Many drops make an ocean
The plan to cut power and water usage in Sharjah is a step taken in the right direction (‘Sharjah to cut power and water use by 30%’, Gulf News, July 23). In my opinion, even the smallest effort to conserve water is laudable. It takes many drops to make an ocean. If we start today, our future generations will not be deprived of this scarce resource. Hats of to the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) for coming up with this brilliant plan that will see thousands of gallons of water being saved.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Sharjah
Facebook comment
Promote local efforts
I think in order to promote this water and power conservation, the authorities should implement certain guidelines to achieve the results. I’m an expatriate, and think all efforts to conserve must be the focus of expatriates here. Electricity fees should be increased for residents and I think conservation efforts should be promoted in the media.
From Mr Shahzaib Arshad
Sharjah
Facebook comment
Work together
Why should expatriates pay more, Mr Shahzaib Arshad? As a resident, I am aware of my usage. I am not only practicing conservation, but am helping others understand the importance of energy saving. I am pretty positive all people, no matter where they come from, need to take energy saving into account. When I first came to the UAE, I heard an Emirati entrepreneur talk at a seminar I attended, about bringing people together regardless of race, culture, religion or socioeconomic background. He used three words that stood out: awareness, understanding and acceptance. He also made a very good point — that regardless of the differences, we must all work together to help each other.
From Ms Em Dodds
UAE
Facebook comment
Recruiters must be skilled
I have been in Dubai for 10 years, so I have changed jobs now and then, and I have had the ‘joy’ of dealing with recruiters (‘4 things that turn off job recruiters before an interview’, Gulf News, July 23). In fact, dealing with recruiters is as good as dealing with real estate agents. There are recruiters who do not even bother to read the job description before sharing it with candidates, recruiters who are not aware of recruitment trends or those who do not properly match jobs with candidates’ profiles and career goals. Not to forget how unprofessional some recruiters can be when completely forgetting that it is not only employers who are their customers, but also candidates, who they have to communicate with and pass on feedback and share follow-ups with. Recruitment is a human resources (HR) activity. Having said that, they have to have an understanding of HR management, market HR capabilities, recruitment trends, relationship management skills, writing skills and basic communication skills to be successful recruiters. It’s not only cold-calling skills that matter!
From Ms Alaa
UAE
Website comment
Children panic in danger
Children often suffer panic attacks on realising that they are alone, so can you imagine how this feeling would intensify when they find they cannot open the car door (‘Child dies after being trapped in a car with his cousin’, Gulf News, July 22)? The panic attack would then become serious, and ultimately result in suffocation and death. All parents are requested to pay particular attention towards their children, especially when leaving them alone, either at home or in the car.
From Mr Mumtaz Hussain
Dubai
Website comment
Profound impact later on
It is sad that these poor children are being brainwashed and even sadder to say that there won’t be much hope to rehabilitate them, once Daesh is finally rooted out (‘In a Daesh training camp, children told: Behead the doll’, Gulf News, July 20). These events will always have a profound impact on children when they grow up. It will be challenging for them to fit into society.
From Mr Mohammad Ahsan
Budapest, Hungary
Facebook comment
Evil on Earth
What a devious act! All these terrorists are the world’s bane. They have no relation with Islam. They are just using the religion’s name to commit heinous acts.
From Mr Mohammad Riaz
UAE
Facebook comment
Not so hard to track down
The video looks like a set-up to me, like a film set. They seem to have everything! You name it — from a director, producer and photographers to journalists. They even have luxury cars, uniforms for militants and prisoners. They have it all! Even the latest mobile phones and great internet connection. The funny thing is that journalists seem to be able to go there, take pictures of them, and sometimes even interview them, but the world’s armies can’t get to Daesh. I don’t believe it!
From Mr Nabyl Balloch
UAE
Facebook comment
Causing hatred
These low lives are not Muslims. I am so sick of reading about all the hatred towards Muslims because of Daesh! I feel the airstrikes are clearly not working, and it requires soldiers on the ground to eradicate every single one of these militants.
From Ms Ally Reid
UAE
Facebook comment
Pawns in a dirty game
These children are supposed to be enjoying their childhood and attending schools, to be educated. Instead, they are used as dummies to execute someone’s dirty agenda for political power. What is happening to the world?
From Mr Nawaf Abu Ghazaleh
UAE
Facebook comment
Can’t take Congress seriously
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted sharply to India’s Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the Vasundhara Raje government’s ‘remote’ was with Lalit Modi in London (‘Obstinacy, feudalism guide both BJP and Congress’, Gulf News, July 19). The BJP said that the Congress party was used to running governments by remote control and believed it was a ‘model’, but it was not so in the BJP. Party secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said that Gandhi has to grow out of the diapers he is wearing, because his remarks and behaviour remind us that he remains a baby. Singh said this is happening, when in the background, there have been alleged scams during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule and controversial land deals involving Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra. His attack on Gandhi was sharp and had many facts. He said that the Congress wasted 10 years. From 2G, to Coalgate, to Vadra — the ‘damadji’ or son-in-law — they have now come down to ‘istifa ji’ — or resignation. The opposition is demanding the resignation of several BJP leaders. Nowadays, Gandhi is the butt of all jokes for the BJP.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Mala, India
Digital cinema is useful
The development of digital technology has played a major role in the disappearance of analogue material, including cameras and film technology that were used in the movie-making industry until very recently (‘Facebook debate: Evolving cinema technology’, Gulf News, July 19). The digital era also changed the perceptions of people about conventional filmmaking and opened up a plethora of bizarre possibilities for what can be projected on screen. What digital technology has primarily done to filmmaking is expand the scope of visual adventurism, with the capability of creating magically stunning acts that would have been unthinkable with analogue technology.
However, art forms do not necessarily need to have too much detail for people to appreciate it. A movie is different from most other art forms because the process of filmmaking cleverly combines creative thoughts with technology, like no other medium. No other art form uses the possibilities of technology like filmmaking does. So, movies have immense power in generating strong emotional responses from the audience instantly, as the story unfolds in front of their eyes in a visual format.
Still, analogue films and cameras had their challenges and limitations when it came to recreating unusually dramatic and adventurous scenes that a story or plot demanded. The huge cost and the logistical and technical hurdles made such endeavours the domain of very few in Hollywood. Digital technology changed that forever and now, anything and everything that was previously considered challenging, is made possible with software technology. Thus, movies about space odysseys, battles and horrors can be created with unusually stunning and effective visuals and sound tracks!
I don’t think there is anything wrong with using digital graphics if a story really warrants it. Let us not forget that following the invention of filmmaking, people may have thought that it would cause the art of theatre and drama to lead a natural death, but history has proven otherwise.
From Mr V. I. Mohammad Sageer
UAE
Editors’ note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@ gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet us @GNReaders.
