monopolizing the media industry

I read very recently about in India there was a ruling in a court of law to give free-to-air public channels the signal feed for broadcasting cricket matches within the borders since it was considered sort of a national sport that the whole nation glues itself to the television box to cheer on their favorite team.

I wondered, howcome is it that one country can impose such a 'law' on pay-TV channel owners such as India but the entire Arab world can do nothing about distributing the rights equally and fairly upon other Middle Eastern channels in our region of the Earth against such monopolistic business methods taken by media monsters such as the A.R.T. group to monopolize the feeds to their advantage only while they forget that the entire meaning behind the game of football is to enjoy how a certain team plays it's game; keyword being team, here.

It's just as well that Dubai Television did not give exclusive broadcasting rights to them as it was it was rumored.

Let's hope that by 2010, we will all be able to enjoy a good game of football without having to go to the nearest cafe to watch it.

And for those from the Americas; the reason why your team is such a miserable loser is the very fact that you call the sport 'soccer' and not 'football' like the rest of the world.

Good luck; you'll be needing it. :P

how much do you value your privacy?

George Bush Junior was deeply criticized about why he tapped the American's telephone calls and internet transactions on which he justified that he would do anything to intercept terrorists and their sleeping cells for the sake of the 'nation's security'.

So how is it justified from our end if you were to find out that your phone was wired and every phone call or internet transaction you make over the Internet was traced by your government?

Privacy has become a major issue all over the world mainly because of the spread of the 'possessive culture' - at least in the Middle East region.

So how much do you value yours?

We Are All The Same

I stumbled upon this movie which I think, in my own personal opinion, is well worth a watch.

The content within speaks for itself.

Question I am implying here is: what do you think?

greatest summer movies

Some of the greatest summer movies to hit our cinema theatres during our lifetime are coming in very soon and they all spell the magic word: action.

Despite the fact that most of the movies belong to the category of fantasy and appeal far more to the male gender of the population than to the female counterpart, it seems that these particular blockbusters strike a certain balance making them equally successful amongst the two sexes.

The movies in mention are Spiderman 3; Rush Hour 3; & Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End. With release dates on May 2nd, 2007; June, 2007 & May 25th, 2007 - respectively.

All the above mentioned movies are the ending sequels to their predecessors except for Spiderman 3, that has it's sequel running fast forward into pre-production.

This coming summer is set to blaze.

ranting along the OmanTel song

Why do we put up with OmanTel? Will someone please answer me?

OmanTel's great new offer to Dial Up subscribers for free 1200 minutes online every month for 3 months (if I understood their ad correctly) just bugs me to pieces. The fact they are giving off people who they are trying to encourage to move on to the ADSL service some free time on the 'net while the actual people on the service are suffering from bad connections; poor service quality; and the company's ignorance towards it's own technical issues.

Unfortunately, it's not up to me on how to compensate 92,000 internet subscribers; but you would think, that far more stable connections are needed, less disconnections for hours and sometimes days, even, and most importantly compensation.

Stable connections because the entire Omani internet community suffers from irregular connections that keep connecting/disconnecting every now and then whilst our beloved coroporate's answer is that the fault is within our modem/routers/lines.

Less disconnections because we only have one base line for our internet fibre optics cable that the whole Omani population uses - imagine that. It certainly doesn't take a nuclear scientist to determin that you need more than one cable to let the the traffic run smoothly and without disruptions.

And last, but not the least bit least, compensation; since everybody in the Sultanate of Oman pays a flat rental fee of 12 Omani Rials every month, you would think they would invest that to develop their infrastucture, so when we lose our connections, we don't get an email from OmanTel saying 'we're sorry about the disruptions - here's a free 1GB download from us for your patience', for instance.

OmanTel is cheap because it is just that; cheap.

This isn't the last rant..

presenting..

My 2nd weekly column in the Times of Oman.

Please let me know what your opinion is.

As any suggestions to future topics are also welcome.

Cheers.

why we have so many holidays

There have been so many times when were young and weary of studying up to the point that we wished so many long times that we just ended up not studying at all and having an eternal vacation - clearly, something that would just never happen.

When we grew up we realized the meaning of life in facing the responsibilities that were staring us straight in the face dead on; and how we need to work to stand on our own two feet and push for our independency from the world that we had gotten used to in our past by getting ourselves a job whether it was in the public or private sector.

Come back to current times and we remember the golden days and start to laugh about such issues and wish that we had the chance to go back and repeat them all over again; hence, the famous Arabic poetic verse, 'Oh how I wish that the young soul could come back again - so I can tell it of what the elder has done' (loosely translated).

