MONEY: Beat Airline Fees

Sunday, February 21, 2010

http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/18/nanofiber-clothing-iphone-technology-cio-network-travel.html?partner=technology_newsletter

Travel
How To Beat Airline Fees
Quentin Hardy, 02.18.10, 07:00 PM EST
Garments and gadgets that let you travel light and avoid extra charges on your next trip.

*** begin quote ***

This was before plausible roller bags, Web sites for lightweight travelers, and all the digital folding headphones, smart phone stands and nanofiber clothing that make the light life easy. It was also before the cursed baggage fees–now beating them is almost like flying for free.

*** end quote ***

Of course, I would only fly if I couldn’t get an appointment for a colonoscopy!

It also makes the “safety” case that all that junk dragged into the cabin makes us ALL unsafe should an emergency occur. The TSA should be the bad guy, (It is already.) By enforcing the number and size restrictions on carry ons. The airlines SHOULD charge for all the carry on crap. That’s what SHOULD be discouraged! Make checked bags free; carry on costs!

Argh!

If I were “king”, I’d proclaim the diktat throughout the land. And the serfs would rejoice.

If not for that, then for the fact we’d be using gold as a monetary standard and the gooferment would be cut down to size. (And, the airlines would be running the terminals, schedules, and “security”. Where passengers could sue in the “king’s” court for damages.)

And, peace and prosperity would be the rule though out the “kingdom”.

I can only wish!

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Posted by reinkefj

INSPIRATIONAL: Old vet is still courageous

Sunday, February 21, 2010

http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1025062431/Retired-railroad-man-Howard-Benthine-recalls-World-War-II-battles

Retired railroad man recalls World War II battles
Howard Benthine will go on Honor Flight April 23
By ANNIE ZAK
The Register-Mail
Posted Feb 14, 2010 @ 08:12 AM

*** begin quote ***

Howard Benthine was not even 19 years old when he killed another man for the first time.

*** and ***

Benthine faces cancer with the same attitude with which he faced war.

“We’ve had a hell of a good life. An outstanding life.”

*** end quote ***

Life was simpler then. Go to war, come home, get a job, work your way up the corporate ladder, and wed.

“Bon courage a vous tous”

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Estates don’t make it to heirs

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://mortonlaw.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/a-tale-of-two-sisters.html

February 10, 2010
A Tale of Two Sisters

*** begin quote ***

While meeting with a client yesterday I heard a story that I thought was instructive and worth repeating. My client’s two aunts were both in the same nursing home. One of her aunts was destitute, and her room was paid for by Medicaid. The other had managed to save a couple of hundred thousand dollars and was in the room next door privately paying for her care at about $5,000 per month. After about 3 years, the other aunt was also destitute and received Medicaid. My client correctly observed that both sisters had the same type of room, in the exact same facility, and received the same care, but one was spending her life’s savings while the other received the same care at no cost. My client wisely recognized the wisdom of planning in order to preserve her life’s savings.

*** end quote ***

Having seen this situation up close and personal, I agree it’s a disaster.

A great aunt gave a substantial estate to eventually getting tossed from a “private” nursing home into a state facilitiy. An aunt, who was merely “great” to me, burned through a several hundred thousand dollar “savings” to wind up the same way.

The answer: don’t get old!

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Tiger’s apology; not looking too good

Saturday, February 20, 2010

He’s a private citizen, who is a media star. The billions of bucks he makes off the rubes was at risk by his bad behavior. His image needed to be re-shined. I suspect that what this is all about.

BUT! But, I could care less.

Rosie O’Donnell has made me skeptical of media icon, who have a persona, that hides their true spirit.

So, this may be sincere; time will tell.

Already I’m suspicious. “No domestic violence.” Well, who broke the windshield with the golf club?

As some wag said, “Apparently, the only person who can beat Tiger Woods with a golf club is his wife.”

So after promising to lead a better life, he, or rather his writers, told a whopper!

Argh!

We’ll see.

There’s a Chinese Proverb: “Talk doesn’t cook rice.”

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Shrinking the gooferment

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/crovelli/crovelli42.1.html

What Has ‘The Union’ Ever Done for Colorado?

by Mark R. Crovelli

*** begin quote ***

Enough time has passed, and enough Coloradoan blood has been spilled on foreign soil, for Coloradoans to realize that the federal government has not, and never will, protect Colorado from foreign threats. For, the tragic history of the relationship between Coloradoans and the federal government reveals no foreign threats to Colorado except those provoked or imagined by the federal government. The historical record reveals, in other words, a federal government that is itself bathed in the blood of Coloradoans.

*** end quote ***

You could insert ANY state in this paragraph. Including Hawaii. FDR engineered that attack.

