Vacation - In Finland

So here we are on vacation in Finland. So far the trip has gone off well. Other than one call for the air sickness bag due to an upset stomach for the oldest child (we were still on the ground) all has gone well.

Getting there:

We flew IcelandAir out of Baltimore airport. They call it Washington-Baltimore Airport, but that is pretty much a lie to trick people who are going to Washington, DC to consider using that airport, but be under no illusion. It is all the way by Baltimore. (Washington has two other airports nearby.) However, since we normally fly Finnair out of New York, Baltimore was a valid option for us. The terminal is nice and there is little activity in the ‘international’ terminal.

We were stuck in traffic most of the way there, but even so 90 minutes was not too bad a trip to get there. We did leave a little early to beat the worse of the traffic, but an accident on I95 got us stuck in traffic anyway. So much for planning.

For luggage, we have: one garment bag, three large bags, a stroller, one toddler car seat, one baby car seat, three backpacks and a diaper bag. Getting through security was a challenge with all of the gear we had in addition to having to remove everyone’s shoes and also pulling out my computer. I had offered to let the people behind me pass but they politely declined. That relieved any pressure there was about delaying the line as there was only one scanner open. Anyway, we made it through without a problem. There was one silly girl in front of us wearing only a pair of ratty flip flops. So she got to go through security barefoot.

The flight was uneventful as basically everyone on the flight went to sleep. When I woke we were only 30 minutes from landing. It was another five minute before they woke everyone up to secure the cabin. It was nice sleeping through the flight. If I had a choice between breakfast and sleeping later, I’ll skip breakfast. For those who care, alcoholic drinks are not complimentary on IcelandAir flights.

They did call for parents with children to pre-board which was nice. That must be a US standard as that did not happen with our connecting flight out of Iceland. It seems that they are as ‘progressive’ as Finland when it comes to letting parents fend for themselves when boarding flights. (In Finland they throw everyone into a holding area after checking your boarding pass, and when the plane is ready to board, they just open the door.) By the time that flight was ready, there was a long line of people already waiting and none were interested in letting us board ahead of them. No matter, we just waited fro the whole plane to board and were the last onboard. That has its own benefits since we did not have anyone trying to get past us as we settled in. It also gave us first crack at the empty seats. The airport in Iceland is nice. You are re-screened there, but again, my offer to let the person behind me pass was politely declined.

We ran into a problem at Helsinki’s airport as somehow the baggage for the flight ended up at the international terminal while we landed at the domestic terminal. We ended up having to go out and then ask customs to let us into the other baggage claim area. Oddly enough there was nobody to ask anything of at the baggage claim area.

With luggage in hand we rented our car and headed out into unseasonably cold weather. As we drove north we encountered snow, which is even less common this time of year. It was only later that I learned that Al Gore was receiving the Nobel prize. So we can probably blame this on the Gore effect.

Snow, courtesy of Global Warming

The rental, a SKODA

More to come....

88% of US Maritime Deaths Involve Recreational Boating

Merchant Mariners are highly-trained professionals. This is to be expected due to the complexity of the work they do, the remoteness of their work location which limits their access to others who might be called in to assist them, and the huge potential for damage and death if something does go wrong.

The same can't be said for weekend-warrior boaters:

NTSB – marine deaths rose slightly in 2006 - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a news release discussing transportation deaths in the United States during 2006. Marine deaths rose slightly over the figures for 2005 (from 789 to 805). Of these, 710 involved recreational boating. Marine deaths in the commercial sector were virtually unchanged. (10/4/07). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage

That comes out to 88 percent of US maritime deaths the result of recreational boaters. There is no explanation to the reasons behind the pleasure boater deaths.

Here is how air and rail fared:

Aviation deaths rose from 617 to 779. Nearly 90% of aviation fatalities occur in general aviation accidents (698) and they account for a significant majority of the increase in aviation-related deaths from 2005 to 2006

AND:

Rail fatalities decreased slightly from 803 to 781, with declines in all categories except for pedestrian fatalities associated with intercity rail operations (559 to 585). - NTSB

Now compare that to this:

“Despite the slight decline in overall transportation fatalities this past year,” said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker, “the annual loss of more than 40,000 people on our roads, rails, waterways and in our skies is a national tragedy. We must all work together to promote safety across all transportation modes, with the Board leading the way by continuing its emphasis on our Most Wanted list of safety improvements.”

Highway fatalities, which account for nearly 95% of all transportation deaths, decreased from 43,510 in 2005 to 42,642 in 2006. However, motorcycle fatalities not only increased five percent from 4,576 in 2005 to 4,810 in 2006, but the 234 additional deaths that occurred in 2006 when compared to 2005 made this the single largest increase in a specific category across all modes. The number of fatalities decreased or remained approximately the same in most other highway vehicle categories. - NTSB

Maybe, just maybe, the requirements for obtaining a driver license should be increased.

Look at the outrage over the EXXON VALDEZ grounding/oil spill. Our highways are the scene of no less a tragedy every year yet nobody cares. Maybe that is because they would have to undergo more training as part of the solution as well. This is one thing that is wrong with America. It is all well and good to bury others in requirements and standards just as long as that does not include you. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege.

There is the common attitude that accidents happen. That too is part of the problem.

TRANSPORTATION FATALITIES DROP IN 2006 - NTSB

Update: Fake USA TODAY Story 'Endorses' Scam Cancun Trips

It seems that the scammers trying to pawn trips to Cancun via an endorsement from a bogus USA Today article have had to update their phone number. The old number was 800-417-3710. They are now using 800-419-5431.

Call 800-419-5431 to get screwed out of hundreds of dollars

The story is the same, only that these scam artists have not been put out of business. However, the more they have to change their phone number, the more often they will have to refax the scam, and hopefully the more likely people are to ignore them.

See my original post for more details and how to report this fax to the proper authorities as what they are doing is a crime.

