[Asharq al-Aswat] Are you on Facebook under your real name? This is the question that continues to haunt a large number of Saudi Arabian women, despite the fact that internet social networking sites rely primarily on factual personal information. However a recent study carried out in Saudi Arabia shows that 68 percent of Saudi girls prefer to withhold their family name due to the sensitivity of this information, in comparison to just 32 percent of girls who appear on Facebook under their own full names. The study revealed that 16 percent of girls polled were members of Facebook under aliases or false identities. As for the Saudi Arabian boys who use Facebook, the study showed that 60 percent of those questioned were members of Facebook under their own full name, with just 4 percent appearing under an alias or a false name.
This information was disclosed as part of a study entitled "The Methodology of Saudi Youth When Utilizing Social Networking Sites" which was carried out by a group of students at the School of Computer Science at the King Saud University in Riyadh. The group of students surveyed a number of Saudi students, half of whom were studying at the King Saud University, while the other half were studying at secondary schools in Riyadh.
Ahoud al-Shaheel, a Professor of Communication at King Saud University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the latest statistics on the Facebook phenomenon indicate that membership of the site is experiencing an annual growth of 9 percent amongst the youth. According to these statistics, there is one Saudi female for every 5 Saudi males registered on Facebook as of the end of 2009.
Al-Shaheel confirmed that she wanted to shed light on the methods which the Saudi youth were utilizing social networking sites, as a response to these sites gaining popularity, and more people spending more time on them.
The study highlighted how young men and women in Saudi Arabia are utilizing the social networking website Facebook. The study revealed that of the university student polled, 60 percent of male students uploaded a real picture of themselves, in comparison to just 5 percent of female students. While 10 percent of male students used an image of a famous person, while 10 percent of female students use an image of somebody from their family, their father, brother, or another family-member, with the remaining 8 percent utilizing an "ineligible image" [such as a drawing or cartoon or close-up of an eye etc].
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Facebook *requires* that you register under your real name. If you don't, then your account can be cancelled at any time. It's one of the things that makes Facebook so insidiously evil.
[Asharq al-Aswat] The Egyptian Labour Minister has stated that Egyptian citizens will not be sent to Saudi Arabia to work as housemaids.
The statement was made by Egyptian Labour Minister Aisha Abdel Hadi after a meeting with Abdul Wahid al Humaid, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Labour, on Saturday, to discuss some joint issues between Riyadh and Cairo.
Following the meeting, Aisha Abdel Hadi said, "We discussed some labour-related issues and they are all in the process of being solved because there are bound to be minor arguments in any field that involves work relationships."
The Egyptian labour force in Saudi Arabia is made up of one million workers and is the fourth largest expatriate community. The Saudi Deputy Minister of Labour stated that in 2008, Egyptians were issued the second largest number of Saudi entry visas.
The Egyptian Labour Minister denied that there were any matters of dispute between the Egyptian officials and their Saudi counterparts with regards to the Egyptian labour force in Saudi Arabia.
"We are still negotiating, and we do not feel that our nationals who work here live in a country that is strange to them. There are no disputes between us and the Saudis; but there are [small] issues. Maybe a case of misunderstanding or miscommunication by one party at work might cause a worker to complain, however the number of complaints is not very high, and they are being discussed in a friendly environment," the Egyptian Minister said at a press conference following her meeting with Saudi officials. Aisha Abdel Hadi also stated that these complaints are not specific to one profession but to various sectors.
The Egyptian minister has put an end to rumours about whether or not Egyptians would be sent to Saudi Arabia to work as housemaids. She stated that "We will not send our women to be housemaids due to social and cultural concerns."
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2010 00:00 ||
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Boy, these creeps are dancing around the sex-slavery problem in Arab countries (Arab women have many qualities; sexual attractiveness, however, is non-existent - better to go with Egyptians, Indonesians, Indians, etc.), like a bunch of clerics trying to explain the recent Iranian political fiasco and charlatanism.
#2
As a subtext, both the Saudis and the Egyptians think of themselves as better than the other, so working as servants or slaves for the other is right out.
But at the same time, wages in Egypt are very low, and they want the work. And the Saudis has substantially high unemployment, and sexual frustration.
Both a Venezuelan state-owned radio and television properties zeroed in on a secret U.S. "weapon of earthquakes" as the cause of the earthquake that struck Haiti last week causing a death toll could exceed 200,000 according to some sources. On the website of Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV) are published statements of the university professor, Vladimir Acosta, a regular contributor to the media controlled by the government of Hugo Chavez, accusing the U.S. of wanting to make Haiti a protectorate under the guise of the natural disaster. VLADIMIR Acosta? But of course.
