Whereas I had the opposite interest.

On the plus side for Air France - the after-dinner cognac.

I still remember the flight where a gentleman had his jacket in the overhead compartment. He didn’t want anyone to put their bags up there because it might wrinkle his jacket.

I kinda like the Detroit airport. It’s just a mile-long hall with a red monorail that shuffles folks from one end to the other.

What instrument do you use to measure to 0.1 degree of accuracy?

That sounds horrible.

You don’t set up for what people should do. You set up for what people will do (and in this case, are doing).

Because situation Y and Z are dangerous, there’s no need to make situation X any better.

You’re right about that.

Yes.

I posted an archive link from the OPM in my response to omnichad above. I think it summarizes the procedure. Its goes pretty much by seniority.

What I did was determine the approximate horizon for wanting to liquidate the account. For example, someone born today would be 18 in 2035. Just invest in a 2035 “target retirement” mutual fund. That way, the investment will get more conservative as you get closer to using the money.

Twenty-one years from now, that $600 will look even more unimpressive.

Either way, you’re in for a good time. I see no downside.

You think that companies prefer free markets?

Regulations aren’t necessarily bad.

In the federal government, you can’t pick and choose who gets laid off.

No. Free market as in laissez faire. Where there is free and open competition and ample substitute goods. Where the rules of supply and demand apply and the demand curve is elastic.

Why?

You quickly get into a tug-of-war with Congress who doesn’t want those jobs to leave their districts.