The story gracing the front pages of several local papers this week was the World Wildlife Fund's 2006 Living Planet Report, which claims that people living in the United Arab Emirates are placing the most stress per capita on the planet, ahead of the United States, Finland, and Canada. Having lived here for the past six months I can't say I'm at all surprised by that conclusion. From the constant hum of air-conditioners 24 hours a day 365 days a year, to the ridiculous amount of water used to keep the city's green spaces ... well ... green, to the heaping piles of trash produced with sadly limited recycling program, it's an ugly state of affairs that no amount of palm-shaped islands or seven star hotels can hide.
What was surprising was the UAE government's feeble attempt at a response. After dismissing the report "inaccurate" and "ridiculous", Majid Al Mansouri, the Secretary General of the Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) questioned why the report was focused on a per capita model and went on to tell Gulf News "The UAE has contributed to projects in Pakistan, Morocco and other countries building, roads, hospitals and schools. Look at our involvement in the rebuilding of Lebanon. Millions of dirhams go out of the UAE, with expatriates supporting their families back home. Why don't they focus on our global contribution."
Well, thank you. That's a weight off my mind. Shame on the WWF for writing a report about the precarious state of the environment without first examining the UAE's international road-building programs. I bet they also didn't take into account the fact that we have the world's biggest shopping mall.
What was surprising was the UAE government's feeble attempt at a response. After dismissing the report "inaccurate" and "ridiculous", Majid Al Mansouri, the Secretary General of the Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) questioned why the report was focused on a per capita model and went on to tell Gulf News "The UAE has contributed to projects in Pakistan, Morocco and other countries building, roads, hospitals and schools. Look at our involvement in the rebuilding of Lebanon. Millions of dirhams go out of the UAE, with expatriates supporting their families back home. Why don't they focus on our global contribution."
Well, thank you. That's a weight off my mind. Shame on the WWF for writing a report about the precarious state of the environment without first examining the UAE's international road-building programs. I bet they also didn't take into account the fact that we have the world's biggest shopping mall.
24 degrees C tonight with a nice cool breeze blowing in from the gulf. After the hell we just endured in july and august that masquerades here as 'summer' we're finally due for our share of good outdoor weather. From evening bike rides in Nad Al Sheba (on the boulevard leading up to Sheikh Zayed's palace), to scuba diving in Fujairah near snoopy rock, and off-roading on the beaches in Jebel Ali, it's a new world when it don't suck outside.
Today marks the official end of Ramadan. For Muslims, Ramadan is the holiest month in the calendar which is commenced and concluded at the sighting of the 9th and 10th new moons. During this time, eating, drinking, smoking, and sex are not permitted between sunrise and sunset. Muslims are also expected to put more effort into the teachings of Islam and refrain from anger, envy, and greed. For the rest of us, out of respect we are asked to refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking in public (including your car). Many restaurants are closed during the day, the ones that remain open have big curtains drawn around them so nobody can see inside. Live entertainment is also prohibited, including DJs, though at least after 7pm many bars still serve alcohol. Local TV and radio is even worse than usual too, though I must admit to finding a bent appeal in watching some of the historical Arabic soaps.
Over the past few months I've heard many expats make a big deal about the restrictions during Ramadan, though in practice I can't say it was really much inconvenience. Sure, there were those mornings where I almost fell asleep at the wheel not being able to have my usual morning caffeine shot in the car, but otherwise life was just a little more relaxed. The hardest thing I found was the no live entertainment thing, especially the other day after reading Eye Weekly's Toronto concert listings the other week - can you believe I missed Iron Maiden again? The horror.
Now that things are getting back to normal (and by normal I mean hectic Dubai pace) at least there are some good concerts coming up on the radar ... Groove Armada, Danny Howells, Bob Sinclair and Mylo, just to name a few. Sure, it ain't much, but it's something.
Over the past few months I've heard many expats make a big deal about the restrictions during Ramadan, though in practice I can't say it was really much inconvenience. Sure, there were those mornings where I almost fell asleep at the wheel not being able to have my usual morning caffeine shot in the car, but otherwise life was just a little more relaxed. The hardest thing I found was the no live entertainment thing, especially the other day after reading Eye Weekly's Toronto concert listings the other week - can you believe I missed Iron Maiden again? The horror.
Now that things are getting back to normal (and by normal I mean hectic Dubai pace) at least there are some good concerts coming up on the radar ... Groove Armada, Danny Howells, Bob Sinclair and Mylo, just to name a few. Sure, it ain't much, but it's something.
