HYDE ESMY

Cities Having The Best Quality Of Living

2011-12-26T14:41:00.000+01:00

1- Vienna
2- Zurich
3- Geneva
4- Auckland
5- Vancouver
6- Dusseldorf
7- Frankfurt
7- Munich
9- Bern
9- Sydney
11- Copenhagen
12- Wellington
13- Amsterdam
14- Ottawa
15- Brussels
16- Toronto
17- Berlin
18- Melbourne
19- Luxembourg
20- Stockholm
21- Perth
21- Montreal
23- Hamburg
24- Nurnberg
24- Oslo
26- Canberra
27- Dublin
28- Calgary
28- Singapore
30- Stuttgart
31- Honolulu
32- Adelaide
32- San Francisco
34- Paris
35- Helsinki
36- Brisbane
37- Boston
38- Lyon
39- London
40- Tokyo
41- Milan
41- Kobe
41- Yokohama
44- Barcelona
45- Chicago
45- Lisbon
45- Portland, OR / USA
45- Washington DC
48- Madrid
49- New York
50- Seattle

The Easiest Countries to Start-up a Business (51 to 100)

2011-05-04T15:39:00.000+02:00

The ease of doing business index is an index created by the world bank. A high rank indicates simpler, better regulations for businesses and better law enforcement and property rights. The index is calculated based on laws and regulations, with the participation of thousands of government officials and worldwide independant consultants. Many factors are taken into account for defining a rank:

- Procedures, times, cost and capital required to start up a new business
- Dealing with permits in general, construction permits, procedures, time and cost
- Employment issues, ease of recruitment, labor cost and laws
- Registering property: procedures, time and cost
- Ease of getting banking facilities and credits
- Investors protection and law enforcement
- Tax rates
- Import and export facilities

RANKING:

51- Bulgaria
52- Botswana
53- Saint Lucia
54- Azerbaidjan
55- Tunisia
56- Romania
57- Oman
58- Rwanda
59- Kazakhstan
60- Vanuatu
61- Samoa
62- Fiji
63- Czech Republic
64- Antigua and Barbuda
65- Turkey
66- Montenegro
67- Ghana
68- Belarus
69- Namibia
70- Poland
71- Tonga
72- Panama
73- Mongolia
74- Kuwait
75- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
76- Zambia
77- Bahamas
78- Vietnam
79- China
80- Italy
81- Jamaica
82- Albania
83- Pakistan
84- Croatia
85- Maldives
86- El Salvador
87- Saint Kitts and Nevis
88- Dominica
89- Serbia
90- Moldova
91- Dominican Republic
92- Grenada
93- Kiribati
94- Egypt
95- Seychelles
96- Solomon Islands
97- Trinidad and Tobago
98- Kenya
99- Belize
100- Guyana

Lionel Messi: The Magician

2011-05-04T00:15:00.003+02:00

Magic Messi

The football match between Barcelona and Real Madrid on the semi-finals of the Champions league was a true show and extremely entertaining. The actors of this show were stars like Lionel Messi and his teammates. It is true that football is a team game involving a strategy where every player has a strict role and function, but nevertheless Lionel Mesi was outpacing all his colleagues, both from his own team and from the oponent team. In fact he was everywhere! Running the faster, manoeuvering with great skill with an intriguing style and speed, he was truly the shining star of this game.

As he was attacking relentlessly and trying to score in the adversary net, again and again, Real Madrid players couldn't avoid committing numerous fouls against the argentinian phenomenon and the best player in the world. The game commentators were jumping off their seats, hailing loudly the show and following every move of the champion's feet that never stopped tackling amazingly and sending the fever to the attendance in the stadium, where a crazy feast and celebration was going on ! The seating areas became like an immense dancing stairs where young and old, guys and girls were jumping, shouting and singing insanely like there was no tomorrow!

And when the referee gave the final whistle ending the game with a positive even result claiming Barcelona's ascension once again to the finals of the Champions League at Wembley on the 28th of may with either Manchester United or Schalke, it was the inevitable fate for the catalunian team and it's magician who was very close to score on several occasions during both half times, and who gave the best and the maximum of what he had.

Thank you Lionel Messi for this show, thank you for your talent and art, and congratulations for this glorious win which is pretty much deserved and with distinction. The taste of the win is particularly nice when it comes to surviving an adversary such as Real Madrid and Kristiano Ronaldo.

