07/01/09 01:25 - 62ºF - ID#49132

1 year quit.

365 days, 8 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds smoke free.

7307 cigarettes not smoked.

QAR2,190.00 and 1 month, 25 days, 19 hours of your life saved.

I think I deserve to be proud of that achievement.

Permalink: 1_year_quit_.html
Words: 29
Location: Doha, NY

Category: disturbing

04/29/09 06:05 - 40ºF - ID#48532

Sweet lord....

Here are two articles that make me despair for humanity sometimes:

There is so much wrong with the story above I don't know where to begin. Who the fark feeds Maccy D's to a 6 month old?!?

And then this one (you may have heard this on the news in the US - it was on ABC according to the article):

Not actually that surprising, knowing what life is like in this part of the world, but still disturbing nonetheless. Especially the last sentance:

'The UAE said the police investigated the events, and found that "all rules, policies and procedures were followed correctly by the Police Department", according to a letter seen by Human Rights Watch.'

metalpeter writes at 07:55:09 04/29/09 - Comment #48029: I only read the first article. Yes at first it does sound crazy. Yes she does sound like a bad mother. But there are a few things you have to think about.
1) She looks like all that weight might make moving kinda tough
2) She was expecting to Have some Help but dad ran away. Why isn't anyone blaming the dead beat dad here
3) I doubt she was expecting to have 3 kids
4) Having a kid let alone 3 is a lot of work. I bet she is used to a sedentary life style her self where she didn't do much.
5) This mother has bad Habits, it is easy for us to say she needs to change those habits, but people are creatures of habits and they are hard to change. The thing she said about big is beauitful tells me that she was brought up the same way she is doing with her kids.
6) If you are lazy you are Lazy and I don't think that can ever be changed

I think what is going on is horrid but, everyone raises their kids differently. That being said it sounds like the people who visit her need to help push her more in the right direction.

tinypliny writes at 10:49:59 04/29/09 - Comment #48012: We, as a human race, are slowly slipping in our education, cultural, personal and societal etiquette. We are headed for a future with a heavily impoverished "selflessness" scale.

This is what is wrong with the story. The mom was probably the kid who ate out of garbage cans and junk yards when she was a kid. The clichÃ© of history repeating itself is true, because we lack the nerve to better our lot 9/10 times.

james writes at 09:53:35 04/29/09 - Comment #48009: I understand your frustration Ms.Croft. But take away benefits from a leach like that woman and you take benefits away from those three children. The solution, I think, is to hire someone to administer an electric shock every time she does something stupid.

Feed your kids Mc's? BZZZ!
Can't do the dishes? ZZZRAP!
Have unprotected sex with someone you have only known for four weeks? SHZZSHZZZZAP ZAP ZAP!

jason writes at 09:10:17 04/29/09 - Comment #48008: Unbelievable, (e:Rory). I saw that. I regularly read the Daily Mail and the Guardian. I don't understand a culture that shits on Jamie Oliver for working to give kids healthier food. Boggles the mind. I admire the hell out of the way he took initiative.

ladycroft writes at 09:08:27 04/29/09 - Comment #48007: "Now back home in Coventry and living on benefits, she says she is too busy to prepare proper meals for her triplets or do much in the way of housework." Clearly. I mean when you're working that hard collecting benefits there really is just no time for the necessary is there? PUKE. Yet we continue to give people like that benefits to continue sitting on their assess spending their money on cigarettes and alcohol rather than fresh food for their kids. It's sick.

As for the other one...just disgusting. I know I'm trying to do something 'good' over here but it feels more and more futile with this hypocritcal mentality.

james writes at 09:06:26 04/29/09 - Comment #48006: Isn't that what the print the Daily Mail for?

drew writes at 06:54:17 04/29/09 - Comment #48002: "Anyway, they don't always have junk food - sometimes I cook a microwave meal for them."

Amazing.

Permalink: Sweet_lord_.html
Words: 134
Location: Doha, NY

Category: weird

04/16/09 07:45 - 35ºF - ID#48397

Life imitating art

Real life 'Snakes on a Plane':

Permalink: Life_imitating_art.html
Words: 14
Location: Doha, NY

Category: computers

04/15/09 08:47 - 41ºF - ID#48390

I really WANT one of these....

See if I can convince (e:ladycroft). I'm seeing one connected to the TV with a wireless dongle streaming video and music directly from a NAS connected to my wireless router, downloading obscene amounts of pirated DVDs from the interwebs.

Mmmm........ nice.

In reality however, we haven't had working internet at home for about a fortnight, and I have no idea why.

Permalink: I_really_WANT_one_of_these_.html
Words: 70
Location: Doha, NY

Category: weird

04/15/09 06:02 - 40ºF - ID#48389

Freaky

Do NOT look at this while eating..

I never even thought something like that was possible.

Permalink: Freaky.html
Words: 27
Location: Doha, NY

Category: sports

04/15/09 05:50 - 40ºF - ID#48388

F1 Diffuser Appeal

I don't know how many of you follow Formula 1 (especially now the US Grand Prix doesn't run anymore after the fiasco a couple of years ago), but this piece of news just made my day:

And as we're in the UK for a portion of Sunday, I may even be able to watch some of the race (at least the start) before we have to head for the airport.

I'm so excited!

Permalink: F1_Diffuser_Appeal.html
Words: 83
Location: Doha, NY

Category: work

03/26/09 03:09 - 49ºF - ID#48205

Promotion

Looks like I may be getting a Promotion at work (subject to CEO's approval)

The interview yesterday was for a Project Manager position - technically a step up from the Business Analyst role I'm supposed to do today (which actually includes Project Management anyway). It would involve a grade increase, so a little extra moolah and I would FINALLY get business class travel again for work and pleasure after they rudely took it away 2 1/2 years ago.

Thing is, I don't LIKE Project Management. I'm a tinkerer - I like to be involved in the nitty-gritty aspects like testing, development, design etc.

Whatever, we'll have to see what happens. Frankly I don't trust anything at this company until I see it written on paper, and even then it's suspect.

Permalink: Promotion.html
Words: 128
Location: Doha, NY

Category: work

03/24/09 10:56 - 35ºF - ID#48187

Job interview

I have an unexpected job interview this morning....

Permalink: Job_interview.html
Words: 8
Location: Doha, NY

Category: life

03/15/09 08:23 - 28ºF - ID#48057

Woo hoo!!!!!

That is all.

:)

Permalink: Woo_hoo_.html
Words: 3
Location: Doha, NY

Category: life

03/03/09 06:24 - 8ºF - ID#47929

Two Weddings and a Funeral

Was nice to get back to the UK over the last couple of weeks. Got to catch up with friends and family that we didn't get to see last time.

One of my best friends got married while we were there (was kinda the whole point of going back really). Was an awesome day, they looked really happy. (if (e:ladycroft) tells you I cried at the wedding she's a fibber- it was a dusty church and I got something in my eye ;) )

(e:ladycroft) finally got to meet my Dad - I'll leave her to give the lowdown on that, but needless to say he thought she was awesome.

I also managed to see my step-grandfather. He'd been taken into hospital just before we got there with suspected lung cancer. He wasn't looking too good when we went to see him, wheezing and gurgling whenever he spoke. It was good that we got to see him again as he passed away two days ago.

But to end on a happy note, one of my other best friends got engaged yesterday. The bride-to-be had been desperate for the groom to ask her for ages, so it's nice he's finally got off his backside. So that'll be another wedding to go to!