Movie review: Transformers

Went to see the new Transformers movie last night. I have to say, if I'd seen reviews (like these on Rotten Tomatoes) then I might not have bothered but we were looking for a 'boy movie' as my partner in crime was resolutely against seeing any rom-coms or chick flicks (spoil sport).

Oh how he regretted that decision when we stood up 2 hours and 40 minutes later with burst eardrums and very little storyline for discussion!

I'm not great with boy films, but - as one would expect from a Spielburg production - this was fairly good entertainment though lacking in content and substance. The eye candy was sadly amiss as well (though the girls were all really hot, as my friend went to great pains to point out!), but the amazing setting in Egypt/Jordan - the director never really seemed to figure out which - made a nice departure from the usual Western metropolis location.

About this time last year I went to see the very same pyramids at Giza, just outside of Cairo - they are simply stunning. So this film was quite nice to watch if only for a reminder of that. Possibly not the take-away that the director was looking for, but probably more positive than it would have been without the scenery.

Conclusion = if you're going to see it, do it at the cinema...but don't put yourself out if you're not a fan.

Got distracted...and missed blog's birthday

Continuing my trend of being approximately 48 hours late on all birthday, anniversary and miscellaneous event good wishes...A Bit Distracted was 3 years old on Saturday.

So three years ago I was resigning from the good ship B&B and planning to join Hotwire

Two years ago I was making the decision to move to Dubai after a holiday to visit Ellie earlier in the month

One year ago...I can't remember. Might dig out an old diary and take a look.

Dubai to host 2020 Olympics?

In a statement that falls just short of 'Sheikh Mohammed for President', local headlines today are all a flutter about Dubai's plans for 2020, hosting the Olympics, the Paralympics AND the World Expo. These events co-incide once every 20 years, and 2020 is apparently going to be Dubai's year.

You have to admire the ambition. Especially as this announcement comes as high profile executives continue to resign, the property market is on its knees and people are said to be leaving the city to avoid the rather extreme consequences of job loss and bankruptcy. The news is fairly comical these days, unless you're in it of course!

Living here, reading the news, talking to colleagues, clients and friends, it is very difficult to get a grip on what the actual situation is. Some say the boom is over, some say it's just a hitch and the emirate will be back to [a more grown up version of] its bling-tastic self by the time the summer is over. Some focus on the doom and gloom, but I am just planning to get through the summer and then resume the beach/sundowner/all-year-round-sunshine lifestyle that takes the edge off living somewhere so inherently stressful. My philosophy is that if I spend within my income and just enjoy all that is around me without getting swept up by the 'expat lifestyle', then inshallah I can't go to far wrong.

Clearly this isn't the attitude that wins one the 2020 Olympics. But that is an ambition I plan to watch with interest from the sidelines.

When communication works...

At the recent Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, Leo Burnett in Bahrain was rightly recognised for a very well executed campaign that promots the empowerment of women in Lebanon.

The Khede Kasra campaign shows how something simple - but very creative, clear and effective - can turn into a very powerful piece of agenda setting and opinion shaping communications.

It's the kind of campaign that makes this job worthwhile.

You've been Googled

Ego surfing.

Inspired by my friend's blog on the top 10 Google results for her name, I tried my own. I've been in PR for over 10 years now (...my soul is truly beyond rescue!) and have sent out a fair few press releases in my time. I'm also pretty active in social media circles through general interest and also trying to keep up to date for work purposes.

So I boarded my ego surfboard with confidence and Googled away.

Katy Ludditt comes up with:

1. This blog (which also came up on a media monitoring at work once - woo hoo, and slightly cringe-worthy!)
2. A posting from 2006 about shoes
3. My ZoomInfo profile - interesting because I've never been on ZoomInfo before now, this site collects info on you without your permission and from various sources. Slightly stalker-ish
4. Me on Facebook
5. My Blogger profile
6. Syndicated article from PR Week announcing my joining Hotwire in 2006
7. A Nominet (client) press release, also from 2006
8. Networking for pros - another aggregate site that has somehow linked me to Mohammed Aly Sergie, a friend made on arriving in Dubai who has now moved to Saudi (random!)
9. LogicaCMG press release from 2005
10. LogicaCMG press release from 2006

So it's all me, but a couple of these (3 & 8) are not created or in any way controlled by me - which is a slightly worrying thought.

I remember my brother commenting a couple of years ago that he Googled 'Ludditt' and found that me and my press releases dominated the first 10 pages of results. With the online bandwagon well and truly gathering speed, I went on to see whether the same was still true.

It isn't!

I don't even get a mention until page 4, where my 'Ludditt exits Band & Brown' article of fame is listed, closely followed by this blog. Gutted!

