by Barista Uno | Sep 10, 2012 | Latest Post
There’s often a whale of a difference between appearance and reality, between what one expects and what actually happens. Sometimes the discrepancy can be huge as to be jarring. However, many of us are so busy with making money and otherwise going on with life that we hardly notice the many ironies, big and small, that are present in our midst. Yet, being aware of them could help us see reality more clearly and probably change some things for the better. (more…)
by Barista Uno | Dec 2, 2011 | Manning and Training, Media, Communications and Language
We’re dumbfounded. The 2011 edition of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), including the 2010 Manila Amendments Code, is being retailed in Manila for a whopping £73 equivalent (US$115). One can order it from IMO London for £40 (US$63). But that’s still plenty of money for a book of 350-plus pages that comes in cheap spiral binding, not hardbound. Just as disconcerting to us is that the obra maestra is copyrighted to IMO, so one can’t freely download it from the internet in digital format. (more…)
