Kuwait's 248am Blogger being sued by Benihana over a negative review

A person ate in a restaurant, didn't like the experience and wrote a blog about it, next thing he knows he's being sued by the company's rep...isn't that ridiculous?

Well, in what could be a first in Kuwait, Mark of 248am.com--one of the blogs I am following and possibly the most popular blog here in Kuwait--is being sued by Benihana, a recently-opened Japanese restaurant here.

Being widely read, Mark's blog represents a slice of Kuwait society...He writes about anything and everything, with his occasional reviews (read: his own view)-- from Ipod accessories to flashy cars..and yes, Restaurants...

Back in December, Mark blogged about his dining experience in Benihana. What followed next is a looong exchange of offense and defense between his followers and the restaurant's representative that ultimately leads to a law suit threat. Now the threat becomes real as the company is suing Mark over his negative reviews that "allegedly" hurt the company's reputation..

Judging by the outpouring of support for Mark, the online community is really affected by this..Online blogging may be fairly new here as compared to print and broadcast media but it is widely recognized as an important source of public information anywhere in world..So whatever the outcome of this case may be, it will likely set a precedence not only here in Kuwait and the GCC region but even worldwide.

I am publishing this blog as a support to Mark and the whole blogging community--to help spread the word, and to raise awareness on our social responsibility as bloggers..

Road Scenes: TOY..er..what was that again?

Seen today while driving at 4th Ring Road

Best Action Sequence Ever..EVER!

This used to be the BEST action sequence of ALL time...

Until computer-generated special effects invaded Bollywood and they came up with this: 

( Thanks Mark for the link)

Now move over The Matrix, Terminator et al..

Author's Note: The clip was from the movie Enthiran- The Robot, to date the highest grossing Indian film of all time. I mentioned here "Bollywood", the more popular term for Indian-produced films and the industry. But actually it's a film produced in Tamil Nadu, sometimes referred to as Kollywood.

Like, Dislike or?

Reuters Best Photos of the Year

Visit Reuters Best Photos of the Year for more photos.

The Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano in the evening April 22, 2010. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain, southern England August 12, 2010. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. Picture taken using a long exposure. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty

Dark Closet

A woman takes a lover home during the day while her husband is at work.

Her 9-year old son comes home unexpectedly, he sees them and hides in the bedroom closet to watch.

The woman's husband also comes home.
She puts her lover in the closet, not realizing that the little boy is in there already.

The little boy says, "Dark in here."
The man says, "Yes, it is."
Boy: "I have a baseball."
Man: "That's nice"
Boy: "Want to buy it?"
Man: "No, thanks."
Boy: "My Dad's outside."
Man: "OK, how much?"
Boy: "$250"

In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the closet together....

Boy: "Dark in here."
Man: "Yes, it is."

Boy: "I have a baseball glove."
The lover, remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?"
Boy: "$750"

Man: "Sold."

A few days later, the

Dad says

to the boy, "Grab your glove,

let's go outside and have a game of catch."
The boy says, "I can't, I sold my baseball and my glove."

The Dad asks, "How much did you sell them for?"

Boy: "$1,000"

The Dad says, "That's terrible to over charge your friends like that...that is way more than those two things cost. I'm taking you to church, to confession."

They go to the church and the Dad makes the little boy sit in the confessional booth and closes the door.

The boy says, "Dark in here...."

The priest says, "Don't start that shit again; you're in my closet now..."

Girls Gone Bad?

Two women friends had gone for a girl's night out. Both were
very faithful and loving wives, however, they had gotten
over-enthusiastic with the Bacardi Breezers. Incredibly drunk and walking home
they needed to pee, so they stopped in the cemetery.

One of them had nothing to wipe with so she thought she would
take off her panties and use them. Her friend, however was wearing a
rather expensive pair of panties and did not want to ruin them. She
was lucky enough to squat down next to a grave that had a wreath with a
ribbon on it, so she proceeded to wipe with that.