Came across a posting on Digg about the physical fitness standards required to become a Navy Seal .... not that I was planning on doing that anytime soon. Surprisingly, the first phase actually looks like with some serious training I might actually have a chance of getting through some of it without a major coronary incident. That is, until I'd get to the drown proofing test, where I'd probably just sink like a stone. But phase two - 5 1/2 miles in the ocean? Yeah, maybe on the deck of a nice sailboat with a Mai Tai in my hand.
PHYSICAL EVOLUTION REQUIRED TIME
FIRST PHASE
50 meter underwater swim PASS/FAIL
Underwater knot tying PASS/FAIL
Drown proofing test PASS/FAIL
Basic Lifesaving test PASS/FAIL
1200 meter pool swim with fins 45 min
1 mile bay swim with fins 50 min
1 mile ocean swim with fins 50 min
1 l/2 mile ocean swim with fins 70 min
2 mile ocean swim with fins 95 min
Obstacle course 15 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
POST HELL WEEK
2000 meter conditioning pool swim without fins Completion
1 1/2 mile night bay swim with fins Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 85 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
Obstacle course 13 min
SECOND PHASE
2 mile ocean swim with fins 80 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 31 min
Obstacle course 10:30
3 I/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
5 1/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
THIRD PHASE
Obstacle course 10 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 30 min
14 mile run Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 75 min
http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm
PHYSICAL EVOLUTION REQUIRED TIME
FIRST PHASE
50 meter underwater swim PASS/FAIL
Underwater knot tying PASS/FAIL
Drown proofing test PASS/FAIL
Basic Lifesaving test PASS/FAIL
1200 meter pool swim with fins 45 min
1 mile bay swim with fins 50 min
1 mile ocean swim with fins 50 min
1 l/2 mile ocean swim with fins 70 min
2 mile ocean swim with fins 95 min
Obstacle course 15 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
POST HELL WEEK
2000 meter conditioning pool swim without fins Completion
1 1/2 mile night bay swim with fins Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 85 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
Obstacle course 13 min
SECOND PHASE
2 mile ocean swim with fins 80 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 31 min
Obstacle course 10:30
3 I/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
5 1/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
THIRD PHASE
Obstacle course 10 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 30 min
14 mile run Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 75 min
http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm
Last weekend we took a day trip to a town called Al Ain, which is about 140km south east of Dubai. The road there is a big, long, straight highway which cuts through the desert. Aside from looking at sand dunes, camels, and the odd oasis, the only thing to do on the drive to keep oneself awake is to keep watch for the stationary speeding cameras which are positioned every dozen or so miles, so you can temporarily slow down from the breakneck 170km/h you're doing the rest of the way there ... that is, until I saw what a local was doing in his SUV.
As we came up behind him (he was doing at least 140km/h), we noticed through his tinted windows what appeared to be a fully open newspaper in front of him on his steering wheel. Sure enough, as we got closer we saw that it was that morning's Gulf News - a full size daily paper - and he was busy reading the business section. Between pages he would occasionally look up to steer his truck back into the lane, but otherwise he was pretty into his reading, so much in fact that he barely noticed us as we went by. It was then over our laughter that I noticed my complete lack of surprise at the situation - just another day driving in the UAE.
As we came up behind him (he was doing at least 140km/h), we noticed through his tinted windows what appeared to be a fully open newspaper in front of him on his steering wheel. Sure enough, as we got closer we saw that it was that morning's Gulf News - a full size daily paper - and he was busy reading the business section. Between pages he would occasionally look up to steer his truck back into the lane, but otherwise he was pretty into his reading, so much in fact that he barely noticed us as we went by. It was then over our laughter that I noticed my complete lack of surprise at the situation - just another day driving in the UAE.
I'm sure after CNN posted this article enlistment in the Canadian Armed Forces just tripled
Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants
Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants
Washington, DC--President Bush paid a surprise visit Thursday to the National Association of Grocery Stores (NAGS) annual convention in Omaha, Nebraska. In a short statement, the president asked all major American supermarket chains to consider opening up their membership "club card" databases to the NSA.
