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This is the TRUE masterpiece....

Trip Report - Who am I kidding. After the masterpiece from @Frederic I can just add the trip from my point of view. So whatever you plan will never work out for you, Thursday was that kind of a second half for me. Thought of sleeping early, but ended up working till about 8:30 pm, which meant the couple of errands to run on the way home turns out I reached 10:30 pm which was already way past my bed time in my mind. Preparations for the trip and ended up going to bed around 11:30 pm, however the mind plays crazy games and ended up getting up after 15 minutes to add a couple of things to my goodie basket. Went back to bed, kept and alarm for 2:30 am and told my daughter to wake me up at 2:30 am as well. I felt I was unable to go to sleep until my daughter actually had to come and wake me up with the alarm going off as timed. Does this mean I was sleeping and dreaming that I was not able to sleep. Oh well. Got up and with quick last minute preparations and checks left home with a suitcase full, I was headed to Liwa. On the way I stopped over to pick our beloved @Asif Hussain bhai who had a surprise for me in a heap of wood to burn that night. Stocked it up and on they way to Liwa stopped at a truck parking to offer the early morning Fajr prayers. It was chilly cold and as we drove we knew we would be the last people to check-in at the meeting point, but we bravely drove on as the Sun came out through the clouds giving us a glimpse of what was going to be an awesome day out. Surely we could have been wrapped in our blankets at home cuddled to our loved ones but the love of Liwa had us smelling adventure on the corner. As we rolled in to the Petrol Station it was evident we had lost some time, but with the better part of the day still at hand we did one last check and headed out to the track which would lead us to some dunes we could not even have imagined in our wildest dreams. After deflation and a quick brief as to what to expect and the plan for the day, we set ourselves on our way to the first part of the trip which was in search of a Yellow Truck. This Yellow truck had been abandoned way back before we were born to entice us to do this side of Liwa, which was a first for me. Such is the charm of Liwa that we had a couple of detours to check the best wall to do a sidey, or the best ever bowl to play in. With all the detours and fun the Yellow Truck dawned on us, our first reaction was it was not even Yellow. But as we came closer we realised that the front of the truck was infact yellow, but eyes can play strange tricks on you in the desert. After having fun around and on top of the Yellow Truck with lots of pics to add it to our memory lane, we ended up with the discussion on whether or not to leave our mark on the truck. After much delibration it was decided to slap the Carnity stickers on, and with the tools and equipment coutesy of @Srikumar and the talent of @Frederic we had the stickers on and looking good. As we decided to head on to find a good play area the lead was surrendered by @Gaurav and @Emmanuel to @Srikumar who set off following the path of the sun to our play area. Soon we found ourselves in the Walt Disney of dunes, one play strip after another, we would want to rush to the other roller coaster as soon as we were off the one we rode before. There was a proper dune buffet and we had an offer of eat all you can before the sun goes down. Some of these looked scary and even more scary for me as I was the fifth car out of five. I saw the first 4 manage it with ease and was always scared that it would be too churned up for me being the last. However Liwa seemed to be in the mood of giving and never let me down, it allowed me to do it with the same ease as everybody else. The were a few scary moments, but just being able to come out of that scary moment without a scratch felt like an achievement. Very proud of the whole team, as we discussed I was not the only one with my heart in my mouth. All the Liwa trips I have done so far were with tall dunes which were not the easy to handle and had some medium dunes with a lot of technical dunes which were difficult to negotiate through, this side of Liwa was a totally different kind of fun with tall dunes which seemed easy to do even for 5 cars with all the play time in the world. Was it because of the weather or was it due to the lack of traffic in this area or maybe a combination of both. With reluctance @Srikumar handed the lead to @Frederic and it seemed like he was long awaiting the opportunity as he totally enjoyed leading in the area playing from one dune to another with the utmost of ease. It was about time for the sun to disappear which was a hint for us to find our own shelter for the night. Our first priority was to find the track that would lead us out. As soon as the track was found and the right path was decided on we were off as close to the road as we could. We decided to head in to the dunes to play along side the track and we headed close to the road, at this point @Emmanuel and @Asif Hussain bhai had to leave us, they took the track and we soon heard from them as they reached the road before the sun could go down. With @Frederic in lead, @Gaurav, @Srikumar and I decided to play around the track till the sun went down. The terrain was amazing and offered a lot to play on, and we took full advantage of every little inch of natural light we could use. As the sun settled for the day and the lights started diminishing we headed back to the track and close to the road. About 4 Kms in we found a nice spot but wanted something a bit better. This even saw us in a very tight spot, but as a team we managed it well and marched on. There was a facility close by and we just wanted to make sure that it was not a military base or anything which would cause any problems. After we discovered that the pace was just an abandoned factory of some sort we headed back in and found a spot which would best suit our purpose for the night. With us settled in and the bonfire started we sat around and discussed about the day, the week, the month, the year and everything that came to our heads. Although it seemed soon for us but close to midnight we retired to our sleeping bags and thanks to @Gaurav bhai's roaring engine which woke me up at the introduction of another day. After freshening up and enjoying a nice quiet breakfast with the best coffee ever we packed up and headed out, after a quick inflation we were on our way back to join our families. We had around 3 - 4 stops, once to refuel the cars, one to refuel ourselves and a quick visit to the Rainbow Sheikh's car museum. All in all the trip was one which was long awaited and what made the trip worth it was the like minded people who come out to enjoy the vast desert. Feeling really blessed to have the company of some wonderful people and looking forward to developing more friends on this journey with Carnity.com

