Ramblings of a World Traveler

Woohoo...Vacation!

2011-04-26T22:53:00.001-05:00

Delta Connection hit by AirFrance A380 On Taxi

2011-04-12T10:43:00.002-05:00

For regular flyers the droning announcements made during boarding and taxi sometimes become background noise but here's a great video to remind everyone why those announcements and the information they contain are so very important. Watch the video clip below (it's not very long, only about 10 seconds or so) and think about what would have happened to people not wearing seat belts or worse yet, standing up, as a nearly full AirFrance A 380 (carrying 475 passengers, a full crew, cargo, baggage, fuel, food, etc) clips the back end of a nearly full 76 seat CRJ. The CRJ is spun around like a top and the AirFrance winglet is torn off.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/as-air-france-a380-clips-smaller-plane-air-traffic-controller-remains-amazingly-calm/2011/04/12/AFMkfSQD_blog.html

...and remember, "Please remain seated, keeping luggage stowed and your seatbelt securely fastened until the aircraft is parked at the gate and the seat belt sign is turned off" is done for safety, not just because we like to hear ourselves say it!

How Airlines Cancel Flights.

2011-03-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

I found this article at the Boston Globe website. Interesting look at how one airline (Delta) decides on how to respond to events like weather, political instability and tsunami's. http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/03/15/for_carriers_canceling_flights_a_balancing_act/

So you want to be a flight attendant?n

2011-03-08T10:12:00.002-06:00

Flight Attendants, we're not just there for your refreshing beverage!

So you want to be a flight attendant? Here's a five minute video from the Today Show a few years ago that looks at the training process at Delta Air Lines. US airlines have similar training processes and the carrier I was trained by did a lot of the same things.

IcelandAir introduces new uniforms via (very weird) company made DVD

2011-02-28T10:50:00.002-06:00

West Virginia University 2011 Football Schedule Released

2011-02-25T15:22:00.002-06:00

2011 Football Slate
Sat., Sept. 3, Marshall
Sat., Sept. 10, Norfolk State
Sat., Sept. 17, at Maryland
Sat., Sept. 24, LSU
Sat., Oct. 1, Bowling Green#
Sat., Oct. 8, Connecticut
Sat., Oct. 22, at Syracuse
Sat., Oct. 29, at Rutgers
Sat., Nov. 5, Louisville^
Sat., Nov. 12, at Cincinnati
Fri., Nov. 25, Pitt
Thur., Dec. 1, at USF

and from the "Don't let the door hit you in the....." files.

2011-02-15T19:47:00.001-06:00

From all of us at the former Northwest Airlines...a big good riddance.

Delta Board member Doug Steenland has notified Delta’s Board of Directors that he will not stand for reelection at the company’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders because the integration of Delta and Northwest is largely complete and the merger between the two airlines has achieved positive results.

In a note to Board Chairman Dan Carp, Doug explained it is an appropriate time for him to rotate off the board given the strategic success of the merger.

“The merger has secured a bright future for the merged carrier's shareholders, the communities it serves and its employees,” Doug said.

Each year, Delta’s Corporate Governance Committee formally reviews each director’s continuation on the board and allows each director the opportunity to confirm his or her desire to continue as a member of the board. Doug joined Delta’s board of directors in October 2008 and has chosen to forgo reelection this year.

“I wish the best to you and my fellow Board members, the management team and Delta’s employees,” Doug said.

My internal dialogue at least once a trip.

2011-01-09T12:54:00.000-06:00

Great cartoon

2010-11-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

Born to Be a Mountaineer

2010-11-22T11:23:00.001-06:00

Jim Fagan voice of NFL Films and WVU grad, tells us what it is to be "Born to Be a Mountaineer"!

West Virginia Faithful flock to Puerto Rico

2010-11-21T18:27:00.002-06:00

Below is an article that appeared in the Spanish daily in San Juan talking about the passionate following of WVU fans ans how they have flooded parts of San Juan during the preseason basketball tournament this week. It's translated thanks to Google Translate so the English isn't perfect, that isn't any reflection on the quality of the newspaper, just some imperfections in the way Google Translate works. Mountaineer Nation impresses again.

