We’re off to Amsterdam for a week to produce 5 (yes, five) corporate videos in 7 days!

Needless to say, we’ll be a bit busy. So please hold the fort while I’m away. I’ll try to pop in as often as I can, but expect delays in responses and posts please.

Until my return, and in the spirit of the Den, The Mahmood’s Den Scapegoat of the Moment shall be….

The protestors and crew of the Feedom Flotilla.

Pay your respects, admiration or anger in the comments.

After a long hiatus, MtvSM is back in lights!

What’s MtvSM I hear you ask? It’s that ancient Mahmood’s Den tradition where I authorise you to completely and unequivocally to lay the blame on a person or entity of my choosing. Fear not, they are not defenceless, they can – and have often done and are encouraged to – rebut your blames and claims or succumb to their inevitable premature death if they choose not to.

So my friends, this time, the honour goes to a friend who heretofore goes by a mere moniker and it’s up to them to make themselves known should they wish to. Regardless though, they still shall take the blame while I’m off on my business travels. For a whole week. So until I return, please do help me resurrect this tradition by copiously laying the blame at the feat of:

D K!

I completely blame DK for the Swine Flu and the opportunism of the Islamists who should blame DK for this pandemic, rather than killing defenceless and delicious piglets throughout the Umma.

I sit here now in the lounge waiting for my flight and see the dread painted on each of my fellow traveller’s faces when anyone sniffles, let alone sneezes!

Yes DK, you are to blame for this. You should be completely ashamed of yourself!

I’m off on my travels again, this time to Casablanca, Morocco to attend the North Africa Citizen Journalism Workshop where I will be present on two panels and look forward to learning from the others’ experiences, and hope to impart some of mine too.

Now, keeping with the Den’s traditions, it behooves me to announce the person who shall be blamed for anything and everything that happens in the world, in your personal lives, in your cat’s or other pets’, your car, anything at all, until I return; and that person, this time, shall be:

So go on and visit her blog and enter your blames and frustrations here. It is after all, her fault!

hehe

It’s that time again.. I’m in the airport awaiting my flight to Jordan and it suddenly hit me that I didn’t announce the traditional Mahmood’s Den Scapegoat of the Moment! Silly me.

Alrighty then… I don’t think there is anything nor anyone more deserving of very valid blame other than…

The Parliament!

If I were to be generous, I would happily share the MtvSM privilege with the CIO or eGov or whatever you want to call those brainiacs who think that being transparent means embarrassing a whole swathe of our countrymen by publishing their names without consent and displaying them as paupers awaiting a measly handout of BD50, rather than deserving human beings who should very well share the wealth of their country. But I’m not in a very generous mood at the moment.

Therefore, please do blame all the ills of the world generally, and ours specifically on this joke of a parliament. One that is diligently trying to reduce its efficacy even more than what it is at the moment and one that is thinking in nothing more than a narrow and short-sighted sectarian way to further encumber itself – and by inference our whole country and society – with restrictions and completely voiding itself from the limited responsibility they have been given.

All this without paying heed to what is happening in the world around us. Even Nepal and Bhutan will deservedly pass us by as they develop their democratic, social and economic systems and we’re still in this sectarian and tribal mentality, thanks to this parliament, its bylaws and our constitution.

Someone should look into the Bhutan situation; a country that measures itself not by Gross National Product, but by a hippy-like Gross National Happiness. Even with that, their far-sighted king imposes democracy by changing his country from an absolute monarchy through to a constitutional one.

Enough rants for now, they are about to call me to the plane… in any case, you have the MtvSM has been announced and I invite you – my friends – to go ahead and give them several pieces of your minds.

Au revoir

In keeping with the Den’s traditions, I have the honour in announcing the Scapegoat of the Moment who will have the unbridled responsibility of carrying ALL of the world’s ills on her shoulder; moreover, she will have to wear a beaming smile while doing so. Frowning and grumbling she is absolutely not allowed.

This she will do while I freeze my butt off in Washington DC and New York until my return to the homeland on March 7th.

Therefore, without further ado, I hereby announce that the Mahmood’s Den Scapegoat of the Moment to be:

bint Battuta!

So if you wake up with a huge wart on your forehead, it’s bint Battuta’s fault; if you get food poisoning, it’s her doing; if Obama folds to Hillary, it’s absolutely bint Battuta’s doing. If it starts snowing in Bahrain at 40 degrees C, you know who is to blame; if you crash your car, you can bet that she had something to do with it.

You get the picture, I think.

