Sept 30 HR rethink

Well last night on NIGHTLINE the idea was were were going to talk to the Ministry of Labour, in the last second they decided that there was no way they could come to the radio.

We talked about the idea of talent and how you decide on who you want to hire in the end!

Listen to the JAMESCAST for a taste!

Sept 25 Good Experience!

How does a company create a good customer experience?

Have you had a good experience? And after that experience how did you feel about that particular organization?

EXPERIENCE is what it is all about and what we are talking about tonight!

Zimran Ahmed from Good Experience.com will be speaking with us from California

Welcome to Good Experience

Our mission is to encourage the creation of good, meaningful experiences in business and life.

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Welcome to Gel.

Gel ("Good Experience Live") is a conference and community exploring good experience in all its forms -- in business, art, society, technology, and life.

Sept 24 Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

We spoke with student volunteers at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding!

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
P.O Box: 21210
Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971 4 353 6666

Fax: +971 4 353 6661

Email: smccu@emirates.net.ae

Web: www.cultures.ae

sept 23 parking

Or as one listener called it complaining night!

Parking how are you doing?

Well the general feeling was that we need more insight from bodies like the RTA who have the power to make change.

We also need to think of a culture of driving change.

And as one listner said maybe we need to be slapped upside the head with a noodle!

Check out this email.

Good Morning!!!! Dear James,

Hope you are doing fine. Guess last night was a "COMPLAINING NITE"

U know what James? We often forget the goodness we have received and begin complaining of the petty things which often boggles us down.

Y don't we look at other.

Has anyone given a thought of the Labour Community. The poor chap work in th sun all day long...... his transport drops him off about 3 kms away from his room, he has to brave the heat on foot till he reaches his over crowded room (with more than 20 guys staying in one room). HAS ANYONE THOUGHT OF THIS???????????????

Take a look at the bus station and seee the bee-line queue awaiting the bus. Whom will they complain to.... has anyone EAR'S to hear them.

After working soo hard, he get under-paid or sometimes even paid after a good 3-4 months? Can U Imagine...... HAS ANYONE THOUGHT OF THIS??????????????

Yet we advertise and publicise........... " DUBAI CARES "

honestly speaking i stop listening to your program, coz U cater only to the fortunate people. By the grace of God I'm a fortunate person............

I Never heard on Radio, any human soul talk about doing something for the labour community or the low-income sector of the U.A.E., all we here..... no parking lot.... high rent.... less salary............ My country cannot give me the luxuries i get here. So a little pain is fine. its ok with me. As the Call @ night put it. No gain... without alittle pain.

Hope this will Email with create an awakening. Let not complain......... Let be thankful and Grateful that God Has Blessed us...............

Thanks,

listener who can't take the complaining

Al Fajer Properties has grown rapidly to become one of the key players in the property development market. Diverse Property projects have been a huge success for the company.
Last night we spoke to Al Fajer Properties about Al Awlaa and other activities they are involved in over Ramadan.

4 million dirhams is being given to those who need it!

Wow that is CSR!

September 18 Working form home women

What is one of the most common refrains from women today?

I would love to get back into the workforce but the time is a problem.

Well that may not be so much the case today in the UAE!

Women who are unable to work in a traditional job can join the outsourcing labour pool of Emanagement and improve their skills on the computer and make some money!

Giree Naidu spoke to us about his company and what it does.

06 565-2800 is the contact number.

Laila and Abbas Punjani shared their story about Laila working from home and how it has opened up possibilities for them as a young family!

Listen to the Jamescast!

Healthy Diet

Anjali Dange of the Welcare Hospital in Dubai joined us and we talked about nutrition and focused on Ramadan.

You can reach Anjali at 04 282-7788

Sept 16 Dubai Smoking Ban

The smoking ban is 3 days old in shopping malls in Dubai.

Yesterday some non smokers were pleased and some smokers thought that this ban would simply force them to take their business some place else!

Listen to the JAMESCAST for a touching conversation.

Emirates Today reports below!

What do you think?

Shopping malls across Dubai said the introduction of the ban on smoking passed off successfully yesterday.

Posters and stickers warning people of the new rule were on display at most of the centres. And security guards were on patrol to make sure people obeyed the ban.

