Khaleejesque Magazine Launch at 360 Mall

To celebrate the launch of the magazine, Khaleejesque is going to have an event to showcase the print magazine in 360 Mall on the 5th and 6th of February from 10am-10pm.

Meet the talented team behind Khaleejesque, walk around the make-shift magazine installation, get a digital snapshot from BonkerBox and make sure to grab a free copy of the first print issue.

Khaleejesque has, until now, been exclusively an online lifestyle magazine and fountain of information, events and articles on interesting people in the GCC area. Now we have a fabulous free magazine to grace our coffee tables too :OD

If Only for One Night - Luther Vandross

With Valentine's Day approaching and Liberation Day not far behind here's one of the few songs that can evoke in me strong feelings of love and pain. A reminder of the long six month seperation from my husband during the Invasion of Kuwait in 1990/1. Have to keep the hankies nearby everytime I hear it.  I give you Mr. Luther Vandross.


Yep, it's the first two lines that get me everytime.

And the other song is Oleta Adams - Get Here.

The HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY To-Do List for Men

My top ten list of great Valentine gifts...

A trip for the two of you, anywhere, even if it's Dubai for the night. As long as it's away from normal routine and the kids are not with you.

Try Fly Dubai or Jazeera they both have some great last minute deals for this month.

2. Dinner for two at a fab restaurant, The Regency Hotel has a romantic evening with piano, chocolates and roses. Top tip do NOT take the kids, do NOT play with your phone thro dinner, do NOT talk about work. Do reminisce about when you met and how lovely you both still are, try to remember cute stories about the two of you.

3. Red roses the biggest bunch you can afford. You will be rewarded.

4. A nice piece of jewelry that you know she'll like, if you are not sure which piece to get then move on to number 5. If it comes from Octium in 360 Mall I can tell you she'll love it!

5. Godiva chocolates or Fauchon, both are excellent and so beautifully packaged they can not fail to impress and make anyone feel special.

6. Have the kids sleep over at a friends or in bed early and cook her dinner. Stick to something simple maybe buy some fois gras or pate as a starter, beef tenderloin and aspargus as a main, strawberries dipped in melted chocolate for dessert.
TV and mobile must be switched off. Nice music and candles. Voila!
(It's at number 6 because it really depends how well you pay attention to the recipe).

7. Run her a nice bubble bath and sprinkle a few rose petals on top. A little back rub would be good too. Whilst she's in the bath order in her favourite food for you to have together later.

8. A nice lunch somewhere just the two of you. If he's too busy or tired after work then try to meet up for a special lunch.

9. If you have to have dinner with kids then after they sleep put on a good movie (not Terminator 3) and make some popcorn and hold hands at home. Go get her hot cocoa with extra marshmallows before bedtime. Should give her at least a single red rose.

10. A red Maserati would be perfect.

Hope my husband's reading this..

This list has been repeated from last year as it really can't get any better and my husband has still not seen it. Will have to email it to him... Good luck ladies :OD

"How people treat you is their karma. How you react is yours." ~Wayne Dyer

'I'm going to destroy America and dig up Marilyn Monroe': British pair arrested in U.S. on terror charges over Twitter jokes

By Richard Hartley-parkinson
Last updated at 7:02 PM on 30th January 2012


Two British tourists were barred from entering America after joking on Twitter that they were going to 'destroy America' and 'dig up Marilyn Monroe'.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.
The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood which read: 'Free this week, for quick gossip/prep before I go and destroy America?'

Leigh Van Bryan was due to go to Los Angeles with his friend Emily Banting but was stopped when he arrived in the U.S. over tweets he had sent

Offending tweet: Mr Bryan told security officials that 'destroy' is slang for party in the UK, but that was not enough to convince them

After making their way through passport control at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) last Monday afternoon the pair were detained by armed guards.
Despite telling officials the term 'destroy' was British slang for 'party', they were held on suspicion of planning to 'commit crimes' and had their passports confiscated.