But to further the conspiracy theory, argued that "we have the worrisome suspicion that this earthquake may be associated with the project called HAARP, a system that can generate violent and unexpected changes in climate." ... Newsflash, Vlad the Prevaricator, earthquakes are not a climatic phenomenon. Obviously a snowstorm would cause a lot of disruption in Haiti, but that isn't what happened.
According to the channel Vive, a report from the Russian Northern Fleet "would indicate that the earthquake that devastated Haiti was the 'clear results' of a test of the U.S. Navy through one of its 'weapons of earthquakes'" . As published on this Venezuelan public media site, it is "more than likely" that the U.S. Navy had "full knowledge" of harm that "this earthquake test could potentially have on Haiti and had pre-positioned their Southern Command Officer, Gen. PK Keen, on the island to oversee relief efforts if needed."*
It boggles the mind but the Chavista Media-Cong appear to be even dumber than our own (MSNBC, AP) or even the Euro version, (Reuters etc).
By the way, HAARP stands for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (image above). Scientists in Alaska plan to zap the ionosphere occasionally as part of a program to improve the operation of satellite and other broadcast communication systems -- allegedly. Conspiracy theorists - not all of whom are Chavistas - have other ideas. Anti-HAARP agitation has been a staple of batshit commercial conspiracy goebbelism for decades. An excellent 1985 Kiwi sci-fi production, The Quiet Earth, referenced a similar project as the cause for most of the world's population disappearing in a literal flash.
(Speaking of flashes, the film includes a good one of Alison Routledge's then-shapely backside.)
#4
Broadly speaking, as a dedic MADONNA FAN I may have to agree wid HUGO on this one, iff only on principle andor engineering innovationism, plus below.
1960's - early 1970's GUAM TAOTAMONA VISITATIONS [ancestral Spirits-Ghosts]> as per FUTURE TIME, warned iff the US weakens and begins to geopol = militarily withdraw from the Asia-Pacific regions, they will chose to covertly destroy strategic Pacific islands via implanted underground nukes-weaps [Quake/Fault weaps] in order to deny usage to enemies [aka AREA-THEATER-STRATEGIC DENIAL].
E.G. > The desired future OWG-NWO have until 2029-2036 to work together and perfect their COLLECTIVE MATH CALCS + WEAPS SYS, ETC. to prevent or preclude SMALL ROCK COMET APOPHIS FROM SLAMMING INTO THE BIG ROCK MOON + SENDING SAME BACK TOWARD EARTH.
DITTO AS TO CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES SO THAT THE USA WON'T HAVE TO DESTROY ANY APCIFIC ISLANDS AT ALL.
Or do MADONNA FANS + OUR KIDDIES/DESCENDANTS have to do it???
#6
"PLATOON" movie scene > SGT.ELIAS to soldiers TAYLOR, RA, + MALIBU > "Set yourselves up right here - IFF ANY OF THEM [incoming wave of armed NVA] GET THROUGH, YOU'RE ALL TRULY F *** ED"!
#4
Yes, this could be a problem. Or...an opportunity.
The details regarding military security sent in to protect aid workers is "classified"--let's hope they make the most of the opportunity and may we never hear of them again.
#5
I'm not sure we ever found out what happened to all the bad guys in New Orleans after Katrina (delightful rumors abounded), but crime was WAY down for a while.
#6
Not in Houston it wasn't.
Hey, tell the Haitian cops we're busy and we can't keep an eye on them. Only problem with that is that they're probably worse then the gangs. And then there's the Zombie thing...
#7
Warlord Blade got out? Anyone see Wesley Snipes these last few days?
Posted by: Steve White ||
01/20/2010 20:40 Comments ||
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ATTN: Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Jerry Wright & The Poverty Pimp Popes: Please contact The Chi-Town-aka Windy City-aka Hawk Regional Chapter of Unethical LawWhores @ southernpovertylawcovencntr.edu ASAP for (wink)Justice and Equal Rites (Sp?)
Jeez, what did Haiti do to deserve this? Robertson CAN'T be right, can he?
A powerful new earthquake struck Haiti on Wednesday, shaking rubble from damaged buildings and sending screaming people running into the streets only eight days after the country's capital was devastated by an apocalyptic quake.
The magnitude-6.1 temblor was the largest aftershock yet to the Jan. 12 quake. The extent of additional damage or injuries was not immediately clear.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Port-au-Prince and was 13.7 miles (22 kilometers) below the surface.
USGS geophysicist Bruce Pressgrave said nobody knows if a still-stronger aftershock is possible. "Aftershocks sometimes die out very quickly," he said. "In other cases they can go on for weeks, or if we're really unlucky it could go on for months" as the earth adjusts to the new stresses caused by the initial quake.
