Impossible wish list

Going back to the past may be desirable - but here in the future there are things we need more

There's a new Hollywood film about time travel. There is always, it seems, a new Hollywood film about time travel. This summer it's Safety Not Guaranteed, apparently a love story. In the autumn there'll be Looper, an action picture. The new Lone Ranger film may have a time-travel angle. And the speculation about a fourth instalment of Back to the Future never stops (although the third in the series plainly should have been the last).

So if you thought that the dubizzle.com advert for a "slightly broken" time machine was some kind of film promotion, you could be excused. But even after The National reported on the quirky ad, there was no sign of a tie-in.

Still, we won't rush to buy this device, even at the Dh1 asking price.

However, the listing did get us thinking: maybe we should be scouring dubizzle for some other items that could improve life in the UAE: a guaranteed parking space, a steady supply of Dh1 coins, free water in restaurants, a paperwork-eradication device, a street address and a veracity tester for dubizzle adverts.

But, most of all for those living in Abu Dhabi, a really nice apartment in a good, well-located building, with a gym and a pool and a balcony - but all at a Dubai price.