We bring you a great article about populist experiments, Japan’s luxury cruise train, go inside secret Air Force One, laugh with elevator etiquette and base jump from Petra.
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What Democracies Can Learn From Greece’s Failed Populist Experiment
This is a fantastic article, If you are interested on the subject. You should be as those darn Greeks started all this populist crap that has spread all around the world, including here in the US with the election of this Trump dude. By itself, it gives a very accurate picture, in my humble opinion, of what took place in Greece with the ascent to power of the fringe left party Syriza. And just when you thought it could not get worse, these guys who never before managed a snack bar…were thrown into the realities of governing. It’s been a horror show!
Anyways, the article ends with this excerpt that takes us to Brexit and Trump:
Transposing the Greek populist experience to America or Britain yields some clear insights. Trump and the Brexiteers succeeded politically by identifying and capitalizing on some real social concerns. However: They have no solutions to offer. They scammed their way to power, but now that they have attained it, they face some unforgivable realities. They will try to avoid them, of course, by dividing and polarizing, and by blaming foreigners and “unpatriotic” political rivals. They are likely to double down when confronted with failure, at considerable economic cost. Yet, their obvious failures will not, in and of themselves, guarantee their demise. This will require mainstream parties to up their game and offer real alternatives. Only then, with the support of resilient democratic institutions, can the havoc wrought by populists be undone.
Japan’s New Luxury Cruise Train Is Here
And it is expensive! It is called the Shiki-Shima. Just 10 coaches, 34 passengers max. All suites. Lounge. Two observatory cars. Fine dining. Too bad we can’t use any Amtrak points for it lol. I love trains. I love them more when they are freeee!
The basic costs £5,164 for a solo traveller on a two-night/three-day trip, while the deluxe is £6,713.
The US President’s Secret Air Force
I must say that this was one of the most educational articles I read last week. I had no idea, fascinating stuff! And I know some of you are aviation geeks, you will love this!
The article goes through what took place behind the scenes during President Obama’s trip to Germany in June 2009. #mindblown
Then the article reveals the presence of Gulfstream jets, known as the C-20C’s. There are three of them.
As one Air Force official put it when asked years ago, “Our position is that we do not have any aircraft called a C-20C.”
Like I said, this is a fascinating story. Reminds me the time I was stranded in the Athens airport as I managed to land shortly before Air Force One landed with Bill Clinton. And we bring you an exclusive picture of a C20-C by special investigative TBB reporter with the code name Snowflake.
Elevator Etiquette
This is VERY hilarious. It appeared in the New Yorker. If you don’t laugh, what can I say? I am sad for you. I paste it here in its entirety. I enjoy bringing you joy. Oh wait, maybe that did not come out right. I enjoy helping people. Via entertainment, education and inspiration. And world peace tooooo!
If you are waiting for the elevator, make sure you press the call button. Even if the call button has already been pressed by someone else who is waiting.
If your wait is longer than thirty seconds, press the call button repeatedly. You may also sigh impatiently.
Do not make more than one second of eye contact with anyone. Do not talk.
Stare straight ahead, as if facing a firing squad, as if the other people in the elevator do not exist, which, to you, they do not.
“Straight ahead” is always, always facing the doors. If you stare in any other direction, you are a psychopath.
It is polite to ask someone entering at the same time as you, “Which floor?” If you don’t do this, but then the person after you does, you will feel like an asshole.
You are allowed to silently judge someone who presses 2. Like, one flight of stairs would kill him?
Absolutely do not hit on anyone in the elevator.
Seriously—successful pickups in elevators are even rarer than successful pickups on the subway. You’re just going to come across as creepy.
My friend Stuart claims that he picked up a woman in an elevator once, but no one ever met her, and we all still make fun of him by asking how his Canadian elevator girlfriend is doing.
Stuart doesn’t hang out with us very much anymore.
If it is a full elevator and you keep your backpack on, the people behind you have the right to rifle through it.
If it is a packed elevator and the door opens to reveal other people hoping to get on, you should smile sympathetically at their predicament. You may also shrug at them, as if to say, “Whaddya gonna do?,” as the elevator door closes in their faces.
If you are standing next to the buttons, it is good form to immediately press “Door Close” the second anyone exits.
Do not fart.
If you fart, pray that your floor comes quickly.
If your floor is still several stops away, make an “Ugh, who farted?” face, while glancing at your neighbor.
If you end up in an elevator with your boss, you must choose between making painful small talk or standing awkwardly in silence. (The correct choice is always silence.)
Upon exiting the elevator on your floor, do not cheerfully say “Buh bye!” to the other riders.
Again, this would make you a psychopath.
If there is a little TV screen above the buttons displaying banal news items, you may stare at that. Although, really? We’re watching TV in the elevator now? Then again, anything is preferable to unintentional eye contact.
BASE Jumping from Petra
Crazy BASE jumper Miles Daisher. To do this in such a stunning place, wow! Drones again, they are everywhere!
