patrick.net

OOPS, I confused "short sale" with "renegotiated loan," which was the subject of an article I was reading. The renegotiated loan also had the 1099 issue.

As more interest and cheaper jets come about, the entry fee shrinks as these planes are spread over more “owners”, to the point it resembles a charter club.

Fractional owners always own the same interest (e.g. 1/16) on a plane. So the entry fee will not shrink when there are more owners. With more people, there will be more planes.

(Similarly, the same time-share condos will not be spread over more owners.)

Chartering is different. They are more like private airlines.

"If anything, it just introduces a lot more sketchy airport employees who would get access to sensitive areas. "

Yes, like the ones who pre-planted the boxcutters for the 9-11 highjackers.

Cheaper jets will lower the entry fee though, although they are not really much heavier than SUVs.

Peter P,

Your facts and logic are unassailable. I admit error.

Peter P,

Your facts and logic are unassailable. I admit error.

Peter P

Your facts and logic are unassailable. I admit error on the Fractional Ownership issue.

Why did it post 3 times? It was bad enough I had to be wrong.

My facts and logic are not usually straight. This is why I am a better sophist. :)

Actually, I think fractional jet ownership is gaining popularity because people do not want the hassle of airport security.

Years ago when I worked at HP, we took HP's propeller plane to Roseville, it was fantastic when you can drive right up to the gate, no screening and hop on the airplane. Some of my coworkers flew to COMDEX on the jet and we wish all air travel was like that.

CB, IIRC HP has a few Gulfstream IV-SP, right?

Why can't someone build a transporter booth system already? Is safe, energy efficient, simultaneous transportation really so much to ask for?

Why can’t someone build a transporter booth system already? Is safe, energy efficient, simultaneous transportation really so much to ask for?

It has unanswerable metaphysical questions.

Anyone remember this story about someone deplaned mid-flight from an HP turboprop?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/12/15/MN137139.DTL

RE: transporter

I will take a slow route, perhaps a cruise boat.

"Why can’t someone build a transporter booth system already? Is safe, energy efficient, simultaneous transportation really so much to ask for?

It has unanswerable metaphysical questions. "

Some real physical ones, too. Converting a human to energy, according to E=MC squared, would make quite a pop. Just for comparison, that "crowd pleaser" 60 megaton nuke (deliverable only by B-52, in its day) only converts 4 ounces of matter to energy.

Just for comparison, that “crowd pleaser” 60 megaton nuke (deliverable only by B-52, in its day) only converts 4 ounces of matter to energy.

Someone had said that "640K ought to be enough for everyone."

Now I will not buy a computer with less than 2GB RAM.

Perhaps technology will solve that problem in the future. But metaphysics issues cannot possibly be resolved.

RE: Transporter

No Ceasarian needed, just beam baby out of mother

Eat all you want, beam food from stomach to hog trough

No sex needed, just beam sperm to......

"Someone had said that “640K ought to be enough for everyone.”

Are you saying I should upgrade?

Eat all you want, beam food from stomach to hog trough

That is something I can look forward too. My wife would not let be do the Roman thing. She said it is bad for my teeth.

Are you saying I should upgrade?

No. You should be able to run Windows 3.0 in real mode. Say hello to your "Program Manager." :)

(or maybe just jump ahead to the energy being phase)

(or maybe just jump ahead to the energy being phase)

Or perhaps we are energy beings after all. The physically world may be an illusion.

"My wife would not let be do the Roman thing. She said it is bad for my teeth."

Ah, yes the Vomitorium. (At least I hope that's the "Roman Thing" that would be bad for your teeth)

I heard that Emperor Senilius often confused the Vomitorium with the Buffet.

Peter P,

Why not just chew and spit out? Some fat and starch will get through, but a lot less.

Why not just chew and spit out? Some fat and starch will get through, but a lot less.

Swallowing the food is part of the enjoyment too.

Or perhaps we are energy beings after all. The physically world may be an illusion.

Even if this were true, the fact that you experience the physical universe, well...physically, makes the idea moot. If you jump off a building you will fall to the ground and die, because of gravity, imagined, illusionary, or real, all the same.

This is the problem I have with the postmodernists. The difference between something *real* and something *illusionary-but-perceived-exactly-as-if-real* is inconsequential.

Question: "But we could all be just dust in the wind. Isn't that deep?"

Answer: "No. Who cares. Quit smoking so much pot while watching adult swim, thinking you've discovered something profound".

GC, have you looked through all the regulatory requirements yet?

This is the problem I have with the postmodernists.

This is why I am a sophist, not a postmodernist.

Even if this were true, the fact that you experience the physical universe, well…physically, makes the idea moot. If you jump off a building you will fall to the ground and die, because of gravity, imagined, illusionary, or real, all the same.

Then what really separates this universe from Second Life? :)

I think SL has gravity too.

Hey Peter, I think I had the same argument with my brother once. That whole, perception is the reality nonsense. I used the same counter, I don't care what your perception is, if you jump off that building you will die regardless of whether you perceive it as tall or illusionary.

Malcolm, you are right.

Actually, if a person truly believes that perception is reality he will be actively trying to change his thinking in order to improve reality.

Anyhow, I am not a good postmodernist. I am a pragmatist.

Peter, why do you consider yourself a sophist. That doesn't have a good connotation.

Actually GC, I think your position is kind of clever. How about this angle? If the guy is jumping off the building to prove the perception is reality, and he splatters on the ground he has failed to prove it, and the fact that he died before he figured it out is +1 for Darwinism. Since we are then left laughing at his stupidity, I would conclude his argument falls short, pardon the pun.

Peter, why do you consider yourself a sophist. That doesn’t have a good connotation.

Astrid called me a sophist. I assumed she would not call me anything bad. Oh well.

But, before that computation could terminate, the processor blue-screened. So the man died happily believing his prior notion.

Blue screen? Whose fault is that? ;)

Ha ha. I don't know that it is bad, it just means that you would try to win an argument by your charisma verses solid logic and support. I kind of consider Penn and Teller to be sophists.

Ha ha. I don’t know that it is bad, it just means that you would try to win an argument by your charisma verses solid logic and support.

If I had the required charisma I do not mind being a little facts-challenged. ;)

I'm normally suspicious of people who throw the labels around verses just saying what's on their mind. I'm kind of tired of the term 'straw man' being thrown around everytime someone wants to sound enlightened.

You'd be a sophist if the Sushi Guild of America made you their spokesperson.