On Ecuadorian beer and women...yeah. But then I read this: Stay safe There's been a high increase of crime in Guayaquil in 2009, especially violent crime. Guayaquil is well-known as Ecuador's most dangerous and violent city. Always remain aware of your surroundings. Don't pay attention to anyone trying to speak to you on the streets, not even to wealthy-looking people or beggars. Avoid walking alone around the downtown area at night, especially off Avenue 9 de Octubre or well-lit areas. Don't flash money or valuable things in public. Never walk in suspicious areas. Guayaquil is especially dangerous at night, so avoid walking on streets at night. Attacks have been reported where someone will distract the target so that the attacker can put a choke hold on the victim from behind and make the victim pass out in order to easily rob the person. It is better to radio taxis instead of hailing one off the street, as there has been many cases of robberies involving taxi cabs in the last year. It is better to avoid wearing jewelry that is expensive or appears to be of high quality. Be aware in Plaza Centenario, especially when it is very crowded. The only relative safe areas in downtown Guayaquil are Avenue 9 de Octubre, Malecón 2000, Malecón del Salado, Las Peñas, and Plaza de la Administración. Don't ever cross any other street unless you know where you are. The inside of Malecón 2000 is safe during the day and night. There are tons of security guards hanging around during the day. The only drinkable water is bottled water. And this: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/13cc53/184765/8/?o=2 Warden Message Taxi Kidnappings and Crime in Coastal Ecuador June 11, 2010 The U.S. Embassy in Quito and U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil wish to remind U.S. citizens traveling to and living in coastal Ecuador of ongoing safety and security concerns related to taxi kidnappings in the cities of Guayaquil and Manta. The U.S. Government continues to receive an alarming number of reports of U.S. citizens who are kidnapped and robbed in taxis in Guayaquil and Manta, incidents known locally as "secuestro express," or "express kidnappings." Taxi kidnappings have also been reported in Machala, Playas, and other coastal towns. Typically, U.S. citizen travelers become victims of "secuestro express" after hailing a taxi cab on the street. Shortly after entering a taxi, the vehicle is intercepted by armed accomplices of the taxi driver, who is normally complicit with the crime. The accomplices enter the vehicle, threaten passengers with weapons (typically guns and/or knives), rob passengers of their personal belongings, and then drive to various ATMs to withdraw money using the victims' debit cards. In some instances, victims of "secuestro express" have faced physical violence and/or have been sexually assaulted. "Express kidnappings" have occurred even in the more affluent areas of Guayaquil, and target both local citizens and international visitors. Incidents involving U.S. citizens are most frequently reported at the north end of the Malecón 2000 near Las Peñas, outside of the San Marino Mall, and in the Urdesa restaurant/bar district, but have been reported in all areas of the city. Due to the seriousness of this crime, all personnel working for the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Guayaquil have been prohibited from riding in taxis hailed off the street, even yellow taxis. Yellow taxis, local buses, and other forms of public transportation are expressly off-limits to U.S. diplomatic personnel in Guayaquil. As an alternative, employees have been told to use their personal vehicles, or to call one of the vetted taxi services available on the U.S. Consulate General's website: http://guayaquil.usconsulate.gov It is vital that U.S. citizens understand the risks associated with using taxis in Guayaquil, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and who to contact if one becomes a victim of crime. U.S. citizens are urged not to hail taxis on the street, and to exercise caution when selecting a taxi in all areas of Guayaquil, regardless of location and/or time of day. We strongly encourage U.S. citizens in the Guayaquil area to use only vetted, radio-dispatched taxis, such as those listed on the U.S. Consulate General's website. If you find yourself involved in a taxi kidnapping and/or robbery, it is best to be non-confrontational and cooperate with the perpetrator. Nothing material is as valuable as your life. Following a criminal incident, U.S. citizens are encouraged to file a "denuncia," or "police report," with the local police and to inform the American Citizens Services Office at the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil. ------------- I think I am going to scratch taking a taxi to downtown. Might just head to the Hooters in the mall across the street and plan my next steps there.
