Life in these United Emirates

Flags suck

2005-12-28T01:28:00.000-08:00

From gulfnews.com
25th Dec 2005

"New law amending penal code's provisions issued"

Article 176 says anyone convicted of insulting the President, the national flag or national anthem will be jailed for up to five years.

What exactly is an insult?

If my band chose to cover the national anthem in a rock style because we "Artistically" want to express our belief that the anthem is relevant or perhaps we want to get people thinking would that be an "insult" (the answer is yes if you are having a hard time with this question).

Anyone see that episode of The West Wing (greatest show EVER) where Penn and Teller burn a flag in the white house? Relevant?

Why have none of my fellow bloggers highlighted this? Tie these new laws in with the DNA imprinted ID cards and it won't be long before everything looks a little Singaporean.

Glad my tax dollars are going to good use

2005-12-18T01:03:00.000-08:00

from gulfnews.com:

Shop selling notes for cheating in exams trapped
By Nasouh Nazzal, Staff Reporter

Ras Al Khaimah: Police are interrogating a bookshop owner and his staff for selling notes to help students cheat in examinations.

The covert operations came to light following a sting operation conducted by a top official of the emirate's educational zone.

Okay, I don't pay taxes but if I did I think this little bit of news would irritate me. Why are the police launching covert sting operations to arrest people who are printing things on little pieces of paper?

Is paper illeagal? Is printing notes? How is it the responsibilty of the bookshop owner what students do with his "cheat notes"?

Once again we observe the typical middle eastern attitude of blaming everyone else for lour problems. Once again, it's someone elses fault that our kids are corrupt.

Can we please find something of relevance for the cops to do? It seems to me that arresting wives for cheating on their husbands and entrapping bookshop owners for making tiny little notes blurs the line between what is legal, ethical and morally acceptable. Our cops might not wear short kondoras and grow their beards to a fistfuls length but their role in our society is uncannily similar in a lot of repects to the religious policemen in Saudi Arabia.

Careful what you wish for

2005-12-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

From:

http://www.gulfnews.com/tabloid/Entertainment/10003239.html

"....Yet even if the UAE makes a hard place to rock, it also offers its rewards.

"If you've got one life to live you might as well live it where things are changing so you can influence change in a positive way,
I feel that we are breaking ground, challenging stereotypes and redefining things. That's a lot of fun."....."

Yeah? Well let’s see how much fun you think it is when you have to walk the fine line of keeping the crazy extremists off your back, the Arab nationalist off your case and maintaining your own values and culture identities without becoming western culture poster boys.

I suppose someone has got to do it. Rather you than me mate.

Read a book ya homophobes!

2005-11-27T22:16:00.000-08:00

From Gulfnews.com:
Scholars seek punishment for gays
By Bassam Za'za' and Shireena Al Nowais, Staff Reporters

Dubai, Abu Dhabi: UAE scholars and social experts denounced the recent attempt to hold what security authorities called "a mass homosexual wedding," and stressed that such people should be punished by law.

Isn't it enough punishment that they got "outted" en masse?

According to Islamic Sharia Laws, a man who has intercourse with another man "should be executed", said Abdul Salam Mohammad Darwish, an Islamic scholar and social and family counselor.

Actually, it doesn't really say that. It says that God punished those who were homosexual by destroying their towns and there are lots of places were God expresses serious displeasure and anger at the act but there isn't anywhere where it says "IF gay then kill, do not go pass go do not collect on human compassion or understanding"
Scholars, correct me if I'm wrong for all I seek is the truth.

Denouncing the alleged gay wedding party that took place in one of the hotels in Ghantout, Darwish said, "It is scandalous. It is not part of the Islamic religion or UAE culture".

Ha Ha! Man, I went to school in the UAE. There is plenty of homosexuality going on. The biggest white elephant of all time!

"Surely it was not the first time they met. They must have held parties and met in similar unacceptable and abnormal celebrations. There had been reports of similar incidents in other emirates," he said.

He warned against the increase in such deviant behavior. "Some of the males who live an extravagant life became decadent," he said.

Ha Ha! It has nothing to do with decadence! Surely it has something more to do with perversion (not homosexuality but the concept of the party). And where does perversion come from? Usually oppression and suppression or childhood trauma. Ask a psychologist.

The counselor urged the authorities to place those "sick men" in an intensive psychological and educational rehabilitation program.

Woo hoo! Aren't we at the cutting edge of medical science! I suppose being a hermaphrodite is a "sickness" as is blindness, deafness and being unusually hairy.

Colonel Najm Al Howsani, Director of Social Support Centre at Ministry of Interior, where the 26 men who had been arrested were referred to, said the suspects would undergo a psychological and physical therapy after the court rules into their case.

Don't worry fellas! the courts are so fair. Apparently if a rapist gets only a couple of months you guys (who were all consenting) can't get off with much more than that, right? Even if you did, you'll be in Jail! Remember to bend over for the soap in the shower

He added: "According to the Islamic Sharia, the suspects won't be let go unpunished, if proven guilty, and society disapproves and resents such behavior."

Society disapproves of anything they don't understand or have the capacity for sympathizing with.

Dr Saif Bin Rashid Al Gaberi, the Director of Ifta'a and Researches Administration at the Dubai Department of Islamic affairs and Charitable Activities, said it is an immoral and "abnormal" behavior.

Yay! Morality! Woo hoo! Catch all word for anything we don't understand that scares us! "It's immoral!".

"It is not a new phenomenon in many other religions and cultures. It rarely happens in Muslim societies. It happens particularly when religious and social education weakens and the individual's religious deterrent becomes non-existent," he said.

Ha ha! That's ridiculous! They have no evidence for this whatsoever! It's just another unqualified and unchallenged statement! More empty dogma and rhetoric please sir! Religious deterrent? That has nothing to do with anything. It has more to do with social liberties. IF people are less afraid of being killed for being "different" more are going to "come out". Just because they aren't in your face gay doesn't mean they are not gay.

He said society was also responsible for the deviant behavior of the men.

That's absolute bollocks! I am a member of society and I don't encourage homosexual activities. I don't know one person who ever has. And not only that, but there are very few people here who encourage "deviant" behavior (which we must admit orgies are). Next we'll be blaming Will and Grace for the party.

"The responsibility falls primarily on fathers for failing to bring up their children as God-fearing, and secondly on their mothers who saw their sons behave like a woman but failed to stop them," he said.
Yay! More blame! Let's get the fathers embarrassed so that they get stigmatized and in effect encourage more fathers to beat their sons to a hairs breadth with death's grasp! Fantastic! No need to try and understand when we know all the answers already. Everything worth knowing was known in the 4th century and there is absolutely no need to listen to so called medical, psychological and sociological experts.

And of course all gay men act like women! That's why it's so easy to spot them when they are out about on the streets. So how come we needed a special gay party to catch them all? Surely, there should be a special gay police with job specific tools that they use when they crawl the streets and cruise the malls, catching gays in their special nets.

"This is what happens when schools and parents neglect children. The openness and technological advancements sometimes lead to such deplorable acts."
And now it's technology's fault! you are right! We need to Amish-ize ourselves! Away with electricity! Away with modern medicine and the internet and cars! everything can be solved by living like we did during the stone age.