Yellow Force

The Mountaineers have been counting on strong support from his followers

Faithful. More than 550 followers of the quintet at the University of West Virginia traveled to the island to encourage his team in the fourth edition of this tournament at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. (the new day / Ramon 'tonito' zayas)

/ crosa@elnuevodia.com
By Carlos Rosa Rosa

Yellow force should be felt today with more power at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

The West Virginia Mountaineers play in the final of the Honda Puerto Rico Tip-Off against Minnesota and, for sure, his fans will support them as in the first two days of the event.

Certainly, the presence of Mountaineers fans has drawn attention to this event.

More than 550 fans come to the facility with their yellow shirts and some with their faces painted with the best spirit of encouraging its canasteros.

From the stands, give them lots of energy and enthusiasm to the show to just sit in the seats.

They are students and alumni of the institution who traveled from various cities of the United States to accompany the quintet. Show an enormous passion for the program.

"Two years ago I graduated from college and since then I always follow the team. I try to go everywhere to be with the team. It's very exciting, "said former student Tyle Trzaskalski in the day Friday.

Very close to him, Jeremiah Hubbard also celebrated the victory of the Mountaineers to Vanderbilt.

Hubbard did not travel to the United States to attend the game. He did so from Mayagüez, where he is a PhD.

"To me, it has been tremendous. It was a wonderful experience to have the team's visit and my friends here in Puerto Rico, "said Hubbard.

"I'm very happy with this opportunity not happen every day," Hubbard continued.

Nationally, West Virginia is the institution that moves fans to baseball games and visiting football, said Dan Shoemaker, a senior executive at the ESPN College.

"It's a program that supports its equipment at an incredible rate. Is the program that travels to more fans nationwide, "said Shoemaker to El Nuevo Dia

ESPN said the manager, provides a travel agency to the universities for this type of tournament.

He added that the package includes boleo airfare, lodging and tickets for games. Each person's investment could range between $ 600 and $ 800.

"The trip is attractive to people. Not so long and the quality of hotel and meals are good. Sure, there are people who will return to the island, "he said.

After West Virginia, Shoemaker said that North Carolina was the other more public program that brought the tournament, between 400 and 500 followers.

Undoubtedly, this fourth edition of the Tip-Off has been the busiest, said Shoemaker.

"It was a very positive thing," said Shoemaker.

Puerto Rico

2010-11-21T17:00:00.001-06:00

Back to the original purpose of my blog..some pictures of my quick trip to Puerto Rico with my cousin, Grant! It was a great time with good food and fantastic company. I'm ready to go back and spend some serious time exploring the island.

STOP THE BULLYING

2010-10-19T21:51:00.001-05:00

Dancing at the DMZ. There might be hope for us afterall.

2010-10-06T11:20:00.001-05:00

Literally

2010-10-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

I have been waging a personal war against the improper use of the word "literally" for several years. One does a lot of things but one usually doesn't do things "literally".
Finally, the people at The Oatmeal have taken on the cause as well.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally

Remember this chart to help you know when you have "literally" done something or you have "figuratively" done something.

Thank you in advance for helping me save the English language!

Passengers, how do I catagorize thee?

2010-10-04T17:32:00.007-05:00

As most of you know, I'm a flight attendant. I work for a huge airline that flies to hundreds of cities across six continents (and I'm sure they are working on getting us to Antarctica as well). We fly people from all countries, cultures and creeds around the world and back. It's an amazing job and one that I still love but there are days (and people) that put that love to the test. Today, we're going to talk about a few of them.
First off, there are the obvious ones-

1-Luggage Hauler-This is the person that is heading to Orlando for the week to buy $8 Coke's and $12 kids portion Mickey Meals but then gets cheap and won't check baggage and takes 15 minutes finding places to put it all.
2-Mouth- The guy that sits beside you and yammers on about anything and everything even AFTER you put on your headphones, close your eyes and pull a blanket over your head (I've seen this happen.)
3-The Authority-You're delayed due to weather but this guy knows better. His wife is standing in their back yard and she SWEARS that it is clear as a bell there so the airline must be lying! Unfortunately this guys backyard NEVER has a 14,000 ft. long runway with an air traffic control tower and jet bridges.

Those are some of the more obvious ones but here are a few I deal with that might be not so obvious to those not pulling five hundred pounds of soda and snack boxes up and down an aisle.

