RuthM

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 29 June 2013 - 09:03

Unfortunately it is not up to the Employer to judge someone based on their actions however it is up to them to ensure their conduct is not breaking the law in the UAE. The situation is complicated. The Employer does not know if the Employee is aware that their new relationship is with a married person or not, this could be why they were not concerned disclosing the relationship. However the Employer knows the other person is married but as an Employer they do not want to get personally involved to be frank they wish they hadn't been told about it at all, it would make things a lot easier. The Employee is possibly not aware of the rules regarding relationships outside of marriage in the UAE (as many people are not) therefore it is something the Employer is going to explain to them before they locate to the UAE. The concern is that as there is a spouse involved this is more likely to get messy if they find out and report to police etc. as I am sure plenty of people in the UAE have relationships before marriage and just keep it quiet. This detail was not really relevant to the query which was regarding the legality and responsibility of the Employer regarding being aware that their Employee is in such a relationship and if there is an additional crime being committed by having a relationship with a married person. Because of the sponsor, employee relationship committing a crime in your personal time does become an issue with your Employer in the UAE. <em>edited by RuthM on 29/06/2013</em>

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Latest post on 29 June 2013 - 06:56

Where did your thread go yesterday? I thought that it was very informative and an interesting point to think about. No idea I suspect people got too bitchy and it was taken down by Admin.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 29 June 2013 - 06:41

Yes good question re: the router, we intend to use an Apple Time Machine, any issues with the TM and du? No issues with the TM and Du. However the range is not great. Unfortunately we are in a large villa which has weird courtyards outside every room. So for signal to get from lounge to kitchen or downstairs study it has to go through an external wall, travel outside, then another external wall. It is very weak and only good for basic email and browsing. Presently I have three wifi units one upstairs and two downstairs extending the network range. Basically I have found for a strong signal using Apple products you can only pass through one wall or a ceiling, two walls will produce a weak signal and any more will produce no signal at all. The higher up you can position your router and further away from walls or corners the better a signal you will receive. I have not set this up yet, (we thought we would be moving this year but we're not now) but Du basically has every house wired with a network. Therefore theoretically you can activate ports in as many rooms as you need and set up a router to extend the wired connection in each and every room. Please note 5GHz will struggle to pass through any walls, use the 2.4GHz band and create a separate 5GHz network which will be usable when you are in the same room as the TC, automatic switching can be a nightmare. As for connection speed we have the 16MB with the 4MB upload. Whilst I would love a faster connection I cannot justify the price. I do a lot of online gaming and download a lot of video content. The AppleTV can stream instantly with this connection and I have no problems downloading complete TV series from iTunes. Player vs Player gaming can be tricky with this connection (get around 160-300ms) but I believe it is more likely to be the fact I am connecting to a server in Frankfurt as local ping is around 11-15ms. Mobile phone reception is better with Du than Etisalat here, we have two Du phones and one Etisalat one. I previously had Etisalat but switched to Du, DH has an Etisalat work phone and a Du personal one. <em>edited by RuthM on 29/06/2013</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 29 June 2013 - 06:28

There are a number of issues at play here. Firstly the surgery the boy needs is available on the NHS but only for 4-10 year olds. He is 2. Why the NHS does not have this surgery available for younger children I do not know, perhaps they do not have the technology or the surgical skill to be able to deliver it? A hospital in the US, St Louis, can deliver it but obviously at cost. Secondly it's the old issue of NHS waiting lists. NHS trusts are still ranked on their ability for referral -> surgery time. So if you need a surgery which is available you will get it, as it makes their statistics look good. If you need something more complex, a surgery that is expensive or costs a lot of money, you will not get it as the wait time will be longer so statistics will look bad. It's the same at schools with grades which is why children are so often encouraged to get As in media studies and general studies instead of Bs in Maths and Sciences (although they may be changing this now). Lastly there's the magic word depression. Now I am not going to belittle depression, many people genuinely have their lives ruined by it. But I am not convinced the NHS policy of solving depression by giving someone what they want is a good one. Unfortunately the NHS does not have the funds or psychiatrists/qualified therapists to treat depression properly and I can guarantee 5K on a boob job is far cheaper than six months of therapy to actually treat the illness instead of slapping a bandaid on it. But this is NHS policy, slap a bandaid on everything. For people that think Dubai is better think again. I have had a personal private healthcare policy in the UK for 30+ years. I have been treated for many problems with my back physio several MRIs etc. I have had one MRI on my policy in Dubai and the following year they put an exemption on me for 'anything related to back/neck pain' unfortunately we are on an individual policy (two people at the cost of 9,000 USD a year) . Every time you get treated for anything or a scan then they put an exemption on when you renew the following year. Ironically this scan confirmed all was looking good and there had been no change since the previous scan therefore no treatment was required but the underwriters didn't care. Sadly many doctors in the UAE are always very quick to refer you to all the tests and scans they can because they want money. The NHS are unable to because they don't have any money. Private (proper hospitals not dodgy clinics) in the UK are busy enough but also have enough money so refer you to things when you actually need it. But you cannot compare NHS to private in the UAE you can only compare private UK to private in the UAE in which case the UK wins hands down (and also costs significantly less). As another note it is highly unlikely the surgery this little boy needs would be available in the UAE at all, he would probably have to travel to the Europe or US for it so hope all you NHS critics have your international policies. Unfortunately even if you do they may slap an exemption on him anyway as Cerebral Palsy is a issue from birth, the surgery is still not widely used and it's long term effects still not known (only one long term trial so far). <em>edited by RuthM on 29/06/2013</em>

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Latest post on 28 June 2013 - 18:34

As you are new to Dubai I will mention (in case you don't have one) have you got an Entertainer book? Many expats buy them to save money on eating out. Otherwise you can try Cobone or Groupon for some great offers. http://www.groupon.ae http://www.cobone.com As for restaurant recommendations themselves, all the ones I know are pretty expensive. We went to West 14th (steak house) on the Palm recently which wasn't shockingly expensive (for Dubai) and surprised ourselves with a fantastic meal there. The Aquarium restaurant at Dubai Creek does a great set menu for about 190 AED I think, but it isn't exactly vibrant however nice food. Downstairs the Broadwalk is a bit more exciting but I have never tried the food there and don't know the prices. There's an Italian with a rooftop garden at the Rotana hotel on JBR that is also reasonable although we haven't been there for a year or so.

