Since 2005, Flickr is banned in the UAE for reasons I still cannot comprehend until this day though if you have a smartphone with wifi capabilities, whether using Etisalat or Du SIM cards, you can open Flickr! When I was browsing gulf news to check what is happening aside from GITEX that started October 16, 2010 at Airport Expo, Dubai, I saw this news that as of September 2010, Flickr users that are based or just visiting Dubai for days, can now access their account.

Flickr host images and videos and can be linked to Facebook and other networking sites in a flash. The only thing I don't like about creating an account in Flickr is that it hosts no unlimited images. I'll go check other hosting sites that I can save unlimited pictures and that I can generate income from publicly or privately storing those images upon viewing. Any comments or suggestions are open, if you have one. Shareapic is a nice site to start but somewhere along the line, I cannot view my galleries coz of slow internet, such glitches are things I don't like and rather look for other sites. Coz what if my internet is dial-up and I need some of my pictures? Then I'll be damned as Jurassic! Going back to Flickr, at least it can host videos as well.

Dubai October, 2010. This month, we celebrate the 30th annual GITEX Technology Week (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition). Collaboration of different worldwide companies with their newest, available, and future gadgets; exhibitions; global conferences; business solutions in terms of IT and the latest of technology; leaders summit; consumer electronics featuring mobile applications and content; and gulfcommunications are on top of the list for this week to happen.
This is the largest IT exhibition that you cannot see anywhere else, and it's happening only once a year all through out Gulf region. IT products, gadgets, computers, mobile phones and application, and the best of traders and suppliers gather around to have their best sale ever while shoppers enjoy a big drop in prices during this week purchasing in volume or individual is a personal and advantageous choice. Both IT fanatics and faint and a no getter of technology will enjoy this week the most. This is one of a kind here in Dubai and the rest of GCC, aside from getting it's name to have the tallest skyscraper around, the Burj Khalifa.
Every mall outlets that sells these items complies with GITEX prices, while exhibitions and other formal functions require attendees for an entrance ticket, which isn't a pain in the ass while you roam the vicinity and hoping that your name will be called on the raffle draw. What can you ask more about this week? Maybe a bigger shopping spree to enjoy it to the fullest!
Happy GITEX everyone!

I was walking around in a Wal Mart store, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back.  The boy couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.  The cashier said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll."  Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''  The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''  Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. 
The little boy was still holding the doll in his hand.  Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.  "It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for Christmas.  She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her".  I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.  But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now.  I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there."  His eyes were so sad while saying this.  "
My Sister has gone to be with God.  Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.''  My heart nearly stopped.  The little boy looked up at me and said: "I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet.  I need her to wait until I come back from the mall."
Then he showed me a very nice photo of himself.  He was laughing.  He then told me "I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.  I love my mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister."  Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. 

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy.  "Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll!''  "OK" he said, "I hope I do have enough."  I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some spare money.  The little boy said: "Thank you God for giving me enough money!"  Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that mommy could give it to my sister.  He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.  But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.  My mommy loves white roses." 
A few minutes later, the old lady returned and I left with my basket I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind from when I started.  I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.  Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl.  The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would not be able to recover from the coma.  Was this the family of the little boy?  Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young woman had passed away.  I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.  She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.  I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever.  The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine.  And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

PRAYER:
Dear God, the person reading this is beautiful and strong.  Help them live their life to the fullest.  Please promote them and cause them to excel above their expectations.  Help them shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love.  Protect them at all times, lift them up when they need you the most, and let them know when they walk with you, they will always be safe.

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: 'With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to the other, and with the threat of swine flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

A lil history on Oktoberfest is it originated in Munich, Germany from a Bavarian culture.  It is known too as the largest people’s fair in the world. Food taken are mostly chicken, roast pork, ham hock, grilled fish on a stick, sausages (of which I suppose is a German’s) with Pretzels, potato or bread dumplings, cheese noodles, potato pancakes, and red cabbage plus cheese-butter spread with white sausage (again)! But where’s the bottomless beer?

Come’on, Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival in the world! That’s the reason why beer is very cheap, mostly free and overflowing. Aside from the beer that we get for free, other organizers add other forms of entertainment like local and international artists singing/jamming/dancing with the crowd all together like there’s no tomorrow from sunset till dawn, and it’s a sin not to behave “drugged”, noisy and silly during that time of the year.

Family and friends, with friends of friends (FF) or other meaning of FF come together and enjoy the atmosphere of freedom from police interferences. The rule is you can drink all what your body can take and let your drunken friend drive! Hahaha. Indeed, Oktoberfest is a season worth waiting for.