Month: September 2010
My Letters – Khaleej Times – Dt. 16.09.2010 – Good cvoverage
My Letters – Khaleej Times – Dt. 16.09.2010 – Good cvoverage
Good coverage
16 September 2010
The ongoing Champions League T20 match reports along with the photographs make for an interesting read. The matches played so far have generated valid points in terms of player values and team composition. It has proved that however old they are, experienced players like Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralidharan, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid still hold best techniques when it comes to business on ground.
Opportunities for emerging players, especially with the calibre of R Ashwin and J Vandiar can also be seen.
The games also show how different players from different countries handle pressure. An excellent example is the gesture of D Jacobs when he gestured to his partner Ashwell Prince to continue playing with confidence when he ran him out.
Millions of young players will be watching how some players gesticulate to opposition players when they get them out. Watching those, I feel, ICC should follow FIFA procedures and fine those players who use abusive local languages on field.
ICC websites should also be adapted to include options to rate and comment on players’ performance to consider the player of year award.
-Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
To read it in original, please visit Khaleej Times online.
Reflections on UAE Statistics – My Letters – THE NATIONAL Dt. 15.09.2010
My Letters – THE NATIONAL Dt. 15.09.2010 – Reflections on UAE Statistics
Reflections on UAE statistics
I refer to the statistics provided in the Business article Snapshots of the Emirates … the numbers tell the story (September 13). Looking closely, the details give interesting insights. An average of 106 million barrels of crude oil is consumed per day for internal use in the UAE. A subsequent online review showed that the UAE ranks number two in terms of per capita oil consumption. This shows a heavy reliance on oil consumption and measures by authorities should be made to educate residents to resort to mass transport options, whenever possible.
Another interesting figure observed is the number of BlackBerry users within the country, which stands at number one in per capita use of mobile phones. Imagine the scenario if the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority puts a brake on BlackBerry usage here.
A US$10 billion reserve set aside by UAE banks against a rise in bad loans is an eye opener and shows that it is time for massive reforms by the Central Bank to stop excessive interest charges for bank customers which are directly increasing the alarming rise in the bad loans ratio here.
A total of 182 GCC newspapers and magazines closed since the start of last year. This is a sad note for the print media industry, which is shrinking each day, either due to cost factors or interest generated by online media. A realistic attempt should be made at school levels to initiate daily reading of news from printed sources.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
Bus services for a city on the move – My Letters – THE NATIONAL – Dt. 13.09.2010
My Letters – THE NATIONAL – Dt. 13.09.2010 – Bus services for a city on the move
Bus services for a city on the move
It has been 27 months since Abu Dhabi Department of Transport started its brand-new, world-class, handicap-accessible buses.
Within this short time, it has grown into a service consisting of 12 main city bus routes and seven suburb bus routes extending its reach up to connecting town centres like Bani Yas, Shahama, Mussaffa and Khalifa City.
Public acceptance of this economic mode of transport can be clearly seen in the rush during peak travel hours. This is particularly the case on city routes that are fully packed to the limit with passengers.
This acceptance of public transport is very encouraging in terms of reducing the city traffic but at the same times calls for an upgrade on the frequency of buses operating within the city, especially on routes operating within the main city streets.
I request that the Abu Dhabi Department of Transportation initiates more bus services during peak hours to ease the travel difficulties of passengers in Abu Dhabi.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
To read it in original, please visit THE NATIONAL online.
Team 1 Daily LAWS – Dt 11.09.2010 – A special thank you note
Team 1 Daily LAWS – Dt 11.09.2010 – A special thank you note
Short Take – Gulf Today Dt 11.09.2010 – Mail shock
Short Take – Gulf Today Dt 11.09.2010 – Mail shock
A few weeks ago, I was talking on the mobile with a friend based in Dubai. After 10 minutes, I received an email from him saying that he was stuck in Switzerland and lost his wallet, all credit cards and money.
The email continued requesting my help to rescue him out by sending a specified amount of money in US dollars which the author said will be given to me upon replying to the email. I knew then and there itself that his email account has been hacked.
I called him and he was shocked to hear this news. Within minutes he was receiving several calls from his friends who did not talk to him for some time and they all suspected the same or even thought whether it was real as he travels extensively. The damage had been done by then, and he was unable to recover the email address or thousands of contacts and records in it. Just the other day, the same thing happened to another friend based in Abu Dhabi. His friends too got a similar email and he too lost all details.
There is a new email hacking or threat happening now, which you may or may not be aware of. Please do not therefore use your email account from unknown computers or locations. Even if you have to use it, clear the cache, and history on the computer immediately.
Also, please do use a different password whenever you register yourself at new sites or promotional websites and keep it entirely different from your email password. Thirdly, please keep changing the password periodically. Hope, you do not get to become a victim the next time.
Ramesh Menon
To read it in original, please visit, GULF TODAY online.
Eid Mubarak 2010
Eid Mubarak 2010
Wish all my friends a happy and prosperous Eid Mubarak and great year ahead.
Ramesh Menon
09.09.2010
My Letters – GULF NEWS – Air India cancels flights to Gulf sector
My Letters – GULF NEWS – Air India cancels flights to Gulf sector
Services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat and Kuwait are affected by the decision.