It is unlawful to fax an advertisement to any recipient - residential or business - unless the recipient has given the sender permission to fax or has an established business relationship with the sender. Under this law, you have an “established business relationship” with the fax sender if you have made an inquiry, application, purchase, or some other transaction with that individual or business. A fax advertisement sent without an established business relationship or prior express permission is unlawful even if it contains an “opt-out notice.” Non-advertising faxes, however, are permitted.

An advertisement is “any material which advertises the commercial availability or quality of any property, goods, or services.” Materials that appear to be surveys or informational “newsletters” actually may be advertisements. For instance, a “survey” is actually an advertisement if it costs money to participate or if the survey promotes property, goods, or services in addition to asking questions.

Likewise, so-called newsletters often are advertisements. Fax advertisements must contain on the first page of the advertisement a clear and conspicuous opt-out notice that explains how to avoid receiving future faxes. Recipients must be provided a cost-free way to opt-out of receiving future fax advertisements (by phone, Internet website, or e-mail) and the sender must honor such opt-out requests within no more than 30 days.

The restrictions on fax advertisements apply regardless of whether the recipient’s fax number is on the National Do-Not-Call Registry. The National Do-Not-Call Registry, which provides consumers an opportunity to opt-out of most telemarketing calls to their homes, applies only to telephone solicitations – in other words, advertising telephone calls – not faxes. By contrast, the FCC’s fax rules prohibit fax advertisements unless an individual or business chooses to opt-in to receiving them by maintaining a business relationship with the sender or giving prior express permission.

All faxes – including those that are not advertisements – must include the following information on either the first page of the fax transmission or in a margin at the top or bottom of every page of the transmission: the date and time the fax was sent, the name of the sender, and the telephone number of the sender or the sending machine. - FCC Spam Fax Complaint form

Fake USA TODAY Story 'Endorses' Scam Cancun Trips - 19 September

Maritime Monday 79

Welcome to this Columbus Day edition of Maritime Monday.

A depiction of Columbus claiming possession of the New World in a chromolithograph made by the Prang Education Company in 1893. - Wikipedia

You can find Maritime Monday 29 here. (Published 16 October 2006)

You can find last week's edition here.

This Weeks Photos:
Here are some photos from Turkey's Bayraktar Shipping Group's website.

Bayraktar Shipping Group of Companies was founded 1945 and is one of the oldest and internationally recognised shipping companies in Turkey.

Since from companies foundation date, we are proud to say that the "Bayraktar" name has been a sign of success & quality in shipping both in national and international markets.

Bayraktar headquarters located on the Asian side of Ä°stanbul, serving its customer with modern fleet of MPP / Container and General cargo Vessels with professional and experienced staff in order to ensure customer satisfaction, with competitive and reliable transportation facilities. - Bayraktar Homepage

- - -

This Weeks Items:
EagleSpeak has the ongoing sad mystery of the "Missing Ships" REEF AZARIA and the INFINITY MARINE 1. Also, be sure to check out his weekly series "Sunday Ship History: USS Enterprise (CV-6)".

The Monitor has "BCFC Report Released on Queen of the North Sinking" which includes shocking declarations made by two people who heard the quartermaster say shortly after the accident "It is not my fault, it was not my fault, I was left alone." this would add a little context to why two officers involved have refused to cooperate with the investigation along with the quartermaster.

-------------------------------------------------

The Chicago tribune has "New revelations in attack on American spy ship" with the subheading "Veterans, documents suggest U.S., Israel didn't tell full story of deadly '67 incident" concerning recently declassified US documents concerning Israel's attack on the USS LIBERTY.

(The released documents can be found on the NSA website here. NOTE FOR THE PARANOID: Best not to click the link if you are concerned about the Government spying on you.) The following extracts are from a document named "3106037.pdf" under the title "Chronology of Events Surrounding USS Liberty Incident as Observed and Recorded by ALUSNA Tel Aviv, 15 Jun 1967" which was marked as declassified in December, 2006 and part of the June, 2007 release. These are damaging enough. Feel free to post in the comments other interesting details found in the newly released documents. (See here for a guide as to what was recently added.)

------------------------------------------------

Robin Storm covers the "U. S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program". (The multi-talented Mr. Storm crosses over into the print world this week with an Op Ed in the Fort Worth Star Telegram about their coverage of the recent mishandling and movement of six nukes across the US in "Nuke transportation story has explosive implications")

The Garden Island covers some bitter anti-Superferry parents angry that they may be investigated for child abuse if their minor children violate any US Coast Guard Security Zone while protesting the Superferry.

Honolulu adviser has defeat for those claiming that the US Coast Guard Security Zone plans for the Superferry violates their right to free speech by preventing them from placing their bodies in the path of the ferry. (Well Duh. We have the right to keep and bear arms, but you still can't take your gun on an airplane.)

Note: There may be a ruling in the Hawaii Superferry case later today.

The Artful Blogger at gCaptain takes aim at fire drills. He promises to follow-up with suggestions on how to make your future fire drills more interesting and I hope that does not mean sounding the steering gear failure alarm at the conclusion of the weekly drill (as a surprise bonus drill) as your standing on the bridge wing with a couple others waiting to draw some cash from the Master, and none of you can figure out why he looks so annoyed. (Maybe it was because the 'failure' was not so obvious...)

gCaptain also has a poll going concerning what do you consider the best work/vacation rotation, so go and vote.

Telegraph (UK) covers Norway's shipowner's plan to ditch Norway for the UK and other more-welcoming jurisdictions in response to their own Government's backtracking on a tonnage tax deal as well as their intent to tax based on market values instead of book values which might double what shipping companies will have to pay back than if they had paid tax all along. --- I have heard that many of the shipowners in Norway are busy actively reviewing their options to reflag out of the two Norwegian Flag programs. I suspect that the first will do so prior to the end of the year.

