In Case You Were Wondering What I Was Thinking….
• I’ve flown on four American Airlines flights since the declared bankruptcy, and the service has been excellent—I gave out four of my recognition certificates (American provides these to reward high service standards). The Admiral’s Club managers, baggage handlers, red caps, gate agents, flight crew—all great. Maybe bankruptcy is the permanent way to go….
• If “get rich quick” schemes were valid (in real estate, rare stamps, or multi-level marketing) why do the perpetrators have to advertise their wares? Shouldn’t they be wealthy and simply pursuing their interests instead of filming infomercials and sending junk mail?
• Why does it cost more to get on an airplane at the last minute, precisely when they should want to fill the seats before the plane takes off?
• I’d love someone to do an exposé on every media person who is digging up dirt on every public figure they can. Now THAT would be a reality show.
• I tend to shudder whenever some mediocre singers refers to themselves as “artists” and their voices as their “instrument.”
• Alec Baldwin has anger management issues (as does most of his family) that could fill the year of seven psychiatrists. He said he was leaving the country if George W. Bush was elected, but from what I can see, he’s still here. This latest bit on the airplane with his electronic game is most revealing about this: He revels in excoriating working class people—flight attendants, coffee shop servers, and the like, who make a fraction of his bloated income. He’s a huge bully, and almost all bullies are driven by a deep sense of inferiority and insecurity (trying to drag you down to their own perceived level of inadequacy). Someone ought to ask this guy to step outside during the flight.
• The demise of the euro began as soon as the UK was allowed in the community but excepted from using the common currency. The euro will not be here a year from now in its current form.
• I actually heard someone the other day, in a frenzy of excruciating political correctness, declare she was “child free.” Does that mean I’m “child burdened”? (If everyone were “child free” we wouldn’t have to worry about the economic future, because in another generation only the insects would be here to worry about it.)
• My nomination for the most boring professional sport is now NBA basketball, where everyone is playing for themselves, common violations such as walking and carrying the ball are never called, and watching a bunch of giant guys elbowing around the basket makes croquet seem more thrilling.
• My car dealer just delivered my car back to my home after a routine servicing. Yet the only food I can get delivered is Italian or Chinese. Why don’t restaurants band together, form a common delivery service, and provide more options? They do it in New York, but then again, they’re probably afraid not to there.
© Alan Weiss 2011. All rights reserved.
Richard Millington
“The demise of the euro began as soon as the UK was allowed in the community but excepted from using the common currency.”
That can’t be true. The UK joined the EU community in 1973, some 16 years before the Euro was introduced. In fact, the UK has had very little to do with the euro. The demise of the euro probably began when it was introduced without the supporting political infrastructure. Lets not forgot, we’re one of 10 countries in the EU that don’t use the Euro.
Which isn’t to say I agree with our decision to veto the efforts of the EU. It’s selfish and short-sighted. But I don’t think we’re the ones to blame for its demise. There are deeper issues than us 🙂
Alan Weiss
Thanks for writing, Richard!
Graham Franklin
It is politically naive if I may say so to assume that our veto was not necessary to prevent us also being engulfed in the Euro crisis and our financial services industry from being destroyed by the the Franco-German axis. Just watch this space when the French feel their national interests are being threatened. Europe will be knee deep in French Vetos’. The whole Euro concept is deeply flawed. It wont be the last time the British have stood alone against Europe. I believe that last time was 1939?