From today's Gulf News.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Storm devastation around the world...
We've been reading the stories of the devastation and deaths caused by Cyclone Gonu here in the Gulf, with Oman particularly badly hit. It seems that tragically the death toll will be around 75.
There's a similar story from the other side of the world too, although deaths are much fewer.
The area around my home town in Australia has just been hit by wild storms and the pictures are much the same as those we're seeing from Oman. There have been deaths there too, seven as far as I can find out including children which I always find particularly sad, sisters aged just 2 and 3 and their nine year old cousin. Their parents died as did a retired couple, all in cars which were washed away by floodwater.
What struck me is how similar the photographs are:
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Dallas Kilponen. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Sunil K Vaidya. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Jenny Evans. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Sydney Morning Herald reader.
Oman...
Photo: Gulf News reader.
Australia...
Photo: Richard Gosling. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Stefan Moore. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Ravindranath. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Phil Hearne. SMH
There's a similar story from the other side of the world too, although deaths are much fewer.
The area around my home town in Australia has just been hit by wild storms and the pictures are much the same as those we're seeing from Oman. There have been deaths there too, seven as far as I can find out including children which I always find particularly sad, sisters aged just 2 and 3 and their nine year old cousin. Their parents died as did a retired couple, all in cars which were washed away by floodwater.
What struck me is how similar the photographs are:
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Dallas Kilponen. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Sunil K Vaidya. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Jenny Evans. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Sydney Morning Herald reader.
Oman...
Photo: Gulf News reader.
Australia...
Photo: Richard Gosling. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Brian Espinosa. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Stefan Moore. SMH
Oman...
Photo: Ravindranath. Gulf News
Australia...
Photo: Phil Hearne. SMH
Friday, June 08, 2007
What meaningless garbage!
The PR industry here has a well-earned reputation for being a long way from the professional level that it needs to be.
Here's a perfect example, a press release in today's 'Briefs' Column in the Business Section of Gulf News:
Dubai Duty Free chooses NCR
Dubai Dubai Duty Free, located at Dubai International Airport and the world's third largest airport duty free shop by annual turnover, has selected a point-of-sale (POS) solution from the NCR Corporation that is expected to bring increased innovation and flexibility to the award-winning retailer. Emirates Computers, an NCR RealPartner in the region, is responsible for the implementation and ongoing support of the solution. "We aim to deliver a fast, flexible, and reliable service to our customers," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free.
A 'point-of-sale solution'? 'Implementation and ongoing support for the solution'?
What are they babbling on about?
It tells us nothing. It's of no benefit to any of the three companies mentioned. What was the point of the exercise?
Here's a perfect example, a press release in today's 'Briefs' Column in the Business Section of Gulf News:
Dubai Duty Free chooses NCR
Dubai Dubai Duty Free, located at Dubai International Airport and the world's third largest airport duty free shop by annual turnover, has selected a point-of-sale (POS) solution from the NCR Corporation that is expected to bring increased innovation and flexibility to the award-winning retailer. Emirates Computers, an NCR RealPartner in the region, is responsible for the implementation and ongoing support of the solution. "We aim to deliver a fast, flexible, and reliable service to our customers," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free.
A 'point-of-sale solution'? 'Implementation and ongoing support for the solution'?
What are they babbling on about?
It tells us nothing. It's of no benefit to any of the three companies mentioned. What was the point of the exercise?
Monday, June 04, 2007
Metro or theme-park ride?
As the overground sections of the Metro rapidly develop they're posing a fascinating question.
It's beginning to look as though it would be more at home in the mega theme park of Dubailand.
The supporting pillars are at varying heights and the horizontal concrete slabs, which I assume is where the rails go, range from almost ground level to seven or eight metres above ground.
Look, ground level...
...higher...
...higher still...
Some take the trains above the flyovers, others take them below the flyovers.
Is that what it's going to be, up and down? Anybody know?
And I hope the different departments have been talking to each other so they are aware that the Metro has to get past the new Interchange 5.5 or whatever it's going to be called (you know, the one that wasn't originally planned, at the Jebel Ali end of Dubai Marina). It looks as though the roof of the trains is going to be awfully close to the bottom of the flyover...
It's beginning to look as though it would be more at home in the mega theme park of Dubailand.
The supporting pillars are at varying heights and the horizontal concrete slabs, which I assume is where the rails go, range from almost ground level to seven or eight metres above ground.
Look, ground level...
...higher...
...higher still...
Some take the trains above the flyovers, others take them below the flyovers.
Is that what it's going to be, up and down? Anybody know?
And I hope the different departments have been talking to each other so they are aware that the Metro has to get past the new Interchange 5.5 or whatever it's going to be called (you know, the one that wasn't originally planned, at the Jebel Ali end of Dubai Marina). It looks as though the roof of the trains is going to be awfully close to the bottom of the flyover...
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Welcome to Souk Madinat.