The Easiest Countries to Start-up a Business (1 to 50)

2011-05-03T15:43:00.001+02:00

The ease of doing business index is an index created by the world bank. A high rank indicates simpler, better regulations for businesses and better law enforcement and property rights. The index is calculated based on laws and regulations, with the participation of thousands of government officials and worldwide independent consultants. Many factors are taken into account for defining a rank:

- Procedures, times, cost and capital required to start up a new business
- Dealing with permits in general, construction permits, procedures, time and cost
- Employment issues, ease of recruitment, labor cost and laws
- Registering property: procedures, time and cost
- Ease of getting banking facilities and credits
- Investors protection and law enforcement
- Tax rates
- Import and export facilities

RANKING:

1- Singapore
2- Hong Kong
3- New Zealand
4- United Kingdom
5- United States
6- Denmark
7- Canada
8- Norway
9- Ireland
10- Australia
11- Saudi Arabia
12- Georgia
13- Finland
14- Sweden
15- Iceland
16- South Korea
17- Estonia
18- Japan
19- Thailand
20- Mauritius
21- Malaysia
22- Germany
23- Lithuania
24- Latvia
25- Belgium
26- France
27- Switzerland
28- Bahrain
29- Israel
30- Netherlands
31- Portugal
32- Austria
33- Taiwan
34- South Africa
35- Mexico
36- Peru
37- Cyprus
38- Macedonia
39- Colombia
40- United Arab Emirates
41- Slovakia
42- Slovenia
43- Chile
44- Kyrgyzstan
45- Luxembourg
46- Hungary
47- Puerto Rico
48- Armenia
49- Spain
50- Qatar

The Royal Wedding: good but not Wow!

2011-04-30T16:42:00.003+02:00

The Royal wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton was one of the most followed events on TVs and on the internet. Many sources have cited around two billion people watching and following the events on the 29th of April. But was it really worth it? Waiting for hours to see a car transporting members of the Royal family to the Abbey and then back to Buckingham palace in a carriage, or people following them to the palace to see the kiss or take a photo of them waiving to the crowd!

Prince William and Catherine Middleton after their wedding

Centuries ago, when the world was still ruled by monarchies, this spectacle would have been a solemn event, as people of that time would dream to see a glimpse of the Prince or watch the Queen waving. But in the twenty first century these images seem old-fashioned if not strange, especially when you witness such a large crowd of British marching in the streets of London like an army, reaching finally to Buckingham Palace to watch ten people on a balcony waiving for them for less than a minute! And then just after this moment of ecstacy, going back home.

One can understand that such event has generated good revenues for the British treasury (several billion of British pounds) from hotel reservations, gadgets related to the events, brodcasting rights etc..otherwise it would have been out of question for the government to shut down the streets of the city and to halt business on a working day in London.

On the other side, even those amazed by the event have began to speak about the bride's dress and her general appearance, which was good but not great. Beginning with the dress, a clear flaw on the brest level was not well seen by fashion designers and critics, as the bride's dress on cameras was giving the impression of a tip on the brest level.

The bride's face was also looking a little fade, probably due to the fatigue from the last days of preparation before the wedding, and many analysts suggested that she looked like a 34-35 years old lady instead of 29. Observers underlined that the bride's general appearance and dressing should have deserved more attention in the preparation for this "wedding of the century".

As for the queen herself, and on the balcony of Buckingham palace, she was seen standing with her hands behind her back, in a bended posture; If this would be understandable for an 85 years old lady, it's rather a very unsual scheme for a symbol like the Queen of England who is considered by many to be the reference for noble gestures and "savoir-vivre".

If by this marriage event the image of the Royal family among people was meant to be improved, it was clear that the majority of the attendees who were interviewed in the streets were clearly not from the younger generation. We have mostly seen fifty and sixty years old people making the celebration. In the future, and with all the major events that the world is witnessing, it is clear that much less attention and interest will be given to royalties and monarchs!

