Friday, April 12
Apr. 13th, 2024 12:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Beautiful weather. So much sunlight.
A reasonable phone call with Trainwreck. She's very bored, and she says the other people in the lodge are "no fun". Imagine that. She says that what the lodge needs to do, (I'm not kidding, she said this) is to try to attract some younger people because then she would have someone fun to hang out with.
I said to her, that it isn't exactly the duty or the job of the people running the lodge to find friends for her, she might have to, you know, find something to do in the community where she might meet people. You know, somewhere other than the local bar.
I talked about my conversation with Sister E, and how she might get her bike out now that the weather is nice. Hint hint. Maybe you, Trainwreck, could look into doing something like that. Her response "I was thinking about stealing a bike". Stealing a bike in a community of about one thousand people is a terrible idea, one would think. What she MEANT, is that she thinks there are some bikes abandoned in the back alley behind the lodge, but she has to make it sound dangerous and illegal. I don't know that those bikes would even work, but if it makes her feel better to "steal" them, then hey.
It's strange, how she seems either unwilling or unable (?) to do what is the normal process of acquiring items. You know, asking around, looking at ads, just buying things or trading for them like a normal person. There are likely twenty people she knows willing to just give her an old bike, but then again, she would neither fix or maintain any bike she got anyhow. If it got a flat tire or the chain needed cleaning, that would be it. It would be an item of junk that she also wouldn't get rid of, it would sit in front of her door at the lodge for eternity. Probably, she could borrow someone's bike once, she would get bored, and that would be the end of it.
I went to see River, and there was smoke in R's yard because their neighbors were burning, even though there is a fire prohibition (really, ban it or don't) on. These neighbors had to call out the fire department last summer because their last big burn got out of hand. It's a dry spring again, and there's lots of standing dry grass around.
River didn't do too badly, though he was breathing a bit off because of the smoke. We worked on all the bending and yielding homework, and he did okay with that. Then we rode in the outdoor arena, because NOW it's okay to ride on it.
Then I stayed to work with Quidley, and it was very low key because R already did some other work with him, so I ran through general ground work, and we went walking around the property with the girl with health challenges.
R might be interested in buying our beloved old X-Terra for their daughter. I was very candid about it's condition, but it would definitely be cheap, if it's what they're looking for. We'll see how it goes.
R's dog had dragged up a deer leg and was happily gnawing on it, which was sort of a funny "you might be a redneck" moment.
R wasn't too sure what she would do with it. She couldn't toss it anywhere on her place, or the dog would just find it again. If she put it in the garbage, the dog would just knock over the garbage, and it might attract other wildlife.
Since I was going to be driving home, I offered to take it and just huck it out somewhere on the side of the road by a field.
So, she put it in a pail for me. Then, in the most farmer-like fashion ever, she says "I want the bucket back". You'd almost have to be a farmer to understand why this is so funny, but trust me, it is. A good pail that still has a handle on it is like gold to farmers.
As promised, I hucked it out on the side of the road, into the ditch by a field, where hopefully a needy coyote takes it quickly.
Then I washed her bucket out when I got home so I could take it back next time.
My Sweetie was climbing tonight, and apparently did well. We watched some "Boardwalk Empire", and he headed off to bed.
The United Arab Emirates is on the Arabian Peninsula, and has coastline on the Persian Gulf. It's capital is Abu Dhabi, and the other famous city is Dubai.
"The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.[13] Each emirate is an absolute monarchy governed by a ruler, and together the rulers form the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative body. The Federal Supreme Council elects a president and two vice presidents from among their members; as of 14 May 2023, the president is Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan[14] and the vice presidents are Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In practice, the ruler of Abu Dhabi serves as president while the ruler of Dubai is vice president and also prime minister.[15]"
There are about ten million people here, almost 90% are expatriates from around the world (this seems to be the case with many of these "newly wealthy" oil baron countries in the middle east).
So, it is mostly wealthy from oil and gas, and like the other countries we've mentioned in this region, are trying to diversify with business and tourism.
"Human rights organisations consider the UAE substandard on human rights, citing reports of government critics being imprisoned and tortured, families harassed by the state security apparatus, and cases of forced disappearances.[21] Individual rights such as the freedoms of assembly, association, the press, expression, and religion are also severely repressed.[22]"
It has a mix of civil and Sharia law.
"efore 2020, flogging, stoning, amputation, and crucifixion were technically legal punishments for criminal offences such as adultery, premarital sex, and drug or alcohol use.[160][161] In recent history, the UAE has declared its intention to move towards a more tolerant legal code, and to phase out corporal punishment altogether in favor of private punishment.[162] With alcohol and cohabitation laws being loosened in advance of the 2020 World Expo, Emirati laws have become increasingly acceptable to visitors from non-Muslim countries.[163]"
Things like kissing in public can get tourists kicked out and citizens in trouble, blasphemy, being LGBTQ is no fun, might get you some jail time, and so on. NO FUN HERE AT ALL.