But this hides the possibility of a small hidden agenda behind why the Georgian calendar has so many vacation enlisted such as Christmas Day; Valentine's Day; Birthdays; and so on, so forth. The possibility lies within in trying to make the world forget it's responsibilities and run by errands to fulfill the day's end of such a 'season' of moments to celebrate.

Could this not be?

A Rhythm

In pleasure what we find
Satisfaction we embrace
In love we deny
Any problems we may face

Of Challenges of love
Of wisdom
Of a helping hand

Of a childish rhythm
Of a moment's peace
And another of smile and a glance

Fight for the right
To own our heart
For do what we must do

The life we live during this time
The obstacles we overcome
And feelings that often subdue

Deny not, the laughter, that is in your heart
Deny not, the spirit, that lives within your soul
For times to come, people to move on
You'll be on your own, unless you make a move

giving in to circumstances

What can you do at times but give in to the circumstances especially when nothing is going your way?

Bungy jumping would be one way of letting go of all the barriers that hold you within a certain cage. The more you fight against it, the more tighter it becomes to seem.

I had a chance at Dubai and I aim to pursue that chance even if it ends up killing me because it's my chance..

me and my mood

I try to always surround myself with a positive surrounding in order to be a more happier person everytime I go out and sit with my friends so I don't ruin the overall mood. But you can't always have what you want and there are times when life just turns your day upside down for one reason or another and it is up to you to keep as a mole or to make a mountain out of it.

And that's what happened to me.

I have been trying my best to keep my problems as much as I can far from being blogged on this here blog so I don't sound as sad as I am since I mainly have no social life of my own apart from the place where most the people know where I hang out here in Muscat. That, and also the reason of having to focus on world as well as local issues that are of interest to me and possibly to you folks.

That being said, I am in somewhat a sad mood for one reason or another that I just wish I could find someone to blurt it out all to, but won't because I am not a 'snitch' type of person.

I only wish that the problem that I am facing would just leave once and for all in no time at all. But, if children need to crawl before they can walk and run; then I would need to wait a little longer for my problem to dissolve throughout time, I suppose.

I Bruise Easily

I found out about this song while I wast listening to the radio, by chance, one day.

I just had to download it because it felt like it was speaking for me.

The song is sung by Natasha Bedingfield under title 'I Bruise Easily'.





My skin is like a map
Of where my heart has been
And I cant hide the marks
Its not a negative thing
So I let down my guard
Drop my defenses down by my clothes
I'm learning to fall
With no safety net to cushion the blow

I bruise easily
So be gentle when you handle me
Theres a mark you leave
Like a love heart carved on a tree
I bruise easily
Can't scratch the surface
Without moving me underneath
I bruise easily
I bruise easily

I found your fingerprints
On a glass of wine
Do you know you're leaving them
All over this heart of mine too
But if I never take this leap of faith
I'll never know
So im learning to fall
With no safety net to cushion the blow

[Chorus]

Anyone who can touch you
Can hurt you or heal you
Anyone who can reach you
Can love you or leave you

So be gentle...

[Chorus]

I bruise easily
I bruise easily

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Click here to download the song

Flavor Of Life

A flavor in the air
A cheer to sing
A blend to sing along to
A word to move your senses to

A sigh of relief
A brand of newly found belief
A chance to see life itself
A night to smile
As a stranger passes you by

Wonder, in gaze, at the clouds
How life is so precious when it smiles back at you
No matter how things may seem
The wind will always be in your favor to steer

A night to breath in
The cold winter air

A sunshine to wake up to
With a smile

Let out the child in you
Let it play around
Have fun with life while you can
The pleasure you always asked for, for which, now; you can

love thy self - love thy nation

Hezbollah has been 'registered' as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, 'Israel' and many of it's allies because of what they all claim as terrorist acts of nature because they have beaten the enemy at their game long, long ago through mind games, population manipulation, and physical warfare.

The latest acts that have it only more stubborn in their dumbfounded political moves is how the organization is attempting to cool down the Lebanese nation from burning within itself by turning two different Islamic groups against each other because 'Israeli' hidden forces - the same that played around in the not so long assassination of the late Harri homicide - were still trying to win their war back then in July, 2006 through mental warfare tactics.

I personally, for one, think that without Hassan Nasr-Allah and his strong, courageous, and willful talent to keep the fire on the stove from burning the house down; that Lebanon would have burnt down ages ago.

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Links:

- Hezbollah

2nd surprise

I am pushing the bar as far as I can in order provoke myself into thinking more and write better.

That's why I have been accepted back as a writer in theweek on a monthly status, but this time in the hard copy.

