Burj Al Arabi - The Tallest Human Shaped Tower

In what could be yet another landmark project, AAA group of Dubai recently announced Burj Al Arabi a building which will be the tallest in the world to be shaped like a human. The picture will resemble an Arab national wearing the traditional Arabic attire of white dress and a Kandura (the head gear in Arabic). If the project is approved and built it will be the tallest at 140 meters height. Dubai’s rapidly emerging sky line will have another record to show. However the Burj Al Arabi has hit controversy with AAA group not having secured permission from Limitless, owners of the Jumeirah Village Master Plan; where the building is to come up.

In my opinion this is yet another extravagant project (estimated at $140 million) that Dubai can do without. The Government might do well to spend their energies on more meaningful projects of immediate requirement. Consider the public transport system which is currently in a big mess. There is a dearth of city buses and taxis at peak times. Or the metro project which should have been operational by now. A subsidized health care system to its residents or more parking spaces in the vehicle crammed Dubai are more urgent requirements. I am not sure if the Dubai’s priorities such as this are right for the country and its denizens.

Anyways; watch this space for updates on the project and final approval by Limitless which might after all become a reality considering Dubai’s love for such architecture.

The Top Ten Foods

I came across this interesting list of the top 10 foods. As a person interested in health and alternative medicine it caught my attention. We gotta be eating more and more of these everyday. Children especially should concentrate on these since it makes a world of difference affecting their development in their formative years.

1. Fish: Oily fish like Sardines, salmon, mackerel and trout are good sources of protein and iodine, typically containing 15g to 20g of protein. Oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D. Aim to eat at least two portions a week.

2. Nuts and seeds: Linseed (flaxseed), sunflower, pumpkin, almond, walnuts and sesame are good sources of dietary fibre, essential fatty acids and plant protein. They contain many vitamins, minerals and some phytochemicals. Nuts may provide protection against heart disease. Nuts make you feel full and can potentially prevent weight gain.

3. Soya products: Soy milk, tofu, tempeh and miso have a beneficial effect for bone health and prevent cancer. They are an excellent source of high quality protein, are low in saturated fats and are cholesterol free. Daily consumption of soya protein can lower cholesterol levels.

4. Pulses: Lentils, chick peas and white beans are rich in protein, carbohydrate, fibre and are low in fat. They contain calcium and iron. Fresh pulses contain vitamin C. Lentils protect against bowel cancer and are essential for both a healthy nervous system and digestive system.

5. Wholegrains: Oats, wholegrain pasta, breads and brown rice are high in complex carbohydrates and fibre. They help you feel full and delay hunger. Whole grain foods help decrease cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood coagulation.

6. Broccoli: Green leafy vegetables are high in antioxidant nutrients. One cup of cooked broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange. It also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Enzymes help to prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.

7. Organic Eggs: contain phospholipids that stabilise cell membranes. Eggs are a protein-rich food and provide vitamin A, vitamin D, niacin and vitamin B12. A medium egg rovides an average of 86 kcals and 6.4g of fat, of which 1.8g is saturated fat.

8. Cheese: Cottage cheese is an excellent source of tryptophan that produces the neurotransmitter serotonin. Cheese is rich in proteins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodiumand vitamins A and B complex.

9. Fruits: Blueberries and other brightly colored fruits are rich in antioxidant nutrients to protect the brain from free radicals that cause cancer. Strong sources of vitamin C, fibre, folic acid and phytonutrients. Berries are sodium-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories and fat.

10. Ostrich meat: high in protein, iron and zinc. It is low in calories and cholesterol and is suitable for all low carbohydrate diets. It is lower in fat than chicken and turkey, and much lower in fat and cholesterol than beef.

Source of this article: Gulf News

I Couldn't Recognize You

A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.

While on the operating table she had a near death experience.

Seeing God She asked "Is my time up?"
God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a Facelift, liposuction, and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color.

Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it. After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.

While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance. Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 40 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?"

(You'll love this!!!)

God replied,


"I couldn't recognize you".

Disabling a Stolen Mobile Phone

Do you know how to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone:

*#06# (Without any spaces)

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset which is your cell phone identification number. Write it down and keep it in a safe place.

Should your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so that even if the thief changes the SIM card your phone will be totally useless.

You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones. Please share this useful link with others...

Honesty

A distinguished young woman on a flight from Switzerland asked the priest beside her, " Father, may I ask a favor?" "Of course. What may I do for you?"

"Well, I bought an expensive! Electronic hair dryer that is well over the Customs limits and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?"

"I would love to help you, dear, but I must warn you: I will not lie."

