No need for a tape to figure out...
Oops! The labels on the clothing are in reverse! But you get the picture...
Oops! The labels on the clothing are in reverse! But you get the picture...
Saturday, March 7, 2015
NATO spreading its tentacles since 1990
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is now touted as North Atlantic Terrorist Organisation if you consider what they had been up to lately...It had been expanding to reach the borders of Russia despite a promise by ex-US Secretary of State James Baker to erstwhile USSR President Gorbachev.
Read up the following excellent write-up:
NATO is using Ukraine crisis to rush to Russian borders - Defense Ministry
March 05, 2015
NATO is using the situation in Ukraine to push closer to Russia's border, according to the Russian deputy defense minister. He says the Alliance's activities have expanded considerably over the past years.
In their push, Anatoly Antonov says Allied forces are ignoring diplomacy.
"We've noticed that NATO member states are using the situation in southeastern Ukraine as a pretext to discard all diplomatic conventions, tricks and slogans and push forward, closer to the Russian border."
According to the minister, what NATO is doing is completely out of proportion with what NATO commanders call the build-up of Russian forces on its side of the border in Ukraine. "NATO's activities are many times greater than Russia's."
However, he added they aren't a threat to Russia's security.
All of this is being done to restrain Russia and punish it for refusing to play along with rules set by the West, according to the official.
"Instead of uniting forces to fight evil, the worst of which is terrorism, Western nations are drawing new divisive lines, trying to realize containment schemes against unwelcome states. Today, Russia has been chosen as the target."
He added that NATO currently can’t be considered the pillar of world freedom and security it is cracked up to be.
All this doesn’t bode well for relations between the US and Russia, Antonov said.
"Throughout my military and diplomatic career, I haven't seen another period when Russian-American relations have been so difficult."
READ MORE: 6 NATO ships to stage war games in Black Sea
The activities he was referring to include massive wargames in Eastern Europe and naval exercises in the Black Sea. On Wednesday, warships from the US, Turkey, Italy, Canada and Romania started drills there.
Another example is the NATO military parade on February 24, held just 300 meters from the Russian border, in the Estonian town of Narva. About 140 pieces of armor and 10 times as many troops, including US soldiers, took part in that event.
Moscow saw it as a stab in its direction, but Estonia defended its right to host a parade, saying it can move military whichever way it likes on its territory - the same argument used by Russia when accused of military build-up along its borders.
READ MORE: US armor paraded 300m from Russian border
The US is sending 600 paratroopers to Ukraine by the end of this week. US 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Colonel Michael Foster announced this at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC on Monday.
The forces will stay there for six months, with the stated goal of training the Ukrainian National Guard. However, the operation could grow bigger.
"Initially, the plan is to go for six months,” said Colonel Foster. “There have been discussions on how to increase both the duration of that event and the scope, the other things the US can assist with from a military perspective."
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that American troops are already training Ukrainian forces in Kharkov region.
When asked if the training programme will be used to send lethal aid to Ukraine should the US decide to do so, Colonel Foster said a "secondary method" will be used for that.
The push to give lethal aid to Kiev is sparking concern in Moscow, especially "in light of the rather successful implementation of ceasefire agreements reached on February 12," the Foreign Ministry says.
--
100s hold anti-NATO rallies in Berlin, Zurich
Read up the following excellent write-up:
It’s Nato that’s empire-building, not Putin
http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9459602/its-nato-thats-empire-building-not-putin/
NATO is using Ukraine crisis to rush to Russian borders - Defense Ministry
March 05, 2015
NATO is using the situation in Ukraine to push closer to Russia's border, according to the Russian deputy defense minister. He says the Alliance's activities have expanded considerably over the past years.
In their push, Anatoly Antonov says Allied forces are ignoring diplomacy.
"We've noticed that NATO member states are using the situation in southeastern Ukraine as a pretext to discard all diplomatic conventions, tricks and slogans and push forward, closer to the Russian border."
According to the minister, what NATO is doing is completely out of proportion with what NATO commanders call the build-up of Russian forces on its side of the border in Ukraine. "NATO's activities are many times greater than Russia's."
However, he added they aren't a threat to Russia's security.
All of this is being done to restrain Russia and punish it for refusing to play along with rules set by the West, according to the official.
"Instead of uniting forces to fight evil, the worst of which is terrorism, Western nations are drawing new divisive lines, trying to realize containment schemes against unwelcome states. Today, Russia has been chosen as the target."
He added that NATO currently can’t be considered the pillar of world freedom and security it is cracked up to be.
All this doesn’t bode well for relations between the US and Russia, Antonov said.
"Throughout my military and diplomatic career, I haven't seen another period when Russian-American relations have been so difficult."
READ MORE: 6 NATO ships to stage war games in Black Sea
The activities he was referring to include massive wargames in Eastern Europe and naval exercises in the Black Sea. On Wednesday, warships from the US, Turkey, Italy, Canada and Romania started drills there.
