Ph33r My 1337 PaR3|\|7!nG 5k1llz

In another stunning display of "It Takes a Village To Raise An Idiot" parenting by comittee, Microsoft does it for the children.

No, really. I most certainly cannot make this stuff up.

Point - Counterpoint

Here's where the Daily Peeve gets fun, in a CNN Crossfire kind of way. Or maybe a Sally Jeese Rafael kind of way. You make the call.

George Dubyuh is to the Democrats the political version of the Scared Straight program. Trouble is, even given this prime opportunity to win back the White House and very likely the Hill in the next few years, I'm afraid they're going to screw it up in legendary proportions. If we see Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidental hopeful I will be convinced that this country is irreparably broken. Perhaps if the Republicans respond in kind and put up another "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" kamakazi like Dubyuh we might see the first legitimate chance for a third party candidate since Lincoln. Ironic that the country was split in half during that election too. Of course, in true American fashion, the only one who will be back will be Ralph "I'm Too Sexy For My Pacemaker" Nader.

Jesus wept. Then moved to Canada.

Anyway, I think that the Dems would have been a little more "chipper", if you will, at the State of the Union if Dubyuh would have spent those several billion dollars on Social Security Reform instead of Iraqi Political Reform. Instead they were treated to a long night of "I'm the captain of this ship, now STFU and listen to how it's going to be".

Historically, when you're in a weak and compromised position, obstructionism and guerilla tactics are the only way to keep the other party from steamrollering their agendas unchecked over you, which the Bush Administriation part deux, seems bent on doing. Yes, it's dirty pool, but ALL the rules are there for a reason, even the ones that become inconvenient.

Social Security is the third rail of politics. Touch it and die. No one can argue that the Bush Administration (at least, verson 1.0, which has largely fallen apart post election and has been replaced with 2.1) isn't the poster boys of slash and burn politics, but they remind me of that Half-Orc fighter that always seemed to hang with your D&D Party. He's big, and he's pretty formidable, but he is most certainly a few beers short of a six pack, and his first thought when faced with a problem is to charge in, sword over head. Let's face it, negotiations become pitifully simple and expedient when you've got a gun to the other guys head.

That being said, I commend this administration for wading out into the deep end, even if they've yet to learn how to swim. Social Security is broken, and pretending it isn't won't make it "all okay". For all the over-reactionism the Republicans are presently guilty of, the Democrats have spent most of their time and effort pointing out that the Republicans are over-reacting and spending almost NO time at all actually coming up with better ideas, other then "please stop hurting us".

The Democratic party is most certainly a rudderless ship without a captain.

The Republican party, on the other hand, definitely has a captain, and might even have a rudder, but the whole crew is presently below decks shovelling coal into the boilers, oblivious to the course the ship is taking except to note that it's going there at incredible speed.

NEWS BREAK!

Special Forces Action Figure Taken Hostage By Iraqi Terror Group

Baghdad - Terrorists from the Al Mujahedeen Brigade action figure set kidnapped Specialist Special Ops Cody in a surprise raid on the Charlie Outpost Base Exchange just outside northern Baghdad yesterday.

The Al Mujahedeen Brigade threatened to "pop the infidels head off" unless retailers start selling the entire Al Qaeda action figure series. The United States currently have many of the action figures in question in storage units in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Miltary action figure spokesman G.I. Joe had no immediate comment on what actions might be taken, but did indicate that his personnel have been kept busy by an increase of activity by the evil Cobra Organization.

MBA = My Brain Aches

"Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the fucking Peace Corps." - Bluto - Animal House

The Wharton School Of Business. A pinnicle of higher education. A place where your children can go to learn how to become successful men and women.

Or something. Recently some professors issued a paper on the current state of the airline industry. No, let me correct. Recently some professors issued a paper on the state of the airline industry somewhere on the Planet WhatItIs. I'd write a retort to this, but I think I'll leave you to read this instead. (I can't directly link it, look for the January 31st entry.)