There were thousands of years of human habitation in the region, but it was once part of the Sassanid Empire (Persian) until Islamic takeover in the 600's. Then it was Portuguese influence by trade while still maintaining mostly tribal level development (nomadic tribes of mostly herders).
Then, while still maintaining mostly traditional tribes, the British made agreements that protected British trade routes through their lands, and access to their ports.
Through the 19th and 20th century, pearling was still a big industry (pretty much all nations that had coast along the Persian Gulf were harvesting pearls, right up until the Japanese perfected the art of culturing pearls, which then dominated the market, as well as India imposing heavy taxes on imported pearls).
I THINK that the UAE would have fought with Britain in WWI against the Ottoman Empire, but I'm not getting a lot of clear information about that.
Same with WWII, they would have fought with the Allies.
Somewhere between the world wars, the oil and gas industry was being developed, right as the pearl industry died out. Some of the development was done by British Petroleum (BP) a still very well-known company, with the help of Jacques Cousteau, who helped with the ocean mapping/surveying work needed to make decisions about where to do offshore drilling.
In the 1960's, Britain was pulling out of many of it's colonies and protectorates and so on, and they began the process of leaving what is now the United Arab Emirates (and WAS a bunch of sheikdoms). After a lot of negotiation, and agreements to honor the protection treaties with the British, in 1971 six of the Emirates decided to unite, while others (Bahrain and Qatar became separate independent countries).
Of interest: "On 9 February 2021, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when its probe, named Hope, successfully reached Mars's orbit. The UAE became the first country in the Arab world to reach Mars, the fifth country to successfully reach Mars, and the second country, after an Indian probe, to orbit Mars on its maiden attempt."
It is a desert region, with some scrubby trees and marginal grass lands. It has a lot of sand dunes, and salt flats by the coast. There are offshore coral reefs.
There are animals like Oryx, leopards, and camels, but they are endangered from over hunting, though measures are now being taken to preserve them.
Their water mainly comes from ground water, with two important oasis (i ?) that provide water for permanent settlements other than the cities, but the cities have to do a lot of desalinization, with careful reuse of waste water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates#Education
https://youtu.be/juHLoPYaWHk?si=oMgBKV9bISQyOUMJ
Beautiful weather. So much sunlight.
A reasonable phone call with Trainwreck. She's very bored, and she says the other people in the lodge are "no fun". Imagine that. She says that what the lodge needs to do, (I'm not kidding, she said this) is to try to attract some younger people because then she would have someone fun to hang out with.
I said to her, that it isn't exactly the duty or the job of the people running the lodge to find friends for her, she might have to, you know, find something to do in the community where she might meet people. You know, somewhere other than the local bar.
I talked about my conversation with Sister E, and how she might get her bike out now that the weather is nice. Hint hint. Maybe you, Trainwreck, could look into doing something like that. Her response "I was thinking about stealing a bike". Stealing a bike in a community of about one thousand people is a terrible idea, one would think. What she MEANT, is that she thinks there are some bikes abandoned in the back alley behind the lodge, but she has to make it sound dangerous and illegal. I don't know that those bikes would even work, but if it makes her feel better to "steal" them, then hey.
It's strange, how she seems either unwilling or unable (?) to do what is the normal process of acquiring items. You know, asking around, looking at ads, just buying things or trading for them like a normal person. There are likely twenty people she knows willing to just give her an old bike, but then again, she would neither fix or maintain any bike she got anyhow. If it got a flat tire or the chain needed cleaning, that would be it. It would be an item of junk that she also wouldn't get rid of, it would sit in front of her door at the lodge for eternity. Probably, she could borrow someone's bike once, she would get bored, and that would be the end of it.
I went to see River, and there was smoke in R's yard because their neighbors were burning, even though there is a fire prohibition (really, ban it or don't) on. These neighbors had to call out the fire department last summer because their last big burn got out of hand. It's a dry spring again, and there's lots of standing dry grass around.
River didn't do too badly, though he was breathing a bit off because of the smoke. We worked on all the bending and yielding homework, and he did okay with that. Then we rode in the outdoor arena, because NOW it's okay to ride on it.
Then I stayed to work with Quidley, and it was very low key because R already did some other work with him, so I ran through general ground work, and we went walking around the property with the girl with health challenges.
R might be interested in buying our beloved old X-Terra for their daughter. I was very candid about it's condition, but it would definitely be cheap, if it's what they're looking for. We'll see how it goes.
R's dog had dragged up a deer leg and was happily gnawing on it, which was sort of a funny "you might be a redneck" moment.
