Strap Yourself In...Airlines To Load On More Fees

In recent years, airlines have found new ways to boost their profits and at the same time annoy fliers. They are charging fees for checked bags, selecting choice seats, consuming snacks among other services that once were included in their ticket prices. Since 2008, their hands have been outstretched, snatching money out of our purses in the form of fees to the tune of $22 billion in 2010 alone ,which is about 5% of the global industry revenue.


Carriers are looking to tap into billions and billions of potential revenue and right now are only scratching the surface with baggage and seat fees. Some airlines are already charging fees for early boarding since overhead bin space has become a premium due to an increase in carry-on luggage. So be on the lookout for advanced seat assignment fees, fees to watch movies, fees for WiFi access, fees to purchase food in Coach, fees for transporting minors and pets, fees for having reservations agents book a ticket and perhaps even fees to use the lavatories. As carriers continue to feel the pinch of higher fuel prices, they will get more and more creative with the ways they seek to create new revenue sources.

Ciao,

Vinnie

The Great Video Game Debate

I recently read an article in the Phildelphia Inquirer that said there are mixed conclusions about video games and their effects on the people who play them for many years. You may be surprised that hundreds of studies on the link between violent video games and aggressive behavior have shown not that these games cause children to become violent themselves, but that aggressive people like playing aggressive video games.

A study from Yale University released in November 2010 suggests that most teens who play video games do not develop unhealthy behaviors, but a small minority of teens who play video games and already have addicitve traits may be more likely to smoke, use drugs, fight or become depressed.

The same study found that the boys who played video games (about 76% of male respondents) typically earned a higher grade average, were less likely to smoke and were more likely to say they'd never used alcohol or marijuana. Among girls, just 29% of those surveyed said they played video games, and those that did were more likely than the girls who didn't play video games to get into serious fights or carry weapons to school. These findings were interpreted to mean that for boys, playing video games is normal but for girls who play - they tend to be more aggressive.

Other research suggested that playing video games is socially isolating, but different studies showed that almost 60% of frequent gamers play with friends or siblings. In any case, if your child spends most of their time sitting on the couch, staring at a screen rather than running around outside, playing sports or engaging in an educational activity, you have rightful cause for concern.

Ciao,

Vinnie

TEXTING -vs- TELEPHONE CALLS

I read an article by Katherine Rosman in the Wall Street Journal last month that basically stated how we want to reach others, but do not want to be interrupted. According to the Nielsen Company, for anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, ponder over the fact that the average 13 - 17 year old sends and receives 3,339 texts per month. Can you believe that's roughly 100 per day? And hold on to your hats because adults are catching up...ages 45 - 54 sent and received 323 texts a month in the 2nd Quarter of 2010. That was up 75% from a year ago.

Behind the texting explosion there seems to be a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile devices. The fact that they are phones has become a moot point. Popular social media sites like Twitter are part of this catalyst because it allows postings of no more than 140 characters that create and reinforce the habit of communicating in microbursts. In addition, texting actually costs less than making phone calls since text messages - also known as SMS (Short Message Service) take up less bandwidth than phone calls.

Since purchasing my first iPhone over a year ago, I am now included in these statistics. I'm guilty of no longer picking up the phone to chat because I allow my fingers to do my talking. But please don't ask me about texting while driving because I will have to "Plead the 5th". LOL

Ciao,

Vinnie

Mark Your Calendars – Register for the Collaborate & Share Alerts Complimentary Session!

Widgets, those self-contained applications that can be embedded anywhere, are becoming an important way to visually consume news and obtain information. The appeal of widgets is its portability. They can be placed virtually anywhere the readers are.

Have you explored using Factiva Alert Widgets as a way of personally consuming the latest information from your Alert, or considered using it as a way of sharing your Alert with colleagues?

Register now to join us on 26 October, for a one-hour complimentary session on how the various tools in Factiva.com enable the sharing of Alerts and facilitate collaboration amongst teams.

Follow the steps below to find the session that best fits your schedule:
1. Select a Region
2. Choose Advanced (Inside-Out) Factiva.com
3. Select October
4. Find a session that fits your schedule and click Register.
5. Complete the short registration form.

The one-hour online sessions are conducted via an online interactive meeting facility, Microsoft® Live Meeting. If you have never used this web-conferencing tool before, we recommend that before attending a session you perform a one-time set up.

How to Handle Four Driving Emergencies

As most of us enter the busy Holiday Season and the driving hazards associated with it, I thought I’d share this information I recently came across on how to handle four driving emergencies:

1. TIRE BLOWOUT

Almost all blowouts happen when you’re traveling in a straight line at high speeds with an underinflated tire. So to help avoid a blowout, check your tire pressure frequently. If you experience a tire blowout, gently squeeze the gas pedal for just a couple of seconds to give you control over the vehicle and put on your hazards while directing the car in a straight line. After a couple seconds of gently squeezing the accelerator, smoothly release the gas pedal. By this time the tire is most likely to be void of air and pushing the accelerator further won’t allow the vehicle to go any faster. Coast the vehicle to a slow speed, turn on your turn signal, and gently turn toward the shoulder of the road – preferably the same side as your blowout to make changing the tire safer.

