Tuesday, January 09, 2007

cyberworld improvements

SL is now ready! have a look at this, could even replace blogging? Incredible site where Your Avatar can be teleported to your next meeting, you can build homes ,offices,boats, whole communities,anything you want, How long before all business will be conducted this way? Scary eh! check it out at . http://www.popsci.com/popsci/technology/7ba1af8f3812d010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
Maybe Ill buy the patent for boats? or perhaps my Avatar will :o)). Where to go next?

Sunday, January 07, 2007

To all the Engrish teachers out there!

Have a look at these visdeo`s on MV Katherine Janes site at
http://lifeonkj.blogspot.com/ :o))

thats it for another (boat show) year well until SBS at least!

I was surprised that the train journey went so well, £9.50 all the way! trains empty-ish on the way there but like cattle on the way back! A friend drove up from Brighton and left his car at my place and we went together on the train, Arriving at "Exel" in docklands at about 10.30. We had a cup of coffee togeather and dissapeared off in different directions. I hate to be tied by others and prefer to look around alone. I bumped into several people that I know, both from my time in the boat industry and my boating exploits and talked at length with the liferaft servicing company MD re my own requirements (I didnt know he was the MD until I was asking him who the guy was that I spoke to on the phone and he called him over and h, the guy that I had talked to on the phone, then introduced me to his boss , the guy I had been talking to! Yawn!

I went onto a selfs teering stand that was displaying my favourite windvane the Monitor and a salesman (always keen on the first day) came over and I explained that I felt that they were the only one to have these days unless you already have an aries (Mmmmmm) he was delighted as he owned the company that made all of the vanes displayed on his stand ( three different sorts) . He asked me what sort of boat I had and was delighted to find out that I had a power boat as he had one too. I did explain that I intended to go back to sail and delighted again he explained that he was going too also when he retired (he had done a circumnavigation in sail already some years ago).

As there wasn`t anything particular that I wanted for my boat I wandered from stand to stand playing with the various plotters until I got shooed off by a salesman that knew I wasn`t going to buy it. I took a cup of coffee out to the guy protesting outside Exel ( wearing a red bow tie and dress suit) standing with a placard in the cold and rain. I met my friend for a late lunch of fish and chips (which I have to say were fabulous ) I was tempted to climb onto a couple of boats but didn`t and really got most of my enjoyment of the day in the entertainment (food and general company) and checking out the latest "Boys toys" The journey back was OK but crowded as it was the tail end of the rush hour, arriving back at home about 19.00.

My general observation was that as there weren`t many people on the press day, although it may get better in the following days, the show in general was quiet and that the industry (even though the mags and industry publications and marketing will say that it was prosperous and successful) it won`t actually be so!

Will I go again? You bet I`ll be at SBS without fail! Why? don`t ask such stupid questions! I`m a boater! do you actually think that I know why myself? eh! do you! :o))

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Wooho Boat show here I come!

What sparked up that outburst I have been to a thousand boat shows from Anerheim to Palma to SBS and LBS and they are all pretty much the same. whith their smiling failed car dealers in their thousands,grinning in their cheap and not so cheap Blazersand off white slacks, approaching everybody before they are ready. They eminate an air of success and I guess I`m hoping that rubs off a little! big bouys toys/ Yes I guess so, will I buy? I doubt it (anyway I can`t find my credit cards). I shall pay my homage in much the same way that I make my other annual pilgrimages, arriving home knackered from a four hour journey on londons great service (not) and take a couple of days to loose the aching legs and other things, from refusing to sit down and relax whilst eating a £20 sandwich and cup of tea, (served by an extremely polite , pleasant and customer service orientated Polish person, no doubt)

In such a large show one has to have tactics and I do have mine, no its not make for the Guinness stand first, I tend to go to the static displays like the RNLI or the Royal Navy frigate, soon to loose the title "Royal" as Bliar has it changed to the republic of the UK! Bstd, (Sorry about that) then I will watch all the demonstrations and entertainment, possibly dancing a little to the glorious sound and sight of the dancers on the promo stage, well its not really dancing (mine that is) its more a small squirm as I watch another punter sucked in by a failed car dealer (FCD)to be told that he sell million of these each year and they are the most popular and we have sold out of this years production but if you put a deposit (non returnable of course) today you can have a discound on the already inflated retail price! omne of my usual visits is to the Beta marine engine stand where I find an unsuspecting FCD and ask him if I can deal direct with the company and not through a supplier, to which they usuall give a wink and a nod and agree that it may be possible! Then I pounce and berate them telling them that I was once a supplier and got really Pis*ed off by having to do the guarantee work on engines that I or any other supplier hadn`t supplied. Well I have to get some entertainment somewhere dont I More to com upon my return.