Nevertheless, he expected the trend to increase "due to the ill-mannered openness, lack of social restrictions and straying from the path shown by God."

Or maybe we could start dealing with humanity instead of trying to control. Maybe we could start understanding and tolerating instead of coercing and forcing. Maybe it isn't everything else on earth that is a problem but instead it's this irrational conceptualizing about gayness and perversion. Just a thought.

What the penal code says

- Anyone convicted of committing a lewd or indecent act in public would be sentenced to a six-month term in jail.

- Anyone convicted of shouting, singing or saying invectives in public, or anyone convicted of seducing others to commit adultery, would be sentenced to a jail term that would not exceed six months, and to be fined not more than Dh5,000 or both.

- Any person who makes advances to a male or female or attempts to seduce or commit any lewd acts would be sentenced to not less than a year and fined. If the victim is under the age of 18, the accused would be imprisoned for no less than two years and be fined.

- Any person convicted of setting up or running a prostitution den, or assisting anyone else in setting it up or running it, shall be imprisoned temporarily.

The prostitution den shall be closed down and shall not be opened except if the prostitution activity is changed and an approval is obtained from the Public Prosecution.
Let me translate the above:

- If you traffic other human beings and force them into the flesh trade you'll get a slap on the wrist.

- If you find yourself attracted to anyone who I do not agree with you being attracted to I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget and stigmatize you for life.

- If you are too young to understand the consequences of your actions I'm going to hold that against you and punish you more severely than if you had been more mature.

- If you try and meet new people you will have to pay severely.

What on god's good green earth is an "invective" ? Who determines that?

Time to lobby

2005-11-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Secret Dubai Diary Post
18 November, 2005
Title : Laborer Day

My fellow citizens, it is time to stop with the complaining and start with the fixing.

Apparently, we don't agree with treating laborers unfairly, right? And we also don't want to get deported (if you are an expat) or arrested and disappeared (if you is local) so? We lobby, peacefully and rationally and we exploit the media to do it!

What do we need? Some locals with (As the say) cajones and some expats with even bigger cajones!! (if you physically do not have4 cajones then please understand it is just an expression).

So who is with me? We can do this. We just chose an issue that is bothering us (like no glasses for laborers) and then find entertaining ways (otherwise media uninterested) to repeatedly embarrass the companies into cleaning up their act!

Our struggle is uphill. Citizens, let us behave like Citizens! We are all in this boat together. We are implicitly teaching our kids the values of these companies and at least we stand together and make sacrifice and take action we are teaching nothing but complacency and negativism!

Viva la lobbying! Viva la (censored)!

I pledge allegiance to the flag....

2005-11-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

From Gulf News today:

President to unveil reform plan in months

Abu Dhabi : A major declaration on political reforms in the UAE is expected to be announced by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan "within months", it has been revealed.

What's that on the horizon? Reforms? What? But we didn't want any...actually, we hadn't thought about it really. We were more concerned with the price of rents and stuff, but if it's on the table, why not?

Apparently there's gonna be e-l-e-c-t-i-o-n-s and politics and stuff like that.

Dr Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, professor of political science at UAE University said he expects full election for the currently appointed Federal National Council, a widening of its legislative powers, expansion on the membership and presence of women.

But another analyst felt the planned reforms could start with elections to municipal bodies.

What is das? What is "Federal National Council" you ask?

Apparently :

The U.A.E. Federal National Council consists of forty members. Seats are distributed to member Emirates as follows:
Abu Dhabi 8 Seats
Dubai 8 Seats
Sharjah 6 Seats
Ras Al Khaimah 6 Seats
Ajman 4 Seats
Umm Al Quwain 4 Seats
Fujairah 4 Seats

Each Emirate shall be free to determine the way of selecting its citizen’s representatives it in the Federal National Council.
The member of the Federal National Council shall be:
1. A citizen of one of the Emirates of the Union, permanently residing in the Emirate he represents in the Council.

2. At the age of not less than twenty five Gregorian years at the time of his selection.

3. Civilly competent, of good conduct and reputation and not previously convicted of a dishonorable offence unless he has been rehabilitated according to the law.

4. Having adequate knowledge of reading and writing.

While being a Council member, a member shall not combine between the membership and any of the public jobs in the Federation Government including the ministerial posts.
The mandate in the Federal National Council shall be a period of two Gregorian years commencing from the date of its first meeting. Selection for the remaining period up to the end of the transition period quoted in the Article (144) of the U.A.E. Constitution, shall be determined by the Council.
A member, whose mandate in the Council has expired, may be re-selected.

Prior to assuming his duties in the Council or its committees, a member of the Federal National Council shall take the following oath before the Council in a public session:
“I swear by Almighty God that I will be loyal to the United Arab Emirates; that I will respect the Constitution and the laws of the Union and that I will perform my duties in the Council and its Committees honestly and truly”.

If, for any reason, a seat of any member of the Council becomes vacant before the end of his mandate, a replacement shall be selected within two months of the date on which the vacancy is announced by the Council, unless the vacancy occurs during the three months preceding the end of the term of the Council. The new member shall complete the mandate of his predecessor.
Sessions of the Federal National Council shall be held in the Union capital. Exceptionally, sessions may be held in any other place within the Union on the basis of a decision taken by a majority vote of the members and with the approval of the Cabinet.

The Council shall decide upon the validity of the mandate of its members. It shall also decide upon disqualifying members if they lose any of the required conditions, by a majority vote of its members and on the proposal of five among them. The Council shall be competent to accept resignation from membership. Such resignation shall be considered as final from the date of its acceptance by the Council.
A member of the Federal National Council shall represent the whole people of the Union and not merely the Emirate which he represents in

Hey! I'm older than 25! I have adequate knowledge of reading and writing and I'm from an emirate with more seats than one of the other little guys!

I'm gonna run for congress, ahem, i mean the FNC! YAY!

Oh shit! Just remembered. I'm not from one of the big families. My last name isn't Kennedy, Clinton or Bush.

Aww Shucks!

Get your hands off of my monkey

2005-11-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

From Khaleejtimes.com:

The time to act
The Monitor

8 November 2005

MARRIAGE fund is meant to support people with limited income who are unable to bear the burden of marriage. However, grants from the Fund are being misused, with individuals from well-off families — even the sons of businessmen and dignitaries — applying for the same. And this is nothing new to come up. Khaleej Times has discussed it earlier as well.

Pitiful.

It's embarassing how greedy some individuals in my society are.

When I was born my parents were in England and my dad was a student. HE recieved a grant from the government here. My mother was advisedto claim benefits to help and she out right refuses saying that there were definetly others who were more needy.

What is that called? Honesty? Integrity? Responsibility?

These bleeding IPOs. The rich nationals go on about how it's meant to redistribute the wealth. How on earth is that going to happen when the rich bastards keep oversubscribing reducing the potential for the small investors to get a good look in?

It's all about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

Well, they can keep their billions. I know where the wild roses grow...

