Another money maker at Disney World

The back story is that some of the guests who stay at Walt Disney World are not content with the free transportation, especially the bus service.  These guests don't have a car and want to get around more easily.

For a period of time until around the 2010s, there would be an occasional taxi called to a destination for a ride. Though, mostly they were used to take people to and from the airport, and rarely would be used within the resort.

Then along came ride sharing services, and guests would sometimes call for a ride between destinations within the resort.

Disney didn't like this very much and created a shuttle service called "Minnie vans" where they had cast members drive people around the resort, kind of like a concierge taxi service. 

But having employees do that is costly and requires insurance and other considerations. And there was still the problem of Uber and Lyft being called onto Disney property and taking some of that business (and reportedly charging less).

Then came the pandemic.  The service was shuttered, and Disney sold all the rde share cars. 

Post-pandemic, Disney brought back the service, but with the twist that they contracted with Lyft to run it for them.

In doing so, It removes competition.  Other drivers know it's not worth making themselves available on Disney's property. At least in part because Disney can (and does)l turn them away at various locations.

Which gives paying customers an alternative (but only one) to bus service. and Disney an additional revenue stream.

And some guests who would prefer to feel special get to do just that.  For a not particularly low price, you can have a dedicated car drive you around Disney property. Another case of wealth inequality showing its face. 

In the end, I guess you could assume they might say "Who needs busses? Those are for the unwashed masses."

Amusing football note

The Kansas City Chiefs were the last unbeaten team this season, and they lost to the Buffalo Bills...

The announcer says "You have to love the tradition down in Miami when the last team loses...the Dolphins team from yesterday has the champagne on ice."

Except that (as I've noted before) this was a mostly made up "tradition" but it does work well in football lore.

And consider that most of the surviving players from that era are now into the late 70s, or early 80s.  And most of them don't live in Miami anymore.

But no matter what, those that have passed on may feast in merriment in valhalla with the football gods.

How Legacy-Minded Bob Iger Is Mapping Out Disney's Future - Business Insider



Bob Iger went into the earnings call talking about how things were turning around and there has been a lot of growth. And clearly and unequivocally threw Bob Chapek under the bus. 

Many questioned him saying anything about Chapek, but to me it was clear that he was trying to resurrect his own legacy and assure that this time he'll get succession planning right. 

He half-assed it last time, tapping Chapek as his replacement without helping groom him for the job, and then undermining him as he was set to take over - just as the pandemic was getting started. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-iger-disney-earnings-guidance-succession-legacy-chapek-media-analysis-2024-11

This time, he believes he'll get it right. 

Air travel disruption through a series of events

Here's the story about a travel disruption that happened in the UK through a series of unexpected events. 

It started with a flight between Paris and LA that passed over the UK. Its flight plan had two way points with the same name, and the software couldn't handle that and caused an error to appear, which then disrupted air traffic control. Controllers had to manually manage flights, and as a result they had to reduce the number of flights passing over that area. 

There was a solution for this: an engineer could log in remotely and clear the error. Except that due to "the design and architecture" of the system, the credentials were rejected. 

And it took them more than an hour to manage to log in. 

By now, the complete system was facing a backlog and delays. Flights were being rerouted, departures were held up for hours. Chaos ruled for many hours, affecting airlines, passengers, and scheduling for a while to come. 

And all because of a coding error and not having someone on site who could fix the problem. Oops. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/air-traffic-control-chaos-engineer-login-problem-passengers-disruption-airlines-2024-11

What’s up with that?

I have a lot of beefs with the goings on in the world. 

But one in particular just baffles me. There are some very vocal people who oppose vaccines for spurious reasons. 

And as an aside: if there is a decision made to relax the rules around vaccines, then we will see a resurgence of communicable diseases that modern medicine has effectively eliminated. Measles? Polio? They'll make a comeback. 

Anyway, there's also something strange happening with these same people, who accept that drug companies advertise to them directly for drugs that cure things that somehow people decide they have - in spite of them having side effects like… death. 

And not only that.  People use these drugs in unintended ways. Ozempic, for example, was approved for one thing … but it has a side effect of sorts - that it causes weight loss. 

So people take it as a weight loss drug. Even though (a) that is not its indication and (b) when one stops taking the drug, the weight comes back. 

And these people don't even give THAT a second thought. They take it in spite of everything. 

Because it was marketed directly to them with an happy song, and they see a result. 

Maybe what vaccines need is a better PR campaign?

US Air Force Airmen of Note

There's a backstory about this group of performers. 

During World War II, big band orchestra leader Glenn Miller enlisted in the army air corps in order to go on tour and provide entertainment to the troops. He went to many locations, and sadly, his plane went down in 1945 over the English Channel. 

The band continued to perform for a time without him, then Congress created the airmen of note in 1950 as a kind of tribute to Millers legacy and service. 

The band plays around the world and promotes the Air Force in general. They also play at various events for dignitaries. 

And they tour around and have free concerts for the public.  The big band sound is alive and well. We saw them tonight and I highly recommend seeing them if you ever get a chance. Just Google them to see where they'll be next. 

One note: Their commander made a comment that they played for the First Lady and the Second Gentleman… which legit made me sad. Things will be different soon. 

It’s a coup of sorts

In 2020, you had the insurrection led by the orange menace. By definition it was a coup d'etat, a violent uprising against government. 

Some people thought it was all a part of the game (I would refer to those as the stupid people), some slept on it. But some of us saw it for what it was. 

I have studied coups in history and had a notion that this was just the beginning. And back in 2020, I caught a video from a guy who lived in a central Asian country who provided a perspective. 

He had lived through coups in his country and saw this as no different. He explained why he thought that in some detail (which I won't get into here, but it ticked the boxes). 

And he finished with a few thoughts: that the person behind the coup must be held accountable, and dealt with. That the person (or more broadly the people) responsible for the coup will never stop coming. And that he wanted to tell us what he's told his family during coups … "good luck"

The orange man was not deal with. The wheels of justice were/are excruciatingly slow, he managed to run out the clock, and he got some help from people in other high places. 

He never did stop coming. And now has all the power and intends to act like a dictator. 

So I guess, sadly, the coup did happen. And now it's down to "good luck"

The adults in the room failed at their jobs and we all will pay a price.