US aircraft carriers

2011-04-15T11:36:00.001+02:00

The United States Navy possesses 10 operational aircraft carriers as of 2016 and it’s the largest and most powerful fleet in the world by all means. All aircraft carriers are named after important personalities or cities of the US and are chosen by the secretary of the Navy. The names of all ships begin with USS which stands for: "United States Ship". The active carriers are (from the oldest to the latest):

USS Nimitz

1- USS Nimitz

2- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

3- USS Carl Vinson

4- USS Theodore Roosevelt

5- USS Abraham Lincoln

6- USS George Washington

7- USS John C. Stennis

8- USS Harry S. Truman

9- USS Ronald Reagan

10- USS George H.W. bush

The USS Gerald Ford and the USS John F Kennedy are currently conducting sea tests and will be joining the armed forces respectively by the end of 2016 and 2020.

All of the carriers are of the Nimitz class, the largest type of aircraft carriers in the world, having a water displacement above 100,000 tons, with a nuclear propulsion which gives it an unlimited range of action and therefore the ability to navigate for an indefinite period of time, and each one can carry up to 90 aircraft, mainly F-18 Hornet and F-18 Super-hornet and F-14 Tomcat. The new F-35 joint strike fighter jet will start replacing the F-18 starting from 2018.

9 other aircraft carriers have been decommissioned since 1995, the latest being the USS Enterprise, all of them are at dock and awaiting disposal.

Aircraft carriers give the US military enormous strategical and tactical advantages over any possible opponent, making the US Navy envied by all armies worldwide. An aircraft carrier provides the ability to intervene practically in any area of the world, in a very efficient and decisive way. Each carrier is accompanied by a number of ships called strike group such as guided missile destroyers, frigates, attack submarines, and other ships for logistical support like refueling ships and floating hospitals. Every carrier with its backup and accompanying ships constitute a fleet in itself and has a huge attack/defense capabilities.The ultra modern 90 fighter aircraft embarked on the flying deck, and the latest sophisticated missiles and electronic defense systems installed on board give the US Navy unrivaled battlefield supremacy.

Aircraft carriers have contributed decisively to end many recent conflicts in the world such as in Iraq, Syria, Libya and others.

Work, employees and 007

2011-04-14T11:40:00.000+02:00

On Mondays, more heart attacks occur than on any other day of the week.

An hour of planning saves normally 10 hours of trial.

For the last 3 years, Singapore has been the easiest country where you can start up a new business.

Statistics show that 80% of employees prefer not to go to work on Monday mornings.

The first touristic destination in the world is France. 60 million tourists come annually, as much as the whole French population.

Around 200 billion emails are exchanged on a daily basis. More than 97% of them are spam.

More than 90% of the people attending conferences tend to sleep or day dream. Less than 5% of the attendance can recall correctly the topics discussed.

The Kuwaiti Dinar is the most expensive currency in the world. 1 KWD is equal to 3.62 US Dollars

More than half of the world’s population have seen at least one James Bond movie! The most famous 007 agent remains Sean Connery.

Chocolate, Champagne and strawberries

2011-04-13T14:56:00.000+02:00

Watermelons contain 97% of water, lettuce 97%, tomato 95% and carrots 90%

Chocolate was discovered in the sixteen’s century in Europe, people of that time found it to be “as good as sin”

It's champagne only if it comes from Champagne!
Champagne is an agricultural region in the middle of France famous for its vineyards that produce the legendary sparkling white wine!

Carrots contain zero fat, cucumbers contain zero calorie and zero fat.

Strawberry is the only natural fruit that contains zero fat and zero calorie.

Water is the only necessary element for human life, all others can be replaced or substituted.

Coca-Cola is the most consumed beverage in the world after water.

Daily consumption of red wine is believed to be the main reason behind the high longevity of French people which is the highest in the world.

Americans are the biggest consumers of meat worldwide,
They are also the biggest consumers of fast foods.

Avocado is the natural fruit that contains the most fat.

Ohio, Rome and US oil

2011-04-13T10:30:00.000+02:00

There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, all are man-made.

The driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctica near Ross Island.
There has been no rainfall there for two million years.

There are more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy.

There is a city called Rome on every continent.

The volume of water in the Amazon river
is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all the rivers in the United States.

Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it),
Antarctica is the driest place on the planet,
with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

There are more Jews in New York city than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The largest country in the world is the Russian Federation. It extends over 11 different time zones;

when the sun rises on Vladivostok in the morning,
It is sunset at Saint Petersburg.