No logo please, I'm on a diet

2005-11-08T02:28:00.000-08:00

I was out doing a lil' shopping last night when I cam across a gaggle of young boys, all in white overcoats walking into a non descript building on Electra. I was extremely curious. There was at least a baker's dozen if not more (you can't tell with small humans) and they were caring brown bags that sounded like they were full of bottles. My desire to learn more convinced me to investigate.

I watched as the doors of the elevator they entered closed and ran into the lobby to see what floor it would stop on. 13th. Ominous.

After a short elevator ride I found myself on a floor not quite unlike the one below me I considered. I could hear more bottles clinging and clanging from down the hall. Flat 1307.

I stood outside the door and could make out the mumblings of several young boys interspersed with laughing. Except it wasn't the normal laughter of a bunch of boys who'd secured allot of booze and cigarettes and had their parents flat to themselves. Oh no, this laughter tinged with something altogether more sinister.

I then heard the squawking of birds and the cuckles of some chicken. Deciding that what was happening inside might not be pleasant, I decided to call by brush with the unnatural over and scuppered down the flight of stairs as quickly as possible, unwilling to risk being discovered waiting for the elevator.

then I read this in gulf news today:

'Economists must be drafted in to help if bird flu strikes'

Abu Dhabi: Suitable schools should be selected to act as centers to receive patients in the wake of a major bird flu virus outbreak in the UAE, the National Committee for Emergency Response to Bird Flu has said.

Those kids! They were trying to develop the dreaded bird flu strain that would turn their schools into health centers! That's the only possible explanation!

Tonight I will free the chickens (fingers crossed)

Disclaimer: just in case some government type is reading this or anyone with only half a brain cell, I'm messing about. There were no kids. It's all fiction. But apparently, I'd be held responsible for anyone getting hysterical or spreading a rumor about little boys trying to concoct bird flu in their bedrooms with starter chemistry sets. Or so the following would have me believe:

Violent events fuel debate on policing of chatrooms

Dubai: The internet can be a priceless tool for finding out information on almost every subject under the sun just ask any harassed journalist who has a deadline looming.
However, as we all know, it can be misused in all sorts of ways and recent events have raised new questions about whether further regulation or censorship is needed.

For example, unfounded fears that an earthquake was imminent in the UAE have been spread through online chatrooms.

There were clashes in Birmingham in England between black and Asian youths after malicious internet rumors said that a 14-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted.

In Los Angeles, 19-year-old William Freund posted violent rantings on the internet shortly before going on a rampage, shooting dead two neighbors and killing himself.

For god's sake! Are people across earth just getting dumber? Or is everyone just waiting for something to have an excuse to take out their 21st century anxiety and frustration on their environment?

Ever heard of Adbusters or Reclaim The Streets ? When I first read that they were concerned that the annihilation of public space through the use of advertising and the insistence on function I though they were loonies. What harm could some billboards do, I though? But increasingly I'm coming to the conclusion that big cities make big idiots. We are all just on the edge of our seats, our trigger fingers itchy and our battle cries on the tip of our tongues.

And it looks like it's getting worse.

Red through and through

2005-11-08T02:15:00.000-08:00

From Gulfnews. com:

Dubai: Eleven Arabtech workers who were arrested after a fight at labor accommodation in Jebel Ali are being held at Bur Dubai police station.
Beeshu Raj, a 24 year-old Nepalese, was beaten to death in the incident which occurred on Thursday. The brawl involved Indians and Nepalese workers.

Gangs! We have gangs!

And the solution to the problem?

To avoid further tension, Arabtech has moved all its Nepalese workers to another labour accommodation site in Sonapur.

That's right, separate them! Segregation is the key! This way they can quietly work out and make weapons and plan their next attack thoroughly. I mean it's work everywhere when ever there were tensions, separate the groups because obviously that's the problem. Some races and people just don't mix well with others. Take the Northern Irish and Irish for example. Obviously there is something in their genes that cause confrontation. How about north and south Sudan? Same thing really.

Actually this could be the start of a wonderful experiment I like to call WWIII: The pilot. Here's how we do it:

First round up all people of the same nationality. Break this down into race by nationality and then Religion by Race by Nationality (RXRXN). Then give each RXRXN a color and some sticks and make them fight amongst themselves in an arena (lions and tigers can be thrown in the mix for the sake of entertainment). Then once a clear winner is decided for each nation we pit them against each other in a international cup broadcast on ESPN. That Le Pen can commentate just to keep the descriptions nice and colorful. Once the winner is decided, we give that nation a medal, the title of "WWIII Champion" and the keys to the universe. The consolation prize for all the losers is the adoption of a new mother tongue and culture and possible death (if you are a male or a combatant female).

You know china is gonna win. They're break down into a RXRXN would give a billion people on their team. I wouldn't tempt those odds.

Pharmacists refuse to lower drug prices despite ministry ruling

2005-11-08T02:12:00.000-08:00

Abu Dhabi: Pharmacists are refusing to budge on the prices of medicines, Gulf News learnt yesterday.

Fantastic! Could this be the straw that broke the camels back? Will the government be held at bay and made to take responsibility for the lack of a minimum wage and a comprehensive health insurance/welfare system plan for all residents? How long with the pharmacies hold out against the hammer? Will they beaten into submission?

Memes on my mind

2005-11-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

Blogging. It's basically the same thing as walking around town speaking your mind out loud.

Most of the time people just ignore you or dismiss you as a muttering nut because they have other things to do like get to work, pick up the kids, go to a movie...You know? Stuff to do?

But every now and then you'll say the right to tick off the right guy just at the right moment and you'll end up exchanging ideas.

Meme theory. (Dawkins)

Meme theory states or hypothesizes that we (as in conscious sentient humans) don't REALLY exist. That consciousness is a trick and that the only things that really exist are ideas. And all we do is reproduce and pass on Ideas. A meme is a memory gene, basically one of these ideas. So a taste is a meme (hot sauce), a sound is a meme (ting!), a smell is a meme (flowers). Anything that can be encapsulated as an individual experience of one of the senses is a meme. But so are ideas like Liberty, Love, Hope, Anger etc etc.

So we go around processing memes and we pass on the ones we like and discard the ones we don't (unless we hate them, then we pass them on with a 'negative' attached to make other people hate them too). Good ideas survive, bad ones usually disappear.
A survival of the fittest of sorts.

So, what is blogging? I suppose it's the next evolutionary phase in meme processing. Is 'blogging' as a meme in itself one that will survive? Well, we still have nuts walking around town muttering to themselves and probably always will so I suppose so. Is it worthwhile? Beyond reviewing films and songs and books and other materials of intellectual consumption I think it is. Will it ever lead to some sort of global consciousness? I doubt it. Most conscious people with an agenda rarely rely on talking out loud to random passers by as a valuable method in which to get their points across and affect change.

It's fun to rant though. Especially when you can do it with an assumed personality.

Back to the drawing board

2005-11-07T00:33:00.000-08:00

From Gulfnews.com

Jenin, West Bank: The grieving parents of a Palestinian boy shot by Israelis who mistook the toy gun he was holding for the real thing have donated their son’s organs for transplant in a bid to promote peace.

Several thousand people, including hundreds of children from 12-year-old Ahmad Al Khatib’s school flooded the streets of Jenin for his funeral yesterday.

