G.A.W. Associates Ltd

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

2009-06-27T12:22:00.002+01:00

Had a late breakfast (Full English for a change) then back to the room to continue work (I know it's weekend but I get bored if I'm not doing something that someone might find useful).

Reports sent for review.

Worked through till 15:00 local time then down to Bunkers for a beer in the sun (think I'll skip lunch and enjoy dinner more).

I've never experienced anything quite like it. Such a dry heat that immediately you walk through the airlock, your eyes physically dry and refuse to glide around the sockets. Takes about 10 mins for the automatic adjustment to take effect.

Back to work (full-time) in the morning.

Why work weekends?

2009-06-26T16:08:00.003+01:00

Weekend here is Friday and Saturday - so...

Got up a bit later;

Ate a bigger breakfast;

Wrote a few more documents and just before lunch....

Met Rob in the foyer and went with him to the Mall of The Emirates.

Had a beer in Kenpinski's and a sandwhich in a coffee bar then back to the hotel.

Laid by the pool for about an hour, quick swim then back for a shower;

Laundry duty - couple of shirts needed ironing;

A few more documents and it's 19:00 already (3hrs in advance of UK).

Read Gaz's BLOG about Jacko

Yes - agree - wasn't Geller cringe making?

He never turns down a self-publicity opportunity.

It seems that tonight there is a film showing by the pool

(and airbeds to float on as you watch - see photo).

Think I'll give it a miss - still hellish hot out there.

Back in Big Brother

2009-06-25T08:22:00.003+01:00

Spent the morning in BT's office down town (Media City)

just along the way from the BBC building.

Quite deep sand covered forecourt

(don't know if it's normally there or if it has blown over recently).

Don't Jump!!

2009-06-24T06:29:00.002+01:00

The view from my office window shows a lake in the background and a building site directly below.

It is V.HOT and dusty.

Sleeping really well and long.

Excellent Hotel.

On the road again

2009-06-17T15:13:00.005+01:00

This week I have been mainly getting ready to travel out to Dubai.

Seems I'll be staying some of the time at the Montgomerie Hotel which would be great if I happened to play Golf.

A plague on all your houses (of Parliament)

2009-05-27T18:09:00.002+01:00

The expenses scam report lumbers on. I can't believe the prevarication and political speak of the leaders.

Gordon (God bless him) said...."If they have misbehaved"....."will be told they can not stand at the next election".
What's wrong with firing them now? and.... Is it misbehaviour or a criminal act?

The Lib Dem leader prefers to suggest that "the people" should take any action (that's a good way of putting off any decision - typical LD).

Cameron said MPs who have made mistakes must say so. That's like asking Eichmann if his main task was one of logistics.

He (Cameron) said: "I think the best thing to do, is to get out with your constituents, to explain all of the circumstances of why we claimed what we claimed, why we did what we did".

(Hold on a minute- that smacks of business as usual doesn't it?.) He urged MPs to "hold up your hand if you made mistakes and got things wrong, and to start to rebuild trust in the political system, and in that link between the constituency and the MP".

Shouldn't he be saying "If you got things wrong then do the right thing - resign and relinquish your pension rights before I fire you and ask HMR&C to investigate you.

A Revenue and Customs spokesman has said that it is a "general principle of tax law" that accountancy fees connected with personal tax returns were not deductible. So how have they got away with claiming these fees? Are they going to be allowed to get away with it? Is it one law for the rich and one for the rest of us? We wouldn't be allowed to just repay any dues, we would also have to face a criminal charge.

My earlier recommendation (that second homes should not be allowed and that a cruise ship should be moored alongside Westminster to house PM's during the week should now be amended to read "A Prison Ship etc. etc.").

Voting only encourages them

2009-05-13T09:32:00.007+01:00

What do you think about the media coverage of the scams on MP's expenses?

Most of their claims should have been headed "Once upon a time" and they had the cheek to criticise the bankers!

If we don't or can't prosecute them then they should all, at the very least, loose their jobs and their pensions.

