Thar Be Dragons

Still in SYD.

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 05:37:16 -0600

I am still in SYD. Have not posted in a while.. figured I would..

Report: Lindsay Lohan Hit By Bike In NYC - News Story - WNBC | New York

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:59:32 -0600

This stupid story says that Lindsay Lohan was NEARLY hit by a motorcycle and was then taken to a hospital. REALLY?! NEARLY!?! I guess the new standard for getting urgent medical care in New York is that you have to nearly be injured. Do you nearly get medication? I do not know why I even bother reading this stuff.

cbs2chicago.com - Fliers Complain About X-Rated Security Screenings

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:42:18 -0600

This story talks about one of my all time favorite government agencies, the TSA. I spend an above average amount of time in airport security checkpoints and while I have to admit I have never been 'abused' by TSA they do tend to be very hit and miss when it comes to treatment of people. These government employees need to try and remember that they are providing a service to the public and should not treat people like they are morons because they forget to take a belt off or forget keys. They do not need to yell at people. Most Ma and Pa Kettles are at a minimum timid about the whole security process at the airport and at worst openly worried/scared about the process as a whole. When you put some TSA minion in front of them yelling about liquids, shoes, belts, boarding passes and then telling them to keep moving forward you can expect them to come a little unhinged and forget things. At this point the TSA agent should respectfully remind the person of the forgotten item. At NO point should the TSA agent condescendingly inform the Kettle what a moron they are all the time looking threw them. TSA security screening people are not police officers, and honestly I feel that the entire process violates the Fourth Amendment but while our rights are being violated at least you can be nice about it.

Crazy Russian

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 21:52:00 -0600

This cell phone footage shows another angle of this security cam video of a guy going crazy. This has to be the best office freak out video I have seen. At the end the guy gets tasered TWICE. it rules.

Make with the Datacenter explosion.

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:21:22 -0600

My hosting provider seems to have exploded. Being in the business of building data centers I find this all very, very, very funny. I am sure that the cats working endless hours to try and bring the thing back up are currently do not find this very funny and my heart really does go out to them but I promise someday soon they to will find it all very funny.

U.S. soldier uses Quran for target practice; military apologizes - CNN.com

Sun, 18 May 2008 03:07:32 -0600

This story talks about a United States General having to stand up and say he is sorry because some lack wit Soldier shot up a copy of the Quran. Now I am sure this is bad, but come on. Its a book. and odds are it was a cheap copy of a book. I think it is funny how it is ok for Muslims to get all worked up over some jackass making an ass out of himself AND it gets to be ok for them to get all worked up burn the US flag and urinate and burn the christian bible. That stuff is all cool because it is not the Islamic faith that they are insulting it is the 'other guys'. However when the un-educated 'other guys' do the same thing; lock the doors because its going to be a riot. Do not get me wrong, I personally do not support any religion because of things like this. When you put absolute faith into a belief structure suddenly all kinds of evil horrid things become ok simply because they are done in the name of your faith. To sum it all up.. End Terrorism Outlaw Religion.

I want food!

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:59:27 -0600

So I have been in Sydney for a while now and I want some good food. I am not talking about the pathetic excuse that passes for food here I want a nice big American Burger. I do not want beats on my burger. I do not want some rabbit food that I cannot easily identify as lettuce or tomato. I want a fat 1/2 pound USDA choice beef burger. And directly after that I want some Mexican food. I am talking a big burrito stuffed full of beef, beans, cheese, and what ever else I can cram in it. I am sick and tired of the lame little 'meals' that you get served over here. I do not have a kitchen in my hotel room so I am forced to suffer then endless quest for food in walking distance. I know I could order room service but who really wants to pay $40 bucks for a few noodles that they call 'spaghetti'. As I sit typing out this post, no plea I am starving. I want food and it is next to impossible to find something. Someone please overnight me a box of sliders from white castle or a Big Ol Burrito from Taco Bueno. Bring on the food!

Rocket man flies on jet-powered wings - Innovation- msnbc.com

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:47:14 -0600

This story rules. He says he plans to fly across the English Channel soon, about a 22 mile trip. I wonder what the total range is of the wings. It would be interesting to see specs about it.

Public Service Announcement

Wed, 14 May 2008 04:55:53 -0600

I have started to notice something recently, and that something disturbs me a great deal. I do not know if I have just started noticing this because my deep disdain for most people on this planet has just been asserting itself more recently or if because this has suddenly become cool. What is it that could have caused this outburst of pure loathing you ask? Bathing in body spray.
I am not talking about the little club kids and pullers I know those cats are just trying to pick up girls the only way they know how; egregious violation of laws regarding hair care and body spray. I am talking about these 'important men' that get all dressed up in the crappy suit spill a truck load of whatever the days popular body spray is on and then have the nerve to get into a elevator with me (or any other member of the human race). This happens almost every time I get into a elevator here at the wonderful Marriott. What exactly are these people thinking? It has gotten so bad in the last week that I can smell them before the doors of the elevator even open. If one of you 'important people' are reading this please feel free to email me and justify your use of body spray. From now on I will just assume that you have some festering pus filled wound where your dignity used to live and you need to cover the gangrenes stench.