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Latest post on 28 June 2013 - 18:26

Although it's an IVF clinic Fakih did not push IVF on us and have in fact been suggesting trying other methods first when we were ready to go the IVF route. I am sure they would be able to help you there. Otherwise there is Pankaj in Sharjah.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 28 June 2013 - 18:09

I agree with Elmpark. I've ordered from Marks, John Lewis and Interflora however the best flowers I've had are from local florists where I phone and order. You can always try: http://www.goodfloristguide.com http://www.findingflorists.co.uk http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do?keywords=FLORISTS&location=&scrambleSeed=572783991

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 26 June 2013 - 13:52

Presently Apple do not appear to care where you download on iTunes from. Of course you are breaking the license agreement if you use an account outside of the region you are in but currently they do not check. I have a UK, US and AUS account. They are all set up on my AppleTVs so I can flip between whichever account I want to use. One of my AppleTVs was bought in the UK and the other one in Hong Kong. However I assume you are talking about an old AppleTV? Unless you plan on streaming from your laptop to a new one. Otherwise you will need an Internet connection wherever you are going. I personally have over 400 movies and around 2000-2500 TV episodes ripped to a few external drives which I use via my laptop when travelling (can plug laptop into TV), I ripped them all before leaving my home country and put the disks into storage to save carrying DVDs to Dubai. You can easily rip your DVDs using Handbrake and then if you are fussy like me you can tag them and add covers using MetaX.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 June 2013 - 09:01

As said by other posters Cathay Pacific does not fly direct to London it flies via HK which is 8 hours in the wrong direction. Most airlines fly to Heathrow, some fly to Gatwick (smaller South East airport or City which is a tiny airport in the heart of The City of London) Direct flights would be: British Airways (UK Flagship Carrier) Virgin (UK Based Carrier) Emirates (Dubai Based Carrier - flies to Heathrow or Gatwick) Etihad (UAE Flagship Carrier Abu Dhabi Based) Royal Brunei (Brunei Flagship Carrier but stop in Dubai) Qantas (Australia Flagship Carrier but recently entered into code share agreement with Emirates and stops in Dubai) One Stop (reasonable distance but dependent on connections - this is where the cheapest flights may be found) Gulf Air (connects in Bahrain) Qatar Airways (connects in Doha) Swiss Air (connects in Zurich - flies to Heathrow or City) Lufthansa (connects in Frankfurt or Munich - flies to Heathrow or City) One Stop (these airlines tend to have not so good connections or are slightly further off route but you may find one that works) Oman Air Turkish Airways KLM Austrian Air France Expedia.com / Expedia.co.uk is a good place to start looking, although I generally book direct with the airline (where possible) after getting information from Expedia. Gulf Air are generally quite cheap. edited by RuthM on 25/06/2013 Not relative but glad I am not the only one awake at silly O'Clock! Sorry I'm in Hong Kong, just flew here with Cathay Pacific (ironically) so it's not quite silly O'Clock here!

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 June 2013 - 04:19

As said by other posters Cathay Pacific does not fly direct to London it flies via HK which is 8 hours in the wrong direction. Most airlines fly to Heathrow, some fly to Gatwick (smaller South East airport or City which is a tiny airport in the heart of The City of London) Direct flights would be: British Airways (UK Flagship Carrier) Virgin (UK Based Carrier) Emirates (Dubai Based Carrier - flies to Heathrow or Gatwick) Etihad (UAE Flagship Carrier Abu Dhabi Based) Royal Brunei (Brunei Flagship Carrier but stop in Dubai) Qantas (Australia Flagship Carrier but recently entered into code share agreement with Emirates and stops in Dubai) One Stop (reasonable distance but dependent on connections - this is where the cheapest flights may be found) Gulf Air (connects in Bahrain) Qatar Airways (connects in Doha) Swiss Air (connects in Zurich - flies to Heathrow or City) Lufthansa (connects in Frankfurt or Munich - flies to Heathrow or City) One Stop (these airlines tend to have not so good connections or are slightly further off route but you may find one that works) Oman Air Turkish Airways KLM Austrian Air France Expedia.com / Expedia.co.uk is a good place to start looking, although I generally book direct with the airline (where possible) after getting information from Expedia. Gulf Air are generally quite cheap. <em>edited by RuthM on 25/06/2013</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 25 June 2013 - 04:01

The recipient caller needs to have FaceTime installed/set up. Go to Settings on your iPad Select FaceTime Create an Apple ID or log in with your existing one Go to Contacts on your iPad Ensure you have the AppleID listed in email for the people you wish to connect with on FaceTime and/or If they have an iPhone their mobile phone number Go to FaceTime Select Contacts Call the person you wish to call using their AppleID (email address) or iPhone number They cannot answer your call without video this is incorrect. The video can however be paused at anytime by clicking the home button on the iPad/IPhone, and audio will still work. UAE iPads and iPhones do not have FaceTime. FaceTime is currently exclusive to Apple devices. If you wish to contact someone on a Windows or Android device then downloading the Skype App or another cross platform VOIP service may be a better option, Skype calls can be made and received without video.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 June 2013 - 15:56

I would say that the differences between the 2 countries are huge. Have you visited both? I have and I have family living in both and I would say Australia hands down is the better place to live. That is a personal preference, as the UK would be the last place on this earth for me to live. I love shopping there etc, but anything over 2-3 weeks kills me. There are some ghastly places in Australia to live, but there are some beautiful places too, so it depends where your DH company has it's office. I have no idea about companies offering immigration services. There are some nice places in the UK too. It also has things like culture, history and beautiful architecture. There are some lovely spa towns like Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate and Bath which are on the edge of the countryside but still have some fantastic buildings to admire and possibly live in. London is a huge multicultural city where you can find almost any religion, ethnicity or nationality without looking very hard, the UK has a long history of migration, I barely know anyone who is 100% British in London. Personally I would never consider living in Australia despite half my family being there, it, like Dubai, is far too new. We've travelled to most areas of England and have seen the positives and negatives of all. Most are gorgeous and have a lot of character. The big question is where DH would find work. I love the history, culture and character etc of UK, but not the weather. As for Australia being new, this appeals to me too in that they are a growing country and have jobs in many areas with the need for people. I wouldn't count on the jobs idea. I have a number of Australian friends who moved back to Australia when the UK pound crashed, all of them Engineers, many of the struggled to find jobs back home. One is now in Auckland, two in Middle East and another two came back to the UK. As for immigration as someone else has pointed out some Australians are sick of refugees, unfortunately this can at times spill over to migrants in general. But clearly if sun is what you are after then Australia is ideal.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 June 2013 - 14:53

We have a Miele and buy ours form Miele. I would suggest trying a Siemens store or stockist.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 13 June 2013 - 14:52

These are really easy to make yourself and look great: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEr9nrzUNes

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 11 June 2013 - 23:27

So... it's a yacht on wheels?

