Welcome to rascott.com.
This is a personal site that reflects my interests in news, current affairs, aviation and travel.
email me at robert@rascott.com
Photo Albums
My
photographs have been moved off this site and are now stored on Picasa. They
were simply taking up too much space on my web host.
Please use this link to see my list of photo albums.
Some
Useful links:
Information:
World Time Clock
Exchange Rates
Journalism:
Nationsonline.org
Project Syndicate
Amnesty International
Reporters w/o borders
The Guardian - UK
BBC World News
CNN Asia
Bangkok Post
Daylife.com - news
Gulf News
Arabian Business
Good causes:
Sister
Joan - Bangkok
Regional Info:
BKK Magazine
HK Magazine
In
Singapore Magazine
TimeOut Dubai
Travel:
Circle of Asia
Tales of Asia
Smart Travel Asia
Finance:
FinanceAsia
Aviation:
Amadeus (airline
schedules)
Airliners
- aviation forum
Thailand Info
thailand.com
learningthai.com
sawadee.com
bangkok a-z
Back in the UK:
Newton Ferrers
Government:
The
"new" White House
And for fun:
Lin Ping live panda tv
EarthCam
The opinions expressed on these pages are entirely personal unless they are credited; you may not agree with all, or anything, that I write. So please use the feedback page to respond, comment or berate me.
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An Occasional Blog
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Thailand Blogs Bangkok Pundit - politics Bangkok Metblogs - city life Thai-blogs.com - rather serious
2bangkok.com
- not really a blog but always
up to date on Bangkok news
BKKOK.com
Thai Girl The exotic
adventures of a literary sexagenarian.
Thai Films
Dubai Blogs Digital Life - A Hong Kong picture blog - interesting pics A Big White Guy in Hong Kong - self explanatory Ordinary Gweilo Hemlock's Diary. And people think I am opinionated - try this! SimonWorld - Hong Kong commentary and great links to other Asian blogs EastSouthWestNorth - commentary Glutter.org - Greater China democracy news and many great links Hong Kong Hustle In China Danwei - media and advertising news from China
Shanghai Diaries - self
explanatory
In Macau My Olive Tree - Macau blog
In Singapore: Xiaxue - self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot! Mr Brown - colourful commentary from Singapore
Asia Travel Circle of Asia a useful commercial site Tales of Asia perspective and commentary on Cambodia and Thailand and other Asian travels Visit Laos a useful guide on getting to and traveling in Laos. Smart Travel Asia useful tips and destination guides. Maybe too up market.
Aviation Amadeus (airline schedules) Airline meals - see it b4 you eat it !
Airliners
- aviation forum, trip reports and pix
archive Planenation - commercial aviation news Airchive - a web museum of commercial aviation.
CrankyFlier - mainly US
commentary
News The Guardian - UK
China sites
Bangkok info sites
Worthy Sites Niall Ferguson - my favorite modern historian
Rconversation - from Rebecca MacKinnon, ex-TV
reporter-turned-blogger.
Fun Sites
Useful Sites
Technology Ideas
Stuff -
gadgets
Author
Robert Scott lives and works in Dubai; born in England I have since lived in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. I am very happily married to Tai.
If you want to know more you only need to ask! ask.
