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1 | § ¶The Wrong Side of The Road
-- Or Should I say: The Other Side?
For a while I had the policy of not driving outside the United States. If I could avoid it, I kept my driving outside of any big city limits. The reason? Afraid of cars, and afraid of myself not been able to drive on such cities. I am afraid of different -- maybe more aggressive -- driving styles, and I am afraid of different driving customs: like driving on the left side of the road while you are on the right side of the car.
Whenever I traveled outside I used taxis, buses, subways, or trains. I once paid a $700+ USD fare from London to Ipswich in the UK just to avoid renting. I had served me well over the years as I yet have to file an insurance claim while driving outside of the USA, while most of my business partners traveling abroad have had to do so, mostly due to their naiveness in thinking everything works in the same way as it works back home.
Yesterday I didn't had a choice but to rent. Read More
5 7 | § ¶On KLM 591 Again
-- On The Road Again
Little more than three months ago I was returning from South Africa on a KLM Airlines flight. I thought that such trip was my last intercontinental/international trip on my current job. I was grateful for a nice career, happy to have completed the list of all the continents where business could be made (all except Antarctica), and worried about the future of my job.
Fortunately, I am feeling better today. Let me tell you why. Read More
1 6 | § ¶I want my nuts warm
-- And the cashews, walnuts, and pistachios.
Long haul trips of more than 10 hours are done in business class on the company where I am, just as they where done on the one I worked for before. After a while you get used to some niceties, and one of them is warm nuts.
Read More 10 1 | § ¶Restaurant Review: Berns of Tampa, FL
-- Steakhouse, like it should be.
Berns Steakhouse. 1208 South Howard Ave, Tampa, FL +1 (813) 251-2421
Since I have had my Rioja (Spanish Wine) with the Fillet dinner I had enjoyed earlier, I decided that I would toast with Gabor with his Tokaji (Hungarian Wine). He never appeared (comprehensible, as he was in Boston getting ready to leave for Hungary), so I had to drink it.
That was the desert wine I had yesterday at a restaurant in Tampa, Florida with around 7,000 different wines on their coffee-table-book sized wine list.
Wine was good and varied, but that wasn't all about this great restaurant.
11 8 | § ¶Mortgage Deduction
-- Not Anymore?
Most homeowners enjoy a Federal Income Tax deduction every year due to their home mortgage. In the next decade, most middle class families will start paying the Federal Alternative Minimum Tax - a higher tax liability than the one they calculate using their allowed deductions. There is a proposed legislation to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (wich many high income earners avoid by taking large mortgages up to $1,000,000). In order to do so, other tax exemptions would have to be curtailed. The home mortgage deduction is a candidate according to USA Today.
"Homeowners can now deduct interest on mortgages up to $1 million. The panel likely will suggest a threshold of around $300,000 when it makes a final report on broad tax code changes Nov. 1. The mortgage and health care trims are intended to help pay for repeal of the alternative minimum tax, which will affect 20 million taxpayers next year." -- USA Today, 10/12/2005
So far, I do se benefits in this idea. Let me explain them to you.
Read More 6 8 | § ¶Film
-- Still Takes Good Pictures
I still use 35mm film. Not entirely by choice, but due to a restrained use of resources that helps me avoid debt.
Nonetheless, the desire to switch to digital, and the inconveniences offered by film, as well as its incremental cost is always on the back of my mind: specially after a couple of weekends ago, where I spent $45 on 10 rolls developing, plus around $20 on the cost of the film (not counting my time scanning).