Welcome to rascott.com
This is a
personal site that reflects my interests in news,
current affairs, aviation and travel.
email me:
robert@rascott.com
rascott.com
Home Page
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
World News
WSJ - Asia
SCMP
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:
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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An Occasional Blog
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Dubai based Airine bloggers
TampaxTowers
Egypt Thailand Blogs 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
Thai Mass Transit Systems Asia Unbound -
CFR
Dubai Blogs
dxbae
- picture blog
Al - Emarati - English language UAE blog
Grumpy
Goat
Arabic affairs blogs
The Arabist
Hong Kong Blogs In China: Danwei - media and advertising news from China
Shanghai
Diaries - self explanatory
Hong Kong Cinemagic
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
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 China sites: Bangkok info sites Worthy Sites:
Rconversation - from Rebecca
MacKinnon, ex-TV reporter-turned-blogger.
Golf Sites:
Fun Sites:
Penguin baseball
Technology Ideas:
Stuff -
gadgets
TNooz - Travel Tech
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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31 August 2011 Japan has its sixth Prime Minister in 5 years. Strange country. ************************ ************************ Gulf News: "The Dubai Police have
closed traffic on access roads around Dubai Mall on Wednesday night to
ease congestion. Err - lots of cars might be the reason ! 30 August 2011 Things I hate to do on any day - and this was meant to be a holiday - ironing ! ************************** Hurricane Irene: on its way through Washington: KDCA 280454Z 36036G50KT 3SM RA BKN021 BKN034 OVC055 23/20 A2915 KDCA is Reagan National in
Washington. ******************************** 26 August 2011 Back in Dubai - a bit sooner than expected. My golfing plans got terminated so that I could come home and sit in the apartment on my own all day. Great. 23 August 2011 Earthquake in the USA tonight in Virginia - shallow 5.8 quake but still the largest recorded in state since a 5.9 earthquake on May 5, 1897, and felt as far away as Toronto. ********************** 18 August 2011 There is nothing like arriving in a foreign land and getting 7 messages from Etisalat before you have even left customs. Big sign at the luggage carousel in Bangkok saying that counterfeit goods may not be imported. Presumably because Thailand has enough of those already. 15 August 2011 Wow: Google Inc said it will buy Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc for about $12.5 billion in cash in a move to bolster the adoption of its Android mobile phone software. ********************** And he won in a 3 hole play-off after a triple bogey on the 15th in regulation play. *********************** 14 August 2011 Abu Dhabi's National newspaper managed to offend just about everyone in the UAE today with this grossly tasteless headline: "Pigs and Christians are key to solving Cairo's growing rubbish problems" The outcry was such that the headline was amended online to: "As Cairo’s rubbish grows, residents lament decline of street collectors" The trouble is that it cannot be changed in the print edition. ***************************** 12 August 2011 Why are the Indian cricket team - until this summer the no 1 team in test cricket quite so awful: They field like a very bad villages side; their bowling is average at best; their wonderful batting line up has failed; their wicket keeping is awful; the team spirit none existent. Sehwag wandering off the pitch before the end of the day because he looked tired and/or bored said it all. And then Sehwag comes back today for a King Pair! As England declare at 710 for 6 after Cook makes 294. Maybe there is simply too much money in the IPL and one day cricket. Because this Indian team seems to have zero interest or aptitude for the five day game. ************************* No surprises there. But proof if ever it was needed that the Democrats would use any tactic to undermine Puea Thai and the red shirts. ****************************** ****************************** 11 August 2011 Favorite email of the day: Very Cheesey! **************************** Exactly. BBC documentary for the This World
series; Fergal Keane reporting on Thailand - Justice Under Fire (4 parts)
*********************** Love me, I'm a looter. Smart and intelligent commentary. *********************** *********************** ************************* Latest - The Independent Police
Complaints Commission has just announced that there is no evidence that
Mark Duggan opened fire at police officers before he was shot dead,
according to ballistic test results, reports the Press Association. Then they interview a nice white policeman. As for the other side of the story - forget it. Instead we get image after horrible image and calls for looters to be flogged or shot or worse. The trouble is both sides are extreme. But the UK media has no interest in taking the hard road of finding out why this is happening. ********************* ********************* "If we call in the British Army to stop the #LondonRiots, they would not even have to kill anyone- a few dozen broken skulls disperse the lot" Would not solve anything; just creates a bigger problem. Meanwhile Roger Helmer MEP tweets: "Memo to COBRA: Time to get tough. Bring in the Army. Shoot looters and arsonists on sight." Idiot - all expenses paid European bureaucrat. First thing to do would be to dissolve the European parliament - and spend the money domestically. ******************* ******************* ******************* This is not violence for a cause - it is simple lawlessness. ******************** ********************* Champions: Manchester United Relegated: Norwich, Swansea and Aston Villa. Promoted from the Championship (honestly - who knows - this is the hardest division of all to get out of - upwards at least) - Leicester City, Leeds and Ipswich in that order. Ipswich through the play-offs. Come back here in May and see whether I am even close. 