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 11 June 2013 - 23:26

I would say that the differences between the 2 countries are huge. Have you visited both? I have and I have family living in both and I would say Australia hands down is the better place to live. That is a personal preference, as the UK would be the last place on this earth for me to live. I love shopping there etc, but anything over 2-3 weeks kills me. There are some ghastly places in Australia to live, but there are some beautiful places too, so it depends where your DH company has it's office. I have no idea about companies offering immigration services. There are some nice places in the UK too. It also has things like culture, history and beautiful architecture. There are some lovely spa towns like Tunbridge Wells, Harrogate and Bath which are on the edge of the countryside but still have some fantastic buildings to admire and possibly live in. London is a huge multicultural city where you can find almost any religion, ethnicity or nationality without looking very hard, the UK has a long history of migration, I barely know anyone who is 100% British in London. Personally I would never consider living in Australia despite half my family being there, it, like Dubai, is far too new.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 11 June 2013 - 21:11

Didn't think of non-Arabic keyboard! Any more news RuthM? I'm buying a new Air when we go to HK next week, for DH of course! Retina does not seem to have been updated, it's possible they may roll a soft update after WWDC. MacBook Air has been updated. Cosmetically it appears to be identical to the previous one. However it now ships with the new Haswell chip. Rather than a performance increase Apple have gone for an energy saving option. So the new MBA claims to have 12 hours battery life. They have also changed the flash storage (it's now PCIe-based flash storage) to be more efficient, they claim it is 45% faster and there is around a 10% performance increase from the new processors as well as 40% graphics boost (DH is going to be devastated when I install Warcraft on his new work machine). Otherwise the wifi has been improved to 802.11ac however you will only get full use of this if your base station can support the same. Personally if I wasn't a gamer I would go for the new MacBook Air to supplement my desktop machine, this is my recommendation, the new upgrades make this machine truly worthwhile over the 13" retina, sacrificing the retina display for extended battery life and slim design is great if you are looking for a portable machine.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 11 June 2013 - 01:40

If it is fear based then you definitely need to avoid 'checking' the leash etc. which certain dog 'behaviourists' our here will tell you to do. Let me put it this way. Think of something you are afraid of say spiders. Now imagine I bring a box of spiders right up close to your face. You'd pull away, scream, make a lot of noise, if you felt cornered you might try and kill them. Now imagine I not only bring spiders to your face but I also yell at you and whack you round the head, will this help you overcome your fear of spiders? No, it might make you eventually stop screaming because you don't want to be whacked round your head but the fear is still there. Positive reinforcement is key here. Generally socialisation and providing reward food every time a strange human or dog is spotted helps. Try to get the dog more interested in you than the other person/dog. Perhaps go and sit in a park and every time someone passed give the dog treats. There are many articles online regarding positive reinforcement for fear aggression.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 10 June 2013 - 17:45

3 Hours to go. Rumours are that the air will be updated and available immediately (although perhaps not through iStyle but through Apple Store), and the retina updates will come later on. Possibility of a slimmer 13" retina although where that will leave the Air I don't know. New Haswell chips across the line with perhaps the exception of the regular MacBook Pro (making this more of an entry level model). All just speculation of course.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 10 June 2013 - 01:58

Perhaps someone could design a car alarm similar to that when you leave your lights on, it would have to be connected into the car and somehow detect there is a child in the back seat (similar to seatbelt detection). The alarm would go off if you stop the engine and do not remove the child.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 10 June 2013 - 01:30

North Face XL Duffle is 155L and very good, I have one 155L and three 90L ones. http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-luggage_duffels/base-camp-duffel-xl.html Patagonia deliver internationally and the Black Hole Duffle is also very good. I've just ordered a 120L one. I think Patagonia's eco credentials are a bit better than North Face, they are also a bit lighter and not as common (also I needed something bigger than 90L but smaller than 155L!). http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/black-hole-duffel-120l-gear-bag?p=49350-0-602 Here's a comparison of the two: http://www.carryology.com/2013/05/08/head-to-head-adventure-duffels/ I also have a few Peak Performance duffles but I haven't seen any over 100L. None of these however are canvas but they are sturdy semi waterproof material. Other brands to consider are: Wild Things http://www.wildthingsgear.com/mule-duffel-bag.html Mammut http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/251002080_v_0055_140/Cargon.html Rab http://rab.uk.com/products/expedition-gear/expedition-kitbag-mkii.html Gregory Alpaca http://www.gregorypacks.com/products/unisex/travel/29/alpaca-duffle Mountain Hardware http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Expedition-Duffel™-Large/OT5415,default,pd.html Black Diamond http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/climbing-packs/huey-150-duffel However I am not sure where there are stockists for these in Dubai or if they ship internationally, some brands are stocked by Moosejaw and Backcountry which do ship internationally.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 10 June 2013 - 00:08

New laptops are likely to be announced at WWDC tomorrow (10th June). https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/ I have a retina and wouldn't go back to non retina, once you see the clarity you won't want to either. That said DH is happy with his air and plans on getting another air. I wouldn't bother with the normal Pro the HDD makes them very slow, SSD or flash storage is vastly superior. In all likelihood I suspect the regular Pro will be replaced by a lower entry spec line or removed altogether. Other rumours are that retina may come to the air. All will be revealed tomorrow (I hope - it's going to be most disappointing if they don't announce a new notebook lineup!). Cheapest place to buy is Hong Kong, the US is about the same as Hong Kong but it depends which state you are in as the sales tax pushes the price up (Hong Kong is tax free). Dubai prices are reasonable but not as low as HK or US. I would buy from Apple store as it makes dealing with any issues easier, warranty is worldwide for repairs, however exchanges are country specific. edited by RuthM on 10/06/2013 Forgot to mention, you can check the prices on the apple website: http://store.apple.com/au http://store.apple.com/us http://store.apple.com/ae http://store.apple.com/hk <em>edited by RuthM on 10/06/2013</em>

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 09 June 2013 - 23:46

The belly is probably from your bad back. I have an L4/L5 herniation, when my back spasms the muscles supporting my stomach stop working and I have this enormous belly, I look pregnant, effectively I think it is how the muscles in pregnant women respond (everything relaxes). Crunches etc. won't work in any case (different muscle group) and are bad for your back, always avoid forward flexion with back problems. The best thing you can do is Pilates, it will also help your back to stabilise and strengthen as well as teach you how to activate the muscles that support your spine and belly (i.e. transverse abdominis). Exhale have some good trainers who are experienced with back problems. I am seeing a lady Caroline but a friend (also with a back problem) is seeing someone else who she said was brilliant (I can't remember the teacher's name but I think she takes the 6pm Sunday class at Motor City if that is still on - it might be Sandra?). Also with back issues look at the MacKenzie method, I think it overlaps with Pilates in any case. [i'>The transverse abdominis is the deepest muscle in your stomach before you reach the organs. Its fibers run horizontally around your abdomen like a belt, hence the name "transversus abdominis". The primary function of this muscle is to compress the ribs and viscera, stabilizing the pelvis and spine. If this muscle is neglected during a core workout, it will be very difficult to achieve flat abs. Also known as the "corset muscle", the TrA prevents a protruding abdomen. Focusing some time on strengthening this muscle can give you the flat abs you've been struggling for.[/i'> Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037026_fitness_abdominal_muscles_transverse_abdominis.html#ixzz2VkYmveu9 edited by RuthM on 09/06/2013 <em>edited by RuthM on 09/06/2013</em>

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Latest post on 03 June 2013 - 12:00

