Blogosphere: August 28, 2007

The good old salik seems so passé
When Salik was first launched, traffic woes suddenly became so passé, and the toll system was the best thing since cheese manakeesh.
But then the vacationers returned. And the RTA decided to turned Dubtown into International Lego City with its placement of barriers, surprise diversions, and misleading signboards. And the happy bunnies that once sped down the SZR, would now toss a coin to decide which traffic-infested route they should face for their ride home.
With the advent of all of the above, the good ol' Salik days now seem so…passé …making one wonder whether the inconvenient toll serves any purpose at all.
Anyone got some good audiobooks? It appears that I'll have a little time to kill again.
http://dubtownbrat.blogspot.com/

Viva Las vegas
Someone told me that it's impossible for an Arab/Muslim city to invest in a gambling operation ... But the story was also on CNN, so most likely it's true. I am not worried about Arab's reaction to it, but more towards American one.
Can't wait to see Jon Stuart's thoughts on it tomorrow night; he is in Iraq at the moment by the way.
I'll be very honest with you, I don't care about this whole Arab investing in gambling business. I spent a whole week in Vegas last summer and I stayed in MGM. I didn't hit the tables, instead I spent a small fortune on shows like BlueMan show, KA and others. So, there are lots of things to do in Vegas other than to gamble.
I am with this move and if they can buy 100 per cent of MGM, I am down with it.
Also, the place is full of themed venues such as NewYork NewYork, Luxor, Paris and Aladdin (now known as Planet Hollywood). Who knows, we might end up seeing a Dubai themed hotel on the strip.
http://dubaiconsumermirror.blogspot.com/

Instructions
I must admit Salik definitely has cleared up the roads from Garhoud bridge up to Shaikh Zayed Road. I don't know about others if they have faced any traffic situation on this route, but until now all the times that I have driven up there I could count the number of cars on my fingers!
http://bssandbrninalain.blogspot.com/

Homecoming gifts
Today, I saw quite a few of my neighbours entering the lift carrying lots of shopping bags. They are planning to spend Ramadan back in their home countries, and the custom is that they must return laden with gifts.
That the gifts were produced in their home country, exported to the UAE, and are now being purchased and carried back in overburdened suitcases is beyond the point: they must return with gifts.
And, in some cases, for reasons which escape me, prices in the UAE are actually cheaper than where the goods are produced, so this custom actually makes a modicum of sense.
http://dubaiatrandom.blogspot.com/

Bluebeard strikes again
Who can forget Ajman's most famous resident, the one-legged Bluebeard Daad Mohammad Murad who has already worked his way through fifteen different wives in his absurd quest to have one hundred children?
When we last met Daad in 2005, he was about to take his twelfth wife and was up to 68 children. In the past two years he's squired another ten offspring and shed three more brides. And he's looking for more.
http://secretdubai.blogspot.com/

The axis of evil
If you haven't seen the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour yet, then you most definitely must. It's probably one of the funniest comedy standup routines you'll ever see. These guys are really hilarious, they take up the issues of profiling in the US and being an American Muslim, and tackle issues like terrorism and prejudice, and life for people of Middle Eastern descent in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11.
http://bakkouz.net/2007/08/26/arabs-are-the-new-black/

Miss Teen USA
Below is the transcript, but trust me - you're going to want to watch it. Her makeup is flawless and helps distract from the pain.
JUDGE: Recent polls have shown that a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is?
MISS SOUTH CAROLINA: I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq - everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should... our education over here in the US should help the US - or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future...
http://www.kabobfest.com