8 August 2011 Note to HBO - please do not kill off Jessica.... ********************* These latest riots could simmer for months - and could spread to other London suburbs and other inner cities. *********************** According to Anussorn, Yingluck's rule No1 is she's always right. Her rule No2 is, if she's wrong, he must refer to rule No1. Sounds so familiar. ************************* ************************* 5 August 2011 Airline fares sometimes make no sense: try this example. 6 August - Cathay Pacific one way to Hong Kong - on CX746 at 18.10pm - AED2,150 plus AED580 in tax for a total of AED 2,730. Meanwhile - 6 August - Cathay Pacific to Bangkok via Hong Kong - CX746 at 18.10pm connecting to CX 751. AED 470 plus AED 690 in tax for a total of AED 1,160. Very strange. **************************** Each flight is about a one hour trip - 6 return flight is 12 hours flying time; allow 30 minutes for each turnaround and you have an 18 hour day - start at 6am and finish at midnight. 4 August 2011 Tried to fly standby to Bangkok this morning. Failed miserably. The flights are heavily over-booked this week and no one got on either of this morning's flights. ******************************* ******************************* ***************************** "c) Overweight, balding Indian men
trying to chat up the n00bs in the galley Royals on a shoestring: Air passengers stunned as Kate and Wills settle into budget Flybe seats, while Harry goes EasyJet Dont imagine we will see the Thai royal family on Nok Air or One-Two-Go....unless all their airplanes are impounded! 2 August 2011 Stuart Kuttner, the public face of
the News of the World and its most vocal public defender for 22 years, has
been has been arrested by police investigating allegations of phone
hacking and of bribing police officers to leak sensitive information. That is 11 arrests to date - and
have to assume there are more to follow. If you have no idea what I am talking about then it is probably too late to start watching True Blood - cos it is awfully confusing ! 1 August 2011 Click the link for a detailed 3D reconstruction of the Flight 1549 Hudson landing. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tE_5eiYn0D0#t=109 Wonderful. ***************************** Honestly, the Indians look tired, aged and poor. The bowling attack is feeble. The wicketkeeping shabby...and the batting too dependent on the three great and ageing batsmen, Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman. 31 July 2011 The Bangkok Post on Family Business. Says everything that you need to know about Thai politics... OK - try this: Bell was stupid. But the Indians could have just let it go. Kumar's shocking fielding and his sense that the ball had gone for 4 just added to the confusion. But once given out Bell was out and should not have returned. Now the moral high ground is with the Indians and that is always unlikely. But - imagine if the English had done the same to Tendulkar in Eden Gardens, Calcutta when he was 138 not out. There would have been half a billion people outside the British Embassy protesting.... **************************** **************************** *************************** Souq.com's deal of the day: Dh2,199 for a BlackBerry Torch 9800 worth Dh2,199. Save 27%! Err - maths may not be their strong point ! *****************************
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2016 Brazil World Cup qualifying draw:
European teams: Group A
Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales Spain, the current world champions, were drawn in the same group as France. In Asia: teams play each other home
and away, with the top two from each group going through to two groups of
five. The top two of each of these groups will go to the finals, while the
two third-placed finishers will face off, with the winner of that taking
on the fifth-placed South America team for a place in Rio. ***************************
The UAE has confirmed the first day of the holy month of Ramadan will be Monday, August 1. Ramadan Kareem. 29 July 2011 The Dubai government has said that it won't bid for 2020 Olympic games - has "decided a bid would be better timed for 2024. Err - no money ! The government's media office claims that a feasibility study on Dubai’s capability for hosting Olympic Games shows that 70% of hard infrastructure needed is in place or planned. Planned is very different from in place. And we know that planned in Dubai does not equal reality. The airport and many of the hotels are there. But the stadium facilities. Not. I wonder when my last Olympics will be. By 2024 I will be well into my 60s....not so many left then! 28 July 2011 Nelson Graves, once of Reuters, on The Baron's web site, discussing changes in the markets division of Reuters: htis feels about right. "The Thomson family is clearly not happy with the results of the Markets Division. They have fired the chief and key members of his team, and put the group CEO in charge. This shows there is no clear successor and the changes were made in relative haste. The Markets Division in many ways is exReuters – Glocer must be swallowing hard, and possibly looking afield. He probably has max one year to turn things around. Meanwhile, Editorial seems to be putting lots of eggs in the US media basket. Anyone's guess why. If I were an investor, I'd be worried. Hold on, I am an investor!" *****************************
Debuting on September 25th on ABC in
the USA : "Pan Am" is a television series centered around the iconic
airline Pan American World Airways during the 1960s. The period drama,
from former ER writer Jack Orman, will focus on the pilots and flight
attendants working for the world-famous airline in 1963. Should be fun! 26 July 2011 The Thai media has out such a spin on the story behind the impounded Thai government 737 currently sitting in Munich that the German Embassy in Bangkok has had to issue its own clarifying press release. 25 July 2011 Do read Charlie Brooker's very strong article for the Guardian/Observor on the media's coverage of the bomb and shootings in Norway. Says it all. The news coverage of the Norway mass-killings was fact-free conjecture. ************************* Credit to the Bangkok Post for pursuing the story. 24 July 2011 I have avoided writing or commenting on the tragic and unnecessary shootings in Norway. There is little that anyone can add to the expressions of sorrow and sympathy. The combined death toll from the
bombing in Oslo and shooting on the island of Utøya has risen to 93.
