It's not something I often or ever do, but I wanted to congratulate you on the piece A cold shoulder for Dewa but Moody's reckons it's hot stuff (November 23).
It was funny, incisive and honest - three adjectives not often applied to journalism in this part of the world. Keep it up (if you can afford to power-up your laptop).
Mike Platts, Dubai
You made me look like a crazy person at the coffee shop today. I was reading your article on Dewa and laughing so hard that I got a lot of weird looks from the tables around me.
It was very well written, very funny and also touches a subject which I'm sure everyone can relate to. Well done.
Although my bill is not as high as yours, I also feel and share your pain. However, I do believe this is part of the "normalisation" this young country is going through right now.
I grew up in Turkey where we have one of the highest energy prices in the world. I have very vivid memories from my childhood of Mum sending me off from the dinner table to turn off the lights in the living room. Or else, the dinner would not be served.
So, if there is nothing we can do about the increase in utility bills, why not benefit from it? If Dewa sells bonds to retail investors, I'll be the first one to invest, given the recent collapse of the deposit rates.
Mert Istanbulluoglu, Dubai
Water usage as vital as electricity
Your article Heat on Abu Dhabi's energy efficiency could impact bills (November 23), only addresses electricity consumption but does not mention water.
I am reliably informed that one of the principal reasons that power stations are running at full capacity in the emirate is to enable desalination plants to produce sufficient water.
In this country, which is so dependent on desalinated water, to discuss one utility and not mention the other is folly. And while energy consumption needs to be more efficiently controlled across the board, it should not be done in isolation.
Jeremy P Weeks, Abu Dhabi
Medication abuse increases diabetes
In regard to the story Concern over diabetes rise in pregnant women (November 23), people should also be aware of drugs that aggravate diabetes.
The use of powerful antipsychotic drugs has increased in children as young as three years old. But this has led to an increase in weight gain, triglyceride levels and associated risks for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Always consider the unintended consequences of medication.
Daniel Haszard, Abu Dhabi
Film sets record straight on Bard
I don't seem to recall similar discontent about the veracity of Shakespeare in Love or countless other Hollywood films that are historical fictions, not documentaries (Anonymous, November 24).
Even Shakespeare himself used drama to further an appreciation of the "emotional truth".
The film Anonymous is not an attack on Shakespeare. It is a celebration of the magnificent plays and poems of perhaps the greatest writer in the English language. The film's purpose is to expose the mythology of the uneducated genius from Stratford, and give credit at long last to the true author.
The only issue here is not whether you like the idea that a nobleman wrote but whether it is true. I believe that the evidence clearly points to Edward de Vere as the true author.
Howard Schumann, Abu Dhabi
Not all countries behind sanctions
In reference to Sanctions on Iran to affect Emirates (November 23) is the world convinced that Iran represents a real danger?
The article suggests that some countries are not convinced yet. Unless the Asian countries band together with the US, UK and Canada I don't think the sanctions placed on Iran by those countries will bear fruit.
China, Japan and South Korea are thirsty for oil - they know that their economic growth hinges on their ability to import hydrocarbon products preferably at lower prices.
India is another major consumer of oil and gas and I'm certain that it would seek to purchase from Iran if it is not doing so already.
Yes, one could argue that the withholding of western funds, expertise and technology could restrict Iran's oil output, but given that they have the technology to develop their nuclear industry one would think they have the expertise and knowledge to build their oil industry.
If Iran appears to be a genuine security threat then there must be a full-scale joint effort by all countries involved to impose sanction on Iran.
Randall Mohammed, Dubai
