The Fourth Republic Blog

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Burj-Dubai...The UAE Paradise

Visit the official web site of the Burj Dubai

During my travels to Afghanistan working with and supporting the troops on the War on Terror, I had the unique opportunity to stop in Dubai. Forty years ago this was an area with a few mud huts sitting next to some of the most pristine beach shores in all of the Persian Gulf. Over time that started to change, and in the early 1990's the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates received news that no Middle Eastern Country wants to hear. That news: By 2017 your oil wells will be dry. No oil, no money. The Royal family took a radical step that made their fellow neighbors in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, and others very pissed off. The family opened their doors to the west and using talent from their culture, they built a city that would become a mecca of business and industry. They became Capitalists. After the business came the tourism. They designed the city to cater to the rich of the world and built extravagant hotels, houses, office buildings, and Islands shaped like palm tree's, and countries of the world. Though thanks to the recession they have started to slow down, yet still the things they have to offer may want any person to change their European vacation plans to this dessert local. They have the largest indoor mall in the world, (pictures below), the largest inland lagoon, connected to a theme park that has its own space camp. A 7 Diamond Hotel, the Burj Al Arab, that sits on the Persian Gulf and looks like a sail boat. The cheapest room is 1600.00 Euros per night.

As of December 2009, their are currently 11,850 buildings in Dubai under construction. Dubai is known as Crane City, since it has more cranes per capita than any other place in the world. The Burj itself is a masterpiece. Here are some facts:

Burj Dubai:

Over 2,684 Feet Tall

800 Metres

160 Floors

57 Elevators

The high point is the view from the Burj Dubai's observation deck located on level 124 of the tower, slated to open on the fourth Anniversary of the ascension of Sheikh Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on January 4, 2010.  

The Burj...Still under construction. Picture taken
from the base outside the Dubai Mall in August 2009.

Me standing in front of the Burj.

The Burj needle top.

Outside the Dubai Mall, near the base of the Burj. A large

man-made lake with a night water show.

Residents that sit next to the lake with a front view of the Burj Tower.

Dusk at the Burj...

The Burj Dubai Mall...Largest indoor mall in the world.

This is a picture of the skating ring next to the largest indoor

aquarium in the world.

The Divers...Leaping from the indoor waterfall in the
Dubai mall, on the opposite side of the aquarium.

Close up picture of the divers.

Crane City

Sand Storm in Dubai.

Another Sand Storm at dusk...

Picture From Afghanistan. Bagram Air Field. View of the Surrounding Mountains.

Another view of the Mountains. These Mountains are at the base of the Himalayas.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The 'Obama Criticism Flow Chart'

Hello everyone. Long time no hear. I'm back on a two week R&R from Afghanistan. It is a little rough over there, but the troops are in good spirits. Below the chart I have a great story to share with you.

This was sent to me from a friend while I was over in Afghanistan. I got such a good laugh at it that I had to save it, and post it here for everyone else to see. Who knows, you might have seen it already. Its called the 'Obama Criticism Flow Chart':

While I was over in Afghanistan at Bagram Air Base, I got a chance to talk to the troops alot since I was working with them every day. It begins to make me wonder how Obama won by such a large amount, because the troops over there do not support him. Though they can't say that openly because they are in uniform. Several however have said to me and I quote: "Get me out of this uniform and sit me down for a beer, and I'll tell you what I really think of this President."
They are also pissed that it took him over 4 months to decide to send more troops while their buddies were dying.

I attended a Halloween party where they had a band from the 82nd Airborne, and a bunch of soldiers and civilians dressed up in things from Harry Potter to Snow White. Suddenly a man dressed as a villain from the Matrix Movies (MR. Smith), walked onto the stage and grabbed the microphone. He announced: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States."
A soldier walked onto the stage wearing an Obama mask and started to wave. There must have been about four or five hundred people below the stage and I kid you not...95% of the soldiers and civilians started to BOO. As a pryor soldier, I have never in my life seen soldiers openly denounce their Commander and Chief in a war zone. I loved it, and joined in the booing. Then a second soldier walked out, pushing the Obama mask soldier out of the way. I thought he was going to get in trouble. The second soldier was wearing a mask of President George W. Bush, and the crowd erupted in applause and cheers. They chanted USA and "ALL THE WAY." All the way is the motto of the 82nd Airborne Division. After that ended, a high ranking officer and NCO came on the stage and did a reenlistment ceremony for the drummer of the band who was dressed as Conan the Barbarian. Those two high ranking soldiers were part of the same crowd that booed, and applauded. This was not a group of 500 low ranking soldiers, but it was a group of all ranks mixed together, from all parts of the country, serving in a cause they all believe to be just. Meanwhile back home Democrats are calling them killers, and profiling them as Conservatives and home-grown terrorists. Needless to say, they don't like Janet Napolitano too much either.

Well, this will be my last post for a few more months as I return to Afghanistan. I hope and wish everyone well, and I look forward to November 2010. TTFN

Saturday, July 18, 2009

GOING TO AFGHANISTAN

For those who follow my blog regularly, and have not heard,

I have accepted a job in Afghanistan. I will be be working

as a Sous Chef feeding American

and NATO Forces,

attached to "USFOR"

(US Forces, Afghanistan).
I leave in August. If I have a chance while I'm over there,

I will post pictures, and write stories about the good

things that the USA and NATO Forces are doing.

You know, the things that the media usually do not report about.

For those who would like to follow information on US Forces

Afghanistan, click the picture below to follow a link to Facebook,

so you can join the group and get regular updates.

To Visit Afghanistan Online, click the link here. This is great sourse to learn about the History, Geography, News, travel, and many other items about Afghanistan. Once it was the poorest nation in the world, but now as things are looking up, the new Government is trying to encourage investment into the Country.

(Emblem of Afghanistan)

For those who either hate Geography, or are not sure where Afghanistan is, look at the map below. It is land locked East of Iran, North of India and Pakistan, South of Russia, and West of China.

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان

(Persian: Jomhūrī-ye Eslāmī-ye Afġānistān)

د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت

(Pashto: De Afγānistān Islāmi J̌amhuriyat)

Kabul (Pictured above).

Population
2009 estimate
33,609,937

Government
Islamic republic
-
President
Hamid Karzai
-
Vice President
Ahmad Zia Massoud
-
Vice President
Karim Khalili
-
Official languages
Dari (Persian),

GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$21.340 billion

Topography

The Hindu Kush Mountain Range (Pictured Below) is the Western most sub-range of the Himalayain Mountains. The highest point in Hindukush mountain region is the Tirich Mir (25,289 ft).

Afghanistan has a harsh climate of the continental type and the severity of winter is accentuated by the altitude of much of the country. Summers everywhere are warm, except in the highest areas. The high mountains to the south shield Afghanistan from the summer rains brought to India and parts of Pakistan by the southwest monsoon. The lower parts of the country have a semi-arid or desert climate. In Sestina along the Iranian border hot, dry, dusty winds are among the most unpleasant features of the summer weather. Summers are sunny and generally hot, except in the higher mountains. Sunshine amounts range from six to seven hours a day in winter to as much as twelve to thirteen in summer.
Because of the large range of temperature conditions found in Afghanistan, there is both a danger of heat exhaustion or even heatstroke in the lower regions in summer and of exposure, wind chill, and frostbite in the mountains in winter.

As far as the War in Afghanistan which started on October 7, 2001 in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center, the United States and its allies have a strong presence in the Country, and are recieving reenforcements from Iraq, now that the surge which was launched in 2007 has led to a stable success.