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Review | Saso Restolounge

I should have reviewed this restaurant long ago but I forgot about it and now after having yet another bad experience I am going to give my honest opinion about it.

They say "Don't judge a book by its cover". In Saso's case this should be literally converted to "Don't judge a restaurant by its decoration".

Saso Restolounge stands sheerly on its environment. Cosy lighting, comfy seats, fairly good service and best of all pretty much well priced. So what's the matter? Isn't that good enough to make the "book's cover" embellished? The answer is a big NO.

People go to restaurants to eat. Whether they're in for a large meal or a small plate of dessert, food is what really matters. Saso's food might be well presented but it's nowhere near tasty. The menu is full of vapid choices including cheap sushi made from Al-Wazan rice and Mazolla mayo. Tasteless pre-made soup with a pH value of 6. Chewing on their steak is like chomping on a cow's feet. Word of advice, sushi and mayo don't mix up, Maki's style is overrated.

Further more their bill was decently priced but I have no idea how they came up with "**.013 fils"! Imagine having to pay those 13 fils in cash.

Eating there is one thing and getting there is something else. I don't know what's up with that restaurant and smelly places. In all three places that you can find Saso you can smell rotten eggs. It's more like a vapor cloud flying over the restaurant wherever it opens.

You probably think I'm exaggerating. Well I'm not. On my scale from 10 Saso respectively comes second from bottom, right above Munch. Go there and try it yourself. Just don't forget to wear a gas mask before going in.

Life Clock

My summary

Your Age: 27.4 years
Projected Life Span (total years you will live): 66.4
Projected Life Expectancy (years remaining): 39

The average life span for your region is 66. You are expected to live 0.40000000000001 years longer than average due to your health and lifestyle.

GENDER: -2.5 years
Men live 5 years less than women. Not much you can do about that. But don't worry, female smokers loose a year more than men so your smoking has baught you a year, right? NOT!

FAMILY HISTORY: 3 years
Your family history rewards you with a few extra years. Remember to thank your mom.

SMOKING: -4 years
Smoking places you at high risk of developing lung cancer. Heavy smokers could loose 15 years (some estimates are as high as 25 years). Smoking will further shorten your happy years, making your final days a nightmare of suffering and medical treatment. It takes 10 years for the risk of lung cancer to return to that of a non-smoker and 15 for heart attack risk to return to normal. Stop smoking now before it's too late.

DRINKING: 0 years
You could benifit from drinking one or two glasses of red wine per day

WEIGHT: 0 years (BMI: 23)
Your BMI score classifies you as normal. Grats. Go treat yourself to a double fudge, candy topped, chocolate coated, three scoop ice cream cone. You've earned it.

HEALTH: 0 years
Keep living right and maybe you will never have to worry about hypertension, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

DIET: -3 years
I won't lecture you on what foods you should be eating. I'm sure you already know. Is 3 years of life worth the sacrifice? Your choice.

EXERCISE: 1 years
Exercising 20-40 minutes each day can add many years to your life.

HAPPINESS: 2 years
As Emerson said, "Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." Keep smiling :)

EDUCATION: 1 years
Not surprisingly, higher education equals longer life.

DRIVING: 2 years
You're no fool.The average person has a 30% chance of being in a serious accident in their lifetime but your odds are lower than average.


Try it yourself...

RedBull Flugtag 2010 Kuwait | First Place

UPDATE: October 2012
Won 1st place in the 3rd event [link]

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DRAGONFLY TEAM

We won first place!

History [link]

UPDATE

Laptop For Sale

EDIT SOLD

ASUS X83VM-X2

New laptop, still in the box (never been used).

Specifications:
Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 2.13 GHz processor
4 GB DDR2 RAM
320 GB hard drive
LightScribe DVD±RW DL drive
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS graphics
Integrated audio with built-in speakers
Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
802.11b/g/Draft-N wireless LAN
Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam and microphone
4-in-1 Digital Media Reader
14.1-inch TFT active matrix widescreen LCD display (1280 x 800)

Expansion Slots:
One (1) ExpressCard/54 card slot

Supported Media:
Secure Digital (SD)
MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Memory Stick (MS)
Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO)

I/O Ports:
Five (5) USB 2.0 ports
One (1) HDMI
One (1) eSATA
One (1) 15-pin VGA
One (1) RJ-45 Ethernet
One (1) 4-pin IEEE 1394 FireWire
One (1) Headphone
One (1) Microphone

+Plus laptop bag.

Perfect for gaming

SOLD

I Want This Watch

I'm just 28,000 thousand KD short.

