“But You Don’t Even Drink Coffee!”
“But you don’t even drink coffee!” I exclaimed to AdventureMan as he utilized the miracle of modern technology to pick up some shares of Starbucks, which had plunged to unbelievable depths.
“No, but they have shown they are quick on their feet,” he responded, clicking away on his online-investing account. “I like the way they cut their losses quickly, and they are always looking for new twists to keep their customer base coming back.”
We have very few investments in individual stocks; most of our money is in funds. When we do invest in individual stocks, we choose stocks we have a personal interest in, like, for me, Amazon. I read books. I buy books. It makes sense to me.
If you have ever studied decision making, you learn that people make decisions – on a personal level, on a financial level, on a national level – based on irrational criteria. We can put together a matrix, we can put together a decision-making process, we can get all the pros and cons – and when the decision has to be made, other factors come into play.
The perfect suitor, good family, good character, hard working and handsome might be rejected because you don’t like his cologne.
The perfect candidate for the job, well qualified, having a magnetic personality, a great track record – may be rejected because the manager has an unidentified fear that the candidate could outshine him/her.
Nations go to war for irrational reasons. We understand rational processes – and then we bypass them.
We have a mental list of how we will rationally make a decision – and then we have the primitive brain undermining our rational choices.
Or that is how I see it.
The truth as I see it is that I am happy he bought shares in Starbucks because it is a Seattle company. I love going into Starbucks, seeing people sitting around drinking coffee, tutoring students, old folks passing the time, couples getting to know one another – on a cold, rainy day in Seattle, a cup of Starbucks tastes great. I vote for Starbucks for emotional reasons.
I have my favorites, and you never see them here in Kuwait. At Thanksgiving / Christmas, they have a Gingerbread Latte, and they have a Peppermint Mocha. I adore them.
With Ramadan coming up, they should put together a Ramadan cup of coffee, for after Ifthar, don’t you think? Maybe a little cardomon in it, maybe a little cinnamon?
Al Shamal Travel
AdventureMan called his contact at Al Shamal Travel about an upcoming trip:
“Mr. Flan, I have our itinerary, is everything still on schedule?”
“Yes, Mr. AdventureMan, I just checked on it this morning. You are booked all the way through, all the flights are exactly as shown on your schedule. I booked your seats on all the legs and I think you will be very happy. Just show them your itinerary; the reservation number is on it.”
(Sigh of pure pleasure)
Real service, CUSTOMER service. So rare that when it happens, we notice it.
Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Presidency
Hilarious video from The Onion.
Need Recommendation
I need your technical expertise.
A year ago, knowing I really like uploading photos to illustrate my posts, I went ahead and bought the biggest upgrade. It was stupid – I didn’t notice it was only for one year, I thought it was for the life of the blog, but that isn’t really relevant. It was stupid for another reason – no matter how much I upload, I have used ZERO capacity of the 28GB upgrade.
That upgrade is about to run out.
I have 6MB of stuff uploaded. Do I need another upgrade? If we (bloggers on WordPress) all have an automatic 3GB of upload space – it seems to me that 6MB is a whole lot less that 3GB. But maybe the 6MB is just the photos, and maybe the blog entries also add up?
My question: Do I need an upgrade?
If You Have the Eyes to See
I have a dinner party coming up, and I always have to keep my menus flexible – I am never entirely sure what I will find in the stores. The most unlikely things will show up, and then, just when you really need them, disappear.
I usually keep a little corn syrup on hand, but I also use it a lot – remember that Pecan-Date Pie?
First step, check the cupboards. Nope, no corn syrup. I can make something else, but one of my guests has a real sweet tooth, and this pie disappears in a heartbeat where people love sweets.
Second step – scour the stores. Nope, no corn syrup. They sometimes have it. Not today when I need it.
Third step – pray. Actually, I started this step while I was still in the store. I didn’t used to believe in prayers for selfish things, but I discovered that sometimes God delights in answering small prayers. I was in a bible study, where they told us to keep a prayer journal, and when we prayed for a person or something, to write it down, that a lot of times when prayers are answered, we don’t even say thank-you, we just move on.
