Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/06/29/pricing-truck-rentals-budget-vs-penske/
[Notes from my move from Brooklyn to Mountain View, CA in July 2010. We rented a truck and towed a car. We drove via I-80/I-70. We stayed at Motel 6 when we could, and I asked my Android GPS to avoid tolls, especially East of the Mississippi.]
When I moved from California to New York I went with Budget Truck rental, based on price. It went well enough. This time I’m going with Penske, based on my sweetheart’s AAA discount. Penske’s web site is more polished, especially the “enter make and model of car to be towed” interaction. Today I received a 20% discount coupon for Budget. I made my reservation and was pleased that the price came out lower, until I reviewed my Penske reservation and saw they had included tax in their total. Budget did not. It also looks like Penske applies the AAA discount per-item, where Budget’s discount was only on the truck itself.
| Item |
Budget |
Penske |
| Discount |
20% coupon |
12% AAA + web discount |
| 10-day one-way 16′ truck rental |
$1,291.20 |
$1,250.06 |
| Tow Dolly |
$185.00 |
$264.00 |
| Hand Truck |
$35.00 |
$17.60 |
| 2-dozen furniture pads |
$54.00 |
$26.40 |
| “Cost recovery fee” |
$33.00 |
| Total |
$1,598.20 |
$1,558.06 |
Notes:
- Penske applies “web reservation” and AAA discounts to the truck rental.
- Budget coupon code ON113 for 20% off Sun-Thu pickups registers as “AARP discount.”
- Budget applies a “web reservation” discount of around 10% if you don’t enter a coupon code.
- Penske applies the AAA discount to tow dolly, hand truck, furniture pads.
- Budget’s tow dolly is cheaper.
- Penske hand truck and furniture pads are cheaper even before discount.
- Penske hand truck and furniture pads seem perfectly reasonable, where Budget looks like they’re padding the price.
- Budget tacks on their “cost recovery fee” after you enter your credit card to make the reservation, with a vague explanation that it is standard practice in the industry.
- Budget adds a refundable deposit of $150.
- Penske includes taxes in their total, making their total appear higher than Budget.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/06/27/ken-robinson-ted-talk/
Trying to get your week going? Can’t quite find your groove? Try and spend 20 minutes with Ken Robinson.
Lots of good humor to deliver a simple and important message. We face an important problem in that we designed our primary education systems to build conformist factory workers. As we rocket ever faster in to our collective future, what we’ll need more than ever is the capacity to formulate creative solutions to our new problems. Kids start out creative, then we educate the creativity out of them. We need to do what we can to help our kids grow with access to the various disciplines which move them, so that they can realize their potential as 21st century human beings.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/06/20/tire-failure/
You don't see a bike tire do that very often.
For some time I had noticed and been avoiding the weird bulge in my rear bicycle tire. Finally it gave way on my commute. The threads inside the tire appear to have been separating, and I guess I hit something sharp at a weak spot.
I put on my spare tube and made it home. I have since replaced this tire with a knobby road tire, paired with a puncture-resistant inner tube and a puncture-resistant liner. If I never have to change a bicycle tire again it will be too soon!
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/06/19/pie/
Mei's folks were in town for Father's Day, so she made him an Apple Pie, and a pork roast, and other delicious things for dinner.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/05/31/kona-kau-peaberry/
Would you like a nice Hawaiian . . . coffee?
Normally I brew my own coffee at work, but if I get in early and I find the pot has not yet been contaminated, I’ll clean the machine off and brew a pot for my colleagues. This was some peaberry (smaller beans) from the K`au region of Kona, on Hawaii’s Big Island. My final souvenir from the airport in Hilo.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/05/14/going-to-get-married/
Danny walks with the Chaplain into the wedding ceremony.
There are of course way better photos of our wedding day, but this one was taken with my camera, by my Uncle John, who even as a groomsman can not resist the urge to snap some photos.
Also, I don’t have to persuade the wife to post any photos of her that are less than perfect to her eye.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/05/10/fitting-room/
I pressed Uncle John into service as a groomsman. Here we are at the fitting room of the Nordstroms at Ala Moana, after he arrived from camping in the California desert.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/05/09/enter-here/
Door to the Marriage License Office, in Honoulu, HI
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/27/h4xx0r3d/
Within ten minutes, Maggie has defeated the automatic feeder.
Maggie likes to try and wake me up early for breakfast. Spraying her with the water bottle hasn’t dissuaded her, so now I put her out on the porch. I have read that an automatic feeder could distract her attention: instead of bugging me she’ll watch vigilantly over the feeder. And since we’ll be out of town for two weeks in May it would be a worthwhile investment.
Alas, this PetSafe Electronic Pet Feeder didn’t last ten minutes before she was able to break in and get the kibble. I’m proud of her. But I’m looking forward to finding a feeder that will keep her entertained without bothering me in the morning.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/21/fantastico/
Fantastico
Ask Yourself Three Questions
1. Do I want to make a difference in the lives of others?
2. Do I want a job with flexible hours so I can take care of my family?
3. Do I want to be my own boss?
If you answer “yes”–fantastic! Call now! (650) 630-2519
Mine eyes detected Spanish spam! The word jefe caught my eye . . .
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/20/evening-caltrain-sf/
Passenger's wait to board the 9:40pm train at Caltrain's San Francisco 4th and King terminus.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/19/avalon-creekside-tree/
When a Tree falls in the Apartment Complex, does it damage your porch? (Ours was spared.)
The scene last August at the Avalon at Creekside Apartment Complex. Nobody was hurt, as far as I know.
When we returned from Thanksgiving Holiday in November, we learned that Avalonbay Communities was evicting us over a billing error on their part. I have been thinking to make a YouTube video to explain that ridiculous affair.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/18/holdem/
Playing Hold'em at a friend's house.
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Link:
https://dannyman.toldme.com/2011/04/16/view-from-twin-peaks/
A view from Twin Peaks
We found ourselves in the city with time on our hands, but no money. Mei had not been to Twin Peaks. I fixed that.
I was mucking with Gimp. The fog looks like smog.
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