Why Did It Take So Long?

Women in Kuwait didn’t get the right to vote or run for political office until 2005. Four years later, in spite of strong opposition from Sunni Islamist politicians, four women won seats in the 50-member parliament. Aseel al-Awadhi, a U.S. educated, philosophy professor at Kuwait University, was accused by her religiously conservative opponents of being an infidel. They recorded and edited her lectures to make it seem she was against Islamic Sharia law. The women’s victory, seen as a victory for moderates, will enable them to fight against laws that don’t treat women equally – a fight still being fought in the U.S.

The boom in health clubs in Baghdad is a sign Iraq is emerging from decades of dictatorship and war. The arrival of satellite television opened the city’s eyes to being fit. At least 300 gyms and fitness centers are open, compared to about 30 before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Most Baghdad gyms – now with loud music, mirrored walls and protein drinks for sale – are men-only; but some have designated women-only hours. Although the improved security has made the gym boom possible, the streets still aren’t as safe as they were under Saddam. Nevertheless, the future is looking healthier.

Club Bounce is a Long Beach, California nightclub that caters to plus-sized people. According to Lisa Marie Garbo, the 40-year-old entrepreneur, “Club Bounce is a size-acceptance nightclub”. It’s a place where people can be comfortable and not feel like second-class citizens because of being overweight. It’s where fat is phat. Although Club Bounce is only open on weekends, it’s been a 5-year success. In fact, Garbo has opened a sister nightclub in Phoenix and plans to open another in Hollywood. Club Bounce is where people of any size and shape can go for a big night out.

When spending the night out in a hotel, guests are discovering hotels are being more creative stocking their mini bars to encourage guests to return. What is stocked in these bars is meant to reflect the hotel’s personality. The mini bars at China’s Banyan Tree Ringha, 10,000 feet above sea level, contain cans of oxygen. The mini bars at the W. Retreat & Spa in the Maldives contain Heidi Klein bikinis. The Mondrian in Los Angeles stocks Alice in Wonderland hand mirrors designed by Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. However, the Omni Hotel in New Orleans stocks make-your-own Love Voodoo Kits – maxing out its mini bars.