Hi @Emmanuel understood. Thanks for letting me know. I hope someonelese can take me onboard.

Nicholas Sparks As soon as a drive got posted that carried the name Liwa, I knew that there was no way back. And as soon as the signups starting rolling in with the big names of the Carnity Off-road world, i was determined to drive even for days to be a part of it. Going to bed early the night before and forcing myself to get some sleep was difficult, as I kept mentally going through my list of items to take with me in the car. My plan was to leave early, having sufficient time to stop for coffeebreaks and power naps if needed. I arrived around 06:00 at the petrol station and soon saw two gentlemen @Srikumar and @Gauravwith steamy windows rolling in. What caused the steamy windows will forever remain a mystery in the Carnity books 🤣 Soon we were joined by @Emmanuel, @Rahimdad and @Asif Hussain while the sun slowly started to rise. We headed off the nearby track and deflated, hungry for the dunes that we noticed on the horizon. @Asif Hussain carefully created a route beforehand and showed up with enough equipment to make the latest Fast and Furious movie. A few hours into the drive I became more and more amazed by the shape and formation of the dunes that were presented to us. They looked creamy, wavy, irresistible, and extremely scary at some times. When @Gaurav announced that he would do a sidey on a Dune that rightfully scared the living hell out of me from just seeing it, I knew that there was no way back and that my little blue’one would have to unleash all its ponies and more to make it in this terrain. Which it did. We all had our chance to lead, and seeing @Srikumar his smile and his reluctance to hand over his lead, brought to my mind that this little playground would be in our hearts forever. After having reached the track that leads to the road, we said goodbye to our friends Emmanuel and Asif, while the rest of us starting looking for a nice camping spot. Finding that nice spot came with its challenges: it was getting pitch dark, we were all getting tired, and soon we found ourselves in a serious tricky spot. We eventually found a nice area near the track and settled down to set up camp. Our buddy @Srikumar that we can thank for bringing the massive amount of nice firewood, left very early in the morning. I heard the double crank and him driving off but my body was still in lockdown mode. The drive back home in the morning in the presence of @Gaurav and @Rahimdad was a true blessing, to see two friends and soulmates being so in tune with each other. We stopped over at the AD car museum for a snapshot of the big Jeep and headed home tired but extremely happy. Happy that we were able to spend time with likeminded souls that understand each other without words, and happy that we all made it home safely, except for the radio rollover incident 🤣. And there we have it: the first Liwa drive of 2020, that was an unforgettable experience for me and i encourage every off-roader to put this on the top of their To-Do list. Don’t do it for the massive dunes or the lack of cellphone reception, but do it for spending time with an exceptional group of people that will get you to do things you’ve never could have imagined.