After the girls did their business they proceeded to go home.
The next day one of the women's husbands was concerned that his
normally sweet and innocent wife was still in bed hung over, so he phoned the
other husband and said, 'These girl nights have got to stop! I'm
starting to suspect the worst.. my wife came home
with no panties!!' 'That's nothing' said the other husband, 'Mine came back with a card
stuck to her ass that said.....

"From all of us at the Fire Station. We'll never forget you."

10 workers killed after falling off Makati building

10 workers killed after falling off Makati building | ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Ten construction workers were killed and one injured after falling off a building in Makati City Thursday, officials said.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay, Jr. said the accident occurred at the Eton Tower located at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Gallardo streets in Makati City.
"I talked to the foreman and he said there's a mesh supporting the scaffolding at doon naipon 'yung mga tao," he said in an interview on ANC.
A separate report from Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio said the workers fell off the 32nd floor of the building after the platform they were using gave way.
"What we received is they were working outside the building at the 32nd floor and they fell to the 7th floor," he told radio dzMM.
In a statement, Eton spokesperson Erwin de Pedro said the workers fell from a suspended "gondola" – a basket-like platform used for installing glass windows. The workers are employees of ARLO Aluminum, a glass contractor/installer of the condominium project.
Based on witnesses' accounts, de Pedro said the workers rode the gondola instead of taking the stairs during their break time.
The platform can only carry 2 to 3 workers, but at least 10 took the gondola on their way to their lunch break, field reports said.
De Pedro said the cable holding the gondola could have snapped.
“Eton, its contractors and construction management consultant are cooperating with police authorities and the city engineer’s office as they investigate the cause of this accident. In the meantime, the company’s priority is to ensure that the victims’ families are informed and extended needed assistance by the contractor,” de Pedro said.
He said Eton places premium on safety. Due to the incident, however, it will review its contractors’ compliance with safety regulations.
Binay said he has ordered a stop to the construction until Eton Properties can ensure the safety of its construction workers.
De Pedro said: “Our hearts go out to the victims’ families. Eton Properties would like to assure the public that the company is doing all it can to ensure that Eton and its contractor extend all necessary assistance to the victims.” - With reports from Dexter Ganibe and Noel Alamar, radio dzMM

Molecule Mad-ness!..LOL!

This one's for Filipinos and for others who can speak and understand our language only!

First: Go to http://translate.google.com/

Type "molecule mad" and translate from English to Filipino.
Hold your breath and see the result....

Caution: Translate at your own risk!


Also you can try:

Translate "pekpek" from Filipino to English..

Kobe Bryant vs. Ricardo the Busboy--Pop a Shot Challenge

This Filipino busboy beats Kobe (and a bunch of other NBA Superstars) in a game of Pop-a-Shot at Jimmy Kimmel's Game Night special..GO PINOY!

That's in your face, Daddy!

Shortly after our return from vacation last December, we spent the next 2 weeks helping Cianna catch up with her lessons, doing the assignments and seatworks she missed and at the same time reviewing her for the coming 2nd periodical exams.

And though we really did't expect too much from her this time,  I made a deal that if she performs well in her exams, she'll get the Wii she's always wanted as her birthday present this February.

Imagine my surprise (and smile) today, when I went to her school for the quarterly PTA meet.. Not only did she perform well in her exams, she even exceeded my expectations!. She is in a virtual tie for first place with a mere. 10 separating each of them from Rank 1 to 3..Now that's something to be proud of!

I am particularly proud of her Math results..I think we spent countless review sessions over sheets of papers and examples just so she can get the concepts..but in the end, it was well worth it..That's 60 over 60..woot!
( and I am not so ecstatic, huh?)

So I guess,  its my turn to keep my end of the deal huh?

Room for one more!

Huge fire in Al Rai Area, Kuwait

There was a huge fire in Al Rai (an industrial area near Kuwait City) around noontime today, not quite sure where is it exactly. Some says it was at a sponge factory but that is yet to be confirmed. .