The soil of the USA contains deep oil fields with huge reserves. While the exact quantities are not disclosed, many experts believe that there is enough quantities of oil that would suffice for the consumption of the USA for 100 years, conservatively.

The US, Antarctica and New York City

2011-04-12T10:58:00.000+02:00

The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean.

The ice formation in Antarctica represents seventy percent of all the reserves of fresh water in the world.

The water of Angel Falls (the world's highest) in Venezuela
drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.

As strange as it sounds, Antarctica is essentially a desert;
the average yearly total precipitation is about two inches.

Canada is an Indian word meaning ' Big Village '.

There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland.

The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the Kola Super deep Borehole, in Russia.
It reached a depth of 12,261 meters (about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles). It was drilled for scientific research and gave up some unexpected discoveries,
one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen,
so massive that the mud coming from the hole was boiling.

If New York city had the same population density as Alaska,
only 25 people would be living in it.

Water is life

2011-04-11T15:30:00.001+02:00

An adult human being can stay alive ultimately for 30 days without any food, but only seven days without water.

70% of a human body is made from water.

Lack of water in the human body is the first cause of fatigue during the day.

A simple reduction of 2% of the water in the human body may cause short term memory incoherence, lack of concentration, writing and typing errors.

According to the university of washington, a glass of water in the evening helps to reduce the feeling of hunger for persons who are on diet.

Five glasses of water per day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and vesica cancer by up to 50%.

Some studies reveal that 8 to 10 glasses of water per day may significantly reduce back and articulation pain for up to 80% of those who suffer such symptoms.

Drinking water at appropriate times during the day can maximize its positive effects on human body:

Two glasses of water in the morning help activating the internal organs,

One glass of water before any meal helps digestion,

A glass of water before bed reduces the risk of heart attacks.

At last but not least, water would be the only proof of a possible extra terrestrial life on any planet.

Rome, Siberia and Minnesota

2011-04-11T11:56:00.000+02:00

The smallest island in the world having the status of “Country” is Pitcairn Polynesia, at just 1.75 square miles/4,53 square kilometers.

The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.

Siberia’s famous forests: Taiga & Tundra represent more than 25% of the world's forests.

The smallest sovereign entity in the world
is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M).
It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two
tennis courts and, as of 2001, has a population of 3 people.
It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.

In the Sahara Desert, there is a town in Algeria named Tidikelt, which has not received a drop of rain for ten years.

The word Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits'.

St. Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye
after a European man named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant
who lived and set up the first business there.

Ninety percent of the world's ice can be found in Antarctica .

The chance to find an unpaved road:
in the U.S.A. : 1%
in Sudan: 97%

Did you know!

2011-04-07T12:27:00.000+02:00

More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is located in Alaska.

The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20%
of the world's oxygen supply.

Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country.

Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

Canada has more lakes than all the rest of the countries in the world combined together.

Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.

Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first ever paved road in the world.

Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.

Los Angeles' original name is: El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the (river) Porciuncula). It is now abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.

The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time: The Big Apple.

The importance of the family

2011-04-06T11:22:00.000+02:00

The role of the family is prominent for the future of humanity. In today’s world families are facing many difficulties resulting from the changes of culture, poverty, conflicts, immigration and the new false cultural myths. Today’s media is playing a big role in promoting new ways of life implying that sexual conservatism is naiveté while free and casual sex is modernism and freedom. A recent study in the United States has revealed that more than twenty percent of American women have children from more than one partner.

Another plague regarding marriage between people of the same sex constitutes a dangerous attempt by man to counter the laws of nature and therefore sends another blow to family which is the only righteous and natural way for mankind to live and progress. Selfish ways of life are becoming dangerously common and individual’s physical pleasures or unnatural sexual orientations are being harshly defended in today’s world. Being responsible and showing respect for others is enforced by law, but unfortunately being responsible and showing respect to oneself and his body is largely lacking, thus extending inevitably to one’s descendants. In fact children always endure the emotional and social burden when they recognize being the fruit of a passing relationship and not belonging to a real family, or when they belong to an abnormal one with parents of the same sex.

A lot of courage and honesty are required to favor the plan conceived by nature for human beings.