One of the basic requirement to go off road is to equip with 2 way walkie talkie. in general, all off roaders are using a handheld radio to communicate during the drives. I think this handheld walkie talkies are quite distracting when we do off road driving. Whenever we want to talk we need to take one hand off the wheel, pick up the radio press the button get it closer to your mouth and talk. After the conversation we need to make sure the radio is held somewhere securely. Also this radio can be cannon ball to your face if it is not secured properly. So I feel this is quite inefficient and unsafe as well. Does anyone have solution or idea to use the radio with minimal distraction? Preferably like hands free.

First of all I disagree it's a basic requirement, anyway that's a whole other story Why not just follow the rules of aviation Aviate, navigate and communicate. Communication being the last priority. So modify it to your own situation. Driving the car and being safe takes first priority. If you are doing a climb or tackling a sidey and you get a radio call. What ever it is. It isn't that important that you have to respond immediately even if that means putting yourself in danger and even risking harm to yourself and others. Concentrate on the task ahead, finish it and only when it's safe to do so. Respond to the radio. I know most people think when they get a telephone call ( Or in this case radio call )it has to be answered immediately. Regardless of what situation you are in whether you are sleeping or trying to navigate a tricky roundabout in heavy traffic as if God himself is calling and you cannot risk his wrath

Thanks Richard. Very kind of you. If you don't mind I will confirm on Thursday, after I see how I feel after the procedure. Should be fine (or so they told me 😅).

Congratulations @Joe Biju Joseph

Hi @Ale Vallecchi! I have a personal rule that many people find a bit strange : no passenger when leading a convoy. That said, I’m sure that one of the drivers will have a seat for you on Friday and I will be happy to have you as a passenger another time, when I will not be leading.

Noted with thanks

Hi Emmanuel, Just a quick clarification - is the start point for this drive next to the finsih point of the Newbie drive? Question is if we can do both a Newbie and a Fewbie on the same day or not. Thanks in advance.

Sure send me a message on [Deleted], ill delete my number as soon as you message....

can we chat on Whatsup if possible

Maybe i can help, i'm not in the desktop/end user field but i have some knowledge. What do you need advice on?

Yes for people who have complete access.

If anyone interested in racing then ford versus Ferrari is a good movie about me mans race 1966. there is also a documentary of the same race in Netflix ford versus Ferrari wars which is also interesting. this then led me to see Le Mans 1971 - Steve McQueen movie which was a flop at the time. But I found it interesting. this then led me to watch the documentary about making of Le Mans 1971- the man and Le Mans, on the tribulations during the making of the movie. all in all good few hours spent glued to cinema screen and tv screens😁

I rem watching this to know that Ford was a bigger shark thna Ferrari back in those days in racing arena, pretty shocking though as initially I was puzzeld to see what match Ferrari has with Ford.

For hip hop and reggae fans, Wu-Tang Clan, Talib Kweli, Protoje & Koffee are in the house this week-end.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa Obesity in the Middle East and North Africa Read in another language Watch this page Edit Obesity in North Africa and the Middle Eastis a notable health issue. In 2005, the World Health Organization measured that 1.6 billion people were overweight and 400 million were obese. It estimates that by the year 2015, 2.3 billion people will be overweight and 700 million will be obese.[1] The Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula, Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey and Iran, and North Africa, are no exception to the worldwide increase in obesity. Subsequently, some call this trend the New World Syndrome.[2] The lifestyle changes associated with the discovery of oil and the subsequent increase in wealth is one contributing factor. Urbanization has occurred rapidly and has been accompanied by new technologies that promote sedentary lifestyles.[3] Due to accessibility of private cars, television, and household appliances, the population as a whole is engaging in less physical activity. The rise in caloric and fat intake in a region where exercise is not a defining part of the culture has added to the overall increased percentages of overweight and obese populations.[4] In addition, women are more likely to be overweight or obese due to cultural norms and perceptions of appropriate female behavior and occupations inside and outside of the home.[5]

Well to support 30% obese why penalize 70% non-obese? Obesity is more a medical condition and little of self control. They should look into making obesity medicines, therapies and yoga classes for free or discounted rate than making a blanket rule IMHO. Next will be - All gluten based product will get tax means everything on shelf will be expensive. This is not like cigarette and alcohol - that it will impact only smokers or regular drinkers.