Ahmad, who was shot by Israeli troops during clashes in Jenin on Wednesday, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

“We have no problem whether it is an Israeli or a Palestinian [who receives his organs] because it will give them life,” the boy’s mother, Ablah Al Khatib, said.

Esmail Al Khatib said the decision to donate his son’s organs for transplant stemmed from a desire to answer violence with a concrete gesture of peace.

“I have taken this decision because I have a message for the world: that the Palestinian people want peace - for everyone,” he said. “I am trying to do something humane at the same time that the Israeli army is killing our sons.”

Wow. Just when you think the Palestinians are incapable of making any sort of redeeming gesture or act of goodwill something like this happens and rehumanizes the whole Palestinian Issue. Damn them! How the hell are the Israelis going to continue their "genocide" ?(genocide label pending the conclusion of the act hence their reluctance to just get it over with...can't we just call a spade a spade?)

The best part of the story is that the parts went into Israeli children. You mean, Israelis and Palestinians have the same kind of vital organs? They're similar species?

But how can that be? Isn't one group meant to be "the monster" and the other one "the saints"? Which is which?

This craziness has spun my world outta control. How about yours?

If it ain't grey it's Satan

2005-11-07T00:19:00.000-08:00

I love Islam. I mean I really do.

But what is up with this Catholization of modern Islam? (no offense to the Catholics but they are kinda limited in terms of pleasure of the flesh) Why are we scared of the devil? I mean in the Koran he's a pest. A whisperer. He's a gnat. Nowadays, he's blown up to near "The Exorcist" style size.

And what about the drabness? In Islam, "God is beautiful and he loves beauty" so why not a little more? What's up with the chromatic clothing choices. It'd either all white or all black (with some red to signify the blood of our forefathers or some crap like that).

What about the ongoing (underground) attempt to outlaw music? What the hell is that all about? Music is beautiful hence the, "God is beautiful and he loves beauty" logic comes to it's rescue again.

What isn't beautiful?

How about blowing up kids? I'd definitely put that in the ugly column.

How about honor killing? Can't find any beauty there personally...

What about tribal council sanctioned gang rapes? The beauty alludes me there also...

I think if we all tried to make everything around us beautiful a little more perhaps we'd have somewhere nicer to live instead of immigrating to France and tearing down their beauty out of misplaced jealousy and resentment.

Grace would've turned me too

2005-11-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

My Muslim brothers, I beseech you! Learn about homosexuality! Please!

Two things:

1) Modern science has shown that being gay really isn't a choice. I mean, it really really isn't. You are basically born that way. Sexual preference is controlled by a gland in the brain (or something) that is determined in the womb.

2) There are very highly respected Islamic scholars who will tell you that there are a significant majority of homosexuality instances that are NOT punishable in Sharia.

What does that mean? Well, if in Islam god bears a human being no judgment for things beyond their control (for example the ill and insane) then what gives man the right to condemn another man for something that they were born with?

It's (not) miller time

2005-11-06T23:56:00.000-08:00

I keep reading about how Arabs and Muslims are unhappy with the amount of Alcohol in their countries and western views that it's a democratic right (wtf?!) to get a little loud on the weekend if they want to.

First: Communists drank. It wasn't too democratic in the USSR neither was it a terribly liberal place so alcohol is definitely not exclusively the drink of choice for freethinking liberal type westerners.

Second: Isn't democracy the will of the people? If a resounding amount of Arabs want alcohol banned, shouldn't the pro-democracy westerners be jumping on our bandwagon and supporting our rights?

Third: Isn't Alcohol responsible for something near 80% of all domestic violence, murders, rapes and a host of other nasty criminal acts?

So, let's be really really honest. Shouldn't Alcohol just be banned outright worldwide? I mean, if Cannabis is and that's far less conducive to a criminal actions, why not alcohol? (not advocating just asking).

Other things we should ban for the sake of public health and security:

Cars
Fast Food
Anything tobacco related
Ben Affleck movies

Here's a concept: Liberty

2005-10-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

Concepts are hard to define using language. Simple words cannot express grand ideas and one of the grandest is the concept of "Liberty".

What’s the difference between freedom and liberty?

From the online dictionary I got the following (there are more usages but these are the ones I’d like to focus on):

free·dom
n.
1. The condition of being free of restraints.
2. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression.
3.
a. Political independence.
b. Exemption from the arbitrary exercise of authority in the performance of a specific action; civil liberty: freedom of assembly.
4. Exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition: freedom from want.
5. The capacity to exercise choice; free will: We have the freedom to do as we please all afternoon.

lib·er·ty
n. pl. lib·er·ties
1.
a. The condition of being free from restriction or control.
b. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing.
c. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. See Synonyms at freedom.
2. Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control.
3. A right or immunity to engage in certain actions without control or interference: the liberties protected by the Bill of Rights.

So what’s the difference? Well, it’s very subtle but basically having freedom is a physical kind of existence, but having liberty relates more to the mind and beliefs primarily and secondly to how you express those beliefs in a physical manner

So, “Liberty” is a more comprehensive freedom, one that transcends the physical and enters the realm of thought, freeing it from oppression and judgment. Wow! Imagine! A word that means be allowed to think whatever you want and to believe whatever you want! A concept more foreign to the Arab world I defy you to find.

Why? I might be crazy but I think this is all wrapped up in the tribalism, community thought thing. I think that eastern people and Arabs in particular are subconsciously big fans of objective truth, they just think that consensus or shared subjective truth get you closer to an objective truth hence the lack of need for one to have individual thought.

Where did this culture come from? Well, I believe it cam from the same place that western culture didn’t come from: Verbal Culture.

Arab culture is a verbal one. It’s history is carried from one generation to the next via stories and legends and fables. Now, a history carried down through time in this manner needs some sort of fact checking to make sure the truth of the story is maintained: introduce consensus. If 5 out of six people said it happened that way, then it did.

So what do you do when you can’t remember exactly how the story went but two out of 5 guys have said it went a certain way and the other two guys have yet to speak? Well, to protect face (i.e. maintain your place amongst your tribe) the smart thing to do is go with the first two guys coz then you’re a guaranteed majority…and what about the last two guys? Who cares! It doesn’t matter that the first two guys made up the whole thing so that they could win a bet!

For liberty to exist within the Arab world a certain amount of individualism needs to be allowed or introduced. Not at the cost of the other equally valuable and societally (made that word up) beneficial concepts like family, community and civility but enough for people to value their own liberties enough to protect those of their fellow man’s (or woman’s).

I could go on…..

Here's a concept: Truth

2005-10-12T00:56:00.000-07:00

George Washington once said, “I cannot tell a lie” (apparently). The thing is he probably never told the truth either…

Let me explain…

Objectivity is an idea that is difficult to explain to a subjective culture. The Arabs have for quite awhile now been incapable of seeing things from any one else’s point of view. Case in point: Israel.

What is Israel? Well, depends on who you ask. Some will say it’s an evil American satellite placed in the midst of the Arabs to safeguard the US interest in the region. Others will say it’s the last and only hope for the Jewish people who have suffered since the time of Moses and can only now return to their homes.

