Today is International Blasphemy Day.
“The objective of International Blasphemy Day is to open up all religious beliefs to the same level of free inquiry, discussion and criticism to which all other areas of academic interest are subjected… International Blasphemy Day is a movement, not just a day, to remind the world that religion should never again be beyond open and honest discussion or reproach. Our future depends on it.“
Coming to you via the reprehensible wifi on National Express East Coast. I ran a speed test and got these fantastic rates (courtesy of thinkbroadband):
Speed Down: 87.25 Kbps ( 0.1 Mbps )
Speed Up: 76.95 Kbps ( 0.1 Mbps )
You get what you pay for (which, in this case, is nothing) but I wonder why they even bother. I’d make this a shotlist entry, except I can’t be a*sed to create the graphic.
Still awake. Nuts to it - I might as well stay up until I have to leave.
In the meantime, I took the opportunity to do some shopping at Tesco. Quite an experience at 4am not having to fight with the crowds, except for being scowled at by the shelf-stackers for invading their space.
It’s 1.30am, I have to be up at 5.30am and currently have insomnia.
I’ve travelling up to Pudsey, Leeds to visit Daryl and Karen. I just hope I don’t fall asleep during lunch. Then again, as a novelty, I’m going up by train which may allow me some nap time.
Sitting by the castle, watching the world go by (while my car is being serviced).
Turns out United Airlines are introducing second checked bag fees:
Here I am again, moaning about transatlantic travel. Do I have any other hobby-horses? I suppose it’s because air travel isn’t cheap (albeit less than it was for flying to/from the USA seven or eight years ago) though more likely because it has become a less pleasant activity with considerably more hoops to jump through: cramped seats, check-in queues, having to leave baggage unlocked, restrictions on what you can ‘carry on’, overbearing security, unfriendly immigration officials, the need to hand over great swathes of personal information.
My latest grizzle? Well, apart from the fact that Virgin Atlantic have decided to cut back their schedule so they’re now only flying to Chicago in the summer months it seems that two of the three other direct flight providers, British Airways and American Airlines, have all decided to introduce second bag fees. A summary:
United Airlines are still allowing two free for international flights but they’ve recently changed the policy for domestic flights so I expect international to follow soon.
Equally galling is how, when you see a headling with the title ‘baggage policy changes’ it invariably means bad news for the traveller, but an analysis of the dissembling nature of PR is for another day.
It feels like major airlines are going the same way as the bargain-bucket short-haul companies that offer a flight for £5 with fees and taxes adding an extra £1E+06.
Now, to top it all, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, which essentially was transferring the lovely I94-W immigration form to a website may now charge for the privilege.
Originally, due to the appeals by friends in Madison, I was considering visiting them again in November if I get a cheap deal. Not so cheap if I have to add in the hidden extras.
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