2. TREAD SEPARATION
While driving, if you hear a consistent thumping noise and/or a slapping sound, pull over and check your tires. This process can take days or often only seconds. So if you see damage prior to driving, put on the spare tire before proceeding. If your tire tread does comes off while you are driving, squeeze the gas pedal for just an instant and then gently release it. As with a blowout, drive straight on the road and put on your hazards. Allow your vehicle to coast, and then apply the brakes only slightly, just enough to help you reach a safe turning speed. Put on your turn signal and smoothly turn the car toward the shoulder of the road, ideally on the same side as the damaged tire.

3. TWO WHEELS GO OFF THE PAVEMENT
Let’s say you’re driving along a highway and you swerve to avoid hitting something in the road, and your two right or left tires drop off the blacktop. Gently remove pressure from the accelerator, but don’t touch the brakes unless you absolutely must (ie. Headed down a hill or you’ll hit an obstacle in front of you). Drive parallel with the road until you coast to about 35mph. Smoothly turn the wheel a very slight amount – no more than say 5 degrees – to get back on the road. If you must turn the wheel more than that to avoid an obstacle, then brake. Don’t try to reenter the road with more than 15 degrees of steering because if you have to turn the wheel let’s say 45 or 60 degrees to get back on the pavement, the front tires will most likely regain traction before the rears causing you to spin out. If this is the case, you could end up hitting what you were trying to avoid or even shoot across the road into other traffic. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) come in handy in this situation.

4. SKIDDING
Most of us have experienced skidding whether it has been in the rain, on ice or in snow and it’s no fun at all. If you have ABS and are starting to skid in rain, ice or snow, “stomp” on your brake, after which you will feel the pulses in the pedal and/or hear ABS kick in. You can then ease up slightly on the brake pedal until the pulsing occurs only once a second. However, if you’re skidding in a vehicle without ABS, push the brake hard until your wheels stop. Then immediately release the brake enough to allow the wheels to begin turning again. Repeat this sequence rapidly which is NOT the same thing as pumping the brakes.

Safe Travels,
Vinnie

Mark Your Calendars – Register for the Build a Newsletter Complimentary Session!

News and information is what drives the activities and transactions of the global economy. Getting access to the right information at the right time is what creates success and competitive advantage. Factiva.com Newsletter is a tool that can help you deliver:

*the right information
*to the right audience
*in the right format
*at the right time

This value-add feature to Factiva.com subscribers can take you beyond researching and finding the news and intelligence your organization needs. More importantly, it can help you design and deliver this information in a professionally packaged newsletter.

Register now to join us on 28 September, for a one-hour complimentary session on creating and deploying newsletters in Factiva.com. Follow the steps below to find the session that best fits your schedule:

1. Select a Region
2. Choose Advanced (Inside-Out) Factiva.com
3. Select September
4. Find a session that fits your schedule and click Register.
5. Complete the short registration form.

This one-hour online sessions is conducted via an online interactive meeting facility, Microsoft® Live Meeting. If you have never used this web-conferencing tool before, we recommend that before attending a session you perform a one-time set up.

Reaping the "Green" Benefits

Hello All,

I'm back to tell that you the Geothermal project is ALL DONE. Final installation was completed in the middle of May 2009 and I am happy to say that the costs weren't surprisingly what one might think. With all of the Energy incentives available, it was basically the same as a traditional HVAC system but proving to be more efficient. I can't believe new home builders aren't offering them as a viable option when a homeowner will benefit in the long run especially with the rising utility costs associated with heating and cooling a home.

We've been living with the Geothermal Heating/Cooling for just under 3 months and it is defininitely proving to be a plus. Take for instance during the summer of 2008, I would normally set my thermostat at 74 degrees F during the day and then down to 68 degrees F at night which was "somewhat comfortable" for me. Now I keep the house cooled during the day at 70 degrees F and when sleeping at night, it is dropped down to 65 degrees F which is VERY comfortable for me and my pets. To top it off, my electric bills have been lower than in 2008 with less electricity consumption, and I no longer complain to my other half about being warm all the time. The house is alot more quiet inside since the unit is placed in my basement and not outside the house exposed to the elements.

Another benefit of having had wells dug to supply the water to the Geothermal System is that we had them hooked up to our irrigation system. Our water consumption has dropped tremendously resulting in a decline in our monthly water bills which means our savings continue to escalate.

I couldn't be more happier with our Geothermal conversion and I am really looking forward to our next project - Solar panels for our roof which is coming sometime in September 2009.

Ciao,

Vinnie