Xanadu Atlantis

A year ago the UAE was fondly regarded by Western governments and bankers as a potential saviour of capitalism.

Last month, as the major economies shed jobs and marked down growth forecasts, a South African billionaire hosted the “party of the decade” to open a vast, pink hotel on the palm-shaped island constructed from poured sand and concrete a short helicopter ride from Dubai's new international airport.

But elsewhere on the island, villa owners were being told that their properties had lost 40 per cent of their value in two months. Construction of another colossal artificial island was quietly being shelved, and speculation grew that Dubai as a whole, for nearly a decade the world's most exuberant symbol of the fruits of globalisation, might have to sell off assets to service its debts.

Recently, the Government of the United Arab Emirates was forced to confront that speculation. The chairman of a committee set up to lead the UAE's response to the global downturn said that Dubai's debts were dwarfed by its assets and that “the Government will step in to assist if needed”. Only that implicit guarantee held fears of a default at bay. The stock market was unimpressed. Having lost nearly two thirds of its value this year it promptly lost another 5 per cent

Whatever said and done is that I like Dubai, but what I like are the people that who make Dubai – how much ever they crap, they make it even better, particularly the English (no harm please, all in good fun)

Listed below is a poem penned by an English friend (who unfortunately didn’t do justice to Samuel Taylor Coolidge’s Xanadu by Kubla Khan )

In Jumeirah did Big Sheikh Mo
A massive great hotel decree
Where streams of sacred sewage ran
Through beaches uninhabitable by man
Down to a polluted sea

So twice five dozen top celebs
Did mingle with the local plebs
And there were fireworks bright with flashing stars
Apparently they could be seen from Mars
The only ones that didn't party or rave
Were some newly captured Pacific dolphin slaves

A sheikh with a kandoora
In a vision once he saw
It was an Abyssinian maid
Overworked and poorly paid

And with fireworks loud and grand
He did build that Dubailand
That massive mall! Those slopes of ice!
And we all thought them very nice

But all should cry, Beware! Beware!
This sandy land is not so fair
And now financial storm clouds grow
It might be time to pack and go
For we on honey-dew hath fed
It's time for some real life instead

Lets face it - superlatives alone cannot shield the Middle East's financial hub from crisis

The Obama Song

Since he appears to be the Messianic [hope there is such a word] candidate of 2008, Barack Hussein Obama deserves his own song. Hope this stolen one suffices

I am Barack Obama,
A man of mystery.
I want to be your President;
You can rely on me.

I promise to raise taxes,
But only on the rich.
Don’t worry that I’ll change my mind;
It’s not a bait and switch! (wink)

I’ll make the war in Iraq be over.
The terrorists will win.
That’s nothing for you to fret about;
I know Osama is our friend.

I’m going to fix our economy,
Even though it isn’t broke (wink)
Relax; the Government can do it all.
Capitalism is just a joke.

I’m a clean well spoken black man,
With nothing much to say.
Ain’t it grand that the liberal press
Don’t get in my way?

I’ll be a fabulous leader.
I’m handsome and quite tall.
While I have no talent for decisions,
The UN can make them all.

So blindly buy my speeches,
Fall under my spell.
Let me run the Country,
And I’ll lead us straight to Hell!

With due apologies to OB ....... hope he takes it in the right sense and he should at least make a diversion to paradise.....

With best wishes....

Of Twits And Clowns

John McCain makes me roll in laughter…

He is a joke and he is immature and he makes immature and irresponsible decisions. Giving him power to lead a country is like giving a 4 year old a crayon in front of a wall and telling him not to write on it

I beg to disagree…

Why, you may ask

Well I support his outsourcing plan

Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain announced that he would, if elected president, immediately begin to outsource the cabinet and their respective agencies.

Anyway, you will be pleased to note that McCain has said that the Housing department will be placed with an Indian call center. He feels that the Indians seem to know far better what is missing in the housing scene throughout America these days. Besides, they apparently also have the funds to manage the department and its problems, with their casinos bulging with cash. Besides, the natural skills of these people to manage and stay out of global conflicts is amazing, said the Senator from Arizona.

How can such a man be a clown

This ofcourse is apart from his natural ability to be one - now that’s another story!

It is also believed that John McCain has also decided to learn how to use the internet.

He is learning to get online and he hopes to do that soon, McCain told the New York Times in an interview. "I don't expect to be a great communicator, nor I don’t expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need."

In sharp contrast to McCain, Obama has 46,195 followers on “Twit-ter”. He apparently follows 48,040 Twitter accounts.

Amen

The Obama Fan

A teacher in a small Illinois town asks her class how many of them are Barack Obama fans. Not really knowing what a Barack Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raise their hands except one boy.

The teacher asks Johnny why he has decided to be different.

Johnny says, "I'm not a Barack Obama fan."

The teacher says, "Why aren't you a Barack Obama fan?"

Johnny says, "I'm a George Bush fan."

The teacher asks why he is a George Bush fan.

The boy says, "Well, my mom's a George Bush fan and my dad's a George Bush fan, so I'm a George Bush fan!"

The teacher is kind of angry, because this is Illinois, so she asks, "What if your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?"

Johnny says, "That would make me a Barack Obama fan."

Different People Different Views

An Indian politician went to the US and as per the protocol paid a visit to the local Senator.

Naturally, the Senator invited him home for dinner. The Indian minister was taken aback by the lavish mansion, and the extravagant furnishings. Finally, he could stand it no more and asked the Senator how he could manage this on a Senator's salary?"

The Senator smiled to himself and then took him to the window and pointed to the nearby river and asked him whether he could see the river, to which the Indian minister acknowledged with a yes. The Senator, then pointed to the bridge over the river and asked whether the minister could see that as well. Once again the minister acknowledged.

10 percent, said the Senator smugly.

Time passed and it was the Senators turn to pay the Indian Minister a return visit.

Obviously, the Minister threw a lavish party and saw to that the Senator received the utmost hospitality.

When they arrived at his house, the American Senator was stunned by the huge palace the minister had built, glittering with precious art, hundreds of servants and the works

How can you possibly afford this asked the Senator

The minister called him to the window. "See the river over there?"

"Sure", said the Senator.

"Can you see the bridge over it?"

The Senator looked, was confused, peered closely and said -

"No, I don't see any bridge."

"100 percent", said the minister!!

What Is Love

This song is awesome !

"John Mclaine; the guy from die hard?"

It is infectious……..a totally new concept to love ?

Another good stress buster