The new regulation introduced by Dubai Municipality outlaws smoking in all parts of the malls, including food courts and coffee shops.

Non-smokers welcomed the move – but many smokers said the ban should not apply to cafés and restaurants.

Staff at shopping centres in the emirate have been given strict guidelines to ensure the ban is implemented.

Shoppers will not be fined for flouting the rule – for the time being – but employees can warn smokers and can even physically remove them.

Customer service staff at the Mall of the Emirates said they did not encounter any difficulty because people were aware of the rule. “As it is Ramadan, nobody smokes in any public place during the daytime,” said one employee.

“It is only after dusk that we have to keep watch.” A security guard said some shoppers were confused about the posters and thought the ban was due to Ramadan.

He said: “I saw one man lighting up as soon as he entered the mall. When I pointed at the ‘no smoking’ sign, he reminded me that fasting time was over.” Shopper Manaf Obaidat, a communications engineer from Jordan, told Emirates Today he did not know if the ban on lighting up in malls would remain in force after Ramadan.

And some were surprised to find there were no designated smoking zones in some shopping centres.

Indian businessman Ganesh Upadhyay said: “I wanted to have a smoke at Lamcy Plaza yesterday and to my surprise I was told by customer services that they did not have a smoking zone.

sept 12 NumberWorks'n Words

We spoke to Simon Paul and Carolyn Crook about a cool education tool now available int he UAE.

www.numberworks.com

mirdif@numberworks.com

050 880-7999

Three ways to find out more.

The interesting word used throughout the hour was FUN!

If education is going to work one would hope it is fun and here we seem to have a personal/cyber education mix that works.

Why does it work?

Because number and words is the focus nothing else.

Check it out.

sept 11

Our whole show can be summed up with one word.

HOPE.

sept 10 role models

The question we had this evening was have we given up on role models today?

Is our lack of role models or our lack of viable role models an issue today?

Some said yes, some said no.

What we do know is that we have a lot of time, thanks to the internet to find role models.

Or maybe the reality is we simply need to look around us a bit more carefully?

http://rolemodels.jou.ufl.edu

Maybe there is hope yet!

September 9 Innovative Human Resource Solutions

From Personality testing to getting the best fit out of the work environment we had an interesting evening.

Want to chat?

04-390-2778

or

info@ihsdubai.com

Shirley Attenbourough talked in detail about personality testing and what it does and does not do.

The reality? It is not a test at all but a tool and one that is often misunderstood by those who are the subject!

sept 5 Carolyn McIntyre and Ibn Battuta

www.girlsoloinarabia.com
Meet Carolyn McIntyre a woman who is literally following the path once walked by Ibn Battuta!
Very amazing things to read and hear.

Check her blog and listen to the Jamescast!

September 4 1.65% to use plastic!

What is using plastic to pay for your purchases worth to you?

Major service centers in the UAE are adding 1.65% to your bill if you use plastic for purchases.

Last night the talk was that this is just another cash grab.

The real issue says others is the fact that the banks are creating service charges and not really giving you a service at all!

The banks are to blame!

Maybe we really are a long way from the cashless society?

Plastic money is convenient, but...

