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
Now In Dubai:
Scott
Consulting
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:
ForeignPolicy
Nationsonline.org
Project Syndicate
Amnesty International
Reporters w/o borders
The Guardian
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
Back in the UK:
Newton Ferrers
And for fun:
Lin Ping live panda tv
EarthCam
History
BBC Archive
National Media
Museum
The British Library
Imperial War Museum
There are many other links on my AOB blog page.
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Dubai based Airine bloggers
TampaxTowers Egypt Thailand Blogs Thai-blogs.com - rather serious
2bangkok.com
- not really a blog but always up to date
on Bangkok news
Thai
Girl The exotic adventures of a literary
sexagenarian.
Thai
Films
Asia Unbound -
CFR
Dubai Blogs
dxbae
- picture blog - also Gerald Donovan
The Gulf Blog
Grumpy
Goat Arabic affairs blogs
The Arabist
Hong Kong Blogs In China: Danwei - media and advertising news from China
Shanghaiist.com
Hong Kong Cinemagic
In Singapore: Xiaxue - self-confessed mean, bitchy, sex goddess who says "wah" a lot!
Mr Brown
- colourful commentary from Singapore
In Burma:
In Canada:
Media:
Tabloid
Watch (UK) 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
Sharjah -
1937
Johnny Jet News: The Guardian - UK
Arabian
Business Bangkok info sites: Worthy Sites:
Rconversation - from Rebecca
MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger.
Golf Sites:
Fun Sites:
Fun signs
Cooking
Technology Ideas:
Stuff -
gadgets
TNooz - Travel Tech
Photography
The Rest:
Black
Flamingo - recipes and life (no golf!)
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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5 January 2012 China & Russia will use their veto power against UN resolution on Syria. When there is a regime change in Syria - as there inevitably will be - the Syrian people will remember those that helped them and will resent those that supported Assad's vicious regime....
3 February 2012 Hungarian flag carrier Malév has been grounded after almost 66 years of operations. The airline's board has decided to order the grounding. Ryanair is to open a new four aircraft base at Budapest Airport from 17FEB12 following the collapse of Malev earlier today. Wizz Air will increase Budapest-based fleet from three to five aircraft and increase weekly flights from 67 to 129 following Malev closure.
************************ So much for a five day test match - this could almost be all over by tomorrow night - it certainly wont go past three days.
************************* 2 February 2012 Simple twitter guide : Do be useful. Do be novel. Do be compelling. Do not, under any circumstances, be boring.
************************* "Kasetsart University. Time flies, almost 5 years+ since I graduate. Thank you for the best educations!!!" English grammar was not on the curriculum ! 1 February 2012
Emirates still appears to be struggling
to define its social media roles - after months of recruitment there is
another job advertisement placed yesterday for a social media controller: At the moment Emirates has no official twitter or facebook account. 31 January 2012 Latest Emirates rumour is that the airline is also expected to introduce flights to Chicago and Taipei during the second half of 2012 and announcements confirming these two new routes are expected in the coming weeks.
************************ 29 January 2012 Thongchai Jaidee failed to make the cut in the Abu Dhabi HSBC golf - with opening rounds of 78 and 69....lets hope he brings his better for to Dubai in two weeks time.
*************************** Should be great fun. No idea who I am caddying for or who we will be playing with. 26 January 2012 This was never a good idea in the first place: "In a four-month period where Dubai police offered 30 per cent to 40 per cent discounts on payment of traffic fines, road fatalities rose by 28 per cent on the previous year. “When we reduced traffic fines, many people saw it as an opportunity to commit more traffic offences, and they came to think that we did not care,” Dubai’s traffic chief told Abu Dhabi daily The National – vowing not to offer the discounts again."
****************************** Given that their LP "One of these nights" was one of my first four records ever - and that was while I was at school these guys are getting on a bit !
****************************** The walk across the Burj Khalifa metro to the start line at the pavilion is long - and through the downtown building site. So you walk a marathon before you run a marathon!
**************************** The early departure time has been dictated by increasing congestion issues in the early departure bank. Note that the airplane then sits in Barcelona for over four hours. Again the late return is probably to avoid adding to the midnight congestion.
EK is also adding a second daily Madrid
flight from July 01. Both MAD flights to operate with B77W: the two daily
flights are: 25 January 2012 I got my worst ever thumping in the golf course today - in 40 years. Truly awful. 9 and 8. I could not even hold the putter for the first ten holes. I three-putted the first hole from 5 feet including missing from 9 unches. It was horrible. And however good the rest of the game is when you cant even hold the putter it is miserably demoralising.
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************************ Well done Abu Dhabi - there was more flesh on show at Dubai#s cricket ground than there is at Jumairah Beach - and it was not attractive.
