i'm digging a hole and putting my money.

The ATM fraud has sent shockwaves to all the bank who are all reviewing their machines after the Central Bank has intervened.
What worries me is why Banks wait for something like this to happen and don't constantly upgrade their machines?

Now my main concern is not ATM's but Credit card frauds, what are they doing about it? Drive by Sheikh Zayed Road and a new Platinum Credit card is the new offer from RAKBANK and today morning I saw a large display in Dubai Islamic Bank too of a similar promotion.
Some years back my photo was added onto my Standard Chartered and CitiBank credit cards which made me feel secure if i lost it.
Firstly your signature can be forged, your PIN is known to you; so cash cannot be withdrawn, however purchases can be made. If you have a photo-ID credit card; there's a good chance the Thief cannot use it.
Why don't ALL banks implement this? What's wrong?
Many banks send an SMS notification immediately as you make a credit card purchase which is a very good idea, however the message is sent after the transaction is made right? So how would it help if your card was stolen or someone had your Credit-card information?

Secondly I would recommend, adding Finger/Thumb print scanners to Visa/ Master Card machines for further security, or even more to ATMs?

At a time when the term e-banking seems outdated, which many of us never used ! it's a scary thought to put your money in a bank with e-banking facilities, someone in Russia could drain out your account and leave your penniless, how secure is e-banking really?
The Credit card is not secure as it is and many people have lost money becoz of it, can we trust e-banking?

Banks claiming to have a 128-bit encryption and all sorts of security, but Microsoft and some of the world's most protected highly encrypted servers such as Pentagon have been hit too, so these banks are peanuts for these intellectual hackers.

Here's some pointers to help you.

BAT Mobile in Dubai

I Spotted Batman whizzing past Satwa in a Kandoora and Gatra Aggal, wonder what he's doing in Dubai?
This super mobile has two shovels on the bonnet,
Two petrol tanks on the sides,
4x4 guard in front,
and a guard and spare tire at the back (like the Cayenne !)

Unfortunately we missed the back of this, but I promise more pics are I get them.

If you are attacked in Dubai at night- Do not worry, BatMan will come to your rescue, the streets of Dubai are safer to live now.
Unfortunately with the new 15 year old vehicles ban, we will have to wait for his new ride

Arab drivers

Arabs boast of being the best drivers poking fun at other communities specifically Indians (well so do I) but what's ironic is that they think they "know" to drive" because they have better cars.

But you don't become a better driver by overtaking someone or jumping a signal or pushing the meter to the max, it's about control and being a safe driver.

A safe driver ensures he doesn't trouble others, exactly not an Arab drivers characterstic !

Infact Locals must drive well to set an example to others because this is their country.

A friend of mine once said, if you buy a vehicle from an Arab they only thing working would be the indicators- becasue they never use them !

I myself have lost 2 friends in Road accidents, one lost his legs.

You don't see Europeans or Asians dying in accidents as much as young Arabs because they don't drive so roughly.

Come on guys, drive safely please.

Check out some statistics here

Naji is home

Finally Naji Al Nuami has been released, a reason for UAE to celebrate. The whole UAE prayed for this guy...........
I'd read somewhere his wedding is to be in September, good luck man !

Only in Sharjah

This is on Al Wahda Street. Free Italian Suit, with Shirt !
Wow this beats all those offers at DSF !

Arla Foods Ban

It's been 3 months now since the protests have died down on the Prophet Mohammed's cartoons, but SuperMarkets such as Talal Supermarket have continued the ban, see this image of what's displayed at the entrance. I saw a similar message in Maya Lala's in Satwa saying we do not sell any Danish products.
Serves the Danes right I guess, Those cartoons will be remembered for years. It had no losses on the paper becasue locals will still read it, but what about the others affected by their ignorance and arrogance.

Welcome to Dubai

Something interesting emailed to me, whoever write this- must be applauded !