In any commercial organisation they would have been fired for gross misconduct.

It's about time we reduced the number of MP's anyway. the trough just isn't big enough for all their grubby little snouts.

Do away with their second homes and, during the week, make them all live on a prison ship moored outside Westminster. So they will be apart from their families! Tough, they shouldn't have joined at least they have a job which is more than can be said for the soon to be 3.5M+.

But it's not just the top brass who are at it.

What about District and County Councillors?

How many sign-in to several meetings per day (and stay just minutes) to get the attendance allowances and mileage between home and office?

How many buy cheap day returns but claim first class?

When travelling to meetings, how many take a passenger in their car (another Councillor) to save costs to tax payers as opposed to travelling alone?

How many pay a friend to do a job on a "charity" community service?

Are their expenses audited? Not on a regular basis.

Some Councils only have a Benefit Office Fraud and Audit team.

They don't regularly audit Councillors expenses and will only do so if a fraud is "spotted".

Who is going to spot something if there's no check?

One person I talked to used to work for a District Council and when asking the boss if they could audit the Councillors expenses they were told "Not if you want to keep your job".

Yes - they're all at it.

Let them get away with it then you're just as guilty as they are.

Come the revolution!!!!

First Sail of the Season

2009-05-10T15:55:00.003+01:00

Went for a quick blast up to Felexistowe (well, close to) under sail for the first time this year.

Wind a bit too light for any real speed. Maybe better tomorrow.

Will add photo(s) as soon as I can get some decent ones.

Waiting to hear how 'G' got on in Krokow over the weekend on a mates stag do.

Hell's kitchen

2009-04-29T09:40:00.002+01:00

Marco Pierre Porter (a.k.a. Owen).

(Don't let him near the knives.)

Don't we learn from history?

2009-04-27T16:43:00.007+01:00

Ringtone1-youAreHavingMessage.mp3

Who said.....

"Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more expensive credit until their debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalised, and the state will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism."

Answer..... Karl Marx in his Das Kapital (1867).

The only problem is, it seems, that this "quote" is as phony as it is fascinating.

How do I know that?

The following link goes to a full and unexpurgated translated version of Das Kapital that you can download (if you have the time and the inclination):

http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/index.htm%20%3Chttp://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/index.htm%3E

I know the top photo isn't Karl either - (it's Uncle Joe) - but it's the only one of the right genre that I've taken on my travels.

Here is one of KM (that I didn't take).,

Privatisation of Public Conveniences

2009-04-16T21:21:00.005+01:00

Uttlesford District Council has decided (because they have lost so much money due to gross incompetence) to outsource all its public conveniences (to supposedly save money and provide a better service).

Obviously a move suggested by an accountant (anyone with half a mind to be one is over equipt.)

Oscar Wilde (relative?) said "they know the cost of everything but the value of nothing."

They are not alone.

This could soon be Central Government policy.

Then, as with Telecomms (OffCom), Water (OffWat) and Energy (OffGen) there will be a need for a similarly toothless and biased policing authority.

What should we call it? I suggested OffPiss but Alex says BogOff is more appropriate.

Let me have your suggestions on the name, not on our sanity (or anything else).

Easter Cruise

2009-04-13T09:25:00.003+01:00

Friday 13:00 MABEL antifouled and dropped in the water. Motored out to Tuffle Bird with Alex to start our Easter Cruise.

The stern tube gland started leaking but after stripping and cleaning the flanges we managed the whole trip without further incident.

There was a "Pirate Radio" ship moored alongside Harwich Quay and broadasting all day.

Through the lock gates and moored up at Shotley marina for the night. Dinner in the club house.

Much singing and shantying (took my hearing aids out).

Bit of a restless night. Left for the next leg of the cruise late morning.

Under the bridge.

Arrived at Ipswich lock gates dead on high tide so went straight through.

Moored just opposite Pizza Express.

Dinner at the nearby Chinese.

Uneventful trip back to Walton, then on bike back to see Michelle, Gaz, Aug and Felix.

Deep sleep.