Intel Center has the following report: "The Threat of Maritime Terrorism to Israel"

MarEx Newsletter has "Industry Coalition Challenge EU Pollution Directive in European Court of Justice"

Ocra Marine Services has "Paris MoU To Conduct Concentrated Inspection Campaign" They plan to check that the Master and crew are familiar with their vessel's safety management system (SMS).

Don't know what the Paris MOU is? Check out their homepage here. Click on the photo below for a Port State detention summary on the Syrian-Flag 'rustbucket' OSAMA:

More rustbucket detention reports here.

Tims Times provides more tales from the bridge in "Compulsory Tugs"

Tugster has floating drydock pictures of the tug STEPHEN-SCOTT. Check out the size of the screws.




The Yankee Sailor's ship plays host (at least that is what it sounds like) in Japan for New Zealand's HMNZS TE KAHA during a port visit. He does a little investigation of the New Zealand Navy's website and discovers that they are recruiting Americans (UK and Canada as well) with relevant experience for appointment from ratings positions right up to Lt. Commander in the Royal New Zealand Navy. (Be sure to check that doing so does not adversely affect your citizenship status.)

Maritime Links Editor's Blog asks "what is the most interesting job you have had since you began shipping- and what would you like to do the most?" So go and tell him.

IMC Brokers has more information on shipbreaking in "Where Ships Go to Die" including the environmental aspect.

Maritime Accident Casebook has the important read "Shipowners Need To Get Seriously Green"

Canada.com has "Cruise-ship pollution initiative actually contributes to problem". Very interesting.


National Geographic's 8 October Photo of the day: "Milford Mariner, New Zealand, 2001"

SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE has the rescue by Canada's HMCS TORONTO on one Yemeni soldier who had to flee the island he was on when a volcano erupted forcing those on the island to flee.

The Stupid Shall Be Punished has "Anti-Submarine Protesters Can Be Funny" with examples.

The Perceptive Travel Blog has "Great waterways: the Panama Canal"

The International Congress of Maritime Museums is having their biennial Congress from 8-12 October, in Malta:

Maritime history, by its very nature, crosses oceans and brings nations and peoples together.

The International Congress of Maritime Museums is a professional guild of associations, organizations and individuals in the maritime preservation field, dedicated to international friendship, collegial cooperation & mutual understanding.
- Website

You can find their newsletters here.

THE PRIVATE ISLANDS BLOG has the story of Lord Howe Island's battle with the Australia Post over the right to provide local delivery, a service the Australia Post does not provide on the island.


Haight's Maritime Items has:

Senate hearing on Law of the Sea Convention - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee conducted a hearing into whether the United States should ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The US signed the Convention in 1984, but ratification pends. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) stated his support for ratification. Admiral Vernon Clark, USN (ret) testified that the US Navy is at a disadvantage without the navigational freedoms guaranteed by the Convention. Professor Bernard Oxman discussed the history of the Convention and its importance to US interests. Mr. Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy, explained that he thought the Convention was contrary to US national security, sovereignty, and economic interests. Mr. Fred Smith, Competitive Enterprise Institute, stated that the Convention was poorly drafted in 1984 and improvements since then have been insufficient. Mr. Paul Kelly, Gulf of Mexico Foundation, explained the importance of the Convention to the US energy industry. Mr. Joseph Cox, Chamber of Shipping of America, discussed the importance of the Convention to the US merchant marine industry. Mr. Douglas R. Burnett, Holland & Knight LLP, testified regarding the favorable impact of the Convention on the US and international submarine cable industries. (10/4/07). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Windjammer fleet stranded - MIAMI BEACH 3 October – Windjammer Barefoot Cruises is on the brink of bankruptcy, with all cruises halted and crew stranded. After months of cash shortfalls as the company sought a rescue investor, Windjammer cancelled all sailings late last week. The company’s phone line now offers a recorded message referring to “trying times” and the website has gone offline. The company’s tall-ship Polynesia is stranded in Aruba; the Legacy in Costa Rica; Yankee Clipper in Trinidad; and Mandalay in Panama. A high-ranking shipboard source told Fairplay that attempts are being made to find a financial solution in the coming days. In August, it was reported that private equity firm TAG Virgin Islands would come to the rescue, but TAG told the Miami Herald this week that it was only acting as an advisor for Miami investor Jerry Ceder. According to the Herald, Ceder has just filed suit against Windjammer, claiming the line is courting other investors behind his back, contrary to an agreement. Owned by the trust of the Burke family, Windjammer has had a troubled history. Its tall-ship Fantome was lost in Hurricane Mitch in 1998, with all 31 crewmembers killed. Founder Captain Mike Burke was incapacitated by a stroke in 2005. His son Dan, who was appointed president in 2006, died of a drug overdose this March. - Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week' edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest area of coverage.

** Sponsorship **
Send me an email (address in the sidebar) if you would like to sponsor an edition of Maritime Monday. I accept money and gear.

Previous Editions:
Here or click on the label below 'MaritimeMonday'.

.

Time Out For Baby

Funny the games that two year olds play.

In this case my daughter is giving her baby a time out:



I am not sure what the baby did, but shortly thereafter it earned a second one:

Oddly enough, she is much more strict with her baby than we are with her. Then again, all our friends tell us that we are pretty strict with her. These are the same parents that wonder why their children are uncontrollable compared to ours....

Whatever Senator Larry Craig Was Doing, He Should Resign

Now, I am not saying that Senator Larry Craig should resign because he might have been trolling the bathroom for a quick hookup. I think he should resign for acting like an idiot while going to the bathroom.

Normal people (who have not been elected by their state to represent them in the US Senate) manage to go to the bathroom all across American and not manage to do any of the things Senator Craig apparently (according to him) did by accident. This included touching the foot of the person in the next stall. I can't see how that could be managed by accident unless he completely fell down.