Leigh was also quizzed about another tweet which quoted hit US comedy Family Guy which read: '3 weeks today, we're totally in LA p****** people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!

THE WORDS THAT COULD LAND YOU IN HOT WATER

The Department of Homeland Security was recently criticised over false accounts it set up on Twitter.

These are then used to scan networks for 'sensitive' words and then for tracking the people who use them.

Online privacy group, the Electronic Privacy Information Centre requested information on the DHS's scans, which it says the agency announced in February last year.

The group claims that a request under the Freedom of Information Act to access the documentation has gone unanswered.

The words deemed as being sensitive by the DHS include:

• Illegal immigrant
• Outbreak
• Drill
• Strain
• Virus
• Recovery
• Deaths
• Collapse
• Human to animal
• Trojan

Federal agents even searched his suitcase looking for spades and shovels, claiming Emily was planning to act as Leigh's 'look out' while he raided Marilyn's tomb.
Bar manager Leigh, from Coventry, and Emily, 24, from Birmingham, were then quizzed for five hours at LAX before they were handcuffed and put into a van with illegal immigrants and locked up overnight.
They spent 12 hours in separate holding cells before being driven back to the airport where they were put on a plane home via Paris.
Leigh, an Irish national, and Emily arrived at Birmingham Airport last Wednesday afternoon.
Emily said: 'The officials told us we were not allowed in to the country because of Leigh's tweet. They wanted to know what we were going to do.
'They asked why we wanted to destroy America and we tried to explain it meant to get trashed and party.
'I almost burst out laughing when they asked me if I was going to be Leigh's lookout while he dug up Marilyn Monroe.
'I couldn't believe it because it was a quote from the comedy Family Guy which is an American show.

As a result of this message, the pair's luggage was searched for spades

'It got even more ridiculous because the officials searched our suitcases and said they were looking for spades and shovels. They did a full body search on me too.
'We just wanted to have a good time on holiday. That was all Leigh meant in his tweet. He would not hurt anyone.'
Leigh posted the tweet on January 16 before the pair flew to LA last Monday.
Leigh said: 'It's just so ridiculous it's almost funny but at the time it was really scary. The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist.

Paperwork handed to Mr Van Bryan confirms that he was questioned by the Department for Homeland Security before entry to the U.S. was denied

'I kept saying to them they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet but they just told me "you've really f***** up with that tweet boy".
'When I was in the van I was handcuffed and put in a cage. I had a panic attack but the worse was yet to come.
'When we arrived at the prison I was shoved in a cell on my own but after an hour two huge Mexican men covered in tattoos came in and started asking me who I was.
'They told me they'd been arrested for taking cocaine over the border.
'When the food arrived on the tray they took it all and just left me with a carton of apple juice.'
After 12 hours in custody they returned to the airport where they were handed documents which stated they had been refused entry to the US.
Emily's charge sheet stated: 'It is believed that you are travelling with Leigh-Van Bryan who possibly has the intentions of coming to the United States to commit crimes.'
Leigh's charge sheet, alongside a police mug shot and finger print, added: 'He had posted on his Tweeter website account that he was coming to the United States to dig up the grave of Marilyn Monroe.
'Also on his tweeter account Mr Bryan posted that he was coming to destroy America.'
Leigh and Emily have now been told they must apply for visas from the US Embassy in London before flying to the US again.

Hmmmm.. to Detoxing, Organic Food and Exercise

Valentine's Day Romantic Dinner at The Regency Hotel

For Valentine's day on 14th February at the Silk Road restaurant the culinary team will create a memorable evening with a tempting 4 course menu for this special occasion complimented with live piano, candle lit dinner and giveaway chocolates and rose stems for your special one. KD 40 per couple. Tel. 25766666

Happy Valentine's Day.

New Year, New You: 10 Steps Toward Better Communication

Try these 10 tips to expand your communication skills and improve your relationships. The benefits have infinite value.

