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"NO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION ALLOWED!" - Inside a comic con in the Middle East
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113 posts in this topic

I am well travelled,  love coming to the US been to many cities, but you do know that across most of the world the USA has a similar (in my opinion wrong) image. Dangerous at nights, gun crazy, black people not safe from police, corrupt politically.

Media plays a part on all this negativity  

 

 

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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. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Comicshrine said:

I am well travelled,  love coming to the US been to many cities, but you do know that across most of the world the USA has a similar (in my opinion wrong) image. Dangerous at nights, gun crazy, black people not safe from police, corrupt politically.

Media plays a part on all this negativity  

 

 

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. 

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31 minutes ago, newshane said:

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. 

32 minutes ago, newshane said:

Personally, I don't see much benefit in visiting Dubai. Definitely not enough benefit to outweigh the risks. 

 

You get a yen for women in Hijabs, that’s why. Middle eastern women are way good looking. Serious. 

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54 minutes ago, NoMan said:

Middle eastern women are way good looking. Serious. 

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. 

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1 hour ago, newshane said:

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. 

I'm old, too. So bidets are good for cleaning up and they are standard issue in Dubai. I mess myself some. 

 

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3 hours ago, newshane said:

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.

That's wonderful. If you think riding without a helmet is a bad idea, you should not ride without a helmet.

And if I asked you "Hey, newshane, should I ride without a helmet?", you would be free to say "I think riding without a helmet is a bad idea."

What you've done is walked up to people riding motorcycles without helmets and stated "Riding without helmets is a bad idea!". And they say to you, "Do you ride without a helmet?" And your response is, "Actually, I've never ridden a motorcycle, I'm a tricycle man myself. But I read all these articles on the internet that say it's a bad idea!"

And you think those guys on their motorcycles should give weight or credence to your opinion.

ETA: I thought NoMan's original post was interesting. I've never been to Dubai, and strangely enough, didn't think the thread needed my opinion on the merits of visiting Dubai. YMMV.

 

Edited by stock_rotation
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5 minutes ago, stock_rotation said:

ETA: I thought NoMan's original post was interesting. I've never been to Dubai, and strangely enough, didn't think the thread needed my opinion on the merits of visiting Dubai. YMMV.

 

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. 

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5 hours ago, newshane said:

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

Excellent, excellent post. It's a shame that people see what isn't there, and "fill in the blanks" in their own minds, rather than take the time to understand what someone actually wrote and intended....assuming, instead of asking for clarification, for example.

"Be careful out there" does not have the same meaning as "OMG, you should never, EVER go to that horrible, wretched place, it smells, it's ugly, and the people are meanies!!!!OMGWTFBBQQQ!!!' :ohnoez:

Be aware. Stay safe. Venture outside of your comfort zones, but be careful. Exercise sober, rational judgment.

And try to take the opinions of people who see what they wish to see, rather than what someone actually says, for what those opinions are really worth.

 

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15 minutes ago, stock_rotation said:

That's wonderful. If you think riding without a helmet is a bad idea, you should not ride without a helmet.

And if I asked you "Hey, newshane, should I ride without a helmet?", you would be free to say "I think riding without a helmet is a bad idea."

What you've done is walked up to people riding motorcycles without helmets and stated "Riding without helmets is a bad idea!". And they say to you, "Do you ride without a helmet?" And your response is, "Actually, I've never ridden a motorcycle, I'm a tricycle man myself. But I read all these articles on the internet that say it's a bad idea!"

And you think those guys on their motorcycles should give weight or credence to your opinion.

ETA: I thought NoMan's original post was interesting. I've never been to Dubai, and strangely enough, didn't think the thread needed my opinion on the merits of visiting Dubai. YMMV.

 

This is a bad analogy. This is a public message board, with many, many people who participate, at all levels...even those who simply read without comment...some who "ride motorcycles" and some who "don't" and some who might be interested in "riding motorcycles"...this isn't a "motorcycle bar" filled solely with people "riding motorcycles without helmets." This is a public square, and everyone is allowed to share their opinions and experiences, provided it doesn't become personal.

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1 hour ago, NoMan said:

I'm old, too. So bidets are good for cleaning up and they are standard issue in Dubai. I mess myself some. 

 

I like bidets. Eventually, if I ever settle down again, I'd like to get one. They are ultra handy. You don't need to take an entire shower just because you want to clean up your business.

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I was just back from my big trip and I was kinda jazzed and wanted to share it. Don't want to start something. Perhaps the crux of the OP should have been that I think Comic Cons without back issues suck. If they are in the Middle East, East New Jersey, Los Angeles or whatever. 

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7 minutes ago, NoMan said:

I was just back from my big trip and I was kinda jazzed and wanted to share it. Don't want to start something. Perhaps the crux of the OP should have been that I think Comic Cons without back issues suck. If they are in the Middle East, East New Jersey, Los Angeles or whatever. 

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

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...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. lol 

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19 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

 This is a public square, and everyone is allowed to share their opinions and experiences, provided it doesn't become personal.

I never said he wasn't allowed to share an opinion. I simply pointed out that his "opinion" in this instance was worthless. Just because you can do a thing does not mean you should do a thing.

To quote Henry Miller: "We do not talk, we bludgeon one another with facts and theories gleaned from cursory readings of newspapers, magazines and digests."

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