And I leave you with this…
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Golddddddddd
Which on that note…can I get a secured credit card backed by gold???
Let me get the Reconsideration Dept phone number for you, just in case you need it. Oh, wait. I can do a post about that reconsideration dept and then find another excuse to pump all my secured credit cards #brilliant
Back at Panera, missed the hazelnut coffee…
U all enjoy your Sunday!
My only credit history is a Blockbuster Card – is that enough to qualify?
Lol!
I think you are good 😉
Silver. Just like the free silver bullet I won at Coors field last night!
TBB readers are just natural born winners
Bronze
Does TBB Bronze transfer to Hyatt at 1:1?
Yes but it is not instant.
Looking for data points on how long this transfer takes.
.
May I interest you in the Hyatt credit card? It earns, please sit down, 2 FREE nights in ANY Hyatt. To convince you, I am going to do a series post in the Top 200 Hyatts you can spend your two FREE nights, 10 at a time, so in total about 20 posts. Last chance of course. Until next credit card sale that is.
In other news…
Do I go for a bagel? If yes, go for an everything or cinnamon bagel? Decisions, decisions
TBB
P.S. Doing presonalized rants for EVERY sale here. Just for you. And just to piss off the troll 🙂
The transfer posts as soon as the last Titan dies…
Typical angry piss and moan reader, demeaning others. It is like a nest of the angry loser snowflakes here who have such a low credit score they can’t even get approved for George’s secured credit cards.
I was his favorite blogger eons ago. For the record, he used to like MMS too so there! My life is great even though it could have been so much greater if I had held on to sell my blog to Bankrate instead of Internet Brands, these guys are so cheap. They did not want me back writing blog posts even though I always phoned them in. Their offer to come back to me was so demeaning I had to say no and then claim it was for philosophical differences. Like when I stood up that the Wallet thingie was wrong as it did not generate enough commissions to me…even with always recommending to clueless newbies to apply for 7 travel rewards credit cards on the same day. Who cares if they were just looking for one cash back card only, it is conversions baby!
Follow your leader. Who can’t get 10 apps per month. And the Alexa rankings is down to 7,560,000 rank…that is so much lower than my disciple Rene! He offered me a job to edit his posts but I prefer to come here as I enjoy George’s posts a lot more than his.
Sad!
Me
I thought the Titans were immortal?
Next time panera sends me the email for free bagel all month care to broker a trade? One month back in MV between myself and a coworker be probably scored 20 of them. But now it’s not even in the same borough… and it’s always everything bagel. Always!
I never get these, never!
Ok. We can negotiate 🙂
Maybe I’ll let you be First (by changing the 6.30 am normal posting time and giving you heads up on the new time).
Relative got a Free coffee at Panera pass a few years ago, that was amazing!
20% off Panera eGift cards at Staples
By the time I get to it…they will probably be sold out.
Correction to elevator etiquette……If you do fart, look around quizzically and ask “who farted?”
I take it you liked it 🙂
I always tell my friends that strong parties and institutions are the key difference between first world and the rest. The moment people start hearing to populists who promise to fix the unfairness of the system without any serious program, it’s a slippery slope.
I think the French did not fall for the non sense…
Too bad we did.
Here and in Greece too.
Because I wanna follow something France has done in the last 90 yrs.
I see your point, I really do 🙂
When it came down to this guy versus a candidate who promised to do many things (that were not reflective of reality)…they chose not to fall for her shit. That’s all.
Many here voted for his shit.
Many people voted against the worst candidate in American History in Hillary Clinton. Thats why Trump won.
Breaking: “Pilot Turns Over London Flight to a Trainee and Lies Down for Nap in Business Class”
Only at View From The Wing
smh
Elevator etiquette is cracking me up!
I don’t know, I think the problem is that we look too much to government to solve things. Yeah I know we can’t personally do things like maintain an army, etc. but we’re selling ourselves short…we regular people could do so much more just on our own, both in our individual lives and banding together through other means. I don’t mean anarchy or direct democracy, I’m talking about just the shit we can do in our everyday lives.
Come check out the collection of Presidential aircraft at the Air Force Museum when you’re in my neck of the woods, Dayton OH.
The election in France was interesting. Comes with a huge relief for the pro EU forces. But..
France’s economy has some deep issues this guy must attack before it is too late (think Greece).
and a third of the French voted for that mini Trump woman!
Yeah, I heard about that place in Dayton. One day.
Im not sure your “look what France did” is a valid point.
I think it is. Two candidates. One likeable guy who married his teacher. The other the forces of pure darkness, nationalism, anti…so many things.
They dude won. Bigly.
Bigly? 35% voted for someone who is nearer to Hitler than Trump on any scale of reasonableness. That is not a great sign.
Im pretty sure France lost again like it has done over and over again for decades.
Anybody who voted for Trump, he/she is dumber than he/she looks!