| Sunday 26th July 2009 11:59CDT | → 0 Comments |
Heart risks ‘missed in smokers’.
I can vouch for that. It was missed in Terry and is what killed him.
However, tempting as it is to become all militant around smokers and go all mediaeval on their asses about the health risks, I prefer a different approach. I suggest they write a letter addressed to their loved ones (partner, children, etc.) that is to be handed over after their death from a smoking-related disease and will explain, quite simply and bluntly, why said smoker chose to ignore all the medical evidence, play the victim, blame everyone and everything else but themselves and have now left their spouse/partner/children without a mother/father/partner/etc. which has ripped apart their lives from which they may never fully recover.
If you write the letter you’re heartless. If you don’t, you’re a hypocrite.
| Sunday 26th July 2009 11:47CDT | → 2 Comments |
Shotlist is an occasional series covering my gripes with goods and services from companies and organisations I have had the (mis)fortune to deal with.
Number one is a little late in coming since I flew with AA in June but my gripe is their bait-and-switch approach to online check-in. Sure enough, on their website were you can access your details, is a little button (not particularly clearly located, but I’ll leave criticism of their site to others) saying ‘Check-in’. The trick goes like this:
- Press this button at any time greater than 23h before your flight departs and you get a message stating that online check-in is not available until 23h before the flight leaves
- Press this button within the 23h period… and you get a message stating that online check-in is not permitted for international flights. No warning about this was previously shown.
BA and Virgin Atlantic seem to be able to cope with this just fine. Why can’t you, AA?
Then again, am I wasting my (own) time as I’m one of those who always chooses flights by price anyway? Maybe, though it doesn’t stop me also wingeing about their inability to make the text on boarding passes line up properly in any of the fields:
If the text no longer fits neatly in any of the categories, why bother having pre-printed cards that have to be visually mangled? After all, they don’t even use the magnetic strip on the back anymore (they scan the barcode when you board) and I don’t think anyone is remotely interested in reading about the Warsaw Convention, which is tantalizingly but mysteriously mentioned on the reverse.
| Sunday 5th July 2009 9:47CDT | → 0 Comments |
It’s about time I came back. More than enough distraction by work and mourning has taken place.
A summary of what has happened recently. I got a new job in February, working for Pearson Group in London, thanks to a friend of mine. It’s a short-term contract (actually, I’m a permanent employee with a known ‘redundancy date’ - a bit odd but that’s the way they do it) that runs until August.
I went to Madison for two weeks at the end of June, staying with friends and seeing many other. I had a fantastic time, feeling so welcome and equally grateful for knowing such wonderful people. Apart from visiting Taliesin, Christmas Mountain and Milwaukee, Rose and I planted a tree in Terry’s garden dedicated to him.
It’s called a Maple called ‘Autumn Blaze’ (I believe) because its leaves turn bright red/orange in fall. We thought that was appropriate for him. Hopefully, the management company will add a plaque as promised.
I also promise to post more often. Much is going on that is worth reporting.
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