Edwad Hasbrouck mentions something that might have an impact at work: TSA finally starts talking to travel execs about CAPPS-II These same privacy clauses in travel management contracts were almost certainly violated when airlines (including jetBleu and Northwest), CRS’s (including Sabre), and third-party PNR processing firms (including Airline Automation — now part of the Amadeus CRS — and Acxiom) shared PNR data with government contractors and agencies for profiling tests. As recognition of the issue grows, so does the likelihood that all these companies handling, and secretly disclosing, reservation data will face breach of contract lawsuits from corporate travellers, in…
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Last night after our adventures at the Botanic Garden, we needed something to eat, fast. So we went to Sushi Station, which filled the main criteria: it was nearby, fast, and cheap-ish. Unlike another sushi place we’ve been to with a train motif, this one has a refrigerated case covering the “sushi line,” and plates of nigiri and such travel along a belt made up of interlocking discs (each one has a bite taken out of it, to allow for the next disc upline to rotate around the corners). It’s good, it’s quick, it’s pretty inexpensive — and then I…
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Polar expeditions have always fascinated me – here’s a new one:Serco TransArctic Expedition Hmm. Makes me want to dig out my old Victory Sings at Sea CD and play “The Northwest Passage.” Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea; Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage And make a Northwest Passage to the sea. (Wow, the CD is back in print! Excellent, excellent, excellent stuff.)
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Even error messages are humorous over at Orkut…. Bad, bad server. No donut for you Unfortunately, the orkut.com has acted out in an unexpected way. Hopefully, it will return to its helpful self if you try again in a few minutes. It’s likely that the server will behave this way on occasion during the coming months. We apologize for the inconvenience and for our server’s lack of consideration for others. I didn’t do anything to bust it, honest.
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Kerry Backs State Ban On Gay Marriage (but civil unions are O.K.?) The Redhead Wore Crimson : won’t be voting for Kerry, and I’m thinking neither will I, unless he waffles back over the line. Dang it — people should be free to marry the person of their choice (there – nobody marryin’ no trees nor dogs around here. And no multiples). I’ve had it with the “holy matrimony” bullhocky argument — I heard some Episcopal rector from Texas on :NPR earlier today, solemnly intoning that marriage was a gift from God. Eep. He’s from the other end of the…
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We did make it out, late in the day, to the Botanic Garden. It wasn’t cold, and there weren’t many people there because there was nothing “pretty” in bloom yet. Still, it has a spare beauty in the winter and is always worth a visit in reasonable weather. So we took a lot of photos. I don’t know how David’s came out with the new camera, but mine aren’t so bad…
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Entropy House Productions Presents – Lord of the Peeps Oh, my God, I have to post this on Highla-l right now… the annual Peeps invasion is upon us. Hmm…. I wonder if their next opus will be “Samuel Peeps Diary?”
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I’ve finally started transcribing the next England trip journal. I’ve been putting it off for a long time because: 1. it’s really long, because I stopped writing daily entries for a week. B. We took a boatload of photos the whole time, and that means Photoshop. Tha-rrreee. I got bad news from home in the middle of that week, and have been mulling over how to present it in the entries. However, I decided to break it down into workable chunks by location and date, so that the lengthy “afterwords” for each place were easier to deal with. So maybe…
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My friend catsnco reports: No Pants Day is Friday, May 7th! De-baggers, this is your big day!
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“It’s 50 degrees!” Since it’s supposed to be nice today, we’re going to the Chicago Botanic Garden just to get out of the house, take some pictures, and enjoy the day. It’s early for there to be much in bloom – still late winter here, though there might be snowdrops or something. “It’s 50 degrees!” I have a co-worker that has some rather odd ideas about “seasonal attire.” I’m actually a little concerned that the weather is warming up, because very soon (much sooner than you would think physically possible), she will start wearing shorts to work. If anyone says…