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30 June 2009 What is the point in paying gbp 6 to British Telecom for 90 minutes wireless access in Starbucks when you lose the network connection every 5 minutes - waste of money. BT Hotspot ! BT Cold Spot. ************************ Not much changes here - no internet access for a start ! The village is quiet and peaceful. The summer evening sun keeps the village lit until nearly 10pm. It is warm in the UK. The media is warning of a heatwave - just because the temperature crawls above 30C. It is a long way from Dubai heat ! ****************************** 28 June 2009 Fascinating - flying into Sharjah on Imperial Airways in the 1930s. ******************************* F******* hell. Here from the realms of greed and fiction is the latest offering from Dubai Properties. The completion date for Executive Towers is now confirmed as July 20th 2009. This is 16 months later than the March 2008 completion per the sale and purchase agreement. there has never been any apology for or communication of that delay. And in their final statement they have the nerve to be charging be a AED3,150 late payment charge for a payment due on 1 July that was banked by DP on 10 June. This organisation beggars belief in terms of their ability to cause offence. 26 June 2009 Sorry about the lack of updates for a couple of days - seem to have caught some sort of bug. Every bone in my body aches; stomach ache; and feel about 950! Bad timing as Alex is in Dubai and should be entertained. Instead we have only left the apartment briefly all day. ********************************
******************************* 25 June 2009 Here we go again: In Bangkok Police have applied for arrest warrants for an undisclosed number of red-shirt supporters for lese majeste remarks in their speeches at Sanam Luang two days ago, Metropolitan Police chief Lt-Gen Vorapong Chiewpreecha said on Thursday. As usual there is no investigation by the Bangkok Post and no assessment of the purpose of the charges. But as a tool to repress opposition voices it is a sledgehammer and it can only encourage further discontent. ***************************** 24 June 2009 Just a thought on David Carrdine's unfortunate death in Bangkok. He was staying at the Nailert Park Hotel - which just happens to be next door to the famous Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine. Coincidence? ************************* Instead she has two flights to Manchester; one to Hong Kong and a collection of turnarounds. Makes you wonder why they have a bidding system! ************************** ************************** "As a reminder - please use the pedestrian crossings - stand at the edge of the crossing and wait for the traffic to stop. Cross only when the traffic has come to a complete stop." Pointless - pedestrian crossings in Dubai are mere artwork on the road. No one ever stops at them! In Thailand meanwhile anyone venturing onto a pedestrian crossing becomes a legitimate target ! 23 June 2009 For anyone who misses the old Hong Kong airport: *********************************** Can’t get used to what you told me ***************************** ***************************** "Investigators probing the assassination attempt on Sondhi Limthongkul, a core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy had been threatened not to work on the case, Deputy National Police chief General Thani Somboonsap said on Tuesday. Thani who is chief investigator of the case said the reason the police
could not make significant progress on the case was because they had been
threatened and intimidated in many ways. That's all - that is the report. The Deputy National Police chief has a team that is making no progress because they - yes the police - are being threatened - but he does not ask them how they are being threatened and by who! Feeble. Lame. Inept. 21 June 2009 More Dubai doom and gloom from the UK press. This time in The Times - Dubai's dream is built on sand. It is a bit rich coming from the UK - which is enduring mass unemployment, public transport strikes, spiraling income tax, street crime, outrageous petrol prices, and politicians taking the taxpayer to the cleaners with their fraudulent and embarrassing expense claims. ****************************** The last world cup in the West Indies was too long and too tedious. The ICC has got this one right - competitive matches and a 2 week tournament. And a few surprises as well. 20 June 2009 Bizarre really. Google is now the third most trusted news source in the world. Yet it produces absolutely no news of its own. Ten years ago it did not exist. It is just an aggregator, a scraper, of other people's news. Trusted English language news sources would be Reuters, Associated Press, BBC, New York Times. But not google. Actually not CNN. Sorry ! 19 June 2009 Who is Paris Hilton. Why is she in Dubai. Was she conceived in Paris? Bet she is glad it was not Wolverhampton or Thunder Bay !? There were huge crowds in Festival City today; she is staying in the adjoining Intercontinental hotel. And yes she was walking through the mall surrounded by her minders. I can safely say that I have no wish to be her new best friend forever! ****************************** But does it really need six people to push one cart? Does it really need you to leave the cart in the middle of the aisle while you go 100 yards away for an extended conversation with someone you last met at the same place last year? Do you really need to have four carts heading in the same direction down the same aisle to ensure that no one will pass the other way? Please try and stop before you run into me. There is only one solution - trolley etiquette
