io81

Brief

After aramex started to charge really high fees on any packages that comes to Kuwait i started to hesitate to buy online, i’v bought a book for 7 dollars on amazon and got it to be sent via free delivery. But when Aramex delivers the book to me, i get charged 9KD. So you can see the difference how business runs in the states and compared us here in Kuwait from a price perspective. There are reasons why but i will not get into them because i need a different post by itself. Anyways so i got hit by an ad about audie books and said lets check out the site. Then i started thinking would listening to a book be any different than from reading it. From a usability perspective its much better, i cant run on the treadmill and  read a book simlataneously, but surly can listen to one.

The Book

Its about behaviorural economics and one interesting subject i never knew about, when i started listing i got hooked fast. The book is called Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, and its about how economies behave based on our hardwired thinking process. Give the book a try, you wont regret it.

Non Kuwaiti companies ownership rules

Back to the post,  after reading the book and after remembering my economic classes at KU which i failed strongly, i noticed how important it is today to understand Kuwaits economy. One major part i have many questions for is job creation. I’ll post one day about the cupcake and khalajeen economy we are building now. So like many developed economies they run more efficiently by utilizing the private sector, and we all know from a broader understanding why, due to profit making and searching for better markets to make more profits using efficent means. Then i started thinking about the Kuwaiti labor force and how we are not up to the job due to lack of skills. To create a better job market and increase levels of skill acquiring, we need to open the market to foreign companies. Some will argue that this will demolish our local companies, but remember how competitiveness makes us learn more and become creative. Because our local companies our working within a semi closed economy, our companies are not even close to international standards from a efficiency perspective. Why? because they only compete locally. So now imagine the law opens to non Kuwaiti companies and staffing should be done by 50% Kuwaitis,  the international skills will filter down to Kuwaitis resulting in creating more jobs for Kuwaitis and higher learning curves.  But the question here, why is Kuwait not opening up?? doing so would employ many Kuwaitis and create a better and more efficient work force. A small example would be the telecoms sector, now you can see how Viva blow the prices out of proportion and the influx of employees moving between these companies. The newly established telecommunication commission to regulate these companies is a result of Viva entering the market. Because of Viva now you have the option to switch your provider without changing your phone number. I really would like to ask such questions in the parliament instead of giving a holiday for the last 10 days in ramadan or if the Persian gulf should be recalled to the Arabian gulf!

Believe me it does, when you have many constraints you start becoming more innovative. Simple example are rules that are being put in place due to regulation, environment etc etc. Zopa an online lender provides borrows with loans charging less interest than bank, an electric car company in the UK now does not get charged the congestion charges because its a carbon free company. One of Kuwait major problem is that rules are written on water and disappear quit fast, so we do not have strict rules and regulations. So when browsing Amazon searching for business related DVD, i found Bootstrap Bootcamp. Its a DVD created by Bijoy Goswami, very informative and simple, if you listen closely you know inside you that he is correct. Many of us have business idea and think we are going to make millions from, and yes we can but by running the business the wrong way, we will lose a great sum of money to reach our goals. If your into entrepreneurship and would like to understand the concept and to take a correct approach, this DVD will clear alot.

 

Watched the movie Caramel over the weekend and i must say i was impressed. A smart, funny and well written movie. When watching the movie the first thought that comes in mind is to log in to jazeeraairlines.com and book a flight to Lebanon. The sounds, colors used in the movie brings back beautiful memories of how beautiful Lebanon is  and the sounds of its busy streets, the scent of of true mediterranean  food, and its amazing breeze. A must see. PS (never knew that shira was called sukar banat:P)

Had nothing to do yesterday (Because all the ad eaters tickets were sold out!!) so i asked my self how about watching a movie which i had for a while. Many recommended the movie, Lions for Lambs so i watched it. The movie is a political drama but at the same time, it makes you think about your conscious. You know the voice in your head that tells you the right thing to do without considering any financial obligation. The one you love to listen to if we are not living in such a materialistic world. It gives you a sense of time pause and stop thinking about corporate profits and really find your true self to pursue a career that makes the world a better place. A great movie to see especially if you have a thing for the American politics.

