tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post2802136235056371191..comments2024-03-27T15:44:43.564-08:00Comments on What Do I Know?: Notes: Psychopath Childhoods; Flying; Flying TVs; Refugee DayStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-65214672899832028862017-06-17T13:21:31.494-08:002017-06-17T13:21:31.494-08:00I guess it's a short term vs. long term tradeo...I guess it's a short term vs. long term tradeoff. If things get bad enough, people will begin to reconsider taxes. If private corps fill the gaps, then it's more proof to the anti-tax folks that business is better than government and things keep going down hill. Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-47630439245079345702017-06-16T05:25:43.244-08:002017-06-16T05:25:43.244-08:00couldn't agree with you more -- but in a polit...couldn't agree with you more -- but in a political system where taxes are even worse than atheism and transgender bathrooms, I'd rather see the Aetna car than no train at allkathynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-23022755752678143332017-06-13T18:23:45.897-08:002017-06-13T18:23:45.897-08:00I have a problem with corporations choosing what p...I have a problem with corporations choosing what public infrastructure gets built and what doesn't. I'd rather they pay their taxes (you know their accountants will take the maximum tax deductions for things like this) and we make these decisions democratically. Yes, I know, our democracy isn't doing so good right now, but if we cede all responsibility to corporations it isn't going to get better. Besides, I'm tired of stadiums and university buildings etc. becoming billboards for corporations. (In Alaska this is a way to get around our no billboard laws.)Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-62335388810437289852017-06-13T11:36:49.367-08:002017-06-13T11:36:49.367-08:00And shortly after I wrote this comment, I read a s...And shortly after I wrote this comment, I read a story in the Monday NYTimes about a marketing guy who says marketing as we know it is obsolete. One of the new approaches he says would be exciting is for a company to pay for a beautiful "Aetna departure lounge in terminal B" or new comfortable "Aetna cars" on the train. I'm all for it.kathy in KYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-10680951294561779082017-06-13T00:27:37.950-08:002017-06-13T00:27:37.950-08:00kathy, Interesting point on space. Gates with und...kathy, Interesting point on space. <a href="https://twitter.com/whisper2world/status/862534429901586432" rel="nofollow">Gates with under 50 seats</a> for a 737 are definitely a problem. And I suspect a study will show a correlation between passenger anger and cramming more seats onto planes. Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10498066938213558757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30897652.post-91059251472038365052017-06-12T04:19:43.247-08:002017-06-12T04:19:43.247-08:00I haven't read the NYT piece about travel but ...I haven't read the NYT piece about travel but I just got back from spending several hours at DFW -- got there early, and then our flight was delayed for hours -- and have some observations about airports. DFW, at least terminal B, is an extremely spacious airport. (Heck, DFW itself occupies about half the state of Texas.)<br /><br />Not so hot if your gate is changed from B49 to B5, but quite comfortable to hang out in. Plenty of seats (and very comfortable ones), plenty of room in between the rows. Not a lot of TVs, and what they have are on mute. Lots of restrooms with lots of stalls and sinks. Most of the restaurants have their own seating areas. <br /><br />When our flight was gate-changed and delayed for the second time, and people were being bumped and rebooked, there was none of that last-days-of-Saigon stress/panic that I have seen so frequently in other similar situations. Thus my new insight about air travel: space mitigates stress. <br /><br />By contrast, I have been in too many airports where there are too few seats, where people are camped out in the corridor lying against their backpacks, where people are eating lunch sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall, where people are reluctant to go to the can because their seat will be occupied when they get back. Anxiety spreads quickly when two dozen people overhear your every word; one person afraid of missing a connection infects a whole lot of others; one rude jerk gives dozens of others a bad mood.<br /><br />The airport itself is one of the few aspects of the air travel experience that isn't under the direct control of the money-grubbing airlines. So it seems to me that cities who want a good reputation among travelers could invest in roomier terminals (I know, I know, we might have to RAISE TAXES.....). Crowding is bad for rats and really bad for air travelers.kathy in KYnoreply@blogger.com