courses. And a certificate of competency before you are allowed to
navigate a trolley around the supermarket. Want to know what it is like to fly in Economy on an Emirates flight. This is a pretty good trip report. http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/150347/ Fair summary of the majority of EK flights at the moment! ***************************** Confirmed by the National newspaper - Mr. Thaksin was in Abu Dhabi yesterday for a meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel; he was then heading back to Dubai. 15 June 2009 Tai is traveling again - back for one night - and a rare gathering with all of her friends - all in Dubai at the same time. She has an afternoon flight to Birmingham today. One night at home is hardly enough for us to sort out some of the debris of the last week - but we will manage. ****************************** ******************************* Does this smell really bad? ********************************* ********************************** 14 June 2009 I usually don't write too much that is very personal here. And for the moment that is wise; my mood is too down to write anything very upbeat. Not working is beginning to get frustrating. It was good for a few months when I could travel and spend some time with Tai. But Dubai is a soul destroying place to be out of work. There is little work here. And those companies with jobs are trying to pay as little as possible. Add to that with temperatures at 50C there is little reason to go out. The apartment that we bought is still incomplete and the government owned developer merrily ignores all of its obligations under the contract. Why did we buy? Because it was part of our commitment to being here. Because it should have been ready 15 months ago. Gulllible. No just badly misled. Instead I have had to sign up for yet another year in my prison cell of a rented apartment on the building site. There is simply nothing that I can go out and walk to. We do not live together as family (after 8 months of being married); Tai is very busy again so we have less time together. We cannot holiday together this summer as the UK embassy has changed the visa rules. I am smart; I am in the prime of life; but I am going nowhere right now. And it is hard to know how best to get out of this slump. Tai has her dream job here; good money and good friends. She is happiest when she is away and working. And I guess I only just realised that whatever we do and wherever we are home for her is Thailand with family. That is more said than I intended - but what else are blogs for? Sorry, dear reader, no reason to involve you in my woes. Something will change soon. It has to. We will get through it. But my Dubai adventure is not quite going as expected. ***************************** Malky Mackay is "90 per cent guaranteed" to become the next manager of
Watford, according to an executive at the club. The former Watford and
Scotland defender was the Hornets' first-team coach under Brendan Rodgers,
who left this month to take over at Reading. Watching the Lions rugby from South Africa. South African rugby is such a white sport. Strange how non inclusive it is even after the last 20 years. ***************************** Though he was probably knighted for contributions to divorce lawyers! 12 June 2009 Rough day today. Tai is in London. It is the first time that she has flown when we are angry with eachother - if something happened.....i don't need to finish that sentence. Shall spare my reader all the details. But in the words of Blue Rodeo - "I wonder what am I doing here".....not a great feeling. ****************************** Apparently a final decision is still to be made. 11 June 2009 Budget carrier flydubai could be planning to add Kiev to its destinations as the airline builds its route network after launching this month. 10 June 2009 Emirate latest video - Dubai welcomes the world. Far too catchy. One day I must make the alternative version! The ultimate in silliness. You cannot look up Virgin Atlantic Airlines on YouTube in the UAE. The word virgin brings up the customary note saying that access to this web site is currently blocked. Oh dear. **************************** ***************************** In this case it may be that Icing in the pitot tubes was the start of a cascade of problems. But an unknown is why would a crew who could probably see the line of CB storm cells ahead for half an hour before reaching them not take any serious avoiding action and plough straight in ? An Air Iberia A340 about the same time diverted east around the thundercloud system. Why did AF447's crew not deviate at all ? When we get on an airplane we renew our bond of trust with the airline pilot's profession. This may be enhanced by Captain Sullenberger but has been jeopardised by incidents such as Emirates as Melbourne and catastrophic accidents such as Colgan Air 3047 at Buffalo. And now? ****************************** 8 June 2009 The UK newspapers are not a great help to Dubai tourism at the moment....the Telegraph is still reporting on the Antia/Hawkins story - Mark Hawkins came to Dubai to meet a girlfriend he met on the internet. This weekend he looked forlorn and bemused as he sat in his prison uniform in the city's central jail, after falling foul of a jealous husband and a legal system of which he knew nothing. ************************************ US/North Korean relations are already stressed. What next? 7 June 2009 Emirates Airline launched its new uniform on all flights across the network from 00.01am this morning. Trouble is unless you look carefully you may not notice much difference. 