Which one is the truth? Well, they both are, aren’t they really?

Now, I have tremendous respect for the willpower displayed by the Israeli government to survive. They’ve made some truly difficult decisions that have been very controversial but have in effect insured their continued existence. I don’t agree with a lot of it, but does that matter? I mean, it’s just my opinion right?

Now, I find it difficult to shirk away from the truth. I mean, the above paragraph is near enough to get me labeled as a spy and hung, drawn and quartered in some circles but is it untrue? Is it untrue that I have respect or is their deserving of respect an untruth?

The truth is that Israel exists. No matter how much noise anyone makes it’s not going away. And the truth is that the Jewish people are just that: People. And the truth is that in Islam there is nothing wrong with co-existing with people of the Jewish faith as long as they don’t “attack” the Muslims.

Why are these things truths? Well they aren’t really. Existence is temporal so therefore only temporally true. The definition of people is not an absolute truth therefore Jewish people isn’t either…It’s all very complicated…

So, what is this illusive truth thing? That’s just it. Truth is illusive. Nobody really knows what it is. It’s very humbling really. Almost humiliating. No one will ever know “the truth” It’s just too complicated. Our language isn’t robust enough (and no language is) to define it and since our thoughts are based upon symbols that we define in language we will never be able to tell the “truth”…..

So what is truth? I think truth is not a definition, it is the search for that definition. It is a process, one that constantly delivers something truer than the step before. Because of this dynamic, no truth is ever true it is merely closer to being true.

So what am I saying? You may think you know, but you don’t really. Tomorrow your thoughts and beliefs might change and it’s this conscious realization that should grant you the humility to be skeptical and to accept that alternative truths (the paths to a truer truth) might exist

The truth will set you free.

Apparently.

Here's a concept: Love

2005-10-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

"What is love?" Haddaway asked once. And then disappeared forever which makes me wary of asking it myself, but I feel I must therefore...

In my life I think I have been loved by several individuals. When I felt "loved" it was usually for a brief moment, but the conviction of the emotion was enough to last a lifetime.

Love, I think, is basically just completely selflessly wanting someone to be happy. That's it I think. Sometimes confused with lust, sometimes with dependency, sometimes with a fear of being alone I have come to the conclusion that "Love = completely selflessly wanting someone to be happy" because what else would you call "completely selflessly wanting someone to be happy" ?

N.B. Wanting someone to be happy does NOT mean wanting the best for someone. These are two different things. If needed I can explain, but then we'd get into objectivity and the whole existentialist reality arguments and that's a whole different kettle of fish.

Now, I have very rarely experienced or seen the demonstration of "love" in the Arab world(as I have defined and hope you agree with).

Men don't love their wives. Parents don't love their kids and siblings don't love their siblings. We, in the Arab world, are still concerned with 16th century concepts like Pride, Honor and Tribalism.

Why? I think the solution is in the definition “Love = completely selflessly wanting someone to be happy". That last word. “Happy”.

Arabs as I have seen have no idea what this word means. Contentment is even more difficult to observe. Men sacrifice their own happiness because of duty, women have their muted because of society and kids have their inherited from their unhappy moms and dads.

Is unhappiness the absence of happiness or is it a concept completely warranting it’s own
Definition?

Either way, the solution to it’s elimination is the pursuit of happiness. And although it might never be attained might lead to a feeling of contentment perhaps, for no suitor is depressed or unhappy during his chase but only after his rejection.

Maybe that’s it? Maybe Arabs don’t chase happiness cause they wouldn’t be able to handle the disappointment of failing?

A fellow blogger believes it’s all about losing face and how easterners as a whole can’t handle it. Maybe.

I honestly think that there is a lack of conscious though on behalf of a lot of Arabs. There is also the lack of a culture of defiance and challenging the status quo. Perhaps I would be similar in my thoughts had I not spent the majority of my formative years in the west.

Anyway, to conclude and in brief: All you need is love. Love is a protocol for behavior that is extremely advanced in its implementation. It requires selflessness and altruism. It is the summation of thousands of years of human relationships, failed and successful, that led to the existence of a protocol that all humans should aspire to adapt and implement in their daily lives…

I could go on...

Here's a concept: Intro

2005-10-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

Civilization. Culture. What are they?

I think they are basically just protocols really. Ways for people to deal with other people, interact with each other, communicate with each other.

The more we interact with each other, the more sophisticated our protocols (and therefore our culture and civilization) become.

Now to say that western Europe is the height of cultural advancement and civil development is stating the obvious. Of all modern cultures and civilization on earth the Europeans have had the most interactions (between themselves and then through colonization through out the world). The Chinese have been around longer but they were kind of on hold for quite a few centuries after the European invented cheap mass producible paper and the printing press.

Now as an Arab I am sorry to say that we are lagging tremendously. Our concepts and understanding of ideals and values are still stuck in the 16th century (I think) and I believe this might be one of our main stumbling blocks in trying to sort out our current cultural coma and I have identified the concepts that I think need to be "fleshed out" by our societies.

THE CONCEPTS

Love
Liberty
Truth

That's it really. I know it sounds so clichéd to the average westerner and to the average easterner sound's like American propaganda but I really believe that it's because our people do not understand these ideals that they have nothing to aim for.

With the recent "freedom of press" movements across the Arab world it won't be long methinks before freedom of expression starts getting touted around. It is only after these two freedom are granted/won that I believe we'll be able to lift ourselves out of the mud.

Bad girls, Bad girls, whatcha gonna do?

2005-10-04T01:38:00.000-07:00

Lets spot everything wrong with life in Dubai (the UAE for that matter) in the context of the following. Come on! It'll be fun!

From 7days:

Woman injured in petrol station cat fight Sunday, 19 June 2005

An expat says she was assaulted by another woman in a Dubai petrol station. JJ was taken to Rashid hospital for treatment after she suffered severe bruises on her face following the attack.

So far, so normal....Expats fight all the time amongst each other, sometimes with locals too. They have to really. I mean what would you prefer them do, sit on the frustration of being tricked by recruitment people in their home countries and then by their employers? Having their passports seized by their employers even though that's "against the law" ? Have ignorant people from everywhere judge them based upon the color of their skin or the severity of their accents?

Her shirt was torn in front to a point where she was “almost half naked in front of over 20 people,” she said. “There I was being beaten like an animal and people just stood and watched. At the hospital the person who registered me was so insensitive, he asked me if my husband had hit me,” said JJ.

But what would she have done? Some Indian or Pakistani get in the middle of fight between a half naked lady and some crazy cat-creature? Does she have no idea that any passing Arab will see this as a great opportunity to meet two girls at once and will probably just start pounding on the innocent Indian/Pakistani who tried to help out (goes for pretty much any nationality really). Even worse, what happens if someone getting involved is accused of molesting one of the two women?

The incident occurred last Monday after JJ had parked her vehicle in front of Starmart at the petrol station in Jaffiliya.

Crazy expat lady! Why did you get out? Just honk your horn like everyone else does till someone inside comes to your service.

“As I came out of the petrol station I heard this lady honking at me. I asked her what was wrong and the next thing I realized was that she had slapped me so hard I had fallen onto the ground,” said JJ.

