Trying to Watch Chelsea vs Man U game Online, Didn’t Go Very Well

I was trying to watch yesterdays English Premier League game between Chelsea and Manchester United online via Abu Dhabi’s online offering. Its much more convenient and I wanted to get some things done during the game rather than  just focus what I thought would be a boring clash (boy was I wrong). Plus, I paid almost 20KD for it I might as well use it.

The problem was the service I paid for just didn’t want to work. I stared at the black box for a solid 3-5 minutes before giving up and switching the TV on. This isn’t the first time this has happened to me, it mostly happens during important/big games. It looks like that their servers cant handle the bandwidth required.

I kept the browser pointed at the games stream webpage and it started 8 minutes into the game but that wasn’t the end of it. The game didn’t run smoothly at all and was really stuttery throughout. It played for 15-20 seconds and then hangs for another 20-30 seconds. That wasn’t a fun experience.

The free streaming video that I got from a Russian website on the other hand played without a hitch. Which makes things even more frustrating.

This is going to be the final year I subscribe to the online portion of the EPL via Abu Dhabi. I had the same problem last year but was optimistic and thought they must have fixed what was broken.

So That’s Why You Don’t Throw A Firecracker Down A Manhole?

in Xiangtan, China a man hand his 2 kids light a firecracker and tries to throw it down the manhole but the firecracker ignites the methane gas in the sewers and blows the manhole cover that travels to 3 stories high and partially crushes a balcony in the way down. The explosion was so intense the it took the fathers clothes off. It looks like they all lived.

The 80’s in A Nutshell

For all of you who missed out on the 80’s, this music video gives a general idea on how it like back then. The Karate Rap. Damn, the 80s were weird.

I Don’t Know Jeff

Chris Kamara must be the funniest guy in football. The Soccer Saturday presenter usually on the field and has some funny moments.

Other Funny moments.

Kamara also provided commentary and basic motion capture for Chris Kamara’s Street Soccer released on the PlayStation back in 2000. It was one stupid game.

Best Goals of the Week

A back-heel kick from outside the penalty box is a bit excessive.

Be Carful What You Say On Twitter

Don’t even think of joking on twitter as 2 British tourists got detained and deported due to a couple of tweets they made.

Leigh Van Bryan tweeted saying that he will “go destroy America”. Destroy, as Van Bryan tried to explain to US officials at LAX, was British slang for partying. But they didn’t seem to buy it.

They were then quizzed for hours, handcuffed and locked up overnight.

According to a report in the Sun the pair were held by armed guards and quizzed for five hours before being handcuffed, put in a van with illegal immigrants and locked up for 12 hours in separate holding cells before being put on a flight back home.

Source

The Taliban Special Forces

This might be the most intense video on YouTube. Its was like watching executions without anyone dying. They still might die later from mercury poisoning though.

The Keyboard is Here

Last week I mentioned that I got the Asus Transformer Prime Android tablet but the keyboard was still stuck in my Aramex’s mailbox back in the States. Yesterday, it arrived and I hooked the keyboard to the tablet which was a easy process and gained some extra functionality.

The device looks great as I mentioned in my tablet post, it is wonderfully built and designed, the keyboard dock fits perfectly into the overall design. Asus did an excellent job.

I still think that the software is a bit lagging. Android ICS 4.0 was just released but also to take into consideration that the physical keyboard form factor isn’t standard. So we’ll se if the developers make use of it.

I still have to test it out thoroughly before passing final judgment, that might take a couple of weeks.

The iPhone i+Case

A few days ago I got an Aramex package containing some iPhone cases the I ordered a couple of months ago via Kickstarter. The i+Case reminds me a lot of the Element Case’s Vapor case for the iPhone that I previously owned. But the i-Case is more compact and I can use 3rd party chargers, A problem I hated when I was using the Vapor.

I really loved the high quality of the compact screwdriver and the fact it has button extensions. But as it is with this type of cases, you can’t take it off unless you got the miniature screwdriver with you.

I also dislike the mute button extension, its not as firm and secure in its position as the rest of the case, I’m not sure if its only a problem with that particular case or if it is a design flaw.

There is also a signal  loss issue according to some users. They confirmed that but its not that serious and I haven’t  noticed it that much. Especially since the iPhone is not my main phone.

All in all, I really love the case so far and haven’t got any major issues with it during the 18 hours that I have had it installed.

A New Kuwaiti Landmark: Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice

Last Thursday, my wife was lucky enough to be invited for the opening of Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice. The place is amazing and is a wonderful accomplishment. This was the graduation project of Mrs. Alia Al-Ghunaim, Hats-off to her.

Under the umbrella of Kuwait Association for the Care of Children in Hospital, we started a home care team to provide palliative care for children with life-threatening conditions in 2006, and have since supported over 80 terminally ill children, and their families.

The playful, child-friendly principles of the architecture of Bayt Abdullah were followed through in the design of the interiors by NBBJ of Columbia, Ohio who are leaders in the field of children’s hospital design.

With guidance from our International Scientific Advisory Board, by learning from and collaborating with established Centres of Excellence such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota…

Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice will provide pediatric palliative care for children in Kuwait with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

A gymnasium and Hydrotherapy pool provide facilities for fun, games, rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Bayt Abdullah Theatre is professionally designed to accommodate different types of performances and entertainment and will also provide therapeutic activities such as Art, Music and Drama therapy.

… we have looked after made wishes to visit Disney Land but few could make the journey. Alia Al Ghunaim, the architect of Bayt Abdullah, decided to give all our children the opportunity to experience the thrills and fun of the fairground by incorporating a Ferris Wheel, Magic Carpet, Rooftop Walkway and Observation Tower in her design.

Eleven chalets give our families the opportunity to have short holidays away from home at a time when it may be difficult for them to travel.

Inpatient facilities are located on the first floor, above the library and cafeteria, overlooking the roofs of the chalets, and facing the sea. There are 6 mother and children suites and 4 mother and baby suites.

This is one of the most wonderful projects not just have been completed, but have been thought out in recent time. Its groundbreaking for Kuwait and the region.

It took 6 years for this project to become a reality while other major projects in the country are still in limbo.

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