Welcome to Dubai :
- If your road map is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and get a new one. If you are in Al Rashidiya and your map is one day old, then it is already obsolete.
- Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Dubai has its own version of traffic rules, which can be summarized as "Hold on and pray!"
-There is no such thing as a dangerous high-speed chase in Dubai.
- Everyone drives like that. The morning rush hour is from 5AM to noon. The evening rush hour is from 1PM to 10PM. Wednesday's rush hour starts Tuesday morning.
-If you slow down at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended and then given a ticket by the Dubai Police.
- If you are the first one at the intersection, when the light turns green ignore the car honking behind you and count to five to avoid crashing into one of the cars running the red light in cross-traffic.
- Construction on all main roads is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment.
- All unfamiliar sights are explained by the phrase, "Oh, we must be in Sharjah!"
- Car horns are actually toys for big boys.
- Anyone in a Land Cruiser or Mercedes with tinted windows has the right of way.
- Most roads mysteriously change names as you cross intersections.
- To ask directions, you must have knowledge of Urdu.
- A trip across town will take a minimum of four hours, although Sheik Zayed Road has an unposted minimum speed of 150 kph.
- It is sobering to realize that local Arabs are taught how to drive by Pakistanis.
- The minimum acceptable speed on the Emirates Road is 160 kph. Anything less is considered downright sissy.

- Al Khail Road is Dubai's daily version of NASCAR.

You got mail

Today morning at the Al Wasl Post office a pretty petit British hottie was arguing with the officials who refused to give her another Post box as paper work was already done and they could not cancel it from their Systems.
Reason: She couldn't reach it ! It was too high !

Poor Sweetie, had to cancel it, and pay for a new one.

Solution to petrol prices.

With the Petrol prices, this will the the future solution to the world... I see yellow number plates... is this Oman?
Imagine
Philipinos: Will put a T-shirt on the Saddle
Pakistanis: Flowers and heart stickers
Arabs: Long antennas (Qatari style)
Indians: Damn they won't be able to even handle this !
Europeans: Complaining about how everyone else is a irresponsibe rider
Egyptians: Fully loaded like the Peugeot station wagons to ride to Egypt
Irani's : long line of small teddy bears (included Indians and Philipinos too)
Chinese: hahahaa haaa haaaa

BUSH

So What's the most powerful man upto? restoring peace order?
funny he's pretty quiet nowadays, is it the Elections?

I think one of the greatest researched movies or documentaries made is "Farenheit 9/11", Micheal Moore is awesome !

So what does Bush mean when he says something:
This country has great resources: I want your Oil
We"ll will bring democracy to your country: I want your country
We will restore law and order: We'll fuck you in Abu Gharib
They are our greatest ally: We're setting up an American Base there.

J-lo sued by Miss Bulgaria

Woah !
Damn I was so looking forward to seeing that famous BOOTY... from upclose.... I had me 2 VIP passes... And what's pretty unprofessional is how she didn't even give a reason, and it's not only her Dubai show that's cancelled.
Well can we have Shakira instead... no one shakes it like her !

Former Miss Bulgaria Ivaila Bakalova will sue Jennifer Lopez. Bakalova, who is the manager of the company Pickandmore, insists that the star gives back the performance fee for the cancelled concert in Sofia. The fee amounts to $750,000-850,000 according to different sources.Bakalova will also insist on 203,000 euro of compensations that will cover the expenses for the organization of the concert. "We will also insist to be compensated for future earnings. We have already hired a well-known US lawyer," Bakalova said for the Standart. Only some of the whims of the star - her favorite seeds, aroma candles, chili sauce cost $8,000 together with the DHL fees

and she replies !

Paikar, well the Sexiest babe in the Dubai (sorry not UAE, Charu reigns Sharjah !).. well getting to the point.. see She replied... so she's not so stuck up after all huh Dubaities?... pretty fun down-to-earth person I would guess.
And coming to your email Sweets... you don't need to change anything in you or about you, you are a perfect 10 !

