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Greetings, Quotaholics:
If
you’re like me, the image you most associate with military leaders
is that of the brave soldier leading his troops into battle. We’ve
all seen Washington standing in the bow of the boat, MacArthur wading
ashore in the Philippines, Patton arriving on the front lines in a jeep.
Today’s top brass apparently needs a little more pampering than
that. An article in the Washington
Post tells how the Air Force has tried, for 3 years now, to build
what are called “comfort capsules ” to be placed inside
transport planes to fly the top brass in a style most military officers
never enjoyed on the ground.
“In all, for the past three years the service has asked to divert
$16.2 million to the effort from what the military calls the GWOT, or
global war on terrorism. Congress has twice told the service that it
cannot, including an August 2007 letter from Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.)
to the Pentagon ordering that the money be spent on a ‘higher
priority’ need.”
“Officials say the Air Force nonetheless decided last year to
take $331,000 from counterterrorism funds to cover a cost overrun, partly
stemming from the design changes, although a senior officer said yesterday
in response to inquiries that it will reverse that decision.”
“Air Force officials say the program dates from a 2006 decision
by Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb that existing seats on transport
planes, including some that match those on commercial airliners, may
be fine for airmen and troops but inadequate for the top brass. McNabb
was then the Air Mobility commander; he is now the Air Force’s vice
chief of staff, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates nominated him
in June to become head of the military’s Transportation Command.”
Now I understand that “rank has it’s privileges” but
come on, leather office chairs, beds, tables, 37-inch flat-screen monitors
with stereo speakers, DVD players, and full-length mirrors? Hell they
spent $68,240 just to change seat colors and put pockets on the back.
And this is money that is supposed to be going to fight terrorism.
The article did, however, point out that “…the program’s estimated
$20 million cost is nearly equivalent to what the Pentagon spends in
about 20 minutes..” So maybe the real problem is that we seem
to have opened the purse strings and let the military take what they
want and spend it anyway they please.
After all we have heard and read over the last few years regarding equipment
shortages for the front line fighting men, does it bother you to find
out the generals are more concerned with the carpet and wall covering
colors of their luxury travel accommodations than they are about providing
soldiers the safest bullet proof vests available?
Should money earmarked for the war be spent this way? Do top military
officials need these kinds of accommodations? If Congress has already
told the military to stop spending money on this, why is the project
proceeding? Should any General with the balls to say existing transport
planes “…may be fine for airmen and troops but inadequate for
the top brass” be taken out back and beaten senseless?
AWOL,
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"I
used to be a heavy gambler, but now I just make mental bets. That’s
how I lost my mind." - Steve Allen
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"What the world needs is more
geniuses with humility. There are so few of us left." - Oscar Levant,
American actor, pianist, and composer (1906-1972)
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Fashion Sense
[Thanks to Bonnie in Louisiana]
A man is at work
one day when he notices that his co-worker is wearing an earring.
This man knows his co-worker to be a normally conservative fellow,
and is curious about his sudden change in ‘fashion sense.’
The man walks up
to him and says, ‘I didn’t know you were into earrings.’
‘Don’t make such
a big deal, it’s only an earring,’ he replies sheepishly.
His friend falls
silent for a few minutes, but then his curiosity prods him to say,
‘So, how long have you been wearing one?’
‘Ever since my wife
found it in my truck’
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“The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.” - Henry L. Stimson,
Secretary of War under Harry S. Truman
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“Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think
we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering.” - Arthur C. Clarke
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“No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.” - Isaac Newton
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E-Mail
the Imp
Once again there’s an announcement about a vehicle that will save
the planet.
Gas-electric hybrid!
150 mpg (2.0L/100km)!
87 mph (140km/h)!
Solar cell recharging!
Three passenger!
Runs on gas, gas-ethanol, or ethanol!
Bonus manual battery recharger…huh?
The
Antro Solo was debuted as a prototype at the Budapest Museum of
Transportation. It is on the drawing board, is expected to go into production
by 2012, and will sell for about $20K (€12K). I hope this will
turn out better than a previous Eastern Europe econo-car, the Yugo.