Sto. Niño de Jollibee and other depictions of child Jesus | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Sto. Niño de Jollibee and other depictions of child Jesus | ABS-CBN News | Latest Philippine Headlines, Breaking News, Video, Analysis, Features

Gulf Run 6: The Car Show

I went to the 360 Mall today to check out the cars participating in Gulf Run 6, to be held in Bahrain on January 27-28. Today is the last day for the Car Show so I just have to be there to take some shots. I am not a car nor a racing enthusiast but I must say, those are really gorgeous looking cars!

Exhibit Stand inside the Mall

The participating cars parked outside the main entrance

More photos from the event here.

SEEN: No MENS allowed

Spotted in the Ladies Fitting Room, City Center Salmiya

It was the grammar mistake alright..

But aside from that, "mens", in the Philippines, is actually a slang for "menstruation"...so, ladies with their period can't use this fitting room?....

Well, that's just me and my sick state of mind..

What? I Am a Capricorn no more?!

Has your Horoscope changed?

By Claudine Zap

Fans of the Zodiac have been bombarded with the unsettling news that their astrological sign may not be what they thought.

The horror of switching from Gemini to Taurus had people rushing to the Web for answers, sending searches for "zodiac signs" into the stratosphere.

So has your sign changed? Probably not. But it all depends on what kind of astrology you follow. Let us explain.

It may come as a surprise that there are different branches of astrology. A main Eastern form, for example, called Sidereal astrology, looks to the background stars, those famous constellations, as its guide.

Western astrology -- which uses the zodiac -- has its signs fixed to the seasons. Most Westerners, and all those horoscope pages we eagerly check, go by the zodiac. These signs follow what early astrologers called star signs, whose reference points are the tropics that form a ring around the earth. The zodiac is based on our relationship to the sun, not the stars.

The back story: About 2,000 years ago, the astrological signs and the astronomical ones were the same. But not anymore. The locations of the signs are based on the sun's location on the first day of spring. That location in the sky has slowly drifted westward because of something called "precession" -- the earth continually wobbles (a scientific term for a slight motion) every 26,000 years. Since the constellations were first identified, they have shifted some 30 degrees. Translation: The signs have slipped about a month westward, relative to the stars.

What this means to you: If you follow astrology that is linked to the constellations, your sign would go from say, a Gemini to a Taurus. You could even have a 13th sign, Ophiuchus, which you may have read about.

"It's a huge point of confusion for the public," says Bing Quock, assistant director of Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences. For those who follow  Western astrology, "astrologers are not talking about the constellations at all. When an astrologer says the sun is in a certain sign, they're talking about the sign, the location relative to the equinox. They're not talking about the location of the constellations. "

In short, if you follow the Sidereal astrology, the Eastern branch, your sign may have shifted. (And most likely, no surprise to you at all: This news is hundreds of years old).

But for the rest of us, our horoscope, and our signs, are still the same.

Original Article: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/has-your-horoscope-changed-2439951/

Related Article: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/astrology-controversy-zodiac-sign-wrong/story?id=12609264

SUV burns near Champions Gym, Jabriya

After lunch today, while driving along 4th Ring Road on my way back to the office, I saw a thick, black smoke rising from the direction of Champions Gym in Jabriya. There’s a good number of people already gathered at the overpass and around the area. While cars in front of me were all slowing down to have a look, I turned my phone camera on and start shooting towards the direction...As my car moved closer to the scene, I saw this black SUV (not sure if it was a GMC or Chevrolet) in the middle of the road with its front end already engulfed in flame..I often see burnt cars here and there but that was my first time to actually see a car still on fire..I don't know what may have caused the car to burn but that was quite a scary sight..


UPDATE:


After work, I passed by the same road to see what happened to the vehicle (a GMC Envoy). It was already towed to the side of the road. I took some pictures, here:

I'm sure I saw firefighters in the video but I guess the fire might have burned this car up too fast before they can even do something about it.

