Wonder if anyone at USAirways considered whether, by deciding to charge passengers for water and sodabeverages, they'll actually lose $679 per passenger -- that's the sound of me booking my next flight on JetBlue or Southwest or Virgin or one of those airlines that doesn't suck rocks -- instead of making the $2 they want people to pay.
Guess not. This kind of thinking should definitely help them stay in the black. And having to pay an additional $25 booking fee (in addition to existing charges) for domestic rewards reservations? Hmm. It's almost like you're not getting a free flight anymore. By the time you pay your booking fees, $15 for checking a bag (or $40 if you're checking two bags), buy your bloody Mary and a bottle of water, you've gotta be shelling approximately what a full-fare flight used to cost.
See you on Amtrak.
June 13, 2008
June 12, 2008
Weighting at the airport
This would be fun.
Smarter Travel today considers the possibility of airlines charging passengers based on how much they weigh. Don't worry, not happening yet.
Smarter Travel today considers the possibility of airlines charging passengers based on how much they weigh. Don't worry, not happening yet.
If I had an extra $601 million
I'd spend the first mil on a Bugatti Veyron, just because it goes from 0 to 60 in 2.46 seconds and because, let's face it, I'm not going to have an extra $601 million any time soon.
But, again, if... I'd spend the rest on this magic $600 million traffic system that UPS uses to plan delivery routes for its truck drivers. You can get the full details on the L.A. Times' site (holla for the L.A.!) but here are the key goodies: "To design the most efficient routes, the computer program avoids hills, dead-end streets and railroad tracks. It weeds out busy thoroughfares and streets with many signals. [The user feeds the info] into a hand-held computer [which maps a route, including] where to park and the most convenient entrances to buildings."
The article also says UPS plans routes so drivers can avoid left turns. Brill-freaking-iant. (Sorry, that doesn't really work, does it?)
A frivolous purchase? Not if I need open roads for driving my Veyron.
P.S. I bet UPS is pleased with the coverage, but maybe not so happy that the photo accompanying the story on the Times web site is of a bus that crashed into a Dunkin' Donuts.
But, again, if... I'd spend the rest on this magic $600 million traffic system that UPS uses to plan delivery routes for its truck drivers. You can get the full details on the L.A. Times' site (holla for the L.A.!) but here are the key goodies: "To design the most efficient routes, the computer program avoids hills, dead-end streets and railroad tracks. It weeds out busy thoroughfares and streets with many signals. [The user feeds the info] into a hand-held computer [which maps a route, including] where to park and the most convenient entrances to buildings."
The article also says UPS plans routes so drivers can avoid left turns. Brill-freaking-iant. (Sorry, that doesn't really work, does it?)
A frivolous purchase? Not if I need open roads for driving my Veyron.
P.S. I bet UPS is pleased with the coverage, but maybe not so happy that the photo accompanying the story on the Times web site is of a bus that crashed into a Dunkin' Donuts.
Lactoids rejoice
I realize this won't be interesting to anyone other than Bugs, but (good) humor me.
Got an email from the mad scientists at Turtle Mountain this morning letting me know about some new flavors of lactose-free (and in some cases, gluten-free) fake ice creams. They're made with coconut milk and sweetened with agave, so even Jenny's trainer would give me the thumbs-up, I think. Hey, no trans fats either, so... I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing it's good.
If they sold ice cream by subscription, I'd totally do it for this stuff. Who knew cookie dough fake ice cream could be good for you?! I'm kind of kidding. Nah, it's probably good for you.
Got an email from the mad scientists at Turtle Mountain this morning letting me know about some new flavors of lactose-free (and in some cases, gluten-free) fake ice creams. They're made with coconut milk and sweetened with agave, so even Jenny's trainer would give me the thumbs-up, I think. Hey, no trans fats either, so... I don't know what that means, but I'm guessing it's good.
If they sold ice cream by subscription, I'd totally do it for this stuff. Who knew cookie dough fake ice cream could be good for you?! I'm kind of kidding. Nah, it's probably good for you.
June 11, 2008
Iraq so far away
Heard a very interesting talk last night by Richard Engel, NBC News' chief foreign correspondent. He was in town promoting his new book, War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq, and I guess he did it successfully -- I picked up a copy for my own self.
