Locally...

Geez. Who's left? Some prisoner's have been pardoned. But not those who committed crimes "who have been convicted for serious offenses." This a good thing. The pardon has "excluded grave crimes like torture or endangering of children, crimes which have harmed members of the society like all forms of thefts, as well as financial violations... In addition crimes that undermine the security of the country... crimes involving weapons, explosives, poisons, and terrorism... crimes which run counter to the values of society such as the violation of honor by means of blackmailing. Crimes which lead to undermining confidence among dealers in the market... as well as crimes which contradict the teachings of religion." Jay-walking. That's what is left. If you committed the crime of jay-walking you may have been pardoned.

I believe that if you have committed some relatively minor crime - and it is a first offense - you should be punished - but that you should also be allowed to redeem yourself and show the world that you can be a good and forthright citizen of whatever country it is that you live in. Here, if the King believes you should be given a pardon, I hope you have learned your lesson. But I am very, very thankful that the King has chosen NOT to pardon those who have committed "real" crimes. Yes, I realize that the pardon has been done in the spirit of Ramadan, but nevertheless the U.S. could learn a thing or two from the justice system here. Keep the real criminals in jail. Eliminate for good the ACLU, once and for all. Quit coddling and defending the criminals. I could go on... The criminal justice system in the States has failed miserably and has turned into a complete and utter mockery where the victims have no rights whatsoever and the criminals are running the asylum...

I am not even going to comment on this, except to say that the problems experienced with any other nationality of maids is probably not going to be solved by recruiting Ethiopians...

Here's a novel idea: Starting fining litter bugs! Oh, wait. Supposedly this was going to take effect and it was going to be against the law to litter, here. Saudi Arabia could increase revenues by fining litter bugs and, conversely, would save money by not having to import and pay so many workers to clean. I get irked to no end by seeing the litter, here, on our compound, NEXT to the trash bins! We have lovely common areas with sports fields - soccer, mostly - and parks. The walking path around our golf course is outstanding - complete with a pond and fountain and picnic tables - and "watering holes." Self-serve watering stations have been strategically placed all over our compound with dispensers for those little paper cups that you fold open. Do the paper cups, once used, make it into the trash bins placed right there next to them? Nope. Why? Because someone is going to come along and clean up. The cups are used and just capriciously thrown to the ground regardless of the fact that there is a bin RIGHT THERE in which to dispose of them. When the authorities on our compound start holding those responsible accountable, this will change. Not until then. [I have, in the past, volunteered to run a community-service type program where litter's who are caught are forced to spend a weekend day picking up trash. My generosity to do such, apparently, fell upon deaf ears. See? I am, personally, willing to be part of the solution!]

There is no OSHA, here.

And, finally, a sad "human interest" story.

Life in the Sandbox, as the hour glass is turned to slowly release its granules...