How dare you ask what is wrong?! Serve you right for actually trying to remedy whatever issues were troubling this maniac women. Don't you know where you live? It's the UAE baby, "avoid the devil and sing to him" is the common Arab saying here.

She called the police and grabbed the attacker’s car keys to prevent her from leaving - “That is when she went wild. She started hitting me and tore open my I raced to my car and central locked it from inside.”

Of course she did. Now she had a proper reason for kicking your ass! Two wrongs do not make a right and no matter what is going down you must never perform a crime yourself even if you are trying to save your own life.

Police arrived with an ambulance and JJ was taken to Rashid hospital. The woman reportedly later signed an apology letter to JJ at Bur Dubai police station. Police were unavailable for comment.

What are the police going to say? Why do we need a comment from them? But all is well, an apology was signed and balance was brought back to the force. Thank god that the universe only needs papers and ink to erase transgression and injustice as well as pain and suffering. Oh say can you see.....

workers at the petrol station confirmed the incident but said they could not interfere: “So many such incidents take place. If we go to the police we will only end up running around behind the case for a couple of weeks and lose pay.”

And here is the point: Until the police become servants of civil order and not figures of authority and control we will never have good Samaritans taking a stand. I know someone who was arrested because he returned something his friend had stolen to it's owner. Imagine! Arrested! I think the cops should've investigated it as I can see how there is some stupidity in someone wanting to do a good deed, but they didn't need to arrest him. I mean, if you steal something and then put it back without anyone missing it and it's in perfect nick, did you actually steal it?

I asked a cop that once. His head made a quite humming noise for three minutes and then he mysteriously collapsed as smoke seeped out from his nose and ears.

13 years

2005-10-04T01:07:00.000-07:00

From 7days website:

Rescued from a hell holeTuesday, 04 October 2005

For the first 13 years of her life Hanan, who was born with a mental disability, lived in a tiny shack in the Satwa area of Dubai with her mentally handicapped mother, a brother and two sisters.

Thirteen years? How does that happen? How does something so tragic go unnoticed for 13 years? Maybe it's time the UAE created something similar to "Social Services" to safegaurd the innocent from the random twists of fate that lead to stories as horrible as this one.

Change of styles

2005-10-03T23:36:00.001-07:00

I apologise for continually changing the style of my template but I can't seem to get the lonks to start closer to the top of the page...

Please be patient with me as I try to work this out....

30 days to go

2005-10-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Kareem. Happy fasting.

I'm not a big fan of ramadan. I mean, I know it's holy and a good show of commitment to god and I accept that. I fast my 30 days with everyone else (29 sometimes) and I am not complaining. I am not advising we get rid of it (which we couldn't do anyway)....

But every year Ramadan comes and it completely messes up my sleeping, eating and working habits. I suggest that during ramadan the whole country takes a vacation and then we can construct our daily routines around the fasting.

Some would say that that would defeat the point of ramadan to a certain extent. And I'd have to agree.

Ramadan is meant to be tough. I think that's why you do it once a year, every year. Each year you attempt a new way of coping with adversity of the month. Sometimes you do better, sometimes worse. At the end of the day it's a very personal and life affirming process. It's almost like a boot camp for life.

So, to all my fellow boot camp brothers and sisters I wish progress, development and control.

Tkae care of yourselves......
and a lama.

When I rule the world

2005-10-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

This is a post I did in someone elses Blog...

I've also always thought of the Spanish Inquisition as one of the larger travesties of human history and that it was proof positive of the horridness of Catholicism (and the Spanish too).I grew up in England and the States so I've always had mixed feeling towards the whole Catholic/Protestant thing and Christianity as a whole. Plus, I've always had the "religion only caused conflict" argument thrown in my face by numerous atheists and agnostics.
but then I found these figures from http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/...n_victims.html:

- 7,000,000 murdered (without trial) by the Nazis (self-confessed pagans)

- 17,000,000 murdered by Stalin (a militant atheist); a number only exceeded by the Chinese communist (more militant atheists);

- the 9000 unarmed priests and nuns murdered by the Bolsheviks (more militant atheists) in a few months in Spain (a slaughter which sparked the Spanish civil war);

- one could add the slaughter by the Rationalists behind the French Revolution (In the two years, 1792-1794, over 40,000 Frenchmen were executed; most without trial and for merely refusing to abandon their Catholic Faith)

- 1,000,000 (a number that would have been nearer 2,000,000 had it not been for the courageous sanctions-busting activities of Irish Catholic missionaries) Biafran babies and young children, who, in less than two years, where starved to death to serve the oil policies of Harold Wilson’s government of secular humanist

- 3000 to 5000 over the entire 330 years of the Spanish Inquisition

Point 1: Why do I use the Spanish inquisition as an example of man's inhumane brutality when it really isn't that bad compared with all the other things my beloved England and France have done in the past?

Point 2: Do we blame the protestants and Catholics or Christianity as a whole or the bible for the actions of either group? What about the atheists? What makes them tick? How about these Islamic militant bastards? Who do we blame for them

Point 3: You can't have your cake and eat it. If you blame my book I can blame yours, if you blame my faith I can blame yours and it'll just go on and on. Surely, it has nothing to do with the faiths themselves.

Point 4: Humans suck.

Here comes the crash doo doo doo doo

2005-10-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

I'm no economist but all these labor strikes are to me a sign that things are about to come crashing to a halt in Dubai. Why? Them big construction company owners are going to have to take the money they been plowing into IPOs and stocks and funds instead of paying the workers and actually pay the workers.

"Ha Ha!" You say. "This guy has no idea what he's talking about!"

Maybe. But wait a minute...hold on a sec. If everything is overvalued than where is that value coming from? You can't make/create money. It's like Energy, neither created nor destroyed it merely changes form *(for an explanation see below). So if the property is over valued then there is something that is being undervalued i.e. something isn't getting it's dues...step in our wonderful labor strikes showing us exactly where the money ISN'T going and abracadabra! The previous market liquidity is reduced, large amounts of capital move away from the market and the domino effect begins.

Now, I hope to god that isn't true (because if it is I can go to jail for predicting something detrimental to the countries economy) and I ain't no economist. But it makes sense to me.

* Why you can't create money

Money is just a way of measuring a resource or services wealth. Without the resource or service to exchange for the money you just have some printed paper. The amount of value attached to an apartment in Dubai Marina is not equal to the cost of it's building + marketing + all the other stuff. It's way, way overpriced. You say profit? Sorry, but no. When the profit is unreasonable than it's basically equivalent to stealing. Profit is also measured taking into account the risk that was undertaken, the demand for a product, it's raw value etc etc. What's going on in Dubai is just irrational. Same with the stock market. How on earth is the stock of a company that hasn't even posted one quarters performance results performing as well as several of the stocks listed are?

Economists, correct me!

Kick out the Jams!

2005-10-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

From KT:

The Journalists Association is working to incorporate certain amendments in the form of appendixes to the existing Publication and Printing law to ensure that defamation cases against journalists are civil and not criminal in nature. The effort is also to define the rights of journalists and journalistic institutions.

Woke up this morning and I could smell it....Freedom of speech. It's coming.