Driver fined for putting beer's safety before child's | World news | guardian.co.uk

Tue, 13 May 2008 20:41:57 -0600

This story should come as no surprise to those that have lived in shall we say some of the more colorful areas of the southern united states, however I guess this is news over here in Australia. I Have been in this fine country for a little over a month now and have noticed a number of fun things about the people here. This place really is like a little America. In the last week in just the 1km area around the office I am working at we have had a shooting AND a high speed police chase, not involving the same people! Now I see this story. Honestly I was feeling a little homesick for good old Texas but with the actions of people here as of late I am beginning to feel right at home. Before two long the Aussies will start claiming that New Zealand has weapons of mass distraction and invade. On the other hand a case of beer WOULD cause more damage to the other passengers of the car if they crashed so maybe the person was just putting the safety of the group over the the safety of one person... (That was a joke. really. I would never advocate a child or anyone else not wearing a safety belt, unless it was that one kid.....)

stuff

Tue, 13 May 2008 20:23:33 -0600

Technorati Profile

Picture Update Time

Tue, 13 May 2008 07:24:23 -0600

So two pictures today, the first is a picture of a 599 in front of the hotel, the second is Manly for my sister. woohoo.

Business Travel Update

Wed, 07 May 2008 05:00:51 -0600

Alliances

Star Alliance

United
US Air
Lots of Others

One World

American Airlines
British Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
JAL
LAN
MALEV
Qantas
Royal Jordanian

Travel Sites

Fun Travel Related Stuff

Getting Drunk in First Class

The U.S. Image abroad

Tue, 06 May 2008 02:26:11 -0600

It seems to me after almost a month overseas now that people really do enjoy bashing the states as of late, be it because of the bush administration, the Iraq war, the falling Dollar whatever the reason people find that it is FUN to hate America. How soon those that would hate us forget; how soon they forget all the times the U.S. came to help, how soon they forget the sacrifices made by Americans on countless occasions for the benefit of all mankind, not just our allies or our friends but for the human race as a whole. No, I do not agree with a number of the policies of the current administration and I do not agree with some of the popular thinking in the states right now, but I love the US. And you know why I love the U.S.? Because the problems we have are temporary, we will move past them. As a country we will pull ourselves out of the current stink that we are in and again show the world why the US has always pushed the edge of scientific knowledge. I have been told in the past that you cannot say something better then someone else has said it in the past so I leave you with a speech, not a speech by an American extolling the virtues of American but a speech by a Canadian delivered in 1973 after the US pulled out of Vietnam and the entire world was talking about how America was no longer going to be a power in the world, and how Americans at large are stupid.

"The Americans" - Original Script

"LET'S BE PERSONAL" Broadcast June 5, 1973 CFRB, Toronto, Ontario

Topic: "The Americans"

The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the earth.

As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did.

They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Misssissippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When distant cities are hit by earthquakes, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua Nicaragua is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.

The Marshall Plan .. the Truman Policy .. all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.

I'd like to see one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes.

Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 107? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or women on the moon?

You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everyone to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, most of them ... unless they are breaking Canadian laws .. are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.

When the Americans get out of this bind ... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the Israel bonds, Let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.

Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbours have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.

I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.

This year's disasters .. with the year less than half-over… has taken it all and nobody...but nobody... has helped.

ORIGINAL SCRIPT AND AUDIO
COURTESY STANDARD BROADCASTING CORPORATION LTD.

(c) 1973 BY GORDON SINCLAIR
PUBLISHED BY STAR QUALITY MUSIC (SOCAN)
A DIVISION OF UNIDISC MUSIC INC.
578 HYMUS BOULEVARD
POINTE-CLAIRE, QUEBEC,
CANADA, H9R 4T2

With that said sleep well world, because we are still here.

Traveling for Work, or for anything else.