The
Solo was designed in Hungary which has a much better reputation
for technology than Yugoslavia had, so it might just work.
To achieve 117 mpg (1.5L/100km) City and 150 mpg (2.0L/100km) Highway,
Antro has designed a super sleek and extremely light vehicle. It runs
on batteries recharged by solar cells and a very small flex-fuel or
multi-fuel diesel engine for long trips or when the sun doesn’t
shine. It also has pedals hooked to the vehicles generator for the two
passengers to pump on if needed.
It seems to me that the super mileage figures being claimed can only
be achieved because the car is running on batteries most of the time.
You could get the same effect by coasting downhill in neutral with the
engine idling and only counting fuel consumption while traveling from
top to bottom.
I suppose there will be some unique safety warnings with this vehicle.
First, there will have to be warnings for the passengers manning those
pedals…asthmatics and those with heart conditions would be at
risk. Only young, healthy passengers should be embarked.
Since it will be constructed almost completely from carbon fiber composites,
weighs a mere 600 lbs (270 kgs), and will sail down the road at 87 mph
(140km/h), contact with solid objects will defeat the effectiveness
of airbags. They’ll have to put warnings in the car about using
roadside obstacles as braking devices.
Hitting speed bumps at high speed could get the car airborn. Though
the Solo is light and aerodynamically designed, it probably has the
same glide ratio as a streamlined safe. This is definitely not a vehicle
for high speed runs on unimproved roads. The Solo is, or will be, lighter
than my son-in-law’s golf cart come pick-up truck.
I’m a sucker for a neat gadget, I root for the under dog, and
I’d sure love to see the 50 mpg mileage ceiling permanently retired.
I wish them luck.
The Bad Sied 
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Speak
right up!
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On this day in history, July
25, 1871: Patent #117,355 is granted to Seth Wheeler of Albany, New York.
This patent allowed for perforations. Today some products are made without
this wonderful inventive process, but special dispensers are then used.
By February 13, 1883 another patent was granted to Wheeler to have the
perforated product wrapped around a central tube. He made and patented
brackets to hold the tubes. The burning question remains: is it possible
for men to use these? Over 100 years later we still wonder if men can
change a roll of toilet paper.
The first mention of toilet paper was in China in 589 and in 851, Arab-Muslims
were so impressed with the Chinese item, they confirmed its use in writing.
By 1300, Zhejiang province was producing 10 million packages of paper
with 1,000 to 10,000 sheets in each. Sheets measuring 2 x 3 feet (60 x
90 cm) were produced in 1393 – 270,000 of them – for use by
the royal court. Elsewhere wool, lace, and hemp were used by the wealthy
while the poor were stuck using rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay,
stone, sand, moss, water, snow, seashells, corncobs, or one’s own hand.
In ancient Rome, a sponge on a stick was used then replaced in a bucket
of saltwater for the next person.
"He who uses paper on his filthy bum, will always find his ballocks
lined with scum." - François Rabelais
"France is a place where the money falls apart in your hands but
you can’t tear the toilet paper." - Billy Wilder
"My dad always told me, yesterday’s news is today’s toilet paper."
- Syneca Puryear
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Email
Kirsten
"I have
to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing."
~ Marsha Doble ~
You remembered! Some of you did, anyway. I have received a few emails
from readers saying, “Hey, isn’t your twelve-week Body For
Life Challenge ending round about now?” The answer to that, my
faithful friends, is yes. My twelve weeks ended on July 20th. It was
a very worthwhile twelve weeks. I made a lot of positive lifestyle changes,
and I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I look way hotter than
I did twelve weeks ago.
The Body for Life Challenge encourages
participants to make improvements in three areas of their lives –
nutrition, physical fitness, and mental health. The nutritional aspect
is based on eating six small meals a day. Each meal contains one serving
of protein, one serving of carbohydrates, and unlimited vegetables.
The meals are spaced two or three hours apart, with at least ten glasses
of water a day thrown in. This meal plan is designed to keep energy
levels consistent throughout the day.
The physical fitness component is based on exercising six days per week.
Intensive weights workouts are alternated with any form of cardio exercise.
