BOW WAVE 206

News Edition

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Wavy Line	sam@wavyline.com
(c)2003 WavyLine.com	Issue No 206 02 Nov 03
Published free of charge to Readers
Editor: Sam Ignarski
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In this issue:

1. Welcome
2. California Fires
3. Transport Market Talk
4. AAA Meeting
5. All's far from well at the Nigerian Ports Authority
6. And Finally...

1. Welcome

Taken from Seize the Day--an instructive book published by the Institute for Social Inventions--which is a collection of 366 tips from their members, one a day as it were. One from Alison Willcocks, the educator is an ancient Chinese proverb and is applicable to one of the more common personality types you run into in this life:-

If you love something, set it free,
a tip from Alison Willcocks

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. We do not possess anything in the world, least of all other people. We only imagine that we do. Our friends, our lovers, our spouses, even our children are not ours; they belong only to themselves. Possessive and controlling friendships and relationships can be as harmful as neglect.

Stephanie Wienrich & Nicholas Albery (eds), Seize the Day, 366 tips from famous & 'extraordinary ordinary' people, Chatto & Windus (London) 384pp.

New Readers this week include:

Jennifer Tay
Ted Winter
Lawyer Vandermerwe of Shepstone & Wylie in South Africa Harry Chapman of Norwich Union Insurance in the UK

News of Readers

Photographer Susan Schulman has launched a new website which includes the work she has done with a shipping theme:

http://www.susanschulman.co.uk

Alan Cubbin has retired from the MCA

A strong news theme dominates this Issue.

Enjoy.

2. California Fires

Jim Callahan writes:

You have probably heard about the fires here. They are the worst I've seen in 25 years. My home which is located on the coast is covered in ash. As you can imagine I choked my way through the weekend a week ago. Many were wearing dust masks in the neighborhood. Incredible stuff. Mother nature strikes again.
Everything is OK in the harbors, but the airports have been a mess because of the evacuation of an FAA routing center. I'm glad I was not flying last week.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/983543.asp?0cv=CA01

3. Transport Market Talk

Plenty of talk this week about changes in our small fishpond

One Essex-based source reports:

It would appear that the Navigators Insurance Company is shortly going to be in a position to offer Ship Owners Protection and Indemnity. We do not have full details yet of the recent developments at Markel but the following is the information known to date. On Tuesday 21st October the four Gentlemen involved in the Terra Nova P & I Agency Ltd resigned from Markel International Insurance Co Ltd. They are Andrew Barker, Michael Newbery, Brian Forrest and Peter Steele.
We understand that it is the intention of those Gentlemen to establish a new P & I facility to be run on the same lines as Terra Nova, this is to be under the security of Navigators Insurance Co who are A rated by Standard and Poors.
It is not yet known what arrangements will be made for the existing business with the Terra Nova but we are certain that this will continue to be handled in the usual professional manner by Markel for the full policy period. Whether they will be in a position to offer renewal terms for that business we do not yet know. It is known that Navigators were a reinsurer of the Terra Nova / Markel P&I facility.

There is considerable unease reported in the office the traditionally strong specialist broking operations based in suburban southeast London called Willis Transportation Risks Ltd

London Market sources say brokers Willis are reviewing whether they wish to continue handling freight liability and household/commercial removals and storage business from their traditional Kingston base. It is said that having established a market leading position in the household/commercial removals and storage business over decades Willis are faced with an office which is too large for the dwindling staff. At the beginning of the year there were 37 employees and this is now down to 22. Given the prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty, a decision remains to be taken if only to discourage staff from looking for pastures new.

4. AAA Meeting

Brigit Hogan has written in extending an invitation to any Bow Wave Readers who would like to attend this meeting:

The Association of Average Adjusters is using its regular seminar round to tackle two topical issues. A distinguished panel will review the revised International Hull Clauses one year on. And the proposed revision of the York Antwerp Rules 1994 will be examined.

The seminar will take place on November 18 at 1.15 at the Innholders Hall near Cannon Street Station in the City.

Contact Bridget on:

bridget_hogan@compuserve.com.

http://www.average-adjusters.com/

5. All's far from well at the Nigerian Ports Authority

A friend who keeps an eye on affairs in West Africa passed on this item which appeared in Vanguard on the AllAfrica.com site on 27th October:-

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Bank Accounts Frozen

The seeming crisis in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has taken a new dimension with all the accounts of the organisation in several banks frozen and key management staff on leave and overseas training recalled.

Sources hinted that a high level probe into the financial transactions of the authority might have commenced, sequel to the removal from office two weeks ago of the board and management of the authority. Sources also disclosed that while all forms of contracts have been suspended, the current Managing Director, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, has been going through the files and books of the authority to ascertain the financial commitments of the organisation.

Already, top management staff of the Authority at the zonal and port levels have expressed fears over the massive shake up at the authority as it was learnt that the exercise may be extended to all levels of staff. It is understood that the managing director and other executive directors met with some bank officials which had dealings with the authority to discuss the financial situation and decided that the accounts of the authority with the banks be frozen. It is feared that the decision might have come from the Presidency preparatory to a full scale probe of the financial transactions of the Authority. NPA sources said that the authority had been experiencing some financial difficulty even to the point of delay in payment of salaries.

It was also gathered that at last Tuesday's meeting with the NPA, six banks which the Authority banks with were present and were duly informed of the decision to freeze the accounts with these banks temporarily.

The removal of the board and management of the Authority last week was still a subject of speculation as no reason was offered by government for the action. Besides the payment of salaries, retirees of the authority have also decried the non-payment of their pensions and other entitlements. The current management is about the fourth in four years.

http://www.AllAfrica.com

6. And Finally...

Thanks to Jim Callahan of Metropolitan Stevedores for these:-

These are taken from real Resumes, CV's and Cover Letters and were printed in the July 21st issue of "Fortune Magazine":

1. "I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheet pogroms."

2. "Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details."

3. "Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year."

4. "Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions."

5. "Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave."

6. "Failed bar exam with relatively high grades."

7. "It's best for employers that I not work with people."

8. "Let's meet, so you can 'ooh' and 'aah' over my experience."

9. "I was working for my mom until she decided to move."

10. "Marital status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments."

11. "I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."

12. "I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my resume on my office voice mail."

13. "My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in Meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage."

14. "I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant."

15. "Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far."

16. "Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store."

17. "Note: Please don't misconstrue my 14 jobs as "job-hopping". "I have never quit a job."

18. "Marital status: often. Children: various."

19. "The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers."

20. "Finished eighth in class of ten."

21. "References: none. I've left a path of destruction behind me."

PS From Andrew Charlton of CTC

The phaomnneil pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Asboutely amzanig.

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