That’s an attempt to battle the skyrocketing obesity and diabetes numbers in the Middle East. Full support from my side.

I heard something about 100% tax on alcohol coming to Dubai. Don’t know if it’s true but if it is I guess I’ll just have to start making my own moonshine.

Mr. KnowItAll 😅

I am pretty capable with basic setup work, but I need some legitimate luthier to help with things like the restoration of an old guitar, refretting, etc. I'm still looking around, and I'll drop the details of someone if I find them!

Just watched The Dirt. It’s a documentary about motley crue player by actors. Just released on Netflix yesterday. I’m not a massive motley crue fan but I like some of their songs. Very entertaining to watch, totally recommend it for any music fan. I thought some of the things I did when I was playing in bands was rock n roll but these guys took it to another level. Fun fact: did you know Metallica lost their first recording contract to an unknown band called motley Crue? I bet the scout is still kicking his own ass until this day, especially after his girlfriend did...., watch the movie, you’ll see.

I like motley crue. Never been a huge fan but I like them. The Dirt was just released on Netflix yesterday. One of the most entertaining things I’ve seen in a long time. Way more fun than Bohemian Rhapsody but I know it won’t get the same publicity. If you get a chance, watch it. Since watching, I’ve downloaded all their albums and I’m tripping on them. Good band. Just got whitewashed because of the whole hair metal thing. Fun fact. Metallica were originally meant to be signed to elektra records. They decided to sign motley crue instead. Ok deal but someone missed out there.

Satin black finish with black pick guard Locking nut Floyd Rose tremolo Alder body Ebony fretboard with shark inlays EMG 81 active pickup on bridge Custom EMG 89 active pickup on neck Jumbo frets 25.5” scale Pearl binding on neck and headstock Real special edition guitar. One of only 50 pieces, never to be manufactured again. Originally commissioned by the guitar god Randy Rhoads. Proper collectors item, the value of this guitar will only go up. This guitar has been kept in storage and is in as new condition. Also comes with custom Ritter gig bag with shoulder and backpack straps. Price is 3,500 dhs. Negotiable. Will also consider trades. I will throw in a brand new set of Dunlop straploks. Will also offer 3 hours of guitar lessons for the lucky new owner.

Final price drop 3,200 dhs

Crazy, but that’s how it goes, millions of people, living as foes 🎶 It’s not a V, it’s a custom shape designed by Randy. The guitar is probably worth more than I have advertised it for, just check out the hardware, it’s hardcore. I’d love to keep it but I want to buy a ESP Snakebyte and have some spare cash to modify it

Shouldn't be a Randy Rhoads Custom jackson flying V one of 50 be worth a lot more than 3500?? Ah I can already hear the opening riff of Crazy Train in my head now!

But Still Interesting List to see

Gone Girl Seven Nocturnal Animals Side Effects Looper True Story Annihilation The Road John Wick the equalizer Gangs of New York American Hustle Gerard's Game Oldboy Happy The taking of Pelham 123 Town Savages Small Crimes Lone Survivor Shooter Zero dark thirty Black hawk down Defiance 13 Hours The punisher (The series, not the movie) the sinner Ozark the hurt locker Pulp fiction Mercury Rising

Thriller, Action and Sci Fi

Given the demographics on this site, I'm surprised none have mentioned 'Black Mirror' as a recommended series. Interesting takes on technology and its effects on social issues. If you have short attention span (aka no time to invest in a long series) and is interested in the dark side of technology, I would recommend this as each episodes are stand alone/anthology (or are they?).

Also his nose is also exactly like Freddie's. Probably thats what gives him that same resonance and timbre

It’s a good movie if you like queen but aren’t a die hard fan otherwise you’ll spot the holes. Entertaining though. Rami is a fantastic actor. Ive seen Marc Martel on my recommended feed a few times. He’s got the voice down. His jaw is scarily Freddie looking too.

