newshane

Wulfgar

Certain HR and IT departments would not be happy with those images. Some people browse on work computers during the day. It's always good form to self-censor controversial images, or provide a warning in the title. Gorgeous book though! It really IS art! GLWTS.

Just in... so clean! 78 years-old and counting! My grandmother was 13 when this came out.

That's because nearly half of America, at the time, had German heritage. EDIT - I've been politely corrected via PM. Not half of America. But they were still the predominant ethnic group. "There were 488 German-language daily and weekly newspapers around 1900..." - NYT

I think that's a good practice moving forward.

sent in a slam-dunk 8.0 came back 7.0 Brutal! They are absolutely hammering ANY type of staining...even very light stains seem to come with at least a full-point penalty. My bewilderment continues.

I didn't mean to derail the thread at all. My apologies to everyone. I've already posted my appreciation for the OP's report. I don't hold grudges either. Let's just agree to disagree and move forward already.

It's no big secret that I copied and pasted most of the post, but I made sure each bullet was backed up by verified sources. Most of what I posted is either: 1.) already well-known fact, like the guidelines for Ramadan 2.) Big, international incidents with media coverage from multiple angles. If anyone is unsatisfied with my findings, they are welcome to conduct their own research...please PM with your findings, as I am open-minded and willing to change. As for now, I'm more than happy with my decision to avoid the area altogether.

Clearly, you are the one politicizing this, and YOU are the one dragging the thread left with negativity. Just because Dubai isn't on my bucketlist and I *refuse* to be governed by ANY religious law...ANY...does not mean that I am politicizing everything. You are the one who is being nasty here.

I think you are mistaken on many points, and that you are strangely upset over my opinion.

...and I guess I wanted to throw a warning about Dubai before my fellow comic geeks start pulling out the Zenescope titles at the local hookah bars.

I hate you.

You haven't started any trouble. Thanks for the post!

I thought it was interesting as well. And you're right by golly! Why would one ever discuss the merits of visiting Dubai in a thread about...Dubai? My bad.

I would buy it, but I wouldn't be happy with the off-white pages.

I totally agree! I also like the cuisine, and many other things about the culture. I just wouldn't feel welcome or at ease. The common world view in that area of the world is in stark contrast to my own, and I'm getting too old for those type of adventures, I'm afraid.

AND....there are certain places in the USA that I would NOT visit! The devil you know, however, is better than the devil you don't.

I'm merely defending myself against the claims that my decision is somehow uninformed. An informed decision doesn't require experience. You can observe the experience of others in order to make your own decision. Kind of like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. People do it all the time. Not everyone dies. That doesn't mean that it's a good choice for ME to ride without a brain bucket. I gather information and consider the risks and consequences before I make a decision. There are scores of places that I would visit before Dubai, and that's my personal choice. Personally, I don't see much benefit in visiting Dubai. Definitely not enough benefit to outweigh the risks.

I am fine with that.

I don't care where you go.

It's all good. GO TO DUBAI IF YOU WANT. I will go to places that at least attempt to honor human rights and civil liberties.

There are many, many, many more anecdotes, but I feel like I've made my point. Besides, true work beckons, so I must take my leave now. Enjoy Dubai!