Around 97 people suffered injuries. How badly did the media react - Media Reacts to News That Norwegian Terror Suspect Isn't Muslim Shameful - but also an indication of just how the post 9/11 world behaves even ten years after the event. *************************** **************************** In the usual Chinese way it is unlikely that the truth of this accident will be revealed. The bullet trains are high profile national infrastructure projects and a matter of national pride. That has been badly dented. 22 July 2011 More twitter silliness: this time cricket movies: The Umpire Strikes Back You get the idea ! ****************************** There are too many days when the only person I talk to is myself. ******************************* Did have brunch yesterday with two happy couples - EK crew and their significant others - good to see old friends who are settled, well and happy. Things do work out - sometimes it takes time; but they do. ******************************** To get all the background you need to read the Guardian article on the subject. In one corner James Murdoch who says he never saw the email and in the other corner the ex editor and legal counsel of the NOTW who have basically accused James Murdoch of lying to the parliamentary sub-committee. This could really blow up next week. ************************* Assume no first class and ten across in Economy - oops - just like that other long haul LCC - Emirates! 21 July 2011 "I bet when Rupert Murdoch was 38, he had no idea there was a baby somewhere called Wendi who would one day save his life." - Jon Stewart 20 July 2011 Fox TV's autumn line-up includes : Embarrassing Dads Say the Darndest Things, and Are You Smarter Than A Selectively Deaf Media Mogul? The editor of the Indpendent calls this about right today: "one of the least edifying spectacles of this saga has been the willingness of politicians (largely on the Labour side) who have spent a large part of their careers dancing to Rupert Murdoch's tune (or "greasing up" in Neil Kinnock's memorable phrase) to queue up to express their disgust at the old man's ways, and their distaste for his lieutenants." This whole sorry saga did not start recently - it started decades ago. Maureen Dowd in the New York Times: His most revealing moment was when
he volunteered his admiration of Singapore, calling it the most “open and
clear society in the world.” Its leaders are so lavishly paid, he said,
that “there’s no temptation, and it is the cleanest society you’d find
anywhere.” 19 July 2011 And in a simple summary of the Murdochs' testimony to a parliamentary committee today: "We weren't involved, weren't there, didn't know, nobody told us, sorry." 18 July 2011 The Daily Mail on Darren Clarke - "that is what makes him a perfect people's Open champion. A noble underdog. Tick. A triumph over adversity. Tick. A decent man. Tick. One of the chaps. Tick. He says he is enrolling in Weight Watchers tomorrow, but will probably lose interest after a week and will go to Killarney for the Irish Open, but cannot guarantee being sober. Everyone in the room lapped up this cordial normality. Just like us, we thought. Just like us, if we were really, really good at golf." ************************ Did he suddenly become better than 81 golfers by virtue of that win - or did he just become better off than those 81 golfers? 17 July 2011 Emirates flights to Frankfurt will increase to 18 weekly from 31 October 2011, and then 21 weekly (3x daily) as originally scheduled from 1 December 2011. ************************ Just as a note it was also Peter Allis' 50th anniversary of tv commentary at the Open. That is a pretty remarkable broadcasting achievement. Was a little sad to hear McIlroy complaining that a golf tournament should not be decided by the luck of the draw and the weather than you play in. His first three rounds were all played with Ricky Fowler who incidentally finished fourth and looked like a serious challenger at the start of the final round. Rory was also outplayed in the final round by Sergio Garcia. McIlroy grew up as a links golfer; the weather is part of links golf. Me thinks he will start to play more golf on the USA tour. Sadly his comments sound like he has already given up on the British Open - one links tournament a year is not worth changing his game for he said. Adding that he liked playing in windless 80F weather. No wonder he likes the Dubai Masters. But the golfers that will also be remembered are those that can work there way around a links course manufacturing shots in the worst weather. Tom Watson won 5 (almost 6) Opens. That is greatness. 