URWERK UR-202 [link]

Apple, Inc. Will Inherit the World

If you're familiar with video games then you know Umbrella Corp. from Resident Evil series and how it controlled the virtual world of the game. If you have watched Wall-E you know how Buy n Large (BnL) mega corp. dominated the virtual world of the movie and space too. In our world Apple Inc. is becoming the real world Umbrella / Buy n Large. Why?

For the past quarter century Apple have evolved from computer hardware and software development to portable gadgets and all the way to mobile cellphones, initially changing their brand name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. to invade the latter market (portables market) with new innovations and not to be stuck with computers only. In stock market Apple (AAPL) is always on a rising tide. No matter how it gets knocked down it gets back up again and at some point exceed expectations.

AAPL stock chart through the past 25 years

So what makes Apple so special? Apple simply makes unique things we crave, things barely 10~15 years ago we could only dream of. Apple may not be the first or the only company making these gadgets but they sure know how to make a stunning product. They are making unique stuff that other companies can't, or let's just say don't dare, to produce.

Ok, that's interesting, but what will make it inherit the world?

If you look closely nowadays, not a day goes by without hearing, reading, or seeing something that has to do with Apple. You have a Mac, your sibling has an iPhone, your cousin has an iPod, your neighbor has an Apple logo sticker on his car. It's everywhere.

Unlike other brands Apple has products available for all consumers. No age limit, no profession limit, and gender-neutral. You see a 3-year old kid solving puzzles on his iPod touch. You see 80-years old lady reading Bible/Qur'an on her iPad. Regular teenager on her iPhone, businessman on his MacBook. Even governments / presidents use Apple products. [link]

People started to refer to their Apple products as if they invented them. "My iPhone does this. - My Mac has that... etc". They start to brag and boast as if they were the ones who built it from scratch. It's become part of their lifestyle and worst of all part of their ego. What Apple earned from this is an army of devoted consumers and heap marketing for free.

Apple has two major propellers to their success aside to their diehard fans...

• They know how to attract more customers and best of all how to make older customers in their need. No matter how perfect their products are they always have something to spoil the fun and make you want to upgrade your product or buy a newer model, hence getting back to the mighty Apple.
• Two of the world major great powers have their back. United States where their designs and planning is done, and China where their products get built. Having two great powers on your side makes you a super power.

They have dominated the Music market on the internet and working their way on dominating the Movies market as well. There are rumors of Apple flat panel TVs to compete in the market someday in the near future.

In the next 25 years we'd see Apple make microwaves, refrigerators, blenders, all the way to cars, trains, or even spaceships for all I know, but whether hated or loved, Apple Inc. is dominating our surroundings and eventually will inherit the world.

Dragonfly 2.0

Credit: ©2005 Jessica Postle


Redbull Flugtag, again!

History [link]

MacBook Pro Battery Defect

My MacBook Pro battery (model: A1281) gained extra weight today due to unknown circumstances.

I always keep my laptop running on power source without removing the battery even when it's fully charged. I don't shut down the system, I just close the screen and leave it on sleep mode. Yesterday though I left it downloading Apple Software Updates and went to sleep. When I woke up today I found the cooling system working pretty hard and the whole laptop unibody was quite hot but what made me certain there's a problem is the trackpad. Those who are familiar with Apple's buttonless trackpad know how it feels when you click anywhere on it, it simply clicks, but mine did not click no matter where I press. At first I thought there's a problem with the trackpad itself but then I saw the bottom of the laptop to see the battery cover slightly curved. I opened the latch and the battery popped out of its place. Turns out it got deformed and swollen in the middle pressing against the trackpad from the bottom.

Curved battery cover


Battery cover with latch closed


Battery cover should align horizontally over the battery

I have no idea what caused this problem. I'm just thankful I noticed this problem before it got worse.

Even with this defect the battery's running good with only 120 cycles and over two and a half hours lifespan.

64 Years Old !!

Photo of Sylvester Stallone prior to filming his "ALL-STARS" movie The Expendables.

Whether he's taking loads and loads of drugs or pumping his body with nitrous I think it's amazing for a guy in his age to have that body.

*goes to sign up in a gym*

iPhone 4 Knockoff already in the market

iPhone 4 knockoff has reached Kuwait market. I'm sure 95% of those who are going to buy the iPhone 4 are familiar with it and know how to differentiate between the original and knockoff but just in case here's a video to see how the knockoff version looks like...

Bully Beatdown

If you're familiar with MTV shows you might have heard of this show. If you get thrilled with UFC and follow MMA fighters news then you ought to watch Bully Beatdown.

