Ashes to ashes

The city is home to around 1.5 million people who enjoy low taxes and a pretty extreme arid climate for 5 months of the year. The city has been for many years a hotbed for property development and speculation and prostitution. Scores of illiterate migrant workers toil in the desert…

I am of course talking about the city of Phoenix in the US state of Arizona. What were you thinking?!

For several years now Dubai and Phoenix have worked on forging closer ties.

It is unclear as to who pursued whom in the first place – and why -, but in the end those efforts have culminated in the establishing of a strategic partnership between Dubai and Phoenix. An agreement was slated to be signed yesterday, 29 April.

Twinning two cities from different countries is in principle a great idea and it happens a lot across Europe. You can compare and learn from each other about new ways to do things; compare different regulations, strategies, and results. The idea is to tie with a city that is similar but not too much either.

So why has Dubai chosen to twin itself with Phoenix, Arizona? Well, it becomes all clear now: Phoenix boasts the biggest decline in property prices in the entire USA!

It’s so much more fun to compete with peers. Not only do you have a realistic chance of coming out tops but you can also conveniently point fingers at each other as example for similar problems across the world. This is reassuring for the respective populations. After all, it would hardly be very amusing for Dubai to compare itself with, say, Oslo or Zurich.

I can picture the municipality leaders of Dubai and Phoenix leaning heavily on a park bench, in between sips out of bottles in paper bags, commiserating with each other and ranting on about the unfairness of life. “Why me? It wasn’t me! It’s all the investors’ fault!”

As the saying goes: With friends like these....

Of course we hope that both cities will eventually rise from the ashes like the proverbial Phoenix. But this is only possible because in the first place both burned (their fingers) badly and crumbled.

By the way, currently Dubai leads Phoenix with a -41% versus -35% decline. Hooray. We are winning.

Banning Pork to Prevent Swine Flu?

This is surprising.

Gulfnews
"UAE bans import and sale of pork as a precaution against swine flu"

It's surprising because you don't catch swine flu from eating pork. Nor is the virus transmitted on pork.

It's disconcerting to hear that the medical and municipal authorities don't understand the basic scientific facts related to this issue.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Recession holidays

Who says government officials are not creative people? The Dubai Labour minister actually coined a new word for the economic crisis – it’s a ‘holiday’!

According to today’s ‘Gulf News’ he rejected recent research reports by several banks that predicted a fall in Dubai’s population by up to 17%, mostly due to redundancies in the real estate and construction sector.

According to Mr. Gobash, workers are not being laid off but simply going on holiday. Damnit, I must talk to my boss. I really feel like going on an extended holiday now. Not gardening leave. Holiday, you understand, is paid leave.

Incidentally, most national newspapers today report on a 4.7% year on year increase in air traffic for Middle East carriers at a time when other airlines worldwide face a dramatic downturn in air travel.

Could this have something to do with many expatriates “going on holiday” from Dubai to India or Britain, I wonder? I think I may have discovered Mr. Gobash’s cunning plan behind all this: To support national airlines in times of crisis, the Labour ministry simply encourages expat workers to take more vacations, et voila’ - air travel’s up!

Do you realize how fortunate we all are to live in a country where government does its utmost to spare us bad news?

Putting Swine Flu in Perspective

I almost fell for the panic, but this guy really helps:

Chaii anyone?

Lipton has launched this special pack of teabags.

What is special about it? No its not the packing, nor is it any new ctc brew.

What I thought was the cutest thing ever, was that each tea bag has a little riddle or joke printed on the label.

It reminded me of the Walls ice creams I ate as a kid, and couldn't wait for it to finish so I could read the riddle on the stick. It was a battle between wanting the ice cream to last for longer and the curiousity of finding a new riddle. I would collect them and exchange them with friends, like baseball cards.

My kids and I have a good laugh, while I am making my cuppa, and they will read it out and ask me the answer (which is also printed on the label). Now they are collecting the labels.
:)

When the middle finger backfires.

Nurse who was jailed and deported after showing middle finger to driver urges expats to obey the law.

An Australian nurse who was deported for showing his middle finger to a motorist has warned expats to be extra careful how they behave. “I want people to be aware of the law because I don’t want anyone to go through what my wife and I have been through,” Darren O’Mullane said.Darren spoke to 7DAYS less than a week after he was deported for showing his middle finger to an Emirati driver on Sheikh Zayed Road. He was deported after spending 24 days in Dubai Central Jail, while his English wife, Marie, had to give uptheir apartment, cars and family pet and uproot to start a new life in Australia.

