Saturday, March 14, 2009

JUNA - a typical story

"Juna escaped from two separate sets of people - her employers and a couple who picked her up on the road promising to take her to her agency. Instead she was taken to their home and locked up. Juna says little about these episodes other than that they were ‘bad people’. Her escape from the 3rd floor resulted in fractured spine and legs. During her treatment it was discovered that Juna was 3-4 months pregnant.

After Juna was discharged she was sent to Rumaithiya prison because her sponsors had filed a case against her for ‘running away’. Prisons are not equipped to deal with pregnant women and Juna suffered much spinal pain from her recently healed fracture and her pregnancy.

The police assured us that the deportation center she was going to next, was a ‘hotel’ for the maids with beds and proper facilities. But when we saw it, we were aghast at the conditions – no beds, filthy mattresses lining a wet floor, cramped with women, guarded by men who looked at them only in one way. Some of them had been there for months – one lady even going mad and removing her clothing and walking around. Two Filipino maids had been there previously and in spite of having tickets to travel, were not allowed to go – the tickets eventually expired.

We were told that if we purchased a ticket they would let Juna fly as her passport was already in hand. With donated funds we bought one and handed it in. In the mean time Juna was visited and given a back brace for her spine.

A day before the flight we went to the deportation center just to check on her – we were told she would not be flying because they had entered her name on the list as Nuna not Juna. And they refused to do anything about it...Men told us to get lost, go away and not come back, they asked us who we were in relation to Juna and even referred to one of our African volunteers as ‘Sudani’. Some just said ‘we are not going to help you’.
On the actual day of the flight, verbal fights occurred with our ids being asked for and the threat of deportation looming. One of our members simply refused to budge until something was done. She yelled Haram angrily and caused a public scene. After a long time, simply out of anger and frustration, they guaranteed that Juna would be sent to the airport that night at 7pm , 3 hours before her flight. Our member did not believe them and stayed in the deportation center from 6 onwards.

At 7 – there was no movement. 8 no movement. At 9, one hour before the flight, someone arrived and Juna was transported to the airport, with a volunteer trailing the car to make sure it did not deviate.

At the airport, Juna was on crutches as her pain had gotten very bad. Numerous times she was offered a wheelchair by Airport officials. A cleaner was so enraged that she was walking he offered to pay any costs to get her in a wheelchair. But the Deportation escort refused. When she sat down in one, the man said motioned with his fingers – get up. He forced her to walk painfully all the way from the airport entrance to her gate.

People from the airport looked on in shock as a pregnant woman with a spinal injury was forced to go without a wheelchair because he wanted it that way and had the authority to make it happen. We pleaded with him that she was pregnant and injured, but his face only said that we were wasting his time with the whole ordeal.

Although the case of Juna should be considered a victory among cases that are never even addressed, the shock of individuals who wilfully want the suffering of others to continue, makes it anything but."
Written by a very concerned and very much involved Expat in Kuwait

This is just one out of a few hundred cases EACH MONTH!!
The above story is just one... there are thousands of them! Spread the awareness and involve as many people, news agencies, embassies, governments and help organizations as possible.
I will start by sending this article to the Human Rights Watch, the U.N., the German and the American Embassy and Amnesty International. But the more letters and stories reach these authorities the better!!!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Pictures from the Kuwait International Rally Championships 2009

Here are some of the Rally Pictures...
I hope they inspire you to come for the next Rally! :)













