The Vent and Rant Thread

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

just how far is it from toronto to edmonton ? maybe i should leave a day early and just walk there.

ZP:

Landing in Toronto? Uh, ex-nay on the walking... maybe better to leave TWO days before, no, no, no, better book that flight!

Enjoy this leg of your bitter-sweet junket!

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by nekokami

Two days to get your credit limit raised? Around here, you could get a new card with a ridiculously high limit in about 10 minutes, I think.

Or less.

In the US. at least, the credit card market is saturated, with just about everyone that should have a credit card possessing more than one. So CC companies are always trying to raid each others market share, and we get continual "pre-approved" offers in the mail for additional cards and upgrades on existing ones. I think we have about a dozen different cards at this point, and the total available credit is somewhere in the low six figures. We actually use about three of them, with another a parking spot for transferred balances at 0% APR to pay down outstanding debt. My SO is a bit boggled at it. I just say "We have credit cards. We charge things. We run up balances, which carry finance charges. We pay them off faster than required. We're exactly what they like!" And the SO tells me our credit score is close to the top possible, so no surprise we get more offers every week. I've had the occasional thought about saying yes to all of them, just to see how many cards we could accumulate, but figure that would be more trouble than it's worth.

I used to work in a consumer credit operation at a bank. Our piece did mortgage lending and revolving credit, not CCs, but we saw the fun. Like everyone else, the bank had fairly strict credit criteria, but periodically, someone would decide to try to boost market share and/or revenue by loosening the standards and issuing more cards. All would be well until the wave of delinquencies and charge-offs as the bad debt chickens came home to roost, everyone got a sharp reminder about why we hadn't issued credit cards to these folks previously, and the criteria would be tightened again.

Our area's chief credit officer was a chap we nicknamed the Godfather. Al had forgotten more about credit than most folks would ever learn, and was listened to with respect by those who knew him. He would get quite snarky about such things. We thought it a pity the CC side wasn't under his purview.
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Dennis

[pshrynk]

Canada's a really big place.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Canada's a really big place.

i agree. too big, in fact, i'm beginning to believe. any chance you could, um, reduce it a bit, pshrynk ? (you've been living on credit with that pseudo for months now, it's about time you showed us the color).

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i agree. too big, in fact, i'm beginning to believe. any chance you could, um, reduce it a bit, pshrynk ? (you've been living on credit with that pseudo for months now, it's about time you showed us the color).

Canadians are, for the most part too sane to need my services.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

...
whatever. at least i now have 75% of my tickets, and in exchange for the higher agency prices and commission i paid they gave me a hideously ugly "travel wallet" to keep all my documents in. i'll be very suprised if i actually use it for anything because seriously, really ugly.

Someone say, "You could buy a Kindle to put in it while you're in California", and we'll have bets on how long it takes for Ricky to turn up and yell at us.

i have really had it. i swear to god, i never want to see another flight comparator in my LIFE and probably by the time i get back i'll feel exactly the same about airports.
...

I'm pretty sure you can get flights from Paris to Brisbane (my nearest international, only an easy hour-and-a-half drive away from me, and 10 minutes from my brother) with only a 3 or 4 hour stopover in Singapore or Hong Kong. It sounds much easier, and there's Zany Carters, a warm spa, a palm-surrounded pool, your own "suite", and a whole lovely coastline of beaches, clean surf, river estuary, lakes, headlands and National Park at the other end (also, Massimo's Icecream). It's no Paris (or Toronto, or Edmonton), but it'd make for an interesting contrast.

Cheers,
Marc

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i agree. too big, in fact, i'm beginning to believe. any chance you could, um, reduce it a bit, pshrynk ? (you've been living on credit with that pseudo for months now, it's about time you showed us the color).

Your Majesty, I just checked the Air Canada site (www.aircanada.com) on the english side, stating country of origin as being France, going from Toronto to Edmonton, Flight AC177 leaving Oct 7 at 12:35, arriving at 14:45 - showing around 15-20 open seats. Price 145 Euros in the cheapest class, (but you'll probably have an extra baggage charge. )The full fare is 436 Euros. One hopes that Your Majesty is pleased. I hope it is from the correct airport, as I don't know you arrival airport.