5 June 2009 I am sitting on an A330 outbound from Dubai to Hong Kong. It is all too easy to sit here and wonder how it is that one of these big jetliners can simply fall out of the sky. The Brazilians are no saying that debris that was found in the search area is NOT from the downed Air France jet. A Comet Air crew reported seeing a white flash in the sky about the time the Air France jet disappeared. I do have problems with the idea that turbulence or even lightening can bring down a modern airliner. The French were too quick to blame the weather. The Brazilians have been too quick to say that it cannot be an explosion. Yesterday the Brazilians cited the fuel slick that was seen as evidence that it could not be an explosion arguing that if it were an explosion the fuel would have burned and would not be on the water surface. Trouble is the fuel slick appears to have nothing to do with AF447. 5 days on and we don't know where the plane went down, why it went down or where the debris is. All I know is that an awful lot of people would love to know what happened. ************************* On an airplane - it must simply be the need to be heard far across the other side of the airplane. ************************* Guide to
business in Thailand : 4 June 2009 Hemlock writing today on his Hong Kong website - "Upon setting foot in Macau, we are greeted by smart, smiling, uniformed young men and women who thrust glossy brochures into our hands, inviting us to the newly opened City of Dreams on the Cotai Strip. The project will cost US$2.4 billion. It will have a 420,000-square-foot casino, with more than 500 gambling tables. It will have a shopping mall full of yet more designer labels and brands. It will have ‘stylish bars and lounges’. It will have a domed multimedia theatre called The Bubble with a Chinese-themed show about dragons. It will have an electronic aquarium with digital fish. It will have three hotels, including a Hard Rock, displaying a Bob Dylan fedora, a Madonna bustier and a sequined jersey once worn by Jacky Cheung. The investors behind it are the sons of late Australian tycoon Kerry Packer and Macau’s gambling king Stanley Ho. It is only normal for the righteous and noble to be tempted to wish everlasting suffering upon those who profit from sleaze and misery, but if there is any one tacky, tawdry business venture I would dearly love to see collapse under a mountain of hubris, debt, financial losses and investigations by civilized countries’ regulatory authorities, this has to be it." Brilliant! ***************************** Asia Sentinel has this article by Kevin Hewison on why Prime Minister Abhisit's suggestion that political life is back to normal in Thailand really means a step backwards to the past. ****************************** "I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations – to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity." "It is easier to start wars than to end them. It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not just the easy path. There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religion – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoples – a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian, or Muslim or Jew. It's a belief that pulsed in the cradle of civilisation, and that still beats in the heart of billions. It's a faith in other people, and it's what brought me here today." The difference between Obama and so many before him is that he genuinely believes this and hopes that others share his view of a changed world. 3 June 2009 There are some real issues around property purchases in Dubai. The Dubai government suggests that this is the foreign media slinging bricks at Dubai - simply looking for and creating bad news; I wonder; no smoke without fire is usually a truism. This story in the Independent is one such example. Always seems to me that being transparent with the facts is better than a ignoring the issue. **************************** Air France has a duty to the bereaved and to the industry to be tireless in helping find a solution. As it is the airline has a slightly worrying record with the only complete hull loss of Concorde in commercial service at CDG; the only complete hull loss of A340 in commercial service (YYZ) and the only complete hull loss of A330 in commercial service. 2 June 2009 2 days away from the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Chinese cyber police are doing all they can to stop online discussion - blocked now in China are: Youtube, Blogspot, Tumblr, Hotmail, Livejournal, Xanga, Wordpress, Friendfeed, Flickr, Microsoft's Live.com and Twitter. Even Microsoft's new Bing.com is also blocked - Google seems to survive - presumably because they filter sensitive searches on google.cn.
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1 June 2009 The red shirts will gather again at the end of the month; This from The Nation newspaper: "Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, a leader of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, said his group will stage the first rally from June 21-24 at Sanam Luang. They will organise a merit-making ceremony for those who died in the fight for democracy. The rally on June 27 will be held to oust the government." ******************************
That's tough - maybe a couple of hours sleep and then a 12 hour shift. There were 3 grade one girls on standby at 10.00pm. One got called for Osaka; one for Singapore/Brisbane and one for a turnaround to Male. Poor Tai. That is the shortest of short straws. It has not been a good month. Hard to stay motivated. Male airport looks inviting !