Monday, March 09, 2009

Final Results of the Kuwait International Rally 2009

The final results of the Kuwait International Rally Championships can be found here.
Several cars did not make it thru the Rally... running out of fuel, technical problems and unfortunately also accidents.
One of the most likable drivers, A Sheik from Oman (Sheik Hammad Althani), had a terrible accident on 'my' stage in which his car flipped over several time and his Co-Driver (Arif Yousuf, UAE) received injuries to his neck and shoulder. As far as I know, both had to be carried to the Hospital for treatment. I don't think he will ever read this blog, but I would like to wish both of them the best for their recovery! The Kuwait times mentioned the accident today with a two line quote without giving any details or names.
Another car flipped causing the total destruction of the car but thanks to the safety gear both passengers got away with no or minor injuries.
"My" team and I had lots of fun helping at the event and taking care of timing, safety and other things for 2 stages of the Rally (Salmi and Mettla).
One rather funny fact of the Rally is that the 0 (zero) car got stuck on the stage in Mettla in a rather bad position. Now the 0 car is the last car of the organizers that is checking the stage for safety and the race is not supposed to start until it reaches the finish and reports that everything is clear. The stage was cleared despite the fact that the 0 car didn't make it all the way to the finish. 4 Rally cars where already on the stage and 1 of them already finished it and just 30 seconds before I was about to start a Kuwaiti team, the stage was closed to get the 0 car out of the way. It took them over 30 minutes to get it out of the deep, soft sand close to the finish. That gave us plenty of opportunity to chat with drivers and co-drivers. We took plenty of pictures with them and in return gave them water and cigarettes (I hope FIA doesn't read this... :P ... No one is supposed to smoke during the rally, specially not close to the cars!). One of the Kuwaiti drivers (I think it was Meshal Alnejadi, a super friendly and like able guy) told me I am his good-luck-charm since i started him on another stage the other day were he drove an amazing time and he asked me if I couldn't start him on ALL the remaining stages...
A British driver (David Scialom) even found the time to invite me to the after party 30 seconds before I started him.
All in all it was a great experience and worth waking up at 4 am in the morning to prepare the stages for 5 days. I got a decent tan, a lot of great memories, met great people and can proudly say that me and 'my' team made this Rally happen despite some organisational problems!

In a few weeks the local Kuwait Rally Championships will be held and I am looking forward to assist again... maybe at a different position this time! :)

P.S. I will post pictures and maybe some videos soon! Just need to collect the good ones first! :)

Thursday, March 05, 2009

When to be where to see the Kuwait International Rally Championships 2009

The organizer, Kuwait Racing Club, put up all information on their website.
Everything you might want to know you will find there incl.:

- Maps
- Time Tables
- Regulations
- Live GPS tracking of the cars
- Results
- ...

Click here to see all the info's.

See you there!

Rally Start TODAY!

At 4.30 pm today the Kuwait International Rally Championships will start at the Kuwait towers. According to the time table, the 00 and 0 car (kind-a-like test cars) will be on the stage at 15:50 and the first Rally Car is supposed to start at 16:30...
i bet you that it will be quite difficult to find parking... so try to come early!

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

"Lane of shame!"

Based on my earlier post... I introduce to you:

THE LANE OF SHAME!



And just as a reminder... THIS is what a EMERGENCY LANE is used for!

I think we are OK...



... with leaving the crane up! Or ... ??
Guess not...

This accident caused a big traffic jam on Sunday on Highway 50 / 1st Ring Road

Stage Inspection / Kuwait International Rally

Today was the first time the drivers and co-drivers were allowed on the first 2 stages of the Kuwait International Rally 2009 in Salmi and Atraf. Each driver was allowed twice on the stage to scout the terrain and to complete their road book (telling them where the can drive how fast and what turn will come next). We were expecting 15-20 cars but 33 showed up. Even the event organizers where surprised by the amount of drivers taking their chances today.
This was the first time for me to be part of an oficial Rally and it was great!
We met very very early at the Kuwait Shooting Club and then left to the Salmi stage. Without getting too technical (and too proud), I am on a position called SSS (Start Super Special) and my job is basically to start the cars! :) You know, counting down form 5 and giving them the "go"!
Tday we didn't do that since it was not a race but a inspection of the stage... maximum speed for the drivers is set to 60km/h.
I met a german fellow (which whom I practiced my german again) who provided GPS tracking systems for each car. With this system Race HQ can see if they used a short cut and the respective speed at any given time and place on the stage. He's been doing this since 6 years in Europe, Middle East and Africa... another dream Job! :)
All drivers and co-drivers seemed really nice and I was surprised by the high number of Brits taking part... (mostly as co-drivers).
At noon we closed all stages and went back...
Tomorrow we'll have the same, just on differnet stages. :)

Thursday is the start at the Kuwait Towers!! Try to be there!!! Bet you I will be nice!
Friday and Saturday is the actual race... I put a time table earlier (here) but I will try to give you some more info on where exactly to go and where you see best!

Teams arrived for the Kuwait International Rally Championship




First of all sorry for being absent for a while and not coming back to all questions asked from my previous entry.