Strangely, of all the Ludditt's listed before me, I have only ever heard of one of them (Fred Ludditt - who I now discover has written a book called 'Campfire Sketches of the Cariboo'!). They're on Ancestry.com, bebo, Facebook, myspace, twitter and LinkedIn...possibly we're not such 'Luddite's' after all!

Learning to think - a short debate on education

It was a late night at the office yesterday - partly because I was dreading the thought of driving up Sheikh Zayed Road in a Nissan Tiida while my rather more robust Jeep was being fixed. Anyway, the radio debate on Dubai Eye was quite interesting so I focused on that as I drove along at hub cap level with the 4x4's and trucks zooming past me.

A panel was talking about education, and posed a rather interesting question: should children be taught to learn or taught to think?

I pondered this one and conclude that it is a very interesting question! We have all crammed for a test, pushing knowledge in through one ear for it to all fall out of the other as soon as the bell goes to say time's up. And I remember sitting hungover through university lectures, having information thrown at me with no idea whether it's going to stick, how useful it might be in later life, and for how long it's going to remain relevant and true.

That is teaching to learn, and all seems a bit short term considering the amount of time, energy and money invested in it.

Teaching to think on the other hand is getting kids to question the world around them. Teachers answer a question with, "what do you think?" or "why don't you look it up and tell me what you find out?". It's about encouraging kids to think for themselves, explore the world, question authority, even...excuse me and my ambitious ideas...read a newspaper and pick up a book or two.

My first thought was, kids would come out of school not knowing anything. But on consideration, who cares what they know, it's what they can do that counts! How much of what is taught in schools is actually directly used in daily working life? As one of the panel said, most of the time we're all making it up anyway...but what enables us to make it up is our knowledge of where to look for information, how to assimilate it, and how to use our experience and initiative to get the job done.

If schools can equip kids with this kind of skill set then they are welcome in any company I work in. The rest is down to training.

A bit of bite as well as bark

News has come through from Middle East neighbour, Bahrain, that one of the Arabic daily newspapers - Akhbar Al Khaleej - has been suspended "until further notice" for reasons relating to the country's press law. The suspension was issued minutes before today's paper went to press.

With speculation ongoing in the UAE about the nature and impact of our own media law, this is certainly an indication that governments in this region are willing to take action. The offence committed by Akhbar Al Khaleej remains undisclosed - and the rumour mill seems slow in gathering pace this morning - but it will be interesting to find out what has happened.

As one of my colleagues said on circulating the news: "this shows how Government laws on the media certainly have some bite along with their bark"

A spot of economics with your coffee?

I'm reading the Armchair Economist by Steven Landsburg...and loving it. For anyone that has studied Economics, or just has a healthy interest in the world and its workings, this is a brain-teasing piece of work.

One quote that I am left pondering over my coffee is this:

By the standards of economics, a policy that does nothing but encourage people to work harder and die wealthy is a bad policy.

...discuss.

Around the sheesha pipe today...

There are so many interesting things in the news at the moment that I barely know where to start. We have kidnappings in Yemen, truck convoys in limbo on the UAE/Saudi border, a daylight bank robbery in Sharjah...and the fact I haven't had chance to chat about all of these things serves me right really for not blogging more often.

Anyway, I have selected two Dubai news highlights that caught my attention to give you a taste for what is being discussed around the sheesha pipe today:

Commonwealth Office tells Brits to cover up and behave themselves

Quite right! I really cringe to see holidaymakers (at least I hope that's what they are) from all over the world wearing clothes that would make your eyes water on Oxford Street, never mind in a Muslim country. Do these people even read a guidebook, or do they just buy 'sun, sea and sand' whilst conveniently forgetting that there is a culture, a religion and a different law to consider?

Gulf News made this into a picture story - not a bad idea for all the ignorant Brits that can't be bothered to read. I particularly like the picture that say's holding hands in public is allowed (advice that should be treated in caution for those that aren't married)...although my take away from this is that women of certain shapes and sizes probably shouldn't be wearing a string bikini!

Paris Hilton says 'Dubai is hot' (doh!)

I wouldn't normally dedicate brain cells to this celebutante but the fact that she has even been allowed into the country is quite intreguing. The authorities must be blinded to her pole dancing, champagne lifestyle by big flashing dirham signs. I'm sure the malls are all opening their doors with enthusiasm, but I watch with interest for how those same authorities view (or choose to ignore) the lines that she will inevitably step over.

So far reports are that Paris is being v-e-r-y careful, wearing traditional Arabic jewellery, practicing local greetings and complimenting the beauty of the country. But take it from a seasoned PR girl, you can polish it and you can roll it in glitter but, at the end of the day, it is what it is!

