means that out of every 100 people I ask, only 4 should say they get distracted. I’m not sure how the case is in UK, and, but I’m sure it’s a totally different story here, and Cinescape is trying to fool advertisers with such numbers for the following reasons:

1- In the UK, people are usually more considerate to others watching the movie. If they don’t like it, or if they need to go out for something, they would do it quietly and try to bend low to avoid distracting others. They won’t at least stand up to clean their popcorn leftovers from their shirts during the film. Not to mention also how many people insist on coming late, and then taking all time they need to set down.

2- They enforce age limits there. Why does it matter so much? Cause here after they strip you of any food item before you go in, and then you pay triple the price or more for some snacks, you go inside to a +18 movie, and in the middle of the movie, a few months old baby starts to cry! Why on earth was this baby allowed inside anyways? You can keep out my bottle of water but you failed to see this baby going in?

3- Films here are censored (badly): Not only for porn and offensive scenes, but its reaching blood scenes in a vampire movie, and lately a friend of mine told me how a major political scene about the US immigration was censored. This doesn’t make any sense, and I doubt any movie-goer would be ok about it.

4- Quality of the movie: I’ve been to Flags of our Father, great war movie, and the sound was distorted. How disappointing? Other movies part of the screen was eaten from bottom and top a little.

I for one had cinema as a weekly thing. Now, I only go once every few months for the sake of change, or when there is a big hit movie I dont wanna miss or have spoiled. In those cases, I have to take great care in avoiding noisy and distracting audience. Most often than not, I can’t avoid distractions. I know many many people who also stopped or cut-short they cinema visits for the same reasons. So is the 96% satisfaction even close to real in Kuwait? Or is it just that people have no where else to go?

Marzouq in a post for Z District called ‘KNCC Confectionary And Seating‘ criticizes the seating arrangement reservations and the limited concession food availability from ‘Cinescape' stating the poporn is subpar, for example:

Just recently going to the movies I remembered how bad the popcorn and nachos tasted at the KNCC. The popcorn was dry and really lacked flavor, and the Nachos were slightly stale. Even though they didn’t look that good I wanted them for the movie. I understand that KNCC wants to make as much money as possible from the film viewers, but still providing such bad quality food is very sad. I don’t know why they don’t produce sweet popcorn which is easily available from any company in the UK. They can get better recipes to make popcorn, how they can screw up popcorn so bad bewilders me. Honestly the popcorn that you make in your microwave tastes better then the one KNCC has, I just hope that at some point in time they hope to improve the food and selection, outsourcing would be better for them but knowing how closed minded they are I doubt they would even consider it citing quality control as an issue.

Alarzala in a post titled ‘Cinescape‘ criticizes the programming system at the Kuwait National Cinema company, in which it screens direct-to-video trash such as ‘Shark In Venice‘ and older films such as ‘White Noise 2‘ (2007) and blames the company for insulting the intelligence of its customers. Alarzala published two stills confirming his suspicions about the aforementioned films:

From http://3erzala.blogspot.com/2009/

Moving on to technology, NumberXIV in a post entitled ‘Telecommunication Monopoly in Kuwait‘ laments the monopoly that grips certain Telecom and ISP sectors in the country, stating that Kuwait is behind the rest of the Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia in opening up the sector. The blogger explains:

We suffer from the monopoly exercised by the Telecommunication Companies in Kuwait pertaining to new mobile technology such as Blueberry and IPhone.We have three telecommunication companies but unfortunately the BlackBerry services are strictly monopolized by Zain company,while in some countries in the region like SaudiArabia,Qatar and UAE the IPhone and Blackberry services are officially open for all the companies without any restrictions. The telecommunication technology is developing rapidly in the world while here in Kuwait it is so inferior even to the much poorer countries. I really don’t know until when this miserable situation will continue.This unfair monopoly is really pushing the hackers forward to invent all possible and illegal ways to connect between IPhone and Blackberry among the users in Kuwait. Believe it or not ,even Skype is blocked and no one can benefit from its fantastic services and technology except the hackers!! SO,in order for a user in Kuwait to be up to date with the latest technology in telecommunications,he/she must convert to a HACKER!! I THINK IT IS TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO LAY DOWN NEW LAWS TO STOP THIS UNFAIR MONOPOLY AND OPEN A NEW ERA OF COMPETITION AMONG ALL THE THREE TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES IN KUWAIT WHICH WILL BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE USERS OF THESE ADVANCED SERVICES.

