New Year's Resolutions and Etcetera

Time for New Year's resolutions, if you are so inclined. [By all means, do share in comments!]

"Quit b1tching." That will be my one and only resolution. Setting myself up for immediate failure with that one, though, I think. It. Cannot. Be. Done. I'll have to come up with something else... If I thought / think quitting smoking was / is tough... I still have another three days to think about it.

A quick exposition, here, on a man whining because his salary was dropped from 7,500 riyals a month to 4,000 [$2,010.72 to $1,072.38]. But with the proverbial shoe on the other foot, who can blame him, right? Here's the thing. The problem, as far as the whining man is concerned, is that his "labor case" which is currently in the "system" is "moving at a snail's pace." Psst. You are not alone. All those imported laborers who have cases in the system? Their cases drag on for years. You don't see them staging hunger strikes, do you? 'Ya wanna know why? Because they would starve to death. Dumbass. But you go ahead and let us know how it works out for you. The man, Adel Al-Mahrooqi, says "he was harassed by his Arab boss as a Makka hotel where he had worked in an attempt to force him to rseign. 'The boss wanted to have the job vacancy for one of his relatives.'" Like that is the first time something like that has ever happened [here, or elsewhere]. Waaah wahh wahh. Crying is so unbecoming in these kinds of situations. I wish I could muster up some empathy. Perhaps I can find some after the final verdict of his case is delivered - sometime around April of next year. [Only four months away - how much weight do you think the guy will lose before then with his hunger strike?]

Out of the mouths of children. Kids. [Chuckle and snort.] A ten-year-old boy told his mother that he saw his daddy with another woman. The boy's daddy had to admit to the boy's mother that he had a second wife. You can call it whatever you want. The fact that someone is allowed four wives by law or religion is still adultery in my opinion. I need to make it a point to get out in public - off our compound - and find out how women over here in the Sandbox really feel about being married to someone they have to share. I just don't get it. And, I never will.

Boyohboyohboy. Those Yemeni's sure are trouble, aren't they? If they aren't trying to infiltrate, then they have infiltrated and they are raping and killing women. No matter. Saudi Arabia has a swift justice system. Swift and proficient. Very often criminals who are found guilty of committing certain crimes [murder, rape, apostasy] do not get the opportunity to re-offend. Unlike the criminal justice system in the States which is virtually a revolving door for criminals - commit a crime, get your hand slapped, commit another crime, get your hand slapped again, commit another crime... Here? Commit one of "those" crimes and you are finished. All done.

Her crime? Not sure. Being uncovered, maybe? She was found wearing jeans and a blouse [oh my! how Western], covered with bruises. Where was her father at the time of the crime? How about her brothers? Never mind. Nothing to see here folks. Move along...

'Ya learn something new every day. Who knew that being in an "unnatural state" was a euphemism "often employed to mean intoxicate with alcohol?" A 35-year-old man has been arrested for beating up his 43-year-old sister but it is okay because that is allowed and because he was in an "unnatural state."

Years ago when I was home sick from work with the flu - it was the late 80's - I was laying in bed watching television. Calling in sick is not something that I did. I can specifically recall the entire incident - my being sick, and having the flu - because I was actually sent home from work and told to stay home until I was no longer contagious! Okay. Fine. It was a Friday. So, there I was. In bed. Starting to feel better. Thinking about the work that was piling up at the office. Not happy about not being there - at the office. We had cable television, but only the "basic" package. Daytime television was still limited with the "basic" package, back then. Donahue. Sally Jessy. Soap operas. All interspersed with lots and lots and lots of commercials. The kind of commercials that were "call 1-800-ord-rnow" types of things. Many of them were "if you would like more information just call 1-800-buy-this." I cannot tell you what possessed me to do what I did. I have a younger sister that we call "Miss Perfect" and for some reason... I felt the need... Every single commercial that came on, I called the 800 number and requested information. In the name of my sister. During the course of a single Friday afternoon I was able to get my sister and her husband bombarded with junk mail and put onto every single mailing and calling list known to mankind. [Oh, yes. They were both incredibly appreciative. Regardless of the fact that they didn't fully realize how they had been singled out to be quite so "privileged" until many years later when I told them I had done this.] My sister's birthday was yesterday. I forgot to send her a card. Oops. Sorry. I did, however, send her a gift. I cannot help but chuckle just thinking of her receiving this. "Happy Birthday. Here is a present. A do-it-yourself kit. You're welcome." Of course I had it gift-wrapped! What kind of sister do you think I am, anyway?! Hey. It's the thought that counts.