Watched Mr.brooks and Fracture with the guys, both are amazing movies and complement each other. They are the murder and thriller type genres but a must see due to there new sense of killing:p Mr.brooks and Fracture will make you go crazy till the end of the movie. Watched the movie Redline too, which sucked big time! no story line just fast cars. even the cars shots where not that exciting. The story line sucked so bad that we even fast forwarded the other scenes and watched the racing ones only, thats how bad that movies was.

  

the first time that i’ve read this book, The Tales of Alhambra by Washington Irving, was back in 1994. In 1996, i had a chance to visit the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, a part of the old Andalus, or what is now known as Andalusia. Alhambra is a Landmark, a breath taking palace which is a clear example of How Arabs roling dynasty helped prosper a European Country – spain – during the dark ages. it is nice that finaly the Spanish government is taking care of such landmarks in Spain, since most Palaces built by arabs in Spain were ignored for years.

Washington was not only an Author, but also a Diplomat in Spain back in the 19th Century, back then, he took a long journey riding a mule crossing spain and ending up in Alhambra palace in Granada.

in This book, he describes what he observed in a magical way, takes the reader back to the glory days of the Islamic/Arab Khalifa, literature mixed with fairy tales, something close to 1001 Arabian nights. I Highly recommend this book for people who like to read about Travel/history/art.

the book i have is Washington Irving : Bracebridge Hall, Tales of a Traveller, The Alhambra (Library of America) (Hardcover) .

Published in 1992. it was originaly published back in 1832.

it is a available in a new edition published in 2005.

i give this book a rating of 9/10

after setting on a theatre chair for almost two and a half hours, eating 2 large pop corns, sipping a gigantic diet cola ! i i started thinking…. whats it gonna take to kill that bastard ! what sort of a hero is SPIDERMAN ? is he ever gonna die, or a new sequal is due next year !

usually superheros each and everyone has his/her weaknesses, but SPIDERMAN in Part III proved to be undistructable !

want to kill Superman ? just expose him to some Kryptonite…aih ?

But SPIDERMAN kept on fighting and standing and constantly changing outfits ! yeah the dude got an upgraded BLACK outfit that sort of gave him a TURBO KICK.

i dont know what gives every and each one strength to keep on going in this world, my strength has been looking forward into the future and never looking back, what is your Strength ? what makes you jump up off the bed every morning with a big smile feeling all optimistic like that you own the world ?

blah … blah… blah

Watched another great movie, called ” Thank you for Smoking”, the movie is drama/documentary and is interesting because it promotes smoking but in an irreversible way, not really promoting but gives a different perspective on whats the limit on things that harm us everyday and who has the right to say what is harmful or not. Anything we intake as humans in small doses is usually un harmful and hard to detect, this movie gives such an explanation on what constitutes a harmful product that needs to be prohibited. Very funny and smart! a must see, enjoy:)

I really wish that the bakalah next to my home disappears and becomes Amazon.com, i have just ordered my new set of books and DVD’s, and cant wait…maybe should discuss such a business proposal with Ridha the bakala owner:P

While the post is about amazon.com, does anybody know why they are still in business when all other online retailers of the 2001 internet boom lost? they where so much in debt, and needed more money to pay expenses, their investors payed them, because they were deep into debt and its not worth pulling the plug on them at that time. But now Amazon.com is making profits and booming again. I’ll rate them when i’m done in the year 2019:P

  

             

Watched the movie yesterday with the guys, listen up! if you have interest in American politics and what the hell is going in the states, you will love the movie. This movies is an old comic that describes exactly what is happening now in the states. A must see for American  politics admirers out there! The movie includes a type of DC comics theme into a political web of theories and conspiracy, all i can say is:  a must see!