...........................

...........................

Seriously, expat folks, beware who you wag your finger at, you never know who's in the other vehicle.

Daw'ah Work Shop May 2009

A Daw’ah Workshop is to be conducted starting May 15th 2009 until June 12th 2009


(Click on the image to enlarge it)

Here are few points with regard to how this workshop will help in your strive for Islam.

It will enable you to understand and present the basic concepts of Islam effectively

It will enable you to clarify the prevailing misconceptions about Islam

It will enable you to use essential quotations from other religious scriptures as a mean to do Daw’ah

This workshop is also designed to train an individual in delivering table talks & public lectures in a dynamic way

It will enable a person to use his/her potential for Islam

It will open your mind to different methods of sharing Islam with others

For any queries please contact Mr Mohsin on +971 50 2968364

Note: Please click on the link http://promotersofpeace.com/Registration_Form.doc to download the Registration form for your admission

Here are some helpful links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeTm5RU-OLc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NqzX_HZKwY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52DZg1ucofM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8R1x35ZxP4

TRY EISSA NOW !

I call the government to pursue an immediate trial of Eissa, the person responsible for this hideous video.

Any person who treats people like this is SCUM.

UAE inflation to drop

According to this EmBiz 24|7 report, the IMF forecats the UAE inflation rate to drop by 2%:

The UAE is to record one of the lowest inflation rates in the region at around two per cent from 11.5 per cent. "For the region as a whole, inflation pressures are projected to subside quickly, owing to lower commodity prices, rents, and economic activity," the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook.

Let's hope it does drop. Have any of you noticed prices going down in everyday purchases (beyond sales of course)? I personally haven't.

About a boy

Ok, we had our fun. Let's not embarrass the kid any longer.

Off you go, back to work...

WOMAD * AD * 23rd-25th April

Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage hosted the WOMAD festival from the 23rd - 25th April this year.
And I tell you what a FESTIVAL it was!
It was flawlessly organised, the stage, the sound system, the venue (Corniche-on the beach),and they even provided port-a-loos.
A lot of hard work and organisation has undoubtedly gone into the preparations to ensure it was a really really fun 3 evenings for people of all nationalities and walks of life.
And just when you thought it couldn't get better, the weather for April was sublime. The breeze blew off the sea, and kept everyone cool. Fantastic to see so many people there. Single, with friends, families , listening to music, dancing to music or just soaking it up and chilling out on the beach. There was food to taste, and workshops for the kids.
It was hard to believe it was AbuDhabi, and for three days my heart and soul feasted on music.
They opened and closed the festival with much fanfare, and we were treated to Fireworks everyday.
I listened to Rizwan-Moazzam (nephew to the great Sufi Qawaal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), Youssou N'Dour and was transported to heaven.
The Dhol Foundation, Trilok Gurtu and Los De Abaja , and so many more.
And you know WHAT?

It was FREE!!
THANK YOU ABUDHABI.

Torture tape revealed

ABC News: The video shows someone "mercilessly torturing a man with whips, electric cattle prods and wooden planks with protruding nails." Later he "pours salt on the man's wounds and then drives over him with his Mercedes SUV."

ABC has the video here.

"The incidents depicted in the video tapes were not part of a pattern of behavior," the Interior Ministry's statement declared.

There are many reasons you might video yourself torturing someone else. One would be to view them later for pleasure. Another would be to show to others that you mean business.

I wonder what "not part of a pattern of behavior" means. Not part of his pattern, or not part of the government's pattern?

Addendum. [added April 25]

The Guardian

US congressman James McGovern has already called for a freeze on government aid to the UAE. ...

The victim, an Afghan grain merchant called Mohammed Shah Poor, apparently survived the experience, because the government later justified taking no action against the sheikh by saying the matter had been settled privately between the two men and each had agreed not to press charges against the other.
...
McGovern urged [Hillary] Clinton and all relevant US officials to watch the tape in its entirety.

AP

With Capitol Hill soon to review a deal to send American nuclear power technology to the U.A.E., the oil-rich nation has enlisted a pair of heavyweight lobbying firms to convince lawmakers the agreement won't be a boost to neighboring Iran's pursuit of atomic weapons.

Since July, the U.A.E. has paid nearly $1.6 million in fees to Akin Gump and DLA Piper, according to foreign agent registration records on file with the Justice Department.