Another example is the NATO military parade on February 24, held just 300 meters from the Russian border, in the Estonian town of Narva. About 140 pieces of armor and 10 times as many troops, including US soldiers, took part in that event.
Moscow saw it as a stab in its direction, but Estonia defended its right to host a parade, saying it can move military whichever way it likes on its territory - the same argument used by Russia when accused of military build-up along its borders.
READ MORE: US armor paraded 300m from Russian border
The US is sending 600 paratroopers to Ukraine by the end of this week. US 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Colonel Michael Foster announced this at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC on Monday.
The forces will stay there for six months, with the stated goal of training the Ukrainian National Guard. However, the operation could grow bigger.
"Initially, the plan is to go for six months,” said Colonel Foster. “There have been discussions on how to increase both the duration of that event and the scope, the other things the US can assist with from a military perspective."
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that American troops are already training Ukrainian forces in Kharkov region.
When asked if the training programme will be used to send lethal aid to Ukraine should the US decide to do so, Colonel Foster said a "secondary method" will be used for that.
The push to give lethal aid to Kiev is sparking concern in Moscow, especially "in light of the rather successful implementation of ceasefire agreements reached on February 12," the Foreign Ministry says.
--
100s hold anti-NATO rallies in Berlin, Zurich
Friday, March 6, 2015
An honest story of dishonest expatriate technicians in the Mideast!
Why do most expat technicians seem to be dishonest?
Abdullah Al-Jaithen, Al Riyadh
February 21, 2015
My friend said to me while laughing: “I thought expatriate workers were stupid, but it turns out that I am stupid, not them.
When you bring an AC technician or any other type of technician into your home and ask him how much it will cost to repair the AC, he will never tell you the price.
On the contrary, he drops the ball into your court and asks you to tell him how much you will pay. By doing so, you fall into his trap.”
Most of these technicians charge people for services based on what the person’s home is like. If the house is big and located in an upmarket neighborhood, then the technician will not accept less than double the price.
My friend learned this the hard way. Now, every time he engages an electrician, plumber, etc., he never tells him that he lives in an upmarket neighborhood when negotiating a price.
Instead, he usually says he lives in an old neighborhood. He says that this usually results in the workers appearing to be uninterested.
After agreeing with a worker on the price and the work that is needed, he takes the worker along with him.
When my friend reaches his fancy house, the worker immediately goes back on the deal and demands more money.
When my friend asks why, the worker says it is more difficult for him to fix the problem in a new house than an old one.
No matter how hard my friend tries to convince the man of the contrary—that older homes are more difficult to work in—the worker will not agree.
The worker is greedy and wants to overcharge my friend because he lives in a rich neighborhood.
If my friend agrees with the worker on a new price, then another problem crops up: spare parts.
Expatriate technicians usually take advantage of the fact that most customers have no idea about spare parts.
A technician might say that several spare parts need to be changed when in fact only one part needs to be replaced.
Most technicians lie; they do not buy new spare parts. They bring used ones and put them into new boxes.
He added that at the end of the day, they take double the amount they have agreed upon and the AC will usually stop working after a week.
Then, when you look for the same person or call him you will not find him. He will have gone with the wind.
When my friend was building his house, he suffered a lot from this problem because he had to search for good and honest electricians, plumbers, etc. Today, the market is full of technicians who cause more harm than good because they are not skilled. All that they are bothered about is making money dishonestly.
Comments: Won't most technicians of mideastern origin act the same way?
Abdullah Al-Jaithen, Al Riyadh
February 21, 2015
When you bring an AC technician or any other type of technician into your home and ask him how much it will cost to repair the AC, he will never tell you the price.
On the contrary, he drops the ball into your court and asks you to tell him how much you will pay. By doing so, you fall into his trap.”
Most of these technicians charge people for services based on what the person’s home is like. If the house is big and located in an upmarket neighborhood, then the technician will not accept less than double the price.
My friend learned this the hard way. Now, every time he engages an electrician, plumber, etc., he never tells him that he lives in an upmarket neighborhood when negotiating a price.
Instead, he usually says he lives in an old neighborhood. He says that this usually results in the workers appearing to be uninterested.
After agreeing with a worker on the price and the work that is needed, he takes the worker along with him.
When my friend reaches his fancy house, the worker immediately goes back on the deal and demands more money.
When my friend asks why, the worker says it is more difficult for him to fix the problem in a new house than an old one.
No matter how hard my friend tries to convince the man of the contrary—that older homes are more difficult to work in—the worker will not agree.
The worker is greedy and wants to overcharge my friend because he lives in a rich neighborhood.
If my friend agrees with the worker on a new price, then another problem crops up: spare parts.
Expatriate technicians usually take advantage of the fact that most customers have no idea about spare parts.
A technician might say that several spare parts need to be changed when in fact only one part needs to be replaced.