I was astonished. They were right. When you write down what you’ve prayed for, especially for long, complicated situations, and then you go back and see the prayers that have been answered, prayers you forgot you even prayed, it is astonishing. God is so Good! And imagine answering prayers and the person praying doesn’t even say “thank you!”
When I got home, I put the cold things in the refrigerator or freezer, washed off all the vegetables, put away the other groceries, and then got the stepping stool, still praying that somewhere in my kitchen was a bottle of corn syrup that was misplaced.
I checked the baking cupboard – again. Moved everything so I could see even in the darkest corners. No corn syrup. Checked my “spares” cupboard. Nope, not there. Checked my back-up spares cupboard, sigh, no not there. Checked the breakfast / snack cupboard, can’t see anything, but I’ll check Little Diamond’s shelf, where the breakfast cereal and Canderelle are kept – and oh my! It’s a genuine miracle! When did I put the corn syrup on that shelf?
This is what a miracle looks like in my life this morning:
Thanks be to God! He takes care of our smallest needs!
Early Dawn + Cold Spell
I happened to be up this morning pre-dawn:
So calm, so serene, and I just love that someone is out there fishing on the glassy waters. But it was WAAAYYY early, I went back to bed. . . no sunrise for me this morning.
WeatherUnderground shows a cold spell today:
But as you can see, it will head right back up there as the week progresses.
I am packing for another trip – one where we will be on a beach, but instructions on Virtual Traveller say “even the hottest summer day has cool nights, so bring a light jacket, long pants and shoes and socks.” I can’t wait!
Georgia Man Kills Daughter for Honor
This is a sad story. When police arrested him, you get the impression he was really sad he did it, and caught up in something he regretted.
Georgia Man Charged in ‘Honor Killing’
CNN
Posted: 2008-07-08 22:21:56
Filed Under: Crime News, Nation News
ATLANTA (July 8) – A Pakistani man is charged with killing his 25-year-old daughter in Georgia because she wanted out of an arranged marriage, police said.
Chaudhry Rashid, 54, of Jonesboro, an Atlanta suburb, appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to face murder charges in the death of Sandeela Kanwal, according to court records.
He was arrested early Sunday, after his wife called police at about 2 a.m. She reported that she had been awakened by screaming but couldn’t understand the language, a Clayton County police report said. She said she was afraid and left the house to call police.
Officers found Kanwal dead in an upstairs bedroom of the home, according to the police report.
Rashid’s wife told authorities Kanwal recently had been married in Pakistan — an arranged marriage, she said. The young woman’s husband was living in Chicago, Illinois, police said, but Kanwal remained at her father’s home and worked at a metro Atlanta Wal-Mart for a brief time.
You can read the rest of the story on AOL News by clicking here.
Wrong, So Wrong
I was wrong, so wrong, and I admit it. I had scanned the news online. When I finally got my hands on a hard copy paper, I discover there IS news, news you don’t find online, and so much of it. Because I can’t copy it online, you will have to bear with my hand-typed-in renditions of the page 2 “In the News” section from the Kuwait Times.
1. Rehab Centers
Kuwait: Dr Haya al Metairi called for establishing a specialized health center to treat and rehabilitate homosexurals. She urged the authorities to impart moral guidance and offer psychological counseling to affected people (sic) instead of incriminating the phenomenon of homosexuality. She said she has already submitted a demand of establishing the center to the parliamentary committee for curbing negative invluences. She also called for the implementation of a draft law to evaluate the degree that the patient is psychologically affected. (sic)
Once diagnosed, appropriate psychological treatments should then be administered accordingly after referring those ailing from sexual deviation to the relevant health centers. She also called for subjecting them to periodic checkups as well as conducting awareness campaigns to expedite their rehabilitation.
Al Metairi urged the Ministry of Health to subject local pharmacies to strict surveillance, reported Al Watan. She said most pharmacies sell banned female hormone inducting drugs over the counter that could fatally endanger the lives of consumers. She said such pills activate female hormones, leading to weakening the male sexual organs. Prolonged use of such drugs transforms a man’s physical appearance to resemble that of a woman and also negatively reduced the power of their sexual organs.