Have you checked under her fur for any hot spots/eczema? I don't know how it is on cats but on long haired dogs it often starts with a clump of wet greasy fur sticking up and the irritated skin is hidden underneath.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 03 June 2013 - 01:30

Hi SWK, Not sure what you consider ridiculous fees--I have heard everything from 175 dhs a session up to 300. The saying is true, if you think it is expensive to hire a professional, try hiring an amateur--and it's possible you could pay a much larger price by having an experience like Ruth's. :( The quality here really is 50/50--but I don't know that it is really any different anywhere else in the world--the industry is becoming saturated; wellness is a huge movement. Anyone can pay to take a course, take a test, but unless they also have real world experience either training themselves or others, there is no guarantee they know how to design a program specific for an individual and get results. Which area of JVC do you live in? I may be able to help with your request for morning slots :) Well I was paying 225 AED for a NASM qualified guy that messed my back up. He was 'well qualified' just didn't listen and doesn't appear to care for injuries. I do question why if someone was fit and had no injuries they would employ a PT in the first place and not just train alone but clearly he didn't get that. Looking back now I am actually furious. I originally injured my back in January 2010 and spent the summer of 2010 and 2011 in the UK with a great PT there (two great PTs in fact). Apart from a fall snowboarding that caused a spasm I had no problems but I was aware of the condition and both my PTs in the UK gave me an appropriate exercise programme. In November 2011 I had another MRI to ensure the snowboarding fall had not done any damage and was advised there was no change to my condition and I could continue training (with caution) and once fit even ski again. I started training with this PT in January 2012 to get fit for a ski break in April 2012 and within 3 weeks he screwed my back up. In total I saw two Physios, a General Doctor and a Specialist they all asked me what I had been doing when the injury occurred and all said 'why on earth were you doing that?!'. Completely the wrong exercise programme for my back condition. I was bent doubled over for the next month and looked so ridiculous people were stopping me in Spinney's to ask if I needed an ambulance. Of course the ski trip was cancelled and we haven't been since. The 'rehab' trainer I looked at did 3 month packages which worked out between 570-616 AED a session!!! Not to mention the astronomical price of his 'Assessment' which frankly looked like some kind of wellness nonsense. I was sent a questionnaire with daft questions like 'What were the 5 most stressful experiences of your life?' and 'for our time together to be a true win for you, what do you want to take place over the course of your care here'. A true win, what like true love? I'm not going on a date I just want a PT that won't give me the wrong exercises for my back! What a load of bull. Needless to say I didn't go there, over 500 AED a session for someone to ask me 'How were you feeling when you chose to wear a purple shirt today, describe your emotion at the time?' and me to say 'well it was at the top of the drawer and my blue shirt was in the wash', hate this wellness rubbish, although I guess if he was a qualified shrink then maybe he would be worth over 500 AED an hour however he isn't. I contacted O2 apparently they don't take clients with injuries. I find this all interesting as I was always of the opinion that many people that come to a PT do not know proper 'form' in the gym or what exercises are 'safe' for their weight, fitness level or injury which is why they employ a PT. It seems most of the PTs in Dubai are in fact actually personal motivators and know absolutely nothing about actual training except when it comes to pumping their own steroids and gazing at themselves in the mirror. I do however have a great Pilates teacher from Exhale who comes to the house. This concludes my rant about PTs in Dubai, I now have my flight booked to the UK for July and six weeks of training with my UK PT who does great sessions, doesn't break my back, leaves me feeling fit and doesn't spout nonsense about 'if you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?' or whatever. edited by RuthM on 03/06/2013 <em>edited by RuthM on 03/06/2013</em>

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Latest post on 02 June 2013 - 17:16

Some already mentioned but mine are: The Secret Garden Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Railway Children (an amazing movie in Mary Poppins league) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Mary Poppins The Water Babies Labyrinth Flight of the Navigator Batteries Not Included Cocoon Born Free Homeward Bound Old Yeller (definitely not for younger/sensitive kids) Short Circuit Benji The Sword in the Stone Flash Gordon Superman A Christmas Carol Bill & Ted All Dogs Go to Heaven The Rocketeer The Love Bug Jason and The Argonauts Cool Runnings Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi (not the new ones) Back to the Future (recently watched this with our friend's 7 and 10 year old and they loved it) Escape to Witch Mountain Forever Young (love JJ Abrams, hate Mel Gibson - watched this at boarding school, one of our end of term movie night treats!) Santa Claus the Movie Oliver! Miracle on 34th Street Wizard of Oz ET Black Beauty Black Stallion Indiana Jones (not Crystal Skull) Never Ending Story 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Karate Kid An American Tail The Last Unicorn Swiss Family Robinson Lord of the Flies (older kids only) Land Before Time Who Framed Roger Rabbit Beethoven Davy Crockett Flipper Honey I Shrunk the Kids Home Alone The Mighty Ducks (someone had to like it!) The Addams Family The Princess Bride Monster Squad (older kids only) Watership Down (definitely not for younger or sensitive children) Some of these are maybe for older kids 12+, some are more family movies and some older kids movies have a tendency to not always be all about happy endings which can upset some kids nowadays.

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Latest post on 02 June 2013 - 16:14

I've given up. My first PT never showed up, my second managed to injure me (an old injury from 2 years ago which reoccured) so I was unable to train for six months after that and had to cancel a ski break (which is why I booked him to train for that in the first place! ). I tried to arrange with a 'specialist' rehab trainer but he wanted to charge more than a physio so no chance I may as well train with my physio three times a week. I went to a certain well know gym and watched a PT there training a lady in doing a dumbbell press as she lifted the weight overhead she was arching her back and bending backwards so far that I was sure a disc was going to herniate at any moment so that gym was a no go. In between bad PTs I did go back to the UK and train for 10-12 weeks at a time with a PT there who was very good and didn't cause me any problems, so I know I can train, successfully, without being injured. I have now decided to do a PT course myself and save myself the trouble of bad PTs, I just need to convince DH to do one and we can train together and watch each other for bad movements etc. in the gym.

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Latest post on 28 May 2013 - 17:35

As mine has been exchanged four times due to faults ranging from an epic failure where the machine locked up, an object rattling in the fan, a large number of dead pixels on the screen, the lid and base not lining up correctly when closed and a graphics card error (which was a firmware fault across the range now solved) then I would recommend buying only from an Apple store, where they will swap the machine over immediately if it develops a fault or an authorised Apple reseller which will provide a repair if there are any problems. All faults aside I am now happy with my fifth machine. Apple have an online store in the UAE, it is not the cheapest Apple store. HK is the cheapest, US is also cheap although not once you add tax (HK is tax free).