Both sides of the political aisle are covered. On the U.A.E.'s lobbying team are Vic Fazio, a former 10-term California Democratic congressman now at Akin Gump, and DLA Piper's Dick Armey, the former Republican House majority leader from Texas, the records show.
...
On Thursday, State Department spokesman Robert Wood declined to say whether disclosure of the Sheik Issa videotape might undermine the agreement on Capitol Hill. "I'm not going to get into a characterization of what Congress should or should not do," he said. Wood said the administration still plans to submit the agreement, but he did not give a date.

The U.A.E., a federation of seven separate states, wants nuclear power by 2017 to meet its growing demand for electricity. Although the emirates are flush with oil, they must import 60 percent of the natural gas they use to generate electricity.

This affair is inconsistent with the U.A.E.'s record. This is not merely a private matter, and U.A.E.'s record has been blemished. The straightforward way for the U.A.E. to deal with the problem is to prosecute Issa. It is important to keep in mind that Mohammed Shah Poor may have settled because it was unlikely Issa would be prosecuted.

Abu Dhabi makeover on course

Abu Dhabi real esate is about supply and demand.

Sheikh Mohammed speaks out

It's a very rare thing indeed to hear the man speak. And when he does, it's worth a listen. An Embiz24/7 special covers the entire online interview with the press held on Saturday, as well as report on the current crisis:

"I believe that no preventive measures, neither in the UAE nor any other country in the world, would have provided the desired immunity from the ramifications of the global financial meltdown...Our position is far better than other countries, and encouraging economic indicators have just started to emerge."

I personally think this a step in the right direction, considering the recent barrage of articles on the 'dark side' of Dubai.

Oh, as a side note, he also says there's no income taxes anytime soon. Yeay.

If you think Dubai is bad....

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi's Op-ed in The Independent (UK):

Say for example that I had written an article that states that, in wealthy first world Britain there are 380,000 homeless people, many of them mentally ill, starving and abandoned in sub-zero temperatures to live on the streets.

Say then that I wrote an article that states that Britain, the so called "jail capital of Western Europe" sentenced in 2006 alone a staggering additional 12,000 women to prison and that up to seven babies a month are born in jail where they spend their crucial first months.

I could have written an article that stated Britain, victor in the Second World War, had given refuge to 400 Nazi war criminals, with all but one of them getting away with it. Or one stating that the number of Indians who died while serving the British Empire, to build your Tube and grow your tea, is so large it is simply unquantifiable by any historian.

Or say I write an article about the 2.5 million-strong Indian volunteer army who served Britain during the Second World War, where 87,000 of them died for their occupiers' freedom and yet until recently those who survived continued to be discriminated against in pay and pension.

I could have written an article that stated that, in civilised Britain, one in every 23 teenage girls had an abortion and in 2006 more than 17,000 of the 194,000 abortions carried out in England and Wales involved girls below the age of 18.

He's just getting warm to his subject. Read on.

Rothschild goes Dubai

As you might have read and heard in the media, Dubais Department of Finance has commissioned the Rothschild company as advisors to their 10 billion U$ fund which was issued by the UAE central bank last month. Rothschild operates an office in DIFC.
"I am confident that with the addition of Rothschild's expertise we will put in place an independent and rigorous process of qualification and oversight for the fund, which will help our businesses achieve their full potential beyond the near term challenges." Amen to that.

(Photo from December 2006: from left to right: German Ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder who works as a consultant for Rothschild, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid and David de Rothschild)

I was surprised that most people I talked to here, had no clue as to who the Rothschilds are. They also didn't know about their important role in both world wars, in the Balfour Declaration, in the founding of the State of Israel and in the international world of finance - first and foremost as the founders and owners of the Federal Reserve in the USA (which by all means is NOT federal by the way).

On a side note: Rothschild is not their real name of course, well now it is, but it didn't used to be. Also, the way the media pronounce the name 'Roths-Child- is wrong. The correct pronounciation is "Rot-shilled". Again, if we are to be made believe, that we should support the Palestinians, then by all means, I am sure there are 1000 better ways to do that, than to partner with the personification of Zionism. Do your own research. If you work in TV in the UAE, why don't you propose the movie "The House of Rothschild" be aired. Here's a video (part one) on the history of the Rothschild family. I have also posted part 2 and 3 on our blog.

The Bright Side of Dubai

Johann Fairy of The Dependent *) reports Only The Good News!