Personally I hate wrestling, UFC, KOTC or any other fighting shows for that matter but this show is something else. Not only it makes me feel good to see bullies take fists and kicks by top fighters but also extremely hilarious thanks to it's host Jason "Mayhem" Miller. This guy is so awesome regardless of his hyper insanity. He also looks somewhat like German football player and Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

There are only two seasons with 16 episodes so far (8 episodes each) but I read that season 3 is still cooking... I can't wait.

The "D" Sticker Story

Long story short, I filled a Benzin car with Diesel thanks to that sticker.

Being the auto enthusiast I am I've always thought I know almost everything about cars, however, not knowing what this little sticker stands for got me cornered for two days in Europe!

You see, for years and years I recall seeing these stickers on cars everywhere around the world even here in Kuwait. When I started liking things to do with cars I used to ask myself what this is and how it works and go look for it but those stickers were available way before my only knowledge resource, the internet, that's when I used to ask my parents, older brothers or friends regarding automotive inquiries and guess what? I've been told the "D" stands for "Diesel"! I remember every time I asked about those stickers I get the same answer so I took it for granted.

Now my unfortunate story starts here in Kuwait when I booked a "DIESEL" car online. The contract was "Opel Astra -or- similar". I flew to Germany to see the car I booked wasn't available therefore I got the "similar" car which was Seat Leon with the so-called "DIESEL" sticker. I drove all the way from Munich to Rust (about 4 hours drive) then after a couple of days I went out from Rust to Geneva (another 4 hours drive). On my way out the tank was half full from the first trip so I parked in a gas station, refill the car with DIESEL, and continue my journey. The moment I went out of that gas station I knew something was wrong, the car barely reached 100km/h. The 4 hours trip became 6 hours though I was lucky enough to reach Geneva before it died!

From there I was stuck in Geneva for two days going back and forth to resolve this issue with the rental company. I got leeched a couple of hundred KDs for that matter. I'm not happy but I caused this and I deserve it for not knowing better.

One piece of knowledge I got from this experience is... "It's acceptable to put Diesel in a Benzin car than putting Benzin in a Diesel car." Thank you Mr. Mechanic but I don't think I'll be doing fuel mixing anymore.

The " D " Bumper Sticker

Has anyone seen this bumper sticker on the back of a car anywhere around here? Now I have a good story regarding that sticker but first I just want to know if anyone's familiar with this sticker and what it refers to so tell me what does it stand for?

Spotted in Geneva

Who ever those guys are, they're living life to the fullest. Driving all the way from Kuwait to the far west of Europe is something I envy them for. Unfortunately I wasn't able to meet them.

I've always wanted to go a long road trip traveling around with nothing but beautiful landscapes (I kinda did this summer but that's not the story) though it needs a decent budget, strong will, good planning, and a couple of brave team members.

I wish them all the best of luck and hope to see some updates about their journey.

DEUTSCHLAND!

Modern Shishas / Hookahs

Meduse Pipes by Meduse Design

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The Narghile by Nedda Al Asmar
For Airdiem Paris

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The Unit 3.0

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Shishavac (Preparation System for pipes)

iPhone 4 | Unleashed

Another day, another iPhone.

Everything seems exactly like the lost model found few months ago. Better screen resolution, better camera, retina (retinal) display, HD video recording, better battery, and best of all a new micro-processor (A4) designed to boost this phone into a whole new generation of suaveness.

Now of course this one will cost a fortune when it reaches here and I'm sure a lot of people are willing to buy it no matter how expensive, I think it would be a waste of money because

a) It uses micro-sim which I'm not sure is available out here yet.
Turns out they're available.

b) It'll become a hype but once everything cools down you can get it for a lot cheaper.

Vintage Casio TV Watch

This watch brings many good memories.
Found in perfect condition.

Pinkberry Railroad

All that for frozen yogurt? Pfftttt.

اللهم لا تأخذنا بما فعل السفهاء منا

Jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3

The easiest way to jailbreak iPhone, iPod, iPad on the latest firmware 3.1.3 using Spirit [link]

Amazon.CO.UK SUCKS!

I received a wrong order from AMAZON UK today and it's not the first time.

I ordered Converse All Star Chuck Taylor slim leather low in WHITE [link] but I received it in BLACK! It says WHITE in the product page, it even says WHITE on the box too!





How convenient... B@stards.

Hardee's & the beggar

Yesterday I went to buy dinner from Hardee's. I took my turn in the drive-thru, the booth was on my left, I saw shadow with the edge of my eye on the right side next to my passenger window. When I turned my head I saw an old woman begging, with the kindest words I might add, for money. Out of good will I gave her 1KD and closed my window. I turned my head left again to pay for my meal then I spotted the beggar getting inside Hardee's ordering a meal for herself. The funny part was not over yet, as soon as I received my order she came back to me seconds before driving away asking for a half KD to complete her meal! And was I that kind? Of course I was. I gave her the 1/2 KD and went on my way.