"By analyzing purchases made by customers of these retailers, the NSA and Homeland Security hope to identify patterns consistent with terrorist activity," said Bush. "After exhaustive interviews conducted at Guantanamo Bay over the last three years, we think we now have a pretty good idea of what these fascists like to eat."
source: Digg
When you think about it, it's pretty frightening what we can learn about you by looking at your grocery lists. Characteristics such as socioeconomic status, age, gender, race, and religion can be easily inferred by the foods you eat and the products you buy. Do you eat bacon, wear makeup, read The Economist, or take medication? With answers to these simple questions a clever data mining application can start to paint a picture of you which, over time, will become more and more accurate. Air Miles figured this out a long time ago and has been collecting consumer's purchasing habits for years - a clever idea that's spawned a goldmine of information for marketers. They, unlike the NSA, at least offer 'points' in exchange for your shopping habits which you can redeem for lovely gifts."By analyzing purchases made by customers of these retailers, the NSA and Homeland Security hope to identify patterns consistent with terrorist activity," said Bush. "After exhaustive interviews conducted at Guantanamo Bay over the last three years, we think we now have a pretty good idea of what these fascists like to eat."
source: Digg
'What's the big deal?', you ask. 'Should I really care if companies like Air Miles know what I buy? After all, I did just redeem the 3,000,000,000 point's I've been collecting over the past five years for a shiny $40 blender.' Am I saying that Air Miles has some secret Orwellian agenda? Of course not. They're just a group of clever marketers who are using this information to help them do a better job of selling you other products - Big Brother ... not so much.
However, the problem with giving up personal information, even something as seemingly innocuous as your shopping habits, is that you never know what it might be used for. Did all of the Nebraskan Shopping Club Card members check off a box on their application forms that said Please submit my grocery lists to a shadowy NSA profiling supercomputer for analysis? I think not. But, like it or not, today the US government is using that information to help fight terrorism. Are the Brown Shirts going to bust down your door because you went shopping for a new watch, a tub of hummus, and a new propane tank for the bbq? Probably not today, but why take the chance? Even the most benevolent law enforcement efforts are prone to errors - remember the US government's No Fly List and all of the stories about two month old babies not being allowed on flights because their names matched suspected terrorists?
So what to do? Although I don't think we're quite at the point where it's time to run for the hills, being a little more concerned about our personal privacy can't really hurt. The next time you're considering signing up for that new points club, ask yourself if you're comfortable telling an unknown number of companies (and possibly governments) your personal information including income, age, gender, race, and religion. How much is your privacy worth?
Two guys grinding a long, winding rail down a slope next to a very steep drop - be impressed.
See the video
In a momentous move surely to confound academics and scholars for centuries, the United Arab Emirates' internet service provider, Etisalat, has unblocked a number of hugely popular websites including youtube.com, myspace.com, flickr.com, and hi5.com. Yes, that's right, us expats in Dubai are again free to browse online cultural gems such as Borat's official response to the Kazakhstan government's threat to sue over the new Borat movie and Paris Hilton's Myspace profile.
With the removal of these cultural shackles, it's only a matter of time until the hit single "Stars are Blind" will finally achieve its rightful place in Dubai Eye Radio's Top Ten.
With the removal of these cultural shackles, it's only a matter of time until the hit single "Stars are Blind" will finally achieve its rightful place in Dubai Eye Radio's Top Ten.
DUBAI - A Russian millionaire was killed in an alleged shootout, while another man was seriously injured in the incident that took place at the Burj Al Arab Hotel here in the small hours yesterday.
The victims, according to a hotel source, were guests. Unconfirmed reports said the millionaire was staying in one of the suites. Two men, known to him, entered his suite and shot him dead in the course of a drunken brawl, these reports said.
The victims, according to a hotel source, were guests. Unconfirmed reports said the millionaire was staying in one of the suites. Two men, known to him, entered his suite and shot him dead in the course of a drunken brawl, these reports said.
Rumours abound that this 'incident' was the result of a diamond deal with Russian gangsters gone wrong. Of course we all know better than to listen to crazy rumours. I mean, come on, Slavic Mafioso doing shady deals in the over-the-top surroundings of the Burj? Riiight, next thing you know it'll be stories about the construction of a Frank Gehry-designed, world's largest Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi or a giant Underwater Hotel next to Dubai's Palm Island developments. I rest my case.
What I find most remarkable about the whole story is that any of it actually made it into the local papers, unless of course the entire incident was devised by the Burj's PR department as a way to help up the hotel's reputation from its lowly status as the World-Famous 7 Star Hotel to the more desirable World's Only Infamous 7 Star Hotel. Hotel PR directors take notice - the bar has just been raised ...