Where do I begin? Let me express my "informed opinion" by presenting some facts for everyone. Make up your own mind. I've made up mine. * * * 1. All of those pretty skyscrapers? Practically built through slave labor. Watch the documentary Slaves of Dubai. Lots of the immigrant workers are forced to give up their passports upon entry, and many are not paid for months on end. They often live in "camps" crammed 8 to a room. UAE has also refused to sign a number of treaties guaranteeing basic human rights for their workforce. 2. Prior to the mid 2000s, camel owners made use of child jockeys, most of whom were kids kidnapped from other parts of the world. After international outcry, they have slowed the practice. But violations still remain and are likely to get swept under the rug if the owners have the money to pay off the cops. 3. Openly gay people face the death penalty in the UAE. 4. Kissing, dancing, or drinking in public are all punishable, criminal offenses. 5. Sleeveless tops and short dresses are not allowed at Dubai's malls. Clothes must be in appropriate lengths. Expats and tourists are not allowed to consume alcohol outside of licensed venues. 6. Apostasy against Islam is punishable by death. 7. In all emirates, it is illegal for Muslim women to marry non-Muslims. In the UAE, a marriage union between a Muslim woman and non-Muslim man is punishable by law, since it is considered a form of "fornication". 8. During the month of Ramadan, it is illegal to publicly eat, drink, or smoke between sunrise and sunset. Exceptions are made for pregnant women and children. The law applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims, and failure to comply may result in arrest. In 2008 a Russian woman was put on trial for drinking juice in public during the month of Ramadan. 9. More than 100 Emirati activists were jailed and tortured because they sought reforms during the "Arab Spring." Since 2011, the UAE government has increasingly carried out forced disappearances. 10. According to Human Rights Watch, the reports of forced disappearance and torture in the UAE are of grave concern.11. The Arab Organisation of Human Rights has obtained testimonies from many defendants, for its report on "Forced Disappearance and Torture in the UAE", who reported that they had been kidnapped, tortured and abused in detention centres. The report included 16 different methods of torture including severe beatings, threats with electrocution and denying access to medical care. 11. In April 2009, a video tape of torture smuggled out of the UAE showed Sheikh Issa bin Zayed Al Nahyan torturing a man with whips, electric cattle prods, wooden planks with protruding nails and running him over repeatedly with a car. In December 2009 Issa appeared in court and proclaimed his innocence. The trial ended on 10 January 2010, when Issa was cleared of the torture of Mohammed Shah Poor. 12. Rape victims are not immune for punishment for other crimes they have committed in Dubai. In a small number of cases, the courts of the UAE have jailed women after they reported being raped and it was proven that the accusations were false. A British woman, after she reported being gang raped by three men, was fined AED 1000 after confessing to consuming alcohol without a license. 13. An 18-year-old Emirati woman withdrew her complaint of gang rape inside a car by 6 men when faced with a long jail term when it was found there was no evidence that rape occurred. The woman served one year in jail for having consensual sex outside marriage with one of the men on a separate occasion. 14, Keith Brown, a British national, was arrested on September 17, 2007 after authorities claim to have discovered a speck of cannabis on the bottom of one of his shoes. According to an article in the Daily Mail, the alleged illegal substance was smaller than a grain of sugar - weighing approximately .003 grams. He has also been sentenced to four years in prison. Other tourists and residents have been sentenced to execution for selling cannabis. 15. Another UK citizen, Tracy Wilkinson, was arrested and accused of being a "drugs baroness" in 2005 after authorities found codeine in her blood. Wilkinson has a bad back and received an injection of codeine at a Dubai hospital. She ended up spending two months in a cell where she contracted dysentery, head lice and an infestation of fleas before she was eventually released on bail. 16. German television producer Cat Le-Huy was arrested in January 2008 for possessing a bottle of the over-the-counter hormone sleep aid Melatonin. 17. Prostitution, though illegal by law, is conspicuously present in the emirate because of an economy that is largely based on tourism and trade. Research conducted by the American Center for International Policy Studies (AMCIPS) found that women from the former USSR and Ethiopian women are the most common prostitutes, as well as women from some African countries, while Indian prostitutes are part of a well-organized trans-Oceanic prostitution network. A 2007 PBS documentary entitled Dubai: Night Secrets reported that prostitution in clubs is tolerated by authorities and many foreign women work there without being coerced, attracted by the money

I've read quite a bit about Dubai. It's true that I've never been there. I've also read that certain snakes are deadly, even though I've never handled one or kept one as a pet. It's up to everyone to make their own informed decisions in life. Carry on as you may.