Unguided Blog

What happens when you combine oriental shrewdness with modern business practices? I can not help but think about it when I read the post EGYPT: What’s beyond traffic?! at Babylon & Beyond in Los Angeles Times. This is the paragraph to blame:

The new law has been met with several suspicions: First, many people allege the heavy fines aim at extracting more resources for the indebted treasury while others believe that the imposition of new safety measures aim at benefiting government-supported businessmen who would allegedly be involved in the importation of anti-reflection stop triangles, first-aid kits and fire extinguishers, which are now required in all cars. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif had reportedly denied such accusations saying that the government just sought to tighten safety measures and eliminate traffic jams.

Ignoring Prime Minister Nazif’s comment, I have nothing to say about government-supported businesses will benefit most, because it is a certainty. I have doubts, though, if they will succeed pulling up the sorely needed resources to beef up the treasury. As the writer has pointed out:

On the contrary, the new law is believed to have opened a new door for more corruption as it gives cops a better chance to ask for higher bribes and turn a blind eye to violations in return.

If they are not careful, the new law is indeed likely to increase bribes while not being registered in inflation statistics for they are completely off the record, and leave the treasury empty like it usually has been before. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to every difficult problem as Occam had proved with its razor long time ago. Our elders have said: “There is no need to rediscover America, it has already been discovered.” For the Egyptian officials, this typically translates to: Follow our beautiful government (you, dear readers, follow me).

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It’s a good thing we have computers, isn’t it?

The Sun now rose upon the right :
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind,
But no sweet bird did follow,
Nor any day for food or play
Came to the mariners’ hollo !

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Image: CanS ©2008

Many times I come across pictures of ideal workplaces that people post and hope they will be working in not so far future. Granted, they are all shiny, cozy, furnished with modern high-tech gadgets and equipment, though not as good as eco friendly home furnishings at www.BobbyBerkHome.com and presumably they are what the scientists heartily recommend, labor unions seek, and the workforce fantasize about.

However, people of ancient cities like Jerusalem, Cairo, Istanbul etc have other concerns. They literally sit on history. Virtually in every corner of those towns some sort of artifact pops out. They can not get rid of them and finances are always thin to restore them all. They can not renovate, hence they innovate.

Here is a small selection from our collection:[1]

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It is nice to live in a place where you can keep therapist expenses at a minimum. Few consider its home town as a holiday destination. By definition, it has to be far away, 5 to 15 hours must be spent (wasted) in transit plus a good deal of money for accommodation.

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