Dubai cancels all New Years celebrations

by Scott Carmichael on

Tonight was supposed to be quite a party in Dubai, but the ruler of the nation has decided to cancel all celebrations out of support for the Palestinian people.

Dubai has long been a prime destination for some of the elite in the world, and the perfect location to celebrate the New Year in style. Sadly for them, they’ll have to celebrate in their hotel room with some room service Champagne and finger foods.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum made the decision yesterday evening (December 30th) and ordered all “concerned authorities” to take appropriate measures. After his announcement, several other surrounding countries announced similar cancellations, including Bahrain, Jordan and Tunisia.

(Via/image source: Gulf News)

Gadling’s 10 most popular posts for 2008

by Jeffrey White on

It’s been a great year here at Gadling, and you, dear readers, are largely the reason why.

By the looks of things, what you liked most this year was our coverage of scandals and overall hi-jinks on airplanes. Can’t say we blame you.

So, as we slide into the New Year — a German expression — we want to leave you with what you liked reading the most this year.

Here are Gadling’s 10 most popular posts for 2008 (though two of them were actually written in 2007).

1. Jerry Guo covered what could be the best prank ever attempted: Stopping time at Grand Central Station (Above)

2. Jerry also covered a couple of French flight attendants who go, well, a little crazy with a video camera

3. Justin Glow covered the saucy Myspace pictures of Southwest Airlines’ least favorite passenger of recent years, Kyla Ebbert (right)

4. Grant Martin wondered whether there was such a thing as being too pretty to fly

5. Neil Woodburn gave us a report on Southwest Airline’s famous stripper plane

6. Jamie Rhein covered the tale of a woman who said her drink was spiked on a flight to Thailand

7. Martha Edwards wrote about the girls of Ryanair

8. Jamie also considered some of the dirtiest hotels in America

9. Grant covered more allegations of mistreatment of women at Southwest Airlines

10. Aaron Hotfelder covered the absolute worst times to travel

Photo of the Day (12-31-08)

by Jamie Rhein on

I chose this picture as today’s Photo of the Day for a few reasons. One is because Jeremy Baumgartner took it at Fisherman’s Wharf at Monterey Harbor in California on New Year’s Eve, January 1, 2008. Featuring it today seems symmetrical. In a year that has had so many ups and downs, symmetry feels fitting and the photo exudes a stillness and calm.

With the hoopla around New Year’s Eve and the upset 2008 has brought, there’s a need for calm and the time to consider the stars. If you look above the warm, friendly glow of the sailboats, you’ll see Orion’s Belt. It’s one of the largest constellations and the one that everyone around the world can see. Part of the belt is the three close together vertical stars.

To have your photos considered for Photo of the Day, post them at Gadling’s Flickr Photo Pool.

Yet another bad -cation

by Tom Johansmeyer on

“Staycation” was shoved into our lexicons over the summer, as gas prices spiked and credit was squeezed. Now, with the cost of fuel well off its highest levels, the staycation has given way to yet a new flavor of the non-vacation variatoin: the “naycation”. I still don’t know why CNN can’t just say: “The economy sucks, and nobody can afford to drop big cash on a trip. Or, if they can, they’re too petrified to do so, because … well … the economy sucks.” Instead, they are a bit more helpful, offering nine reasons why travel is likely to be down in 2009.

Highlights:

  1. The “economy stinks” (CNN lacks my edge)
  2. Staycations were boring
  3. The deals weren’t good enough
  4. We’re looking ahead to 2010

Now, there are a few others, such as “we’re tired of being lied to.” The big one here is the price of jet fuel, which has dropped from more than $140 a barrel in August to below $50 in November. C’mon guys, why are you still spanking us with surcharges?

Even with all these other reasons, it all comes back to a precarious economy in 2009. Remember that the major layoffs of 2008, in many cases, won’t be felt until 2009, as severance packages run their courses. People with jobs are petrified, and would rather stick a few thousand dollars in the bank than in the pocket of a European hotelier.

[Via Christopher Elliott (not the one who played Cabin Boy) on CNN.com]

Syria’s Sexy Side

by Josh Lew on

Bras with flashing lights, transparent g-strings, underwear that is made from little more than fake butterflies and plastic flower petals. No, it is not the dressing room of a Las Vegas gentleman’s club, it’s a shop in a Damascus souk. BBC correspondent Martin Asser recently uncovered some unexpected retail spaces in the Syrian capital. It turns out that, despite the penchant for non-form-flattering outdoor apparel, there is a market in this Levantine country for so called “indoor apparel.”

According to one of the country’s most successful undergarment tailors, religion and sex are not at all at odds, as long as marriage is also involved:

“Our work is all about igniting the desires of a husband for his wife, so he doesn’t go looking elsewhere. It’s a good thing and there’s nothing wrong it.”

Asser also mentions that sexual dissatisfaction is a legit reason for divorce in the Islamic faith.

See the related video here. There is even a book featuring some of the more outlandish designs found in Syrian souks (pictured above).

[via BBC]