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Jaidah Flyover roadworks finish in five days

From today’s Gulf Times comes news that one of the worst current traffic snarls in town will be history in five days.

Do you believe it?

And now – how is the work on D-ring going? Any news on how soon it will be completed?

By Sarmad Qazi

The road works under the Jaidah flyover are expected to be completed in five days, an official said yesterday.
The busy junction leading to the Corniche and the densely-populated Musheireb area in one direction and to Ramada junction and the Salwa highway on the other was dug up towards the end of September for expansion work.

Read the whole article HERE

October 7, 2009 Posted by | Building, Bureaucracy, Community, Doha, ExPat Life, Health Issues, Living Conditions, Qatar, Safety | 2 Comments

FBI Press Release Re: FaceBook, Social Networking Sites

Read the message for yourself on the FBI Press Release Page

No, Your Social Networking “Friend” Isn’t Really in Trouble Overseas

According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), there has been an increase in the number of hijacked social networking accounts reported to http://www.ic3.gov.

One of the more popular scams involves online criminals planting malicious software and code onto to victim computers. It starts by someone opening a spam e-mail, sometimes from another hijacked friend’s account.

When opened, the spam allows the cyber intruders to steal passwords for any account on the computer, including social networking sites. The thieves then change the user’s passwords and eventually send out distress messages claiming they are in some sort of legal or medical peril and requesting money from their social networking contacts.

So far, nearly 3,200 cases of account hijackings have been reported to the IC3 since 2006.

Cyber thieves are also using spam to promote phishing sites, claiming a violation of the terms of service agreement or creating some other issue which needs to be resolved. Other spam entices users to download an application or view a video. Some of these messages appear to be sent from friends, giving the perception of legitimacy. Once the user responds to a phishing site, downloads an application, or clicks on a video link, the electronic device they’re using becomes infected.

Some applications advertised on social networking sites appear legitimate but install malicious code or rogue anti-virus software. These empty applications can give cyber criminals access to your profile and personal information. These programs will automatically send messages to your contacts, instructing them to download the new application too.

Infected users are often unknowingly spreading malware by having links to infected websites posted on their webpage without the user’s knowledge. Since the e-mail or video link appear to be endorsed by a friend, social networking contacts are more likely to click on these links.

Although social networking sites are generally a safe place to interact with friends and acquaintances, keep in mind these suggestions to protect yourself while navigating the Internet:

• Adjust website privacy settings. Some networking sites have provided useful options to assist in adjusting settings to help protect your identity.

• Be selective when adding friends. Once added, contacts can access any information marked as viewable by all friends.

• Limit access to your profile to only those contacts you trust with your personal information.
Disable options, such as photo sharing, that you might not regularly use. You can always enable these options later.

• Be careful what you click on. Just because someone posts a link or video to their wall does not mean it is safe.

• Familiarize yourself with the security and privacy settings and learn how to report a compromised account.
Each social networking site may have different procedures on how to handle a hijacked or infected account; therefore, you may want to reference their help or FAQ page for instructions.

If your account has been hijacked or infected, report it to by visiting http://www.ic3.gov or http://www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the FBI and National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).

October 7, 2009 Posted by | Crime, Interconnected, Law and Order, Social Issues | Leave a comment

Live Longer: Marry an Educated Woman

From today’s BBC Health News comes an important discovery for Men’s health – men who marry educated women live longer. Educated women live longer. Who a man marries matters more than his own education. You can read the entire article by clicking on the blue type, above.

This study does not say you need to marry a Swedish woman. . . you need to marry an educated woman!

Educated women ‘aid long life’

A university education is important to longevity, the study suggests

A well-educated woman positively influences both her own and her partner’s chances of a long life, Swedish research suggests.

A man whose partner had only a school education has a 25% greater risk of dying early than if she had had a university education, it suggests.

The authors say educated women may be more likely to understand the various health messages their families needed.

The findings are based on a study of 1.5m working Swedes, aged 30 to 59.

The study, in the journal of Epidemiology and Community Healthcare, says that in the case of men, it is their income and social status that affect women’s lifespan.

The researchers looked at data from the 1990 Swedish census and followed up information on causes of death, including cancer and circulatory diseases like heart disease and stroke from the cause of death registers up to 2003.

University education
A woman’s education and social status were more important for a man’s life chances than his own education, the findings indicate.

Read the entire article HERE

October 6, 2009 Posted by | Aging, Education, Family Issues, Health Issues, News, Women's Issues | 13 Comments

Maid Builds Mansion with Elderly Employer’s ‘Gift’

This is a sticky situation – not a new situation, it is timeless, and not unique to Kuwait – it is everywhere. People with elderly parents need to pay attention; the elderly can be so vulnerable. He may well have given his caretaker the money. His poor 108 year old mother!

Maid coaxes elderly sponsor to sell home, buys villa with cash

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 3: Police have arrested a Sri Lankan housemaid who allegedly duped a Kuwaiti man in his 70s, and lured him into selling his home, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.

It is reported the woman, who was working for the old man, induced him to sell his home, and then took the money from him. She is said to be worth about KD 120,000. She has also built a mansion in her home country.

A security source said the man’s mother, who is about 108 years old, and his family have lodged a complaint at the police station. However, the maid claims the man had given the money to her of his own free will.

October 6, 2009 Posted by | Aging, Building, Character, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Financial Issues, Health Issues, Kuwait, News | 12 Comments

Doha Museum of Islamic Art Wins Coveted Award

What I love the most about this award is that it takes into account the usage of local materials. It’s also something I love about The Pearl development; all those buildings and villas built on the rubble carted away from earlier demolition projects and turned into reclaimed land. 🙂 Re-cycling to the max!

Museum of Islamic Art bags architecture award
Web posted at: 10/6/2009 1:19:1
Source ::: The PENINSULA

Dubai: Museum of Islamic Art in Doha was awarded “Overall Project of the Year” at the 2nd Annual Middle East Architect Awards.

Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) was presented with the award, for the Museum of Islamic Art – Doha, at a ceremony hosted by the Middle East Architect magazine.

The annual ceremony is the most prestigious event dedicated to recognise outstanding architectural projects in the region.

The Museum of Islamic Art was chosen for its traditional design principles that use indigenous materials and processes and integrates them with contemporary technology to create familiar, functional and environmentally sustainable architecture.

Accepting the award on behalf of QMA, Omar Chaikhouni, Manager of Public Relations and Information said: “We are delighted and honoured to be recognised as the top overall project in 2009 among all the nominees from the region. The Middle East Architect awards ceremony is a great initiative and we wish it all the success in years to come.”

Organised by ITP Business Publishing, the lavish awards ceremony took place at the Westin Dubai with the presence of more than 200 leading professionals from the region’s architecture industry, including architects, developers, service providers, contractors and building owners.

The 2nd Annual Middle East Architect Awards set out to raise the profile of the industry and reward and recognise those that have made significant contributions to its development.

Ten awards were presented at the ceremony in categories that covered a number of fields, from infrastructure project of the year to mixed-use development of the year, and from engineering firm of the year to architect of the year.

The winners were judged by a panel of experts, which consisted of industry-leading academics, architects and engineers from around the Middle East.

October 6, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Building, Character, Community, Cultural, Doha, News, Public Art, Qatar | 3 Comments

Doha Gallery 5 October

There are still pockets of serenity; one of the older fishing boats moored in Doha:

00DohaFishingBoat

This isn’t a great shot, shooting through the windshield while at a stop-light, but this is the Barzan Towers. It used to be one of my very favorite buildings in town; I loved the way it incorporated some of the old Gulf themes into it’s modern day structure. Now, it is dwarfed by taller buildings, some of which also incorporate traditional details, most of which don’t. You really have to look for it to see it now.

00BarzanTowers

October 5, 2009 Posted by | Arts & Handicrafts, Beauty, Building, Doha, Living Conditions, Lumix, Photos, Qatar | Leave a comment

Role Reversal?

“Oh AdventureMan, I was SO embarrased!”

I had just finished telling him how while doing a major grocery shopping, I got to the front of the check-out line and realized – I had the wrong basket! How could that be? Where had I picked up this basket?

I headed quickly back to the dairy area where I had desperately been looking for sour cream; the shelves empty and looking like Florida-when-a-hurricane-is-on-the-way. A very nice gentleman said “I think you have my basket” and I apologized profusely. He was very kind. He said “Your basket is over there,” and pointed, and he was exactly right, there it was.

AdventureMan laughed and said “You have really gone to extreme lengths to meet new men! Maybe I need to keep a better eye on you!”

I agreed.

“In fact,” I said, “We could go the whole route, and I could just stay secluded in our home, and at the end of your very long working day, after driving through the grid-locked-going-home-traffic in Doha, you could stop by the aisle-packed grocery store and do a major shopping for me!”

We both laughed. Isn’t going to happen.

October 5, 2009 Posted by | Civility, Community, Doha, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Humor, Living Conditions, Qatar, Shopping, Women's Issues | 6 Comments

Young Adults Report Anxiety Overload

Young adults ‘anxiety overload’

No, it’s not just your imagination. And you are not alone – others in your age group are likely suffering the same anxieties you are, and covering it up.

You can read the entire article at BBC News

Young adults are suffering from “anxiety overload”, a UK charity warns.

A survey of 18-24 year olds found 66% feel stressed or anxious at least once a week, with money and job worries being the main cause.

Almost a third of respondents said they did not tell anyone of their worries, raising the need to teach young people “coping strategies”, said Rethink.

Women seemed most badly affected, with one in three suffering frequent anxiety, compared with one in 10 men.

The YouGov poll of 2,000 adults, 250 of whom were aged 18-24, found 33% of young women felt stressed or anxious most days or every day.

October 5, 2009 Posted by | Family Issues, Financial Issues, Living Conditions, Mating Behavior, Social Issues, Women's Issues | 13 Comments

Attempt to Kidnap Kuwaiti Girl: Print Their Names

From the Arab Times

Here is what scares me about this story – the language. It says “the side glass of the car broke.” That is very neutral language. I am pretty sure that the girl who was the intended victim would not break the glass; it was part of the barrier protecting her from the would-be kidnappers. It bothers me that it doesn’t state that the man broke the car glass attempting to kidnap the girl.