Most of the series I listed are in Netflix. What genre would you like to watch? I could recommend something based on genre

Can some one help me with list of titles to watch in Netflix

I officially hand my title of grumpy old man to you for life. Congratulations

Seen both versions of the bohemian rhapsody. Don’t waste your time with the censored cinema version, just stream it. Rami Malik was awesome as Freddy. But don’t expect it to be a Freddy movie, it’s the story of queen up until the live aid concert. As a queen fan, I’m a bit disappointed. I have all the albums. I’ve read all the books. A lot of the movie is exaggerated for the sake of cinematography. Don’t believe everything you see when you watch this movie. The story is cut off after the live aid concert. Its worth a watch for entertainments sake. Real queen fans will be able to pick the holes in the story though.

This Saudi plate number car scamming is very old one and I'm surprised as it's still continuing, wow. The first time they approached me in white Lexus LS400 (Saudi plate) sometime in 2012 and said they have no money for food, I asked him to come with me to an adjacent supermarket and buy whatever he wants and he runs away - proven fake. After that spotted Arabic lady in an abaya, talking very softly in Arabic and then switching to English to convey the message that she needs money for food. The most dangerous scam and not begging like above is the buying cars with dud cheques by playing it a weekend or my card got blocked bla bla and guy comes in an expensive car like Range or Bentley and issues the company dead cheque for the major amount and little in cash. I think this off lately very well captured by RTA and Dubai Police that they can roll back car ownership in the system in case of fraud within three days - I think. On the other hand, people selling useless pens and perfume, I do buy them for 10-20 dhs and give their pens back as at least he is making an effort of selling or doing something rather than scamming people. And smile you see on those faces are really genuine and comforting that you have done some good deed for a needy person.

I fell for this begging stunt the first time. They used to say they have no money for food or for petrol. The next time I got wise and told such people that come with me to a restaurant and I would pay for the food. They would just roll up the windows or walk away.

Watched A Quiet Place. Pretty alright movie better than all the 2018 movies I was expecting to be awesome, Black Panther, Pacific Rim 2 come on now, how can you not make a good movie about giant robots and godzilla sized monsters! First one was epic!

I watched a pink floyd documentary a while back. It showed how they made the song “money”. Hours and hours of cutting and pasting tape and looping and relooping it. You can do that now in 5 minutes on a pc. Really puts it into perspective the amount of work that went into older music and makes you appreciate it more.

Looking forward to this one coming out. Been a massive Queen fan since I was old enough to select the tape and put it in the hifi system myself. Remember tapes? Rami Malek is the man for the job. Was originally supposed to be Sacha Baron Cohen but he tried to make too many changes to the movie.

You should really invest your time on the following shows: 1. Legion. A proper mind twister. Beautifully directed 2. Dark. Absolutely gripping

LOL reminds me of the good old days, when Al Nasr cinema was one of the few cinemas showing new English films and ticket was only 9dhs. Right on the entrance was Al Nasr Cinema Cafeteria. We used to buy a big bag of chips, as chips were sold inside the cinema and then buy sandwiches and burgers, empty out the chips and stuff our loot into the big chips bag and walk right in, and if anyone asked we would tell them we just bought them from inside

Smuggle your own food and water in a backpack or your GF's handbag..No need to buy expensive food at the cinemas It works for me.. 😎

The 32” thing was a joke. I’m stuck in a partition now and that’s the biggest screen I can fit at the end of my bed. Actively looking for a studio apartment now so hopefully we can get a bigger screen and some proper speakers.

I read the reviews of black panther and they were enough for me not to want to watch it. last movie I saw in the cinema was a quiet place. Good movie, 7.5/10 but I swore that was the last time I would ever watch a movie in the cinema. The people sitting next to us talked and talked to the point where I had enough and turned round to them and said shut the f up, if you want to talk go outside and do it. There is zero cinema etiquette here. And the food is expensive a f. 30 dhs for unbaked nachos? I'd rather watch at home on my massive 32 inch screen and enjoy my home made ice cream.