Today’s society needs to work hard to succeed in promoting family as being a very strong union between a man and a woman and therefore offer help for this family to carry out its sacred mission as the core of human life, a lesson of responsibility, the symbol of coexistence and peaceful life, the example of sacrifice for each other, the school where life is welcomed and generously embraced. Love and peace inside families will then certainly shine to society and clear the way for better future generations where peace and fraternity prevail between men.

God and science

2011-04-04T11:45:00.000+02:00

The Scientific Legacy of modern times has been undoubtedly marked with achievements and major advances. Nevertheless the image of scientific progress is sometimes divided into two different views. On one hand, science is considered to be the answer to any question and the remedy to any problem, in fact the numerous recent scientific achievements in the last decades appear to be confirming the theory that science could ultimately answer all the questions of man’s existence; On the other hand, science is sometimes believed to be a threat to man’s existence and a way of self destruction, notably because of the use of sophisticated armaments and nuclear weapons .

It is obvious that the scope of science is far from both extreme theories. Its purpose has been and will remain to be the continuous quest for the truth about space, nature and all aspects and phenomenon’s surrounding human life. This relentless search has conducted to many successes and has contributed to change the way we live, and has also created a sort of frustration as many other phenomena apparently trivial are still remotely understood though. Nonetheless, provisional conclusions constitute a good foundation for future understanding of the world we live in.

The scientific progress made in the last century in many disciplines has resulted in a much better understanding of the earth, center of all experiments which continue to be the main “laboratory” to discover and learn. In the last five decades, practically since the end of the second world war, the scientific and technological progress realized by man has outpaced by far all what we have learnt, discovered and invented in our entire history! It would be interesting to note that man’s knowledge about God remains the same throughout the centuries and not a single leap has been achieved in that direction. .

If mankind owes a lot to science and to the continuous scientific will of going further and deeper, scientists often question themselves about this secret hand that puts everything in order and makes our world function in perfect harmony. In fact scientists do not create, they only discover facts and truths, put them together and try to visualize their conclusions in man-made theories and inventions. Therefore man has always watched, experienced, learnt and tried to elaborate mathematical patterns and models in order to acknowledge, and to the best extent possible any natural phenomenon surrounding us. It is good to note that any scientific formula is only a good and close approximation of a natural event or phenomenon, and no theory in the world has ever claimed expressing an exact explanation of any event or phenomenon.

This reality leads us to admit the existence of a greater reason beyond man’s understanding of things, which sustains and controls our world, and this is the crucial point where science and religion converge. The result is that science can be the place where man encounters the creator of this world and therefore leads to a better and true understanding of this world.

As we are witnessing daily scientific achievements, we also discover the complexity and mysteries of our world, therefore the need for a new approach is imminent where morality shall be observed in scientific researches in order to reach better conclusions. Scientific achievements should always obey the imperatives of ethics and preservation of human rights and dignity, and deploy scientists efforts in the right direction for the good and the future of mankind. The evolution of our way of life will largely depend on our ability to use science for what is moral, just and good for humanity.

Japan and Libya overshadow a major crisis

2011-04-01T13:25:00.001+02:00

With the war in Libya and the tragedy in Japan grabbing all news headlines, the world seems to be overlooking a very grave situation that has been unfolding in Ivory Coast. In fact more than one million citizens have fled their homes in the African nation, a country that seems to be slowly drifting towards a full-scale civil war. This is the reality of the situation facing this West African country and its population. Many calls have been made so far urging dialogue between the opposing parties. Very little attention is being paid by the international community and media to this worsening humanitarian crisis, which is causing massive exodus of people, many of whom have crossed the border into neighboring countries like Liberia and Ghana. Reports from Ivory Coast confirm that the situation is dramatic and is not getting the appropriate attention from the International community, and the events occurring in the African Nation are still being under-reported. Huge lack of funding also contributes to the worsening of the humanitarian situation.

The seriousness of the situation comes basically from the sharp political division in the country that is inevitably leading to a civil war in Ivory Coast. People are fleeing in all directions running for their lives with very little in hand or even nothing at all! Therefore the needs are huge and range from food, drinking water, to blankets and mattresses.

Why is the international community and the United Nations overlooking this crisis! Is it because Ivory Coast is a poor country or because it has no oil or natural reserves? The answer to this sad query remains unknown but what is sure is that hundreds of thousands of people are suffering and are in a desperate need for help.