Arrest Report: At 1216 hours, Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moves his foot closer to my foot. ... The presence of others did not seem to deter Craig as he moved his right foot so that it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area. - Wikipedia

Really, how far stretched out was his leg?

Craig explained the movement of his foot by saying that he has a wide stance when going to the bathroom and that his foot may have touched - Wikipedia

Sure Senator. Then there is his idiotic claim that he was not extending his hand under the stall, but was trying to pick up a piece of paper. Not paper that he dropped, just a piece of paper on the ground of the bathroom stall. I could believe that he was picking up dropped money, but his excuse does not come off as believable at all. Not for anything, but the policeman has stated that there was no paper on the ground.

As far as I am concerned it does not matter if he was looking for another man or not. Listening to the arrest interview, it is clear that whatever he was trying to do in the bathroom, it resulted in behavior that is not acceptable. For that, he should resign.

Not only should the Senator resign, but he should also take a course in bathroom etiquette to keep him out of trouble in the future. This man needs help.

P.S.
No. It is not acceptable for gay men to go trolling in public bathrooms for sex.

How not to ask for a reference for your new job

I have been pretty lucky in that staff turnover in my department has been limited to those leaving to either further their education or to take advantage of new diplomas in that they are not able to with the company we work for. Lucky being that it is a real pain to find new qualified employees.

I most recently had one employee give me notice a couple weeks ago at the end of the workday Friday afternoon. She was so quick dropping the resignation letter on my desk while I was on the phone that I was not able to talk to her until Monday morning. Wednesday would be her last day. She had one request in that her coworkers in the department not know that she was leaving until after she was gone. After discussing it, she agreed that it was acceptable to inform her coworkers on Wednesday afternoon before she left out of respect for them. I have no idea why she just wanted to sneak away other than her stating that she did not want to make a big fuss out of it.

I was somewhat surprised when she went to lunch that Tuesday and did not return. She had left her key on her desk. Nobody knew that she was planning to quit and she gave no indication that she would leave prior to the end of the day Wednesday. Strange thing, she was a very good employee, right up until the point she failed to return from lunch. No exit interview. I did not even get the opportunity to discuss the open issues that she would be leaving behind. (She did have the pending files arranged on her desk.)

No matter. Virginia has a right to work law where an employer can fire you without cause and without prior warning. Employees also have the right to quit without prior notice, although the standard custom is to give two weeks notice. I did not get two weeks notice from her, but I did get a notice. I have no idea why she would not live up to it, especially since she picked the ending date herself. She walked out on us and did not look back. So be it. I wish her the best of luck.

However, by leaving as she did, she burnt at least five bridges she could have depended on in the future if it ever turned out that she needed help. That's too bad for her since her new employer, the US Government, needs evaluations from both the company and from me, her former manager.

I would have loved to have supported her in her new job which I understand included training to become a nurse. However, that was before she just walked out as she did. I do wish her the best, but I am not going to waste my time helping her. She must have known that I would receive this evaluation request. She did provide my contact details. Did she expect that I would just fill it out? That was a foolish mistake, especially considering that failing to get this back will cause problems. (I have filled one of these before and the person I did it for told me that it took five months before he was cleared for work and he had no problems getting these returned.)

After her disappearing act, I wondered what kind of problem might I be burdening someone, possibly even a patient, by assisting her get this position. This also reminded me of some valid issues that should be included on the form if I am ever convinced to fill it out in the future.

- Federal Investigations Processing Center -


So, I stuck it in my drawer.

Maritime Monday 78

Welcome to this Week's edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 28 here. (Published 9 October 2006)

You can find last week's edition here.

This Weeks Photos:
This weeks photos are from the photo gallery of the Port Phillip Sea Pilots (Australia), which has been "Providing pilotage services to the ports of Melbourne, Geelong, and Westernport since 1839".

Pilot Launch alongside a vessel - A lot of skill on the coxswain's part is necessary to deliver the pilot safely aboard or take him safely off.

Pilot Launches - A different view of pilot launches at their mooring located adjacent to the Queenscliff Boat Repair Depot.

Vessel Arriving in Melbourne - Tremendous skill is needed from the pilot to safely bring the vessels in and out of ports safely. Currents, wind direction and speed can play a major part in navigation. The photo depicts a container vessel coming up the Yarra River.

More photos located in their Photo Gallery.

This Weeks Items:

The GREAT WORLDWIDE STAR COUNT (from 1 - 15 October)

Eagle Speak has "Somalia: France offers to send anti-piracy warship off Somalia" and his weekly series "Sunday Ship History: "The Pathfinder of the Sea""

Hawaii Reporter has "Will the Mob Rule in Superferry Debate?" and "Hawaii Superferry Debate: Breaking Down the Kauai Numbers" which puts the impact of the ferry on Kauai into perspective. The ferry does not seems to amount to much compared to the 150+ flights arriving at the island daily. This comment at gCaptain also puts the issue in perspective on how ferry service transformed travel and the economy in the Canary Islands.

KHNL8 has "'Silent Majority' Speaks Out on Superferry Postponement"

Hengineer take a moment to post some more great photos of the USNS KANAWHA in the shipyard.

Peninsula Daily News covers five near-misses in Puget Sound one morning as ships were forced to maneuver out of the channel due to a small vessel that was traveling in the channel completely oblivious to the mess it was creating all around it. Luckily for those on the vessel, the ships did have enough sea room to leave the channel. It would have been a much different story otherwise.

The Associated Press has the death in the Port of Oakland after a container fell off a stack on the ship, crushing a longshoreman while it was being secured. (The story as reported makes no sense. Containers don't just fall off stacks while in port. Maybe the container was not set on top of the twistlocks properly? Freak wind gust? Tapped by the crane?)

gCaptain has an update to the seafarer tax return fiasco in "U.S. v. Martin Kapp – 10 Mariner Tax Questions Answered" which includes an explanation of the problem and gives some tips as to how you can check to see if your deductions resulted in a unearned tax deduction as well as an offer to review prior tax returns for free, with some very reasonable conditions attached.