We kick-off our coverage with The M Code in a post titled ‘Freedom and Democracy,' in which the blogger (prior to the Election results) regrets the misuse of democracy in Kuwait:

I don’t believe that freedom and democracy is to please the majority and disregard the minority, and I don’t believe it’s to please the minority and disregard the majority. I believe that it’s to please both the minority and the majority, to provide all options and not only one option for the people. For example, instead of enforcing segregation in all colleges there must be colleges with segregation for those who want segregation and colleges without segregation for those who don’t mind having no segregation. But the question is, is there any hope left for anything anymore? I don’t believe so. It’s all downhill from years ago and for years to come. The voices of freedom and democracy and whatever we say are like mortal winds, making papers fly and leafs move for a while then dieing away. It’s really depressing to know without doubt that there is no hope for anything at all. There is a future for the dictatorship of the majority over the minority, but no future for real freedom and democracy.

Hilaliya, in a post entitled ‘Congratulations Kuwait‘ reacts to the election results:

Our faith in the system and people of Kuwait was reaffirmed today.

Following years of uncertainty and gridlock, the people of Kuwait have voted for change. I am certainly in high spirits, and relieved. We were hoping one or two women would make it in, we got four!

Some newcomer independents also won and ‘Hadas' took a big hit in the 3rd District (my district). The ‘fatwas' and mudslinging by xenophobic elements towards women and progressive candidates backfired, reenergizing and intensifying support for them.

Congratulations to the qualified ladies and newcomers.

The popular culture blog 4th Ring Road took a rare detour into political territory by offering an interesting analysis on the recent election results:

The elections came and went but its results will stick in our minds forever. His Highness the Emir said to help him by choosing wisely. The Kuwaiti voters responded and the change we saw today morning is greater than it looks.

It might seem obvious that 4 female MPs, a great moment in Kuwaiti history, is change enough but we must look more closely to see even more change. The fall of Islamic MPs was in my opinion a sign that Kuwaiti voters were very disappointed at what they achieved in the past. Hadas now only has Jum’an Al Hirbish to represent them and Khalid Bin Essa along with Ali Al Omair representing the Salafi movement. Other independent Islamists managed to win but their popularity decreased significantly. In the third district, Waleed Al Tabtabaie did not do as well as last year and so was the case with Al Omair, Al Meslim and Al Sara’awi. I worried about Al Sara’wi the most because he could not be classified as Islamic, his proverbial beard was never used to promote his agenda. The voting numbers of the Islamic candidates might be a warning sign to them and they should keep a low profile, no more dancing and shoe lifting!

The smear campaign aimed at Aseel and Al Meslim did not stop them from being MPs and that proves that the voters are now more aware of who were behind these dirty tactics and what was the purpose behind it. Hadas also had suffered from bad press but there is no reason to dwell further…

DixieBedouin's post ‘Congrats Women!' had this to say:

What does it mean to Kuwait to have women in the government? Actually, what does it mean in any government? I think there is reason to hope. All of the things that I have complained about could be addressed with women in power (education, environment, lawlessness, etc.). Not that men can't address the issues, rather that they haven't. Too much testosterone seems to lead to progress constipation, so my hope is that the women will be true to their nature and give this country some long needed nurturing. I know, I know, not all women are the same, but let's face it, that is what we need here in Kuwait, a mother's eye for prioritizing, organizing, and getting things accomplished!

An elated post in CAPS (‘Change Has Come!‘) by Eshda3wa praises the election results, stating that she is proud of Kuwait and the way it voted this time, regretting Salafist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaie's win:

AHAL ELKUWAIT (People of Kuwait) IM SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU!! FOUR WOMEN IN THE PARLIAMENT! MA39OOMA LIMBARAK WALAH MOO HAYNA (Masooma AlMubarak is not easy) AND IM SO PROUD TO SEE THE PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO TAKE ASEEL DOWN DID NOT SUCCEED! BS THAG KHELGEE 6AB6ABA2I (But I feel uneasy that Al-Tabtabaie) MADE IT SO CLOSE TO TAKING HIM DOWN! BUT IT MATTERS NOT SALWA & ROLA .. MAKE US PROUD
AHAL ALKUWAIT (People of Kuwait)- YOU ROCK!!!!

