Reader Tips

Reader Tips 46 Comments

The growth of no-frills budget airlines in the UK over the last twenty years or so has enabled hundreds of thousands of pleasure-seeking Brits to jet their way to inexpensive holiday/party destinations in Spain, Poland, Estonia, Turkey and elsewhere for very little money. The downside for these travelers, of course, is that they get the sort of flights they pay for – or rather, they don’t get what they don’t pay for. In tonight’s amusement en route to the Tips, the comical cabaret trio Fascinating Aïda, comprised of Dillie Keane (the lead singer in the middle with the Irish Brogue), Liza Pulman, and Adéle Anderson, grumble robustly about the feckety rip-off known as Cheap Flights.
(Note: the song ends at the 4:10 mark, at which point a two-minute advertisement/merch-promo is tacked on.)
You are invited, as always, to provide your Reader Tips in the comments.

46 Replies to “Reader Tips”

  1. Dear EBD,
    I am thinking of getting a pet. I have narrowed it down to a Lagotto Romagnolo or a pig.
    What do you suggest?
    Undecided in Vancouver

  2. Dear Infinity Squared:
    Unless you have money to burn, go with the Lagotto Romagnolo. Although pigs make wonderful companions, they typically require 5 – 7 bottles of red wine per day.

  3. It’s All Over Now, Baby O.
    Michael Gerson in the WaPo:
    “The height of Obama’s political fall is measured by how awkward the echoes of his past rhetoric now seem. When he said recently, ‘Let’s reach for hope,’ it was indeed a stretch. It sounded like an aging pop singer, grown paunchy and out of tune, stumbling through an old favorite. Obama is pursued by the memories of his own promise.
    “Politicians have been known to say one thing and do another. And high ideals and high rhetoric always create the potential for hypocrisy. But the disappointment with Obama is especially acute. He won office by providing new voters with intoxicating hopes. America was tipsy with idealism — resulting in a particularly difficult hangover.
    “Few presidencies have been built so consciously or completely on an idealistic brand, with its own distinctive language and icons. But this ‘new kind of politics’ has proved conventional in its conduct, predictable in its content and exceptional only for the depth of division it has inspired. The Obama administration is presented not just with the prospect of electoral repudiation but also with a question: How will it adjust to the death of the belief that gave it birth?”

  4. on the other hand, when the famine hits the fan, that pig may make you the local hero, keep your knives sharp.

  7. Cheap flights are risky. But sometimes they work out OK, as long as you get there, and the Airbus doesn’t swallow an owl in one of it’s engines! Thanks EBD!

  8. I noticed … This fellow … John O’Sullivan while reading Greenie Watch this evening…
    I knew that our own Environment Canada had elliminated selective recording sites from the data collection process. I knew that NASA had rigged the data collection. I knew that USHCN was total crap.
    I did not know that the satelite data collected by NOAA had been rigged.
    Seems the entrenched activists are being outed on a daily basis now.

  9. Citizen X, owls pose no risk to budget jetliners: whenever they see one approaching they fly away, saying “whoooo on earth designed the logo on that thing?”
    RT: Excerpt from a Tom Flanagan’s NP op-ed about the census, erm, furor:
    “Two strands of critique are of particular concern.
    “One is the view that we should just shut up and do what Statistics Canada tells us to do – perhaps an appropriate position to take in 19th-century Prussia but surely not in 21st-century Canada…”
    Here’s the money quote:
    “Even more distressing is the chatter from opposition politicians about an independent civil service. Constitutional democracy is supposed to make bureaucracy serve the public through the parliamentary doctrines of responsible government and ministerial responsibility. What’s worse than ill-advised political interference in public administration? Exemption of the civil service from political oversight.” (emph.mine)

  10. Thanks for that, OMMAG – more evidence of an underlying scam:
    “(U.S. physicist Charles R. Anderson) agrees there may now be thousands of temperatures in the range of 415-604 degrees Fahrenheit automatically fed into computer climate models and contaminating climate models with a substantial warming bias. This may have gone on for a far longer period than the five years originally identified.”
    “Anderson continues ‘One has to marvel at either the scientific incompetence this reveals or the completely unethical behavior of NOAA and its paid researchers that is laid open before us.’”