My favourite part about this whole new movement is how the cops are getting their almost godlike powers reduced slowly.

“We completely reject that a police authority investigates a journalist. Summons for a reporter should be made by the Prosecution and only a Chief Prosecutor can make the investigations and that must be in the presence of the lawyer. A specialised Press Prosecution and a Press Court should be established," said Mohammed Yousef, Chairman of the Journalists Association

Woo hoo! The days when 5 0 could arrest prettym much anyone they liked whenever they liked are coming to an end.

But there is still the issue of the "Emiri commands" (or decress or whatever)...Do you know what those are? Well, if you don't consider yourself lucky cause you only find out what they are when they drag your ass off to jail (or gaol). Let me explain:

There are these laws called "Emiri Commands" (EC) and basically a cop can use any one of the many ECs to throw you in jail for a period that could be anything from a day to a week to possibly even a month without even seeing a judge or having anyone investigate the crime! Imagine that! It happened to me! I know what I'm talking about.

And what are these "Emiri commands" (they aren't actually called that but it least it's vague enough to spin later) ? An example is "Making fun of a cop" (which is why i got thrown in the can!).

So the next time you get pulled over, remember! Be nice! 'coz if you annoy them, irritate them or merely pass wind in their general direction they have the full support of the law to throw your ass in jail!

Give this man a Emmy or a Tony or a Pulitzer or something!

2005-10-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

This man is a comedic genius in the style of all the greatest satirists. His writing wouldn't be out of place on Monty Python, Saturday night live, Have i got news for you, The Daily show or even Brass Eye or The Day Today.

http://www.muttawa.blogspot.com/

Sir, I salute you!

Just don't go there

2005-10-01T23:07:00.000-07:00

Avoid Bali for god's sake!

This is where I live

2005-10-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

From 7Days:
"No clear ID yet on dead body Friday, 30 September 2005 Dubai Police are working to identify the body of a young girl found dead on a beach in Deira."

They haven't identified the body yet but it is definitely a child.

It probably is the Senegalese girl. Children are usually missed...they have someone asking after them.

How did this 3 year old get to the beach and drown without anyone noticing? What part of Dubai is so under populated that something like that would happen?

I smell foul play. If I was a cop I'd be on that girl's parents like white on rice.

I bet you if it had been a European looking kid they would found her in a few hours. If it was an Arab maybe a day. But it wasn't. It was a little black girl

You think I'm wrong? Think about it. Be honest.

Of course, it's way more complicated than simple race.

Moral of the story: Watch your kids.

FBZ....Like a FTZ

2005-10-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

How about a "Free Belief Zone" ?

Imagine! It's like a "Free Trade Zone" where the rules of the country are thrown out the window in the benefit of benefiting the economy except with morals! Imagine!

No more judging! No more deception!

Basically, in the FMZ anything that is deemed an activity that we should leave to God's judgment is allowed to take place. Like what? Abortions I think would be on my list. And maybe "illicit" relationships/interfaith marriages. And the publishing of controversial books as well as the broadcasting of controversial material (sometimes, even something like pornography can have a good and practical use like actually keep married couples together happier and for longer maintaining happier families).

Point: We're adults. We have brains. We can make decisions. Get off our backs. Go get the real criminals. The ones keeping young girls locked up in brothels. The ones keeping the laborers and their families back home hungry so that they can benefit from the interest they gat from the banks while the money sits in the company accounts. Arrest the cops, exploiting their power to abuse women, make money and improve their own lot. Break up the Lebanese and Indian mafias, giving jobs to people from their home towns where other, more qualified but racially different individuals would best suit the job. Go after the child rapists, luring poor underprivileged kids into their homes with toys and money, making them keep quite with threats to their families. Get into the public schools and stamp out the sexual abuse the kids are inflicting on each other. Start an anti-racism campaign and stamp out the ingrained and indoctrinated worship of all things white, blue eyed and blonde. Close down the schools feeding our kids sub-standard food so that the owners make a buck more. Throw them corrupt judges in jail, always finding their friends and acquaintences excuses, getting them off the hook and keeping the poor and unconnected down.

You bring an ounce of marijuana into the country you could get your head chopped off. Rape an 11 year old boy and you’ll be out for his 13th birthday. Where is the justice in that?

Bad Dr.!

2005-10-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

From Gulf news:

"Doctor who performed illegal abortions jailed By Bassam Za'za', Staff Reporter Dubai:

A general practitioner in gynecology who was not authorized to perform abortions at his clinic but charged 50 women to perform illegal abortions, was jailed. "

I do not advocate doing anything illegal but....

The lack of provisions empowering women to take control of their lives in this country is frustrating. The women are meant to assume the burden of all the ills of our society and this is another example. Let me explain.

Is it fair to say we live in a highly sexualized time? Sex is everywhere, yes?

Okay, is it fair to say that abortion is a contentious issue and that people are generally either pro-life or pro-choice for whatever reasons in different proportions depending on where you live and how much you make and what religion you are etc etc? Yes?

Then is it also fair to say that in a situation where a sexual relationship has led to the impregnation of the woman that it is a social stigma easier for a man to live down than a woman regardless of which society you live in?

Further, is it not the case that unmarried women with children are likely to be ostracized and possible even worse in societies such as ours whereas the men will be generally just thought of in a less favorable manner?

Is it not also true that an abortion in a regulated clinic is a walk in/walk out affair? That anyone with enough money and the right passport would fly somewhere safe and clinically reliable to perform an abortion? And that only the desperate and poor will be likely to attempt anything here?

So who assumes the burden for societies ills? That poor pregnant and unmarried girl. The weakest and most vulnerable in the whole sordid affair. I think that's wrong.

Now, what about this Doctor fella? Hero or villain? Philanthropist or exploiter? Opportunist or rebel?

as a note: I do not condone abortions, nor am I against them.

And the winner is...

2005-09-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

So, "Shamal: The Battle for Dubai Desert Rock 2006" was on Thursday. The amount of attention it received from the western and Asian press was quite unprecedented. Mtv Europe, a couple of other satellite channels, local press were there as well as there being a live commentary on Radio 1 during the show.

Which is all great for the band who won: Mannikind. Here's wishing them the best and hoping that they use this window of opportunity and the attention they'll receive between now and the 2006 DDR festival to push away from the pack and really make themselves a name.

Gigs

2005-09-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

Attitude:

Date: Wednesday 28th, (show starts at 6:30 pm , ends at 12 am)
Ticket Price: 35 Dhs
Venue: Nashwan Hall, Leisureland, Dubai

Playing:Liptrix, Death of Eighty, Juliana Down, Sandwash, Mannikind

Desc: A fashion show and rock gig.

Comment: The bands playing this particular show represent the current vogue within the underground scene.. The venue itself is not the best but it is a Dubai Rock scene haunt.

Expect: Lots of teenagers. Not the greatest sound but a fresh take on the gigging experience. Quality bands that put on a good show.

Overall: The Nashwan hall gigs are great for your core fan but can be dissapointing for the newly inducted. The place is a bit dark and dank (Rock N' Roll!) and it's clean and booze-less environment makes it an good place for the young who want to be bad and the parents who want to make sure their kids aren't gonna raise too much hell.

