My little UK humor

I was at a Supermarket parking lot yesterday and I noticed a car pull out of its parking spot. Just about the same time I saw a lady walking towards the front left side of this car.
I started thinking that ” You could start and move a car from its parking spot remotely”..This is “very high Tech”, raced through my head.
In the next few seconds, I realized that I am in London and they drive on the right side, somebody was already on the driver’s side and was just picking up the lady that I saw.

Tentative agreement on bailout falls apart

Ms Carly Fiorina got $45M to leave HP (CEO)

Mr  Bob  Nardelli   got $210M to leave HomeDepot  (CEO)

 

Mr John Doe/Ms Jane Doe  (Employee) um um ? Lucky to get 2 weeks pay check to leave Job

 

Here is the Big Question

When a president with record unemployment and Budget deficit on his watch leaves office

should he still get presidential benefits (e.g Secret service protection, pension e.t.c)?

 

Hey, there is no golden parachute for the bailout CEO. And there should be no exception either.

 

Somebody please tell me that I am wrong..

 

UAL Scraps Free Coach Meals on Some Overseas Flights

Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) — United Airlines, struggling to curb losses from record fuel prices, will become the first U.S. carrier to stop serving free meals in the coach cabin of some overseas flights.
Instead, the second-largest U.S. carrier will offer food that can be purchased aboard trips to Europe from Washington’s Dulles International Airport starting Oct. 1, spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said today in an interview. 
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a2hssF7MnyXo&refer=home

My Comment:

This nickel and dime from airlines is getting too far. Now people have to pay for meals on international route. It is better to add the price to the ticket rather than make it an extra pay. By making it an inflight pay, United is making it seems like eating on a long flight is an option. They are already doing this on chicago-honolulu flight but they could get away with it because it is considered local flight. All the airlines already have fuel surcharge as an extra on the ticket, now food. I think they are testing the endurance limit of passangers and I also think they should be careful because these things may come back and hunt them.

Laptop Searches in Airports Draw Fire at Senate Hearing

WASHINGTON — Advocacy groups and some legal experts told Congress on Wednesday that it was unreasonable for federal officials to search the laptops of United States citizens when they re-enter the country from traveling abroad.
Civil rights groups have said certain ethnic groups have been selectively profiled in the searches by Border Patrol agents and customs officials who have the authority to inspect all luggage and cargo brought into the country without obtaining warrants or having probable cause.
Companies whose employees travel overseas have also criticized the inspections, saying that the search of electronic devices could hurt their businesses. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/washington/26airports.htmlth=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1214920842-Z8zo5j2GFKnJLdjKnx4hMA

My Comment:

 This Homeland security searches is getting out of hand. Now they search Laptops at the airport when coming back into the country. The report says it targets certain group probably people of Arab origin. I say this is discrimination. People should not be fooled, because these searches can be extended to any group. And if you think it does not apply to you, you are in for a surprise because you may one day be stopped.

To Save Fuel, Airlines Find No Speck Too Small

The nation’s airlines are scrutinizing every step of their operations, from the tarmac to the sky, and from the nose to the tail of their planes, searching for new ways to cut their soaring fuel bills.
They are power-washing jet engines more often to get rid of grime, carrying less water for the bathroom faucets and toilets, and replacing passenger seats with lighter models. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/business/11air.html?th&emc=th

My Comment:
As airlines look for more ways to save on fuel, some of which now includes:
Change sit to one with less weight
Reduce amount of water for toilet flushing e.t.c
Travellers maybe given a tag which allows the use of toilet once per flight to conserve water. Another could be limit the weight of carry on bag. Or come up with other ways of charging for services.

If anybody have other ideas airlines may come up with please share it here.

Analysis: Obama makes history but can he win?

Black president.

Those are the two words you heard sprinkled sometimes emotionally, and often historically into commentators’ analysis last night. It’s the possibility that Senator Barack Obama’s campaign now looks at, after clinching the democratic nomination Tuesday. He will likely be the first African-American nominee of a major party. And as CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said, 200 years after the slave trade was stopped, and 46 years after he was born into the heart of the civil rights movement, so many are looking at what the possibility of Barack Obama’s candidacy means to the way the United States views ethnic and ideological unity. Those thoughts have many ramifications and they will play out in November as voters determine if Obama can win. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/04/lui.obama.victory/index.html#cnnSTCText

My Comment:

The implication of a Black president in the US may not seems obvious to people in the US especially Black people. But this opens a lot of doors beyond what anybody can comprehend.