We need to pare the Federal gooferment down to size. One way to do it is state by state.

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Posted by reinkefj

FUN: dogmatic

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dogmatic

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Posted by reinkefj

SOFTWARE: TEXTEXPANDER good but dangerous

Friday, February 19, 2010

After my visit to the Apple store for them to replace my Mac Book Air display, I found that TEXTEXPANDER had “lost its mind”. All my registration and abbreviations were gone.

Great Brother Jasper’s Ghost!!! No real backup. Argh!

I started the rebuild from an old old print and griped at the maker. Software; not THE Maker! Please, no lightening bolt for me. Surely not for something so trivial as lost data. Lost date maybe; lost partial data not so much.

Here’s their response.

# – # – #

Sorry about that, on rare occasions TextExpander can reset. If you have v 2.8 then there is a backup in TextExpander. Go to:

[Home]/Library/Application Support/TextExpander/Settings.textexpander

That Settings.textexpander file is what you need to replace with a backup to restore your snippets and registration information. Also, you will see a SettingsBackup.textexpander. Rename that to Settings.textexpander when you need to restore your settings.

Thanks for using TextExpander from SmileOnMyMac!

Regards,

TextExpander Support

http://www.smileonmymac.com/textexpander

# – # – #

Another less that satisfying reply. At least next time it happens, I will know where to go and restore a file from my Time Machine. (It just keeps chugging away. I’m kinda looking forward to a bare metal restore. How’s that for over confidence?)

And, I’ll keep a weekly print of my abbreviations file.

My response to “support”:

# – # – #

Too late. I already started rebuilding it.

Really need a explicit back up and recovery option. Over on window, my copy of ROBOFORM has a really nice UI. Explicit menu choice to BACKUP and RESTORE from a user chosen location. Suggest same.

# – # – #

And not a WTx, Argh, or other expletive in it. (One small checkmark for the Final Judgement?)

So my opinion hasn’t changed much on TEXTEXPANDER. Great utility; dangerous as a falling knife.

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: “Queen of Nice” calls Rush Limbaugh a junkie

Friday, February 19, 2010

http://www.irishcentral.com/story/news/people_and_politics/rosie-odonnell-calls-rush-limbaugh-a-junkie-84750982.html

Posted on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 09:53 PM
Rosie O’Donnell calls Rush Limbaugh a junkie

*** begin quote ***

Rosie O’Donnell was on the Janeane Garafolo show letting off steam about conservatives in general and Rush Limbaugh in particular. Her remarks will not endear her to the Tea Party Titan.

The two liberal ladies got to musing about Rush Limbaugh and his enormous influence on the right. They also were quite cutting about those on the right Here is a brief clip.

O’Donnell : ….And how is it that he’s able to be a junkie, literally, and sort of still have reverence, respect, and be heralded as the leader of these, you know…

GAROFALO: Well, look at who he’s talking to.

O’DONNELL: I know.

GAROFALO: Look at who he’s talking to.

O’DONNELL: Those are the kind of people who if it was a junkie, right? What, because he buys the Oxycontin from a doctor?

*** end quote ***

And, this from the “lady” who, when she needed the viewers, billed herself as the “Queen of Nice”. Sure fooled me and a lot of others. Sadly, I henceforth and forever more dismiss her to the dustbin of “nasty people”. Please ignore her as well. Until she earns our attention. Garofalo too.

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Posted by reinkefj

FUN: MARTINET

Friday, February 19, 2010

http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2003/09/22.html

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Posted by reinkefj

GOVERNACIDE: Hazelwood man dies; gooferment fails, no penalty

Thursday, February 18, 2010

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10048/1036403-53.stm#ixzz0foHdeppW

Hazelwood man dies after 10 calls to 911 over two days
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

*** begin quote ***

In his first call to 911, Curtis Mitchell sounded calm, explaining to dispatchers that his “entire stomach [was] in pain.”

By the time his longtime girlfriend made a 10th call nearly 30 hours later, she was frantic. He wasn’t breathing. He was cold to the touch.

*** and ***

The city planned today to start dispatching firefighters as first responders on medical calls of the two highest grades of severity, and on calls of the third highest level that remained unanswered for more than 30 minutes. Firefighters are currently only called as first responders to the most severe incidents.

*** end quote ***

The gooferment has inserted itself into so many areas that it fails at most of them. In trying to be all things to all people, it has to disappoint. And, the costs.

I find it hard to believe that volunteers would be as inept. When I was on the First Aid squad, we’d have just dismounted and proceeded on foot. We’d have called on other volunteers if the need was so urgent.

Paid bureaucrats need to drive up to the door.

Sad.

Sad for us, in that, we’ve bought into the myth. The myth that the gooferment does great stuff and it’s all “free”!

Argh!

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