Lunch at Shakespeare Cafe in the Old Town souk yesterday. Tai's pasta looked good until she came across what looked like a cremated bug. The waiter took the plate to the kitchen. The manager assured us that it really was the husks of the pepper seeds that they used for cooking. Perhaps the least convincing explanation that he could come up with. To their credit they did not charge for it. 29 May 2009 Flu update - this is from a notice given to all Emirates crew: "Not-so-effective are measures such as airport thermal scanning and community use of face masks. Public officials hope that thermal scanners will detect people with flu and prevent import of the virus, and that use of face masks by airport workers will prevent them getting infected. While these methods enjoy high visibility and public approval, they are of no use in stopping the dissemination of influenza viruses and do not ensure the safety of passengers or workers in airport facilities. Influenza viruses can be shed from the airways of an infected person for 24 hours prior to the first onset of symptoms – when they are not even aware that they are sick." Tell that to certain Asian governments who are contributing to the paranoia. ***************************** ****************************** Romance and Coca Cola dont normally appear in the same sentence! 28 May 2009 So cute!
26 May 2009 Tai was on 8pm standby last night and was called out to Jakarta on the 4.15am departure; and as economy crew. Tough trip. Means she will not be home until midnight on Wednesday so we both miss spending my birthday together again. I had lunch today with our friends Edward and Sarawan and their one month old baby girl, Penelope! Penny had a great lunch - she eats and sleeps and is a very content baby! Very cute; and they make a truly special family. 25 May 2009 It is good to be back in Bangkok - though feel a bit strange being here on my own. Wish I had my golf clubs with me. I did see Alex in a very wet Hong Kong on Saturday. We had a nice lunch and a long visit to Starbucks. I enjoy listening to him! And it was a quiet flight from HKG down to Bangkok on Saturday night. 22 May 2009 So the Thais arrest a British man accused of fraud in Dubai and wanted by the UAE police. They intend to assist in his extradition to the UAE. There must be something that the Thai authorities want in return. Mr. Thaksin. And I am sure the arrest and extradition of Mr. T would speed the extradition of Mr. Smith from Bangkok. ************************** ************************** Its not even 11am Dubai time and I have already had a gin and tonic. That is rare. Must be a holiday! Or an airplane! 21 May 2009 Can it really be true that Aussies are even less popular as tourists than the Brits?: Mr. Bhuritt Maswongssa, vice-president of the Phuket Tourist Association, interviewed in today's Matichon newspaper about the Annice Smoel case, said that "Australian tourists are prone to behave in a rowdy manner when they have been drinking, frequently get into arguments and fights, often destroy belongings in hotels and shops so that the owners of those businesses have been forced to charge for the damage on many occasions." 20 May 2009 The Gulf News is such a shocker of a newspaper - and this headline from today's business section is a fine example of quality sub editing at its best: 'Investors are attracted by returns' How about the following - some are real from the last week; some are what I imagine the GN can come up with: - Dubai to push ahead with plans ************************ A Dubai-based laborer from the Indian Sub-Continent Sudakhar Golem, a 24-year-old construction worker, is one of the people highlighted in a new advertising campaign for Emirates Airline called “Meet Dubai.” He tells Emirates passengers in the Open Skies magazine that "We have fixed hours, a time for lunch and breaks, and a time to finish work. Working with people from other cultures has taught me a lot.” That's it then; forget the issues raised by the BBC or by Human Rights Watch. This guy has a specific time for lunch and breaks. So he’s not exploited. In its new campaign Emirates says that it is “inviting existing and new visitors to discover an arguably overlooked aspect of Dubai’s amazing story - its residents.” Sure - I can see the arriving tourist hordes flooding out of their 5 star hotels in search of Mr. Golem in accommodation that is still officially called a labour camp. Surely there is more to Dubai's amazing story than the fact that a labourer gets a lunch break? Is life in Dubai now amazing because his company follows the law? *************************** "Moreover, Newin Chidchob, the head of the Phum Jai Thai party, has a chance to upgrade himself from being a manager of a shadow government to be a shadow Prime Minister, who has as much power as the real Prime Minister." Strange how different rules apply to different people - Newin was banned from politics for five years? 19 May 2009 Walk into lounge where Tai is ransacking a very full rubbish bin - filled mainly with old newspapers and magazines - no recycling here. What are you looking for hon? Nothing. Then why are you rummaging through the garbage. Why does anyone go through the garbage looking for nothing !? Strange. ***************************** Or complete the purchase of executive towers and rent it out.....? I really dont know what is the best solution. *********************** flydubai has always been described as being independent of Emirates but in this quote from Gulf News the company Chairman describes Emirates as the "parent company". Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation
Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, the parent company of
flydubai, said during the unveiling of the new aircraft, that since the
country relies heavily on air transport, it is important for Dubai to have
its own low-cost carrier. Tai is on 4pm standby tomorrow. I wonder if anyone has ever had three Hyderabad turnarounds in a row. It could happen. The standby month really is not much fun. Cannot plan anything. My previous employer appears to have finally paid my gratuity on severance. I will write about all of this one day. I have always believed in treating people with integrity and decency. Treat people in the manner that you would want to be treated yourself. Sadly not everyone shares this approach. 15 May 2009 For anyone thinking of travelling in the next two weeks to Hong Kong please do not forget the 4 June candlelit vigil in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Candlelight Vigil for the 20th Anniversary of June 4
***************************** Just more evidence of Chinese influence in Africa - in particular with some of the more unpleasant African regimes. 14 May 2009 Had dinner by Dubai Mall tonight and saw the new water fountains for the first time. Impressive. But each show is only a few minutes long. With a show every 20 minutes. The novelty would wear off quickly - but it is fun to see for the first time. Pictures to follow. ******************************* Nakheel, the state-owned developer of
the emirate's palm-shaped islands, is to offer consultants and contractors
just 65 percent of the money it owes them, a magazine said on Wednesday.
"One of the offers on the table is for firms to get 65 percent of their consultancy fees, with the understanding that in doing so, they waive their legal rights (to further payment)," said Nelson Ogunshakin, chief executive for Association for Consultancy and Engineering. So a Dubai government owned enterprise contracts in good faith for services; delays and delays payment; and then offers 65%. Why would anyone do business here again? ********************************* ********************************** Seafood that is not fresh. Pasta that is overcooked and tasteless. Tables that are covered in dust/grime. And way too pricey for average food. ********************************** That's the answer. Get Trump to sort them out. Laughable now - as they queue up to repay the taxpayer that they have milked. ********************************** 13 May 2009 The UK government expenses scandal continues - but it has become so depressing that I dont want to report it! From Gordon Brown and his Cabinet to backbenchers of all parties - these MPs have exploited the system of parliamentary allowances to subsidise their lifestyles and multiple homes. They have not served the people - they have served themselves. We should not be surprised at their greed. We should be surprised only that no one has resigned and that no one has been prosecuted. 12 May 2009 For anyone who cares about Thailand the linked opinion piece from the Sydney Morning Herald is a thoughtful read. It was written by the Herald's international editor. For obvious reasons it is unwise to republish it or to comment upon it. Read it yourself here. The writer's concluding line indicates the theme: "Thailand is turning into just another sad, broken autocracy. The smile has become a grimace." 11 May 2009 Fly Dubai has now added Alexandria and Damascus to its route network starting in June. ******************************* ******************************** Hong Kong's Court of Appeal condemned as "nothing less than dishonesty"
the voting on a $2.1 billion scuttled deal to take private the city's
biggest telecom operator, PCCW. 9 May 2009 Very home should have one -Mashamaro is a
tiny 19g MP3 player with 2GB of storage and light-up ears that act as a
five-way controller: maybe the ears vibrate as well. *************************************** *************************************** "Thai politics is often criticised for being
dominated by small, self-serving cliques of businessmen and generals. Both
these movements want to move beyond. ********************************* As former Army Secretary Louis Caldera took the fall for the flyover, the White House released the findings of an internal investigation that portrayed him as out of the loop in a cycle of missed messages and questionable judgments as plans for the photo shoot proceeded."