Robin Storm has "New technology helps Coast Guard pin point emergency signals"

Never Sea Land has the UK's search for a new Prison barge (or ship). New York City sold their two prison barges in 1992. It was always a bit odd going past one of them on the East River and having the prisoners shouting greetings at us from the exercise yard on top of the barge. Then there were the two old Staten Island Ferries that were used for housing at the Rikers Island Prison. They eventually were scrapped after failing to find a buyer.

Speaking of the Staten Island Ferry, I have the news that one of them is up for sale.

For Sale: THE GOV. HERBERT H. LEHMAN
The September edition of MarineLog is now online:


(Click the image to open the magazine)

Bellona has "Sunken nuclear submarine K-159 can be lifted"

EU Referendum has two worthy updates on the EU's Galileo GPS System in "Stuffed" noting that yet another reason for creating this EU-controlled system will no longer be relevant by the time the system becomes operational and "It gets better and better" covering the need for €2.4 billion in additional funding to get the project moving since the program's private industry partners pretty much backed out of paying for it.

The Pilot Boat has two must reads: "Crazy bridge officers..." and "DGPS Fault!!!"

Tims Times has photos of the SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS in Southampton shortly after its launch in 1996.

Kiwi at Sea is 'abused' by one of the MCA's Examiners in Southampton. (Such is a sailors life. Reminds me of a trip to the USCG office in Manhattan. After that, I did all my interaction with the Coast Guard through their wonderful Charleston, South Carolina Office.)

CDR Salamander has "Stupid is as stupid does" noting that there are better things to do with $600,000 than attempt to alter the appearance of some Navy barracks as viewed from space. I agree.

The Monitor covers the revelation that being a passenger on a ship hit by a rogue wave is not a valid excuse for suing the cruiseship's operator.

Maritime Compass has the job posting for an assistant archivist for The Nimitz Library located at the United States Naval Academy. (Note: Apply by 2 October!)

Professional Mariner has "Mariner groups pressing for changes to Seaman's Manslaughter Statute"

Unlike any other profession in the United States, seamen can be charged with felony manslaughter in cases where the prosecution can prove only simple negligence. In any other industry, it’s manslaughter only if gross negligence occurred.

Helsingin Sanomat covers the detention of the Captain and Chief Engineer of the LETTLANDS on suspicion of dumping oily waste in the Gulf of Finland.

MSC Ships posts photos of MSC Containerships.

The Daily Telegraph (Australia) has the end of cargo operations at Darling Harbor, and the end of Sydney as a working port.

Deputy Dog has "where vehicles are left to die" (Found via Flares into Darkness)

American Shipper has "Boston shipyard expanding in Philadelphia"

MarEx Newsletter has the UN's Law of the Sea Convention's Tribunal's decision on the disputed sea border between Guyana and Suriname.

SAILORS, MARINERS & WARRIORS LEAGUE has "Venezuelan Ship Captured Loaded With Cocaine". No word on who owned or operated the vessel.

Shipping Times (UK) covers a record-size shipment of paper pulp offloaded in Aberdeen, Scotland. (The pulp was shipped from the US)

Sea * Fever has "Sea-change in a fishing community"

Sailor Girl has "The oceans: the very foundation of human life."

Haight's Maritime Items has:

TSA & USCG – TWIC regulation – amendments - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Coast Guard have amended the regulation establishing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. Additional non-resident aliens will be allowed to apply for a TWIC if they are working in a job that requires them to have unescorted access to a maritime facility. The fee structure has also been altered. The definition of secure areas at facilities located in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is changed to account for non-resident workers who are not required to obtain US work visas. The changes come into effect immediately. 72 Fed. Reg. 55043 (September 28, 2007). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

The regulations will permit holders of C1/D visas to apply for TWIC cards. This will (theoretically) permit seafarers on foreign-flag ships to apply for the cards.

Sinking of the ferry ESTONIA - On September 28, 1994, the ferry ESTONIA sank during a storm in the Baltic Sea. The sinking claimed 852 lives and the exact cause remains controversial. The ferry was engaged in an overnight crossing from Tallinn to Stockholm, carrying 989 passengers and crew. The official report states that the bow visor broke under the strain of the heavy weather, allowing large quantities of water to enter the car deck. The free-surface effect of the water on the open deck caused the ferry to list and rapidly sink. A variety of safety improvements were adopted subsequent to this incident. - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Cruise pax tax needs spending - JUNEAU 24 September The State of Alaska collected $26.6M from a controversial head tax on cruise passengers during the first half of this cruise season, but does not know how to spend the money. The funds were generated by a $46 passenger fee approved by Alaska voters in a ballot last year, but the state's Department of Revenue has yet to receive directions from the Alaska Legislature on how to distribute the funds. Johanna Bales, deputy director of the Department of Revenue's Tax Division, told Fairplay that the legislature has made no appropriation. "They're looking at it. They do have ideas on how to spend it. They just want to make sure that there isn't any violation of federal or state laws at the time they make an appropriation," she said. Head taxes collected during August and September have yet to be included in the revenues received during the 2007 cruise season. Alaskan voters approved the tax in August 2006 with the understanding that the funds would go towards state-owned port facilities and services to enhance the safety and efficiency of the cruise industry. The head tax was strongly opposed by the NorthWest Cruise Ship Association, representing all major Alaska cruise lines. - Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

Here is the cover of the latest edition of Fairplay:

Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week' edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest area of coverage.

** Sponsorship **
Send me an email (address in the sidebar) if you would like to sponsor an edition of Maritime Monday. I accept money and gear.

Previous Editions:
Here or click on the label below 'MaritimeMonday'.
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Voting Madness in Texas

Plain Simple Organized Vote Fraud

by Democrats and Republicans. This is amusing on many levels. With that said, every single one of them should be tossed out, provided they can't be tried and convicted. (Don't hold your breath, this is from March.)