Windowless's ‘Yes To Democracy!' post was ecstatic in its reaction to the election results. Windowless states:

Sometimes I have difficulties falling asleep I can’t seem to shut the mind off! Last night, I had difficulty falling asleep, so I was tuned into quite a bit of election coverage while attempting to pass out. I know, I know… bad idea! How are you supposed to fall asleep while watching election coverage! While I was in bed I just realized what had happened And I’m well aware that Kuwaiti voters scored a historic breakthrough by electing the first women MPs. I know that represents the change the Kuwaiti needs, In particular she become a strong competitor not because she is a woman; because she possessed talent and efficiency to enter the parliament and this is a major leap forward.

Rants and Ramblings, in a post entitled ‘Kuwait's First Female MP's' lauds the results of the election:

I am so beyond elated right now!! Soooo proud of everyone who made the right choice yesterday!! If only we had known that these are the results that we would get when only half the people vote, right? To those who didn't vote, malat 3alaikum [shame on you]! You have let your country down big time. Bas [But] you know what? Thank God that there are still people who have not given up on their country. Thank God that there are still people who went and voted for the right people and didn't think “why should I bother? they won't win anyway”. Thank $#%#^ God! To those who have lost hope about ilwath3 ilsiyasi [the political situation] in the last few years: maybe what happened yesterday is what's going to make you be more optimistic about what what we can really do for our country instead of letting ilmutakhalifeen [the backward people] run it! First Obama and now this! Politically-wise, ‘09 has got awesome written all over it! We all went to congratulate Aseel @3am min ilfar7a [out of happiness]. I'm so incredibly proud of her, it's ridiculous!

Organic Kuwait in the post ‘A New Kuwait‘ is also ecstatic at the election results, following the election of four women to Parliament.

i knew it i knew it i knew it i knew it !! i knew kuwaitis wont let baba Suba7 [father Subah - in reference to Kuwaiti Amir Shaikh Subah ] AL Ahmed Al Jaber] down.. i knew WE WERE READY FOR CHANGE..
this is a good morning! a REALLY GOOD MORNING :”)

Chillnite, a technology analyst and blogger, praises the election results in Kuwait, stating we are finally moving towards a ‘gender bias-free democracy,':

Kuwait broke the rusted tradition, where the population voted overwhelmingly in May 16th elections for 4 women candidates and voted them into the parliament. Even the general results point towards a more liberal movement in thought process of the electorate. Lets hope that the elected officials leave behind the constant bickering on trivial issues and concentrate more on pressing issues like economy, labour, and general welfare.

Kuwait Times front page celebrating the new women MPs taken by blogger Intlxpatr

Popular expatriate blogger, Intlxpatr from ‘Here, There and Everywhere‘ rejoices with her progressive Kuwaiti brothers and sisters in a post entitled ‘Joy In Kuwait,':

You might think it is the inner feminist in me that is rejoicing, and you would be only half right. The Kuwait elections brought me a lot of joy, for many reasons. First, as an equal opportunity woman, you need to know that I believe women are every bit as capable of veniality and stupidity as men, and that not being in power has only meant not having equal opportunity to abuse that power. And then – you take a look at the women who were elected – smart women. Capable women! Not-your-shy-shrinking-violet kind of women! Women who know how to organize, how to delegate, and how to discuss and resolve differences.

My joy is in the renewal of their spirit. It’s not my election. But oh, I dance with joy for your joy, Kuwait, and I celebrate your commitment to the future.

PS For our non-Kuwaiti readers – early in the election campaigns, one party announced a religious fatwa (edict) saying that it was forbidden to vote for women. I think it outraged people badly enough to create a huge backlash.