The program has two goals: to burn fat and to build muscle mass. Maximum
results are achieved by exercising first thing in the morning, when
blood sugar levels are low enough for the body to draw from fat reserves
instead.
The mental health element is based on setting goals. At the beginning
of the twelve-week program, you write down five goals you would like
to achieve over the course of the twelve weeks. The goals can be related
to anything from losing weight to winning the world Tic-Tac-Toe championships.
At the beginning of each day, you write down five goals for that day,
things you did well the previous day, and things from the previous day
that you aim to improve on.
Once I embarked on this challenge, I was incredibly single-minded about
sticking to it. There are benefits to being naturally stubborn. I started
planning my meals carefully, and this had two results. First, I developed
a much greater awareness of what I was eating, and got into the habit
of eating healthier stuff and taking my vitamins every day. Second,
I started bringing my own lunch to work and saved a pile of money.
I also stuck like glue to the exercise program. I bought workout books,
and when I got stitches after gashing my hand open, I researched alternative
ways to exercise that wouldn’t involve weights. I built up some
muscle, and my fitness levels improved dramatically. At the start of
the twelve weeks, I could barely walk around the block without breaking
a sweat. Now I can comfortably run five kilometres. Still a far cry
from my half-marathon days of a few years ago, but at least it’s
several steps in the right direction.
I did the goal-setting and journalling thing for a while, but eventually
I gave up on it. I remained in the habit of focusing my mind and being
clear about what I wanted to achieve. But I found the task of daily
journalling to be too onerous and time-consuming. I was getting up early
to go to the gym, working a full day, going home and spending time with
the kids, cooking dinner… Something had to give, and the journalling
just wasn’t important enough to me.
So what results did all of this have? Well, I lost several pounds. 28
of them, to be exact. Undoubtedly, I was helped by a bout of food poisoning
two weeks ago, but still. 28 pounds is 28 pounds. I didn’t do
waist measurements and stuff at the beginning, so I don’t know
how many inches I lost. I do know that I’m getting a real kick
out of trying on old clothes that didn’t fit me for a while. My
elasticated pants have been relegated to the back of the wardrobe, and
pants that wouldn’t even go all the way up my thighs in the beginning
are now too big for me. I can wear jeans and dresses. I no longer look
fat, I look curvy.
I am far more aware of what I put into my body. I read nutrition labels
in grocery stores, and if I don’t understand them, I don’t
buy the product. I allow myself to break the rules now and then –
I allow myself dessert if I’m eating out, and occasionally I eat
an unhealthy treat. For the most part, though, the habit of eating properly
has been established.
I’m sticking to the exercise as well. Not exercising actually
makes me swing between edginess and lethargy. I need that physical output
in order to function, and I cannot really see how I used to get through
my days living a sedentary lifestyle. I am physically strong, and healthier
than I’ve been in years. My plantar fasciitis has disappeared,
and my bad ankle is no longer bad. My heart rate is better, my breathing
is better, my mind is clearer.
That all being said, I’ve only lost half the weight I needed to.
I have another 25 or 30 pounds to go before I’m at my ideal weight.
I’ll be going on vacation soon, and when I return I plan to do
a second Body for Life Challenge. There are some things I will do differently.
For one thing, I will look up recipes to add variety to my diet. The
food I’ve been eating has been healthy and it’s tasted nice,
but there hasn’t been a lot of variety. For another thing, I won’t
waste money on the Body for Life Success journal. It’s a big clunky
thing to carry around, and any journalling I do can be computer-based.
That is still three weeks away, though. For now, I am going to relish
in those 28 pounds.
Kaleidoscopically
yours,
Kirsten
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Some of the Best
of Tim
Sometimes politics just make you want to sit there and go, "Huh?"
Now I’m not going to get political on you because, well, you probably
don’t care about my political opinions. Heck, I don’t even care about
my political opinions, so why would I write about them?
Instead I will
continue being "international", although I’m sure the same
thing happens here in the United States. Well, maybe not quite. You
see, they have massage parlors in Thailand, just like they have here
in the US and probably most other countries as well. At least I hope
so. Back rubs are good, or so I’ve heard. I don’t know, I’ve never
had one. I’ve also heard it may lead to sex, and we all know I have
no idea what that is.