Abu Dhabi sets up media courts

Today's news...

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judiciary Department HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued yesterday an ordinance setting up public prosecution and circuit courts to try media related cases in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Article No.1 of the ordinance stipulated the establishment of a public prosecution to handle and conduct investigation of media related cases in the emirate and to refer them to competent courts. The same article also stipulated the establishment of circuit courts to hear these cases and pass verdicts. The ordinance assigned the Judicial council to issue decisions and bye-laws to execute it. The ordinance took effect from the day of its issuance and will be published in the official gazette. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

I'm no legal eagle, and would really appreciate someone telling me what this means. Based on earlier posts about the very controversial revamped media law that is in process of being finalised, I can see the pros (it being taken out of criminal courts) and cons (it sounds pretty serious) of a specialist court.

Coverage of this has been limited pretty much to the above so far, issued from the Government news agency.

One thought that does strike me (...as, y'know, I'm never knowing short of an opinion!) is that if they are going to all this trouble for the media industry then maybe the Government should consider its application to other industries that cause it far more embarrassment and headache. Given the trouble that the property industry has landed itself, its customers, its partners, suppliers and the authorities in...I would look at that as the first contender for special treatment.

A spot of vehicle psychology

Here is the result of an in-depth survey carried out by yours truly over the 20,650 km that I have driven to date on Dubai's roads.

Drivers of Toyota FJ Cruisers are officially the worst drivers in the world. Ever.

On the road back to Dubai from Abu Dhabi today, I put some idle brain power towards a reason for this result (which I am sure will be influencing road safety policy and vehicle safety design from now onwards).



The issue is that people who buy TFJC's do not have enough respect for the power and solidness of a proper 4x4, and buy this lesser version because they don't have the dedication to go the whole hog and get a Jeep or a Land Rover. They kind of look like a Hummer, but without the balls.



On the other hand, it's not really a car. It's kind of a chubby version of a car - the overweight bully from school. And that's the way it acts on the road, pushing other drivers out of the way and charging across lanes like a bull in a china shop.

Sugar for Tzar

Sir (or should I say Lord?) Sugar has sparked off a whole new controversy.

According to an article on the BBC, he is weighing up the post of Enterprise Tzar for the British Government, against continuing with BBC's The Apprentice.

Tough choice? I'd say not. Although I don't agree that he says this is not a political move...and am really hoping it's not a publicity stunt (although hats off to his PR consultant if it is). Anyone that works as an advisor to the government has to have a vested interest in seeing their role through to success, which would mean success for the government too and therefore be to their benefit. If you're a staunch Conservative (or BNP, given they're the only ones that give two hoots about elections these days), you wouldn't dream of such a thing.

However that's not my point here.

My point is that it is the BBC that is asking him to decide between the (long running) Apprentice series and this new gig as Tzar to Gordon Brown. Doesn't that strike you as odd? Surely if anything the Government should say that he must reconsider whether it is appropriate in his new position to keep firing people so very publicly. Maybe he could offer offer them some training instead.

Forever, or at least a few months...

Have you ever read trendwatching? It's a monthly update that is sometimes really useful for sparking bright ideas. Well, it works for me occassionally anyway.

June's focus is all about 'foreverism', the concept that behind our hunger for the now there is also a longing for conversation, relationships (see how I said that without stuttering - my, how I've grown!) and products that are made to last. It's a nice thought but I'm not wholly onboard with the logic, purly because forever doesn't seem to mean as long as it did for previous generations.

Trendwatching cites the likes of Facebook and MySpace as places that people go to forge relationships and put up a profile of themselves that evolves, endures and represents them through their lifetime. I'd like to find out how many of these profiles are abandoned in the first month, six months or year of being established. Personally, I use Facebook daily because it keeps me close to home and is a stress-free way of hanging together all the friendships that I value around the world.

But another example is LinkedIn. I started to use LinkedIn about five years ago when it first started up...but stopped soon after because it didn't 'do' anything. I randomly picked it up again about six months ago (after emailing off for help on my password and user ID) to find a backlog of link requests and some interesting (though by then out dated) job offers! Twitter and Yammer I jump on and off as and when I feel like it, and my blog - which languished for a year when I moved out to Dubai - is testimony to my wavering attention span. As for Friends Reunited and many others that have gone by the wayside, well the fact it's just taken me ten minutes to remember the name says it all.

So I wonder if there is actually a trend these days to things that are not so temporary, disposable and lack in depth as people seek out products, relationships and sources with more substance. I can believe the theory, especially in times that hold uncertainty for many people. The thought of a constant in life, something or someone reliable is very appealing when the economy goes south for whatever reason. But bandwagons will still be bandwagons, and we all love to jump on one!