Yes, yes, yes: me too! My god, I have been scrolling through the comments hoping to find someone — anyone — who can give me a heads-up as to what happened to the 'surgeon' in this case. Not knowing the rules/legislation in the US vis-a-vis these types of procedures, I'm beginning to think that anyone can hang up a…

Idiocracy. We're already there, aren't we? Fuck.

I wouldn't know, actually. I don't have children — never will — and while bullying appears to be on the rise all over the place, I've no personal experience of it. Friends with children [from my home country] have commented that bullying is on the rise at their children's schools but to a person, they all agree that…

To me, it speaks more about the culture of bullying that seems to plague Americans from perambulator to hearse. If there's one thing American TV/movies taught me over the years, it's that everyone needs to be categorised so everyone knows who to pick on. Sad.

Chinese who work in smartphone factories with glass walls and safety nets to prevent them topping themselves are equally as 'bonded' as the migrant workers who choose to work in the UAE and in fact, many of the workers here have more rights than you might think. Workers such as they exist in every country in the…

I just love the finger-pointing that my country of residence generates. Always a laugh when one considers that US corporations have absolutely no problem harnessing the slave labour of Bangladeshi tailors, Thai fishermen, Chinese smartphone worker drones and more. Bless your myopic little view of the world. Keep up…

I live in a pretty authoritarian region where Ramadan is concerned. From sunrise to sunset, no one — including non-Muslims — is allowed to drink/eat/smoke in public view unless they want to risk a big fine. Any shops selling food [apart from supermarkets] are required to put screens and blackout curtains in their…

Check out the spike in accident rates recorded in the Middle East eg UAE, Saudi etc. Yes, accidents DO increase at this time of year. I personally avoid the roads from 3pm onwards if I can because there are so many wacky-races types dashing home from work in order to squeeze in a nap before Iftar [in the UAE working…

It's something of a tradition for those living in countries when Ramadan falls at a time when there are very few actual 'night' hours, to follow the sunrise/sunset times from Mecca. That way, they are following the fasting times to the letter but not causing themselves undue stress from fasting.

I can't speak for sportspeople, but all my friends who fast actually say that they put ON weight during the Holy Month. The see-saw nature of no food/water during the day which is completely outdone by the binge-fest of Iftar after dark = the body not really knowing which way is up or down ... and of course, going to…

It's between them and God.

I saw what you did there. ;-)

Every day is like that: it's called Iftar. When the sun sets, the fast is broken with a little snack and juice/water but a few hours later ... wow. Party, party, party. I've been to a few Iftars and there is food for miles and miles and miles ... *Burps*

I reckon the boys in the Brazil/Chile match would have done as much last night! Wow. What a huge game [oops, sorry for the threadjack]. ;-)

Well done you. Following the 'real' sunrise/sunset hours — as opposed to Mecca times — takes a massive wodge of dedication. Ramadan Kareem. :)

Tee hee. I have to dress even more modestly than I usually do so as not to give men 'impure thoughts' during Ramadan. We're not supposed to make things even more difficult for the poor little dears. ;-)

And this is a problem for you ... how?

Feel better now?

I would agree. So long as you 'make up' the fasting days you've missed, then it's as if you never missed them at all. It's actually stressed that one shouldn't do anything injurious to one's health during this time — which is why there are so many caveats for the ill, travelling, pregnant etc — that a sportsperson can…

As Renjen pointed out, it's a month of no food/water at all between sunrise and sunset which is not easy. One's whole approach to food and hydration has to change and it takes a lot of work to achieve. This means rising before dawn for a snack, be it dates/labneh/etc plus water and then surviving on that until sunset…