'I'd like to understand more of the world'.

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Edit: I will be providing a permanent link when my topics are published in the gazette in the right hand sidebar and as such, details will be provided letter as to which section to find the needed article for your convenience.

pressing issues

There a number of things in Oman that a lot boast about which are not what they seem, and it seems sad that the people in Oman don't hesitate to look into these matters so that it can clarify the hidden issues behind them.

One of these issues is how the press in Oman keeps stating that there is freedom of press in the Sultanate of Oman. Which is a complete and utter lie. There is no such thing because had there been such a Heaven on Earth, then we would have been able to complain about service companies such as OmanTel and it's monopolistic standards or how we would be able to talk freely about what we don't like governmental acts.

Another issue, that I consider of pressing nature, is the fact that how religiously in Oman, there is a slow fire on the stove. And God forbid, one day, it's going to pop. We are not religiously 'friendly', and this is proven everytime I am asked by someone whether I am a Shiate or a Sunni or Abadhi - we are all Muslims for God's sakes. Get that through your thick skulls.

the need to keep moving

Life has always been a matter of where it's some sort of a walk in interview that you have succeeded and there is a demand for you to keep in tip top shape to be in touch with every single difficulty in hand and answer it back with a smile and a spontanainous gesture that nothing is going to stop you from reaching your goal. No matter what the odds. No matter what the diffuclties are; you'll work around them and grab success from the jaws of defeat.

You're not a loser if you have several mistakes or rough patches in your progressing life but you are one if you let them get the best of you; sulking, moaning, groaning, and embracing the gloomy atmosphere that surrounds. Instead of facing the odds, being happy at the challenge, smiling away as you put your talent to the ultimate test, and show every single one in this entire interplanetary what you can do.

It's you choice. Your destiny that lies within your hands. Your life that stands in involvement.

Unleash The Potential

the cat's out of the bag

As I mentioned before, I had been accepted by Times of Oman as a regular weekly columnist on their online edition of the newspaper.

So, I present to you, my first column.

Cheers!

national pride

My last post about this issue was slightly misunderstood. I aim to clarify the image that I targeting at through this one, though.

The issue was about showing off your national pride towards your country's national football (soccer) team and how the Royal Oman Police here in Oman were reacting to indecent and un-sportsmanlike conduct by our youth.

At that time, I was under the impression that all had ever been done by our younger generation was merely the familiar rethym-like honking in the streets and the display of nationalism through flying flags, national songs, and the such.

But I was unaware of the hidden truth which was like destroying public property, vandalism, and mob-like mutiny against normal and riot police who were only trying to put things into order so that no one gets hurt.

Today, I read that a man had been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for driving recklessly in an inhabited area and for killing several pedestrians by crashing into them. This happened because this man was 'celebrating' in his own way his Omani team's victory in one of the matches in the 18th Gulf Cup. Several other similar incidents had happened on the night that Oman had played against Kuwait and Yemen; a riot police van was destroyed by gangs throwing 'petrol bombs' onto them. That same fate was met for a monument on a roundabout whilst riot police were trying to dispurse the crowds through the use of tear gas and force.

That is clearly not way to enjoy an achievement. Nor is it a civil manner of sportsman like conduct. If any, it shows that we are just not worthy of being winners.

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Links:

- 3 year jail term for reckless driving

-

Cherishing Your Love

There's only one way that I could have said this
And said this true
I have always loved you
As denial would be mental abuse

Cherish the moment
Where it suit not, the desire
For then, only
Would the passion come to conspire

The plot to where, how and when
The moment of truth shall surely happen

For hearts shall fall Of eyes, they call
On a challenge that is bestowed
To clear doubt from the whim

For a beauty so hard to deny
For love, ever to make a tear in eye
To only exist in the Heavens, that float in the high sky

To only see your smile
To only look into your deep eyes
To shed a tear
The missing beat of my heart, would I feel

All on the day that it is you, I would see

nostalgia

Nostalgia is a funny thing. No one really knows how and when it comes into effect.

Not everyone is fond of remembering what happened to them in the past, due the very effect it could have on them by making them sad or happy. It's because of the unexpected outcome that we decline to give it the opportunity to come and invade our mental privacy. Especially if we have just broken up from a long term relationship whilst trying to forget about our ex-partner.

That's looking at it from the negative point of view, though.

While on the other hand, it gives you the opportunity to remember the happy golden days when you used to be a child or had a favorite past moment and wish you could just relive it all over again and sense that feeling all over again.

It brings a smile to one's face. And a feeling that could possibly melt the coldest of hearts.

The most profound of feelings to come after love.