A Housing Bubble 'Price Improvement'

'Reduced' signs outside houses for sale have been a dime-a-dozen lately. So how to attract attention that the price has been lowered? How about a 'Price Improvement'?

This sign is posted outside a house for sale in McLean, Virginia. So what has the price been improved to? Try $1,247,999. Damn, that is still just a bit outside what I can afford. But wait, it seems that the price is negotiable:

4 Bedrooms, 4 Full Baths, 1 Half Bath, 1 Fireplace - OWNERS WILL CONSIDER ALL REASONABLE OFFERS! Brick home in W McLean w/ decorator touches, short walk to McLean shops/restaurants. Gourmet kitchen island w/gas cooktop, granite, upgraded appliances. Lots of windows & gas fireplace in family room; walk out to private courtyard patio. Office, living & dining on main level, all have hardwood floors. Finished basement. *PARK BESIDE EITHER GARAGE - Weichert

Click on the image below for the current listing:

There is a virtual tour and the house looks nice, but I guess you need to like orange and yellow as the walls of a number of rooms are painted in those colors. I had driven around the block to take this photo, and not surprisingly, there were at least five other houses for sale within that one block.

I know your wondering how much the price was improved. According to ZipRealty, not much:

$27,001. However, they will consider less.

Anchor Countries

One dream, especially in Europe, is of the future society, a Modern Society. Part of getting there, for them, was the formation of the European Union. The EU would fulfill many goals for getting to this Modern Society, including fostering a healthy growing economy, standardization of all sorts of things, facilitate free trade and eliminate the threat of wars with the eventual benefit of not needing military forces.

The United Nations was also setup for many similar reasons. While maybe not including the Modern Society, surely for the advance of mankind in the lesser-developed parts of the world, which in itself helps the rest of us advance even farther.

The world can easily be on the path to a modern society with the United States around. Most likely, the US will be a major contributor of what is required to get us to the level of a modern society. For all the criticism, the US does way more good that bad. The good being the norm and the bad being the exception. Even with the bad, the US goes to great lengths to correct any wrongs its responsible for.

Then you have these countries here listed below. They are examples of what is wrong with this planet. Some of them are bad actors. Others are taking advantage of the situation by protecting them from sanctions. Nonetheless, the result is Governments that really have no place in a modern society. Good lucking reaching a Utopia with them guys around. So here is a short list on the countries I believe are preventing the World from evolving into a much better place.

The Bad States:

Zimbabwe - Total self-destruction
Venezuela - Actions that will take it down the similar path that Zimbabwe took
Cuba - Communist oppression
Sudan - Genocide
North Korea - Communist oppression, State-sponsor of terrorism
Iran - State-sponsor of terrorism
Syria - State-sponsor of terrorism
Mexico - Exporting its population

Then you have the countries that Should Know Better:

Spain - Backing Cuba's human rights abuses. Support of Venezuela, ......

China - Backing of Sudan, Burma's Myanmar Government and North Korea. Lack of human rights.

Russia - The Russian mafia is infamous for its ruthlessness. Now we have Putin's Russia acting like mafia thugs. Executing unfriendly media. Sending assassins abroad. Using energy supplies as a weapon. Ignoring their responsibilities to clean up the nuclear waste in their own backyard, instead leaving the West to pay for it. This attitude goes back to the foundation of the post-communist Russia, when they demanded that Poland pay the expense of withdrawing the Russian Army from Poland. Providing Iran with nuclear technology and weapons.

South Africa - Demands that African countries alone should deal with African problems yet does nothing to stop Zimbabwe's downward spiral other then demand that other nations not act.

Two of the countries listed above are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. When the UN fails to adopt a resolution against a 'rogue' state, it is normally one of these two that stopped the UN from acting.

Putin and Ahmadinejad - Each the other's most Useful Idiot

Speaking of the United Nations:

This is the one entity that was supposed to help lift the world towards the modern society. Instead, it is helping countries drift down to the lowest common denominator. This is the Organization that protects the 'rights' of the countries listed above to abuse their own populations (In violation of UN Conventions) as well as abandon them while the leadership sucks the country dry of assets. This is great for the UN, which can then better reinforce its own need by assuming the responsibility to provide for these people, through the World Food Program and UN Development Program. This may even give those causing the tragedy another income source if the aid agencies pay bribes or facilitation fees to get aid to those they wish to help. Worse, a good portion of the aid may never reach those they intend to help, instead being diverted, again to Government authorities.

United Nations Human Rights Council

This council knows of no human rights violation on this planet other than those claimed to be committed by Israel.

The council is so problematic that even the new UN Secretary General has criticized its work.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined Western nations on Wednesday in criticizing the world body's own Human Rights Council for "picking on Israel" as part of an agreement on its working rules.

The European Union, Canada and the United States have already attacked the deal reached in Geneva on Monday under which Israel's actions would become a permanent item on the Human Rights Council's agenda.

A UN statement said: "The Secretary-General is disappointed at the council's decision to single out only one specific regional item given the range and scope of allegations of human rights violations throughout the world." (June, 2007) - Haaretz

Now these anchor countries claim that positions like mine above are typical of the Western Nations meddling in their internal affairs while at the same time blaming the Western nations for any problems they might admit to having. Yet as bad and imperialistic as it sounds, the world would be a much better place, if these third-world countries would be a little bit more like the United States. (Or Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand, or the UK, Ireland, Estonia...)

And finally, lets not forget the International Press, which in many cases completely fails to investigate the countries above, or fails to report information damaging to these rogue state. Take this one recent example during an interview with Iranian President Ahmadinejad:

When an Israeli journalist asked him something, he just smiled and said: "Next question."