He's the reporter whose recent interview with W. included a question about the possible implications of appeasement toward Iran. When the edited piece aired, the White House was, eh, a little touchy about it. (A little ironic when the Bush White House feels compelled to issue a news release with "Setting the Record Straight" in the header.) The Bushies, as you may have read, said it was "deceptively edited" even though, as Engel pointed out last night, the entire interview was posted online from the get-go (and still is), which would kind of negate NBC's evil plan to deceive the American public.
Engel says that the conflict in Iraq has actually been five wars, each with a very different dynamic defined by the combatants and what's at issue.
One of the most interesting tidbits was his recounting of his recent private one-on-one with W. Engel was summoned to the White House, but wasn't told who he'd be meeting with until he arrived. With no cameras running, Engel says he found Bush to be very well "read in" on all of the details of what's going on over there -- he clearly knew the names, players, events and places (apparently without benefit of cue cards) -- and the president we assume to have a teeny weeny attention span was really engaged throughout the 90-minute discussion.
Still, Engel said, he came away thinking Bush doesn't quite understand how to deal with Arab people -- how to approach them, how to negotiate in their style. That seems about right. Although you'd think maybe an advisor could give him a few pointers. And, while they're at it, tell him how to pronounce "nuclear" properly.
Engel, by the way, has been in the Middle East since shortly after getting his bachelor's degree from Stanford in '96. He went there on his own, set himself up as a freelance reporter, and has been there covering the entire mess ever since. Hm. After I graduated from college, I went to j-school to learn how to write about village board meetings. Well, almost the same thing.
He's the reporter whose recent interview with W. included a question about the possible implications of appeasement toward Iran. When the edited piece aired, the White House was, eh, a little touchy about it. (A little ironic when the Bush White House feels compelled to issue a news release with "Setting the Record Straight" in the header.) The Bushies, as you may have read, said it was "deceptively edited" even though, as Engel pointed out last night, the entire interview was posted online from the get-go (and still is), which would kind of negate NBC's evil plan to deceive the American public.
Engel says that the conflict in Iraq has actually been five wars, each with a very different dynamic defined by the combatants and what's at issue.
One of the most interesting tidbits was his recounting of his recent private one-on-one with W. Engel was summoned to the White House, but wasn't told who he'd be meeting with until he arrived. With no cameras running, Engel says he found Bush to be very well "read in" on all of the details of what's going on over there -- he clearly knew the names, players, events and places (apparently without benefit of cue cards) -- and the president we assume to have a teeny weeny attention span was really engaged throughout the 90-minute discussion.
Still, Engel said, he came away thinking Bush doesn't quite understand how to deal with Arab people -- how to approach them, how to negotiate in their style. That seems about right. Although you'd think maybe an advisor could give him a few pointers. And, while they're at it, tell him how to pronounce "nuclear" properly.
Engel, by the way, has been in the Middle East since shortly after getting his bachelor's degree from Stanford in '96. He went there on his own, set himself up as a freelance reporter, and has been there covering the entire mess ever since. Hm. After I graduated from college, I went to j-school to learn how to write about village board meetings. Well, almost the same thing.
June 10, 2008
Murder by numbers?
The Australian court system is so strict.
Personally, I'd have been doing crossword puzzles. As my high school and college career proved, I can't sit still listening to people talk for hours on end.
Personally, I'd have been doing crossword puzzles. As my high school and college career proved, I can't sit still listening to people talk for hours on end.
June 6, 2008
Blown away
Some moron in an airplane (well, you probably would've figured out the airplane part) was skywriting over campus this afternoon. I think he was spelling out "Tori & Dean," which I hope is a reference to ubertalented actrix Tori Spelling and her hunky and utterly underexposed husband -- I assume they're on some awesome reality TV show. I hope it was about that and not some student named Dean hiring a skywriter to impress his unfortunately named girlfriend.
Anyway, I only think that's what pilot dude was spelling out because it took about 20 minutes for "Tori & De" and part of an "a" to appear, by which time I had to go back inside. Also by that time, the part that orginally said "Tori" had begun to look like this:
Anyway, I only think that's what pilot dude was spelling out because it took about 20 minutes for "Tori & De" and part of an "a" to appear, by which time I had to go back inside. Also by that time, the part that orginally said "Tori" had begun to look like this:
And, no, I wasn't standing still, staring at the sky for 20 minutes -- I was walking back from my lunch break. (This sentence included to prevent rude comments from one reader in particular. You know who you are.)
Interesting, huh?
Come to think of it, nobody on campus really seemed to care, either.
I will say, however, that whatever it costs, skywriting seems like a pretty moronic marketing investment.
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