My friends, go ahead and lay the blame at her feet without an atom of guilt, so let it rip and unwind, courtesy of the famed female traveller!

Yep, it’s that time again. I’m off on a short trip to lovely Amman, Jordan this afternoon. So in the tradition of Mtv, it gives me great pleasure to announce this time’s Scapegoat of the Moment [MtvSM™]:

Amal aka enTaiFah

That means that she is to blame for all the ills of the world and then some, until I come back!

You really think that the Tubli Bay environmental disaster happened all by itself? What about the Malkiya on-again-off-again fish traps and wall? Saddad’s wall? The almost completed unauthorised shopping centre in A’ali? The desecration of the Tree of Life?

No, they are all due to enTaiFah‘s carelessness and collusion (and she’s also to blame for me using longish words which are completely unnecessary)!

She was also very instrumental in our dear beloved Prime Minister receiving the 2006 Special Citation of the Habitat Scroll of Honour Award

See you all in a couple of days’ time.

Yep, it’s that time again. I’ll be off on my travels for a couple of days, so until my return, please feel completely free to blame ALL ills in the world or your personal sphere, any bad experience, marital break-ups, horse breaking a leg, Lebanese 2nd civil war, Israel being swallowed by a huge whale, Bahrain turning completely democratic, any bad news like that, on:

tarataraaaaa

have fun and don’t spare them any change, they don’t deserve the generosity!

Yep, it’s that time again where we carry on the tradition of the Den and hereby declare that as I shall be enjoying the environs of Doha and reveling in the brainfood provided by the Rand Corporation’s Creative Use of the Media for Tolerance & Understanding conference in which I shall be speaking of my personal experiences with blogging and harassment, I would like to announce that for the next 3 days, you are required to blame anything bad happening in the world on…

So if there is a tornado somewhere, it’s SBG’s doing; if a plane crashes and burns a whole town, it’s also her doing; if war breaks out anywhere in the world, it’s SBG to blame, and even Bush can blame her for the horrendous and completely impolite receptions he has had to endure during his 5 nation South American tour!

So go ahead… spill your hear and tears, SBG is to blame!

Especially after teasing me mercilessly with attending the Orchids show in Toronto

The tradition continues… I’m off on my travels again, and that means that someone’s got to be the Scapegoat on whom the ills of the world shall be blamed!

If you’re not familiar with this, the most ancient of traditions in the Bahraini blogosphere, then hearken unto me and looksee here for your edification. ’tis the Hall of Scapegoat Fame!

So the scapegoat of the moment is none other than:

Blame everything on her! If a plane crashes, it’s because of her; if you miss an appointment, it’s Esra’a; if you fight with your spouce, again, it’s her; if Israel decides to invade Bahrain to avenge Mucheru’s honour, it’s most definitely Esra’a's fault, if the coffee walla gives you (horror of horrors) latte instead of your designer white-chocolate-mocha-frapachino-extra-hot-extra-foam-with-cream, then it most definitely is Esra’a's fault!

That is, until I come back to Bahrain… so this is your open space, rant, rave, blame, castigate Bush, or beat about the bush here… have fun, be nice and polite too, that will add to the fun part too.

See you in a week.

In celebration of me going off to Beirut for the first time ever, what better chance is there to put the blame of all the world and everyone’s personal life on a Bahraini living in Lebanon at the moment?

So without further ado, let me introduce the Mahmood’s Den Scapegoat of the Moment….

So have at him people! He’s the reason that the world is so screwed up! But please allow me to be the first first to level blame on him….

MoClipper is the reason that my passion flower tree decided for the first time since it was planted a year ago to put up the most gorgeous bud and it is promising to open – the very first passion flower – in the next couple of days! The plant that I have nursed and poured much love on is about to have its babies and I’m not around! And all because of that bloody Clipper!

I know I’ll have access to the internet so I might pop in from time to time, so if you’re in Beirut and want to hang out, leave me a comment here or fill in the contact form… I’m leaving back to Bahrain on Saturday afternoon.

Yep, it’s that time again. I’ve leaving for a quick business trip to Dubai this evening, coming back Wednesday afternoon. So until then, and in keeping with the traditions of the Den, the MtvSM is non other than:

Peter Kaliaropoulos

The Chief Executive of Batelco, the very one who should be blamed for all ills of the world until I come back from the trip. I’m sure a couple of days are not enough to bestow the pleasures of MtvSM on him, but it’s better than nothing.

