Sorry to burst your balloon - Qatar partly responsible for world helium shortage

See:

http://www.fox28.com/News/index.php?ID=4188

Helium Shortage Threatens to Deflate Balloon Sales

Party planners beware: a global but temporary helium shortage could deflate festive balloons this fall. The shortage affecting some suppliers results from a series of unconnected events, including delays in getting helium plants on line in Algeria and the Mideast, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management said.
A key issue in the shortage involves contracts for helium supplies from a Qatar plant and two in Algeria which had been off-line, said Hans Stuart, a BLM spokesman. One overseas plant has been involved in lengthy maintenance and two are behind on construction schedules.

Construction Delays in Qatar...I am shocked! NOT.

Maybe they should stop building for the the Asian Games in Qatar and get to work on this helium plant. We need helium for our party balloons! I guess there won't be a big balloon release at the Asian Games in Qatar in December, or maybe there will be, so that Qatar can say - HAHA We have helium and YOU DON'T!

Thanks John!

I got off work last night and got into the car that John and I co-rent (we split the cost of the car so we can pool our car allowance money and get something bigger and more intimidating to drive on Qatar roads). Imagine my suprise when I looked at the gas gauge...The last person to drive the car...John...

Thanks John, I now know how far a Hyundai Terracan can coast, as it runs out of gas. I came into the gas station with the car sputtering...Thanks John...

That's OK, I didn't want to go right anyways!

With the traffic backup up at a roundabout (traffic circle) people on the side roads will do anything to get ahead in line, even blocking the lane of oncoming traffic trying to get off the main road (notice the sign).

Floating poolside

Another lazy night floating on my inflatable raft in the pool with a drink in my inflatable drink holder which looks like an island with a palm tree. Notice the new physique that I am getting by swimming and going to the gym...sexy.

Photo by Sara Yamaka...she wanted me to say that because I told her this picture was a surreal look at the pool...slow shutter speed, interesting lighting from the pool.

Come outdoor with us

The Karwa cab company has started an ad campaign. The campaign is to get people to advertise on the outside of the cabs, I think. Also, it may be a campaign to encourage people to come outdoors and use the cabs, since most people stay inside unless they are unlucky enough to have to work outside.

On this last one I have a question for you. Would you rather go outdoors where the current temperature at 3:00 pm on Saturday is 1oo °F / 38 °C with a Heat Index of 123 °F / 50 °C or would you rather stay indoors where it is cool and air conditioned??? I know what my answer is...MMMmmmmm air conditioning.

If you like their driving, you'll love their parking continued, again

Excuse me, Sir, you can't park you car in the pedestrian walkway right next to the elevator...WOW, How did you get the car around the metal barricade???

Question: How many cars can fit in one lane?

Answer: In Qatar, two.

If you like their driving, you'll love their parking continued

Excuse me Sir, but you can't park that Mercedes in the pedestrian walkway right in front of the elevator....Sir...SIR!

Why drive on the road when you can drive on the desert sand and make your own lane

Why drive on a perfectly good road when you can get ahead of the car in front of you by driving on the desert sand "off-road?" This is a common driving tactic in Qatar.

Gas is cheaper than water

Gasoline is cheaper than water in Qatar. Water is 1 Riyal or $.25 US (25 cents) a liter (1.00 Qatar Riyal =0.274695 United States Dollar) . Gasoline is 80 Dirhams a liter. A Riyal is divided into 100 Dirhams, so 1 liter of gasoline is .80 Riyals a liter or $.22 US (22 cents) a liter.

1 liter = 0.264172051 US gallon or 1 US gallon is 3.7852 liters, so 1 gallon of gas costs $.83 USD (83 cents) a gallon. How much is gas in the US now?

Sunset at Education City

Sunset over Education City in Qatar. 5:30pm Temperature 100 °F / 38 °C Heat Index 116 °F / 47 °C. After work, now that it has cooled down a bit, it's time to go outside and play soccer!

Ed and John at Commencement

John and I standing in the line of faculty and staff at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar Fall 2006 Commencement for the Class 0f 2010.

My hood displays the Master of Arts in the humanities (white) from the University of Virginia (blue and orange).

John's hood displays the Bachelor of Sciences in the sciences (gold) from Georgetown University (blue and grey).

"New Middle East"? Yes, there is, no there isn't...YES, there is, NO there isn't!

CNN.com reports that "Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said Tuesday thet America's plan for a 'new Middle East' collapsed after Hezbollah's successes in fighting against Israel."

The Gulf Times reports that "Syria leader sees a 'new Middle East'" and "He also said there was now a 'new Middle East" after Israel's month-long war against Hezbollah in Lebanon..."

So is there a "new Middle East" or has the plan for the 'new Middle East' collapsed???

It depends on whose newspaper you read.

MMMMMmmm...musky

Mike found these Life Savers Musk candies at Mega Mart.

John said they taste like licking a man...

Made in New Zealand for Nestle Australia.

Crazy from the Heat

I am a little sweaty...95 °F / 35 °C with 56% humidity standing next to the barbeque.
Bamboo baseball cap and Glow in the Dark Earrings from Daiso The Japanese Value Store

Also, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daiso for the Wikipedia entry.

http://www.daisome.com/ for Daiso's Middle Eastern stores.

What Margaret thinks of Sweat

YUCK...Sweat

MMMMmmmmm...Sweat!

Nothing refreshes like a can of Sweat!

NO Baby Back Ribs at Chili's in Qatar

The equation at Chili's in Doha, Qatar...no alcohol + no baby back ribs (pork) = a frowning Ed
Cool coasters though...

Censorship in Qatar

Here are some examples of recent publications to come through Qatar customs that have been censored using a black marker.

Bazaar cover of pregnant Britney Spears shown in Paris Match July 6-12, 2006 No. 2981

Photo of Kate Moss on story about Supermodels in American Vogue August 2006

Ad for Evian water in American Vogue August 2006

Image of Modigliani nude painted in 1917 in an article on the painter Amedeo Modigliani in The Guardian Weekly July 28-August 3, 2006 vol. 175, no. 6

Censoring art...

"Censorship is the tool of those who have the need to hide actualities from themselves and others. Their fear is only their inability to face what is real. Somewhere in their upbringing they were shielded against the total facts of our experience. They were only taught to look one way when many ways exist." Charles Bukowski, poet and novelist

Soccer

It was ONLY 97 degrees today. A cold snap in terms of the Arabian Peninsula in July. So a bunch of us went outside and played soccer, futbol for all the non-Americans, after work.