LOFT965 offers his usual cynical, sobering but sharp take on the recent election results:

Don’t mind the late-news headline, but I couldn’t resist the “News Of The Day” aura. So, yes Kuwait finally did it. The people of Kuwait broke another barrier in the on-going war on sexism and discrimination. And when it rains, it pours. Not one, but four. One of which was the first in her district and another the second. It’s hardly a liberal uprising and, to tell you the truth, some of them could might as well pass for the piety bloc. But, complaining is so 2000 and late.

Even as the beardist ghouls are still lurking and will probably be watching all the female MPs for any minor slip-up, the social outpouring for such a victory is proof of the women have public popularity and that means staying power. The general reception of the election results is nothing but an indication of the need to break the routine and reassess the state of the nation. All these lies and the propaganda seem to be not convincing anymore and that’s why we see these changes.

The liberal gain, aside from the inclusion of women in parliament, is really not the prominent. The fundamentalist loss is considerably better. But the fight on tribalism, corruption, favoritism, discrimination and even sexism is far from over. In fact, it barely started. In congratulations, people are still referring to these women as ” حريم”. A word that is drenched in objectification of women as forbidden beings. Not to take this post into a rant on feminist theory, but just an indication of how far we have to go.

Positively, though, it’s a good day not just for Kuwait but all of humanity and a sign that there is room for change. Now these women will enter as a foursome and the religious fascists will have to deal one-on-one with them if they want to get votes to have their bills passed. Moreover, they will have first-hand experience as to what it feels like for a women to live in Kuwait. Stone-Age laws like segregation, the ban on Kuwaiti women to bestow citizenship, marriage issues, unequal inheritance and divorce will definitely be get a revisiting, if not a rehashing.

American expatriate blogger Desert Girl praises her former Washington DC colleague Dr. Rola Dashti's win ('Mabrook Rola!‘) [Congratulations Rola]:

All your struggles and perseverance have finally paid off.

I remember when you slept next to your desk in the Kuwait Reconstruction Office in DC in 1991, working so hard that your mother shook her head in worry over you.

I remember seeing your brothers meet in the street in Kuwait on Liberation Day 1991: Salah in the Resistance and Jamal as an interpreter with the US Army. CNN captured the moment and showed your mother watching it happening live from Washington, DC and finally knowing that both of them were ok - with tears running down her face.

I remember sitting with ne're do well men who skoffed at the idea that you could make it in politics and I remember thinking that they were idiots - as they chose to rape Kuwait working for personal benefit in politics.

To those people said you were “too Lebanese”, not married, not belonging to any major group, “too this” and “not enough that” - I say ‘IN THEIR FACE!'

I have met very few people who have Kuwait's best interest at heart the way that you do - who are willing to fight for what they believe in - even in the face of strong opposition on different sides. You fought when others gave up.

Finally, Kuwait is voting for QUALIFIED candidates - not just by who their family members told them to vote for or who paid the most for a vote. Someone who has been Chairperson for Kuwait Economic Society with a PhD in Economics from Johns Hopkins is qualified.

Good on you, girl! Time to take it all to the next level - give them a good run! We are so so so so proud of you.

Lastly, Drunk'n'Gorgeous offers her own recollection as a campaign volunteer for MP Dr. Rola Dashti:

I'm elated that several women won. That Dr Rola Dashti was among the winners… well that just rocks!

I joined her camp about a month ago with the illusion that I was going to be doing some real work instead of just showing up, sitting there, and looking purdy. On the plus side, I had so much fun and made even more friends. The last few days especially were awesome! That said, yesterday was brutal! We had to wake up at the crack of dawn, hotfoot it to the schools we were allocated to, man our positions, and “work it”. What was even more refreshing was the fact that the chicks, young and old, the one's that came to vote and the ones who were working, like us, were all so freakin nice! That seriously blew me over. No matter how many times I see it, feel it, experience it. I still can't believe it. The women that came to vote were all “ya36eekum il3afyah” [may God bless you]. The younger chicks that were “workin' it” were super-friendly to each other and to the girls in other camps. Four different chicks from different camps tried to feed me. Apparently, I can be tamed with food.

At night, everyone let their guards down and completely relaxed. There was singing, clapping, and some weird dancing. The jovial mood spread like wildfire. Pretty soon, everyone seemed drunk. I felt a certain fondness for all these crazy, happy, hard-working, good people. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they're my people.