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:26:34 -0600

So I spend a lot of time on the road these days and I have learned some fun tricks and tips dealing with airports, hotels, rental car places, public transit, and new city exploration that I figured I would share with everyone. I will list some fun links that you can use, but in all honesty my target audience here is not the once a year traveler that thinks it is normal to carry on a TRUNK. Honestly, if you are reading this and you have ever tried to carry on a bag
that looks something like this one then please do the world at large a favor and stop traveling, or take a bus.. yes a bus, because no self respecting business traveler would be caught dead on a bus. Anyhow, back to the subject at hand.. I expect the reader of this to have a bit of business travel experience and understands that for any trip that lasts less then two weeks you only need to carry a small bag and your laptop case. On the subject of the once a year travel monkeys, I do get a kick out of these people when they stand up at the front of the terminal waiting on group 5 or group 6 to be called. I really get a kick out of it when they can never understand why they always get the horrid middle seat and are never 'lucky enough' to get exit isle or bulkhead isle.

So the most important thing a business traveler can do it pick a hotel and airline alliance, for example lets say you travel out of DFW 90% of the time (if you are reading this saying 'Well I fly out of DAL its kinda the same' you should review your priorities.) you are going to want to pick the OneWorld Alliance (American Airlines AAvantage) if you fly out of the east coast (JFK/LGA) then you will want to pick Star Alliance. Safe bets on the Hotel is to pick Hilton or Marriott. I personally fly OneWorld and stay at Marriott's (Look for me in a executive lounge at a Marriott near you!) The reason you want to pick an alliance and a hotel rewards program and stick with it is simple; status. You want to have the highest status possible with the carrier and hotel chain you are going to be staying at, this affords you any number of benefits such as free upgrades to first class on most domestic coach tickets! Free upgrades to a better room or suite at the hotel, access to the airline clubs for international trips or even domestic for a few miles or some money for the year. So now that you have picked your alliance and your hotel rewards membership its time to start pimpin the system!

Booking Travel

When you book travel on a airline (I am going to use American Airlines as the example during this entire thing) you are going to want to make sure you have the best booking code for your fare, now if you are lucky enough to work for a company that wants you to book into full fare economy or business/first class all the time booking codes really do not matter to you because you will be racking up EQP and EQM like no tomorrow (For those that do not know EQP is Elite Qualifying Points and EPM is Elite Qualifying Miles, I will talk about these in just a second.). If you are now however that lucky sap who works for some company that does not mind shelling out the $5,000 full fare tickets all the time then you are going to want to make SURE you are never, ever, ever, ever booked into deep discount. On AA you are going to want to book into Y or B for Full fare (you get 1.5EQP on this) or H, K, M, L, W,or V These classes give you 1.0EQP and 100% EQM G, S, N, O, Q, T, and E give you 0.5EQP so you will want to never book into those. The biggest thing is you need to pick a target each year for miles/points needed to keep your status. Lets say you want to keep your Executive Platinum status you will need to earn 100,000EQM or 100,000EQP OR 100 Segments (now a segment is any one way leg, so for example; booking a trip from DFW-SFO-DFW will get you 2 segments, but booking DFW-LAX-SFO-LAX-DFW will get you FOUR segments for the same price!) So if you fly short hops all the time (Preston, I am talking to you. you can make ExecP even just flying DFW-HOU-DFW) it is possible to make Exec Plat with segments alone. Most people do it with points or miles because 100 segments in a year is kind of a beating, thats almost two flights a week, every week. So you now know that you need 100,000 miles over the next 12 months to make exec plat so you need to average 8400 miles a month to make that. I know what you are saying, thats a lot of miles! but not really, look at it like this: if you fly DFW-LAX-SFO-LAX-DFW twice a month that gets you really close, then throw in a mileage run mid-year and you are golden. When you book your hotel, if you do not have the correct status at that point to have free access to the executive lounge then book into that level of room, it generally only adds 20-30 bucks a day onto the hotel stay and if your company is reasonable and allows say $300 a night for hotels you are going to make it into that without any problem. The reason you want access to the executive lounge is for the free food and most important of all, the free booze. (this is also why you will ALWAYS want to get upgraded to First Class on domestic travel, mostly the free booze) If you have managed to book into the executive level at the hotel this also allows you to eat for free and pocket your food money for work (I would personally never do this because its wrong but I know some people do not have a problem with this).

Mileage Run

I talked about a mileage run a second ago and I figure I owe you a explanation of what that is. A Mileage run is booking travel on a airline for no other reason then to earn miles. The rule of thumb on a mileage run is you want the lowest PPM (Price Per Point) you can get. Watch for specials; setup the AASaver alerts stuff, look at flyertalk.com whatever it takes to find that killer deal and then book it! For example a fare came up not long ago from DFW-HNL (that would be Hawaii) for $350 all-in (All-in means that the quoted fare includes everything and that is the price you can expect to fork over) if you are plat already then thats 15164 miles or 2.31 cents per mile! Sign me up! Others come up so look for them. Some people spend way to much time looking for these killer deals and post them up on flyertalk, so lurk on that board often.

Ok, I am tired of typing to the time being look for another update soon!