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Latest post on 27 May 2013 - 16:28

Really disappointed. Bought an Apple TV and it won't stream from iTunes. All our TV is showing on a list on Apple TV but when you go to play it you just get a whirring circle for hours on end, regardless of how long the show is. Can use airplay from iPad fine but that's a pain having to sync the iPad constantly, plus you can't browse on the iPad whilst it is using AirPlay. Was all excited to get it working but it's not working as it should. Took it back to iStyle and they exchanged it but we're getting the same problem with the new one. Have logged in under US and UAE accounts but, unfortunately, didn't fix the problem. :( It sounds like the network signal may be weak to the computer from the base station or you may be using an extender. The account makes no difference, you can home share with any account, as long as all the devices are using the same account. If you haven't already try the following: Turn off home sharing on your computer and your AppleTV. Move the computer and your wifi base station into the same room as the AppleTV. Log them both onto the same wifi network using the base station located in the room. Run updates on your computer and on the AppleTV. Ensure your computer is authorised to play the content you wish to play (make sure it plays in iTunes). Enable home sharing on the computer then on the AppleTV. Hopefully this will work. edited by RuthM on 26/05/2013 Thanks for the advice RuthM. Unfortunately we've tried testing the network using the movie trailers, YouTube etc on the home page of Apple TV and they play perfectly. The router is only 3 metres away from the Apple TV (both in the lounge) and the computers (iMac and Macbook Air) in the same room so I don't think there is a weak connection. Also when using Airplay on the iPad we the Apple TV is still 3 metres away from us yet it plays easily without any buffering. We've got the latest (5.2) software on Apply TV and on iTunes, have turned off and on home sharing, tried the vidoes on iTunes only and they work fine so are the correct format for Apple (mp4 and m4v). Tried extensive googling and others are saying the latest update has had buffering problems but that they haven't figured out a fix for it. I don't think it's the computers themselves as we've used the same ones witih the same iTunes account with Apple TV in the states and that works fine. Yours truly really stumped.com *-) I had the same problem, although mine was due to the iMac being too far from the AppleTV. The AppleTV could rent movies and stream online just fine but when it came to connecting to my iMac it slowed to a halt, it was due to a low signal for me. Bearing in mind when it connects to the iMac it is connecting AppleTV->Wireless->Router->Wireless->iMac, when it connects to the outside world it is just AppleTV->wireless->Router->Cable->Outside world. You could try testing it with music files or photographs as another option as they are much smaller and if something is causing a slow network then they may be small enough to play. I eventually solved the problem by putting my base station next to my iMac and using a cabled connection between my iMac and the base station. You could try this, check the computer is connected via the ethernet cable by opening a browser window etc. before trying the AppleTV. If you have a Mac you could connect directly to the computer with an ethernet cable. I'm not sure how to do this on Windows though. If either of these work then it is probably a network problem. The AppleTV does have a few glitches it seems with network configurations, why I do not know. If this is still not working you could try a workaround. Download the remote app on you iPhone/iPad and navigate to your computer. Play the item you want and then select output to AppleTV, this may or may not work. If this works then it is probably a network configuration problem rather than a range problem. I can't think of anything else I have done in my early AppleTV battle, but if I do I'll be back!

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Latest post on 27 May 2013 - 16:03

Hi RuthM, apologies if I sound DUH but the VPN router - can you buy that in the UAE and if so which brand? Also will Elife etc work on the VPN router or do I need to get separate router for that? thanks Sorry I use a Raspberry Pi to run my VPN. I don't know which routers work I think Cisco do one but I have no experience of using a VPN router. The various VPN websites will probably have routers listed. If you decide to use a Raspberry Pi here is a guide (although I didn't use this lifehacker is normally good for this sort of thing): http://lifehacker.com/5978098/turn-a-raspberry-pi-into-a-personal-vpn-for-secure-browsing-anywhere-you-go

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Latest post on 27 May 2013 - 13:10

thanks, some of the stuff mentioned here is really informative. to answer the question on what I meant by treating/handling, I was looking for some tips on "best practices" on how to relate to somebody whom you suspect might be bipolar. Don't think its a type 1 extreme case, but I picked up signs that this really bright young person can flip into almost like a different personality. or they would say something, but than would say the exact opposite and you just don't know what to make of it. one more question. when somebody is down (depressed, annoyed, btchy, whatever) what;s the best way to approach them? do i leave them alone until they snap out of it? do i try to a be a friend? should i be firm banking on the fact that they might respect its an office environment? would this last approach help them by taking their attention away from whatever they are going through or would just further build anxiety in them? Sorry but NEVER use those ill fated words 'snap out of it'. If someone in the office is disruptive in the workplace then I suggest you sit down one to one and deal with it in a professional manner. Ask if anything is troubling them and if the company can do anything to help, change work environment, reduce or increase workload, provide additional training, give some time off if there is a problem in the home etc. It is no employers place to start diagnosing their staff with any kind of health concern. Being up or down can be a variety of issues, it could be anxiety and/or depression it could be due to a clinical issue, an environmental issue or a combination of both. There are so many things that can cause this. If they then say 'I'm feeling depressed or anxious etc' you can then say that if they would like to see someone then the company will support them. Bipolar is a term that is thrown around loosely by so many people but understood by so few, partly because the media like to glamorize it, it has for some become a badge of honor, in reality it is nothing like that.

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Latest post on 27 May 2013 - 11:45

My father was diagnosed with clinical depression sometime in the seventies before I was born. After a suicide attempt he was treated with electric shock therapy. He always had ups and downs but they were largely hidden by his drinking problems. In 1987 when I was a six he had a major manic episode. No one saw it coming. He made some catastrophic decisions that he spent the next eighteen years paying for. Only due to a shrewd lawyer and accountant did he manage to keep his business and his home, this was after years of bailiffs knocking on the door. His mania was very severe. Police came out with assault rifles, helicopters, the press were all over it he was front page headlines in the local paper 'Axe Man Goes Beserk' and we had random people driving down our road for the next six months trying to figure out where the house was. We were on holiday in Europe at the time the mania started and a schedule airline wouldn't take him, my mum had to charter a private jet to take him to a local private airport in the UK. Fortunately I was still in Europe when the worst of it happened and too young to understand anyway. He was sectioned into a local Priory where I loved visiting as they had a games room and gardens to play in and I was allowed to watch Doctor Who. In the Priory I was taught how to play snooker by a snooker champion and guitar by a professional (famous) musician. He was diagnosed bipolar type I. He had a further two manic episodes after that and several bouts of depression where I grew a greater understanding of his condition. It took around ten years to stabilize him. So I guess you could say I grew up only knowing manic depression. This said bipolar people are often brilliant people. He could succeed in anything he turned his hand to. He would maintain his own classic Range Rover (he couldn't afford a new one-a friend donated him a wreak), he rebuilt an old Austin, he was a talented trumpet player, he relandscaped our 1/3 acre garden including digging out drainage and creating huge and varied flower beds, he knew the common and scientific names for most British plants and trees, he could identify almost any bird by sight or sound, he repaired the old wood on all our windows when they started falling apart and sanded down, sealed and painted all the wood in the house as well as completely redecorated, he tied his own fishing flies to such a high standard that when he passed away his friends debated on who would get how many (as they were irreplaceable), he won some awards from English Nature and appreciation from The Environment Agency for building a dam at a nearby river and other services to the environment, he ran his own shooting syndicate, designed and assisted building a large duck pond he was an excellent shot and an accomplished sailor. His profession was as a dentist at which he was also very skilled, patients that had moved abroad as far as Australia would coordinate visits to the UK with their dental appointments. He was a generous person who believed in helping others and Westminster honored him with a tree for services to the local community after he passed away. And that concludes my personal experience of the ups and downs of bipolar disorder.

