The Canadian Finance Minister has finally admitted we’re having a recession. However the PM continues to take the Harold M^cMillian approach to things that ‘if you don’t say you can see it, then it doesn’t exist’ about more serious economic situations being even possible. Meanwhile, one of the oldest steel manufacturers in North America is shutting one of its smelters in Hamilton, Ontario that’s never been cold since before Canada was created (for those of you in the UK, imagine half of Sheffield stopping steel making… oh wait, that’s 1988, isn’t?); General Motors is having its books examined and the report that they only have a few weeks to live, if that, is met with a response from the Board of Directors of “YES! THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN SAYING TO YOU!”; Toyota, of all firms, is going to the Japanese Government cap-in-hand; the telecommunications company which was started by Alexander Graham Bell has basically chucked the entire staff out the door, no matter what their place on the ladder, and is trying to find a way to sell its bits and pieces off to other firms but getting little interest from anywhere in the world; and still we get the silly line about how ‘Canada’s economy is strong and we’ll weather this better than anyone shall’, which is probably true but it’s a matter of degrees, isn’t it, if everyone’s killed and chopped into little bits and we’re only killed and quartered, well we’re still dead aren’t we?

As many say, now that the consumer supposedly has no interest in purchasing anything, no-one wants to put their firm into any product being proposed. Going to the mall up the hill, however, the place is packed! and it’s not all just Asian teen-ages looking to be free of their homes and be seen by others; hardly many at all, actually. The place is wall-to-wall with all sorts of ages and types and classes are elbowing and carrying bags of products they’ve purchased and seem to be seeking more as well. Granted, the windows have sales being declared in them, but it’s not all “BUY FOUR, GET TEN MORE FREE!”, so the notion that no-one is buying anything is a load of bollocks. Have a look in the parking lot of IKEA or some such, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a place to put many more vehicles. So… either these people are buying what they anticipate will be expensive commodities after some impending collapse (‘hey, buddy, I got a sweet line on a “Blirj” what’s never even seen the sun since it was flat-packed!’) or they’re buying things on the never-never and intending to declare personal bankruptcy when put to the wall.

I doubt the extent of the actual economic pain is being actually felt beyond the stock market and financiers, but the problem is that — rightly or wrongly — they are the ones who ensure the currency for everyone’s day-to-day things, like payrolls, supply-lines, and ready-markets for production, continue to operate and function as they have done for some time. Therefore, eventually and inevitably, we all feel the pain that they both wrought and are now experiencing. The simplistic attitude of “think happy and carry on” is almost as correct as it is naïve, however. Yes, it’s right that we don’t have anything to do with it, but the anarchy of finance is also inherently going to effect us adversely. So, “we’re fucked and can’t do nothin’ about it, so carpe diem and pass the gin”, while depressing, is probably about as accurate as one can get.

Tom Joad, we needs you now!

Tags: economy, Grapes of Wrath, investment, money (lack of it)

Yes, the truth will out… the problem I’ve been having since September last has finally resolved as being ‘no, we have done nothing wrong… what are you going to do about it…?’

Well, try THIS: NationalCarSUCKS.com

That, oddly, is basically their own damned domain, with “sucks” on the end. Clearly, they do about as well with viral marketing as they do with customer service: BADLY!

Go there, learn, and beware.

Tags: A439, accident, Auto Hire, Auto Rental, Auto Rental Company, Auto Rental Reservations, automobile rental, bank, Budget Travel, Business Travel, California Car Rental, Car Hire, car rental, Car Rental Bargains, Car Rental Company, Car Rental Deals, car rental quotes, Car Rental Rates, Car Rental Reservations, Car Rental UK, Car Rental USA, Car Rentals, Costa Rica Car Rental, Discount Auto Rental, Discount Car Rental, Economy Car Rental, Emerald Club, Europe Car Rental, Florida Car Rental, Frequent Fliers, Frequent Travelers, Gatwick, Hawaii Car Rental, hire car, Las Vegas Car Rental, Leisure Travel, London Car Rental, Los Angeles Car Rental, Luxury Car Rental, M5, Maui Car Rental, Mexico Car Rental, Miami Car Rental, money (lack of it), motorcycle, national, National Car Hire, national car rental, National Hire Car, national location, national location d'autos, national location d'autos et camions, national location de camions, National National Auto Rental, National Rent A Car, Online Car Rental Reservations, online reservations, Orlando Car Rental, rent a car, Rent A Cars, Renta de Autos, Renta de Carros, rental, rental cars, Resort Rent A Car, San Diego Car Rental, San FranciscoCar Rental, specials, Tilden car and truck, Tilden car rental, Tilden location d'autos, Tilden location d'autos camions, Travel Planning, vacation, Vacation Travel, Vanguard Rental, VISA, VW Jetta, Warwick Road, Warwickshire

So two weeks and I’m off! Not long then, no.

I’ve passed excited, then terrified, and am now at the point of “can’t we just get this fucking over with so I can relax and drink wine in Spain?”

I’m sure as the æroplane’s tyres leave the tarmac I shall be filled with my typical thought:

WHAT AM I DOING? THIS IS ALL WRONG!! THIS THING SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THIS! WHY IS THE HUGE, HEAVY OBJECT RISING FROM THE GROUND?!? WE BELONG DOWN THERE, NOT UP HERE DEFYING ALL THE GOD-GIVEN PHYSICAL LAWS!!