Many observers are expressing regrets over the brewing civil war in a country that has been known for decades as being the “benchmark” for political stability in western Africa. The emergency funding in response to the crisis is yet far from seeing the light. Unfortunately we will only witness another big human tragedy unless the decision makers decide to make a move and contribute to the halting of such a tragedy.

The horror of wars

2011-03-31T18:11:00.001+02:00

Seeing the pictures from Libya and the massacre of civilians from many Arab countries, we can only recall the abhorrent effects of war, of violence on man by man, and by doing so, strengthen the urgency of an appeal for an end to the use of weapons and to create a space for dialogue in the conflicts that are currently raging in Libya, Ivory Coast and the Middle East .

Following the atrocities witnessed on TVs on a daily basis, one can only fear for the safety of the civilian population and have concerns for the unfolding situation in Libya which is constantly growing. At moments such as these, of greatest tension, international bodies and people in positions of responsibilities must use all diplomatic means at their disposal to give space to even the weakest signs of openness to dialogue. Both sides of the Libyan conflict need to be appealed for an end to the use of weapons and an immediate start of dialogue.

What is happening these days is a most grave offense against humanity, because it is the deliberate violence of man by man. It is the most abhorrent effect of war, any war, while we should be seeking life and peace. The abyss opened by men who, when driven by blind violence, deny their dignity and brotherhood with each other. Yes, wherever he is, on every continent, in every nation, man is the son and brother to all humanity. But this being the son and brother is not a given. Unfortunately, this is revealed by the death tolls themselves.

We must want it, we must say yes to good and no to evil. We must believe in love and life, and reject any false image of Glory, that betrays man. Therefore, in times like these, the real answer is to join hands as brothers, and say: with the strength of love we desire to walk together in Peace, in Libya, North Africa, The Middle East and throughout the world.

Japan: from the earthquake to the nuclear plant

2011-03-30T15:51:00.002+02:00

Recently, at the troubled Japanese nuclear power plants, a group of heroes are generously risking their lives to save the lives of many others. Like the firefighters of New York city on September 11. As then, the generous love for others, even at the cost of one’s life, is the true light in the darkness of this tragedy. It shines a light on the path to follow. It is a direction for a brave journey for all mankind to follow.

For days, images of the tragedy in Japan continue to upset every human being and provoke questions. From the very outset they have evoked memories of the tragic Indian Ocean tsunami six years ago, which also caused a frightening number of victims, and even more: a sea of suffering and pain that calls for our compassion, our sympathy and our prayers.

But with the space of a few days the world's attention has shifted to the disaster at the nuclear power plant. The Japanese have shown that they can cope with earthquakes in an admirable way, constructing buildings capable of withstanding the strongest shocks. In other countries the same shock would have caused countless deaths.

Yet even Japan’s technical progress has revealed, in one sense, and unexpectedly a weak point. It only took the serious damage of one of the approximately fifty Japanese nuclear power plants to cause a new fear of death that is spreading around the world, in addition to the tsunami’s destruction. Nuclear power is a great natural resource which man tries to use for his benefit, but if he loses control of it, it can turn against him. And nobody knows better than the Japanese people the effects of energy released from a nuclear source turned against man.

The safety of nuclear power plants and radioactive waste storage will never be absolute. It is right and necessary to reflect again on the proper use of technological power, its risks and its human price. This crucial topic should never be overlooked from now on.

The law of silence will end

2011-03-28T12:09:00.001+02:00

The time of terrorism is off.

Today is the time of liberation from repression, starting from today people will have the right to think, to speak, to say no, to believe in their country and in their new future full of hope, love and mercy.

Yesterday, people were obliged to accept that “The Man” is always right, he can do everything because he has full authorities, he is the leader, the chief, no one can stop him and no one should ask him why!

Tomorrow, this “Man” will be obliged to recognize that he is wrong, he made a lot of mistakes, his acts were dishonest and corrupt and people have the right to stop him at any time and to ask him to go!!!

History will never forget despotism and cruelty.

Yesterday, was the time of manipulation.

Tomorrow, will be the time of truth.

Yesterday, was the witness of fear and discrimination.

Tomorrow, will be the witness of trust and fairness because dictatorship is false and tyranny is immoral.