(Bows deeply and backs out)

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Canadians are, for the most part too sane to need my services.

yes, but what about the geography ???

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I'm pretty sure you can get flights from Paris to Brisbane (my nearest international, only an easy hour-and-a-half drive away from me, and 10 minutes from my brother) with only a 3 or 4 hour stopover in Singapore or Hong Kong. It sounds much easier, and there's Zany Carters, a warm spa, a palm-surrounded pool, your own "suite", and a whole lovely coastline of beaches, clean surf, river estuary, lakes, headlands and National Park at the other end (also, Massimo's Icecream). It's no Paris (or Toronto, or Edmonton), but it'd make for an interesting contrast.

Cheers,
Marc

ice cream, you say ? hm... ice cream, vs. a GAZILLION HOUR flight which would again involve me spending hours cursing loudly at the sadistic monkey flight programmers, probably cost even MORE than this upcoming epic voyage, and would again require me to find someone to take care of the damned cats. (you know, after all the times i've taken care of people's cats for them, there should be a line in the street in front of my building of people pleading for the honor and the privilege of taking care of mine. it just goes to show that karma is actually just some symbolic internet construct with no measurable impact on real life, like so many other things). yeah, i'll think about it. don't expect me this month though.

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Your Majesty, I just checked the Air Canada site (www.aircanada.com) on the english side, stating country of origin as being France, going from Toronto to Edmonton, Flight AC177 leaving Oct 7 at 12:35, arriving at 14:45 - showing around 15-20 open seats. Price 145 Euros in the cheapest class, (but you'll probably have an extra baggage charge.) The full fare is 436 Euros. One hopes that Your Majesty is pleased. I hope it is from the correct airport, as I don't know you arrival airport.

(Bows deeply and backs out)

Ralph Sir Edward, you, sir, are a prince among men. i mean that sincerely. as it happens i have already located a flight for that particular trajectory, but i cannot even express my gratifaction at the knowledge that you have got my back to the point of being willing to brave flight comparators for me. truly, my cockles are warmed.

and despite my earlier efforts rendering this particular assistance unnecessary, i will be sure to contact you first for all my future travel needs, since clearly you are a lot better at it than i am.

i thank you and salute you. in fact i think that i may just have to create some sort of new medal in your honour (as queen, i can do that). hm. something along the lines of "the silver wings of valour in the face of crackhead, sadistic flight-programming monkeys". we could call it "the wings of valour". i like it.

i'd dub thee knight but since you're called "Sir" i have to assume you already are one. can you be knighted twice ? i think we should start calling you "Sir Ralph Sir Edward." i like it. it's got a nice ring to it. you can wear your wings to all classy events and marc's parties. just be careful with them ; they are functional wings, so try to keep out in the open and not knock anything over.

[Greg Anos]

Just trying to provide the traditional "Texas Hospitality" when needed.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Just trying to provide the traditional "Texas Hospitality" when needed.

i didn't realize that extended all the way to canada. the texan plot for world domination is clearly not just a myth.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I am so sick to death of Utopianists.

Arguing with a Utopianist is like arguing with a religious fanatic, and equally as pointless. I'm not doing it anymore. I'm just not.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I am so sick to death of Utopianists.

Are they worse than regular pianists?
That'd be hard to believe .

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I am so sick to death of Utopianists.

Arguing with a Utopianist is like arguing with a religious fanatic, and equally as pointless. I'm not doing it anymore. I'm just not.

No surprise, as belief in their particular utopia lives in the same place as religious faith, and is as easily argued with. I don't even bother to try. It just annoys them and wastes my time.

(Out of curiosity, which utopia prompted this response?)
______
Dennis

[acidzebra]

I'm pretty sure he means me and several others because we don't agree with his views on DRM and control. If he holds opposite views (and I would not exactly describe myself as a utopianist), does that make him a dystopianist?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

I'm pretty sure he means me and several others because we don't agree with his views on DRM and control. If he holds opposite views (and I would not exactly describe myself as a utopianist), does that make him a dystopianist?

Good question. I suspect he describes himself as a "realist", but then, so do we all.

I disagree with Steve on DRM, too, but I don't consider myself a utopian, unless "belief that enough people out there are willing to pay for value that DRM isn't necessary" classifies me as such.
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Dennis