  11. Who said this?
    1- “Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, Kill your parents.”
    2- Look down at me and you see a fool;
    look up at me and you see a god;
    look straight at me and you see yourself”
    Is it ;
    A- Charles Manson
    B- Bill Ayers
    …
    Answer,
    1 = B
    2 = A
    Yes the first quote is from Bill Ayers!
    I’m not defending Charles Manson but he sounds much more sane than Obama’s friend and mentor Bill Ayers…
    woudn’t you agree?…

  13. Pigs are much smarter than dogs, and cleaner.
    Posted by: kely at August 20, 2010 10:32 PM
    That would have to be one charmin’ mother f**king pig. He’d have to be 10 times more charmin’ than Arnold on Green Acres.

  14. infinity squared…
    i’ll be in spain next month and am with child thinking on the pata negra…250 dollars a pound!

  15. Here is a pretty interesting essay on the issue of “the people” vs. “intellectual elites” — with analysis based on the writings of Thomas Jefferson. I think the argument his some very salient points relevant to our current political (class and partisan) struggles: http://eyler.freeservers.com/JeffPers/jefpco38.

  16. I was surprised that at a FOX survey Group..The question was asked, of those in the group that had voted for Obama, would they vote Republican in 2012… A Black gentleman said he would wait to see whom the candidates where… whoa!!…
    The Public has moved on…Hillary is now the face of Democrats

  17. Air Canada is more or less a budget airline now, unless you fly business class. Even then your seats, entertainment system and other functions work some of the time.
    Any Asian airline is heads above Air Canada, which is on par with low budget Asian companies like Silk Air (I’ve flown them all).
    I’ll give Air Canada one kudo, thier staff attitude towards customers has improved a little lately. Whoopee….
    My credentials to judge, is that I have been a Star Alliance Gold member since the programs inception, and a Super Elite member for 10 years running. Hence the only reason I still bother with them.

  18. infinity squared…if you decide to go with the pig I would suggest that you make sure one area of the accommodation is a little lower. That way the “cleaner” part will work out for you. I would also suggest that you provide a few small chunks of coal occasionally as a treat. They love the stuff and it helps take care of worms.

  19. Friday night 20/8/10.
    CTV news does a segment on Battle of Britan. The graphic they used had Winston Churchill in front of an USN marked Hellcat fighter plane. Very evocative of the Battle of Britan, yes?

  20. Some, are sticking with the idea of an attack on the just completed Iranian nuclear reactor at Bushehr.
    Israeli intelligence seem to consider about 10% of the website’s content as reliable, the “Debka” website operators claim they are 80% reliable, and here is their take on the chance of action in the near future in Iran.
    … “sources close to the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas quoted him as saying that direct talks with Israel were not in the offing because “a big military surprise awaits the Middle East.”
    http://www.debka.com/article/8983/

  21. LindaL (11:44), I’d like to read that essay – it sounds interesting – but I get a 404 Error (“file not found.”)

  22. I knew that our own Environment Canada had elliminated selective recording sites from the data collection process.
    Can you be a little more specific about what that statement means, and what you’re trying to imply?

  24. Agree with Knight99.
    Flying in North America (especially in Canada) has become all about price gouging. I recently flew from Paris to Barcelona return for under CAD 60 on Ryanair. A similar flight here (Toronto – NYC) will set you back at least CAD 350. Besides, its often cheaper to fly from Toronto to Europe than it is from Toronto to Vancouver.
    In Europe, you don’t get what you don’t pay for. In North America, you don’t get what you pay for. The base fare, which once included the cost of fuel, food, headphones, blankets, pillows, now covers the cost of, well, only the airlines know. The nickel and dime approach means you pay airfare plus a separate cost for fuel, food, etc. That should make an interesting topic on SDA. And then theres the misleading fare advertising. And with Air Canada in predatory mode at Toronto Island Airport, we may soon lose one of the few competitors in Canada (Porter). How come we don’t discuss more of that here?

  25. I may have missed a posting or two here,but a quick check did not reveal anything on Judy Sgro’s payback of her theft. Has anyone heard anything about it? I was told that she paid back over $100G.