Yesterday, nothing was possible, the dream was illusion and the silence was an obligation.

Tomorrow, nothing will be impossible, the dream will come true and the law of silence will end…

Innocents always pay the price

2011-03-28T10:12:00.001+02:00

In revolutions, conflicts, wars, uprisings, always innocents end up paying the price of any outcome. For we have learnt historically that all great and major changes in the world only came after hundreds of thousands were killed and as many injured. Those “unknown” people who are only recognized and counted by numbers, and nobody knows them for they are ordinary people, sometimes less than ordinary. But nevertheless humanity and especially the “free world” owes them a lot.

Historically, the United States of America succeeded to put an end to slavery and became the great nation that we know today, only after a long and painful war that lasted four years (1861-1865) and cost the life of more than 500,000 Americans. The French revolution which started in 1789 met its target and toppled the royal reign after bloody street fights in Paris and after ten years of long Napoleon’s battles which resulted in over 1,000,000 innocent deaths.

In modern history and according to some sources as many as eighty million people have died between 1939 and 1945 (most of them civilians) to put an end to the biggest conflict in history which resulted in putting an end to Nazi and fascist regimes.

More recently in Egypt, the change to democracy and the end of the 30 years old regime has cost so far the Egyptian people a death toll of 500 people, while in Libya the ongoing fights have resulted so far in the loss of thousands of Libyan civilians (exact figures still unknown) and this number is rising on a daily basis.

Innocent blood seems to be the ultimate price that humanity is deemed to pay in order to straighten the course of governments, topple monarchies and to make historical changes. The question remains when or if humanity will reach a stage where such changes will ever occur peacefully and decently, preserving the dignity and the life of human beings.

What is democracy!

2011-03-24T11:21:00.003+01:00

According to the books the democracy is the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives; or
A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them .

According to what is happening in the Middle East, democracy is proclaiming war against civilians, killing people in the name of God and even burning its own country.

After all, who can define exactly what is the meaning of democracy ?

The democracy seems to be the appropriate way to defend the rights of selfish individuals, to obtain interests in some rich countries or to give a reason for violence and aggression.

However, without trying to give the right meaning of the word, I can understand that democracy cannot be divided into parts; it seems to be difficult to split democracy between many political objectives and goals.

Democracy cannot co-exist with bloodshed, revenge or atrocity.

Democracy is the given right of each citizen to live decently and honorably in his country with the fundamental rights that every person should have, notably the right to give his opinion, to speak, to think, to oppose and particularly to be represented by a legislative body, which believes that people’s dignity and rights are more crucial than wealth, authority and power.

Good reasons to invest in Saudi Arabia

2011-03-23T15:53:00.001+01:00

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has proven throughout the years to be one of the favourite and most profitable places in the world to invest in. In fact the KSA has been gaining ranks at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) especially when it comes to the relative ease of establishing and starting up a new business or investment.

Many reasons have contributed to such developments:

Legal forces:

The KSA has gained stability in the region, along with a well structured legal system, political stability and international support, which provide to businessmen and entrepreneurs a very safe environment to invest in.

Demographic-economic forces:

- Saudi Arabia is the richest country in the Middle East and the Muslim world. This is because Saudi Arabia holds one of the world's largest proven oil reserves.
Residents from diverse cultures and background constitute Saudi complex society. Highly ranked executives, middle management employees, global investors, powerful entrepreneurs, these are the added value to such strong economy.

- The principal growth sectors are energy production and manufacturing, yet high-class tourism and international finance are the new sectors that are booming.

- The SAGIA (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority) which is in the process of building an additional four mega economic cities around the kingdom, these cities represent the best environment for foreign businessmen and entrepreneurs to start up their own business with a 100% ownership.

- The CMA (Capital Markets Authority) that offers 100% foreign ownership, and a tailor-made financial regulatory system with laws taken from best practices in other leading financial centers like New York, London, and Singapore.

- The GDP (Growth Domestic Product) per capita is in a constant development.

Technological:

Saudi Arabia has a current strong emphasis on technological advancement; it creates a good opportunity for all entrepreneurs and global investors to start up their business in such environment.
On a financial view, technology plays an important role especially in the field of telecommunications, computing and advanced software improving the quality of services and returns to clients.

