Gregarius » 2:48AM [The B-Sides]

2:48AM [The B-Sides] (10 unread)

New Wide License Plates

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 12:08pm PDT by Mark

I heard rumors ages ago that they would be introducing wide license plates and it seems the rumors came true because Mrs F over at Tidbit Du Jour spotted one and took a picture. It’s about time! [Link]
Want to star in an ad?

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 6:29am PDT by Mark

A friend of mine is starting a small casting business here in Kuwait. She’s looking for people who are interested in starring in ads that will appear locally and regionally. I told her I would help her out by spreading the word so if you’re interested in making some extra cash while starring in TV commercials or photo shoots then email her on castingkuwait@gmail.com

Please send your picture along with your contact details and age.
My FJ Tint

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:04am PDT by Mark

Last week I did two things to my FJ Cruiser, the first thing was getting a tint and the second thing was installing the sound system I had previously posted about. I’ve been wanting to get a tint for ages now but it would have been really useless on the Wrangler since even if I tinted the windows I would still get a lot of heat come in from the roof since it didn’t have any kind of insulation, just bare plastic.

Anyway, all my friends got their tints done at Huper Optik whom I’ve posted about before when they participated in the Eid giveaway so I decided to get my tint there as well. Choosing the type of tint I wanted wasn’t too difficult since I just checked out everyone’s car outside our weekly diwaniya and decided to go with C40 tint all around and C70 tint in the front.

There are different colored tints from practically transparent to extremely dark and each one of them has a different amount of heat and UV rejection. C40 is a dark tint (not too dark) while C70 is a nearly clear tint. You can see some of the different types in the picture below, the one with the arrow is the C40. Here is also a link with info on the C40 [Link] and here is one for the C70 [Link]

What’s great about the C40 tint is that when you’re inside the car it doesn’t feel like it’s tinted which means it doesn’t effect night time driving. But, when you look at it from the outside you can tell its tinted which my black car looks great. I kept the front window with nearly no tint so that the car doesn’t end up too dark inside since I’ve got a completely black interior as well.

If you’re interested in getting your car tint Huper Optik have the best tints in Kuwait. They’re located in Al Rai and their telephone number is 24719999. When I passed by they had an offer where you could get up to a KD130 discount when you tint your car and install front protection (transparent material that protects your car from rocks and getting sand blasted). My next car post will be about the sound system install, I found a very cool place that did everything for me to stay tuned for that.

www.huperoptik-kw.com and www.huperoptik.com

Check out Marzouqs review of Hüper Optik (he’s got better pics and more specific details) [Here]

7 Weeks Later

Posted: March 13th, 2010, 1:24pm PST by Mark

Back in January I joined Core Fitness and the first thing they did was take my measurements so I can compare them 7 weeks later. Well it’s been 7 weeks and I finished my first course and here are the results:

	Before	After
Weight	84.7kg	80kg
BMI	25	23.6
BMR	1946kcal	1881kcal
Fat	20%	17%
Fat Mass	16.9kg	13.6kg
Fat Free Mass	67.8kg	66.4kg
Total Body Water	49.6kg	48.6kg

Chest	99cm	101cm
Shoulder Girdle	55cm	57cm
Thighs	56cm	58cm
Arms	28.5cm	29.5cm
Hips	105cm	100cm
Waist	98cm	93.5cm

What do these numbers mean? Basically my weight has gone down from 84.7 to 80 and that includes gaining around 1.7kg of muscle. I’ve lost fat around my waist and hips (I actually had to add two new holes on my belts) and I’ve added muscle to my other areas like chest, shoulders, thighs and arms. My aim wasn’t to lose weight but gain muscle mass and right now I’m actually below my ideal weight. But, this is just the middle area because I’ve lost weight in fat and now will gain weight with muscle which is why most probably when I get measurements again in 7 weeks time I would either be the same weight or hopefully more.

The first week was very intense, I didn’t puke but I very nearly did, like just about to but didn’t. It was a killer and it scared the shit out of me but I kept going back and I now actually enjoy going to the gym. Even though its still exhausting, I no longer feel like I am going to die from a heart attack or puke. The lessons are as advertised, just 20 minutes long and I go 3 times a week. I’ve refused to do any work out or cardio during my off days since what attracted me to Core Fitness was the 20 minutes 3 times a week selling line. 20 minutes 3 times a week was all the time I had to give and wanted to give and I’ve stuck to my guns. My cardio hasn’t improved that much because of that since I was advised to run during my off days.