8 May 2009 My nightmare - on a recent Emirates flight a passenger informed
the crew that he had seen a snake in the 7 May 2009 Really bad night last night. Tai was home. That was good. But had a really bad stomach ache and I hardly slept all night. Had to cancel a meeting today. Dont think it is anything serious but not good. ************************* Onions makes Windies cry The trouble with this test match is that after it started on a Wednesday it will be all over before the weekend. Unless it rains on Friday it will be all over. ************************* But UEFA had appointed an inexperienced referee and he looks a little out of his depth; too scared to give the critical decisions. That said, Chelsea were playing against 10 men; they needed a second goal to be safe; did not get it; and were there own worst enemy at the end. They gave away the ball and Barcelona scored. Drogba's reputation does not help. He does fall over far too easily for a big man. Chelsea's behaviour after the game was appalling. And any sympathy rapidly disappears when you see the abuse hurled by Drogba and Ballack at the referee. Chelsea are talking conspiracy; that UEFA did not want an all English final again. They only had to score a second goal against ten men. They did not. Barcelona were given one shot on goal; and in the 93rd minute. Game over. Chelsea will get a large fine. Drogba a long ban. I would be happy to see UEFA ban Chelsea from next year's UEFA championship. Now that would be a lesson. 6 May 2009 "My friend is my enemy in Thailand"http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KE07Ae02.html--- Shawn Crispin in Asia Times. Interesting and complex read. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KE07Ae02.html ******************************* This is what a modern city state does to it's people - "The sorry state of men's sport in Singapore was thrown into sharp focus when organisers failed to honour a Sportsman of the Year for the first time since the nation's annual awards began more than 40 years ago." Meanwhile a ten pin bowler won Sportswoman of the Year. How on earth is 10 pin bowling a sport. Played indoors usually accompanied by booze and disco music ! A pastime maybe - a sport ???? Something missing in the Singaporean education system? 6 May 2009 Flydubai has revealed that is planning to have from 12-16 routes on its network by the end of the year, according to media reports. The airline will have eight airplanes by year end - a further 8 to be delivered next year. ***************************** 4 May 2009 Star Wars Day - May the Fourth be with you. I know - I say that every year..... ****************************** Today's experience went like this. "Thank you for calling....................travel services. This call may be recorded for quality control purposes......Thank you for calling....................travel services. This call may be recorded for quality control purposes.....No selection has been made....Thank you for calling ....................travel services. Goodbye" Very x-files - am I supposed to get some sort of subliminal message of the menu........very weird. Waste of time that was. 3 May 2009 Footie watch: Streuth - Newcastle are such a poor side. They cannot defend; they have no commitment; and they scored once in the last five games. The Kop were telling Alan Shearer that he should have stayed on the telly (as a football pundit). Big city, great support, but the players have given up - Shearer looks less like the saviour and more like the undertaker. Let them go down! 2 May 2009 The big question, gentle reader, is how do people live alone without going mad. Tai is away. I don't sleep well when she is away. I have not left the apartment all day. I have talked to her twice at her hotel in Singapore and that is my only conversation today, except with myself. I cooked - something quick and simple. The sink is full of washing up that I don't want to do! I opened a cheap bottle of wine. Two glasses later I know I should not have any more or I will have a headache in the morning. Watched football on TV. Stare out of the window at my building site and today's sandstorm. And that is my day. There must be more to life than this! ******************************* ******************************** The media seem to want a global crisis. It really is 24/7 coverage on all the TV networks. And it is this coverage that can cause undue fear, even panic. Even sneezing in public is dangerous now! 1 May 2009 Tai has a Singapore-Brisbane flight on Friday night/Saturday morning. This is the beginning of her standby month so it is probably better to have a rostered flight than a standby. ******************************** But Thaksin must haunt the corridors of government. The latest announcement from the Bangkok Post is that "monitoring of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's phone and video broadcasts to his supporters in Thailand shows he has broken law on 16 occasions, prime minister's spokesman Thepthai Senpong said Wednesday." "Mr Thepthai accused Thaksin of defaming the government several times and of telling lies, like saying that he was not behind the red-shirt movement." ********************************** This investigation has barely started to address the human factors.
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