Microsoft Set Date to Execute the Messenger

This morning I have had an email from Microsoft:

Hello,
On 15th March 2013 we are retiring the existing Messenger service globally (except for mainland China where Messenger will continue to be available) and bringing the great features of Messenger and Skype together. Update to Skype and sign in using a Microsoft Account (same as your Messenger ID) and all your Messenger contacts will be at your fingertips. You’ll be able to instant message and video chat with them just like before, and also discover new ways of staying in touch with Skype on your mobile and tablet.
Yours sincerely,
The Messenger Team

 

So now that I have already migrated to Skype several months ago, will the Ministry of Communications in Kuwait kindly remove the block on Skype? The Ministry here believes that they will lose hunks of money because of the relatively cheap international calls that Skype offers.

Also they think that Skype fosters terrorism. (I made that up, but who knows what whack job actually did tell the government that.)

Well lets see what the ISPs and Telcos here will do about this. Or we can move to China.

Related articles

• Microsoft Officially Ditching Messenger, Switching Users to Skype in March (mashable.com)
• Microsoft to kill the Messenger on March 15 (news.cnet.com)
• Microsoft Confirms Messenger Will Shut Down On March 15 (forbes.com)

Decathlon Kuwait Store

The store is HUGE!

The store is SHINY!

The store has FRIENDLY STAFF!

The music is TOO FREAKING LOUD IN THERE THE STAFF HAD TO YELL TO MAKE THEMSELVES BE HEARD! (one of my pet peeves)

 

And the real reason I’m disappointed is because their selection of camping equipment is extremely limited. Some weird tent which I wouldn’t buy if my life depended on it. Absolutely no variety in the backpacks section either.

Honestly, a store that big should be able to stock different brands for serious backpackers/campers like myself.

I’ll go back to REI website, now that’s a proper Toys Я us for backpackers!

Kuwait ISPs Prices Reduced Further

Kuwait’s ridiculously overpriced ISPs will be forced into giving a further 40% reduction in prices as announced by the Minister of Communications Salem Al-Utheina during the 2nd Arab Conference on Information Security and Communications.

 

We’ve still got a long way to go…

 

Source: Arab Times

Babies In Car Crashes

Imagine this…
Imagine you’re driving your car at 120kph, which is the theoretical speed limit in Kuwait. Let’s also imagine you have your baby in your lap, standing in the backseat or in your front seat. And  your baby weighs 10kg (standard weight of a 2 yr old).

 

Now let’s imagine you’re busy texting and don’t notice the red light…the car ahead of you stopping.

You slam into it at 120kph.

Furthermore, your car was traveling from 120kph to 0, decelerating in 1 meter.

 

Of course, any jackass knows that your body will still be traveling at the same speed until stopped by seat belt, airbag, steering wheel, etc.

 

But nobody realizes that a 10kg baby can suddenly have an force impact of a mind boggling 566.537kg!

 

Imagine 566.537kg bag of blood and bones smeared into your: steering wheel because you’re the dumbfuck who has your baby in your lap. Or smashing through the windshield like a cannon ball.

 

Even worse, imagine your 566.537kg unrestrained bag of blood and bones is being met by the terrifying speed of an airbag which pops out at an average maximum speed of 354kph…

 

How long will it take for the paramedics to scrape up what’s left of your baby?

 

How long will it take you to get over the guilt trip for not keeping your baby restrained in a child seat?

 

A personal message from me to irresponsible parents: I hope you live with the guilt trip for the rest of your natural lives. And die knowing you could’ve done better as a parent.

Skype Frauds

First it was some white chick in N. America/Europe who’s from Ghana.

Now it’s a Syrian chick sending a Skype request where they don’t have internet anymore. I wonder what’s next?

Thinking Outside The Box

I’ve noticed quite an interesting phenomenon with regards to those in teaching positions. I’ve been educated by people with different cultural backgrounds but would like to focus on two backgrounds: West vs. Arab instructors.

I’m currently undergoing a basic online programming course where there’s a live instructor at the other end who evaluates my work and grades me. The instructor happens to be American.

I got tired of the repetitive nature of the lines I’m supposed to “code” and seeing the same repetitive output. So I decided to be a little creative and of course, knowing me…a pinch of humor added. Instead of outputting the usual, “I am a RED cake!” line, I changed that to, “You, sir. Are a rainbow fruitcake!” – added a bit of colors and presto! Good for laughs, and I actually got a positive review for it!

Imagine I do that for a Comp Sci professor in Kuwait University or any other educational institution in Kuwait? He/She would boot me out on my scrawny ass for not following instructions to the letter and for being insulting too. They have no sense of humor or any imagination whatsoever.

Arab instructors (not all) have this ridiculous power-tripping mentality where if a student points out a mistake or is thinking outside the box, they mark that student out as “Public Enemy #1″. They can’t stand students who are actually brilliant, too.

What a sad world we live in where creativity and humor is considered taboo in educational institutions.

Kuwait Police And The Social Media

 

Well the look on his face explains it all. That look is what I call the “Slack faced Social Media Zombie” face. When their eyes glaze over and the lips sort of parted and thousands of facial expressions per second.

What the fuck are you doing checking on your phone while there are hundreds of people screaming bloody murder behind you? You, my friend have taken the smartphone addiction to a whole new level!

People text and drive, now apparently the Kuwaiti Police also text while doing their jobs.

Slackers.

Al-Jazeera Website Hacked

Just earlier (less than an hour or so ago) the Al-Jazeera News website has been hacked. By the time I discovered it the website has been taken offline with this message:

 

 

According to Gizmodo: Al-Jazeera Gets the Crap Hacked Out Of It

 

Interesting!

Deaf People Can Be Funny Too

If this didn’t make you LOL then you have been lobotomized.

 

My Life Is Deaf

 

I can relate to a few of those since I’m deaf too.

Über Cool Websites

I never heard of Arcade Fire until I came across this stunning interactive film designed by Chris Milk. Where Google and Chrome Experiments also collaborated to produce the most mind bending interactive experience I have ever been through. I really am not one prone to spouting superlatives and useless adjectives (I just used two!). So best if you see this for yourself!

The Wilderness Downtown

Meanwhile you can listen to the album version of the song here: