billybob_jcv said:

Have you guys been following the GM recall fiasco? Wow - they are hanging the engineer that signed-off on that ignition switch out to dry! I can't imagine what it would feel like to have an independent investigation name a decision you made as the specific cause for 13 deaths in a public report.

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The guy approved for use a part that failed to meet spec. Of course they're hanging him out to dry. He should have followed the military model and just changed the spec to meet the faulty part
 
 This is one to watch. Barra can use this as a real opportunity to leverage huge changes in the organization.

Well, we're in Dubai. My wife stepped off the plane and said, "holy s***!", and rightfully so. It's striking, but HOT. Also, within 15 minutes you're hit with culture shock. I asked about our bags, the man blinked and replied, "they will be in your room, sir", then we were shuttled (past customs) to a VIP lounge (massive plasma screens showing soccer and Bloomberg financial news, open bar, and tables loaded with snacks), where we had a drink and they took our passports and had them stamped. No x-rays, no frisking, no questions. :blink: Our security guys (aka. the Twin Towers) are waiting for their temporary security and CWP clearance, which should be good by morning, so I've been told, and we'll be ready to roll. "If you're a foreigner you can't get a gun permit in the UAE!" Oh yes you can, but first you need to be authorized as a US military/security contractor. (They seem to scare the hell out of most people here, in contrast with Europe where they were largely ignored.)

I don't even want to mention the hotel... "Over the top" doesn't cover it, and the room is completely nuts. Every piece of visible metal is gold plated, all other surfaces are solid wood or marble. We have a maid, a butler, and a driver, they came with our accommodations package, I didn't actually request them. That's what I get for just skimming the brochure. Funny story. I had no idea what the exchange rate was, and I still had euros, so I've been tipping the people helping us 10-20 euros each. Well, I found out that's about an order of magnitude too much. Oops. Obviously, sheiks and mullahs are really cheap b*stards, despite what we saw in Cannonball Run.

Yeah, most of what's said about Dubai's opulence is entirely true. Hopefully they continue to be smart about diversifying into a financial services center instead of just an oil hub, so the big gleaming cities of the region don't go to waste in a few decades. Have you caught sight of any of the exotics in their police fleet yet?

The trouble with them is with the culture there. I was offered a very well paid position in banking but refused because I have lived in Western countries and can't adjust to living there.

Money only goes so far before culture, whether in a business or a nation, kicks in.

As I have said before, I would really like to look forward 100+ years and see what the UAE looks like. I have a hard time believing the world will let that imbalance of wealth remain stable over the long term. I think if I was North Korea, I would try a few midnight panty raids just to steal some food and as many gold-plated toilets as I could carry.

I saw 5 exotics while in Italy, which isn't too bad, really. There were more than that parked outside McDonald's today, including a 458 Speciale.

The heat, OMG!

Did you go to the top of the Burj Khalifa?

 
The irony is strong..... 

Smug Alert!!






On the freeway this morning I was cut-off by a d@mn Prius - apparently being smug means there is no need to use your side mirrors - I wasn't even in his blind spot - he passed me on the right, then cut back in front of me as we both approached a slower car. I hit the brakes and laid on the horn, and he didn't even acknowledge me with a courtesy wave or a middle finger. I still say using a Prius for a highway commute makes no freaking sense. It's not using the electric motors during highway cruise - so you are really just driving an ugly, cr@ppy little box with a wimpy 1.8L engine that handles as bad as it looks.

Here's sleeper movie for vintage sports car fans:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060726/

And I'm not talking about the Munster Koach or the Drag-u-la.

The first car I spotted was a Ferrari 250 GT Spyder - and that's just the beginning!

The entire list is here:
http://www.imcdb.org/movie.php?resultsStyle=asList&sortBy=0&id=60726

At that time it was "just an old racecar", my how times change.

billybob_jcv said:

Smug Alert!!






On the freeway this morning I was cut-off by a d@mn Prius - apparently being smug means there is no need to use your side mirrors - I wasn't even in his blind spot - he passed me on the right, then cut back in front of me as we both approached a slower car. I hit the brakes and laid on the horn, and he didn't even acknowledge me with a courtesy wave or a middle finger. I still say using a Prius for a highway commute makes no freaking sense. It's not using the electric motors during highway cruise - so you are really just driving an ugly, cr@ppy little box with a wimpy 1.8L engine that handles as bad as it looks.

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I hate people like that, I worry that someone is going to damage a really valuable car if I leave it in a parking lot for a few minutes, so I often take someone with me just to guard it while I go in. Some people are just crazy and there's no telling what they'll do.

billybob_jcv said:

As I have said before, I would really like to look forward 100+ years and see what the UAE looks like. I have a hard time believing the world will let that imbalance of wealth remain stable over the long term. I think if I was North Korea, I would try a few midnight panty raids just to steal some food and as many gold-plated toilets as I could carry.

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It's a city designed by and for teenage boys, I don't think most Arabs around here have matured beyond that. So much of it is simple glamour, however, a veneer. If you scratch the surface too hard you see the cheap gold-plating for what it is. A good commentary for the whole ME, really.

billybob_jcv said:

Did you go to the top of the Burj Khalifa?

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No. I can't even get my wide to ride a Ferris wheel, glass elevator, or even sit in the window seat of a plane. Anything >20' scares her to death if there's any chance she might look down. :rolleyes:

Oh, and she's had to leave the lion-rat at the hotel, because we were informed that because he's a black dog, he'd be looked upon as evil or unclean. I'd heard that before with relation to Islamic culture, but I thought Dubai was past such silly crap. Oh well, guess not. That's twice he's run afoul of crazy muslims. Oh well, he hates hot weather anyway, like his owner, so he's happier in the A/C. "It's a dry heat", what a load of BS!

Makes you think twice about buying a car from there.

I'm not buying any cars here. Essentially, even though they have anything you'd want, WRT exotic and luxury cars, the markup is nearly 100%. It would have to be something I couldn't get elsewhere or felt I couldn't live without. The only thing I've found to be a value here are Cuban cigars.

magick man said:

I'm not buying any cars here. Essentially, even though they have anything you'd want, WRT exotic and luxury cars, the markup is nearly 100%. It would have to be something I couldn't get elsewhere or felt I couldn't live without. The only thing I've found to be a value here are Cuban cigars.

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Points taken. Bonus too, you don't have to worry about a cigar lighter there, just touch it to any metal surface
 
I have heard that the duty free shop is to die for on your way out. You may wish to reserve your impulse spending for that

[VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M8yht_ofHc[/VIDEO]


:eek: