So, it wasn’t capitalism’s fault after all

This is almost cliche now to publish this fabulous exerpt, but what can I do, if everyone else is quoting one of the turest observations in the modern economics on price discrimination…

It is not because of the few thousand francs which would have to be spent to put a roof over the third-class carriage or to upholster the third-class seats that some company or other has open carriages with wooden benches … What the company is trying to do is prevent the passengers who can pay the second-class fare from traveling third class; it hits the poor, not because it wants to hurt them, but to frighten the rich … And it is again for the same reason that the companies, having proved almost cruel to the third-class passengers and mean to the second-class ones, become lavish in dealing with first-class customers. Having refused the poor what is necessary, they give the rich what is superfluous.

Julles Dupuit, “On Tolls and Transport Charges”, 1849

Luxist is not sure what they are talking about

I like luxist and read it regularly. Sometimes, however, those people are simply wrong. Not that they are terribly wrong, but I would not have expected such level of ignorance in the field of private aviation from them.

Now, the story goes like this – Her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II is shopping for a jet. She is not looking for a BBJ, but rather something smaller, or as luxist is saying

they are in the market for a small executive plane like a Gulfstream or Learjet.

every schoolboy knows, that the only models of Gulfstream and LearJet, that are more or less comparable by size, tech specs and range are G150 / G200 to LearJet 60 / LearJet 60NXT (which is yet to come some time in 2012). The rest of Gulfstreams is just waaaaaaay out of reach of LJ, since G350 is already in the range of Falcon 2000, let alone G450 and G500, that can be compared to Global Express or 7X, right?

There is more…

The plane would be paid for by taxpayers and would include the usual private plane bells and whistles, such as catering facilities and in-flight entertainment.

every schoolgirl knows, that neither LJ of any size (that will include the new LJ 60 NXT), nor G150 and G200 has a space for catering (beside a small cabinet with a coffe machine, kettle and a small fridge + space for 12 whiskey thumblers). The crew is only 2, which includes pilot and co-pilot only. That is it. What concerns in-flight entertainment – did you mean Airshow? Or maybe those pathetic side TVs, that come on the mid-size aircraft? A word of advise to HM and anyone else buying in to mid-size and super-mid-size – do not go for those stupid TVs. First of all they are small and uncomfortable to use. Secondly they are heavy (and in jet business every kilo makes a difference), thirdly they are overpriced. Much better solution is to buy something like a MacBook for each seat and load the onboard hard drive with music and movies.

As for luxist, well, it is not tragic, just sad that the luxury blog has messed up a little. Best luck to them in the future.

The mess can be found here.

Robert Boyle on everything

We must not look upon every distinct body that works upon our senses as a bare lump of matter of that bigness and outward shape that it appears of: many of them having their parts curiously contrived, and most of them perhaps in motion too. Nor must we look upon the universe that surrounds us as upon moveless and undistinguished heap of matter, but as upon a great engine…

Robert Boyle, The Origin of Forms and Qualities, 1666

To Do (v. 1.5)

с этим постом начинаю переносить ЖЖ посты на новый блог. Содержание многих будет изменено / откорректированно. Даты те же, что и у оригинальных постов.

This post marks the transfer of my personal posts from LiveJournal to this blog. Some of those posts will be modified / corrected. Dates will stay the same as the original entries.

To Do:

1. [high importance] Написать прикол про разговор между А. Лебедевым и его сыном:

Самизнаетекто: ну что, сынок, как школа?

Сынок: охуительно, пап! Смотри – пятерка…

СЗК: [внимательно осматривает дневник] скажи своей учительнице, сынок, что этот совковский почерк и эти красные чернила нам всем уже остоуебили. Да и керинг говно, и композиция импотентская. И вообще, что такое “5″?! Скушно, неуютно, недомашне. Надо просто, но метко, типа “заебись, мальчик!”. С детьми ведь работают, как никак…

[занавес]

… ну или типа в этом русле…

2. [low importance] Find out whether he’s got a son at all

оригинал