The problem arises
when this sex is part of the massage. Paying for a massage and getting
sex is called "prostitution", and that is illegal in Thailand.
It’s illegal here too, and probably in most places on earth. Chuwit
Kamolvisit knows this. In fact, he knows this very well. He owns several
massage parlors in Bangkok. But he’s upset and now he’s trying to
create a new political party.
You see, Chuwit
doesn’t like the fact his bribes of $300,000 a month over several
years didn’t stop him from being charged with a couple of crimes.
I guess I’d be pretty upset too. That’s a lot of money to pay for
a month. I don’t make that much, for some reason. So he’s starting
a new party to end corruption in government.
Huh?
What’s his campaign
slogan? "Vote for me, I bribed the government for years and now
I want to clean it up and get *all* of your money."
I’m glad that
doesn’t happen here.
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball With Yarns
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Two drops
of yellow food coloring added to boiling noodles will make them look
homemade. - Peggy in Tonawanda, New York
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Annie’s
back after a long hiatus. WB.
Next opening line…
I just got a new pet gazelle…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back;
It involves a verbal attack
On a friend I thought disloyal,
Boy, did I screw up royal;
But she forgave me with just a small smack. - Bonnie in Louisiana |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
I’d just stuff it into a sack
In hopes I could trade
But I am afraid
Of this creature’s vicious attack. - Maria in Illinois |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
Was that vacation with tour guide, Jack.
Instead of sun and beach
(Which would have been a peach!)
He got us lost in the Outback. - Anne Onimous |
There’s one thing I’d like to take back
And that is going to that quack.
As I limned my malaise,
He stood there in a daze.
I think he was high on crack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that was the first date with cute Zack.
Because when he kissed me
I wanted to flee
But instead I gave his face a whack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that is a weekend on horseback.
We galloped galore,
But now I am sore.
Next time, a pillow I will pack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s one thing I’d like to take back
And that is my last trip on Amtrak.
While there’s those who hail
Traveling by rail,
I got tired of the clickity-clack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that’s saying things without tack.
If I’d just take the time
And say nice things sometime
Maybe my head people wouldn’t whack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
The exerciser pledging a six-pack.
My stomach is still round
I haven’t lost a pound.
Maybe its box I ought to unpack. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that is the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.
The movie was great
The melodies did rate
But the soundtrack was nothing but rap. - Anne Onimous |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that’s belonging to a claque
When I am at work.
For I feel like a jerk
With my lips so far up my boss’ crack. - E. Cole Aye |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
Dating girls solely for their racks.
While I like big breasts
During my “grab fests”
The mind’s what excites out of the sack. - E. Cole Aye |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that’s volunteering in Iraq
Maybe we did right
By purging Saddam’s blight
But Bush’s reasons were just jack. - E. Cole Aye |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
And that’s agreeing to attack Iraq
We were sold a song
The reasons were all wrong.
You might say that we got bushwhacked. - E. Cole Aye |
There’s
one thing I’d like to take back
The bet that I made at the track
The horse on which I bet
Wasn’t really a threat.
In fact, he trailed the rest of the pack. - E. Cole Aye |
There’s one thing I’d like to take back
And that is skiing on that snow pack.
My skiing was a farce -
I lead with my arse -
And hit a tree with a whack! - E. Cole Aye
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Although
I really don’t have the time
To escape from my work grime
I need to take a pause
To practice my guffaws
In the form of a limerick rhyme. - Anne Onimous |
I
haven’t been able to find
My last dollar, nickel, or dime.
I am now dead broke.
But if you kind folk
Send me your cash, I’ll have a good time. - Anne Onimous |
I
haven’t been able to find
Where I set that watermelon rind.
I now have great despair -
I set it on this chair
And it’s right under my behind. - Anne Onimous |
I
haven’t been able to find
My white, walking cane so fine.
I’ve looked high and low;
I can’t find it, you know.
You would think that I was blind. - Anne Onimous |
I
haven’t been able to find
A way to get out of this bind.
I was trying some magic
I call my rope trick.