These pictures were taken yesterday afternoon in front of the Kuwait Shooting Club on 6th Ring Road just before the Doha Spur exit. As you can see, some of the bigger teams have already arrived and started preparing their cars. All of them are super friendly and didn't mind me taking pictures at all.
The Qatari Team (picture on the very top and middle) came with a total of 5 cars with mostly young talented drivers. The Abu Dhabi Team showed up with 3 cars (picture at the bottom).
If you pass there today, you will see much more teams with their cars, all busy setting the cars to the stages they will find in this Rally. Go pass by, say hello and wish them luck! :)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Kuwait International Rally 2009


Kuwait International Rally Championship 2009
5 - 7 March 2009


Only a few days left until the Kuwait International Rally gets going. Yesterday was a Marshall's meeting set with very low attendance (only 3 out of 19 registered!). So you can see that we are still looking for volunteers to assist in this event! Volunteers will have access to ALL of the stages which are otherwise off limits for the public. The jobs that would need to be performed are of high importance but not really difficult to perform. It will allow you to get experience and exposure to real racing events, since this is only the beginning of this season and many more events are already scheduled such as: National Rally Championship, Motocross Racing, Quad Racing, Cart Racing, etc. etc.
Volunteering means you will not receive money for your duties but there are other benefits you could get from it. The Cart Circuit is almost ready to be opened and you as a new member to the Kuwait Racing Club will get special benefits there as well as the chance to use the club house features.
To register as a volunteer, contact Mr. Abdulla Albarqawi under 6652 3032 or fax to 2461 3402

Also they are still looking for sponsors who could get great exposure with relatively small investments. It will be covered from several national and international TV stations and newspapers and hopefully it will attract a big crowd. Details for sponsorship can be found on the Kuwait Racing Club website.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Obama prostesting ?


Found this picture in the Kuwait times today. Looks like U.S. President Obama has a younger brother who is concerned about the working class in Jakarta! (or is it him?)
And no... this photo is not tampered with... the funny drawing is the sign he holds up at the demonstration!

Scool nieds haelp !!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I got a big car and I am special!




This sight pisses me off EVERY DAY !! Standing in the traffic jam going home on 30...
The slow traffic has two reasons:
1. A lot of people going to their homes in Salmiya at the same time
2. Idiots that are driving on the left lane all the way to their exit (most likely 4th Ring Road) and at the last moment cross all 3 lanes and block traffic coming from behind.

And then you have these Idiots shown above... Why are the cops not doing anything against them?!? ITS THE EMERGENCY LANE !!! FOR AMBULANCES / FIRE TRUCKS / POLICE !!!
I guess there are around 5000-10000 cars in the traffic jam and all of us are WAITING IN LINE to pass it... So WHY CANT YOU $&*^@#%$ DO THAT?!?!

NBK's amazing customer Service

NBK - named as the best bank in the middle east / praising their customer service / making close to a billion Profit last year

Until yesterday I would have agreed with all of this but then this happened:

Most of us have to pick up their new ATM cards this month since the old ones will expire end of February. So yesterday I wanted to pick mine up... even though I don't live there my branch is in Quortoba. So after work I was fighting my way thru the dust storm. I arrived at 4:50pm and had to park some meters away from the bank. i knew the bank would open at 5pm so I waited in the car. When it was time for them to open I got out of my car and walked over to the bank. It was still closed. I thought I just wait a little for them to open up... 5 minutes ... 10 minutes ... then I called their hot line... asked them for the opening time of this branch... they confirmed that it should open at 5pm... so I waited another 10 minutes until some man walked up to the entrance ... read a small note in Arabic next to the entrance ... grumbled and walked away ...
I called the service hot line again and they told me that all their branches are closed due to the sandstorm! I figured that this was written on the small note...
WTF!!! What is wrong with you guys?!?!?

  1. Why the hell are you closing your branches because of the sand storm? We are in Kuwait and it's quite common to have a sandstorm! After all, we are surrounded by the DESERT!!!
  2. If you don't want non Arab speaking customer, just say so... I am taking my account somewhere else in a heart beat!! Else have the brains to put up a note in English as well!! Or were you in such a hurry to get home and enjoy an unexpected day off?!?
  3. If you can afford to close your branches you seem to make enough money... then please share some of it with your customers as well!! Not only with your spoiled employees!
I logged a formal complaint, let's see how they react to it...

Big guys no brain?

It has always been said that body builders and so forth have a low IQ. Looking at this ad in the Kuwait times today you might wonder if it is rather the people who promote them who have a small IQ.
Whats so difficult about proof reading?!?!
Well, let the ring decide! Let's all go to the Stedium!!

