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Dubai is certifying the Volocopter for air taxi service it seems. Its published specs are 27 km range at its optimum cruise speed of 70 km/h. Its max payload is 160 kg, but I can't find any statement that says what payload (if any) is assumed for that range limit.

A strong wind would ground it of course. Its max speed (limit range) is 100 km/h.

So it isn't a scam. It does appear to have sufficient performance to be used in a limit air taxi role, say between an airport and a VIP parking/check in area, or a fancy hotel. Also, tourist "see it from the air" services would be about right.

No, if Egypt is invaded, it will be for the water. War is still the most profitable way of gathering natural resources.

Women don't have an expiration date.

So what do you call this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

And before that hits, there is the obvious decline in their physical attractiveness that tends to begin around age 30. Some call it "when women hit the wall". It can be delayed somewhat via a healthy diet, physical fitness, and stable mental health...or terrible decisions (IMO) like plastic surgery. But it doesn't change that men are visual creatures, we are primarily driven by a woman's looks, and so our interest (and the sexual market value of any individual woman) declines precipitously in their 30's as their looks and remaining fertility fade. Why else do you think we see so many articles, WRITTEN BY WOMEN, about how they are single and unhappy? Just as a sample:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/deb...
https://www.psychologytoday.co...
http://www.thenational.ae/life...

America give 4B in free arms to Egypt, 5-6B to Israel and 2B to Jordan. They wouldnt buy PAtriots if they were not free as they have their own Missile programs.

They wouldn't buy Patriots, you say?

So why did Egypt pay $1.3B for the Patriot missiles they purchased?
Source: http://www.nti.org/learn/count...

Or why did Israel take part in a purchase order with Kuwait, Taiwan, and Spain to purchase $12.5B in Patriot missiles?
Source: https://sputniknews.com/milita...

In fact, for a system you say that no one would buy, there seem to be an awful lot of countries lining up to pay for it...
- UAE - $3.3B
- Qatar - $2.4B
- Saudi Arabia - $1.75B
- Greece - $1.1B
- Japan - $1B

There were more countries and more links, but I'll stop there, since I think I've made my point.

Yes, dumb story.

Should have gone with a 'Is the Olympics a huge waste of money?' angle: http://www.theatlantic.com/bus... http://www.businessinsider.com... http://money.cnn.com/gallery/n... http://www.thenational.ae/spor...
Answer: No, if you're a pork-barrelling supplier, a politician or Olympic hanger on partying at the tax payers expense. Yes, if you're one of Brazil's poor threatened with poverty http://riotimesonline.com/braz... crime http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/o... and disappearances http://www.ibtimes.com/road-ri...

The only thing they ever had going for them was the unique 'b' shaped plastic. They are like a Louis Vuitton bag - not particularly functional or even attractive, but they cost a lot of money and celebutards like them so owning them buys you a tiny slice of that lifestyle.

While I don't own or like their headphones, the one other thing they have going for them is their success at ambush marketing. You see, as much as I hate their headphones, I hate the draconian advertising regulations that surround events like the Olympics and World Cup even more:

http://www.thenational.ae/busi...
http://www.theguardian.com/med...

India will still be at constant risk. This modern secular country is right next to a muzzy hell-hole where attacks on polio workers are frequent.

Depressingly, Pakistani muslims are correct in thinking that vaccination programs may be controlled by western governments. The CIA used a fake vaccination program (not polio) to aid in the hunt for Bin Laden.

Among the many other things that Islam forbids they have now decided that polio vaccines are unislamic.

Islam does not forbid vaccination.

India will still be at constant risk. This modern secular country is right next to a muzzy hell-hole where attacks on polio workers are frequent. Among the many other things that Islam forbids they have now decided that polio vaccines are unislamic.

yet again this (literally) diabolical 'religion' brings death and suffering to the world.

Actually, no, they won't. Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia, and others have all rejected GM corn.

I'm trying to be careful of it here at home, but if I were starving that calculus would be much different.

They don't have to be soldiers of a country since their legal position is essentially similar to that of pirates. But as it happens they consider themselves to be jihadists of the Islamic Caliphate. Are you willing to be an envoy to them? They can be rough, even on their supporters. Given that they behead many of their prisoners, there may not be much to negotiate. I'm willing to see you try though. Keep in mind that they don't fight according to the Geneva Conventions, but rather according to the rules of Jihad in Sharia law. That can lead to some debates that will sound strange to modern Western ears, such as the call by various influential Muslims that the old Muslim practice of taking sex slaves in war be revived.