Then the wife of an Israeli soldier abducted by Hizbullah got up and asked Iran to cooperate with the Red Cross to discover his fate. But her question was ignored, and she was drowned out by more questions. - Guardian (As spotted at LGF)

There would far fewer problems in the world if the press reported the news fairly and accurately, instead of distorting stories and sitting on others. Of course, they would not get such a free pass if it were not for all the moonbats parroting their false messages. The Israeli soldiers held hostage by Hamas and Hizbullah is a perfect example.

We have a far way to go before we reach that Modern society as long as these parties listed above have anything to do with it.

How Illegal Aliens get a 'Social Security Number' in their own Name

Illegal aliens don't need to steal or make up a social security number to give to an employer. There is another less illegal way in which the Government issues them a number.

Step one:

- apply for a Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the IRS:

What is an ITIN?

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service. It is a nine-digit number that always begins with the number 9 and has a 7 or 8 in the fourth digit, example 9XX-7X-XXXX.

IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

ITINs are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and nonresident aliens may have U.S. tax return and payment responsibilities under the Internal Revenue Code.

Individuals must have a filing requirement and file a valid federal income tax return to receive an ITIN, unless they meet an exception.

What is an ITIN used for?

ITINs are for federal tax reporting only, and are not intended to serve any other purpose. An ITIN does not authorize work in the U.S. or provide eligibility for Social Security benefits or the Earned Income Tax Credit. ITINs are not valid identification outside the tax system.

IRS issues ITINs to help individuals comply with the U.S. tax laws, and to provide a means to efficiently process and account for tax returns and payments for those not eligible for Social Security Numbers. - IRS

For good reason, an ITIN card does not look anything like a Social Security card:

So....

Step two:
- Put that valid ITIN number onto a fake Social Security card.

They now have a valid tax number on a Social Security card giving them the 'proof' needed to get a job. (Apparently employers do not check the number, accepting the card as proof enough.)

- No need to use a number stolen from someone else.
- No risk that you are one of many illegal aliens using the same number.
- Peace of mind that the number has been assigned to you.

I have no idea how popular this type of fraud is. I was only recently made aware of the process.

Pretty sneaky eh?

Update: 4 October 2007

Just to be clear, the process explained above is illegal!

Update: 4 February 2010

I have posted an update here: UPDATE: How Illegal Aliens get a 'Social Security Number' in their own Name

For Sale: One Surplus Staten Island Ferry

Seems that the City of New York is looking to sell off a spare "double ended passenger/vehicle ferry" used for the Staten Island - Manhattan route.

For Sale: THE GOV. HERBERT H. LEHMAN

No mention of the price, although I suspect that it might be negotiable considering that there can't be too many places that can use such a large ferry. Then again, this might be the perfect opportunity to start a new ferry service, as long as you don't want to operate it in Hawaii.

As first spotted in the September Edition of MarineLog.

Update:
The Staten Island Ferry blog can be located here.

Maritime Monday 77

Welcome to this Weeks edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 27 here. (Published 18 September 2006)

You can find last week's edition here.

This Weeks Photos:

This week we have the pipe laying vessel/barge ACERGY PIPER

The Acergy Piper, one of the world’s most efficient semi-submersible pipelay barges, has an outstanding track record of achievement in the challenging environmental conditions of the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea.

She has two double-jointing lines for one main firing line with five welding stations, one NDT station and two pipe-coating stations. With the ability to lay pipe of 8'' to 60'' diameter with fully automated welding systems, she is currently laying the world’s longest trunkline between Norway and England. Langeled trunkline is 1200 km long, 44''/42'' diameter and runs between Nyhamna in northern Norway and Easington on the south east coast of England. The route includes crossing the Norwegian trench at water depths of 380 m. Langeled trunkline lay is scheduled for completion in 2006. She has also successfully carried out significant pipe lay and trunkline lay operations in the North Sea, West Africa, the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico. - Acergy (PDF Link)

ACERGY PIPER - BBC Photo

Once the sections of pipe have been welded together, the whole tube is lowered out from the back of Acergy Piper and onto the seabed at carefully calculated angles. Text and photos: Jorn Madslien. - BBC

There is a related BBC photo slide show here.

The Times Online has a story from September 2006 on the vessel in "Floating factory fits pipe for UK"

This Weeks Items:
Eagle Speak has the severe listing and complete evacuation of the cruise ship DREAM in Rhodes. A number of ships officers have since been arrested.

Also be sure to check out Eagle Speak's weekly series "Sunday Ship History: "I have not yet begun to fight"" covering Captain John Paul Jones.

The BBC has the desperate measure "Europe bans bluefin tuna fishing". Don't worry, they are not really serious as they only banned it for the rest of the year. If they were serious, they would permanently ban fishing for the tuna in the Mediterranean, as they are rounded up literally like 'fish in a barrel' after they migrate there from the Atlantic. If you did not read "Tuna Wars: The ruthless tuna pirates who are driving these majestic creatures to extinction" which I linked to in Maritime Monday 73, here is a second chance.

(Sleeping with the fishes: Illegal bluefin tuna ranching has links with the Mafia - Daily Mail, UK)

It is going to take longer than a couple months to grow more tuna like these.

You've heard of dolphin-friendly tuna. Tuna fishing is also very unfriendly - but this time to the tuna populations themselves because supply just cannot keep up with demand. Japan is the world's biggest consumer of fresh and frozen tuna, at 30 percent of global tuna production, while the EU consumes 40 percent of the global canned tuna market. Pacific experts warned at a recent convention (October 2003) that unless urgent action is taken, key tuna populations are likely to begin crashing within 5 years due to the pressure from industrial fishing fleets migrating from collapsed fisheries to the Pacific. Once begun, this scenario will quickly lead to the destruction of Pacific fisheries and a catastrophic collapse of key Pacific Island economies. - Greenpeace

I bet we run out of tuna before we run out of oil. Where is the outrage?

gCaptain has "Like It Or Not; It’s Here - Fighting LNG Ship Fires."