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Sultan Center


Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Porn, Superbowl and exploding cell phones

Porn Interrupts Super Bowl Broadcast
(Newser) – Tucson-area Super Bowl viewers were startled when coverage suddenly cut to a very different kind of action in the final minutes of the game, the Arizona Daily Star reports. The game was interrupted by some 30 steamy seconds from a porn channel, featuring full male nudity. Only Comcast customers were affected and local station KVOA is investigating.

Exploding Cell Phone Kills Man
(Newser) – A man in Guangzhou, China, was killed last week when his cell phone blew up and severed an artery in his neck, the Times of London reports. The young shop clerk is believed to have put the phone in his breast pocket straight after charging a new battery before it exploded. Police are investigating whether the phone or battery were counterfeit and warn that consumers should always use original batteries.

Claiming that this is the ninth cell phone explosion recorded in China since 2002, a local paper offered these other tips on how to avoid being injured or killed by your phone:

* Never modify your phone
* Do not expose your phone to high temperatures or direct sunlight
* Avoid long phone conversations
* Keep your phone in a bag, not a pocket

Identical twins, a bathroom and a lot of fun!

Hilarious Bathroom Mirror Prank




Man kills himself... TWICE!

"Security sources said an Indian committed suicide after he hanged himself with a rope at his residence in Jleeb. Police said the mans body was discovered by his roommate and that he denied knowing the motive behind the mans death."
Kuwait Times, 4th Feb 2009

Let's put this poor guys motive out of the picture...
He hung himself and THEN committed suicide??
Weird stuff that!

Rocket propelled Mini Cooper







This is not the only reason to drive a mini ... :)

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Did you shave your baby lately?




















I wonder which genius came up with this?
But one thing is sure...
THIS baby NEEDS shaving!! :P

Thursday, January 29, 2009

2 saw whats in my trunk and 7 came to help

I think I need to be more careful about the stuff that I write on this blog!!
First I tell all of you about the traffic in Kuwait and decide to draw just ONE comic about it myself. Then a few days later I tell you about Jinxed... Good thing I skipped the two entries in between!!!

So this is what happened yesterday:

Driving home from work after picking my car up in the morning from service.
I reached 5th ring road on the Fahaheel Express Way (30 for the guys that haven't been here that long) and the usual traffic jam occurs.
I stay on the left lane since I need to go past the 4th ring to get my exit...
Drive 200 meters ... stop ... drive 200 meters ... stop ...
Then I reached the exit to 4th ring road ... I am underneath the bridge still on the left lane. The car in front of me stops. So do I. No squeaking tires or anything like this ... just a stop like all of us on the highway at this point did 20-30 times since passing 5th ring road.
Out of pure curiosity I look into my review mirror and see this car getting bigger and bigger in my mirror...
I let go of the steering wheel .... lean back against the seat ... my head against the head rest ... BAAAAAAANG !!!!
The car behind me failed to brake ... popped open my trunk ... smashed the rear end of my car ... the front end of his ... I drive to the EMERGENCY lane... so does he... 5 guys get out of the car and 3 start walking away (Indian labor) ... he starts telling me stuff in Arabic I don't understand ... but I got something like that it is my fault because I was breaking so hard!!! That's when I asked him if he or his friend speaks English. When both denied I let go a barrage of insults and complaints. he still insisted it's my fault.
A cop car (number 7 in my cartoon and even on the same side of the road as in my cartoon) stopped at another accident that must have happened a few minutes before mine... I wave to the cop and signal him to come over to help us out here.
Another cop car comes and stops in front of us ...
We talk a little ... BANG ... BANG ... BANG ... BANG ... another 5 cars just ran to each other...
After waiting till the cops filled out the initial report, I am off to the Maidan Hawally Police Station. After maybe an hour some mandoob tells me that before I can speak with the detective I need to get copies of all the paperwork. So across the street there's a small INSURANCE company who probably make more money with copies then with insurances.
Another 20 minutes later the detective has a few minutes for me and finds out that me is German. "Danke" he says ... "Bitte" I reply ... asking him if he was ever in Germany. So he gives me that he is really busy with a BIIIIIG case and if it is OK for me to come back tomorrow ... just to pick up my paper work since it was clearly not my fault. Sure thing!
Informed the rental car agency about the incident and they said they can only assist as soon as the police report is done. How nice of National Rental Car to have someone with you in case there are issues at the police or something and to offer the replacement car as mentioned in the contract... I seriously think National needs some ass kicking!!! And so does that imbecile that hit me!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Proof that girls are evil !!

click on the picture to see it bigger

Digg for blogger.com

A great way of getting traffic to your site is by having your readers digg your post!
Blogger doesn't let you add Java Script in your post or anywhere, but this is the only way to get a button with script from digg.
As you can see in this post, there is a workaround for this.
I found this very helpful blog explaining it step by step here.