Perhaps people are just tired of warmongering governments and people who want safety above all else.

So I take it then that what you really want is peaceful danger? Good news for you! There is an entire political-religious system devoted to that! You can find details here. Some of the "fringe benefits" are amazing. I would stay away from cruise ships though, taking past experience as a guide you won't want to be forced to hang around.

Something similar exists
It's a little smaller than a regular bus but very fast, it can run on regular roads but is designed to run on it's own 'track': http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/transport/high-speed-superbus-debuts-in-dubai

So much that could be said.

An end to slavery

Two hundred years ago, in 1807, Parliament abolished slavery in Britain. In 1833, all slaves in the British Empire were set free. It took a civil war, Abraham Lincoln and the 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, to end slavery in America.

Even though the British have been commemorating this auspicious occasion, there's little remembrance of it in the places where African slaves came from: Sierra Leone, Senegal, Gambia, etc. Sadly, the African tribal enmities that made the slave trade possible have not disappeared. The tribes' children, sold to the British, Americans and Portuguese slavers, are not commemorated in the lands where they were seized and forced into bondage.

Slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888 and a little later in other South American countries. But more than a century later, blacks still live in slave-like conditions all across South America or - at best - as second-class citizens. ...

When slavery is mentioned, our minds gravitate to Europe and America. But I must also mention the enslavement of black Africans by Arabs. Arabs have bought and sold blacks for a thousand years; and even though Saudi Arabia abolished slavery in 1962, in reality, blacks are still traded and treated as chattel in most Arab countries, even at this late date in human history. There seems to be no international will to confront this Arab trade in human beings.

Saudi Offers “Castrated African Slave” for Sale on Facebook

Men should have sex slaves, says female Kuwaiti politician

For some people nothing says "appeal to emotion" like FBI arrest reports I guess.

Here are some great resources for anyone confused by information at "911truth.org" and would like more information.

'Debunking 9/11 Myths': Nano-thermite dust found near Ground Zero (Photos)
Debunking 9/11 Myths: conspiracy plots are sheer fantasy

NIST Releases Final WTC 7 Investigation Report
World Trade Center Disaster Study

Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts
Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report
Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report

Resources for debunking 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

Debunking 9/11 Bomb Theories

The Truthers Are Out There

9/11 Conspiracy Theories: The 9/11 Truth Movement in Perspective

Debunking Conspiracy Theories In 'Voodoo Histories'

Right, because without tasers, no one has ever been killed or injured while resisting arrest.

I'll ask again - would you rather be tased (unpleasant, but no lasting damage in the overwhelming majority of people) or be restrained by force (unpleasant, also commonly end up with cracked ribs, dislocated shoulders/fingers, concussions, broken limbs, other bruises and other contusions) as a result of resisting your arrest?

Stop pretending like these people are standing around doing nothing when cops walk up and taser them out of the blue for shits and grins. They're being arrested, and they're resisting the arrest. At that point, the cops have two choices: tase the person, or pepper spray them, slam them to the ground, wrestle them into handcuffs, and hope they're not severely injuring or killing the person in the process. Neither way is gentle, or 100% guaranteed safe. You don't want to be tased? Don't get arrested; if you DO get arrested, comply immediately with the officer's instructions - the time to argue "wrongful arrest" or any other bullshit is IN FRONT OF A JUDGE, not on the roadside, or in the middle of a crowd of 50 other people.

Of course the 'no questions asked' extradition treaty between the UK and USA is a one-way deal.

Another poster mentioned this, perhaps it'll cause you to reevaluate your understanding of the law, and your opinion stated as fact.

I found an interesting assessment of this US-UK extradition pact:

In fact, Andrew Smith, an extradition specialist at the London law firm Corker Binning, said that statistical evidence suggested it was easier for the UK to extradite someone from the US, rather than the other way round.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/americas/claims-uk-us-extradition-pact-lopsided-but-some-legal-experts-disagree

It could be that what you're seeing is that the US, at five times bigger, is merely making more requests because it has more interests. The treaty may not be unfavorable at all.

Discussing Unfettered communication" in the UAE is like discussing celibacy in a brothel.

More likely it is a tool to disperse protesters without those incriminating head cracking videos.

So, there is no value in dispersing protesters without having to crack heads?