#3
Reports from our team was very little movement of buildings and rubble. No reports of any aid workers, to include the military, injured. Suprising in that there are about 50 people in tunnels at any give time at just the Montana hotel. I hope your Niece is safe and thank her for her efforts from us here at the Burg.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/20/2010 13:12 Comments ||
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Well wishes and prayers of safety to your SOF civilian assistance team(s) Pan.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/20/2010 16:17 Comments ||
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I had a scientist friend explain it this way.
"Picture a mammoth bulldozer blade pushing a mound of dirt in front as it slowly chugs along,
Well that bulldozer blade is the continental plate, and That pile of dirt is Haiti, Baja California is the same, they are unstable and will be for Millennia to come."
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
01/20/2010 17:17 Comments ||
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[Al Arabiya Latest] Thousands of U.S. Marines joined the Haiti relief effort on Monday but lawlessness prevailed on the streets with looters preying on the helpless and raiding the flattened ruins.
Doctors working with limited equipment amputated limbs to save lives while rescuers picked through debris to locate unlikely survivors more than six days after the 7.0-magnitude quake struck, reducing the Haitian capital to rubble.
U.S. President Barack Obama proposed a joint U.S.-Brazilian-Canadian leadership for relief efforts as the massive international humanitarian operation was still failing to bring security and alleviate the suffering of a traumatized populace, despite the arrival of more than 2,200 U.S. Marines.
Posted by: Fred ||
01/20/2010 00:00 ||
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FOX NEWS > seems approxi 4,500 Haitian prison inmates are on the loose after the quake.
Bank Of China Ltd. has ordered its credit officials to halt any new yuan loans due to overly fast lending growth so far in January, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday. The headquarters of the state-controlled lender has issued a notice to all of its branches to stop issuing new yuan loans and also curb foreign-currency denominated new loans, said the person, adding that the bank didn't say in the notice when new yuan loans will resume.
In a statement, Bank of China said its new loans in the first 20 days of January has been high and that it will take a closer look at its lending, though it didn't say whether it had suspended lending.
Banking shares in Shanghai and Hong Kong fell on renewed concerns over lending supply after a Chinese media report that the China Banking Regulatory Commission has asked several commercial banks to stop issuing new loans in the remaining days of January.
CBRC Chairman Liu Mingkang said Wednesday that the regulator sees a substantial drop in new yuan lending after last year's explosive growth, but said the CBRC hasn't specifically told banks to suspend lending in January.
"I've made it very clear about bank lending. We have never asked the banks to stop lending," Mr. Liu said on the sidelines of a conference in Hong Kong.
BRUSSELS — After fierce criticism in the European Parliament, Bulgaria's nominee for the European Commission abandoned her candidacy Tuesday, a move that delayed confirmation of all 27 new commission representatives and threatened further parliamentary infighting.
Rumiana Jeleva, who is Bulgaria's foreign minister, finally gave way to her political opponents, who had grilled her last week during a stormy hearing in the European Parliament. They had questioned both the transparency of her financial declarations and her competence to be a commissioner for humanitarian aid.
The government in Sofia, which had initially resisted efforts to replace Ms. Jeleva, on Tuesday nominated an alternative candidate, Kristalina Georgieva, who has been vice president of the World Bank since 2008.
The dramatic development means that plans for a vote in the European Parliament to confirm the whole new European Commission in office will now not take place next week as scheduled. At least a further week will be needed to arrange a hearing for Ms. Georgieva, with the final vote expected Feb. 9.
But the delay could be longer if Ms. Jeleva's political allies seek revenge by trying to block nominees from center or center-left parties, or force them to switch portfolios. The start of the new team has already been delayed once because of difficulties in ratifying the E.U.'s new Lisbon Treaty.
In a country where politics is fought between the 40-yard lines, Obama has insisted on pushing hard for the 30. And the American people -- disorganized and unled but nonetheless agitated and mobilized -- have put up a stout defense somewhere just left of midfield.
Posted by: Tom- Pa ||
01/20/2010 13:52 Comments ||
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The Dems sat as the majority in both houses for a year. They could have passed this thing last NOV. The issue was that the Dems could not reach agreement with themselves, they cant even run their own party. They each held out for pork to be added to their states, they got greedy.
They should listen to old political sayings, It's OK to be a pig, but hogs get eaten. Welcome to the BBQ!
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
01/20/2010 14:24 Comments ||
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Post-modern math. The old math, in which 51 is required for a majority of 100, was transparently a construct of the European White Male Hegemony, instigated to maintain their hierarchical dominance and suppress the dialectictical nature of such concepts as "majority." (Selah!)