I don't fancy myself an airline expert by any stretch, but I can certainly apply some common farking sense and know that this drivel coming out of the hallowed halls of Wharton is so far off the mark as to make it hard not to laugh openly. Definately a case of professors suffering a case of being unchallanged for years and students unquestioningly taking the words of them as concrete fact. And they're teaching our future business people.

Jesus wept.

Thanks For Playing!

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends. The Airline show, that is. In case anyone hasn't kept up on current events, I work for an airline. Specifically I work for an airline that works for another airline, that airline being United.

It's been happy fun times for the last few weeks here. For those of you unfamiliar with the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy laws in the United States and what it means to people who hold contracts with the bankrupt company, here it is in a nutshell.

You, the contractor, must continue to follow the rules of your contract. They, the contractee and bankrupt, are under no obligation to do the same.

Delightful, eh? Anyway, a year ago United decided to put our work up for bid to the lowest bidder. We managed to "win" our work back, but given our prices and reluctance to put a bunch of money into more airplanes for a bankrupt company, we weren't invited to add any more airplanes to the operation. Well, it appears that, since we're the only carrier United contracts with that didn't substantially change our contract (read: didn't add airplanes) we were prime for the "fucking with" again. Two months ago, United again put our work up for bid to the lowest bidder.

Now, here's where it gets a little fuzzy. When this initially happened, it seemed that the brass at the top were trying to sort out whether United was serious about this or whether they were just putting pressure on us to lower our costs by using threats. My opinion is that they guessed United was bullshitting them and put up a marginally lower bid. United said that we had a month to put in our bid, then they would take a month to review it. That put the deadline of when United was supposed to make a decision at January 10th. Of course, the 10th came and went and United said.... They need more time. Imagine that. Meanwhile, apparently they were in contact with the brass asking "clarification" of the bid, whatever that means.

Dateline January 13th. The COO of our airline puts up an email stating that United had come to town and that it was "clear we had significant work to do to win our work back". Read: We guessed wrong.

The next day, the COO didn't show up at work. Concerned, the other brass eventually went with the police to his home to find him dead. No one is saying how. In fact, since this event, we've heard pretty much dick from Mahagony Row. Well, that's not entirely true. We returned one of our airplanes to the lease holder and are going to return another one in March. Oh yeah, and on the 25th we were told that we had until the 28th to put in another bid.

So, not to draw any conclusions or anything, but no good can possibly come out of this. By making us rebid, they're clearly indicating that they've sent our first bid to the round file. This, combined with the leaseholders now reclaiming their airplanes paints a dismal picture. I'm not going to speculate on the death of the COO, but I can't completely discount the possibility that the two events might be connected.

Not that this makes much difference. The mechanics at United decided that they weren't interesting in giving any more concessions to the airline. Further, they've indicated that, should United decided to throw out the collective bargaining agreement between the airline and the mechanics, they're going to go on strike. Nevermind that it's probably not legal for them to do so, it'll only take about a two or three day strike to end United.

United plans to go to court on Monday to ask permission to end the contract, which the court will allow. Look for the contract to be wadded up shortly thereafter, and the mechanics will walk within a week. The Bush Administration will take a week from that point to realize that even though they think the airlines should stand or fall on their own merits, the total collapse of United will completely screw about 45% of the travelling public domestically, and will effectively shut down many International routes, since existing airlines that might have the ability to cover the void lack the liquidity to do so. Meanwhile, at least 3 "regional" carriers will flat go out of business, as well as several subcontractors. Since the market will also be flooded with a glut of used airplanes that lease holders desperately want to get moving again, look for stock in Boeing to completely shit itself, as those who would have bought new commercial aircraft instead find holders of United airplanes wheeling and dealing with the potential new owners. Airbus will probably feel some pressure too, but not nearly as hard as Boeing will be hit.
Look for Presidential intervention around the 3 week mark... Maybe.... Oh, wait, nevermind. United would be well into rigormortis by then.

Can anyone say "Eastern Airlines"?