Kindle Myths and Partial Truths

[pshrynk]

OTOH, a trip to Cancun just dropped to about $300 per person, due to lack of flying public and need to get butts in seats...

[HarryT]

I know that a lot of people are out of work these days, but many people who are still in work are actually pretty well off now due to the huge fall in mortgage payments due to the slash in interest rates.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is travel more expensive than it used to be?

It would depend on your circumstances.

If you are retired, on a fixed income, and have seen your health insurance, home insurance, gas/electric bills, food bills skyrocket, then yes, travel is more expensive.

If you are on the verge of losing your house, your job, your benefits, then yes, its more expensive, but I know people like this who are doing it anyway......just another charge on the bill.

You can, however, choose how you spend whatever money you can manage to save.

To make a blanket statement like the OP's is just irresponsible and wrong.

I hate being lumped in with a class of people I share nothing with! Except reading.

[Alisa]

I think a lot of folks that haven't been particularly hurt by the economy are still being a bit more conservative with their spending, too. Their jobs may be safe for now and they may be perfectly able to cover their expenses but if the economy gets worse, that may change and they'd rather have a little more money in their savings account than a trip to Cancun.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Adobe Digital Editions is not a format type. Use PDF or ePub. Adobe Digital Edition is just a program to view PDF and ePub. Granted it's what used to view DRM infected PDF and ePub.

Gottcha. It's gone now and ePub was already on the conversion list for non-DRM.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I know that a lot of people are out of work these days, but many people who are still in work are actually pretty well off now due to the huge fall in mortgage payments due to the slash in interest rates.

I would ask where the heck you live except I already know.

Yes, interest payments are falling somewhat, but the banks here seem to be "reluctant" to 'refinance' what they know are bad loans in the first place, even tho they did the loaning AND supposedly there are billions out there they have received! (takes deep breath)

[BurBunny]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

It is in the U.S.; the psychotic changes to airport security cost money, and those costs and the privacy invasion have convinced a lot of people to stop flying--which has resulted in several airlines going bankrupt, and others running at less-than-capacity flights--which results in higher prices, and more decisions not to fly. We've got a nice vicious circle going, and no end in sight.

While you're absolutely correct that flying is no longer simple, nor the process easy or convenient, unfortunately much of what you mentioned in the first paragraph is airline propganda. Looking at the actual load factors, for the past 2 years (even this last quarter), they've been at historical highs, MUCH higher than pre-911. The bankruptcies are caused not by people refusing to fly, but by incompetent management. The prices actually are below inflation-adjusted (and sometimes even non-adjusted) 9/11 levels, but should be increased to cover the cost of flying.

While it's true that there have been cutbacks in the number of passengers, the reductions in fleet sizes by the airlines has more than made up for that. All the cries of "overcapacity" when the airlines were bemoaning their situation were largely false. When was the last time you flew in a half-empty plane... or even had a seat next to you open?

Interestingly, the 4th quarter of 2008, passenger loads were up 1.2% year over year, even while the legacy carriers cried poverty and no passengers. The majority of their quarterly financial issue was unfortunate fuel hedging (which most hadn't done before) starting just as fuel prices dropped like a stone. Even Southwest, the king of the hedge, suffered from it.

Ironically, one of the few domestic airlines with a profit was Frontier, working hard to emerge from bankruptcy, and seemingly with a plan to do so sustainably.

On the international front, Lufthansa is growing wildly, in size, passenger loads and yields and profits.

As a travel agent, I can comfortably say people are still traveling, but the travel itself is changing. I specialize in cruises, and people are booking closer to sail date, and often departure ports closer to home. But the ships are still sailing within a couple points of capacity, for which I'm grateful.

And my heart hurts for those whose financial situations have been made more tenuous, and I hope they're not continuing to spend unwisely.

I now take you from the realm of travel myths and return you to the previously-scheduled Kindle myths

[daffy4u]

Hmmm. Travel Myths and Partial Truths.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Hmmm. Travel Myths and Partial Truths.

dont you dare!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I think a lot of folks that haven't been particularly hurt by the economy are still being a bit more conservative with their spending, too. Their jobs may be safe for now and they may be perfectly able to cover their expenses but if the economy gets worse, that may change and they'd rather have a little more money in their savings account than a trip to Cancun.

There's a commercial on TV about selling gold to some website. And some lady says she was able to take the trip of a lifetime. I just wanted to giver her a good slap for that. She should have saved the money in case she really needed it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I would ask where the heck you live except I already know.

Yes, interest payments are falling somewhat, but the banks here seem to be "reluctant" to 'refinance' what they know are bad loans in the first place, even tho they did the loaning AND supposedly there are billions out there they have received! (takes deep breath)

A lot of banks are too stupid for words. They won't refinance and are not willing to help. So what happens? The property gets foreclosed, the bank gets nothing at all from the previous owners and the bank does have to pay the state taxes on the property since they now own it. and given that there's a good chance the property will sit there unoccupied for some good length of time, the bank will just lose out instead of helping a family and getting their loan payed back. Because even if they sell the property, they will probably not make back the full amount of the loan.

This is stupid beyond belief. And one thing I think Obama is doing very wrong is he's making his homeowner bailout optional for those banks that did not receive bailout money. So if you have a loan with one of those banks and the people in charge are uncaring, unfeeling b*stards, you might be well and truly screwed.

[desertgrandma]

Myth:

The Kindle is the only ebook reader worth having out there and why isn't in available in (insert name of country here)

Truth:

There are many wonderful e-book readers available world wide.

MobileRead is your best source to find out which is best for YOU. We are a site dedicated to spreading knowledge about all devices, and members will cheerfully help any newbies who asks. One or another of our members own every device made, and love to help!

[pilotbob]

Ok... maybe we are getting a bit off the topic of "myths". Generally I think what Daffy had in mind was common things that you see in articles or blogs about the kindle that are just plain wrong.

We don't want to get to the point of alot of companies FAQs where were really written by marketing and contain questions that people don't ask.

BOb

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I know that a lot of people are out of work these days, but many people who are still in work are actually pretty well off now due to the huge fall in mortgage payments due to the slash in interest rates.

Harry, where are these people whose mortgage payments have been slashed? I know that my mortgage payment hasn't decreased 1 penny. If you are referring to those whose mortgages are variable rate mortgage, a lot of them haven't seen any decrease either.

[desertgrandma]

Myth:

The Kindle is the only ebook reader worth having out there and why isn't in available in (insert name of country here)

Truth:

There are many wonderful e-book readers available world wide.

MobileRead is your best source to find out which is best for YOU. We are a site dedicated to spreading knowledge about all devices, and members will cheerfully help any newbies who asks. One or another of our members own every device made, and love to help!
__________________
Hey Kindle Newbies!
Be sure to check out the https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Visual_Kindle_Guide wiki and learn how to get ebooks from the library on your Kindle, (legally!) and manipulate ebook metadata!

Go here to download the kindle2 users guide and be a pro by the time you get yours!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custom...deId=200127470

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