Witchcraft in a Nuclear Oligarchy. Cerebral Power in the Middle East. Organizing A Special Event in a Brewery. On POTUS, CEOs, and Remuneration
“…ni podría organizar un concurso de orinar en una cervecería…”
A usefu quote for today
“Motorola CEO S. K. Jha was paid $ 108 million in compensation in 2008. Total return for Motorola shareholders declined by -71%.” NY Times.
So that is over $410,000 per working day. That is about what the president of the United States gets paid for the whole year. And can a president screw up to the equivalent of -71%? Oops, I forgot the past eight years. I guess it all evens out if one adds the rent equivalent at the White House for the First Family, First Mother In-Law, and First Dog-to-be. And let’s not forget the weekends at Camp David.
“Time running out for Iran: accept the Obama proposals or face an Israeli military strike.” Now that George by-God-W Bush is out, the New Middle East of dictators and absolute tribal monarchs seems to fix its hopes and aspirations on Bibi Netanyahu for a new war against the menacing mullahs across the Gulf. Netanyahu has managed to reel in the Labor Party into his coalition, but they did it to keep the Kadima from becoming the main party in the center, and they are very junior partners. The stronger partner is Lieberman (Avigdor, not Joe) who is even more right-wing that Bibi. Lieberman was accused of child abuse in the past, and is now under investigation for financial corruption, but that will take some time to sort out. By the time he is indicted, it will be two or three years and new elections may be in order. But indicted he will be: right-wing Israeli politicians do not seem able to resist the “financial incentives”.
“The United States and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement for the USA to build a UAE nuclear reactor…” Arab media, March 2009. Apparently all the solar, wind and fossil-fuel power sources are not enough for the region.
“The US and Bahrain have signed an agreement on nuclear cooperation…Bahrain has promised that her nuclear program will be for peaceful purposes only…” Arab and U.S. media, 2008. Goody, we have nothing to worry about now.
Saudiization of Bahrain: Speaking of the above, the partly-elected parliament of Bahrain has voted to change the penal code and make witchcraft and sorcery a crime. Imports of such things as nails, blood, dried spiders, and suspicious grimy hair will be illegal in the island monarchy. Some Shi’a members questioned the need for such an amendment, saying that the “Quran states that witchcraft and sorcery were merely visual effects that cheat the eye”. They also questioned how such laws can be enforced and if they will be applied to circus workers.
But the Salafi legislators, who have been empowered in recent years by the ruling oligarchy in order to offset the Shi’a majority, pushed through the bizarre amendment against government opposition. One prominent Salafi legislator explained the logic behind supporting the new law as follows: “It means that those people (witches and sorcerers) exist, or else why would someone waste time coming up with a law criminalising them?" he asked. Talk about cerebral power.
On the positive side: Bahrain is a relatively enlightened kingdom, and they do not chop heads over there. Not yet. Odd, how the ruling families in some Gulf States are more enlightened, in a social and not political sense, than many of their subjects.
“Palesinian police authorities report the arrest of a joint Israeli-Palestinian gang of bank thieves….The brain behind the enterprise was Jewish…” Alarabiya, March 2009.
Of course the brain would be Jewish. Any time you have an operation involving both Arab and Jew, the brain is bound to be Jewish. They seem to have more cerebral horsepower- the other side probably could not organize a piss-up in a brewery. Even if they drank the brew. On the other hand: there is the new foreign minister Lieberman, the former child abuser and very likely embezzler who will b indicted after he leaves office....
Cheers
mhg
A usefu quote for today
“Motorola CEO S. K. Jha was paid $ 108 million in compensation in 2008. Total return for Motorola shareholders declined by -71%.” NY Times.
So that is over $410,000 per working day. That is about what the president of the United States gets paid for the whole year. And can a president screw up to the equivalent of -71%? Oops, I forgot the past eight years. I guess it all evens out if one adds the rent equivalent at the White House for the First Family, First Mother In-Law, and First Dog-to-be. And let’s not forget the weekends at Camp David.
“Time running out for Iran: accept the Obama proposals or face an Israeli military strike.” Now that George by-God-W Bush is out, the New Middle East of dictators and absolute tribal monarchs seems to fix its hopes and aspirations on Bibi Netanyahu for a new war against the menacing mullahs across the Gulf. Netanyahu has managed to reel in the Labor Party into his coalition, but they did it to keep the Kadima from becoming the main party in the center, and they are very junior partners. The stronger partner is Lieberman (Avigdor, not Joe) who is even more right-wing that Bibi. Lieberman was accused of child abuse in the past, and is now under investigation for financial corruption, but that will take some time to sort out. By the time he is indicted, it will be two or three years and new elections may be in order. But indicted he will be: right-wing Israeli politicians do not seem able to resist the “financial incentives”.
“The United States and the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement for the USA to build a UAE nuclear reactor…” Arab media, March 2009. Apparently all the solar, wind and fossil-fuel power sources are not enough for the region.
“The US and Bahrain have signed an agreement on nuclear cooperation…Bahrain has promised that her nuclear program will be for peaceful purposes only…” Arab and U.S. media, 2008. Goody, we have nothing to worry about now.
Saudiization of Bahrain: Speaking of the above, the partly-elected parliament of Bahrain has voted to change the penal code and make witchcraft and sorcery a crime. Imports of such things as nails, blood, dried spiders, and suspicious grimy hair will be illegal in the island monarchy. Some Shi’a members questioned the need for such an amendment, saying that the “Quran states that witchcraft and sorcery were merely visual effects that cheat the eye”. They also questioned how such laws can be enforced and if they will be applied to circus workers.
But the Salafi legislators, who have been empowered in recent years by the ruling oligarchy in order to offset the Shi’a majority, pushed through the bizarre amendment against government opposition. One prominent Salafi legislator explained the logic behind supporting the new law as follows: “It means that those people (witches and sorcerers) exist, or else why would someone waste time coming up with a law criminalising them?" he asked. Talk about cerebral power.
On the positive side: Bahrain is a relatively enlightened kingdom, and they do not chop heads over there. Not yet. Odd, how the ruling families in some Gulf States are more enlightened, in a social and not political sense, than many of their subjects.
“Palesinian police authorities report the arrest of a joint Israeli-Palestinian gang of bank thieves….The brain behind the enterprise was Jewish…” Alarabiya, March 2009.
Of course the brain would be Jewish. Any time you have an operation involving both Arab and Jew, the brain is bound to be Jewish. They seem to have more cerebral horsepower- the other side probably could not organize a piss-up in a brewery. Even if they drank the brew. On the other hand: there is the new foreign minister Lieberman, the former child abuser and very likely embezzler who will b indicted after he leaves office....
Cheers
mhg
Comments