We start off with the popular blog 4th Ring Road which mocks the religious ‘Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation' for neglecting their English copy before publicly printing thousands of documents with the embarrassing gaffe: ‘Kuwait Awqaf Pubic Foundation.'

Since its election time, various bloggers such as Jelly Belly Nonsense visit candidate headquarters to soak in the political rhetoric. However, her visit to candidate Dr. Abdulla Al-Turaiji's tent left her offended at what transpired. In a post entitled ‘Jelly Belly and the Elections‘ she states:

Last night I went to Dr. Abdullah Al-Turiji with my cousin and it was her first experience as well… everything was going well until this guy who is apparently a presenter in Scope TV [whose name is] Anwar Malallah showed up… anyways they brought up the issue of the citizenship/aljenseya… he started talking about Kuwaiti men marrying non-Kuwaitis and stealing the men from Kuwaiti women and how these “foreigners” are taking their rights by being Kuwaitis themselves and how their children may turn out different because of this marriage! At this point I looked at my cousin and we were both VERY ANGRY… if you don't know this already my mom was Bahraini and I said was because she has the Kuwaiti citizenship now and she had it for the past 30 years and my cousin mom is American but she chose to keep her American citizenship and never got the Kuwaiti but that's not the issue here the issue was how this asshole was basically attacking our moms!!

248am's Mark (who just returned from a trip to Amsterdam) was subjected to a Swine Flu checkup on arrival at Kuwait Airport ('Back From The Clinic‘) and was told to validate his health papers with a local clinic the following day:

I passed by the Salmiya clinic in the morning to get the H1N1 flu paper I got from the airport signed. It was my first time there and I have to say the place is disgusting. Can’t believe that’s actually a medical center, it looks more like a big kitchen or bathroom. I even found a big dead bug on a dirty and stained floor, gross! Anyway went to the proper department where this woman with a really large book took down my name and travel information. She asked me if I was sick, I told her no so she told me to come back on Sunday and that was it.

Moving on to human rights issues, conscientious blogger q8sws in a moving post called ‘Numbers‘ highlights the plight of domestic workers in Kuwait:

I've talked with people who work with abused domestic helpers in their embassies and I was able to get a rough estimate on the numbers we are dealing with: 80 maids at the Ethiopian embassy (embassy already full and now turning away runaways);400 maids at the Indonesian Embassy, 100 - 300 maids at the Philippines Embassy (it fluctuates pretty often), 300 at the Sri Lankan embassy.
I also know that Indian embassy officials dragged out a crying and pleading Indian woman from the embassy in plain sight of everyone, who was claiming abuse, and telling her that was not the place for her to go. These numbers are obviously not accurate down to the last person - they are rough estimates. And I can tell you that these ladies are not all happy and healthy. Having personally been to the Philippines embassy myself, I was devastated to see women lined up from corner to corner in a basement room, taking up every available space.

A human being is not a number. Every single person deserves to be treated as a special, unique individual. But even when dealing with numbers, please remember that these are only runaways that make it to the embassy. There are more like these in the hospitals, in their employer's homes, in the jails and deportation centre, hiding out illegally somewhere in Kuwait, forced into prostitution and of course - in the morgue.

Lastly, moving on to technology A Puddle Of Red alludes to Endgadget's article's concerning Cablevision offering 101 Mps speed in NY and parts of the East Coast for only $99 a month stating that in Kuwait “you can't even get 256K for that price“.

We kick off today's round up with a post entitled ‘Freaking Out From Swine Flu,' in which Danderma speaks of her manic compulsive sanitation habits not being enough to combat the dreaded Swine Flu:

I am literally freaked!!! I am the kind of person who get flu 600 times a year! And I do admit to have the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder thingy which can go very wrong!!! I already wash my hands with dettol 1000 times aday!!!! Flu has reached the UK! THey are testing people’s temperatures in Kuwait Airport Now! There is no Vaccine agasnt it until next Sep!
What to do?! Stop Travelling? Hide in our homes? Wear a mask? Become the next Michael Jackson?! I do not blame the guy anymore! Bird Flu Dog Flu Fish Flu Horse Flu Swine Flu!!!!It is like something from those movies… where a plague moves all around the world… i am thinking 28 days later and shuddering!!!!