CDR Salamander has the interesting read "The fundamentals of running aground" covering the grounding of the US Navy Destroyer ARLEIGH BURKE and the loss of the Captain's command.

Neptunus Lex has another amazing read in Naval Officer self-destruction. This one claims the career of a command officer for encouraging the crew to drink, including those on watch while in port during a celebration. It probably would not have been a problem, were it not for the fire. He probably would have gotten away with covering it up, were it not for the second fire.

Neptunus Lex also has coverage of a sister of a Naval Academy Midshipmen deal with the surprising discovery that the Naval Academy is really the military. And this coming from an Ivy-league student. I guess she never made it to a mixer, or whatever they call it at the USNA.

Tims Times has "Mark 1 Eyeball Method" with a reminder to get your eyeballs off the bridge electronics and point them out the windows.

The Washington Post:

"New rules that will require the scanning of all cargo containers imported to the United States, a move to stop nuclear weapons being shipped in, are expensive, unnecessary and misguided, industry and security experts said." - Experts say U.S. nuke cargo scan rules "unworkable"

The Ellesworth American covers the fact that you're never too old to join the US Merchant Marine.

Cargo Law has amazing photos of the loss of the M/V DENDEN right off the beach in Mangalore, India.

The Swedish Club (Marine Insurer) has "Study of major accidents highlights “Competence erosion”"

The Monitor (Canada) covers rules changes for the Canadian Navy that will permit it to dump garbage and sewage into the Arctic, basically so that they can patrol the Arctic to ensure that others don't do the same.

Robin Storm has "NATO assets used in survey of sunken Russian submarine"

The Philippines, one of the world's largest sources of maritime labor, is running out of seafarers.

Kiwi at Sea covers his numerous failed attempts to join the New Zealand Seamans Union since 1992. Only now that their membership has been decimated by age are they prepared to open the door.

MarEx Newsletter has "Canada May Ban LNG Supertankers". This will however affect transport to the US, which is most likely to result in a dispute between the two countries over the right of free passage.

The Pilot Boat has a photo of the Portuguese ship TOMAR.

Daily Yomiuri Online covers the UN's resolution expressing support for Japan's Maritime Self-defense Force's refueling operations in the Indian Ocean as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Yankee Sailor has the story that Japan's Maritime Self-defense Force 'illegally' transferred fuel to the USS KITTY HAWK, which was headed for operations by Iraq and not acting in part of Operation Enduring Freedom off Afghanistan.

HMS-SOMERSET-CO (Life onboard a Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate - Seen through the eyes of her Commanding Officer) has no shortage of volunteers to drive the target float. (Stupidity is not against the law, but it might improve your chances for a long-life.) Go read the rest and view the other photos of a well-played prank on some naive crewmen. (Found at Yankee Sailor)

EITB24 has the story of 15 Palestinians from the Gaza strip found in a shipping container when the vessel they were on called Barcelona, Spain. The ship was headed for the UK. No word on where the container was headed.

American Shipper has the story of suspected bribes made by the Shipping Company of India to Indian Customs to clear transshipment cargo. It includes this money quote:

Maybe graft doesn’t seem that unusual, but the unique situation here is that SCI is a state-run entity, meaning that one division of the government was essentially greasing the palms of another division. - American Shipper

Now that is funny.

IMC Brokers has "India’s Largest Dredging Project Gets Underway"

Sea * Fever has "The maritime adventures of Pete Brown and his barrel of beer"

The Stupid Shall Be Punished has no ordinary UNREP photo. It is the view from a submarine periscope. (On my last ship, back in 1994-95, we were the 'high value target' for the sub to attack in training. Halfway through the exercise I suggested to the Captain that perhaps it would be a good idea for us to turn off the world's only 3.5 kHz sonar transducer, just to make it a little more challenging for the sub. The scientists were really embarrassed, especially considering that my comment was in response to them wanting me to blacken ship by covering over all the portholes. Five minutes later the sub had launched its flare ending the argument.)

Greenpeace has "Alaska Polar Bears Doomed" (Quotes are theirs)

Never Sea Land has a Real mermaid.

English Russia has "Murmansk Military Objects" which gives a Google Earth eye's view of the Naval Wasteland that is now Murmansk. Lots and lots of scuttled ships. (From this last winter.)

Maritime Compass has "The real Jack Aubrey?"

Finally, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Lego are holding a shipbuilding contest. First prize is a cruise for four. There is even a 15 and over category. (Click on the photo for details)

Haight's Maritime Items has:

EU – reinforcing the EU’s southern maritime borders - The Council of the European Union issued Council Conclusions on further reinforcing the EU’s southern maritime borders. Unfortunately, the document dances around the issue of allowing ships that rescue economic migrants in distress to disembark those persons at the first convenient port. (9/18/07). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Criminals: beware of Sea Mounties - VANCOUVER 17 September – Criminals attempting to escape by water across the Canada-US border could be in for a surprise when they find themselves pursued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police into the US, or by the US Coast Guard into Canadian waters. The programme, called Operation Shiprider, has been in operation since September 2005, but became public knowledge only recently when USCG officers were seen operating in Canadian waters. The operation is targeting organised crime on both sides of the border and gives police the authority to act as law enforcement officers in another country. Project Shiprider involves joint patrols off the south coast of British Columbia and on the St Clair River and Windsor/Detroit area in Eastern Canada. In a statement issued at the launch of the scheme, the RCMP said that it will help assess the viability of developing a longer-term Canada-US programme for stronger maritime law enforcement and emergency response. Boats used during Operation Shiprider are clearly marked as police vessels, and according to the statement the joint RCMP-USCG operations include "detection, monitoring, pursuit and boarding of suspect vessels in US and Canadian waters." In February 2004, Jamaica signed a Shiprider agreement with the US, which allows the USCG to board foreign-flag vessels within its territorial waters. - Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)

Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week' edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest area of coverage.

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