  27. I love that, Black Mamba. It’s…erm, newly iconic, a re-resonation of something solid at the edges of everyone’s memory.
    Something in the air. Citizen X posted this – highly – related gem of a comment at Kate’s most recent post.

  28. Recently I stumbled upon a trailer for a documentary entitled “AGENDA: Grinding America Down”, which aims to peer into the Left’s decades-long subversion of the USA’s cultural and civic institutions in their effort to “fundamentally transform” it into something starkly unlike the country that was established by the US Constitution. Much of this infestation and rot is mirrored in other countries across the entire Western world. The film appears to have quality production value, with some very credible contributors (among them former US Attorney General Ed Meese). If interested, check out the trailer at agendadocumentary.com

  29. “Dear Infinity Squared:
    Unless you have money to burn, go with the Lagotto Romagnolo. Although pigs make wonderful companions, they typically require 5 – 7 bottles of red wine per day.”
    Posted by: EBD at August 20, 2010 10:25 PM
    I’m just the same way. Infinitysquared, get a pig. It will offend certain excitable people even more than a dog would, be an interesting conversation starter, and help teach the world to love pigs and not eat them or compare them to Rosie O’Donnell.
    On the subject of pets, I was wondering: Do you think if my cat were suddenly to increase in size by, say, 3000%, that he would try to hunt me?

  30. Liberal Iggy: “Just Visiting”.
    …-
    “Iggy’s summer tour a flop: poll
    The Liberal Express summer bus tour has been a flop, according to a new Leger Marketing poll.
    At least it’s failed if the plan was to introduce Michael Ignatieff to Canadians.
    Less than one-in-ten Canadians say they know more about the Liberal leader now than when the tour began, and most of them are already Liberal supporters.
    Of the 8% who say they know more about Ignatieff now, 59% say their opinion of him has improved, while 18% say it’s worsened.
    A total of 30% of Canadians still say they know nothing at all about the Liberal leader, with women and young people (under the age of 35) most likely to know nothing about him (36% and 34% respectively).
    “The issue with Michael Ignatieff, prior to the summer, was that people really did not know who he was or what he stood for,” said Dave Scholz with Leger Marketing. “Now near the end of the summer tour, we’re finding that only 8% of people know more about him now than they did before. That’s a pretty small number.
    “And when you break it out, those are more likely to be Liberal voters. He’s preaching to the converted.””
    http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/08/20/15091916.html

  31. Last fall we were going to travel from Edinburgh to Paris and I thought it would be great for the 3 of us to go by train. Cost for 1 way $1710, I was stunned, $420 by British Rail one way Edinburgh to London.
    Flew with Ryanair, 3 of us, for $248 CAD, started at 5 pounds. Be aware Ryanair and the other cheap flights all use regional airports like Beauvais for Paris or Prestwick for Glasgow. Also they charge heavy bucks for overweight luggage. Your international flight has a 22 kilo allowance whereas Ryanair then was 15 and I believe it was 5 pounds extra per kilo.

  32. Watching CNN headline news a few minutes ago.
    Showed pilot Captain Bews of the Lethbrige Airshow famous F18 crash at a news conference.
    Caption under the pic was titled
    Royal Canadian Air Force.
    heh

  33. BBC is reporting that Swedish authorities are looking for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in regards to a rape and sexual assault charge against him.
    Have a nice day Mr Assange.

  34. And speaking of air forces, our Royal Canadian Humming Bird Force is feasting these days at our feeder outside our patio window.
    We have at least 6 or 7 of the little guys enjoying the free lunch. They probably enjoy it almost as much as we do watching them dive bombing each other.
    What noisy territorial little buggers they can be.
    Sometimes they even take time out to actually feed with all 4 holes being occupied at one time.
    When it was really dry some years back with few flowers around, we had to have two 4 hole feeders out and had all 8 holes being used at one time.
    And they will all be gone by Sept long weekend.

  36. Here’s more on Obama’s ignorant foreign policy.
    Obama is telling the Libyans that they should send the Lockerbie bomber ‘back to prison’. Heh.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100820/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_lockerbie_anniversary
    Does he seriously think that His Word will make the Libyans do just that? And why would they do this – out of what rational or irrational reason would they first arrange for his release, give him a splendid welcome – and then – what?
    Who is Obama trying to please? After all, his foreign policy is all about personal agendas of control, by manipulating ‘the enemies’ to come to his feet (hasn’t worked) and by insulting allies to kneel before him (hasn’t worked).
    Meawhile Iran goes nuclear, enabled in so doing by Obama’s refusal to confront them and his refusal to support the democratic movemet in Iran.

