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Matias you never fail to crack me up. :)

We had regular visits (at least once a month) from both the mutawwas (Islamic police) and the shurta (regular police) to make sure everything was according to the rules of Shariah. Our compound being in the jurisdiction of the capital may have something to do with that (as opposed to Dhahran...

Your experience in Saudi Arabia is perhaps different to the experience I had when I lived there for over a decade. Besides ARAMCO is in Dhahran and is not the only compound in Saudi Arabia. I'm lost as to why ARAMCO is even part of the discussion here. The guy got caught transporting alcohol. He...

Dubai, half the bars are filled with Saudis. Some years ago a couple of Saudis had so much to drink that they paid for the alcohol by selling their car. The Saudi embassy arranged for a flight back for them (probably ended up in jail if they weren't royals).

LOL and slightly less free than a unicorn. If its for a conference then I would assume her trip to Saudi Arabia would consist of being driven from the airport to the hotel where the conference is being held, attend the conference, be driven back to the airport. If she's in Riyadh then she will...

They're not "tolerated" in Saudi Arabia. The guards have to be paid to tip off the residents when the mutawwas (the Islamic police) and the regular police are on their way for inspections. People in the compound I lived in had spare bathrooms where they stored their home-made alcohol and where...

Alcohol is illegal according to shariah, the law enforced in Saudi Arabia. You'd think a guy who's lived in that hell hole for 25 years would know that. As for visiting the place, don't worry, they don't even have tourist visas. EDIT: Just to clarify, that culture and their laws are outright...

I think its too late. Macri ran on "we will not work with anyone who was part of the current admin and Massa is worse than the devil himself". What choice does he really have now? Turn around and say sorry? I think Macri and Massa should have been together. I don't think legally they can do...

I don't know what they can do now but I think not doing a pact with Massa was a horrendous political move on Macri's part. And his recent actions seem to show that he realizes his mistake but now he's in a bind. When I watched the debate, I couldn't tell the difference between most anyone. Marci...

Not only are corporate taxes lower in Scandinavian countries, they are also yet to introduce the very successful economic model of "rape the tax payer and reward the thieves and corrupt politicians; when people question why things are so bad, blame the yanquis and the evil corporations"...

Anyone not well versed in Spanish yet, please don't use "la puta" to refer to a "dancer". It will not go well for you.

Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

The Syrian (and Iraq) problem is a sectarian one that has been around for the last 1400 years (way before Israel and the US even existed). Its nice and in fashion to want to blame third parties but in this one the only folks to blame are those that stick to the "whoever is different to me is an...

How inconsiderate of you! Terrorists have feelings too! They too wish to be comfortable while carrying out their daily duties like decapitating those they don't like! Don't generalize! You don't know their story! They may have PTSD, or something... If we could all just love each other man...

They are trans-national. They were born Pakistani but they feel like they've always been Syrian?

You guys mean to tell me Matias's posts are not satire? :(

Maybe. Because we're clearly not here as economic migrants.

Having lived in the Middle East (mostly in places run according to Sharia) most of my life I am surprised ANYONE would be into it, let alone Europeans. But yes, we are lucky we had Mama Kirchner instead of Mama Merkel. Although, other than the BS that is Sharia, we apparently didn't need...

Election season is just awesome. Justice system works like they're high on RedBull. They work so beautifully that a lot of the times they find evidence where none exists. :wub:

The US health insurance system was/is not freer market at all. The fact that one couldn't purchase health insurance across state lines because of overwhelming regulations in and of itself kills competition and hence by definition is not free market. In fact it is one of the best examples of what...