Shamal:

Date: 29th Spetember (Show starts 6:00 pm)
Venue: Knowledge Village, Dubai
Ticket Price: Free Entrance
Playing: Mannikind, Death of 80, End of reason, Avarice, Deviant, Chosen rejects, Tragikuntidiness, Offkilter

Desc: A battle of the bands to secure a slot at Dubai Desert Rock 2006 which is a the regions only annual rock festival, now in it's third year.

Comment: This show will be grand. CSM (organisers of Desert Rock) don't do thinks small and with talk of TV, Radio and Record companies at the concert, the night promises to be one filled with tension and drama. the bands are mostly constituted of high school kids and this is a shot at the big time for them. The venue is a new one for a gig and so I cannot comment.

Expect: Drama. The best out of all the applicants that CSM recieved. Lots of press and TV and the beautiful people.

Overall: Did you like American idol? The apprentice? Then you are going to love this event. The sound should be top notch and the performances tight and well prepared. Then again, it might all go horribly wrong, w3hich would be even more dramatic! You can't lose!

The hamburger wives

2005-09-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

My local friends joke about the girls that they could potentially marry. They complain, "She won't do any housework. All she'll want is to shop. She'll leave the kids with the housemaid" etc etc. They call them "hamburger wives" (i.e. they eat cheap imported fast food, a reference to their materialistic and culturally shallow desires). Ha Ha! Well, why are the women so vacuous ? First not all of them are, but at least 9 out of 10 local women I meet are somewhat lacking in conversational skills that would illustrate to me any sort of depth in their personalities. But I could say that for any class of human being so that's not justification enough really. The most interesting people I've met in this country have actually been local women. The ones I refer to have been driven, hard working, knowledgeable and all in all quite intimidating. So why do local men think so unflatteringly of their potential wives? First let's examine the typical marriage of one of these guys.

Some might work, some might not...The ones that do work might take it seriously and then again some might not....The ones that don't work either own a building or inherited lots of money....Yet they all share the same basic behaviorism. They will find an excuse to be away from the house during the day (work or sleep) and then come home for lunch, a nap and then spend the evenings and nights with their friends or cheating on their wives....Why?

There is something fundamentally wrong with the family unit in most cases. When a girl is married off to a guy she doesn't know and at a young age and neither the husband nor wife now what the other wants for themselves (much less if they can provide what their spouse wants) you have a recipe for disaster.

So what happens? The husband continues cheating, the wife shops and lives out her life unfulfilled and bored. The kids grow up with no idea what family life in the 21st century can be life and pass on the tradition to their kids.

Where are the problems?

The first that I perceive is the lack of empowered women. Women need to take charge and be more in control of their lives

The second is mature, confident and secure men. Men who are not going to beat their wives if someone looks or even stares at their wives. Men who will not associate a women's right to be a productive member of society and speak her mind with a "loose" or "immoral" women (who does that association even exist?)

Then we need parents to understand that only by spending "quality" time with their kids will they be able to raise progressively stronger and more confident generations. Not by dumping them on the nanny.

I could go on.....

Why I wouldn't raise my kids here

2005-09-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

The UAE is a great place. I mean really, especially now...it's very exciting.

But given the choice of where to raise my children, dozens of countries would be preferred to here. Why? Before I answer that, I'd like to say I don't have any kids...so my ideas might change once I do. And I understand the reasons that this environment is deemed ideal by others (very safe, no drugs comparatively, good healthcare, good wages, etc etc) but let me explain why these matter for little in my eyes.

I believe humans are not cattle. Mere existence is not enough to justify existence. I believe that humans are meant to strive and work and build and grow and develop and enhance basically. Now, even in places where the government and culture has provided an environment that is meant to create this productive type of human you get time wasters, so what do you expect the chances are that someone growing up in a country that is swimming in wealth, encourages superficial displays of wealth, has no academic class or artistic class will develop into a truly productive member of society? I think very little.

I have friends and family here. Really bright guys. But they are, for some reason or another, content with meandering through life. Working jobs they don't enjoy, taking loans they'll never pay off and marrying women they don't love all for the sake of keeping up appearances.

It's like the road from here to Dubai. It's bordered by lush trees on either side that have billions of dirhams worth of water pumped into them every year. But just behind that there is nothing. Just empty desert.

So, I'd rather raise my children where the merit of a human is how much they do, not how much they appear to own. Where the culture is sophisticated enough to understand that better citizens are the products of happy families, and happy families need love. Where the government says, "Hey! These museums are free to enter and they are some of the best in the world!".

Growing up in England put a fire in my belly that I stole from my working class friends (as politically incorrect as that sounds). I want my kids to have that fire, to not be afraid to take on the "man", to strive and sweat and strain with pride knowing that they are morally justified in their desires to better their lot and the lot of their community, nation and humanity as a whole in their endeavors.

Issues

2005-09-20T00:04:00.000-07:00

If anyone out there believes in the iumportance of nurturing artistic development here are the issues that are stunting the growth of the scene. Any recommendations are always welcome.

1- No venues
Taking into consideration the nature of the countries demographics it's a no brainer that alot of people in bands here are young (under 21 at least) Due to legislation here that means that most of the bands here can't play in Bars and those are pretty much the only venues. Any alternative suggestions would be great.

2- No critics
The last thing on anyone's mind around here is the importance of thoughtful music criticism. But it is very important to musicians. Everyone's too concerned with the price of petrol. Anyone know anyone who fits the bill?

3- No record companies
I have no idea how viable a record company is here as a commercial entity but I can't see why it shouldn't turn a profit.

4- No artists
This is the biggest problem i think. The lack of artists is directly linked to the environment. There is no nurturing of the arts here.

Anyone?

UAE Music scene in brief

2005-09-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

When I speak of the music scene i will be focusing on home grown, live, performing and original material. Bar bands don't count. Dj's don't count. International band gigs don't count.

So what have we got then? Well, two basic genres represented:

1- Hip hop
2- Rock/Metal

The larger and more mature of the two is surprisingly the Rock scene. The hip-hoppers are having a hard time getting established properly and I believe that's due to a lack of studio and producers for the rappers (many of them btw) to record with. What they do have is a break dancing presence which is not really musical, but hey...

On the rock scene there is one source for all info: www.phride.com. It's poorly managed, hasn't grown or developed as quickly as it's membership has and generally suffers from a lack of vision, maturity and direction but at the moment it is all the community has.

So that's the scene in a very quick nutshell.

Blog rethink

2005-09-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

Having read through as many blogs as I could and gotten a general idea about what everyone was talking about I've decided that to truly contribute to the blogging world I should focus on an aspect that wasn't covered by the rest and one that I knew more about. So, My blog from now on will almost exclusively focus on the burgeoning music scene here and my exposure to it.

"What music scene?" you ask. Exactly.

Starting over

2005-09-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Tried to log into my blog, browser said i wasn't authorised....got paranoid as hell and so deleted all my posts. To ensure that I'm not want to do that again I've decided to end this particular blog and start a new one, this time without using any info or providing any info for the blog to be traced back directly to me.

Paranoia! Paranoia! Paranoia!