What's making me curious is that she could have asked me to buy her a meal and I would've been glad to do so but I guess she was too polite to ask. Oh wait, was she?

Enough Said

Knocking Man Utd. out of Champions league is not only an accomplished mission but also a poke into all Anti-German football fans.

You see, I'm a diehard Bayern Munich fan and I admit lately they don't have consistent shows nor the team spirit like they used to still they showed the most typical aspect of German football... Constant resistance and fighting spirit to die for.

Now that we kicked some hooligan be.you.double.tee.s I can happily see my team getting knocked out by any other team because to me what matters the most is winning against Real Madrid and Manchester United on all occasions.

Ferrari California Accident

I came across a weird accident yesterday. Around 3PM I was heading to Salmiya when I passed Salwa x Rumaithiya junction, on the U-turn there was a red Ferrari California with a broken rear wheel. There were no other cars involved, it also appears that the car did not hit a curb or anything, the rim was intact but detached from the vehicle.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to take photos so if anyone knows what happened please tell the story.

AND NO THIS IS NOT APRIL FOOLS' JOKE

Translation Needed

Arabic is my mother tongue but in this cellphone store ad.
I seem to understand English way better than Arabic.
Does that translates anything close to

O r i g i n a l

A p p l e s t o r e

A p p l i c a t i o n s

?!

Define "Obsession"

Two words... Angry Birds. If you have an iPhone, iPod, or even Nokia N900 you probably have heard about this addictive game. If you haven't then you have no idea what you're missing.

Angry Birds is a funny challenging logic game involving lots of destruction. With cartoon-like graphics, unique gameplay, perfectly composed soundtracks and hilarious sound effects this outstanding game is definitely the best of the best on the iPhone.

Don't get me wrong I am not promoting the game I'm just admitting how good it is. I also want to brag about it too. Yes you read right, BRAG! I've succeeded in becoming number one on Kuwait leader board managing three stars in all levels and completing the game %100.

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast. But I'm like hot butter on your breakfast toast." -Someone.

Now that I have documented my success and got that competitive obsession out of me feel free to knock my off the leader board because I quit. :)

Kuwait Postal Service & Airport Cargo

This shows how convenient^-1 Kuwait postal service and airport cargo are...


Lately I started ordering directly to Kuwait without having Aramex ripping my pockets off. It takes less time to get my packages delivered and in most times it costs even less but that's limited to my options on the seller's site. Though on this unique occasion I had ordered two packages separately, one was posted on 19/2/2010 and the other was on 1/3/2010. Both packages were carried by UK Royal Mail and been forwarded overseas to Kuwait Postal Service for delivery.

The funny part is, the second package that was shipped almost two weeks later than the first one had been delivered on March 5 2010 while the first package whereabouts is still unknown. I went to KPS at Keifan, gave them the reference number and after 20 minutes the guy came back telling me they haven't received it yet, "It might still be at airport cargo or your local postal service office" he said.

All in good will I went to airport cargo asking around about my package only to find out that they have no way of knowing whether it has been collected by KPS or not. I realized I've wasted two and a half hours of my life and half a tank of gas through traffic jam on absolutely nothing.

If anyone knows how to track shipments forwarded to Kuwait postal service please enlighten me on how to understand this mess.

Blog Stats

Blog stats declined severely in the past few months.

*post made for future reference*

Ahem...

I had no intentions in deserting my blog yet I did, and I had no intentions to get back to blogging yet here I am.

For the past few months I kept thinking "Now that I got married, what else have I accomplished in my life so far?" Honestly, I couldn't recall a single thing, beside getting married of course. I saw myself as a miserable teacher who lost his voice over the so-called generations to come, labor for MOE examination committee, and a contractor back at home waiting for this construction work to finish. That's until yesterday when I opened my blog and started reading years back.

I kept reading and reading for hours. I grinned, I mourned, I saw the lost side of me. I saw myself as this happy youth who's full of passion for living. Computer addict and self-proclaimed tech-savvy. Automotive maniac, enthusiastic photographer, and last but not least a loving son, brother, husband, uncle and hopefully one day a father.

This blog has become part of me, part of who I am. It barely skims my entire life yet it underlines a lot about me and how I managed to go through all those years with their ups and downs.

With that said I am happy to be back to blogging and I will do my best to keep it thrived with many good years to come.