Later on I’ll turn to wondering if the mechanics of the ‘plane will fail, a bomb will be ignited, some wack-o will attack the pilot(s), or a crate of serpents will be opened in the hold. The flight’s 9½ hours… there’s a lot that can be worried about during 9½ hours… and I’m an over-achiever, so…

Am I nervous? Not really, just one possessing a logical mind. I sit in a seat, look out the window, the plane leaves the ground, I realize I am now 300 feet up, humans aren’t built for that, I comprehend things are wrong, and logically panic. Fairly straight-forward.

Granted, once the plane’s up, I’m fine; it’s the time before the ground becomes so far away it looks like a satellite map that I’m a bit uncomfortable. Landing and taking off are, after all, 95% of all the times anything can — and usually does — go wrong on a flight. Let’s face it, trans-Atlantic mid-air collisions are not ten to the penny. Badly placing an A330 in the middle of some built-up area of Norwich, however, is a bit more statistically likely.

Am I used to long travel? Hell no. I’m able to recall every single time I’ve travelled by plane with crystal clarity. They number only four total occasions (in round trip terms), the most recent when I met Jennifer in California nine years ago [image from the trip, left]; the first being when I was four or so and we flew about as far as London to Paris.

Yes, really.

The advice I’ve heard about dealing with jet-lag, etc is much like what Cotts advised me to do:

There is a fairly simple answer to making the flight better for yourself and unsurprisingly it is ‘Cure All’! I implemented such a plan when flying back from the US a couple of weeks ago. Don’t be afraid to ask for more than one drink when they come round in the beginning of the flight, I found that 2 large Gin and Tonics and and airline sized bottle of wine did the trick. After that, you will eat your somewhat tasteless meal and be asleep before you know it. Job done.

A fine plan, except that I’ll be flying on an airline where they demand payment for their tiny servings, but according to him, the better price is had paying in Dollars than Sterling. No idea why, but apparently the price is better.

Anyway, the procedure I’m intending to follow doesn’t involve the cure-all. Eat lightly or snack/graze, drink much liquid (juice, water, etc) but no liquor, stay awake or nap lightly, arrive and eat the local meal at the correct hour, then sleep at the same schedule as the locals.

Ta-da; instant native adjustment. I’m told.

However, I have a nine-hour-plus flight that leaves at almost 9:00pm local time, arrive in the early afternoon at Gatwick on the Saturday, then drive up the motorway to Stratford (getting out of Greater London as fast as possible to avoid the gits who drive the area blind-folded… and may actually do so). So maybe the cure is good to put me to sleep, then wake-up on the plane at 8:00am GMT, and then adjust from there?

It seems that plans are well under-way for welcoming committees to line the streets of Shakespeare’s Stratford upon my arrival. According to our man on the ground there, the locals have been constructing a triumphal arch in the main street, the hotel is altering its menu to include a salmon course to be followed by maple syrup marinated caribou steaks then dessert of raspberry pie with Canadian cheddar on top. All accompanied with a flight of Okanagan wine, naturally.

The local shops will have “Grade, Eh?” sales as well, with prices of “whatever you can carry out is free” for anyone carrying a valid Canadian passport. Looking forward to getting my own Jester’s cap with jingling bells.

Then, on to FantasyCon, which is September the 21^st through the 23^rd inclusive, at the Britannia Nottingham Hotel (formally Holiday Inn Nottingham City Centre part of the Intercontinental Group), #1 St James Street, Nottingham [image, below left], and we’re staying there as well as the events being held in the convention rooms due to it being, according to the promotional bumpf:

…the city’s premier hotel. Adjacent to Nottingham Castle, it has a superb city centre location and is the perfect base for exploring all the sights of Nottingham.

The hotel is situated near to Nottingham Castle, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Victoria Shopping Centre and the Nottingham City business district, proving an ideal location for both business and pleasure. Nottingham is also renowned for its vibrant and popular nightlife.

Night life which includes being dragged up an alley and getting the boots, apparently. The city has the distinction as being ‘one of England’s Hard Cities’. Never saw having six types of shit out of one’s body as either “popular” or “vibrant”, but I suppose it takes all sorts…

Somewhere in the hotel will be the “Dealers’ Room” for the British Fantasy Society’s “FantasyCon”, or failing that we’ll be in the hotel’s pub. Friday we’re out for curry around 10:30 with a gang of famous authors (well, “industry fame”, not popular variety) but we’ll be easy to spot either earlier that evening or the next day. I’m sure asking at the desk during the event will cause them to roll their eyes and beg you to drag us from the building so that their rooms will be in fewer pieces.

And let’s look at those rooms…

All bedrooms are maintained to a high standard, and are decorated in a bright, and contemporary style. All beds now feature a luxury duvet and cotton bedcovers.

If that’s the way my room’s decorated, there’s no way I won’t wake up quickly in the morning. ‘Strooth! Turn on the light and I’ll be alert, that’s for sure! Hangovers will be especially painful, I expect.

Speaking of which, I’m told that last year, the hotel’s pub (Calahan’s [image, below left]) ran out of beer on the first evening. Literally ran dry of beer. The amount they had on hand they expected was to last the entire week-end. But it was tapped-out after one evening. The pub didn’t re-open until they had received a new delivery from the brewers the next day. This was deemed to be “far too late in the day” and it ought to have re-opened far earlier than 11:00 to quell the complaints.

That’s 11:00 in the morning.

No, that’s not hyperbole.

“It’s quite disturbing how much these people can drink”, as The Velvet Prince says.

I intend to blog from there as access and brain-clarity permit. Here’s hoping.

Tags: Air Transat, AirTransat, FantasyCon, jet-lag, money (lack of it), Nottingham, plane, pointlessness, Simon Strantzas, travel