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Latest post on 27 May 2013 - 06:10

Could be vitamin/nutrient deficiency, diabetes, toxin poisoning (especially lead), neuro problem (pinched nerve) or anxiety. I would run some more bloods/urine tests to check he is absorbing nutrients properly and for diabetes and any environmental toxins that could cause problems. If still clear ask for a referral to neurologist. Dr Gunther at City is one of the few doctors I have actually been impressed with in Dubai, whether his area of neurology is appropriate for your case though you will have to ask. Otherwise assess whether there could be something causing him anxiety, perhaps at school, something you may not have been made aware of. Good luck hope you get to the bottom of it and it's easily solved. <em>edited by RuthM on 27/05/2013</em>

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Latest post on 26 May 2013 - 22:33

Really disappointed. Bought an Apple TV and it won't stream from iTunes. All our TV is showing on a list on Apple TV but when you go to play it you just get a whirring circle for hours on end, regardless of how long the show is. Can use airplay from iPad fine but that's a pain having to sync the iPad constantly, plus you can't browse on the iPad whilst it is using AirPlay. Was all excited to get it working but it's not working as it should. Took it back to iStyle and they exchanged it but we're getting the same problem with the new one. Have logged in under US and UAE accounts but, unfortunately, didn't fix the problem. :( It sounds like the network signal may be weak to the computer from the base station or you may be using an extender. The account makes no difference, you can home share with any account, as long as all the devices are using the same account. If you haven't already try the following: Turn off home sharing on your computer and your AppleTV. Move the computer and your wifi base station into the same room as the AppleTV. Log them both onto the same wifi network using the base station located in the room. Run updates on your computer and on the AppleTV. Ensure your computer is authorised to play the content you wish to play (make sure it plays in iTunes). Enable home sharing on the computer then on the AppleTV. Hopefully this will work. <em>edited by RuthM on 26/05/2013</em>

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Latest post on 26 May 2013 - 22:23

What do you mean how to treat/handle a bi-polar person. The same as any other person. What do you mean work with? In the same office as or treat? I assume in the same office as, I hope you are not asking this question on this forum (or at all) if you are treating a bipolar person. True bipolar (not celebrity 'oh look at me I'm bipolar' bipolar) means massive mood swings. Not a bit crazy or a bit depressed, it means off the freaking wall high, to suicidal low. The high: Mania may start with talking very fast, about grand ideas, things they are going to buy, or do, they may go on spending sprees, they may believe they are richer than they are, in the workplace they may be hugely productive, they may come up with fantastic ideas, streamline workloads etc. They may not sleep much as their mind is active thinking of new plans and schemes. In Bipolar II this is as far as the mania may get. In Bipolar I the mania gets more extreme they can become dangerous they may decide to fly off the top of a building, they may develop psychosis and throw all their money in the stockmarket for some ridiculous cause (like saving the Bosnian war) - yes I have first hand experience in witnessing this. They will be out of control, and they won't say 'Oh I'm so high today I can fly' they will just do it, none of this attention seeking nonsense, they don't care if someone sees them fly or not because they know they can fly and it is nothing spectacular because they've always been spectacular. As for the depression they won't say 'I'm so depressed' because they will be sitting in a room refusing to move, speak or do anything. Either that or they'll be attempting suicide. Severe depression normally results in complete cutting off from anyone. In bipolar generally these things don't cycle quickly, it will be months before the swing to the next cycle, during which the mania and/or depression will normally become extreme without treatment. Bipolar people need to be medicated and need to take their medication daily. They can live without medication as well as a type I diabetic can live without insulin. Bipolar is considered by many to be a chemical imbalance it is not just 'all in your head'. There is also this thing called cyclothymia which is considered to be a mild bipolar disorder where the ups and downs have shorter and less extreme cycles. It is hard to diagnose as it is very similar to BPD, it can be life destroying as the symptoms are mild enough to go unnoticed and untreated but sever enough to make lifelong changes and for sufferers to struggle to maintain jobs and relationships, or handle money well. Anyway regardless of all this when you meet a bipolar person in the workplace they are just like any other normal person. They should be on mood levellers which may make them come across a little more chilled, perhaps slightly more down that most people. There is no need to treat them any differently to anyone else.

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Latest post on 26 May 2013 - 14:16

AppleTV will work through a VPN, you can run the connection through a computer or directly into a VPN enabled router. Unfortunately there is not a VPN option on the AppleTV yet. The iTunes account does not (yet) check your location. I have a UK, US and AUS account. It is easy to switch between accounts on the AppleTV. The latest update allows you to save multiple accounts and switch between them without having to put in all the details every time. Which I do frequently depending on what I want to watch. However ensure when switching accounts you also switch country as sometimes it does not do this automatically which can cause problems. Please note the account you use to rent on the AppleTV has no relation to the account you use to homeshare. Therefore it is easiest to stick to one home share account. You can stream your US and AUS purchases even if your home share is using your UK log in details. You will (at this point) only need a VPN for using things like Netflix. Hope this clarifies some things. <em>edited by RuthM on 26/05/2013</em>

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Latest post on 26 May 2013 - 13:56

Really depemds on what he likes and how much you want to spend, I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly) money is no object being that he has everything a man can dream for. So here are some things from our wishlist/special things we have got: Dunhill bespoke briefcase, made in London Dunhill bespoke alligator skin wallet New Sony 4k TV (will be launched first week in July) A holiday to somewhere special like a Singita Safari (Tanzania is closest) Mont Blanc UNICEF edition fountain pen (charity and pen all in one) Any Mont Blanc Patron of the Arts Edition (4810 or 888 edition) Pair of good quality binoculars (if he likes birding, fishing or wildlife) Zeiss, Leica or Swarovski 8x32 or 8x42 English bespoke shoes (Crockett & Jones, John Lobb etc) Holland and Holland Royal s/s or Beretta SO10 o/u (if he shoots) A piece of original art or a limited edition framed print Iain Faulkner is a popular artist who does some quite manly paintings great for games rooms A high quality course in something he likes, cooking, photography, wine appreciation etc. Any one of the luxury items you can get from Linley (games, cufflinks box etc. http://www.davidlinley.com/) A good quality watch such as a Patek, Vacheron or for a bit less a Jaeger A vintage watch by one of the above brands or Rolex, made in the year of his birth A Buben and Zorweg watch winder if he has too many watches A rare globe for his hobby room/office (http://www.trevorphilip.com/) A set of Michael Bras kitchen knives (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/products/michel-bras-10-piece-knife-set/?pkey=cknives-michel-bras) A Leica M9 camera Hope something inspires.