Every week I have a different trainer that takes me through the 20 minutes of workout. Whats cool about that is every trainer has their own style of training and exercises so once my body feels like it’s getting used to a routine, my trainers change and I’ve suddenly got to survive and get used to a new routine. After every 20 minute session I get a fully body stretch out by the trainer which is nearly as grueling as the 20 minute workout.

One of the cool things I like about Core is the SMS’s I get on the day of my workouts. They serve as a reminder on what time my course is but they also provide health tips as well like the following:

Hi Mark! Workout today at 8:20PM! FYI: Drink 1 glass of cold water 15min before a meal gives your metablism a 25% boost!

Hi Mark! Workout today at 8:00PM! FYI: Studies show that people who drink 3 servings per day of Green Tea lost more fat around their midsection

Hi Mark! Workout today at 8:00PM! FYI: Pizza? Choose Domino’s. 1 small order, thin slices, add anything, but ditch the ground beef and pepperoni

I was given a nutritional plan when I first started which you can see [Here]. It wasn’t too difficult to stick to since it mostly involved eating what I usually eat. The biggest change was the breakfast and dinner. Breakfast I used to have pancakes from McDonalds while dinner I used to have a lot of carbs (3 turkey & cheese sandwiches or bread with labneh for example). For breakfast I now have sausage & egg mcmuffin while for dinner I either pickup 2 chicken taouk + 2 meat tikka in a plate (no bread) from Kebabji near my house or I grill steak at home. I get my steak (fillet) from a butcher but recently I started getting ostrich steak from Sultan Center which I found out has the superior nutrient content of red meat while having less fat than a chicken breast. Too bad I can’t have it breaded and fried! Oh and another big change is the greens, I now eat a lot more vegetables and salads. I used to barely eat anything green before but now I want to eat them. For example when I go to Le Notre I usually order a fish or meat dish and their sides are usually rice or potato. I now have them swap them for steamed vegetables. It’s really weird but I think I do this because I want to get healthier and I am seeing my self get fitter.

I’m not perfect though and I do cheat but I like cheating. I look forward to cheating because it helps me stick to my diet. For example I passed by Chocolate Bar twice during this 7 weeks and overdosed on chocolate (enough to last me through the 7 weeks!) and once a week I pick up a Cadbury Flake or a Twix from the bakala. Oh and there was the Ferrero Rocher incident. The one thing though I am REALLY craving but can’t and shouldn’t have is the molten chocolate cake from Chili’s. It’s always on my mind but I’ve still managed to resist it!

So that’s basically it. I am going to sign up for another 7 weeks and I want to continue improving. I’m going to have Fahad post about Core Fitness to give you guys a better idea of what it involves since it’s his gym and he will be better able to explain it. I will definitely post my measurements again after 7 weeks and we’ll see how things changed.

Kuwaiti Country Music Singer

Posted: March 13th, 2010, 11:35am PST by Mark

I am guessing he’s the only Kuwaiti country singer that exists. [Link]

Update: Here is a better link with more info [Link]
Animal Friends needs your help

Posted: March 12th, 2010, 1:51am PST by Mark

I just read the following on the Animal Friends Facebook group:

Ayeshah Al-Humaidhi said: Woke up to call that the staff building at the shelter was on fire. No one was hurt and all animals were unharmed but we lost a portion of the building. Four of our staff have lost everything except the clothes on their back and most of the bedding for the animals also burned. We are needing donations of cash for repairs, mens clothes in S/M/L and towels/blankets for the animals.

If you can help out with a donation follow this [Link]
Archery at Discovery

Posted: March 11th, 2010, 1:18pm PST by Mark

I passed by Discovery Mall with some friends from work to have lunch and noticed they had an archery section set up. Turns out for this month only you can go and shoot arrows at fake deers, beavers and bears. The setup is pretty nice and the price is KD1 for 6 arrows. Discovery Mall is located right next to the ice skating rink.
AFM?

Posted: March 11th, 2010, 12:56am PST by Mark

I found this radio station this morning by mistake. How long has this been around? It’s a US military station and unlike 96.9 it doesn’t have the annoying English 101 courses.
The Avenues Phase III Presentation Video

Posted: March 11th, 2010, 12:01am PST by Mark

Back in January I posted 3D renderings of the Avenues phase III project and today iLSuL6ana uncovered the video presentation above. Simply put phase III is going to be jaw dropping. [YouTube]
TRON: LEGACY

Posted: March 10th, 2010, 4:21am PST by Mark

This is a need to watch movie. Can’t wait. [YouTube]