It's Kind of a Funny Story
Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Emma Roberts, Zach Galifianakis
Feeling depressed and fearing that he might act upon his destructive thoughts, 16-year-old Craig (Gilchrist) checks himself into a psychiatric ward, naively imagining that he will speak to a doctor before being released in time for school the following day.
Films: The National watches
Last Updated: 20 June, 2011 UAE
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Instead, he's immediately admitted for a week-long stay. During this time, he has the inevitable "finding himself" moment (the upshot being that he doesn't, in fact, want to be the president of the United States, but would prefer to follow a more artistic path), improves his relationship with his parents and even manages to meet a potential girlfriend (Roberts). By the end of the week, having witnessed the plight of several of the long-term patients (although in-depth details are never given) and with the help of his new friend and mentor Bobby, (played rather touchingly by Galifianakis) he comes to the conclusion that life's really not that bad. This adaptation of a 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini was loosely based on the author's own experience of being hospitalised while suffering from depression. Nonetheless, the film is simply too feel-good for its own good. It tries to be quirky and off-beat, a sort of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for the indie crowd, but in doing so it unapologetically trivialises the reality of life on a psychiatric ward. It is overly sentimental (with an uplifting soundtrack to match) and lacks sufficient depth to make any kind of lasting impact.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