'The Dependent' is a new publication in Dubai. It may be government owned but maybe not. This is not your business. Don't ask disparaging questions. Its mission is to fearlessly counter-report really totally unfair bad news about Dubai (which are not true anyway) and will rectify and undo slanderous attacks aimed at Dubai’s irreproachable image perpetrated by ingrate expatriate bastards who should leave if they don’t like it here.
It will be circulated freely and all residents are invited by law to read it over morning coffee smiling, whilst rubbing their ID cards on their chests three times. If you don’t have ID card you go jail.

Read the Good News here now or else.

Diversion

(via TEAAS)

Doha Center for Media Freedom

The Doha Centre for Media Freedom, alarmed by recent talks between Dubai police and Google, has sent an open letter to the Internet giant warning it not to give in to calls for censorship.
Chief Inspector Dhahi Khalfan Tamim of Dubai police and Giselle Hescuk, Google's head of development for Europe and the Middle East, met in March to draw up a censorship plan which the UAE authorities said would maintain religious harmony and prevent any infringements of religious and ethnic integrity in the light of local culture and traditions.

The authorities officially asked Hescuk to "restrict content that is pornographic, mocks religions, strengthens atheism, promotes new religions, fosters a feeling of insecurity or is unsuitable for young children".

The Doha Centre said: "The measures put forward and the terms used are ambiguous enough to result in the strictest sort of censorship. The proposals are based on a list of 500 key words drawn up by the Dubai police which would block access to certain sites."

The Centre called on Google and its subsidiary YouTube to reject the proposals.
"A company with the slogan 'You can make money without doing evil' and which is the world Internet leader has a moral obligation to take a stand on freedom of speech and act accordingly", it said. "The greater the power, the greater the responsibilities."
The Centre added that it was particularly concerned because the list of banned words had not been made public.

"Blackmail by the Dubai authorities is unacceptable. The United Arab Emirates cannot make any form of censorship a condition of access to the Internet." Read more on their website.

Anti-Dubai bile in British press not shared by UK government

Following on the heels of the journalistic stampede noted in samuraisam's post comes this from AMEInfo:

The government of Great Britain does not share the pessimistic and rather vitriolic view of Dubai that appeared in some sections of the British press in the wake of the global financial crisis, asserted John Wilkes, an official spokesperson for the UK government in a press conference at Dubai Press Club yesterday.
...
Wilkes was speaking to the media on the ongoing visit to the region by Peter Mendelson, the British Secretary of State for Business, accompanied by a large delegation consisting of top government officials and business leaders.

The high level British delegation reached Abu Dhabi yesterday and is scheduled to visit Dubai today. 'Great Britain considers the business and other relations with the GCC countries as exceptionally important, particularly in light of the current financial crisis. Dubai and the gulf region are better equipped to deal with the crisis than many other parts of the world on account of the region's enormous financial and natural resources. The UAE is the third largest market in the GCC for British businesses,' said Wilkes.

Read it all here.

7Days adds:

The UK government has said it does not support attacks on Dubai by the British press. Government spokesman John Wilkes branded some recent media coverage of Dubai as “rather vitriolic” and said it did not share the “pessimistic” view of the emirate that has been portrayed in some sections of the UK press.

Dark Side

Dear international media,
You need to write more articles that reference the 'dark side of Dubai', there are clearly not enough.

BBC Panorama magazine: Dark side of the Dubai dream
ABC News: Dark Side of Dubai's Boomtown
The Independent: The dark side of Dubai
The Times: Dark side of Dubai’s economic boom exacts harsh human toll
Ya Libnan: A rape case exposes Dubai's dark side and injustice
Middle East times: Dubai's dark side - misery for Asians
Qatar Living: The Dark Side of Dubai
Time: The Dark Side Of the Dream
Arab News: The Dark Side of Splendor
NPR: "But foreign diplomats and others say there's a dark side to the economic boom"
Bloomberg: "Fei Fei's story symbolizes the dark side of Dubai"
Guardian: "Carole Cadwalladr explores the dark side of Dubai"

Crackberry Blackberry Storm in UAE

EmBiz 24/7 reports the launch of the BB Storm in UAE:

"Etisalat is the first telecom operator in the Gulf to supply the ultra-advanced touch-screen business mobile...The handset is priced at Dh3,150 plus data package from etisalat."

So with all the latest gadgets coming into the UAE, like the iPhone and now the BB Storm, what do you think is better in terms of functionality, value-for-money and user-friendliness?

CNN Survey

So I'm in US and I'm watching CNN today.

