Text 12776, 126 rader
Skriven 2014-04-30 11:42:26 av Nancy Backus (1:261/1381.0)
  Kommentar till text 12741 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: Re: to the moon 570
===========================
-=> Quoting MICHAEL LOO to NANCY BACKUS on 29 Apr 14  12:53:00 <=-

 NB>> Which somewhat argues against giving all the frequent flyer benefits,
 NB>> except that frequent flyers keep the airlines flying...
 ML> When the systems were set up, I avoided them, seeing them as
 ML> data mining opportunities for them and suboptimal return for
 ML> me. I mean, why give up my privacy for such little benefit?
 ML> It wasn't until the loss of privacy became ubiquitous that I
 ML> joined up. 

Perhaps naively, or somewhat cynically, I've mostly thought that there
was no real privacy anyway... and what was known probably wouldn't end
up being a detriment... (yes, the first is cynically, the latter more
naive, probably)...  But as I wasn't doing a lot of travelling (other
than by Greyhound/Trailways back in those days, and later mostly by
self-drive once I had my first car) never did sign up for any flyer
systems, as I figured I'd never collect enough points before they
expired to be of any use...  :)

 ML> But since then I have learned to take advantage
 ML> of the system, and instead of the 5-10 percent discount that
 ML> the award ticket system offers get at least double that, plus
 ML> the opportunity to enjoy experiences I wouldn't have been
 ML> able to afford at all. 

There is that, and the better one knows a system, the better one can use
it to one's own betterment...  :)

 ML> Plus there has been instilled in my
 ML> brain a feeling of proprietorship regarding the (not too
 ML> proud-making) United Continental Holding Company.

Part of the thinking behind rewards systems of any kind... develop
loyalties so as to build up the reward... Discover apparently thinks
that I'm made of money, or wish to be thought of so, as they just
unveiled a new short-term program where, if I spend $3500/month for the
next 6? maybe only 4? months, they'll give me an additional $500 rebate
credit to my card...  As this is a card that I pay off monthly so as not
to incur any finance charges, that isn't going to happen... I don't
spend what I don't have... certainly am not interested in getting in way
over my head...!  But, even if I did have the money, obviously the way
to make it work is that you put ALL your purchases on this one card,
using none other, and then hopefully (from their perspective), it
becomes "using none other as long as you both shall live"...  ;)

 ML> Speaking of which, Annie told me the other day that Liz the
 ML> chef referred to me as "my Michael," rather peculiar since I
 ML> don't see her much at all - evidenced by the fact that this

Probably the same usage of the possessive as what I've used to describe
a particular person that has some specific connection to us vs others of
the same name...  Such as "our Debby" (being one of our strays that
lived with us for a while), to distinguish her from all the other Debs,
Debbys etc of our acquaintance...

 ML> morning I greeted her mother (whom I see about as much as I
 ML> see Liz) on the airplane, and she initially didn't remember
 ML> who I was. Only fair, as I'd forgotten her name.

You did remember her as Liz's mom...?  ;)

 NB>> Optimism
 NB>> keeps them aloft, where pessimism would just ground them all for
 NB>> good...?  I do see some parallels with the passenger train service...  
 ML> Except that they've actively tried to destroy the passenger
 ML> train service while actively trying to salvage the airlines.
 ML> They being Congress (both parties it seems, with the Dems
 ML> being less unfavorable to ground transport).

I had thought it was more neglect of the trains rather than active
destruction, but I could well be misremembering... The parallel I was
mostly thinking of was the having to operate at some sort of loss, not
really being a money-making operation...  

 ML>> The airport bars do a good job of simulating "atmosphere";
 ML>> they know they're in the entertainment business more than
 ML>> the food or even drink business. It's very much, oh, crap,
 ML>> we've got an hour to waste, rather than hey! let's get
 ML>> something delicious to eat and drink.
 NB>> And here I thought it was catering to the famished and parched
 NB>> travelers, that just want something to keep them going...  ;)
 ML> Speaking of famished and parched, I have arrived here in
 ML> Boston 6 hours ... early. Of course, owing to this front
 ML> forecast to go through Philly about now, I got up 7 hr
 ML> early and got to the airport 6 1/2 hr early. Then with a
 ML> half-hour delay, here I am.

And were you famished and parched...?  ;)  And is there proper
sustenance available, or didn't it matter anyway, as you could make your
way to your intended destination early as well...?  :)  Guess one of the
benefits of doing this travel stuff on a regular basis is that one gets
a sense of when one needs to punt... ;)   And often ahead of time... ;)

 ML> The point has been made that people go to chains because
 ML> of standards and the fulfillment of low expectations rather
 ML> than because the chains have any virtue of their own. But
 ML> Five Guys seems to appeal to those who want somewhat higher
 ML> standards.

As in, one knows what to expect, so one is less likely to be
disappointed, just don't set the standards too high...  But it is indeed
nice to know where there are higher standards attended too, so that one
doesn't have to lower standards just for consistency...  Friendly's used
to be a go-to for us when travelling... until their standards started
slipping, and the consistency wasn't there, either...  Also, it got so I
was usually travelling on my own, and I don't stop until I get there,
generally, so I got out of the habit of looking for places to stop to
eat on the way...  :)

 ML> Duck hash with double-yolk fried egg
    ...
 ML> Meanwhile, start the eggs. Separate the yolks
 ML> from four of the eggs and set aside. Crack the
 ML> remaining eggs into separate bowls and add to each
 ML> one of the yolks from the previously separated eggs,
 ML> so you end up with one whole egg with a double yolk
 ML> in each bowl. Pan-fry each egg to desired preference.

And here I thought that it was going to use double-yolked eggs... not
simply simulate them... ;)

ttyl           neb

... Avoid exposure to the dangerous local cuisine.
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