Social-Cultural:

Immigrants make up a large percentage of the Saudi workforce, which creates healthy social interrelations.
Hence, traditional forms of art and culture are preserved, diversification is however evident.

Potential Customers & investors:

Saudi Arabia's society offers the opportunity to target potential clients that would be interested in investments such as entrepreneurs, investors, high classed executives and wealthy individuals, which can prove the high growth of such commodities in the Saudi markets.

Barack Obama humble because smart

2011-03-22T14:14:00.001+01:00

Every day we watch on TVs famous celebrities like actors, singers and politicians using their physical beauty, their wealth and power or even their body to appear and to create their own world of authority, desire and even lies.

Simplicity and spontaneity are not the trend anymore, values and principles are becoming old fashioned.

But how did Barack Obama manage to become the US President, what did he use to make his dream come true: his physical beauty, his wealth or his influence?

How is he doing to sustain his good leadership! Using the accurate and respectable wordings in all of his speeches, speaking with people with modesty and kindness and especially inviting people to open their hearts to accept the others and to build a new future.

Isn’t he the President of the United States? Shouldn’t he be raising his head, walking with great pride, addressing Nations in sophisticated kinds of speeches, talking with relative arrogance to people who wait for hours on the streets to cheer him or catch a smile from him?

Rather, he plays football with children, eats ice cream in the street and invites his friend for a hamburger lunch, and greets the white house staff as friends.

If I were Barack Obama, I would remind myself everyday that I’m the strongest man in the world, I would act accordingly and use my full authority to influence people and try to impose my opinions and thoughts.

But it seems that physical beauty, wealth and power are not the keys to be “the MAN”, The US President must have something else!

If we happen to be as intelligent as Barack Obama we would remember everyday that humbleness is stronger than power, more generous than wealth and more attractive than physical beauty.

People of Japan: magnificent strength!

2011-03-21T12:00:00.001+01:00

I always asked myself how did Japanese people manage to become one of the biggest economies in the world, I know very well that Japanese people are very nice and smart but my question was always the same, how did this Country become so strong?

After the earthquake disaster, I was watching on TV the Japanese people and I was surprised: They were crying and they were praying for their missing beloved persons but they were, in the same time, incredibly calm and serene believing that Japan will be rebuilt again and very soon.

And I saw that most of them were leaving involuntarily their homes to avoid nuclear radiations and death, and in spite of such distress they still wanted to stay in their Country even without home or food.

Today I’m asking myself if everyone of us is able to remain quiet and peaceful in such circumstances?

Is everyone of us able to pray and to hope even when he loses his family?

Is everyone of us able to keep believing even when, he feels that he lost everything?

Dear People of Japan, sorry because I still didn’t understand how can we build countries! With money? with weapons? with violence? with dictatorships?

Japan is the greatest example that nations are built with love, hope and a strong determination to restart when everything has been lost.

Saving the Libyan people or the Libyan oil?

2011-03-20T15:42:00.004+01:00

Libya is an oil rich country and one of the world's top exporters of the black gold. The recent massive military intervention from the US, France and the UK in Libya is not a totally candid intervention with strictly humanitarian goals, in fact many analysts are beginning to argue whether such a global military action would have occured if the country in question were to be an oil-poor country with no resources.

The recent events in the world have shown the impact of high oil prices on western economies, especially on industrialized countries. We have seen lately Central Bankers notably from Europe and the US struggling to find a balance between the increasing inflation due to constantly rising oil prices and the recession due to the financial crisis. Add to the fact that France and the UK depend on the Gulf countries for their oil imports and on Russia for their natural gaz. The recent uprising events in Libya have created the perfect environment for the super powers to put their foot and have a physical presence on the rich soil of Benghazi, where most of Libya's proven reserves are contained. It is also a moral response and a noble move to save civilian lives from Kaddafi's massacres.

This military move will certainly reduce the oil dependance of the industialized nations from battered oil producing countries.

While many African countires have suffered on many occasions several massacres and blood sheds, never such a military intervention has ever been observed. It would be certainly naive to deny the fact about oil and consider that the super powers are only doing this for mankind's sake! The next scenario would probably be the one like foreign military bases on the Libyan soil to "protect" the Libyan treasures as it has been the case with US military bases in Iraq for more than 20 years.