2. Diplomatic Appointments
Kuwait: Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khalid Al-Jarallah denied the involvement of wasta in admission tests held for inducting diplomats. He refuted reports that the ministry resorts to wasta, saying “The ministry never subjects itself to pressure from anyone, nor does it accept wasta in any form.”
He said appointing diplomats is a very sensitive issue as this select group represents the country abroad. Speaking on qualifications required to qualify for the posts, he said the maximum age required to qualify for the examinations is 24. No applicant under 24 has ever qualified for the written tests, he added. All candidates then have to mandatorily undergo a series of other appraisals and examinations before being finally accepted as diplomats, reported Al-Wasat. Written exams, which are graded by an expert panel of officials from the ministry are then followed by personal interviews and stringent brain storming sessions while grading the applicants on their personal capabilities.
3. No Blackouts
Kuwait: Fears of impeding electricity outages this summer dominated the Cabinet’s recent weekly meeting, officials said. The Ministry of Electricity and Water Mohammed Al-Olaim briefed the Cabinet with a detailed report on the current situation as well as details of the expected consumption as compared with the actual production.
He assured the Cabinet that he does not expect any electricity outage; scheduled or otherwise. He said the overall situation was under control with production exceeding the state’s consumption. “We are safely within the parameters of the green consumption line.” he added. He however slammed some local dailies of sparking unconfirmed reports of a power crisis, reported Al-Wasat. He said the reason electricity in some areas, was disrupted recently was due to technical snags leading to an overload, resulting from an excessive increase in day temperatures.
He said residents do not have to worry as technicians are on standby around the clock to deal with any contingency that might arise at any given time or place.
4. Donkey Ordered Out
Kuwait: The Minister of State for Municipa Affairs Dr. Fadel Safar saw a donkey grazing on a green patch while travelling through the capital recently. He called municipal officials and snstructed them to clear the mule off, reported Al-Watan. The officials in turn called capital police who arrived and took the animal to the Capital Security Directorate.
Laugh? Or cry?
Saving the Day
Wednesday morning, a million things to do, major projects, and I can’t think of a thing to write. I’ve scanned all the news, nothing I find that interesting/ shocking/ worth sharing.
I can Has Cheeseburger saves the day. I really had to stop, I laughed so hard at several:
more cat pictures
more cat pictures
more cat pictures
Old Scam, New Twist
I don’t bother sharing most of these with you any more because we all get them, and they’re all totally fake. This one gave me a grin because she claims to be from Kuwait.
Dearest In Christ,
May God be praised!!!
I am Mrs. Fatima Iyesa Ismiana from Kuwait.
I married to Usman Ismiana of blessed memory who worked with Kuwait embassy in Madrid Spain for nine years before he died in the year 2003.
We were married for eleven years without a child he died after a brief illness that lasted only four days. Before his death he was a very devoted muslim and I was a devoted Christian by birth battling with both cancer and fibroid problems when my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $15 million dollars (FIFTEEN million dollars) with an overseas finance and security firm.
Presently, this money is still with finance and security firm. Recently , my doctor told me that I had a terminating illness (cancer) that would last for the next four months.Though what disturbs me most is my stroke sickness, having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to either a Christian organization and a devoted Christian individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here in. I want this Christian organization or individual to use this money in all sincerity to fund churches, orphanages, widows and also propagating the word of God and to ensure that the society upholds the views and beliefs of the holy bible.
I took this decision because I don’t have any child to start from and where I will stop and my husband’s relatives are all Muslims and I don’t want my husband hard earned money to be misused by people that call me an unbeliever. I don’t want a situation where this money will be used in an unholy manner hence the reason for taking this bold decision.
I don’t need any telephone communications but will only give you the contact of my lawyer Barr Mike Williams because he is the one who is going to assist you in making you the beneficiary of the consignment in the finance and security firm.
Please direct your reply to my private mail: ismianafatima@yahoo.com.hk
May the Almighty God continue to guide and protect you. Amen.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs.Fatima Iyesa Ismiana.
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