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Latest post on 23 May 2013 - 18:11

- AppleTV is a wireless streaming media player manufactured by Apple - DLink is a manufacturer that produces a number of devices including their own wireless streaming media player namely the Boxee Box. DLink also manufacture wireless routers. In order to use any wireless streaming media player you will requirea PC or Mac and a wireless router in order to run your network. Your router will need to be able to reach both the location of your computer and the location of the media player (unless you have an extension set up). You can use a cabled set up if you have a cabled network in your home. AppleTV uses iTunes on your Mac/PC to stream to your television. The AppleTV predominantly uses the mp4 format and other formats may need to be converted using a variety of software packages. The Boxee appears to use a web browser to stream video which may be more complex to use however I have never seen one so cannot advise. I do not think the Boxee will be able to play media purchased in iTunes as Apple protect their video files with DRM. The AppleTV is very easy to set up: Computer Go to File->Home Sharing->Enter the details you wish to use for your home share AppleTV: Go to Settings->Computers->Turn On Home Sharing-> Enter the AppleID you used on your computer I also use my AppleTV for music playlists etc. when we have parties as I have our stereo system connected into the TV. You can also add your iPad or iPhone to your home share and stream to the AppleTV from there. If you are using iPhoto you can use your AppleTV to display photo albums on your television. Lastly some apps will mirror to your AppleTV if that is something you may wish to use. <em>edited by RuthM on 23/05/2013</em>

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Latest post on 23 May 2013 - 09:30

I need to get our dog beds laundered but unfortunately they won't fit in our machine. Does anyone know of a laundry here that uses natural detergents I know a lot places use harsh chemicals and As they sometimes chew on the beds or eat in the beds I don't want them to come back laced with chemicals also the one dog is allergic to everything!!

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Latest post on 20 May 2013 - 18:08

Still there today at 6pm. DH tried again to catch it but it escaped him. He said it is not looking good, some of what he thinks may be blood on it's hind legs.

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Latest post on 20 May 2013 - 16:27

Generally speaking Westerners are more used to dogs as being pets. Western culture is repulsed by the idea of injuring a dog, an animal they are familiar with and even more repulsed by the idea of eating a dog where other places would deem this acceptable. It would be more common in the UK for example for a youth to intentionally do harm to a fox as a fox would be a wild animal, that empties trash cans, that the Daily Mail reports eats babies and that is not a pet, that is dirty and not part of the family. Many British people may not feel much love for foxes. Other people think nothing of squashing spiders, or killing a mouse or a rat. Dogs by many cultures are regarded dirty, vicious and dangerous, perhaps to try and understand then consider them very large rats as this could be how some other cultures consider them. Certainly many cultures would find it hard to be empathetic to a dog, they would not understand a dogs' communication cues even Westerners who do not keep dogs as pets can find it hard to interpret such things. The case of the Iguana for example could easily happen in Western society (although I'd like to think no adult would participate in this). I am quite sure if you think hard you can probably find a Western youth you know who may think nothing of drowning a rat and can you categorically say his friends would stop him? It is after all only a rat, it carries disease, bites people and is dangerous, rats are caught and killed every day by vermin exterminators. So I would agree in all likelihood it was probably not Westerner expats that did this. Not because Westerners are incapable of cruelty but because they are less likely to be cruel to a dog, an animal that is loved and understood in Western society. There may be an individual who would commit these acts, there are evil individuals in every walk of society, but to find several Western youths working together who have not had contact with dogs as pets, therefore would not understand the dog trying to communicate distress to them and therefore not feel empathy towards this animal is unlikely, certainly I am sure nearly every youth I know would have intervened at doing this to a dog. Westerners are certainly more than capable of being cruel to animals and are by no means any less cruel on the whole than other cultures. Of course every child, youth and adult of any nationality or culture should be aware that animal cruelty to any animal on any level is wrong, some people are just plain nasty.

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Latest post on 19 May 2013 - 09:13

No not a joke! If you have lost a white rabbit in Arabian Ranches there was one running free round the tennis court area at 0730 this morning (sorry DH only told me now). DH tried to catch it but with two dogs in tow it wasn't keen on coming close.

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Latest post on 18 May 2013 - 01:24

I actually have a Klingon phrasebook, more detailed than this... somewhere...

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Latest post on 16 May 2013 - 23:37

Well I don't know what channel you're talking about, but in an Arab country I am not surprised the subtitle preference goes to Arabic over English. It's a movie at the cinema and there is absolutely no reason why they could not keep the English subs as well as adding the Arabic for the Klingon scenes. Very very few people speak Klingon. They did the same thing with Avatar, and John Carter, for which I demanded and received a refund. Even fewer people speak Na'vi or Martian respectively. Fortunately in this instance it was a short scene, but it doesn't bode well for Star Trek 3 where I suspect there will be a larger Klingon involvement, if JJ Abrams has enough time to make it after the next Star Wars (I can see new problems understanding Huttese when this comes out). As around 70% of the population of Dubai are expats and many of them speak English at least as a second language it is not unreasonable for the English subs to be left on. In fact my native Arabic speaking friends' kids read better English than Arabic as they go to English language school (they have their Arabic classes at the weekend). It is not exactly requiring any additional work, it is an English language movie, they actually had to make an effort to remove the English subs. They manage to put French and Arabic subs on for the trailers just fine (presumably the trailers are screened in Lebanon). So there is absolutely no reason why they could not have both for the first and second languages of the UAE especially as English is used here as the lingua franca (working/bridge language - note the language of this forum).

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Latest post on 16 May 2013 - 17:25

Unfortunately I don't know much Arabic and only a splattering of Klingon. The good news is not too much Klingon or other alien language was spoken, so still watchable without those particular scenes.

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Latest post on 15 May 2013 - 11:54

Photoshop is one of the best editing tools for photos, elements may have the editing feature you are looking for.

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EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 14 May 2013 - 08:19

Sorry I didn't make my post clear Blackberry uses Blackberry 10 OS. In summary: 1) iOS - Good (iPhone) Android - Good (Samsung, Sony, HTC etc) 2) Blackberry 10 - Yet to be proven but looks bleh (Blackberry) 3) Windows 8 - Bleh (Nokia) As much as I hate to admit it I had a play around with an S4 the other day and was impressed, for a fleeting moment I even considered abandoning Apple. For those who don't have other Apple products or use iCloud I would certainly recommend considering Android. Blackberry excel in security, but to me the OS feels clunky, simple tasks require a larger number of gestures, clicks and swipes than on other devices and running an Android emulator for apps is not efficient. For business use the data packages and security you get using a Blackberry cannot be compared but for personal use iOS and Android are still in the lead. Blackberry 10 has the potential to take the lead in the smartphone market but it is perhaps too little too late only time will tell. As for not being able to carry spare batteries, you can just get one of those battery packs and recharge on the go. DH has an iPhone for personal use and a Blackberry for business, I'm looking forward to him upgrading to a Blackberry 10 device so I can have a play on it.

