Another Big Dubai Project On Hold (Just Kidding!)

If you find it hard to distinguish fact from fiction these days, you'd feel right at home in Dubai.

Keeping track of the various megaprojects, many of which have been suspended or put on hold, is a job in itself. I admit to being mind-boggled by a recent report outlining some of the largest recent casualties of Dubai's debt crisis. According to the e-magazine Mena Infrastructure, "among them were the Hydropolis - a $500 million underwater hotel, the Dancing Towers - a multi-billion project that would have seen several skyscrapers entwined together and Chess City... a city that, as the name would suggest, was to resemble a chessboard." I hadn't even heard of any of these projects! Here's the link:

http://www.menainfra.com/news/the-cancelled-dubai-mega-projects/

So I was not surprised at all to see The Onion's take, obviously fake: "Dubai Debt Crisis Halts Building of World's Largest Indoor Mountain Range", which were to be known as the Alps Dubai. See photo, and here's the link:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/dubai_debt_crisis_halts_building

The Onion, which bills itself as America's Finest News Source, is not likely to be mistaken for a serious news source, as the headlines and photos are so absurd as to give it away immediately. But how do you tell with all the other potential sources out there, comedic, ranting or otherwise, who purport or pretend to be speaking the truth? Despite my recent plug for Jon Stewart, I don't rely on him or his like for news as I find it hard to swallow when drenched with biting sarcasm. How do we know when people are just kidding or speaking the truth?