But from me, the rope I can’t unwind. - Anne Onimous |
By
not writing, I feel like a jerk
I didn’t want to leave you in a lurk
But now I must go
(Which I think does blow)
And return to that thing called work. - Anne Onimous |
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Re: Bank Fees or Usuary
Bank charges are a pain in the ass, I remember the first time a debit
card transaction put me overdrawn by 5p and I was charge a base charge
of £30. Thankfully I was able to get into my bank and persuade them
to waive the fee. I do know that in January this year Barclays, Lloyds
TSB, Abbey National and other high street banks in the UK have been involved
in a test case with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regarding bank charges
due specifically to the problems laura has. Banks charging for their charges.
The issue is one of whether the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Act
applies to overdraft charges. (See here for the OFT press release http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2008/6-08
and for anyone who cares Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations
can be read here.
Having done a little more research I can see that the OFT test case was
decided that the end of April and the banks lost. This now allows the
ODT to decide whether bank charges are fair or not. This of course does
not stop them charging, but excessive charges, such as in Laura’s case
can now be judged by the OFT
In light of this Laura should have written to her bank, and as a Lloyds
TSB customer myself this would have been my action, and disputed these
charges when they arose. She can also make a formal complaint to the OFT,
something that the Daily Express should maybe have told her. (But then
again, who trusts the Daily Express?)
I don’t like overdraft charges, I don’t really like having an overdraft
and am thankful that mine is interest free, however I think that a bank
should be entitled to reclaim the expenses incurred when a customer goes
overdrawn, that’s only fair. Going overdrawn, without a planned overdraft
facility is a breach of contract and banks are obliged to tell their customers
when this happens. This means they must buy a sheet of paper, an envelope,
a first class stamp, some ink to print the letter and they must pay someone
to press the print button and put the letter in the envelope and then
the envelope in the mail bag. So, I make that about £1-3depending
on how slowly the envelope gets licked, how fast the printer is and how
much said employee is paid.( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6507865.stm)
So a £60 charge is unreasonable, unjust and down right immoral!
As for what I think Laura should do, I think she needs to file her complaint
with the Magistrate Court, get herself some good legal advice and fight
for justice. A visit to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau and a conversation
with the OFT should sort it all out for her. - Kizzi
[It wasn’t mentioned in the
article whether her overdraft came from an ATM transaction, but in today’s
life it’s a reasonable guess that it did. In your case, and in the case
of Laura if it applies, how does the bank approve the charge in the first
place if you don’t have enough money to cover it? If they allow it when
they have the chance to decline it, aren’t they just setting a person
up for the charges that will follow?]
Bruce, regarding bank fees,
another trick the banks use is sorting your transactions from largest
to smallest. The result of this is that if you had $100 in your account
and had written 4 checks for $10 each and one for $100 instead of clearing
the 4 small checks and charging an overdraft fee for the one large check,
they clear the large check and charge you 4 fees for the small checks!
I’m
not sure when this practice started, but as far as I can tell all the
banks do it now. I complained about this when I opened my account a few
years ago and was told that it can’t be changed. They said they
do it this way because a large check is probably for something like a
car payment, rent, etc. and most people like to know it will clear instead
of the smaller checks. I pointed out that it works out well for them since
they get to collect so much more in fees that way. I think they just considered
me some kind of crackpot.
40 years ago when my mother worked in banking, she was told that the bank’s
cover employee salaries with the fees they collect. I suspect they not
only cover salaries these days but make a tidy profit too.
Recently, because of pressure from Congress, credit card companies have
stopped charging over the limit fees if your account went over because
of fees they charged. Hopefully the banks will be forced to change their
fee structure too. - Mike
Re: World War I
In http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5267640865741878159
, Robert Newman’s History of Oil, we learn that WW I actually was well
underway before the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. The problem was
the imminent completion of the Berlin-Baghdad railway, which would have
supplied Germany with oil and upset the British-American monopoly. Even
with the continent-wide escalation, the troops were told it would be a
quick war. Sound familiar? - Best, Bob of the North
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be accurately
attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly attributed,
or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time to time.
I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect quotes, and
will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors. |
Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most. |
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