************************* 24 January 2012 Great headline: "British Singer Bryan Ferry, 66, Weds Son's Ex-Girlfriend, 29" Bryan Ferry, 66, and former publicist Amanda Sheppard, 29, were married earlier this month in an island ceremony at the Amanyara resort on the Turks and Caicos.
Sheppard, who is 37 years Ferry's
junior, was briefly involved with the singer's son Isaac Ferry, now 26,
before hooking up with Dad. The ultimate out of touch US Presidential candidate: The median gross income in the USA in 2010 was $33,048. Mitt Romney makes that in a day.
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************************** He set up an undisclosed Monaco bank account using the name of his dog and had his bung money (share of the gain on transfer fees) paid into this account and not declared to the inland revenue. Naughty boy. Now he cannot be the only high profile sports person to have done something like that but his problem is that he was caught and today is the second day of his two week trial. It will be very interesting to know what his defence is.
*************************** 23 January 2012
More on the
Concordia: CEO does not have a clue or is being deliberately evasive.
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************************** He is right - it is hard to know why some people stay on twitter given the abuse that the get - I see some of the messages directed at Michael Vaughan - ex England captain and at David Lloyd. They are vicious. Sadly most of them come from India and they are full of hate; not of reasoned debate. And these are messages from people who will never have the talent or credibility of the people that they are abusing. They must get some sort of ego boost from being able to send vileness to sports celebrities. Very unpleasant.
***************************** HS-KOA is their sole 767-200. Another hopeless Thai outfit following in a near fraudulent tradition of cheap, failed carriers - such as Thai Pacific and Phuket Air. Sunny was due to start flying last May; then it was August. According to PPRUNE the company "employed" three highly experienced ex-VIVA MACAU Captains to set up manuals etc etc for issue of AOC by Thai DCA, then after all the work was done, were "dumped" without being paid a cent!. The Thai DCA needs to better regulate some of these dubious operators - they harm the country. 22 January 2012
"Balotelli has
kicked Scott Parker in the head purposely. He's back-heeled him in the
head. I don't know why you would do that on a football pitch. It's there
for everybody to see."
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************************ The Festival City sit was large but was on the top floor of the mall with no passing footfall. SIgn of the times. 21 January 2012 There is a q and a with Watford's owner in this week's Watford Observer. This question and answer hardly fills the fans with confidence: Q: Where did you, and do you acquire, your financial resources from to purchase the club and continue your financial support for the club? A: That's a private matter. It's my money. And this is interesting:
Q:
What is your biggest surprise since taking over at Watford? - Adrian
Patterson Is he just another one making a buck?
***************************** If you are in the Aussie tourism and MICE business then this is a number that you need to think about ! 19 January 2012 Update on the Costa Concordia: Eleven passengers and crew are known to have died, and 21 are still not accounted for. The captain remains under house arrest.
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18 January 2012 England were badly beaten by Pakistan today - by 10 wickets and in three days. Here is the Guardian report on today's play. And a note from the OBO which sums the match up neatly: "As depressing as the result is for an English supporter," writes Peter Davies. "The world is very much a better place with a Pakistan team playing with such an attractive combination of flair and focus. Their fans have had a lot to deal with recently, so hats off all round." 16 January 2012 Tai is making her debut in Dublin tonight - be nice to her. It did mean a 4.15am start today - and an excuse to visit Dubai Creek before dawn. Cool, quiet, very different.
************************ This is presumably the same suspect that was reported as not being charged and was to be deported a couple of days ago. There has not yet been one convincing coherent or clear statement from the Thai government and police. Now the Thai authorities are upset with the US Embassy for raising what the Thais argue was a false and damaging alarm. There are even protests planned for outside the US Embassy. I am sorry for my almost adopted country - but I would take a warning from the US Embassy as being far more reliable than any statement from Thai officials all seeking either to save face or earn favour.
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Best Miniseries or
Movie: “Downton Abbey (Masterpiece),” PBS.
This makes no sense:
************************** A real BKK mess - now Thai police urged residents to look for a suspect of Middle-eastern origin on Khao Sarn Road, Rambutri Road and Sukhumvit Soi 22. They will be arresting thousands..... Weirder and weirder. And they arent looking for suspects on Sukhumvit soi 3 and 5
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EK will accepted 11
A380 deliveries in 2012. The registration numbers are A6-EDU,V,W,X,Y,Z
and A6-EEA,B,C,D,E.
