Blog Title: Mike The Actuary’s Musings

More American Airlines Fees Coming

As seen in The Onion (note the source): Cash-strapped American Airlines announced a new series of fees this week that will apply to all customers not currently flying, scheduled to fly, or even thinking about flying aboard the commercial carrier. The fees, the latest introduced by American Airlines in a continuing effort to combat its financial woes, read more..

War on Immigrants Impacts Availability of Kosher Meat

Another chapter for the textbook on the law of unintended consequences: An immigration raid on one meatpacking plant leads to a shortage in Kosher meat.    Via the newswires: "Normally, this, on a Monday, this would be stacked up to here," he said, pointing to a mark on the wall above his head. But the cardboard boxes of read more..

So Much For Anti-Commercialism

I had seen/heard some speculation that due to the economic slowdown, we might see a return to the intangible reasons for celebrating the season, rather than the commercialistic orgy that sweeps across the country every December. The trampling at Wal-Mart quickly chilled that naïve hope of mine.  Instead I’ll just be amused by the dilemma that read more..

Do You Think Some Folks Take Black Friday Too Seriously?

From the New York Daily News: A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said. The 34-year-old worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 read more..

Economic Woes Erode Support For Clean Energy & Conservation

For the past few years, I’ve expressed frustration over my fears that global warming hype would damage popular will to embrace conservation and clean energy. (Short version: Much of the weather weirdness of the first part of the decade is likely more attributable to random noise and shorter-term cycles.  “Global warming”, which is probably real, is read more..

Happy Buy Nothing Day!

While hordes of shoppers in the United States know the day after Thanksgiving as “Black Friday”, some folks are observing “Buy Nothing Day”: As the planet starts heating up, maybe it’s time to finally go cold turkey. Take the personal challenge by locking up your debit card, your credit cards, your money clip, and see what read more..

Something to Think About If You Paid Overweight Baggage Fees This Holiday Season

Seen at New York Daily News: An investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs found that 14% of the scales at John F. Kennedy Airport and 4% at LaGuardia Airport overestimated the weight of bags by a pound or more. "If airlines are going to start charging travelers left and right for their luggage, their scales read more..

How Should You Hide From Your Parent’s Woes?

Well, you could try changing your name. Seen at Business Insurance: The aigdirect.com unit will become 21st Century Insurance in January. Woodland Hills, Calif.-based 21st Century Insurance Group, an auto insurer, became a wholly owned subsidiary of New York-based AIG in 2007. AIG will also shed 6.6% of jobs in that unit, the company official said, confirming read more..

Wrongness of the Night

We’ve been watching CNN’s coverage of the attacks in Mumbai…and I think someone at CNN could stand to exercise a bit of judgment in selecting which commercials should air. I’m not sure this is the right night for an ad by India Tourism to run.