It's about nine o'clock on Friday morning. Planning to spend money on coffee and breakfast at one of the cafes in Souk Madinat Jumeirah.
There's a rope across the public car park entrance. Security man approaches car and demands to know "Where are you going?"
"I'm going into the car park when you move the rope."
"And then where are you going?"
You take that attitude with me, even before I've had a cup of coffee in the morning? I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation, which involved me getting more than a little irate. He eventually backed off and moved the rope.
This is the Jumeirah Group, the luxury hospitality company. This is the welcome the paying public receives when we drive there to spend our hard-earned dirhams.
A public car park of a public retail area which relies on the public for its very existance.
Some demonstration of hospitality. Some demonstration of how staff training is carried out.
Why should I bother to go there again?
There's a rope across the public car park entrance. Security man approaches car and demands to know "Where are you going?"
"I'm going into the car park when you move the rope."
"And then where are you going?"
You take that attitude with me, even before I've had a cup of coffee in the morning? I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation, which involved me getting more than a little irate. He eventually backed off and moved the rope.
This is the Jumeirah Group, the luxury hospitality company. This is the welcome the paying public receives when we drive there to spend our hard-earned dirhams.
A public car park of a public retail area which relies on the public for its very existance.
Some demonstration of hospitality. Some demonstration of how staff training is carried out.
Why should I bother to go there again?
Smoking 'ban' ain't gonna work...
They're backing off already.
Here's what Gulf News reports today:
"Dubai shopping malls will be responsible for regulating and enforcing anti-smoking regulations within their premises, under terms of an agreement signed between Dubai Municipality and a group representing shopping malls.
Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said that under the terms of the understanding, the onus of enforcement would not be on the municipality but on the mall management.
"There will be no fines. Malls will be self-regulating," he said, adding that mall employees would have to tell smoking patrons to stub out and direct them to designated smoking areas."
A month ago when the 'ban' was announced I asked:
"The proof will be in the enforcement, something that Dubai is not very good at. How and by whom they will be enforced is another question.
Will 'security' personnel in various buildings such as malls and cinemas be trained in how to approach smoking-ban violators? How to deal with refusals to 'stub out'? How to deal with being ignored, or abused? And then what? Will they call the police? Can they detain the smoker until the police arrive?
Who will have the power to issue fines? Will they be on-the-spot fines? How will the fines be enforced?
There are more questions than answers at the moment."
Well now we have the answers. Yes, the security people in malls will be responsible. Yes they'll be ignored. No there won't be any fines. Yes the whole exercise was a complete waste of time.
Gulf News story is here.
Here's what Gulf News reports today:
"Dubai shopping malls will be responsible for regulating and enforcing anti-smoking regulations within their premises, under terms of an agreement signed between Dubai Municipality and a group representing shopping malls.
Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said that under the terms of the understanding, the onus of enforcement would not be on the municipality but on the mall management.
"There will be no fines. Malls will be self-regulating," he said, adding that mall employees would have to tell smoking patrons to stub out and direct them to designated smoking areas."
A month ago when the 'ban' was announced I asked:
"The proof will be in the enforcement, something that Dubai is not very good at. How and by whom they will be enforced is another question.
Will 'security' personnel in various buildings such as malls and cinemas be trained in how to approach smoking-ban violators? How to deal with refusals to 'stub out'? How to deal with being ignored, or abused? And then what? Will they call the police? Can they detain the smoker until the police arrive?
Who will have the power to issue fines? Will they be on-the-spot fines? How will the fines be enforced?
There are more questions than answers at the moment."
Well now we have the answers. Yes, the security people in malls will be responsible. Yes they'll be ignored. No there won't be any fines. Yes the whole exercise was a complete waste of time.
Gulf News story is here.
Friday, June 01, 2007
More sentences don't reflect the crime.
Today's Gulf News has another set of court reports showing sentences handed down that simply defy logic.
Summary:
Possession of 0.01 gm of hashish:
Four years, followed by deportation.
Molesting a young girl by rubbing against her four times:
Three months, suspended. Deportation.
Attempted rape of young schoolboy:
Life (25 years), followed by deportation.
I'm sure I've mused over this question before - is there a guideline for sentences, are they written into the law? A range of sentences available to the courts depending on the individual circumstances, such as 'between 10 and 15 years for rape' for example.
Or do individual judges have complete carte blanche to hand down anything?
The stories are here:
Hashish possession.
Young girl molested at airport.
25 years in jail.
Summary:
Possession of 0.01 gm of hashish:
Molesting a young girl by rubbing against her four times:
Attempted rape of young schoolboy:
I'm sure I've mused over this question before - is there a guideline for sentences, are they written into the law? A range of sentences available to the courts depending on the individual circumstances, such as 'between 10 and 15 years for rape' for example.
Or do individual judges have complete carte blanche to hand down anything?
The stories are here:
Hashish possession.
Young girl molested at airport.
25 years in jail.
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