I don't dispute anything you bolded from the wiki article. But, I think there's still a gap you have to cross between "Islam provides a framework to rationalize violence" and "Islam is, in itself, a violent religion." The first results from an intersection of religion, sociology and geopolitics, while the latter is a simple indictment of the religion itself. In a different set of circumstances, other religions could be used to rationalize violence. Christianity has been used in this way, and at times has generated a troublesome amount of violence. At the moment, it isn't so troublesome, which does a good deal to show that the religion in isolation isn't hopelessly violent. The same could be said for Atheist movements, and other religions throughout history. Meanwhile, there is also an Islam right now -- besides the one that generates terrorism -- that does not produce terrorism. So, there is something besides the simple religion that produces the terrorism. So, even a very strong correlation in this decade isn't enough to justify putting all the blame at Islam's feet. I think of it more in terms of hegemonic struggle -- historically-marginalized societies rising rapidly in power relative to others, working and fighting to establish a new equilibrium in the world. Germany went through the same thing in the 19th-20th century when they were making war (not trying to take a pot-shot; but they're a good recent example).
Here you go. You can apply for both the Citi Amex and Citi Visa card. 150,000 total American Airlines miles...enough for 6 one-way flights to Asia.
I like the way this thread has turned . As to frequent flyer tips and tips for maximizing all this stuff, maybe I should open a new thread...I know a thing or two about these things.
That's my card of choice too. At one point, I was up to nearly 200K in SPG points. Sadly, I've used them all over the past year and a half.
I've become oddly fascinated/obsessed with airline miles, hotel points, etc. ever since I started working 3 years ago. I think starting a thread like that would be great. :grin:
I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and bolded the part of your excerpt that I found interesting as well. It's almost as though there's an alternative subversive ideology within the realm of fundamentalist Islam that is being exploited for political means, but doesn't find any realistic foundation in Islam itself. Veeeeerrrrryyyy straaaaange. Also, Bernard Lewis is a Jew! Veeeeerrryyyy straaaange indeed...
I love how this thread about 35 innocent people who where murdered at the hands of terrorists got turned into a discussion about frequent flyer miles....
I don't mind at all. I copied and pasted the whole paragraph on purpose, not only the negative parts.
Yes, I understand and it was not my intention to imply you had an agenda with that quote. You are right, Muslims have carried out the vast majority of suicide attacks for some time now, but I strongly question the presumption that many people have that it is theologically supported/encouraged on a religious level that is not driven by political, radical Islamist agenda. Note that I make a difference between radical Islamist and Muslim. In my belief, the suicide attack is a bit of an exercise of the "shock and awe" strategy. When you order out a suicide attack, you show the world that these people are so convicted in their beliefs and cause, that they're willing to kill themselves (and others) for it. Unfortunately, it works, probably because suicide bombing IS a shocking thing, and suicide bombings usually draw some of the strongest reactions out of a lot of people. It's almost the "canary in the cage" if you will, in that it shows the terrorism-disease has infiltrated your safety zone. Shootings, as unfortunate and terrible as they are, can happen anywhere and usually do not represent globalized radicalism. Suicide bombings have become almost synonymous with radical Islam, however. It gets to a point where people are unable to see any difference or gap in logic in the association of suicide bombings and the ideology that supposedly acts as its ideological vessel; frankly, many people don't want to see that gap because it's simply easier to paint the picture black and white. As others have mentioned, we should probably wait it out to see who the perpetrators are before slinging poo at the wall. I read a report in my class today about how the count was up to 35 dead and 152 wounded. This is absolutely terrible for the Russian people and for those dead victims and their families. As Slandballa mentioned, this is going to be terrible for Central Asian or Caucasian immigrants in Russia as well, as I'm sure tensions will rise amongst extremist, racially charged Russian groups. R.I.P to all of those who are dead, and I hope those who are wounded will recover.
Whoo, more reasons for people to call me a terrorist and make suicide bombing jokes about me. As if there weren't already enough. My best wishes to all the victims' families.
