Sarkozy, Hyperactivity and the Burqah

It is hard to like Nikolas Sarkozy. Very hard. Even if he was not the French president and just an ordinary man - for any man, to meet him walking down any street would be intimidating: his arrogance, his demeanor and that swagger, combined, would be hard to like.

And yet, at times, one can not help but admire the man. He is daring, outspoken and undoubtedly smart. And hard working. Hard working and hyperactive. But, at times, or should I say - many times, Monsieur Sarkozy can be too hyperactive. Too hyperactive to the detriment of his health, as has just happened.

TinEye: the perfect image search engine

TinEye is amazing. It is an image search engine that uses such an advanced technology, that when given an image, rather than a key word, to search for, it tells you where and how that image has been used; even if the image has been modified! It conducts a pixel by pixel search across the internet, flagging up all instances of that image even if it's been cropped, merged or digitally altered in some way.

Site Of Note: Visiting Yemen

For any one visiting Yemen, especially tourists, the best site to go to on the Web is: the Ministry of Tourism site. It has extensive and the best information on the many tourist attractions and destinations. It has too, the most important advice and tips for visitors to the country.

Out of Wady Do'an

Out of Wady Do'an and up on to the highlands. The air is still dry, but it becomes cooler as one goes higher. Not far out of the Wady, right by the main road to Al Mukalla, there is this sign post - below. I didn't know that any resort or good hotel existed high up there. But, there was.

The Castles of Al Khurayba

The best and the finest honey in the world, is said to come from Wady Do'an. Some of the best dates from Hadhramout, come from the Valley. And undoubtedly, some of the finest architecture and most wonderful buildings I have ever seen, are in the Wady too. And due to migration from here, some of the wealthiest progeny of Hadhramout and some of the richest Arabs in the world, come from this same Valley.

Sights from Wady Do'an

Few places on earth are as spectacular in appearance and exotic as Wady Hadhramout. The most dramatic and most thrilling of all the Hadhramaut Valley, is undoubtedly Wady Do'an. It has so many breathtaking sites; lush in some places and so lavish in others. It's best to move through Wady Do'an slowly and stop and take time; and enjoy the many exotic villages, the many lush fields and date palms and the many wonderful mountains. A few days ago, I had the joy of traveling through the Wady with my daughter and son. Below, are a few photos that I took:

'This Is It'

Michael Jackson wanted to give his greatest and best show. One last show which he called: 'This Is It'. In death, he has done just that. His farewell memorial at the Staples Center sports arena, Los Angeles, was his most spectacular show ever, with Michael looming larger than life over the arena and crowd. And since his death, two weeks ago, he has dominated all forms of media and news headlines. Globally.

Whatever might be said about Michael Jackson, whatever one might think of him - one thing is certain: he defined an era. As for his lifestyle and as one of the most eccentric people who ever lived, it's not for us mortals to judge others; that is only God's prerogative. He will judge him the way He will judge each of us.

The intricate windows of Yemen

I don't know of any where else, where so much care is taken to build such very elaborate, complex windows as in Yemen. Especially around Sana'a. Below, are a few photos of these windows:

What makes a Man happy.....

What is happiness? It means different things to different people; conditions, circumstances and times, all play a big role in making a person happy or not. But generally, it is a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy or it can be described too, as a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. And now there is the definition of happiness given by the Happy Planet Index (HPI); the index measures well-being in terms of long, happy and meaningful lives.

The 'thing' with airplane crashes

Flying is the safest way to travel; in contrast, the most dangerous and most unsafe way is using the automobile. Across the Globe, it's estimated that over 1 million people are killed each year in road accidents and tens of millions more are injured; millions are maimed for life. Worldwide, thousands of people, are killed everyday in road accidents. And yet, there is this 'thing' about airplane crashes that has a tremendous impact on the public and in the news.