Alec Baldwin deleted his Twitter account last week, after firing off a furious homophobic rant at a Daily Mail journalist. The journalist had, Baldwin claimed, falsely stated that Baldwin's wife was tweeting while present at the funeral of James Gandolfini.
This Baldwin outburst is, of course, just the latest in a long line. Back in 2007, Baldwin called his then 11-year-old daughter Ireland "rude and thoughtless" in a screaming voicemail outburst that leaked to the press. He allegedly punched a New York Daily News photographer in the face last June, and in December 2011 he was escorted off an American Airlines flight after he refused to stop playing Words with Friends on his phone.
Anger issues much? Still, aren’t there days we could all scream at a relative, punch someone in the face and then ignore basic instructions designed to ensure our own safety? But if you – like me – find yourself doing all that and more several times a day, it’s time to hit the books.
• Go first to Managing Anger with CBT for Dummies by Gill Bloxham (John Wiley & Sons,Dh94). Wait, did that book just call you a dummy? Yes, it did; are you mad? Mad, huh? What are you going to do about it? I'll tell you what you're going to do: you're going to recognise the anger – saying "I am angry" can help – and accept it. That, says Bloxham, is the key to better anger -management.
• But who cares what she thinks? Can't a person wallow in a bit of rage once in a while? If that's your thing, go to the world's leading exponent of the furious rant. I Can Make You Hate (Faber, Dh100) collects the legendary and furious columns of the British journalist and humorist Charlie Brooker. Prepare to become enraged on issues ranging from politics to food.
• After that anger fest, you'll probably collapse in an exhausted and tearful heap, wondering why Mummy and Daddy didn't love you. You'll almost certainly never know, but get over it with Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child (Parallax, Dh83) by Thich Nhat Hanh.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500+ - highly active
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Masters of the Air
Directors: Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Tim Van Patten
Starring: Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan, Sawyer Spielberg
Rating: 2/5
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2