BOW WAVE 53

news and views on trade, insurance and risk

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Wavy Line	sam@wavyline.com
(c)2000 WavyLine.com	Issue No 53 20 Nov 00
Published free of charge to Readers
Editor: Sam Ignarski
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In this issue:

1. Welcome
2. HPH Brushes Up Site
3. Allianca Site Fights Its Corner
4. Listing of American Shippers' Organisations
5. New Fedex HQ--Sounds Nice
6. And Finally...

1. Welcome

This edition is given over to subjects which one way or the other relate to the Americas, where Bow Wave has many readers.

For the avoidance of doubt, and bearing in mind the tendency for humour to travel only with great difficulty over national boundaries, it should be pointed out that item 6, in keeping with custom, is not serious. (g)

The week has seen Jan Hoffmann issue his e-letter which is called Maritime Transport in LAC. This is how he describes the function of the publication, which is one of our favourites:

"Updating, as usual, and rather irregularly, on items of interest regarding ports and shipping in Latin America and the Caribbean."

If you are interested in the area you can get on his list by sending an e-mail to:

JHoffmann@ECLAC.cl

2. HPH Brushes Up Site

The new upgraded web site for Hutchison Port Holdings is worth a visit. The opening page contains stories relating to the users of the new Balboa Container Terminal in Panama and the the equally new cruise terminal in the Freeport, Bahamas.

The press release collection goes back two years, and there is also a copy of the September edition of HPH World, which contains operational insights and information.

A site which holds its own with that of the PSA.

http://www.hph.com.hk/home.htm

3. Allianca Site Fights Its Corner

If you are a container shipping company fighting in the harsh niche called the inter-American container trades you probably need as good an on-line strategy as you can possibly devise. We paid a visit the other day to the functional site of the line and particularly admired its electronic approaches to freight, tracking and customs declarations.

There are also sections given over to history, container types and ships which are worth a visit.

http://www.alianca.com.br/index1.htm

4. Listing of American Shippers' Organisations

The American Institute for Shippers' Associations publishes this site which offers all you ever will want to know about shippers organisations in the United States. A very useful list of member organisations is published and a part of the site is given over to the the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 ("OSRA").

http://www.shippers.org/index.html

5. New Fedex HQ--Sounds Nice

Word reaches us via the admirable Dutch Cargoweb Daily that Fedex has officially opened its new headquarters in Memphis.

Time was when many of our readers would tend to associate the idea of headquarters with not particularly
wonderful concepts such as commuting, claques, politics, oxygen deprivation, meetings, control and oldies. This one sounds like a nice place. Viz:

The FedEx "World Headquarters campus" is located in the southeast of town and consists of 1.1 million square feet of office space set on 89 acres. When fully occupied, the 8 buildings will house about 3,300 employees.

The campus includes a 1.5 mile walking/jogging trail, courtyard water features, and enclosed, climate-controlled bridges between buildings. Some of the more progressive amenities in the complex include:

- a 500-seat auditorium with video production, video conferencing and connections for laptop computers in the front rows (for training purposes)

- a 500-seat indoor and outdoor dining area

- a 20,000 square foot Wellness Center with aerobics, cardiovascular workout, and weight-training areas

- Company store, credit association, and corporate travel offices

The rather large Fedex Website as yet seems to have no notice of the opening nor any pictures. This may be because it is a rather customer focused operation.

http://www.fedex.com/us/international/

6. And Finally...

This diplomatically and politically incorrect
item appeared in our inbox this week. We suspect an Anglo-Germano-Canadian hand in its conception.
American readers should stop here now.

NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF INDEPENDENCE

To the citizens of the United States of America, In the light of your failure to elect a President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we
hereby give notice of the revocation of your
independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
will resume monarchical duties over
all states, commonwealths and other territories.
Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new
prime minister (The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware
that there is a world outside your borders) will
appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you
noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. Look up
"interspersed".

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf.

3. You should learn to distinguish the English
and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out your task. We would not want you to get
confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time,be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2005.

7. You should declare war on Quebec and France,
using nuclear weapons if they give you any merde. The 98.85% of you who were not aware that there is a world outside your borders should count
yourselves lucky. The Russians have never been
the bad guys.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 8th will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day".

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.

Thank you for your cooperation

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