Even Alan Greenspan, when he spoke a few years ago about "irrational exuberance" in stock markets, could not have imagined Facebook's initial public offering being valued at $104 billion (Dh382 billion) (Listing sparks crash fears, May 19).
This is crazy. The Facebook fad has not produced much serious revenue yet. And consider that $104 billion is more than one-quarter the market capitalisation of ExxonMobil, which is one of the world's biggest companies by market cap.
Exxon actually owns enormous physical assets - real estate, oil reserves, infrastructure and so on. It has a proven market model and is a mature global corporation.
Facebook, meanwhile, is not much more than a fad for kids. Pierce Fenthaber, Abu Dhabi
Felicity Glover mourns that the Facebook IPO ignores the "mums and dads" investors (May 18) but, in fact, she should be glad.
When the big sharks are wheeling and snapping hungrily, we small fish are better off being far away.
MS Sultan, Abu Dhabi
Maradona isn't the man for the job
I refer to your article, Yousuf Al Serkal outlines his plans (May 17)in which Diego Maradona and Mahdi Ali are suggested as contenders for the job of UAE football coach.
I am afan of Maradona but he is definitely not the right person for the job. He's still not convincing as a manager with the Argentinian team or with Al Wasl, so why would you want him to manage the UAE national team?
Ahmad Oneissi, Dubai
Better pay means better teachers
Regarding Pay freeze ends for HCT teachers (May 18), I am an expatriate faculty member at the HCT, and agree that maintaining the value of salaries against inflation is important and fair.
However, providing any other salary increment just for living and breathing another year is unnecessary and detrimental.
Salary and benefits packages should be increased to attract and retain the best teachers and the best performers from around the world - because evidence shows that high-quality teachers are the primary factor influencing student success.
If the goal is about preparing Emirati students to the highest levels possible and providing the best quality education, this competitiveness should be the focus.
Alicia Salaz, Dubai
Taking a bite back at the Big Apple
Regarding Abu Dhabi starts spreading the news (May 18), is all of this effort and expense in New York just to counteract the damage done to Abu Dhabi's image courtesy of Sex and the City 2?
Abdul Ismail, Abu Dhabi
Leather industry a good fit for UAE
Your story about camel leather being poised for the mainstream (Not quite over the hump, May 18) was interesting on many levels.
This industry is a good example of how things must be started from zero in a country trying to build itself up. The country has lots of camels but had no modern tanneries, therefore no tailors used to working with leather and no demand for camel leather.
But from the story it sounds as if, with persistence and financial support, the Government is getting this industry off the ground, and it seems like a natural one for this country.
Now if only the UAE's weather made people want to buy warm clothing. But this could become a good source of export income.
VK Chatterjee, Dubai
Pakistan right to allow US access
I am glad that Pakistan is again allowing America to use routes through the country to ship materiel to Afghanistan (Pakistan lets US supplies through, May 19).
The drone strikes are a horrible mistake by the US; killing Taliban leaders brings the Americans a benefit, but infuriating the whole population of Pakistan brings a bigger problem.
That said, terrorists are killing many Pakistanis, probably more than the Americans.
Most Pakistanis do not support the Taliban.
MD Khan, Dubai
Pictures put past in perspective
My wife and I enjoyed the photo of the "hotel deluxe" in The Review (Height of luxury, May 19).
In fact, we regularly enjoy the old photos that appear there. The whole world has changed in the past few decades but few places can have changed as much as Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Keep those old photos coming.
Fred Turner, Abu Dhabi