 When I was growing up outside the United State, the ONLY thing we see about Black in the US is what we see on the TV. And that is MUSIC and SPORT and the question then becomes these people can’t do anything else..(But they are doing well in business world)

 

 

What will Hillary do next?

(CNN) — Barack Obama and American voters made history this week. The big question is how long Hillary Clinton will stand in the way.The next question is what will happen to her, her voters and their money. And she isn’t saying.
What she did tell supporters is that she isn’t dropping out fast. “I’ll be consulting with party leaders and supporters with the best interests of our party and our country guiding our way.”
For weeks, we knew that Obama would win the Democratic nomination to the presidency, the first African-American ever to be chosen by a major US party. He was just too far ahead.
But back at the start of the campaign 16 months ago, it was Clinton who was far ahead in the opinion polls. It was Clinton who had every reason to expect that she would be the first: the first woman. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/05/mann.obama.victory/index.html#cnnSTCText

My Comment:

Immediately after John Kerry lost the Election in 2004, the US media started talking about Hillary presidential run in 2008. And they somehow made it clear that there is nobody that can challenge her within the Democratic party. Over the years she was now used to seeing herself as the Democratic nominee and probably seeing herself as the next President after George Bush.
That year 2004 I made up my mind that I will not vote for her in the primary or the General election.

Here are my reasons for this decision:
1. She voted for the Iraqi war because of her political reason and not because it is neccessary.
2. Rather than accept her role in voting for the war, she talks about the prosecution of the war by the Bush administration.
3.This is a country of 300M+ people, one family cannot continue to think that it is their right to rule other people. Skip a generation and let others rule. This is not oligarchy or Kingdom.
4.Before the primary started the candidates agreed with the Party regarding states that violate the rules to not campaign. But once she started loosing, suddenly she is now the voice of the people in that state. Now you want to move the goal post. To me that is act of desperation for power.
5. Watch out people of New York, that Senate sit maybe for Chelsea once Hillary retires and possibly for generation of Clintons. 
6. She lost the primary, but she wants people to advice her on she should do next.. Hello, do I see selfishness here..

US to tighten visa restrictions

The US is to tighten visa restrictions to allow it to screen all short-term visitors from Japan and Western Europe.
US Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said visitors to the US who do not need visas will be required to register with the government online. The security regulation, set to begin next year, will require visitors to register three days before they visit. The online registration will remain valid for a two-year period, Mr Chertoff said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7434374.stm

My Comment:
Well the Bush administration is taking this homeland security too far. If other countries start restricting entry requirements for Americans in response to Homeland security changes, I wonder how people will feel.I personally prefer to travel free with my passport without hinderance or harrassment.

American, Cutting Back, Plans $15 Bag Fee

There’s an old saying about the best way to travel: bring half the clothes and twice the money. Now may be the time to take that advice to heart.

American Airlines said Wednesday that it would soon start charging passengers $15 to check their first bag each way, or $30 round-trip, if they are flying on a discounted fare. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/business/22air.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

My Comment:

The Homeland security is forcing people to check-in their bags because of these liquids and tools that they fear. The airline is looking at it as another source of revenue to cope with their financial bottom line.

If this new attempt does not work, and you still want to continue to fly, better start watching your weight, because that might be the next money cow.

 

Conspicuous Consumption and Race: Who Spends More on What

Fashionable clothes, jewelry, flashy cars…. They are all items of conspicuous consumption that give their owners status on the street.

Some groups, such as blacks and Hispanics, seem to spend more on such emblems of success than others. Or is that just a stereotype?

Comedian Bill Cosby has long condemned his own black community for spending too much on flashy goods at the expense of children’s education. He has been roundly criticized by some and praised by others, but there hasn’t been much evidence to show whether his claims are true. Those who believe spending patterns vary among racial and ethnic groups typically invoke cultural differences, but there hasn’t been much solid evidence of that, either  http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1963

My Comment:

The above is a research that provides food for thought.  Additional data that I would have loved to see is comparing by population. Like here is the sample population of white, Black and Hispanic. And out of this population, here is the percentage per race that is spending on the “Conspicuous Consumption” out of the sample population.

Another question is could it be that the whites redirect their spending to Vacations or other hobbies rather than conspicous Consumption.