If regular earplugs don't work, check out the mold to fit silicone or wax variants. Good over-ear headphones may work, but will be cumbersome for sleeping and you don't want to blare music loud enough to damage your hearing.

I stayed in a hotel in Chicago that jumped from the lobby to the 24th (IIRC) floor. The intervening floors were commerical real estate unaffiliated with the hotel.

So did you win the argument?

All mid calendar year IIRC. That said, I should correct my statement. PTO accrual was not tied to the fiscal year. You accumulate a set amount each pay period. There are 10 or so fixed holidays each year, but other time off accrues and can be used for personal or sick time. You're allowed to run a negative balance if sick.

Every US company I've worked for has accrued PTO by calendar year

It varies by industry and job type. This is a dumb LPT.

I'd have to see what data you're basing this on, but it's also very different between industries. A part time worker in retail will have a very different experience than someone working in an office. A LPT should certainly take this into account, as burning PTO that is also your vacation time is just dumb.

Sick pay is not always "use it or lose it", and PTO (personal time off) is often combined sick and vacation time. It's a good idea to bank up a month or so if you can do so. If nothing else, it's a nice pay out when you leave. Don't just burn it off frivolously.

In those situations they will usually announce free bag check well before boarding.

I think the headline and those like it are anthropomorphizing for a public audience, but it seems to be a touchy subject. If a mission was completes its original mission on schedule and continues operating for multiples of that span, what is the "correct" (non-offensive) way of saying it "outlived" its original expected lifetime? Simply saying it's "complete" seems to downplay the significance of the event. "Completed its 6 month mission in 8 years" also doesn't celebrate the event. What would you consider less offensive?

The headlines were very similar for Spirit and Opportunity, even going so far as to attribute "last words" to Opportunity. NPR posted the headline "NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity Is Officially Declared Dead". People tend to anthropomorphize these things. It's not scientifically correct, but it does make them more approachable. It's not meant to be offensive so much as sympathetic and respectful. The sub-heading is "But it leaves behind a long-lasting legacy after its eight years in space." Lots of space enthusiasts in the US (and I'm sure elsewhere) are happy to see successful missions regardless of the flag they launch under, and MOM certainly was.

Well, I meant "dead" in the sense that it "lived" longer than expected. "Longer time to completion" if you prefer.

It's a bummer when these missions finally die, but it certainly exceeded expectations.