We are still not a net importer

Is that perhaps because you're extending the life of extremely polluting coal plants?

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO OUR WORLD??

Labour wanted mass immigration to make UK more multicultural, says former adviser
Most UK Muslims will vote Labour
British Muslims recruited to fight for 'al-Qaeda' in Somalia
Hate preacher: One day we will stone adulterers
Sharia: a law unto itself?
'Record rise' in UK anti-Semitism
Assimilation’s Failure, Terrorism’s Rise
U.K. Cuts to Military Will Curb Influence
Iran cuts oil exports to UK and France

Much of Europe is in deep trouble.

The US might avoid the worst of it.... if it can prevent Iran from tossing a nuke at it and the EMP sends life back to 1901. The major European powers were supposed to put a lid on the problem - it didn't work out that way.

Tell a meth head they're only getting 50 cents for meth instead of 50 bucks for meth a couple times, they'll figure out that using a magnet might be a good idea.

Any activity that consumes significant time, yet doesn't pay enough money to support a drug habit, is tantamount to "rehab".

I've never heard in 20 years of an outage being caused by buried cable being dug up by thieves.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/traffic/transit/Copper-Wire-Thefts-Interupt-South-Shore-Commuter-Rail-Line-106797133.html

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/cables-stolen-from-dubai-electricity-authority-court-hears

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Copper-theft-suspects-free-on-bond-627116.php

Also: Blackberry outage made roads safer. The usual arguments apply (correlation, causation, anecdotal).

Yes, very likely.

A famous football player there was killed in a car accident.

His father made a plea for people not to use smart phones or Blackberry devices while driving.

SF is proud to buck the federal govt...and is a sanctuary city....so, I guess you basically can legally get an illegal alien to live with you...but you can't go get a fucking dog???

You'd might be surprised at the alternatives some politicians come up with.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/men-should-have-sex-slaves-says-female-kuwaiti-politician

But can it do something useful for business, like burn corporate logos into the surface of the moon?

As for patrolling borders, it might be viable as a game. Add web interfaces to the cameras and lasers and people would PAY to patrol the borders.

Making conflict of any kind profitable is a slippery slope. Next thing you know we'd have politicians advocating slavery, even sex slaves.
That isn't possible, is it???

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/men-should-have-sex-slaves-says-female-kuwaiti-politician

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/south-asia/the-land-where-isaac-pitman-shorthand-inventor-is-a-god

What prevents BB from pushing an OS update that copies all messages sent through BES?

You mean pushing an OS update to the handhelds? Not possible. RIM and the mobile network operator can't do that.

If they did, then Eitisalat wouldn't have told all blackberry users to download & install their spyware last year.

They do control the hardware.

RIM does not control the hardware. The owner of the hardware controls it.

Unlike Apple, Android and some others, RIM does not control what software you install on your phone.

RIM does not have the ability to remove software that b>you install on your phone.

RIM has had a freely available SDK for years. You can sell software through blackberry app world, or sell it over the phone, a regular store, or any other method YOU decide.

Sorry, your numbers are orders of magnitude off. You concluded that UAE desalinated water costs $0.13/gallon ($34/meter^3) to make; when in fact production costs are 3 - 4 UAE Dirhams/m^3, or $0.82-$1.09/m^3.

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090322/NATIONAL/684266544/1080

Your main error is here:

Operating costs for the project cannot yet be determined, however in the past about 45-50% of the operating costs of a desalination plant was energy costs. Right now, a coal-fired base plant costs about $1.6-2m per MW of output. For simplicity and to low-ball our estimate, we'll say that it costs $1.6 per MW. $1.6m x 2k = $3.2B USD, or a yearly operating cost estimate of $6.4B

You incorrectly conflated "$1.6M per megawatt" with "$1.6M per megawatt PER YEAR". The construction cost ($1.6M/MW) is only paid once.

"We need a debate about the right level of freedom, democracy and human rights on the Internet" said von der Leyen.

About time that the government decides what the right level of democracy and humans rights is. Too much of a good thing is very bad, as we all know.

The German government already banned a couple of small parties from taking part in the upcoming elections, thus impeding the right to vote. But people are still free to bitch about the results. Freedom enough, don't you think?

I live in Dubai. I read one of the local newspapers here this morning just before I checked Slashdot, and it turns out the air-conditioned beach has been put on hold until they find a way to make it more "environmentally friendly".

COBOL can't be Islam. Islam numbers are always increasing.