So please ... if you like what you read here... DIGG IT !! :)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Jinxed !!!

"Today, I get two texts from my girlfriend. First one says everything was over. Second one says that the other message wasn’t for me. Jinxed!"

"Today, I see a friend on the street. He doesn't see me, so, just for fun, I call him on his cell. He took his phone out of his pocket, sighed, and didn't answer. Jinxed!"

"Today, I was having a romantic dinner at my place with this boy I've just started dating. My phone rang, but i decided not to pick up. The voice mail started recording, and we could hear "hey there, quit f**king and pick up the phone, it's your dad, hahahah"Jinxed!"

More of these great stories you can find here!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Be carefull what you wish for...

Complaint lodged
"Police said a bedoon man filled a complaint against a female citizen after she threatened him for his unwillingness to meet her. The man alleged that the woman would call him at all hours of the day and night and tell him that she wanted to see him, but he ignored her. After the woman threatened him, the man took his phone to police and showed investigators the recorded messages."
Kuwait Times 26th Jan 2009

Poor guy!!
Some evil person seems to have given his number to this woman!!
i say search the evil guy and display him for public spitting!

16 hours dead in a chair

" Death reported
Security sources recently said that an Egyptian man was recently found dead sitting in a chair in Fahaheel. Passerby noticed that something was wrong with the man after they found him sitting in the same position from 6:00 pm until 10:00 am. Paramedics arrived at the scene and confirmed that the man was dead. His body was sent to the coroner for a forensic examination."
Kuwait Times Jan 26 2009

After 16 hours already?!?! That's quick thinking!

Kuwait Cartoon - Jam on the highway

Click on the picture to see it bigger

This is my first try to complete the series of Kuwait Driving lessons...

Sunday, January 25, 2009

IT'S ALL SCAMS

This is a new blog with the aim to reduce the damage caused by internet scams.
If you receive any obvious scam email like the ones I have already put in here, please feel free to forward them to 'my' email address itsallscams@hotmail.com.
I already thank you in advance for your submissions and comments on IT'S ALL SCAMS!

Kuwait Cartoon - Race Driver

click on the picture to see it bigger

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Crash and Burn

click on the picture to see it bigger

New on the PS3 / X-Box / Wii /PC!
I has great potential!!! Anyone interested in making it?!?

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Why taking the bus

click on the picture to see it bigger

I swear I have seen this cab. It was driving every morning from Mangaf to somewhere downtown... It's orange and belongs into a museum!

Monday, January 19, 2009

REFERENCE NUMBER #: BMWL/001/007598590000/11

FROM: Esther Rieger-Fackeldey Esther.Fackeldey@kbh.uu.se
TO: undisclosed-recipients: (a few hundred thousand people that is)

REFERENCE NUMBER #: BMWL/001/007598590000/11 WINNING TICKET #: 564-7600-545-188

This e-mail is to congratulate you as your email address has won you a cash prize of £750,000,00 GBP and a New BMW 2008 X6 xDrive series 35i M Sport Saloon Car in our Online Lottery Sweepstakes Promotion held in London 2009. To file your claims, contact;

Fiduciary Claims Agent: Mr. George Wesley.
E-mail: assigned_georgewesley01@hotmail.com
Tel: +44 70457 43979.
+44 70240 85691.

Note: You are required to tender your Full Name(s) & Reference # (same as above) Full Address, Country Of Residence, Occupation, Age, Sex, Telephone Number to the Fiduciary Agent, via email for a valid response. Congratulations from all members and staffs of this program. Thank you for being a part of this online lottery promotion.

This is SCAM people... Don't fall for this! See my other posts labeled FRAUD for similar cases!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Desert Camp

click on the picture to see it bigger

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - No Fear...


click on the pictures to see them bigger

Friday, January 16, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Wrong Number

click on the picture to see it bigger

Have you ever received a wrong number call from a person who insinuates that it is your fault?
YES!! PLENTY!!!
(and all where guys!)

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Kuwait (Jahra) Cartoon - B*TCH !

click on the picture to see it bigger

Edited the title to pay respect to your comments... :)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Kuwait Cartoon - Paki Flaps

Click on the picture to see it bigger
Seen from November till February...