16 July 2011 If there is any evidence that the News of the World and or News International were hacking into the telephones of families of the 9/11 victims in the USA then Murdoch's US empire is dead in the water. Fox News would be pilloried. There are few sacred cows in the USA but anything and anyone connected with 9/11 is protected territory. ************************* ************************* ************************* Examples: Hacking is such sweet sorrow For never was a story of more woe/Than this of Murdoch and his CEO Murdoch most foul! Friends, Romans, countrymen; lend me your mobiles Is this a blagger I see before me? ************************ Jetstar will invest $500 million in a major boost to its Singapore hub that will see seven new aircraft based in the city state and the addition of 40 weekly flights. The airline announced it would add five Airbus A320s and two wide-body Airbus A330-200s, including one previously announced aircraft to service new flights to Beijing. ************************* No Harrington either. It is carnage out there today - brutal weather. The thing about Watson is that he just gets on with it. Chooses his club; has a look; hits it. He is playing today with Ricky Barnes who looks like he has never seen rain and wind ! Tom Watson at the tender age of 61 had a hole in one yesterday and is in contention again. He also played two rounds with the twenty year old English amateur, Tom Lewis, who was actually named after Tom Watson ! Tom major and Tom minor were great fun to watch. Other than golf is there any other sport where the master and servant relationship is so obvious ? Golfers should carry their own clubs... *************************** 14 July 2011 Bastille Day. Happy birthday Nooraine. And the opening day of the British Open - golf. Wish I had a golf swing like Luke Donald. Did play three games this week at Al Hamra - Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday - and when you start to play more often you can feel the game coming back. And when you make a mistake you can feel what you did and put it right. Tuesday was fearfully hot - must have been close to 50C and probably hotter than that in the desert hills by some of the fairways. 13 July 2011 Thai slang of the day: หน้าแหก /naa haek/ (lit. "split face"), as in spectacular loss of face. That's what is feels like when someone impounds your airplane! 10 July 2011 Michelle Wie will end her 2011
competitive season at Dubai in the final event of the year, said officials
at the Ladies European Tour. Good to see Michelle coming back to Dubai - but please this time - dont try to launch the tee shot over the trees at the 18th ! ******************************** ********************************* "The 'Amazing Thailand' Festival at
Dubai Outlet Mall is open to the public from 1 July till 31 July 2011 from
10am to 10pm on weekdays and 10am to 12 midnight on weekends; Showcasing
Thailand's unique attractions. The mall is decorated with DSS theme
combined with Thai style beautiful and vivid ornaments and lanterns and
visitors will get to experience Thai culture, entertainment, cuisine and
handicrafts with lots of exhibitors offering unique stuff to purchase. 8 July 2011 Here are the pictures from Canada Day in London from the official web site. 7 July 2011 The Nation has a survey today of Thai childrens' IQs which are said to be on average lower than the world's median of 100. But the Thai solution is not about
their appalling education system - instead Dr Apichai Mongkol of the
Mental Health Department said he believed insufficient iodine intake was
the main cause of the below-average IQs of children in these provinces.
Errrr - investing in education at every level of a child's development may be a better start. 6 July 2011 The Nation has not got much right about the Thai election but this quote is one irony worth highlighting - and it tells you all you need to know about Thai politics: "Thailand's biggest sugar daddy Chuwit Kamolvisit - who admitted to paying millions of baht each month in police bribes but decided to enter politics after he fell out with the then police chief - got elected on an anticorruption ticket." 5 July 2011 Thai Election Commission reports official election poll result with PT at 265, Dem 159, BJT 34, CTP 19, CPP 7, PC 7, Chuvit 7, Purachai 1. 4 July 2011 Happy Independence Day to any USA readers.... ********************************** 2 July 2011 We drove out of London this morning to go to the Maverick Festival at Easton Farm in Suffolk. Oh My Darling and Blue Rodeo also made it from Trafalgar Square to Easton - as did a very friendly couple of Blue Rodeo fans - Al and Suzanne. It is a strange event - Blue Rodeo would get mobbed at an event like this in Canada - in the UK they can walk around the event, visit the food stands and no one knows who they are. And the Brits that do know them would be too shy to say anything. This is the sort of festival where Oh My Darling and the Travelling Band ended up playing frisbee together at the end of the evening.... Just dont stay at the nearby 3 Tuns. 1 July 2011 Alex and I drove from Stratford upon Avon to Elstree this morning and took a train into London for the Canada Day festivities in Trafalgar Square. Good to catch up with my baby brother there - and to see the mad marathon runner looking well. ************************** But how can you have a Macbeth without witches - even the opening scene was cut.....no more when shall we three meet again!
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