The King(s) has left the building

2009-04-06T21:15:00.003+01:00

Gus and Felix (together with their minders) visited this weekend.

Meg's and Adam's Gardens

2009-04-03T11:20:00.003+01:00

Megan and Adam had to design an Easter garden in a box for school.

Meg's

Adam's

Tuffle Bird back in the Oggin for the Summer

2009-03-31T10:31:00.000+01:00

Helped by Alec.

Took Tuffle Bird from the pond out onto her summer time mooring in the estuary opposite the turn for Tichmarsh marina.

Pickup MABEL from Wisbech

2009-03-30T10:20:00.006+01:00

Quite a long trip from Walton to Bob's in Wisbech.

No incidents out or back.

Delivered trailer with MABEL to Speedline Trailers at Brightlingsea for modifications.

Back to the beach

2009-03-27T18:00:00.003Z

Weekend in Walton.

Rainy Saturday, glorious Sunday.

Planning to collect MABEL from Bob's on Monday.

Feeling a prat

2009-03-25T12:13:00.003Z

Went to Cambridge yesterday - Lion Yard car park. Reversed (gently) into a barrier £1500 worth of damage. Yes - I feel a real prat. It's terrible to be hacked-off with yourself - much easier (and satisfying) to rant and rage against other incopetents.

Pensions (Fred the Shred)

2009-03-17T09:58:00.003Z

A few days ago I received permission from the PM's office to publish an online petition. It was a bit rushed (probably drunk again) so there are some spelling mistakes (thanks for spotting them Lindz). I asked for a correction but the webmaster says that can't be done once it has gone live.

However, the proposal is as follows:-

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Review the Income Tax arrangements for Executive Pensions.

We believe that any pension above £250,000 per annum paid to anyone (public sector or banking, whatever) is immoral and cannot be justified. We call on the PM and Chancellor of the
Exchequer to introduce a special tax of 80% on values between £50,000 and £100,000 and 95% on all values above £100,000 pa.

(Obviously, anyone NOT paying UK tax should not be allowed to collect any pension in excess of a state pension.)

Should you agree (even in part) then your signature would be much appreciated. The link is as follows:- http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Gross-Pensions/

Red Nose Day

2009-03-13T22:33:00.002Z

Back to the coast.

This is Derreck (a guy from Walton) who was standing outside Barclays in Frinton.

Exercising is boring

2009-03-11T09:51:00.004Z

It's been over a week since I started using the bike. I started with good intentions ("I'll just go and do half an hour") but found that I could only manage about 15 mins before I was knackered. I have since worked up to 30 mins but I found that this amount of time staring at a wall was V.BORING. Now fixed that. I log onto the BBC website at:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/

I plug the headphones into my laptop and listen to some good stuff. It rerally makes the time pass quickly and ensures that I don't try to do too much (each program seesm to last 30 mins exactly. )

A particularly good prog - Cabin Pressure.

John Finnemore (Dead Ringers & Mitchell & Webb) has written this brilliant new sitcom starring Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam & Benedict Cumberbatch.

On yer bike

2009-02-25T10:32:00.004Z

Determined to loose some weight and get a bit fitter for the coming (hopefully) better weather.

Ordered a combined exercise cycle and cross trainer from Amazon.

Hope the good intentions last more than a week.

Pass the bottle Cap'n

2009-02-15T10:36:00.002Z

Gus and Gaz joined me for a short pickernick on the boat.

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of pop.

PIERS MORGAN isn't the only one to visit Dubai recently

2009-01-24T16:02:00.003Z

Park your camel here. (Hotel forecourt.)

Had a break on JUMEIRAH BEACH (Royal Mirage). Wonderful service, but don't think we'll be going again too soon when a bottle of water is £8 and the cheapest house wine is £30 a bottle.

Photo taken whilst on a trip up The Creek (on a motorised scaffold board).

Unlike Piers, Dee got to meet the real boss of this building site.

Back to our roots

2008-12-14T10:39:00.003Z

A couple of days in York, Scarborough, Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay visiting Marion.