Wot needs to be changed is the self promo clips... please Azaad karo hume

Radio stations in Dubai

So Chris Fisher has been suspended.... I used to really enjoy his shows, he is entertaining to be honest. Unfortunately Dubai is still not up for the BIGGEST April Fool's joke... you can have the world's biggest everything except this.... sorry buddy. We'll miss you. R.I.P.

Coming to Hindi/ Urdu stations...... I was a fan of 89.1 earlier but it got too boring and the new station 101.6 is more popular so i shamelessly exchanged my loyalty.... but then 89.1 don't have Paikar do they?

Why do RJ's have funny names? Prachi ? Paikar? Charu ! I recently heard a "Soniorita" news presenter too.... and then there's the "Hum hain Roma"

101.6 is the in-thing for all Dubai listeners, new competions, fun RJ's, AJ the RJ is rather silly but fun......... however that "Ramesh the friendly qabootar" kills me.

Gaurav fanticizes Mallika Sherawat all the time and can't get enuff of her in his jokes.

Gagan is quite sensible and a great RJ, and I think he is the most talented among all the RJ's because he writes scripts for plays and acts in them too...The self-promos are terrible, they sound good once, twice, thrice but they insist on playing them 5 times a day everyday for 5 months.... spare us please.

"The borrow milk and cockroach" one is so so so irritiating, the 2 guys who do voice-overs in this clip are terrible and all the recordings they do.... I wanna toss em over from a 5000 storey building.

101.6 needs a new Creative Director honestly. I mean he/she is good...........I'd give him/ her praise for the "Purple dil ke paas tum rehti ho"... the "Laali" promo for the Speed Bash 2006.

The Paikar Jamal, "Paree achi achi baatein karti hai" is good, but please come up with something new now.

Paikar... hmm "main itna hi bolti hoon kyun ke itni hi paise milte hain"............. well Paikar wot can i say about you.... Yum !
You are so Delicious. You got a great tooshie baby! You da Sexiest babe in Dubai !!

I would say Pallavi is the BABE of 89.1 but the Queen is Charu....

Radio stations are however quite boring in the ME, be it English or Hindi, the competitions are so boring. The prizes are so sad. The shows are getting boring like Antakshri and stuff.

A new channel 104.4 (Awaz) has this RJ who sounds so terrible, dunno her name though she does converse with the callers, and there's this other bloke who has some mixed Desi cum European Cum British accent and never makes sense of anything....... dunno his name either.

I hate it when cricket matches are going on that damn Hum FM 106.2 plays the matches live all day.

And the Rj's have some cocky intros and sign offs, like "A-b-h-i-j-e-e-t The Man with the plan" ... why spell ur name out everytime and trust me dude this makes you sound really stupid, you are one of the good RJ's.
But I like this sign off.... "Sobia Khan Allah Nigebhan"...... sensible, practical.

Then well AJ is there but he is meant to be silly....... "See ya later Aligator in a while crocodile."

Think I miss Khabrina Chadda....

My First blog

So i've finally decided to have a blog, I've been telling myself I need to stay away from the web life and not start a blog.... i tell myself who reads this stuff ? And I guess just becoz I don't read blogs doesn't mean no one else is... Recently I was at a friend's place and every reference they gave was related to someone's blog, so basically that whole gossip going on was based on more gossip by someone really wealllly boorrred.
Funny,we thought the Future held many new things for us.... and it does now its called digital gossip: blog

Now ....That's a pic of Sheikh Mohammed's car, Mercedes 4 wheeler, Number plate 1.

I'm posting this pic, coz i had my digi-cam with me and his car was parked outside the DWTC where he came to inaugrate Career Fair (only for locals, we'll talk about Emiratization later) and to many people it's a myth what he drives, I'd heard a rumor of a customized Hummer in Red ! so for all those people conjuring bogus stories..............here's his ride.

Funny enough no one used to buy this car at all and it had to value in Dubai at all but when Shk. Mohammed was driving one, all the wanna-be Sheikh's wanted one.

Also, I can understand Shk. Mohammed came for the inaugration but there were a whole lot of dignateries and VIPs there too.... why would they come to Career Fair............ applying for jobs?