R wasn't too sure what she would do with it. She couldn't toss it anywhere on her place, or the dog would just find it again. If she put it in the garbage, the dog would just knock over the garbage, and it might attract other wildlife.
Since I was going to be driving home, I offered to take it and just huck it out somewhere on the side of the road by a field.
So, she put it in a pail for me. Then, in the most farmer-like fashion ever, she says "I want the bucket back". You'd almost have to be a farmer to understand why this is so funny, but trust me, it is. A good pail that still has a handle on it is like gold to farmers.
As promised, I hucked it out on the side of the road, into the ditch by a field, where hopefully a needy coyote takes it quickly.
Then I washed her bucket out when I got home so I could take it back next time.
My Sweetie was climbing tonight, and apparently did well. We watched some "Boardwalk Empire", and he headed off to bed.
The United Arab Emirates is on the Arabian Peninsula, and has coastline on the Persian Gulf. It's capital is Abu Dhabi, and the other famous city is Dubai.
"The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain.[13] Each emirate is an absolute monarchy governed by a ruler, and together the rulers form the Federal Supreme Council, the highest executive and legislative body. The Federal Supreme Council elects a president and two vice presidents from among their members; as of 14 May 2023, the president is Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan[14] and the vice presidents are Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In practice, the ruler of Abu Dhabi serves as president while the ruler of Dubai is vice president and also prime minister.[15]"
There are about ten million people here, almost 90% are expatriates from around the world (this seems to be the case with many of these "newly wealthy" oil baron countries in the middle east).
So, it is mostly wealthy from oil and gas, and like the other countries we've mentioned in this region, are trying to diversify with business and tourism.
"Human rights organisations consider the UAE substandard on human rights, citing reports of government critics being imprisoned and tortured, families harassed by the state security apparatus, and cases of forced disappearances.[21] Individual rights such as the freedoms of assembly, association, the press, expression, and religion are also severely repressed.[22]"
It has a mix of civil and Sharia law.
"efore 2020, flogging, stoning, amputation, and crucifixion were technically legal punishments for criminal offences such as adultery, premarital sex, and drug or alcohol use.[160][161] In recent history, the UAE has declared its intention to move towards a more tolerant legal code, and to phase out corporal punishment altogether in favor of private punishment.[162] With alcohol and cohabitation laws being loosened in advance of the 2020 World Expo, Emirati laws have become increasingly acceptable to visitors from non-Muslim countries.[163]"
Things like kissing in public can get tourists kicked out and citizens in trouble, blasphemy, being LGBTQ is no fun, might get you some jail time, and so on. NO FUN HERE AT ALL.
There were thousands of years of human habitation in the region, but it was once part of the Sassanid Empire (Persian) until Islamic takeover in the 600's. Then it was Portuguese influence by trade while still maintaining mostly tribal level development (nomadic tribes of mostly herders).
Then, while still maintaining mostly traditional tribes, the British made agreements that protected British trade routes through their lands, and access to their ports.
Through the 19th and 20th century, pearling was still a big industry (pretty much all nations that had coast along the Persian Gulf were harvesting pearls, right up until the Japanese perfected the art of culturing pearls, which then dominated the market, as well as India imposing heavy taxes on imported pearls).
I THINK that the UAE would have fought with Britain in WWI against the Ottoman Empire, but I'm not getting a lot of clear information about that.
Same with WWII, they would have fought with the Allies.
Somewhere between the world wars, the oil and gas industry was being developed, right as the pearl industry died out. Some of the development was done by British Petroleum (BP) a still very well-known company, with the help of Jacques Cousteau, who helped with the ocean mapping/surveying work needed to make decisions about where to do offshore drilling.
In the 1960's, Britain was pulling out of many of it's colonies and protectorates and so on, and they began the process of leaving what is now the United Arab Emirates (and WAS a bunch of sheikdoms). After a lot of negotiation, and agreements to honor the protection treaties with the British, in 1971 six of the Emirates decided to unite, while others (Bahrain and Qatar became separate independent countries).
Of interest: "On 9 February 2021, the UAE achieved a historic milestone when its probe, named Hope, successfully reached Mars's orbit. The UAE became the first country in the Arab world to reach Mars, the fifth country to successfully reach Mars, and the second country, after an Indian probe, to orbit Mars on its maiden attempt."
It is a desert region, with some scrubby trees and marginal grass lands. It has a lot of sand dunes, and salt flats by the coast. There are offshore coral reefs.
There are animals like Oryx, leopards, and camels, but they are endangered from over hunting, though measures are now being taken to preserve them.
Their water mainly comes from ground water, with two important oasis (i ?) that provide water for permanent settlements other than the cities, but the cities have to do a lot of desalinization, with careful reuse of waste water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates#Education
https://youtu.be/juHLoPYaWHk?si=oMgBKV9bISQyOUMJ