Btw, it is no coincidence that Area 51 is their headquarters.
Not last November, because President Bush would have vetoed it. But certainly this January or February. It could be said that they missed the opportunity, choosing instead to pass the 2009 budget and the stimulus plan. Not to mention the bank bailout, the car manufacturers bailout...
#8
Last November Candidate Obama was elected. January 20th (21st?) he was sworn into office and became President Obama with the power to sign and veto bills. George W. Bush had that power until the moment Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in.
#9
Or I could be doing arithmetic instead of math again. Sorry, AlanC, you are right, and I'm wrong by one year.
*sigh* twobyfour, sleeping is unfortunately what I do best. Sleeping Beauty had nothing on me, even with the latest pills and potions modern medicine has to offer.
#2
Still dreamin' the dream, eh Geoffrey? It's all about some mythical global climate treaty, y'see folks. Nothing at all to do with internal US politics. Perish the thought!
#3
It wasn't going to pass anyway, but the election drives a stake into it's heart. Unfortunately, "climate change" may be a zombie that comes back to life to stumble around and cause more havoc.
#4
Thank GOD for the US Constitution and its requirement that treaties be ratified by a 2/3 vote of the Senate. Treaties are things that might require US law to be changed, and I know Obama would like nothing more than the US to be a slave to the UN.
Posted by: Mike ||
01/20/2010 16:22 Comments ||
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The Democrats and their mouth pieces are now identical to the Soviet Socialist party that we pointd missiles at during the Cold War. The Republican Party leans toward what the Democrat Party used to be like. The Teaparty is traditional America.
Posted by: Boss Snomotle8280 ||
01/20/2010 16:40 Comments ||
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I think he's saying that he agrees with the Marxist on this one point. That people judge their economic circumstances and adjust their politics to fit. I personally don't think that is true at all, otherwise we'd have teaparties in reverse where people were demanding handouts during economic times. No people stick to their beliefs because the beliefs are not just brainwashing but held and learned through a lifetime.
NEW DELHI: India's senior-most glaciologist V K Raina today said the chief of the UN climate body should apologise to the scientist fraternity for dubbing their work on melting of Himalayan glaciers as "voodoo science".
Raina's demand comes even as the UN body, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) headed by R K Pachauri, deliberates on retracting its statement on Himalayan glaciers melting.
"The IPCC had dumped our report that the glaciers have not retreated abnormally. Now, with the truth out in open, the IPCC should dump its own report which was based on mere speculation," Raina told PTI.
He was reacting to the revelations that the UN panel's predictions that the Himalayan glaciers will melt by 2035 stemmed from a 1999 article in a scientific journal which relied on an estimate made by a glaciologist Syed Iqbal Hasnain and not based on a peer review.
IPCC must be answerable to all the scientists and experts associated who stand vindicated that glaciers melting is not being happening at the abnormal pace as declared by it, Raina noted.
"It only shows that IPCC has based its arguments on speculations and did not verify it before making it public," the former deputy director general of the Geological Survey of India said.
Raina, in his report, had maintained that glaciers have "not shown any remarkable retreat in the last 50 years and the reports of the glaciers demise are a bit premature."
Posted by: john frum ||
01/20/2010 00:00 ||
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The parents of Fathima Rifqa Bary -- the Muslim teenager who gave her life to Jesus and then fled to Orlando -- have given up their fight to get back their daughter. In a court in Columbus, Ohio, they agreed Tuesday to let Rifqa, 17, live in an Ohio foster home until she reaches age 18, in August. After that, she'll be an adult and will be free to do whatever she wants.
That agreement ended an ugly, often-public, six-month-ordeal for the girl and her parents.
A lawyer for the girl in Columbus read the settlement in court. "Rifqa and her parents love and respect each other and believe that further counseling for all parties is the healthy and best means of resolving the issues...."
Rifqa, in a related juvenile delinquency case, also admitted Tuesday to being unruly.
The girl's father, Mohamed Bary, declined to comment after the hearing. For months, he had said he just wanted his daughter back. His former Orlando attorney, Shayan Elahi, said both sides agreed counseling was the best way for the family to resolve its differences.
Attorney John Stemberger, who represented the girl when she was in Orange County, called the settlement a victory for her. "Any time you get a settlement and get what you want, it's always better than having a trial," Stemberger said. "In terms of what's in Rifqa's best interest, this is in Rifqa's best interest." As soon as she turns 18, she had better leave the State, change her name, and go into 'witness protection'. Her own parents might not get her, but some free lancer might try.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
