Re: Spiderman movies

On 18.07.2023 13.24, Merlyne wrote:
> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> 
>> On 12.07.2023 13.22, Merlyne wrote:
>>> BeH <[email protected]> wrote in
>>> news:[email protected]: 
>>>
>>>> On 08.07.2023 17.01, Merlyne wrote:
>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Low cost snipping provided]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [How low?]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Down to here]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [That's pretty low]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Especially considering the quality of workmanship]
>>>>>>>>>>>>> [Don't sell yourself short]
>>>>>>>>>>>> [I try]
>>>>>>>>>>> [That's something at least]
>>>>>>>>>> [The hardest part is overcoming my naturally unassuming
>>>>>>>>>> character] 
>>>>>>>>> [It's good for your brane to work outside your comfort zone]
>>>>>>>> [That's going to be quite a problem, since I have no intention
>>>>>>>> of leaving the zone. Someone needs to invent remote braining or
>>>>>>>> something.] 
>>>>>>> [I'll just add that to one of you litses]
>>>>>> [Assuming I will get anything done is hardly a viable strategy.]
>>>>> [Yes, it seems that way]
>>>> [There's plenty of time... No hurry.]
>>> [You say that and then suddenly the doomsday prophet is right]
>> [Well, I'm not doing all that work and have it all come to nothing
>> because of a stupid doomsday...]
> [That's a defeatist attitude]
[Are you calling me a quitter...?]
>>>>>>>>>> [...]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Or you can get one of those nylon jobs
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they sell for all hallows eve. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I could probably get a whole bunch of
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> different ones at WalMart for $100.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I don't doubt it, but would they go with
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> your $800 handbag is the question? 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That doesn't matter. People wear mismatched
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> stuff all the time. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yebbut won't people assume your handbag is a
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cheap knock-off if you use it with a nylon
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> wig. And then what's the point. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> that's ok. If they think it's a knock-off then
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they won't steal it. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> But also they will think your handbag is a cheap
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> knock-off. I can only imagine the chatter in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> country club bar... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *gasp*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It makes me feel like someone's taken an
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> interest. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> There are different kinds of interest. I'm
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> concerned this kind will damage your social
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> standing. You might even be invited to fewer
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cocktail parties... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *checks diary*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I get invited to precisely 0 now.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Is it even possible to get invited to -1 parties?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I suppose technically it is possible to send out 'do
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> not attend' notices to those who are uniquely
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> unwelcome. I don't think that happens much in
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cocktail party circles... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> You know more about it than I do.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Not really. I don't even like cocktails much...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I liek cocktails. I guess mocktails now.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Last time I had a 'proper' cocktail was many years ago
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> when a co-worker an I decided to try everything on the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> menu in the bar on the Oslo ferry. It went as well as
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> could be expected... 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Puked and passed out?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Neither, but I suspect the work may have been a tiny but
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> sub-par the next day...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> And you wept openly when you got your credit card
>>>>>>>>>>>>> statement. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> No, that was the good part. The company I worked for didn't
>>>>>>>>>>>> give out standard per-diem amounts, so everything we had a
>>>>>>>>>>>> receipt for got refunded...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> I have fond memories of submitting receipts for business.
>>>>>>>>>> I hated having to save and collate and list and submit all
>>>>>>>>>> those receipts every month. I suspect it cost me quite a lot
>>>>>>>>>> of money, too. 
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> IT consultants are rich. so, pocket change.
>>>>>>>> Not so much if it includes hotel bills and possibly even plane
>>>>>>>> tickets. Anyway it's the principle! I shouldn't have been
>>>>>>>> required to do accounting. 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Couldn't you just hand the envelope of receipts to an admin
>>>>>>> person? 
>>>>>> Nope. They had to be listed on the expenses form along with the
>>>>>> relevant account no. and identification of each receipt, which
>>>>>> also had to be handed in.
>>>>>>
>>>>> [I think I had to put the total being submitted on the form and
>>>>> then attach the receipts]
>>>>>>>>>>> Now I have a job that doesn't require travel.
>>>>>>>>>> Me too... Not so much a job but at least I don't have to
>>>>>>>>>> travel. 
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I thought you liked to travel.
>>>>>>>> Not so much after I became aware of the environmental impact of
>>>>>>>> air-travel. In any case it was more the being in different
>>>>>>>> places than the  getting there that was enjoyable. Although I
>>>>>>>> would like to try riding on one of those VeryBigFastness trains
>>>>>>>> they have in France... 
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The planes are taking off whether or not you've booked a seat.
>>>>>>> I couldn't afford to travel for a long time. Now I find it
>>>>>>> stressful. 
>>>>>> It's not so much the travel that's stressful, as it's all the
>>>>>> planning and preparation. Just don't do that part.
>>>>>
>>>>> The planning part is fine. It's the arriving at the airport at 5 am
>>>>> only to find out that the airline over-booked the flight etc, etc
>>>>> that is stressful. I also don't fly well or sleep well when away.
>>>>
>>>> Who even flies a 5 o'clock? That barbaric. The overbooking is not
>>>> within your control, so have some breakfast and look derisively at
>>>> all the stressed people in the airport.
>>>> The hotel bar has remedies for not sleeping well...
>>>
>>> Alcohol makes me sleep worse.
>> I'm not saying get plastered. One beer (alcohol content optional). The
>> vitamin B will relax you and possibly make you sleepy too...
>>
> Alcohol makes my body hot (temperature-wise) and I can't sleep.
Non-alcoholic beer doesn't have any alcohol in it...

>>> You have to check in hours before the flight. If we go to a
>>> conference, it's usually in Toronto or we fly from Toronto so we have
>>> to get the first flight out of here in the morning.
>> They also have trains in and out of Toronto. I know this for a fact.
> So you also know for a fact that the train takes 3-4 hours to get there 
> (vs. 50 minutes for the plane) and the train station is another hour 
> away from the airport.
They should get some faster trains. Also the distance to the airport is
because train stations are inside cities, often really close to where
you want to be, so that time should be added to air travel time, as
should the 'hours' you have to be at the airport before departure.
Given a reasonable number of departures, train journeys (even
non-high-speed trains) will end-to-end mostly be faster than air travel
up to 400-500Km. Also you have the whole travel time available unbroken
for whatever (even work if so inclined). And more leg-room. And usually
a table big enough for a laptop.

>>> Because of staff shortages, flights are often cancelled now at the
>>> last minute. It's not a problem at if I'm at the local airport, but
>>> if I'm trying to get home, it's a huge problem.
>> I have no recent data, but most European airlines [used to] hand out
>> cash and/or vouchers for meals and hotel stays in those cases.
> 
> The airlines are doing everything in their power to fight that. Since 
> covid, they have been short-staffed and therefore frequently cancel 
> flights at the last minute.

You should probably join EU... they have rules for that sort of thing.

>> Also: call it work-hours and take it back as flex-time...
>>
> That only works if the travel is for work purposes which it isn't 
> anymore because they had MS Teams installed on all our laptops.

In that case there is also the relative cost to consider... Air travel
should logically be much more expensive than train. And if ever an
equitable CO2 charge is implemented it will be.

-- 
BeH

" We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to
formulate insight is a play on words." - Niels Bohr