Author: Mark

Its amazing how trailers can make movies look so much better then they really are. After watching the trailer for the movie Alone in the Dark me and Nat really wanted to watch it. So I just checked it out on IMDB and it got a score of 2.2 out of 10. The lowest score I have seen on IMDB, even Paris Hilton’s House of Wax scored a 5. As one reviewer put it, a better title for Alone in the Dark would have been Alone in the Theater.

I watched War of the Worlds yesterday at Fanar. I guess I understand now why all the mixed reviews. Overall the movie was pretty cool, not better then Batman but still pretty cool. I guess the problem people have with the movie is the story. Some people say that its non-existent but its more like the story really isn’t explained. I am not gonna go into too much details since I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but I think I personally would have preferred it if the story was explained more but I also don’t mind the fact that everyone left the movie with a different idea of what the story is.

It’s definitely worth watching though so book your tickets online via KNCC.

I was having a discussion with someone at work about how in India they eat light bulbs (I don’t know where I heard about that). The guy didn’t believe that was possible, so we called this Indian girl into the office and I asked her if its true there are people in India who eat light bulbs. She replied tell me there was this one guy she knew of who did eat a light bulb. She then went on to tell us the guy also ate a tractor. At first I thought we must have misunderstood but we hadn’t. Some guy in India ate a tractor! She then told us about this one poor family who didn’t have money for food and so they started eating soil. Now they only eat soil and refuse to eat food. Strange stuff… I decided to google the tractor guy cuz I figured there can’t be that many people who have eaten tractors before and I found an article about this guy in the States who also ate a tractor! Weird people.. [Link]

Ok last video for today. This video is of a guy dressed up in all black like in the Apple iPod commercials. He went to an Apple Store and started dancing in the middle of it. Strangest thing is that everyone around him seems to be ok with it.. [Link]

Another silly video, this time its a music video by a Hitler fan or something. Very strange and funny… [Link]

Update: Some of the lyrics.. “I stopped burning people and now I burn CD’s”, “Now the SS on my jacket stands for super smooth”, “I am no longer Nazi but I still like to party”.

This is from last week but I just remembered about it now. This is a short video of Tom Cruise killing Oprah.. [Link]

During the Gulf War I had to leave the majority of my toys behind here in Kuwait because we had to flee the country. That incident scarred me for life I think because I seemed to have developed some kind of psychological issue where I am trying to buy back every toy I had. I spend most of my days flipping through pages of vintages toys and eBay looking for stuff I used to have and then hopefully buying them. So now I have decided to share the toys with you whenever I find any. Today I am gonna start with this “Le Chalet Suisse” toy. It was amazing, its like a classy version of Lego. Its using pieces of real wood and you can build various types of wooden chalets with them. There is no sticking or clicking, the pieces of the wood are shaped in a way that they would fit together and you just stack them up.

I was able to find it online brandnew for only $78. [Link]

Flickr Fireworks Fun

Today I was able to check out a TANDBERG video conferencing setup. Its such a cool system, we had 2 huge ass plasmas built into the wall and a videocamera built in between them. The system video conferences at various connection speeds but we were using 384kb/sec. The TANDBERG system is also a very secure system I was told (the US defence department uses it!), so its perfect for talking business no matter how confidential the matter might be. The guy who was showing me the video conferencing system used a Marantz RC9500 remote control (drool!!) to control the whole thing including rotating the camera and zooming in and out. With a click of a button we connected to an office in Oslo which was closed but we were able to pan the camera around over there and check out the office. While checking out the Oslo office he also connected to a roof top cam on their companies head office in Japan and then connected to the conference room located in the same building we were in. So in total we were connected to 3 places on the same screen, very cool. The guy also told me that you could connect a laptop to the system and do a power point presentation or play Quake and they could all watch you. I don’t know how much a system like this costs, I should have asked him but I know I can’t afford the Marantz remote yet alone the two plasma screens and the TANDBERG system.. sucks!!

In 1976 the government established the Reserve Fund for Future Generations, into which it placed an initial US$7 billion. It resolved to invest 10 percent of its revenues annually in the reserve fund. Money from the fund, along with other government revenues, was invested in overseas property and industry. In the 1970s, most of these funds were invested in the United States and in Western Europe: in German firms (such as Hoechst and DaimlerBenz , in each of which Kuwait owned 25 percent), in property, and in most of the United States Fortune Five Hundred firms. In the 1980s, Kuwait began diversifying its overseas investments, placing more investments in Japanese firms. By the late 1980s, Kuwait was earning more from these overseas investments than it was from the direct sale of oil: in 1987 foreign investments generated US$6.3 billion, oil US$5.4 billion. The Financial Times of London estimated Kuwait’s overseas investments in early 1990 at more than US$100 billion, most of it in the Reserve Fund for Future Generations.

The Iraqi invasion proved the importance of these investment revenues. With oil revenues suspended, the government and population in exile relied exclusively on investment revenues, including sales of investments for sustenance, for their share of ongoing coalition expenses and for postwar reconstruction and repair of the vital oil industry. While these funds were depleted to $40-$50 billion after the war, they currently are estimated around $80 billion.

Landor – Dubai
Senior Designer – Branded Environments
Will initiate and develop design concepts and solutions. Will work with design team in fulfilling client needs under the direction of Design Director. Candidates must have a BFA or equivalent education and 5-7 years experience. Good communication and presentation skills. Ability to travel, prioritize and meet deadlines. Proficient in Mac and numerous graphics and design software.

Apply Here [Link]

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Fitch – Doha
Client Manager
A new Client Manager is urgently required in Doha, Qatar. Fitch’s studio in Qatar is growing rapidly and seeks a Client Manager with 2-3 years experience in project management and a desire for a new challenge. Not only is the work exciting and varied but the role comes with the added bonus of a tax-free salary and a generous living allowance.

Please reply with your cv to: Lucy Salter, Fitch, 121 – 141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR or by e-mail: [email protected]

Apply Here [Link]

This is one concert I would love to go to, maybe they will come out with a DVD for it. Starting July 6th at the Hollywood Bowl, the first major U.S. concert tour featuring music from a variety of the most popular video games will begin.

The announced game titles for the 2005 tour are:
Mario, Zelda, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Warcraft, Myst, Castlevania, Medal of Honor, God of War, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic, Tron, Tomb Raider, Advent Rising, Headhunter, Beyond Good & Evil, Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, EverQuest II and a special retro arcade segment that goes from Pong to Donkey Kong!

For more information visit the official website. [Link]

Music Torrents

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Greenlighters are an emerging underground movement of sexually promiscuous teenagers, including bisexual, homosexual, and heterosexual members. Members of this movement wear a green polo shirt with the collar up, indicating that they are open to pretty much any sexual adventure. When someone comes up to them and puts the collar down, they are “collared” and will go with that person and do whatever sexual act they ask. Transfer of money is not usually involved. Some parent groups are starting to get involved – urging parents to go through their kids clothes and confiscate green shirts and polos. [Link]