Monday, January 12, 2009

Random Quote #1

"The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog. The dog will be there to stop the man touching the equipment."
WARREN BENNIS
That would make my job sooooooo much easier!!

Kuwait Cartoon - Wanate


Click on the picture to see it bigger
A small update on this here.

Heat up the kettles !!

'Carbon cost' of Google revealed
Two search requests on the Internet website Google produce "as much carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle", according to a Harvard University academic.
US physicist Alex Wissner-Gross claims that a typical Google search on a desktop computer produces about 7g CO2.
However, these figures were disputed by Google, who say a typical search produced only 0.2g of carbon dioxide.
(read the full story here)

Wow ... I am boiling a lot of water each day !!!

I found more KUWAIT CARTOONS !

Going thru my archives I found more cartoons about Kuwait.
Some of them related to driving others to general things an expat will notice about life here.
i will start posting them later today... :)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Kuwait Driving lessons part #16 "That Rainy Day"

Click on the picture to see it bigger

"That Rainy Day"
That was is for now with Kuwait driving lessons. If you have more ideas on what topics should be included, give me a traffic fine... :)

Kuwait International Rally Championship 2009 UPDATE

Got a car and want to participate?
Always wanted to look behind the scenes and assist?
Wanted to wave blue/yellow/checkerd flags??

The organisation team for the Kuwait International Rally Championship 2009 is still looking for volunteers and if you and your car qualifies also for teams to participate!

You can go here and contact Aliaa Hassan or here.
You can also fax a short CV with some notes what you would like to do to 2461 3402

See you there!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Bushism's

Bush is about to leave his office as president of the U.S.A., one thing he left behind is the creation of the word "Bushism".
Here are a few:

On himself

"They misunderestimated me."
Bentonville, Arkansas, 6 November, 2000

''I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right." (video)
Rome, 22 July, 2001

"There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again."
Nashville, Tennessee, 17 September, 2002

"There's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."
Washington DC, 11 May, 2001

"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today. He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me."
Nashville, Tennessee, 27 May, 2004

On foreign affairs

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times."
Tokyo, 18 February, 2002

"The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorise himself."
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 29 January, 2003

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." (video)
Washington DC, 5 August, 2004

"I think war is a dangerous place."
Washington DC, 7 May, 2003

"The ambassador and the general were briefing me on the - the vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."
Washington DC, 27 October, 2003

"Free societies are hopeful societies. And free societies will be allies against these hateful few who have no conscience, who kill at the whim of a hat."
Washington DC, 17 September, 2004

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."
CBS News, Washington DC, 6 September, 2006

On education

"Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?"
Florence, South Carolina, 11 January, 2000

"Reading is the basics for all learning."
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."
CNN, 30 August, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

On economics

"I understand small business growth. I was one."
New York Daily News, 19 February, 2000

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
Reuters, 5 May, 2000

"I do remain confident in Linda. She'll make a fine Labour Secretary. From what I've read in the press accounts, she's perfectly qualified."
Austin, Texas, 8 January, 2001

"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."
Washington DC, 19 May, 2003

On healthcare

"I don't think we need to be subliminable about the differences between our views on prescription drugs."
Orlando, Florida, 12 September, 2000

"Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country."
Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 6 September, 2004

On technology

"Will the highways on the internet become more few?"
Concord, New Hampshire, 29 January, 2000

"It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber."
Washington DC, 10 April, 2002

"Information is moving. You know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets."
Washington DC, 2 May, 2007

Out of left field

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Saginaw, Michigan, 29 September, 2000

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream."
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, 18 October, 2000

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law."
Tucson, Arizona, 28 November, 2005

"That's George Washington, the first president, of course. The interesting thing about him is that I read three - three or four books about him last year. Isn't that interesting?"
Speaking to reporter Kai Diekmann, Washington DC, 5 May, 2006

On governing

"I have a different vision of leadership. A leadership is someone who brings people together."
Bartlett, Tennessee, 18 August, 2000

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best."
Washington DC, 18 April, 2006

"And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody. To show you how important this one is, I read it, and [Tony Blair] read it."
On the publication of the Baker-Hamilton Report, Washington DC, 7 December, 2006

"All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone."
San Diego, California, 25 October, 2007

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
Washington DC, 12 May, 2008

Get a glimpse of me...



No photoshop ... just an amazing photographer! :)