Teachmasses School Days is angry that the Swine Flu outbreak of 1976 did not lead to the development of a vaccine. In a post entitled “Swine flu conspiracy 1976” the blogger remarks:

This is NOT the first time there has been an outbreak of Swine Flu- Oh no…….SO WHY DIDN’T THEY DEVELOP A BLOODY VACCINE? There was a ‘contained outbreak’ in Fort Dix in the US in 1976. And what is even less encouraging about that little snippet, is exactly how and why swine flu was contained at the military base remains as mysterious as the strain’s origins.

Twenty Three gives us another take in a post entitled ‘What a load of Mexican Swine!‘ in which the blogger alludes to Sky TV reporter Edna Brady's description of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 as ‘bizzare' and continues:

“You see pictures and reports from Mexico online and on TV,” Brady explained. “But actually seeing people at Heathrow walking round in masks really brings home the scale of this problem, and how worried people are.”

Twenty Three asks guests travelling to Kuwait to wear a mask and take precautions, adding:

This is becoming much more of a crisis than first thought…..If you look at the muslim countries, you’ll see for the meantime, we are safe……. BUT, only if we keep this OUT. People please, wear masks travelling into Kuwait.

Lastly, DixieBedouin offers an interesting link with background on the Swine Flu: Flying Pigs, Tamiflu and Factory Farms.

Kuwait's Ministry of Information’s censorship is also extending to video games now, according to Mark’s Ministry of Video Games post from 248.am:

“I just found out that there are three people (2 guys 1 girl) at the ministry who’s job is to test video games all day. They play every game that needs to be brought into Kuwait to make sure they don’t contain anything illegal like nudity”.

The upcoming May 16 Kuwaiti elections are on everyone's mind as well, and Aggz The Agressor makes an impassioned plea for collective responsibility in a post entitled “A Vote For Responsibility” at Hilaliya:

Vote wisely. It's not just about improving government services; it's ensuring that these services continue to survive after the economy shrinks from complete oil dependence in sixty or seventy years time; according to recent estimates (some reports claim a maximum of forty years). I have a 2 year old daughter, by the time she's a mother, her children will face Kuwait's hardest economic situation ever-a country without oil to fuel the state's expenditures and services. In other words, what I as a parent decide today will affect my grandchildren's future wellbeing. By selecting the right MP, we as voters set the standards for a better future, it's not about voting for someone who would be able to help me grab a government-built house quicker than the rest, or someone who would be able to process my papers with his influence or some other short-term personal gain.

Moving on to technology with Z District’s Marzouq; in a post entitled ‘The Blackberry Lunch’ talks about how efficient and addictive the Blackberry’s BBM chat service and how archaic SMS’s are compared to it.

“BBM group chat - this is damn addicting and you can notice others who are addicted to it. The one time Zains’ blackberry service went down, I was really really annoyed that I had to use sms to communicate with people, it felt so archaic and slow in comparison with BBM which gives you answer right away, and it so damn satisfying. I even get annoyed with those that don’t answer right away or are too slow to type. I think that BBM is an excellent feature, but sometimes you just have to put it down and enjoy what ever you are doing.”

Eshda3wa in a post called ‘Sex Talk’ criticizes Arab women for talking openly about sex in public places or amongst each other.

“I'm sure all of you noticed, Arab women love talking about sex. Once you’re married, or they deem you old enough, there are no boundaries to what they say in front of you. I HATE that. Sometimes even women you barely know will start talking about their sex life and all I wanna say is what the freaky deaky F is wrong with you. For example, a few days ago while at work, I was having my morning coffee and talking with one of the nurses about laser eye surgery. I always wear my glasses. She wears contacts, and apparently is blind as a bat without them. Then she goes on to say she has to wear them even during sex. Because if she can’t see her husband she can never be satisfied, and it takes her way too long to reach a climax. MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE. Did i need to know that? Did I?”

Lastly, LOFT965 talks about Arab feminism and how it features “a correlation between a culture’s treatment of women and its own brand of linguistics” but that it was time now to be more politically correct and remove gender specific words from our language.