How I Lost 200 lbs.in One Night...

Nah, Just kidding..LOL..I was just trying this garment I borrowed from a colleague. This is the trouser-part of Shalwar Qameez, a traditional clothing for male in South and Central Asia. We're going to one party tomorrow (Thursday) and I'm supposed to wear something like this...but no, not this one :)..

this one's too big by BIG standards hehe..

40 Things To Do Before I Turn 40

Today I am celebrating my 39 years of earthly existence..and though I am contented with what I have reached so far , I know there’s still a lot more to this life…and  so, as I continue my journey towards my 4^th decade, I am writing down the list of the things I’d like to do or accomplish in a year’s time before I reach that magical number.

Some of these are realistic..some are a bit on the extreme side while others will be really difficult..but that’s the whole idea about this list, right?..

Before I turn 40, I will:

1. Take the car for dent repairs and a full-body repainting job..and soon!
2. Finish paying for my car. (Done! as of July 2011)
3. Go up Kuwait’s Liberation Tower.
4.  Cross a sea, or even just a river, by boat or ship.
5. Drive a car in the Philippines……with Manual Transmission.
6. Renew my Philippine driving license.
7. Visit a country other than the usual stop-overs to and from Kuwait.
8. Visit at least one tourist destination in the Philippines…outside Luzon.
9. Go home to my birthplace, my hometown- Infanta, Quezon…(Done! Nov.2,2011)
10. Try at least one water activity…Jet Ski perhaps!
11. Try one extreme outdoor activity—Rock or wall climbing? Bungee jumping? Whatever..
12. Try one extreme ride at the amusement park—Tornado? Cyclone?..let’s do it.
13. Eat an exotic food..something so exotic that I can’t even think of one right now.
14. Get a tattoo…even a small one.
15. Hold a kitten for 5 minutes!
16.  Dye my hair
17.  Finish building our dream house. (In progress)
18. Finish repairs on my parents’ house.
19. Have a house blessing
20. Paid off all of my debts…or at least more than half of it :D
21. Donate for a charity of my choice..(If donating for the Fund raising campaign project of our alumni association to repair/restore our church bells can be considered...then it's done!)
22. Meet someone famous. (Done!)
23.  Have a General Medical check-up.
24. Hit the gym…or at least do some physical activities..jogging, brisk-walking..go go!..(In progress)
25.  Be 10 kgs. lighter than my current weight...(In progress)
26. Buy something expensive for my wife….ssshh!
27.  Pay for my children’s education for one year.(Done!)
28. Hire someone to finally do that extra wardrobe/storage we badly need in our bedroom.(Consider it done..We have a spare room we used as storage space instead, now our bedroom is more organized...as of July 2011)
29. Upgrade my home computer..(Consider it done..I got myself a new HP Laptop)
30.  Buy a Wii….or PS3 with all accessories? …Which one’s better, I am still debating.. (Done!)
31. Learn to play at least one musical instrument.
32.  Read a book..and actually finish it.
33. Spend one weekend for a Harry Potter movie marathon.
34. Attempt another year-long photography project, maybe a 52 (a photo a week) and complete it. (In progress)
35. Have my first real photo shoot. (Done!)
36. Attend a photography workshop. (Done! Nov. 18-19,2011)
37. Take some Advance Computer Lessons- PC Assembly, Troubleshooting, Networking…for future business plans J
38. Spend my 40^th birthday in the Philippines..in a nice beach resort…with the family…for 3 days and 2 nights J
39. Learn to accept the fact that I am 40 years old already.
40. .......................

I am leaving the 40^th space open so I’ll have an unplanned accomplishment within the year, now that’ll make this list more exciting…

I’d be blogging about it every time I achieve one task..so let’s see how much I’d get before I blow my 40 candles..Wish me luck!

01.01.11...Happy New Year!

Thank you good Lord for the wonderful year that was 2010 and we pray that 2011 will be even better..