"With your honest face, Father, no one will question you."

When they got to Customs, she let the priest go ahead of her. The official asked, " Father, do you have anything to declare?"

"From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare."

The official thought this answer strange, so asked, " And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?"

"I have a marvelous little instrument designed to be used on a woman, but which is, to date, unused." Roaring with laughter, the official said, " Go ahead, Father - - Next!"

The Unwed Daughter

A young unmarried girl discovers that she is pregnant. Scared, She confides this ' news' to her mother. Shouting, cursing, crying, the mother says, "Who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!"

The girl picks up the phone and makes a call.

Half an hour later a Ferrari stops in front of their house; a mature and distinguished man with gray hair and impeccably dressed in a very expensive suit steps out of it and enters the house.

He sits in the living room with the father, the mother and the Girl, and tells them: "Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the Problem. However, I can't marry her because of my personal family situation, but I'll take responsibility. If a girl is born I will bequeath her 2 retail stores, a townhouse, a beach villa and a $1 million bank account. If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couple of factories and a $2 million bank account.

If it is twins, a factory and $ million each. However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest I do?"

At this point, the father, who had remained silent, places a hand firmly on the man's shoulder and tells him, "You can try again!"

Apple Announces The iPhone

Last week Apple announced the much awaited iPhone and it created some major news. So much so that Windows Vista is now a dead subject. The blogosphere was swept with iPhone news and what it is likely to deliver. Most of the experts have given a positive review. The first shipment is slated for June 2007.

As expected; Apple has introduced a bunch of features and new concepts that are completely outside the realm of accepted thought in mobile telephony.

So how is the iPhone different from its competitors? Firstly; it’s a lovely looking device that weighs about 135 grams. It’s a 3.5" Pocket PC PDA. It is very sleek, thin and not very wide. Secondly it’s innovative in the sense that it functions completely with multi-touch – It has a touch screen-based input method. It supports WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and Quadband GSM/EDGE communications. It comes with an iPod, a 2 mega pixel camera; the quality of which is supposed to be good. It has a full fledged internet surfing browser, a Visual VoiceMail, a superb SMS, advanced photo management capabilities and Google maps. It comes in two capacities of 4 and 8 GBs and is priced at $499 and $599 respectively.

Here's what it is in a nutshell:
# Specification overview Screen: 3.5-inches, 320 x 480 @ 160 PPI
# Storage: 4GB or 8GB
# GSM: Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
# Wireless: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0
# Camera: 2.0 megapixels
# Battery: Up to 5 hours Talk / Video / Browsing; Up to 16 hours Audio playback
# Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm
# Weight: 4.8 ounces / 135 grams

Will it outdo the Nokia’s and Sony Eriksson’s of this world? It might not; but it is expected to have a 5% market share which is a lot. It surely will find its own niche. Don’t be surprised if it becomes another iPod.

If you wanna check out for more on the iPhone click here. It comes from Apple - It’s gotta be different.

Comparing CES - Las Vegas and GITEX - Dubai

Las Vegas in Nevada; USA was all abuzz with CES (Consumer Electronics Show) the last few days. CES is the world’s # 1 consumer electronics show. It attracts about 150,000 people for the show. Las Vegas is transformed during this period. The town was awash with chatter of all new technologies about to hit the market.

Although I have not been to Vegas and America; I was just trying to draw parallels between Las Vegas’ CES and Dubai’s GITEX (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition). The GITEX is among the world’s top 3 exhibitions for information technology related products and technologies. GITEX has 1,200 exhibitors and more than 2200 companies from 61 countries. It had around 127,000 trade visitors.

Both Dubai & Las Vegas are modern cities rising out of desert sand. Both have spectacular hotels and great architecture. Both are futuristic. Dubai has GITEX, Cityscape, and Arabian Travel Market (ATM). Vegas has CES, AHEM and the Adult Entertainment Expo. Both cities have choking traffic during such shows. During the last GITEX you could not find a parking place. The hotels were full and there are long queues for taxis.

Honestly, Las Vegas must have an advantage in terms of infrastructure with a monorail of its own. Dubai has also started its multi billion construction it’s own metro and is it is expected to be operational by mid 2009. Dubai certainly has plans to get bigger and better. Will it out pace Vegas' CES in the next few years? I doubt if it will in the near future; simply because America is the land of IT development. Moreover CES has completed it's 40th anniversary; so CES has to be bigger and better than GITEX. Dubai is just a great exhibition centre and a good organizer of such shows. The fact is newest of tech offerings first hit America and then the world. For example Apples to-be-launched iphone was showcased in CES. Advantage CES and Vegas!