  37. Do make an effort to keep up JG……….. I don’t need to “imply” anything as Jan Dyer is on the record in this matter.
    Some clues for you….
    SDA Sound of Settled Science with embedded links for those of you incapable of doing searches without being led by the nose…
    “In Canada the number of stations dropped from 600 to 35 in 2009. The percentage of stations in the lower elevations (below 300 feet) tripled and those at higher elevations above 3000 feet were reduced in half. Canada’s semi-permanent depicted warmth comes from interpolating from more southerly locations to fill northerly vacant grid boxes, even as a pure average of the available stations shows a COOLING. Just 1 thermometer remains for everything north of latitude 65N – that station is Eureka. Eureka according to Wikipedia has been described as “The Garden Spot of the Arctic” due to the flora and fauna abundant around the Eureka area, more so than anywhere else in the High Arctic. Winters are frigid but summers are slightly warmer than at other places in the Canadian Arctic.”
    At this time there were e-mails to the CRU group and and public comments by Jan Dyer (EnviroCan Sustainability czar) about how to “adjust” data to effectively show the desired warming trend.
    This is a Canadian snivel servant who is an activist using her postition to promote climate hysteria.
    The very same thing as the others noted in the comment post above.

  41. Just 1 thermometer remains for everything north of latitude 65N
    Those of us who live in Northern Canada know that’s bullfudge. However, if believing that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy hiding under your tinfoil hat then carry on. We don’t care what you folks in the South believe.

  43. Rrrrrrrrrrraid at Harvard: I&O’s Harvard.
    “This set in motion an investigation that would lead to Mr. Hauser’s lab being raided by the university in the fall of 2007 to collect evidence.”
    Prof is a fraud artist.
    “The researcher himself, Marc D. Hauser, isn’t talking. The usually quotable Mr. Hauser, a psychology professor and director of Harvard’s Cognitive Evolution Laboratory,”.
    …-
    “Document Sheds Light on Investigation at Harvard”
    “They brought their evidence to the university’s ombudsman and, later, to the dean’s office. This set in motion an investigation that would lead to Mr. Hauser’s lab being raided by the university in the fall of 2007 to collect evidence. It wasn’t until this year, however, that the investigation was completed. It found problems with at least three papers. Because Mr. Hauser has received federal grant money, the report has most likely been turned over to the Office of Research Integrity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    The research that was the catalyst for the inquiry ended up being tabled, but only after additional problems were found with the data. In a statement to Harvard officials in 2007, the research assistant who instigated what became a revolt among junior members of the lab, outlined his larger concerns: “The most disconcerting part of the whole experience to me was the feeling that Marc was using his position of authority to force us to accept sloppy (at best) science.”
    Update 3:47 p.m., August 20: A letter from Michael D. Smith, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, confirms allegations against Hauser, saying, “it is with great sadness that I confirm that Professor Marc Hauser was found solely responsible, after a thorough investigation by a faculty investigating committee, for eight instances of scientific misconduct under FAS standards.” To read the full text of the letter, click here.”
    http://chronicle.com/article/Document-Sheds-Light-on/123988/

  44. A French Military Unit decided to attack the Cape Bretain Highlands, alas they sent two soldiers to do the reco. Over the hill the frenchies went and horrible screams and noises could be heard from the Scotish camp. Shortly one of the scout’s crawls back to camp and dies. The General then send two more scouts over the hill, screams and the sounds of horror could be heard from the Scotsmen camp. One Franco scout crawls back to the camp gasps and states amppp and dies. Frustrated the General sends three scouts, once again screams of agony and war could be heard. This time one scout makes it back to the camp and gasp it’s an ambush there are two of them in the camp.

  46. Rose>
    He, he, he. Good one, the French are such unintelligent cowards. Ever since thier refusal to go into Iraq with the rest of the civilized world, I like millions of other Americans have refused to eat French Fries……… 😉

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