Rules of the game: We do NOT hold Peter personally responsible for the Batelco fiasco regarding the recently announced unfair ADSL packages, we also are not and shall not take things personally. Our mission is to show Batelco, the legal entity, the money-making empire, the sole monopolistic creativity throttling entity, not its respected and honourable workers, managers, executives nor even the members of its board.

Keeping all of that in mind, Peter is to be blamed for all the ills of the world; be that another tidal wave, the situation in Iraq, if it doesn’t rain when rain-prayers are called, the thriving devil worshipping culture in Bahrain, your flat tyre, your plants dying, you wanting to kill your sibling because of something stupid s/he has done… ALL of that is due to Peter directly!

So have at him guys and gals, you only have about 48 hours to vent your spleens!

It’s been some time since we had fun with a scapegoat, I haven’t travelled much lately, but today – and in a middle of a sandstorm! (keep you fingers crossed) – I’m off to Dubai for a couple of days to participate in the Dubai Press Club’s Arab Media Forum.

So, in the tradition of the Den, I must announce an MtvSM, who this time is….

The rules are really simple, blame Tawfiq for everything, and as he is a member of the steering committee of the largest Bahraini political party, Al-Wefaq, he should especially be blamed for the almost sure thing of Jassim Al-Saidi not only most probably being re-elected, but probably going to be the new chairman of the parliament! (full disclosure, not my idea and I heard it mentioned by a friend after which I felt bitch-slapped by him!)

I’m taking my laptop with me in the hope that I will blog this conference, so you might see some posts from me in that regard.

See you in a couple of days, and have fun!

Peace.

As you already know, I’m off to Dubai tonight, so in keeping with our traditions, here’s this time’s MtvSM:

eMoodz

From now until I return Wednesday night, Mohammed Al-Maskati is the source of ALL evil in the world, he is to blame for everything that happens in and out of Bahrain. If your website is broken, it’s his fault, if your “fast” ADSL connection to the internet courtesy of Batelco is slower than dialup of 10 years ago it’s his fault, if your car won’t start it’s his fault, if your wife caught you cheating with the neighbour’s poodle it’s his fault (even more his fault if you’re caught cheating with the neighbour!) if you fail your exam it’s his fault, if you don’t get that promotion you so richly deserve it’s his fault, if you get caught in one of those fashionable demonstrations on your way home it’s his fault, if the Ministry of Electricity tries to embezzle BD80,000 of your hard won money to pump more electricity to your factory without which you cannot grow (knowing that outlay will hurt your operations for at least a couple of years) rather than use an alternative that won’t go beyond BD 15,000 with the result that the factory leaves the island and leaves more than 40 families without a job for their bread-winner, of course it’s his fault!

See ya!

I know it’s the end of Ramadhan, and I know that this time should be spent in reflection and be near families and friends.. unfortunately one of the heathen companies I represent insists on flouting cultural norms and forces us to attend its training courses regardless… but looking at the bright side as you know I always do, this has forced me to do something constructive during Ramadhan! The first in a very long time I can tell you (yes, I am to blame and hold your hate mails) so they should really be thanked for plucking us (this event is for the whole Middle East) from our Ramadhan-induced lethargy to do something constructive.

To cut it short, I’ll be off for three days on a business trip, and in keeping with the time-honoured Mtv tradition, I hereby declare that The Chosen One to be the MtvSM is none other than:

The Joker

It is him that should be blamed for Ahmadinejad‘s humongous brainfart. He’s also to blame of course for the South Asian Earthquake (and as winter is approaching, I beseech you all to give, even if it is a very small amount, everything helps) and whatever ills the world suffers from in the next few days… and of course he’s also responsible for the Shi’a clerics fighting the Family Status Law codification by tooth and nail!

So, The Joker deserves to be dumped on until I return.

You can even use this post as an open thread if you wish!

It’s my annual trip to Amsterdam to attend the International Broadcasters’ Convention to see and be seen, to visit and shake hands, to host some customers, and investigate the latest trends in our industry. And other very very tiring stuff. I tell you it’s going to be a slog… as it usually is.

So in the tradition of Mtv, here’s the guy who is to blame not only for Katrina, the tonne of bullets that ripped into a house in Dammam yesterday which killed 3 terrorist, 4 policemen and 13 bystanders, and the very existence and ludicrocity of the BNA and everything that needs someone to be blamed for in the world, is non other than:

Desert Island Boy

So have at him people!

This trip is longer than my usual day-trips, this one is a week long, so behave (not too much) and see you all when I get back. I’m not sure how much internet access I’ll be able to have, but I shall check in from time to time.

Peace.