FAK Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is no softie when it comes to ‘crime fighting’ so why I ask would it decide now is the time to take the kinder, gentler approach to punishment? I mean, this is a country that still believes in the good ole death penalty via stoning, hanging and/or firing squad. It’s a bizarrely warped place where raped women must fear being punished as adulterers and face stoning death rather than receiving accurate recognition as VICTIMS and treated rightfully to needed medical care while being assured the justice system will punish their attackers. Nah, that’s not how things work in Saudi Arabia. Victims are punished and criminals – at least criminals in the eyes of most logical people – either go free or in the case of admitted al Qaeda supporters, are treated to a stay at the Saudi prison system equivalent of Club Med.

Isn’t this lovely? According to a University of Washington report, every year more and more bloggers are being arrested and prosecuted for committing the felonious ‘crime’ of freedom of speech. More than half the arrests since 2003 occurred in some of our favorite countries like China, Iran, and Egypt where you could be sentenced to jail time for daring to say: WHAT THE FAK especially regarding the naughty topics like human rights abuses and government corruption. Gee, if these governments aren’t guilty of such things, then why are they punishing those who expose them? I think we’re seeing a great exhibit of the old saying: The more they deny it, the more you know it to be true. Just think Bush administration folks. Every time W or his boys assure us something is more definitely not true, what do we find to be absolutely wholeheartedly true? That which he denied the most vehemently of course!

Guys: Can’t get it up? Blame a woman – at least that seems to be what’s happening in the story of this woman Fawza Falih who’s been sentenced to death for witchcraft in our favorite faked-up place: Saudi Arabia where a man’s problem is ALWAYS a woman’s fault.

Typical Saudi injustice system shenanigans: accuse someone of a nonsensical, far-fetched crime so imaginatively unreasonable you can’t possibly believe any justice system would take it seriously – but then remember there is a faked up place called Saudi Arabia where they sentence women to death for such bizarre crimes like a man’s impotence; the direction of the wind or the position of the sun in the sky if it displeases some man; taking too many breaths per hour which depletes oxygen levels for the male population; bearing ugly children even if she’s stunningly beautiful and dad’s a hideous beast - it’s her womb’s crime for failing to erase dad’s repulsive qualities from the child before giving birth to it. It’s always the woman’s fault in Saudi Arabia even for things upon which she has ZERO control or influence.

I am sure you are wondering what do two far-away countries have in common between each other and Valentine's Day. Perhaps they regular readers of this blog (if there are any) already know the answer because they can understand how I think. For all the others keep reading until it becomes apparent to you that, indeed, Valentine's Day, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines do have something in common.

I could try to give you a hint but it would have helped if you were a regular visitor of the BBC web site. Anyhow, I am sure that just by looking at the tags of this story you could get the basis of the story. It is about consumerism, religion and health. If you are still wondering then just keep reading. I hope that it will become clear to you.

You’ve seen the marketing campaigns boasting: ‘Everything is bigger in Texas.’ Too bad this now includes a new environmentally detrimental claim to fame according to a recent AP story.

Texas is the biggest, baddest state - environmentally speaking - with the highest level of carbon emissions in the U.S. thanks to a combination of culprits such as coal-burning power plants, oil and gas refineries, post-BBQ flatulence, and excessive, unnecessary vehicle emissions spewed forth by the preferred vehicle of Texas: big, gas-guzzling trucks. Whether or not they have anything to haul, Texans LOVE their pickup trucks or some other ridiculously huge vehicle with passenger capacity of 8 but usually only ever transporting ONE human being from point A to B with cargo that would easily fit in a Toyota Matrix and not even with the seat down! YEEHAW!