Odd Thoughts (and a mild rant)

Today I want to discuss the effect of the subprime credit crisis that is about to unleash its effects on international markets...

Actually, no, I don't want to talk about that. I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of the over-reacting sensitive twits that invest in share markets...

Three years ago I was in Bahrain, companies and banks were issuing new IPOs, and everyone went crazy... my friend decided to invest in every bloody IPO that popped up at the time... I told him it wasn't sustainable, there was hardly any value to anything those companies did, and did you really think they were going to distribute dividends? He didn't listen, all his money is now gone... Good. I told you so!

Also during that time, people were investing tiny amounts of BD100 in shares they knew nothing about. One case that sticks to mind (reported in GDN at the time) was this guy who said he wanted to invest some amount so that his family could buy a fridge. Did anyone offer this man any form of financial advice to explain to him how these things work? No. Poor man, he probably lost all his money too.

Anyway, away from there, fast forward to China last year, and voila! Just imagine the irrational investing of GCC people, and times that by the population of China. Disaster!

Anyway, why am I talking about work-related things on my so-called non-work blog? Moving right along.

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She's about to leave soon, and it will be different. What will I do? Where will I go? I know what I'll do. NOTHING. I'll sit at home, buy myself a big-ass T.V., a PS3 and click the 'refresh' button on the stock market's graph from 10am to 4pm.

I will also go to work.

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I'm sick of people complaining about Bahraini MPs being dumb, useless and hopeless. Did anyone ever consider that the people who voted them in are the Bahraini people?

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Tax is the most draining thing I've ever studied. And by the way, do you think after all these hours I've put in - to learn every division, section, and subsection of Tax law - that I will throw them all away and move back 'home'? Dream on. It's not going to happen.

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I had the privilege to watch an election unfold recently. It was one of the most civilised political events I had ever witnessed. People from Gov't and the opposition were sitting side by side on T.V. panels, talking about each other's parties in a very dignified manner. I was embarrassed to even imagine what it would be like in a 'Bahraini' election.

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The Pomegranate Shop

Everything is grey. You look out your window and the streets are bustling with people. A woman enters the Pomegranate shop with a young boy and you wonder whether he was brought up the same way as you. Is he a smart kid at school? Do girls like him? Will he raise a happy family when he grows up? You wonder whether his mother's treatment of him will be reflected in his treatment of his own children.

Why this boy? Why aren't you thinking about the woman herself? Does she have a husband? Is he alive? If the shopkeeper smiles at her will she consider running away with him?

And the shopkeeper, did he always want to sell pomegranates? Surely his parents wanted him to be a doctor or an engineer. And why is it so hot today?

You place the cigarette back between your lips and inhale deeply. Does everyone else think this when they have nothing to do? One day, you won't think as much, and that's when your life will begin. But it will be too late then. You will be old, grey, sad and miserably lonely.

You had spent your life asking questions that will never be answered.

Rove interviews Kevin Clash - Elmo

You gotta see this!