On 24th February
EK takes its 21st A380 - A6-EDU...this
will be used for the fourth daily LHR
A380 (25th March) Taking the long view, however, America has benefited from electing dull leaders. They have provided the unbroken political stability that inspired generations to immigrate, improvise, invest and invent, creating a resilient, productive and optimistic society. Perhaps eventually a candidate will glimpse this truth and campaign on the genuinely conservative promise of stability, incremental change, and conformity. But don’t look for such wisdom from any of this year’s crowd of Republican hopefuls; they just don’t have the imagination for it. The full article is here. 11 January 2012 Independence for Scotland - the Scottish first minister wants a vote in 2014 to coincide with the feel good factor generated by events such as the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn. And why not. Lets the Scots decide whether they want to be a part of the United Kingdom or not -at the moment it is looking like an UnUnited Kingdom - if the Scots go the Welsh should do the same thing. And maybe even a United Ireland - heresy for many.
There are, of
course, serious issues here, The Guardian quotes Professor Robert Hazell
of University College London,
10 January 2012 First entry from the new laptop - another Dell - this time the XPS-15Z. Bought with the help of my 14 year old technical support guru. But transferring files from a three year old laptop to the new one takes forever - and is a mix of trial and error and occasional brilliance; coupled with mood swings that go from depressed frustration to relief and occasional elation. 7 January 2012 Wonderful fictional advertising from the Eon Group More problems at Anfield after an Oldham player was viciously abused by a fan last night: one writer summed up the thoughts of many: "This is what happens when the leadership of an organisation condones racist behaviour from its employees. Despite the excellent work of organisations like Kick It Out there still exists an undercurrent of racism in England. The management of Liverpool and their promotion of tribal behaviour to defend their striker has created the environment for this to thrive. Liverpool FC - once a great club - now a globally damaged brand."
*************************** 6 January 2012
Problems ahead for Cathay Pacific? Hong
Kong Airlines Ltd has confirmed its order for 10 double decker Airbus A380
jets, valued at about $38 billion at list prices. *************************** TAN network reports that Gen Sonthi Boonyaratklin, as chairman of the House reconciliation committee, meets with leaders of all political parties. Isnt it just a little strange that the man who led the 2006 coup is now leading a reconciliation committee? The Race to Dubai bonus pool available to Europe's top golfers has been halved to $3.75m for the 2012 season, it has been announced.
***************************** Which may explain why some of Europe's best golfers are committing to the US Tour in 2012 - including Donald, McIlroy and Westwood. Add to that Nakheel has still to pay some of its debts from the inaugural 2010 event! It maybe that the European Tour is losing some of its shine. 5 January 2012 flydubai yesterday (04JAN12)
announced it’ll be launching 7th route to Saudi Arabia, where it’ll
operate Dubai – Taif service 3 times a week, with Boeing 737-800 aircraft. ************************** A certain fitness club in Dubai was blasted by users on social media sites Twitter and Facebook after posting an image of the Auschwitz death camp with the slogan; ‘Kiss your calories goodbye.’ "If it caused offense it was not our intention" said the owner. So much for a complete and full apology. Of course it caused offence. And I am sure it was intended to. As I said, idiot. 4 January 2012 At the risk of stating the obvious imagine the outcry if this story was the other way around....
Dubai jockey killed toddler after forgetting which side of road to drive
on Facebook note from a crew member on a certain Middle East airline - "Off to xxx before starting my leave, feel like my body is tearing apart, working with cold and flu for 7 days in a row is killing me!" In any normal job the staff would just call in sick. But the fear factor at this airline is such that staff believe disciplinary action, real or implied, is more likely than a get well soon card. And that is wrong. The last thing passengers need is sick crew coughing all over them. ************************* ************************* ************************** Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, were found guilty of murder on Tuesday by a jury at the Old Bailey. The pair were part of a group of
five white men who were suspected just hours after the murder in 1993, but
had escaped justice through police failings and because some witnesses
were too scared to come forward. ************************ ************************* Dubai realty in recovery mode with
sales rising 20% in 2011 - gulfnews.com ************************* This is not even an A or B list - I have never heard of any of them - sorry. Sadly it seems Dubai is going back to the days of hype and excess. When a little honesty and reality makes the place so much more credible. 2 January 2012 The FA's 115 page report on Luis Suárez's racial abuse of Patrick Evra should thoroughly embarrass Liverpool Football Club and their head in the sand defence of Suarez. Wearing t-shirts in support of Suarez simply condoned his abuse. Foolish. Any Liverpool appeal would be very misguided. The report is 115 pages. It was prepared by an independent QC led committee which made it very clear that Suarez was a less than credible witness. ************************* 1 January 2012 Welcome to a new year - and remarkably the 11th year of this blog. To start of the year - have a look at this link from Gerald Donavan who took a timelapse of the New Year's Eve traffic from our balcony last night. ***************************** ***************************** |
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