They have a program about faith and President Obama's speech in Turkey, that "We are not at war with Islam."

They then gave statistics, some of which were;

1. 48% of Americans don't trust our Muslim Allies

2. 53% of Americans don't personally know anyone who is Muslim.

I think it's tragic that these are the statistics. I have some wonderful friends in the UAE (I'm American) and throughout the GCC and consider Abu Dhabi my second home.

How can this perception be changed? Why is it that with all the positive things going on in the UAE/Qatar/Oman, there is still a negative view of Islam?

The opinions offered were that many Muslims do not speak out against the extreme faction and this was also an opinion voiced by a woman Arab reporter.

The survey also said that the majority of Muslims in the US enjoyed their life, although they did find there were some difficulties with other people accepting them.

What is the solution, a spokesperson from the UAE?

BBC One airs Slumdogs and Millionaires tonight

BBC:

The branding of Dubai has to be one of the greatest PR triumphs of the past 20 years.

It works out incredibly well for the developers - they can charge first world fortunes for the dream villas and apartments, but pay third world salaries to the men actually building them.

Many in Dubai say that this is just globalisation working, and that while the lives of the workers, and the salaries they are paid, look bad to us, to them, where they come from, it's good.

This excuse doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

The story of Dubai's immigrant construction workers shocks and depresses in several different stages. The poor and often illiterate men, who come here in their millions from the Indian sub-continent, are getting exploited from so many different angles that it's sometimes hard to know who to be angry at.

The program airs in the UK on Panorama: Slumdogs and Millionaires, BBC One, Monday 6 April at 8.30pm.

Yes, there are abuses and the downturn in the economy has played a role. But on the whole these workers are here because it's better than the alternative of being home. Why else are they upset when there is talk of limiting the amount of time an expat can work in the country? And when considering how poorly they live consider that most are sending home a large portion of what they earn.

Half full or half empty?

A recent poll on expat sentiments have local newspapers split on the proverbial glass:

Emirates Business 24/7:
More than a third of expats in region will opt to stay put

Arabian Business:
One in three expats poised to return home

So what's your take on it? UAE two-thirds full or one-third empty?

Record Drive up Jebel Hafeet

UAE champion rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem set the first official record time up Jebel Hafeet last month: 3 minutes, 29 seconds.

YouTube + youth = "bad influence"

"Police are working to control web sites such as YouTube fearing that they are having a bad influence on UAE youngsters.

General Khamis Al-Muzaina, Deputy director of Dubai Police, met a representative from Google yesterday to discuss the issue after the head of Dubai Police Lt General Dahi Khalfan Tamim expressed concerns that YouTube can harm youngsters.

Al-Muzaina urged Google to help control the site. He said: “The internet is a good way to get information and communicate but there are some people using it for things that are against our country’s traditions and morals.” “We are not against freedom but it’s our duty to protect our country and its traditions.”

Speaking about YouTube Doctor Mohammad Murad from the Youth Protection Institute said: “There is porn and videos mocking religion and some videos which encourage violence and terrorism. It’s not good for youths and can cause hate and damage the nation,” he said.

Al-Muzaina added that the police were increasing their efforts and cooperation with Etisalat to protect society. “The youth is the future of our nation and we must protect them from bad things on the internet” he added.

Jesile Hiskok director of Google developer in the Middle East said a team from Google is discussing the issues with officials in the UAE."

more here

Does anyone else think it's just a little bit unlikely that Google would change the whole of YouTube to cater to a country that is equal to 0.068% of the worlds total population?

New minimum taxi fare of Dh10

"Dubai: The minimum fare for commuting in a taxi in Dubai is now Dh10 with immediate effect, Gulf News has learnt.

The move came after recent complaints from drivers that short trips waste their time and reflect badly on their daily minimum targets. The minimum starting fare, however, has not changed - it is Dh4.

The policy of charging a minimum Dh10 fare took commuters by surprise because it was implemented without any formal announcement by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which is authorised to approve such decision.

An RTA spokesperson told Gulf News that the final decision was taken on March 31 after consultation with the Dubai Taxi Agency and four other franchise taxi companies in Dubai. The new fare structure was implemented from April 1. However, he failed to give reason why the new policy was not advertised to make commuters aware."

more here

Commander of Chechen Battalion Killed in Dubai

On a photo: Sulim and Ruslan Yamadayev holding a portrait of their brother Jabrail



Sulim Yamadayev known as a former commander of Chechen battalion Vostok was reportedly shot dead in an underground parking of JBR, Reem tower, where he resided for last 4 months.