1. Take Control Where You Can. Remember what is true: we have no control over what other people say or do, but we do have control over how we choose to react, respond and engage.

2. Be Clear. If you expect to be understood, you must express yourself clearly. Make an effort to learn how to communicate to the best of your ability.

3. Be Proactive to Avoid a Misunderstanding. If you're unclear about what someone says, ask them to clarify in the moment. Don't wait for the misunderstanding, instead, catch it before it happens.

4. Remember the Golden Rule. Use yourself as the gauge for how what you are saying or doing may be received. Picture yourself on the receiving end of your comments or actions, and decide if that is indeed how you want to handle the situation.

5. Determine the Worth. Remember that none of us is exonerated from making a mistake. Consider forgiving a mild offense immediately and moving on. Your energy is precious and should not be wasted.

6. Be Honest With Yourself. If you find that conflict surrounds or follows you, acknowledge that the common denominator is you. You don't have to share that finding with anyone, just note it and make adjustments immediately.

7. Pay Attention to How You Are Received. What matters in communication is not what you intended, but how it is received. This is a common and tricky issue. If you find yourself constantly assuring others that you were well intended, you may be a person who needs to better connect how you mean to impact people with how you are actually impacting them.

8. Study Your Weaknesses. Knowing and acknowledging your own flaws in communication is key. Are you best with the written word, or prefer the open word? Know your strengths, but stay open to moving and improving your weaknesses.

9. Stay Committed. Commitment is the only guaranteed way to change the pattern of your own life and, in turn, make your relationships with others the best they can be. Commit to making some changes in the way you deal with and react to people. All of us could use some adjusting.

10. Be Alert. Most of the conflict with the people around us can be avoided, but not without you making the effort to see to it first. If we've heard it once, we've heard it one million times. Life is short, so make an effort to see where and how you can better communicate.

Aston Martin will Debut its First Production V12 Zagato at the Kuwait Concours d’ Elegance in February.

The Concours d’Elegance, in its third year, is the only event of its type in the Middle East.

Aston Martin says it will build no more than 150 V12 Zagato sports cars, which come with a price tag of more than $500,000 and are powered by 520-horsepower V12 engines.

The limited-production V12 Zagato (150 cars maximum) will make its first customer deliveries in late 2012.

Carrying on the partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato that started over 50 years ago with the DB4 GT Zagato, the V12 Zagato, hand-assembled at the company’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England, is based on the V12 Vantage and features a hand-crafted aluminum and carbon-fibre body along with a bespoke interior. Powering the sports car is a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque.

First seen in prototype form at last year’s Villa D’Este Concours on Lake Como, Italy, the V12 Zagato was awarded the coveted Design Award for the concept and prototypes class. Just a week later, the car made its racing debut at the gruelling Nürburgring 24 Hour race.

Following “extremely positive initial customer reaction,” says Aston Martin, the V12 Zagato is being offered for sale at £330,000 ($520,000).

Camel Fetches Record KD 2 million in Auction Public Awestruck as Seller Insists on Cash

 

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 3: A camel named Bedour entered the Guinness Book of Records when it was purchased for 2 million dinars cash after the seller refused to take a cheque or ATM card during the Safat Camel Auction in Sulaibiya, reports Al-Shahid daily.

According to the seller, the camel is expensive because it’s unique and exceptionally beautiful, which makes it different from other camels and on par with camels the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions rode. He affirmed that this revelation is verifiable and has already been established. Therefore, the camel is worth the amount he collected from the purchase, the seller noted.

He reiterated that the value of the camel has nothing to do with quality of its meat, hyrax, milk or urine but its offspring and byproducts. He said the buyer will recoup the KD 2,000,000 with huge profit, stressing that mere onlookers were surprised that the camel had been sold for 2 million, which is almost enough to buy a private jet and way beyond the prices of latest automobiles.

He claimed the camel originates from camels the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions owned. He also said the buyer could insure the camel just like human beings, cars and houses, even though he refused to mention profit he made through the deal.