It also bothers me that the language says that they have been “detained for interrogation.” These men are a danger to society. They need to be locked up, for their own good and for the sake of the innocent young women who are their potential victims. There are witnesses, including the police. Enough! Try them, convict them and put them away!

It is also time to start publishing the names of the men who commit these acts. Would you want your daughter to marry such a man? Your cousin? Your sister? Doesn’t a woman have a right to know what sort of man she is marrying? Yes, it would shame the families from which the kidnappers have come. It seems that maybe shame is the only effective tool for deterring this kind of shameful behavior. If the families forbade this kind of behavior, you would see a drastic drop in the crime of kidnapping. Print their names.

Women are not the only victims. These same entitlement-loaded kidnappers seize boys and young me off the streets, sometimes lure their own friends, take them to the desert and rape them. What are they thinking? What makes them think they have that right? What makes them think there will be no consequences for bestial behavior?

Police save Kuwaiti girl from kidnappers’ clutches in Shaab Entertainment Park

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: The Hawalli police recently foiled at attempt by two Kuwaitis to kidnap a female compatriot from the parking lot of the Shaab Entertainment Park, reports Al-Shahid daily.
It has been reported as the victim was about to pull out of the parking lot, the youths blocked her way with their car and one of them got down from his vehicle and tried to drag the girl into his vehicle.

At this point the victim strongly resisted and in the confusion the side glass of the car broke. The victim then cried for help and a passing police patrol went to her rescue.

Seeing police the suspects grabbed the victim’s handbag containing her personal documents, cell phone and money and tried to escape but police chased and arrested them.

They have been detained at the Hawally Police Station for interrogation.

Predators prey on those they perceive to be weak and without protection. We, society, are supposed to be protecting the weak. When this man is refused sex, he and his friends try to rape the man, and trash the entire massage parlor?

Kuwaiti Man attempts to rape Jordanian massageur

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: An 18-year old Jordanian teenager reported at Jahra Police Station that a Kuwaiti man attempted to rape him while he was massaging the suspect inside a men’s salon — where the complainant works, in the Industrial Area on Thursday.

He narrated the man offered to pay him certain amount of money if he acceded to his demand for immoral act, which the complainant turned down and immediately asked the suspect to leave the salon.

He stressed the suspect later tried to kidnap him, which he resisted, so the suspect fled with his friends, but they destroyed some contents of the salon before fleeing the scene. However, he managed to record the number plate of the suspect’s car, which the detectives found out it belonged to a Kuwaiti man. A case has been registered against the suspect.

October 4, 2009 Posted by | Crime, Cultural, ExPat Life, Family Issues, Kuwait, Living Conditions, Mating Behavior, News, Social Issues, Women's Issues | 18 Comments

How Does Your ‘Garden’ Grow?

We have shown you the site of the former Garden, now a huge pile of rubble, indistinguishable from the surrounding rubble of many small businesses. We mourned the passing of The Garden, only to learn in this morning’s Peninsula that a new All-Veg Garden will open closer to our own neighborhood. 🙂 I hope the prices are comparable to the former Garden on Karabaa (Old Electricity Street).

The Garden to open restaurant in Najma next month
Web posted at: 10/4/2009 0:56:49
Source ::: The Peninsula

Doha: The vegetarian division of “The Garden” restaurants has been awarded ‘The Best Vegetarian Restaurant” Award for the year 2008-2009. This is the fourth consecutive year that the restaurant wins this award. The award is based on voting by diners.

Yoonus Salim Vappattu, Managing Director of the Garden Group, said yesterday at a press conference that the group will open a pure vegetarian restaurant in Najma next month. The outlet will be located near the American Airlines office.

“We have also identified and fantastic location in Doha Jadeed, to open a first class family non-vegetarian restaurant, which is expected to open by early first quarter of 2010. Till then our restaurant in the Le-Mirage Executive Residence, Musherib, as our non-vegetarian restaurant will remain open. We have planned to open one bigger vegetarian and two more non-vegetarian restaurants in Qatar, said Tomson Jeffery, Senior Operations Manager, The Garden Group.

“We have decided to expand our F&B business with diversified interest in restaurant concepts. Under the leadership our chairman, we have formed one more company called SAW, where we have already signed international brands from Spain, France and Kuwait (for Italian and French outlets, and Spanish coffee shops). As a first step our first outlet with unique concept of Biriyani & Kabab called Buriyani Hut (where Biriyani meets Kebab) will be opening by this year at Wakhra near KFC. Apart from we have identified location in Pearl Qatar, Ezdan Mall and Barwa Mall. We will be announcing shortly our plan to launch the garden outlets in other GCC countries very soon,” he added.

October 4, 2009 Posted by | Doha, Eating Out, Entertainment, ExPat Life, Living Conditions, Qatar | 1 Comment