Local and Russian news agencies have offered confusing if not mutually exceptive information. Family of the victim insists that Sulim Yamadayev is still alive and is in intensive care unit of one the Dubai hospitals. Other sources claim that he had been buried in Al Quos cemetery this Monday.


Reuters gives a brief account.

One more short article from finnish-russian community

Dubai police have made first arrests. Among them, one tourist arrived earlier last week to Dubai, the other person is an owner of a small business in Dubai. Rumours say that the number of arrests made range from 4 to 7.

Caching...

Is it just me, or are the blogger feeds slow in updating new posts? Also, comments and new posts take atleast an hour to show up on the blog, despite frequent refreshing.

"Duplicity"

If anyone has not yet seen the new Julia Roberts/Clive Owen movie, "Duplicity," or if you (like half of everyone in Dubai) were late arriving and missed the first few minutes, you missed seeing something remarkable.

The opening scene is set in exotic Dubai, circa 2003. The U.S. Embassy ... (embassy? in Dubai? umm... sure, whatever, move on.) A barbecue. (right, makes sense, that's what happens here.) For the Fourth of July (yea, yea, ok, gotta love those American holidays) ... Outside (in July?) ... During the day (???) ... Well. All that is, um, plausible, but here's the kicker: no one sweats!

Ah, the movies.

iPhone 3G launched for Wasel prepaid customers

Etisalat has finally launched the iPhone 3G for Wasel, according to an EmBiz report:

...the iPhone 3G 8GB device will be available in black colour for Dh3,121, while the 16GB device will be available in both white and black colours for Dh3,570, said a press statement.

Etisalat is also offering free 250 MB monthly data package for six months and one free Wasel SIM Card with every device, providing return benefit of over Dh2,000, effectively bringing down the device cost to a little over Dh1,000.

Would you buy the iPhone with this new deal? Is it value for money?

Anchor Proof cables

Today the Telecommunications Revolutionary Authority announced it's plans to install anchor-proof cables on the ocean floor. Previously the cables have been cut by wayward boat captains, but only once or twice. During these times the speed of browsing internet was said to have increased greatly despite there being no physical way of data traveling.



Many users have been completely satisfied with the services provided during these times and vouched to continue paying for them; in appreciation of the public's enthusiasm a price raise of 325% was announced this weekend.

The authority has also put plans on the table to possibly paint the cables red in order to achieve maximum possible speed, they have not however at this time discussed upgrading the typewriter in the communications ministry's office.

Salikh

Earlier this week, hundreds of people took to the street gathered to praise the 5th anniversary of Salikh; Salikh gates have already dotted the landscape for some time, and some of the revenue raised was put towards a potaytet field.


OVER 9000 people took to the street to show their happiness and enthusiasm for Salikh

Among the people at the spontaneous community praise session was Burakhbar, who commented “Now with Salikh it only takes me 4 hours to pass under the gate at 6 PM! Before it used to take me 4 and a half hours! The reduction in time has certainly freed up my schedule”


Salikh gates are considered to be a great sign of progress and have helped to control traffic on the 18-lane highway

The Revolutionary Transport Authority thanked the public for their enthusiasm and made a surprise announcement of a further 67 gates in the next two months.

Flickr

Yesterday, the communications ministry succeeded in apprehending 14 dissidents who attempted to bypass the scheme enacted by the ministry to prevent people from accessing flickr; among the items found uploaded by the dissidents were several pictures of kittens and a photo of a walrus pleading for his bucket, although these photos may sound harmless, the ministry has promised that they were a grave threat to the security of our youth. The communications ministry server has so far caught 312 people this year trying to access flickr, and also a further 442 people who tried to make cheap phone calls using the web-service skype, which is considered a grave threat to the funding of the 5th potaytets field.


The modern equipment utilized by the communications ministry in protecting our internets; this particular device even has the ability to interface with modern typewriters. Also catering to previous requests, the machinery is now insulated should anyone accidentally spill tea on it.

The comrades at the Telekom Revolutionary Authority ask all party members to keep a look out for miscreants who will try to subvert the revolution by trying to circumvent the "firewall of red".

Be Vigilant! Report them for a safer neighbourhood!

nyet

Early today in support of great communist way of life, a wall collapsed. Fortunately no injuries were reported, however the plan for the great hole in ground for planting potaytets has now been put on hold.

Please find attached pictures [NO CARRIER]