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Latest post on 13 May 2013 - 18:37

iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S4 are probably the top two phones at the moment. I wouldn't consider Blackberry unless it's a business package with the free worldwide data and you need that kind of thing. Personally I prefer iPhone as I use mostly Apple products but Android is the next best thing. HTC and Sony also make Android phones. Blackberry is on it's way out and personally I hate Windows phones as do many others (Nokia shareholders are begging Nokia to ditch Windows in favour of Android). Only bad thing about iPhone is the battery life sucks.

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Latest post on 03 May 2013 - 07:18

The first step to changing gun laws should be to have a legal requirement for gun owners to keep guns under lock and key and ammunition under a separate lock and key. Then there would be no accidental shootings of two year olds and far less teen suicides with daddy's gun. The pro gun lobby cannot claim that is an encroachment on American rights, it is merely a safety issue. But Obama decided to try and ban assault rifles as well as increase background checks on potential gun owners. Assault rifles while unnecessary for home ownership (they are somewhat insane) are certainty not a key issue in gun deaths in the US. This is just a knee jerk reaction to the recent school shootings. As for background checks, a reasonable idea but seems impractical for interstate if someone wants something hidden they'll find a way. The only people that will be stopped getting a gun this way are probably honest people that once had a bout of depression. Furthermore mental health background checks for anything are always a bad idea as it means gun owners are less likely to go to their doctor with issues like depression out of fear their guns will be taken away - I certainly know a few people in the UK who were frequent shooters (pheasant, duck, grouse etc.) who avoided treatment for depression at certain times in their lives because of this and one of them it was hugely detrimental for. So Obamas gun laws were stopped in their tracks, but really he must have known they would be. Actually, Ruth, the assault weapons ban action has been in the works for a long, long time and has nothing to do with recent shootings. There was an assault weapons ban in place through the Clinton administration when it expired and Congress failed to extend it. The Obama Administration and some in Congress have been pushing for its reinstatement (although unsuccessfully) for quite some time. This is in no way a knee jerk reaction. Do you have anything other than anecdotal evidence to suggest that background checks prevent people from seeking mental health services? I believe the mental health background checks that are being promoted are to ensure those who have been hospitalized for treatment cannot obtain weapons (and, I may be incorrect, but I believe it is only those who are hospitalized involuntarily.) These mental health background checks are to ensure that those with serious mental health issues, like the shooter at Virginia Tech, are unable to obtain weapons. The background checks the proposed legislation would enact would expand criminal background checks. Currently, you can buy a gun at many gun shows without any sort of check of your history. Criminal, mental health or otherwise. People are cautious enough when it comes to seeking help for mental health issues, it would be impossible to demonstrate evidence that people will avoid seeking help out of concern that their guns would be taken away if they went to their doctor, it is impossible even to estimate how many people avoid seeking help regardless of guns. But I can assure you if I was feeling depressed I would not seek help unless I absolutely had to. My father lost his licence in 1987 and it took him 15 years to get it back. His collection of classic guns, many of which had been custom restored were jammed in a police lock up where the extremes in temperature and humidity damaged the high grade custom walnut stocks. He was unable to participate in his favourite pastime, shooting, and lost an enormous social circle because of it something which didn't really aid his recovery much. More importantly who is going to draw the line at 'serious' or 'not serious' mental health issues? Being that 1 in 4 people suffer from depression at some point in their lives and the rate at which American's like to buy guns this would be next to impossible. You're going to need a heck of a lot of psychiatrists. What doctor is going to want to say 'no my patients mental health is not serious he can have a gun?', next thing the patient shoots up a shopping mall, the doctor gets sued. No one will be able to get guns in America's suing culture. No poor person certainly, my father only got his back as he saw a private psychiatrist over a period of 15 years and as he knew him so well his psychiatrist wrote a letter to the police asking for his licence back for him. Poor people are lucky if they see a psychiatrist at all. I don't for one second think assault rifles should be legal but in the grand scheme of things banning them is not going to make a huge amount of difference. It's not going to stop suicides, accidental shootings, lovers quarrels it will only limit damage in shootings in crowded places, which honestly whilst horrific are not the majority of gun deaths and a large number of handguns or even a shotgun in a closed environment can be almost as effective in any case. - Obama won't get through background checks as these will stop American's getting guns, something which gun toting Americans believe to be a civil right. - Obama won't get through banning assault rifles as while they sound scary they are not really massively responsible for gun deaths in America and the gun toting American right will deem this the first step in banning other weapons. It would be nice if he could but he has to be realistic what he is up against. But he can prevent kids accidentally shooting each other, kids shooting other kids with their parents guns, kids shooting themselves and guns being stolen to be used for subsequent crimes. A law to lock guns up in homes could prevent all of this but it does not appear to have been considered (perhaps I missed it). A law to lock guns up would not encroach on the American right to bear arms.

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Latest post on 02 May 2013 - 16:56

The first step to changing gun laws should be to have a legal requirement for gun owners to keep guns under lock and key and ammunition under a separate lock and key. Then there would be no accidental shootings of two year olds and far less teen suicides with daddy's gun. The pro gun lobby cannot claim that is an encroachment on American rights, it is merely a safety issue. But Obama decided to try and ban assault rifles as well as increase background checks on potential gun owners. Assault rifles while unnecessary for home ownership (they are somewhat insane) are certainty not a key issue in gun deaths in the US. This is just a knee jerk reaction to the recent school shootings. As for background checks, a reasonable idea but seems impractical for interstate if someone wants something hidden they'll find a way. The only people that will be stopped getting a gun this way are probably honest people that once had a bout of depression. Furthermore mental health background checks for anything are always a bad idea as it means gun owners are less likely to go to their doctor with issues like depression out of fear their guns will be taken away - I certainly know a few people in the UK who were frequent shooters (pheasant, duck, grouse etc.) who avoided treatment for depression at certain times in their lives because of this and one of them it was hugely detrimental for. So Obamas gun laws were stopped in their tracks, but really he must have known they would be.

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Under the Mango Tree by Robyn Fok | Expat Books

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Expat Wife, Happy Life: Interview With Expat Author Florence Reisch

(Images: Supplied)

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Culture shock in the United Arab Emirates for expats

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10 Secrets to Happiness as an Expat

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4 Ways to Network as an Expat

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8 Expat Problems That Are Just Too Real

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Top 10 Countries with the Best Quality of Life

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The best European cities for new expats

Pictured: Prague

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How to Make Your Own Life as an Expat and Why It’s Important

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The Labriz eforea spa location

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The Real Expat: Chasing Your Dreams to Find Your True Purpose

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