By Rania Oteify, Features Editor Published: August 25, 2007, 00:24

I don't remember a place which didn't accept my standard credit cards since I moved to Dubai. From fast food restaurants to beauty salons, I hardly carry cash any more. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) isn't an exception. They do accept credit cards, but from my first visit to them, when I had to open an account and make a deposit of Dh1,000, I was warned by the customer service agent that if I opted to pay by credit card they'd collect 1.65 per cent extra. Only Dh16.5. Yes, it isn't much, but it is just the principle: Why should I - the customer - pay for what they are supposed to pay in fees to the bank? I decided then to run to a nearby ATM and come back with cash. We don't have much choice with Dewa, do we? There is no other seller of water or electricity, which may be the reason they are not concerned about making their payment methods any attractive. But last week I was surprised when I found Emarat, the petrol station, posting a notice, that starting September 1, they will also be charging 1.65 per cent on card transactions. Aren't they concerned about their competitiveness? For one, my first thought was: Fine, I won't be fuelling from here any more. Again it is a matter of principle even if it doesn't cost much. Say Dh1.65 if your average weekly fuel bill is Dh100. It is cheaper than a bubble gum pack. Yes, but this is their agreement with the bank, why should the fees be transferred to customers? No concern It seems that credit card companies and the banks cannot care less as long as they are getting their money. When I tried to contact a couple, the answer - when I got one - was "no comment". So I decided to call the customer service at my bank given the fact that it is in their benefit that I keep using my card. At first, the agent said he had no idea what I was talking about. After a few minutes of holding, he came back with the most informative statement. "We are the bank. Nothing changed from our end. If you've a problem with Emarat, you should be sorting it out with them." In a way, I can understand Emarat's move. While other retailers have room to hike their prices, and we may be paying for their bank fees and more without noticing, petrol stations don't have similar flexibility. They may be betting that while some people will play the choice game and head to a different station, many others will just opt to pay in cash or won't even worry about it since the each individual fee is negligible. So who will be paying for the convenience of using credit cards? [For cash payment fans, here is good news for you: you finally win even in a society supposedly moving to plastic alternative. Yes, you take more time to find your money, the cashier has to count it, and give you your change, which you have to check. Then the money has to be secured, checked and double checked at the end of the day, and transferred to where it goes until it get deposited in a bank. Your cash payment creates jobs and costs for so many people, but still you seem to get a better deal in some places.]

September 3 Amnesty

So, has the UAE labour Amnesty been good for you?

There is no question it has been good for those workers who needed to leave but could not.

But in the short term will it simply lead to more inflation?

More than 184,000 seek pardon in Dubai

Staff Report Published: September 01, 2007, 23:35

Dubai: More than 184,000 illegal workers approached the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department to seek amnesty between June 2 and August 31, the department announced yesterday. The DNRD administration has also created temporary centres to process the maximum number of amnesty applications that are pouring in. "By August 31, the administration issued 121,605 outpasses and helped regularise the status of 53,268 illegal workers. We received a total of 184,873 applications," Brigadier Mohammad Al Merri, DNRD's director-general, said yesterday. He commended staff at the various DNRD facilities for their efforts during the amnesty period and for working during their scheduled summer holidays to assist in the nationwide campaign. Brig Al Merri also expressed his appreciation of the measures undertaken by various consulates and embassies to facilitate the amnesty process and guide illegals seeking pardon. He specially mentioned the Indian and the Egyptian consulates for their cooperation and support. The general amnesty was extended last week to November 3. Al Merri called on illegal workers to benefit from the extension and obtain outpasses to leave the country. Brig Al Merri also expressed his gratitude to Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, for their on-ground support at various DNRD facilities.

September 2 Product Safety!

How much attention are we giving to the safety issues attached to the products we consume?

Is China out of control as far as product quality goes?

Is it all politics?

You be the judge!

Jamescast

Recalled pencils contain lead in coating

Last Updated: Saturday, September 1, 2007 | 10:53 PM ET

CBC News

Thousands of pencil sets sold in Canada have been recalled because the coating contains too much lead, Health Canada said Saturday.

The sets, imported by Amscan Canada of Dorval, Que., have more than 600 milligrams of lead per kilogram in the coating, which means they can't legally be sold or advertised, the department said in a release.

"Pencils that have already been purchased should immediately be taken away from children," the release says.

The recall comes as children are buying back-to-school supplies, but Health Canada said the Favor Set brand pencils have been sold since January.

"Approximately 140,000 units are included in this recall," it said.

The 16 recalled sets are:

• 275034 Prehistoric Party Favor Set.
• 275049 Keep on Truckin Favor Set.
• 277037 Championship Baseball Favor Set.
• 277042 Championship Soccer Favor Set.
• 277721 Championship Basketball Favor Set.
• 277751 Championship Football Favor Set.
• 278128 Camouflage Favor Set.
• 278222 Pirate Party Favor Set.
• 279756 Hearts & Flowers Favor Set.
• 279760 Unicorn Magic Favor Set.
• 279763 Frogs & Lizards Favor Set.
• 279765 Princess Favor Set.
• 279766 Shimmering Butterfly Favor Set.
• 279780 Underwater Friends Favor Set.
• 279781 Safari Party Favor Set.
• 349949 Glitzy