Most technicians lie; they do not buy new spare parts. They bring used ones and put them into new boxes.
He added that at the end of the day, they take double the amount they have agreed upon and the AC will usually stop working after a week.
Then, when you look for the same person or call him you will not find him. He will have gone with the wind.
When my friend was building his house, he suffered a lot from this problem because he had to search for good and honest electricians, plumbers, etc. Today, the market is full of technicians who cause more harm than good because they are not skilled. All that they are bothered about is making money dishonestly.
Comments: Won't most technicians of mideastern origin act the same way?
Thursday, March 5, 2015
IS ignaromous' frenzy to destroy valuable historical artefacts
ISIS threatens Iraq's priceless cultural heritageBy Ben Wedeman and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
October 23, 2014
Baghdad (CNN) -- There's been no shortage of news coverage of the atrocities carried out by ISIS against the people of Iraq and Syria, from beheadings to massacres to selling kidnapped women into sexual slavery.
What's less well known is the devastation the Sunni extremist group is wreaking on Iraq's priceless cultural heritage.
Thousands of years before the birth of Christ, the people of Mesopotamia mastered the first writing system, mathematics, astronomy, literature and law.
Iraq's past, however, is threatened by the nightmare of its present.
ISIS is not only at war with the Iraqi state, it's also at war with Iraq's very identity -- blowing up religious shrines, slaughtering and enslaving minorities such as the Yazidis, Christians and Turkmen, and executing its enemies.
Life under ISIS rule in Mosul
And what it hasn't destroyed, ISIS is selling on the black market.
Qais Hussain Rashid, director general of Iraqi museums, told CNN of the depredations carried out by ISIS militants.
"They cut these reliefs and sell them to criminals and antique dealers," he said, gesturing toward an ornate carving dating back thousands of years.
"Usually they cut off the head, leaving the legs, because the head is the valuable part."
Ancient city of Hatra at risk
The area around Iraq's northern city of Mosul, overrun by ISIS in June as Iraqi army soldiers fled, is replete with ancient ruins -- now in peril.
Rashid has particular fears about the preservation of the ancient ruined city of Hatra, or al-Hadr in Arabic, which dates back to the third century B.C. and is south of Mosul.
ISIS took over the site a few months ago, using it to store weapons and ammunition, to train fighters and to execute prisoners.
Established by the successors of Alexander the Great, Hatra became the capital of what some believe to be an early Arab kingdom that also included the fabled city of Petra in Jordan, according to the museum. It withstood attacks by the Roman Empire before falling in the third century A.D. to the Persian Sassanid Empire.
Standing within inner and outer walls studded by scores of towers are large numbers of architectural treasures reflecting its long and diverse history.
"There are palaces, temples and statues there, and ISIS is living among them," Rashid said. "I'm afraid they'll do something crazy there."
ISIS has also taken over Mosul Museum, turning it into an office to collect jizya -- a tax levied by the militant group on non-Muslims.
The fate of the antiquities there is unknown.
'People from another planet'
The U.N. cultural agency UNESCO has sounded the alarm over Hatra and other sites in Iraq, saying their preservation will play a role in any future peace.
"Protecting the lives of people, their cultural heritage and identity go hand in hand," the agency's director general, Irina Bokova, said at an emergency meeting in July.
She pledged that UNESCO would mobilize the United Nations "and the whole international community to safeguard Iraq's cultural heritage with particular emphasis on the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property."
But while the conflict still rages, little can be done to protect artifacts on the ground.
This isn't the first time that Iraq's precious cultural wealth has been under threat. The country's history is full of catastrophes.
One of the worst was the Mongol sacking of Baghdad in 1258, when it's said the Tigris River ran red and black, with blood and the ink of thousands of priceless manuscripts.
But to Rashid, the Mongols' barbarity pales in comparison with that of ISIS.
"They are people from another planet," he says. "They take pride in nothing. Their mentality is completely petrified. They don't think of all this as the accomplishments of humanity."
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Marital Life in the Digital Era
Husband (Returning late from work ) : "Good Evening Dear, I'm now logged in."
Wife: Have you brought the grocery ?
Husband: Bad command or filename.
Wife: What about my new TV?
Husband: Variable not found...
Wife: At least, give me your Credit Card, I want to do some shopping.
Husband: Sharing Violation. Access denied...
Wife: Do you love me or do you only love computers or are you just being funny ?
Husband: Too many parameters...
Wife: It was a great mistake that I married an idiot like you.
Husband: Data type mismatch.
Wife: You are a useless nut.
Husband: By Default
Wife: What about your Salary?
Husband: File in use...Try after some time.
Wife: What is my value in the family ?
Husband: Unknown Virus.
Wife: Who was in the car this morning?
Husband: System is unstable. Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to Reboot.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Making room inside a room
Stacking - Mideastern style ... in the west it would be called upward mobility or vertical re-structuring?
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