The Dubai Fountain is the world’s tallest performing fountain. Located in Downtown Dubai, at the base of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, the fountain is over 900 feet in length (which is equivalent to over two soccer fields) and located on the thirty-acre Burj Lake. The fountain has a unique design consisting of five circles of varying sizes and two arcs, and features powerful nozzles that shoot water up to truly fantastic heights. With over 6,600 WET Superlights and twenty-five color projectors, the fountain has a visual spectrum of over 1,000 different “water expressions,” and fifty color projectors provide a full spectrum of color with a total output of 1.5 million lumens! The fountain shows are set to different songs and include everything from classical to contemporary Arabic to world music. (The one set to Michael Jackson’s Thriller is particularly memorable!) During the shows, the fountain can have over 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any given moment. Stay dry!
The Dubai Fountain Show
Bloomberg: “These Countries Are the Best in the World at Attracting Talent”
For the fifth year in a row, Switzerland lands the top spot on the World Talent Ranking, a report published by IMD Business School. This is based on the country’s ability to consistently and effectively develop, attract, and retain talent. The study consists of surveying over six thousand executives in sixty-three economies and the results are measured by various factors including investment/development on education, the country’s appeal to foreign workers (to include quality of life, taxes, and cost of living), and its ability to create new job opportunities. For some countries, especially in Asia and Latin America, missing one or two of these factors is enough to bump them off the top ranks, making countries like Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands vie for the top spots.
Read moreCNN: “US authorities fire tear gas to disperse migrants at border”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) closed the San Ysidro Port of Entry, one of the world's busiest international crossings, to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for several hours on Sunday afternoon after a protest by migrants on the Mexican side of the border. After some migrants reportedly rushed toward the border area, US Border Patrol agents fired tear gas at the group. Video and photos of families and young children running from the tear gas sparked international outrage by immigration advocates and politicians. Citing migrants throwing “projectiles” at agents, CBP says on Twitter: "Border Patrol agents deployed tear gas to dispel the group because of the risk to agents' safety."
Read moreRepair the Faults
Tower Bridge
During my trip to London this week, I got an up close and personal look at the iconic Tower Bridge on a foggy and rather moody night. Built over 120 years ago, it is an engineering marvel and I never get tired of seeing it, especially with the new lighting system installed for the 2012 Olympic Games. Across the water is the Tower of London, the famous prison (residents included Anne Boleyn and Guy Fawkes) and site of numerous executions by hanging, beheading, and being burned at the stake. On a less gruesome note, visitors to the bridge can experience spectacular panoramic views as well as take a look inside the Victorian engine rooms to see the steam engines that once powered the bridge lifts. The City of London is required to raise the bridge to “provide access to and egress from the Upper Pool of London for registered vessels with a mast or superstructure of 30 feet or more.” This service is free of charge and available with twenty-four hours notice any time, day or night, 365 days per year. Which is good to know. Just in case I find myself on the Thames with a thirty-foot superstructure. Which, come to think of it, might be a good way to spend Thanksgiving. But however you celebrate, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and long weekend!
The Cato Institute: “Immigration Application Denial Rates Jump 37% Under Trump”
According to new data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), denials for numerous immigration applications and petitions have significantly increased over the past fiscal year. In the first nine months of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, denials for numerous immigration benefits have increased 37% since FY 2016.
Read moreUSCIS to Continue Implementing New Policy Memorandum on Notices to Appear
US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced they are continuing to implement the June 28, 2018, Policy Memorandum, “Updated Guidance for the Referral of Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens.” Effective November 19, 2018, USCIS may issue NTAs based on denials of the following:
Read moreAm I Welcome?
Full Steam Ahead
Artist Arlene Shechet has created a new site-specific installation at Madison Square Park featuring a series of new sculptures in porcelain, wood, steel, and cast iron installed around and within the emptied circular reflecting pool. Initially inspired by memories of a sunken living room in her grandparents’ apartment, Shechet wants visitors to step down into the reflecting pool to “linger and reflect.” In her sculptures for the installation, she uses forms that reflect her interest in historical decorative arts and references flora and fauna, including a lion’s head and paw, a bird’s colossal feather, and tree-like sculptures and branches. “My hope has been to reimagine the hardscape of the Park with delight and surprise,” Shechet says. “New Yorkers rely on the sidewalks, the pavement, and the street as the core of their urban lives. Full Steam Ahead becomes a lively and human amphitheater, softening the hardscape through sculptural intervention evocative of 18th-century garden landscapes.”