By Anjana Sankar, Senior Reporter Published: 20:14 September 4, 2010 Reader comments (1)
Flights to some of the sectors are curtailed, and not cancelled. It is mainly due to commercial reasons as Air India is already operating flights to all these sectors, said Abhay Pathak, the regional head of Air India. Image Credit: Gulf News Dubai: Passengers have been left high and dry after India’s budget airline Air India Express announced plans to cut down more than 200 services to destinations including the Gulf Sector.
Services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat and Kuwait are affected by the decision.
Abhay Pathak, the regional head of Air India told Gulf News the decision has been taken considering both operational and commercial reasons.
“Flights to some of the sectors have been curtailed, and not cancelled. It is mainly due to commercial reasons as Air India is already operating flights to all these sectors,” said Pathak.
He added that the decision was also taken because the unavailability of pilots. “The licensing of expat pilots is a long procedure and the needed numbers are not available now. Moreover we need to curtail the flying hours in order to continue the services,” he said.
According to him, only the daily flight to Cochin-Sharjah has been knocked off. “From Sharjah to to Thiruvananthapuram sector, four-day week service is cut down to two days. Likewise, for the flights in the Calicut sector, the daily service is reduced to three days a week,” said Pathak, adding that the number of cancellations quoted in the media is exaggerated.
For Air India Express operating from Dubai, flights to Thiruvananthapuram will operate six days a week and not daily. Flights to Lucknow have been reduced to three days a week from the current four days.
Pathak said all the passengers who are booked to these sectors “will be taken care of and will not be affected by the cancellations.”
According to reports quoting airline officials from India, the decision will come into effect from next week. “Around 203 flights (73 from Kozhikode, 74 from Thiruvananthapuram and 56 from Kochi) stand cancelled
My comments as follows:
As a NRI, the news that Air India cancels flights to Gulf Sector is a great relief. In fact, they should entirely stop the operations to GULF region rather than knocking down a selected sector and reducing frequency of others as announced by regional head of the national carrier of India. This step will surely reduce confusion in the minds of thousands of Indian expats from this region before they plan there holiday or emergency travel as to whether they opt for Air India as their preferred travel partner. Not any more in two minds and will never be too, if this attitude of Air India continues towards one of it’s maximum revenue generating sector. Whatever be the reason explained for this sudden reduction of flights just before the expat families return, this will definitely cause severe difficulties to the planning and scheduling of their return before the school starts after Eid holidays. Surprisingly, all representatives of the political parties show a harmonious honeymoon in keeping their silence towards these acts of Air India. Indeed for several of them, travel by Air India has never been an automatic choice whenever they travel out off the state even to other states or abroad destination. It is high time that regional organisations should raise their voice collectively and from, now on completely refrain from using Air India to protest against this step motherly treatment towards southern sector of India.
Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
To read it in original, please visit GULF NEWS Online.
Passionate Photographers 2000 members and 7795 photos…Our journey continues
Passionate Photographers 2000 members and 7795 photos…Our journey continues
Dear Passionate Photographers,
2000 members and 7795 photos…
I am very happy to write to you today that we have reached 2000 members. As the name denotes, it is a small community passionate about photography. Thus, as a member, you may not get to see many communication to cheer or responses each time when you contribute out of Passion from fellow members. They may be keeping their comments within, out of sheer enjoyment or as pride possession of the value of their words.
Therefore, be inspired by yourself, be proud of your creativity and continue to click confidently and exhibit at Passionate Photographers group without inhibition. The moment it is displayed here, it will get noticed and will be enjoyed by one and all.
Like the goods train in this picture, let us all continue our journey here slow and steady. I repeat the golden words that came to my mind when I created this group. “Every photo clicked is a history. You will never be able to re-create that precious moment.”
Dedicate this group to all those who are passionate about photography. Invite them and encourage them to present their precious clicks.
Best wishes to all of you on behalf of all the Admin team members,
Ramesh Menon
04.09.2010
Invite your friends by clicking the link below:
Short Take – GULF TODAY Dt. 04.09.2010 – New Vigour
Short Take – GULF TODAY Dt. 04.09.2010 – New Vigour
New vigour
The Holy Month of Ramadan is almost getting over. Children and families have started arriving back to the UAE after their summer holidays. Many of them have had an extended stay this year due to additional holidays declared by educational ministry for children. The intensity of summer has also reduced. It is a new vigour and enthusiasm for all those who have taken this break. It should now be utilised to the year ahead.
Those memories, those beautiful scenes, interactions and travelogues should all be shared as positively as one can with friends and well wishers. Constructive methods and schemes observed should be tried to blend in to our society as far as possible. Readers should start transforming themselves from mere observers to active participants.
After all, the UAE is our home away from home, which gives us the opportunity to buy our daily bread and supplement ourselves for a future ahead. Let us be part of a contributing community that reacts to the needs of the hour as and when a necessity arises. Be active and interact with all the new energy you have gained during your summer break.
Ramesh Menon
Photo Speaks – Keep clicking
Photo Speaks – Keep clicking
I found this Forest guard at Athirappally Waterfalls a very interesting person. He was assisting a couple from Middle East to explain the scenic beauty of the area in a detailed way with his bits and pieces of English. And many times, he helped them to click photos together. Observing him, I found that, he was observing others taking photos and did not well about lighting and areas specific to get the background beauty.
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