Slog - Comments on Here We Go Again http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again Another Brit is in trouble in another Muslim country. This time it's the United Arab Emirates, and this week's victim is prominent DJ and BBC presenter. Grooverider, a Radio 1 DJ, is facing the possibility of a four-year prison term in Dubai after police arrested him for allegedly carrying cannabis and pornographic DVDs into the country. Grooverider--whose real name is Raymond Bingham--was arrested at Dubai airport on November 23, hours before he was due to play a sold-out show at The Lodge, one of the Gulf state’s hottest clubs. A small amount of cannabis was reported to have been found... Copyright 2008 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:39:48 -0800 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:13:53 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by thehim I hope he knows Orrin Hatch

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1535959/20060710/austin_dallas.jhtml

]]> thehim http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861925 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861925 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:00:49 -0800 Comment by elenchos The British. Always offending those foreigners. Why do they find it so hard to be welcomed around the world? Americans should help them out with that.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861928 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861928 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:04:00 -0800 Comment by Gitai Dude, he'd have my sympathy except he was bringing drugs across international borders, which is just fucking stupid. I mean, I disagree with the criminalization of pot, but it's not insane like the teddy bear thing.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861930 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861930 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:06:19 -0800 Comment by Dougsf I wanted to make a crack about "what was the porn, piss of women voting? Wokka wokka wokka!", but chances are pretty good the guy actually had some hardcore smut on him. In all likelihood, good thing they didn't find his blow.

I don't personally think either of these offenses should be punishable, but this could have happened just as easily in many non-Muslim countries, and I don't think draws too many parallels to the schoolteacher story. The U.A.E. is pretty much Amsterdam compared to the rest of the region.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861931 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861931 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:06:45 -0800 Comment by Dougsf I swear I typed "pics", not "piss". I'm weird.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861934 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861934 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:07:38 -0800 Comment by MSW A: smuggling in or accidently used record to clean dope=really dumb.
B: westerners should boycott countries with extremist codes the way south africa was boycotted (is there really a past tense of boycott? it starts to look like some obscene act). Oh yeah I guess we can't boycott oil. Yet.

]]> MSW http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861949 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861949 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:24:40 -0800 Comment by Just Me I agree this is fucked up he is looking at time in a fucked up middle eastern nation but here is a thought: Why was he dumb enough to smoke a bowl before going to a fucked up right wing nation like that AND bring porn with him? Stupid is as stupid does.

]]> Just Me http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861968 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861968 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:40:15 -0800 Comment by Cook @3: completely agree. i don't think cannabis or pornography should be illegal, but that seems like basic disrespect of a foreign culture and their laws, whether he agrees with it or not. it's especially idiotic because any simple check reveals that the UAE and other gulf states are some of the strictest in the world on marijuana violations. couldn't he have waited to smoke up for a couple days until he got back to the UK?

]]> Cook http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861972 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861972 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 19:42:34 -0800 Comment by Peter Speaking of fucked-up right wing nations and Brits, the English aren't too happy about this: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2982640.ece

]]> Peter http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861992 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c861992 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 20:08:30 -0800 Comment by giffy The teddy bear thing was one thing. I mean a person there to help is charged wit ha rather silly crime one would not even be able to foresee.

This however is stupid in the opposite way. Who the fuck doesn't know that traveling internationally with pot is just plain dumb. And porn, to the UAE, one should know better.

]]> giffy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862036 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862036 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:17:34 -0800 Comment by Jamey you ever hang out with DJs on their way to a killer gig? They are not the brightest bulbs you'll ever see.

]]> Jamey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862055 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862055 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:20:22 -0800 Comment by Hal Ooooohhh, where's Mr. Grandy when we need him????????

]]> Hal http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862057 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862057 News Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:28:26 -0800 Comment by Justin This is a bird of a different feather. The Mohammed teddy bear was an example of religious extremism being imposed upon a foreigner by a sovereign government. This is an example of conservative extremism being imposed on someone breaking the law in both the country he was leaving and the country he was entering. The juxtaposition of the innocent mistake of the school teacher and the blatant disregard for the law (and all personal safety) of the smuggling DJ compares apples and oranges.

]]> Justin http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862082 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862082 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:02:30 -0800 Comment by Eh Dude is an idiot that deserves what's coming to him, drugs in the UAE???? STUPID! That being said, the dude shoulda known he coulda scored weed without too much of a hassle whilst in the UAE, duh!

]]> Eh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862102 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862102 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:06:14 -0800 Comment by donte damn, grooverider is an idiot. still respect his legacy though. good luck to him - sounds like he'll need it.

]]> donte http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862107 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862107 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:59:06 -0800 Comment by Donovan UAE is not too different to USA in this regard. It's not a Muslim thing, it's a Fascist thing.

]]> Donovan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862126 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862126 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:06:54 -0800 Comment by Donovan Also, the anti-drug law is just as unjust as the religion-based "No depicting Muhammad in any way!" law. If there is no motherfucking victim (as is the case with "controlled substances", distinct from crimes committed to /fund/ drug use, which is a separate matter), there is no motherfucking crime. It's just common sense. It's a pity so many screwheads have grown up in a world where it's so lacking, causing them to believe the bullshit and toe the "He deserves to be punished because he knew the law" bullshit.

]]> Donovan http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862127 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862127 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:11:05 -0800 Comment by monkey Well, the porn was Mohammed Does Dubai.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862140 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862140 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:52:47 -0800 Comment by NaFun Of course he shouldn't have tried to take pot or porn to the UAE, but for cryin' out loud, busted for THC in urine?!?!

@ 7,8 - WTF? Why would anyone believe that they'd be forced to undergo a UA and charged w/ a crime for smoking pot days ago and in a different country? You are the 'tarded.

]]> NaFun http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862212 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/here_we_ago_again#c862212 News Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:13:53 -0800