I don’t have many worries these days when it comes to hair. On my own head, that is. It is what it isn’t, as athletes don’t quite say. Maybe that contributes to my status as one of those guys who may not notice when a woman has done something different, practically life-changing, with her hair. […]

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We did some due diligence about Abu Dhabi and the UAE before we got here. Climate,  religion, customs, legal system, history, etc. Clearly, being here trumps anything you read, but most of what has happened in six months … we had a clue would happen. What I didn’t really get my mind around … was […]

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Ah, the pain. Gas prices rose 11 percent here for the most common grade of gasoline … all the way to $1.86 a gallon. I’ve meant to do a post about gas prices in a country that is, essentially, floating atop vast pools of crude oil … but it got pushed to the back of […]

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Oh, and another great thing about living in Abu Dhabi? Nobody is talking about the NFL draft. If you haven’t picked up on this yet, the rest of the world doesn’t care about the NFL. Actually, I can’t think of anything that the U.S. cares about more … that the rest of the world cares […]

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I am not ashamed to concede: I love “Survivor” and have from Day 1 of Season 1. It is the only reality television show I watch … voluntarily.  And in 20 seasons going back some 10 years,  I doubt I’ve missed more than two or three episodes. Some have suggested the show is tired. Worn. […]

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In six months here, I recall seeing two dogs. Two. (Aside from maybe a half-dozen dogs I saw during a couple of visits to the boardwalk, which isn’t “real” Abu Dhabi. Being walked by their owners. All of whom were Westerners. Those don’t really count.) The two dogs I saw in regular-folks neighborhoods: –A white […]

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Ever been told that at, say, a restaurant by an acquaintance? It’s an old-fashioned way of saying, “I am paying for this” or “we are paying for this.” Get it? Your money is no good here. Like, it’s counterfeit. (Even though it appears to say “This bill is legal tender for all debts, public and […]

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This is getting weird. This ash cloud/flight ban thing. Here in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, nearly all flights go in one of two directions. East to India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia. Or north and west to Europe. The direction most westerners in this country would prefer to go. But have not been […]

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I’m on record with my sad decision that the Lakers won’t defend their NBA championship this year. They don’t beat Cleveland in the Finals. But these Lakers are shaky enough that their fans ought to be worried … right now. That is the Oklahoma City Thunder coming to town, and they have the league’s leading […]

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It was the sort of event that left me thinking, “Wow.” Did that really happen? In 2010 print journalism? An everyone-is-invited, Friday-night newsroom party at a posh new hotel at the nearby (new) world-class race track. Wait. It gets better. Major buffet spread. Lasagna, mini-burgers and fries, fish, samosas, chicken and noodles, hummus, baba ghanoush, […]

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