LOFT965 also posts the following video from ‘The Hariri Foundation‘ concerning the ‘Women Empowerment Program':

“This has prevailed on for way too far and even as the Arabic language is one of the most eloquent languages in the world there seems to be no way around using gender non-specific words. It’s time we removed gender from the vocabulary. That’s the only way to progress. You know, gender is an illusion”.

Ever since the dissolution of Parliament and the announcement of the Kuwaiti elections (to be held May 16) bloggers have been in overdrive posting about the ongoing drama and the cynicism concerning our upcoming elections (our third in four years). Let me kick off my introductory post with some election-related coverage:

Blogger Mako Amal (There is no hope), in a post titled Oh Minister of Interior: The Awazim Tribe and Hadas Have Raped the Law, asks the Minister of Interior why he hasn’t acted yet to uphold the law banning consultative elections featuring the Awazim tribe - proof of which is in the following You Tube video posted by Mako Amal:

In other election-related news, Hilaliya reports on the arrest of Municipality Council and Parliamentary candidate Khalifa Al-Khorafi by the State Security for criticizing the ruling family, and elaborates:

“Additionally, there are reports that Badah Al-Hajeri, ‘Scope TV' s anchor has also been summoned for questioning. Islamist MP Daifallah Bu Ramiah is still under house arrest at the State Security apparatus for insulting the Defense Minister and Acting Prime Minister stating he ‘wasn't fit to be Prime Minister'.”

Meanwhile, Here There And Everywhere’s Intlxpatr praises the role of the current US ambassador to Kuwait Deborah Jones in her post “Kuwait Will Work It Out”:

“No one can accuse Jones of being a weenie. The woman is lion. And you get the feeling she loves what she is doing, and that she is truly connected with issues and activities in Kuwait.”

Moving on to other matters, Anafilibini in her post entitled “120 KD For A Filipino Professional Nurse?” criticizes the low salary requirements offered to a Filipino nurse to come work in a Kuwait hospital:

“Com'on Kuwait, if you want grade A, qualified medical professional you gotta PAY UP! Our company tea boy get paid more than that and more - I heard that doctors all over this country is going on strike because of low wages and I have a friend who's wife gave birth but had to endure 5 operations due to one botched job after another.”

Kuwait Advertiser writes about his ‘Trip to Bahrain', saying:

“We flew out to Bahrain last week Thursday, first time with Jazeera Air. Not bad at all… My friend Hamad from Saudi told me not to miss out on ice-cream from the Marble Slab Creamery… found it in Seef Mall. We rented a car, pretty cheap and drove around the island. One of the places that amazed me was the man-made islands that the built and then do developments on the islands. Really beautiful places.”

In a post entitled ‘Missing POWS’ blogger TeachTheMasses School Days highlights a little known humanitarian tragedy involving Kuwait POWs and other nationals missing from the Iraq occupation of Kuwait:

“Imagine the heartache if you are still waiting for news of a loved one after 19 years. Imagine the 19 year olds in Kuwait and elsewhere who never got to meet their father because he was one of the Iraqi ‘disappeared’. This needs to be concluded once and for all.”

Some Contrast posts an interesting tidbit about the probability of the ailing national carrier Kuwait Airways:

“Might be just a rumor circulating on emails, but Kuwait Airways are thinking of re-designing their look for their aircrafts. the one I liked is option #3”

Blogger Twenty Three criticizes CNN anchor Jack Cafferty due to his previous views on ‘radical Islam’ and his current view that obese passengers should pay for two seats on a plane.

“So instead of asking the question Cafferty 'should obese people pay for two seats’ - how about 'should airlines make bigger seats and stop being greedy gold-diggers’ ……. kind of like schools here in Kuwait, fill as many seats as possible regardless of whether children have room to walk around their classrooms..”

Our last stop is with Don Veto, who highlights Kuwait pictures taken in 1961 by Verity Cridland, who explains that the photographs were taken by her mother as ‘color slides,’:

“In 1961 cameras were hardly airtight and these pictures had a lot of dust on them. This was on the actual film rather than just dust from old age! They also had a scratch on each slide caused by sand and grit inside the camera.