4-The Grazer- My airline offers passengers several free snack choices during flight. It's a choice but the grazer makes it a buffet. I say "Would you like peanuts, pretzels or cookies?" and the grazer responds "I'll take one of each". I always look at them totally amazed, it's really not a meal, nor is it meant to be! Pick one and be done with it. (BTW..the cookies are REALLY good.)
5- The Salt Lick- This person (almost always a male) makes me run for the water pills. I'm disgusted by tomato juice to begin with but this passenger makes me just want to hurl. This passenger orders a glass of tomato juice (or bloody mary mix, which is even WORSE) and then want pretzels to go with that. BLECH. Worse yet, it's on an airplane that dehydrates you horribly. Drinking a sodium laden beverage with pretzels is the WORST thing you can do to yourself. Grab some water and you'll better off.
6-The Shocked and Awed- One of the more annoying passengers I deal with. This is the person that sits in his or her seat as we come through the aisle, watching us grow ever closer, handing out beverages. Upon reaching her row (and it's almost ALWAYS women, she is shocked and awed when asked "Something to drink?". Suddenly, her world goes dark and English is incomprehensible. Unable to process all the beverage options (because it's an airplane so the beverage options must be exotic)the individual panics and freezes. She will stare into the great abyss, floundering over her choice of Coke, Sprite or Ginger Ale until, unable to make a choice, she chooses water.
7-The Selection Impaired- Similar to "Shocked and Awed", this person can't make a decision so asks a question bound to send the flight attendant over the edge. The question? "What do you have?". IT'S AN AIRPLANE, it's not like we're reinventing soda and juice choices! Tell me what you WANT and we'll work on getting it as close as we can. 7-Up? No, but we have Sprite. Pepsi? No, but we have Coke. That sort of thing. Asking me "what do you have?" isn't going to reveal something life changing like coconut juice or the Eternal Life Serum.
8-Multi-tasker- The multi tasker simply can't be satisfied with one choice so he/she orders three. "What would you like to drink?" I ask and the Multi Tasker responds "I'd like a Coke, but don't open the can, some water and coffee". Half the time (or more) the person never drinks anywhere near all of it. I don't even know how a person can handle three drinks on those tray tables let alone drink all that! People, take one drink and if you want more, then get it.
9-The drink whisper- This one is a personal pet peeve of mine. Upon reaching a passenger and asking for their beverage choice, the person suddenly thinks he/she can communicate with the inner spirit of the beverage cart and starts talking down to the draw of soda.
Trust me, people. I've been working those carts for over a decade, the soda doesn't talk back. LOOK AT THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT when speaking. We're standing several feet from you while in a piece of metal being propelled at nearly 500 MPH by two large engines. You need to speak over ALL of that and looking down at the cans of Fresca isn't helpful!
10-The iPodder-This passenger insists that he/she can carry on a full conversation while not taking the headphones out of his/her ears. Trust me, you can't. It's also VERY rude. Take them out, look at me (not the cart) and tell me your beverage choice!

These are just a few. I'll keep you up to date on more as they come in!

15 Albums that changed YOUR world

2010-09-17T10:45:00.001-05:00

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Feel free to add your 15 to my comments section.

1-Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)-Eurythmics- This album affects my view of music to this day.

2-Purple Rain-Prince-Music changed and I knew it.

3-Born in the USA-Bruce Springsteen-Raw, powerful, driven and pure American.

4-Smells Like Teen Spirit-Nirvana-Music changed again and I knew it.

5-Thriller-Michael Jackson-If someone needed one album to explain the 80's, this has to be it.

6-Mandika-Sinead O'Connor-One of the most stunning voices in the history of music.

7-I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got-Sinead O'Connor-Pain, rage and agony in music. Heartbreaking and angry. Wow.

8-Yes I Am-Melissa Etheridge-Music to come out to.

9-Hedwig and the Angry Inch Soundtrack-Various Artists-Wildly inventive, dead-on lyrical content and original beyond almost anything else.

10-Private Dancer-Tina Turner-This album brought on my love affair with The Queen of Rock and Roll.

11-On How Life Is-Macy Gray-I get every song on this album stuck in my head.

12-She's So Unusual-Cyndi Lauper-Part of the amazing rush of new talent from the early 80's that made my teenage soundtrack.

13-Greatest Hits-Creedence Clearwater Revival-The album explains a great deal of the 60's and 70's.

14-Hungry Again-Dolly Parton-Listening to an artist "re-find" herself is a wonderful moment.

15-Van Lear Rose-Loretta Lynn-Brilliant collaboration between Jack White and Loretta Lynn that makes Loretta Lynn relevant in music again.

Dad

2010-07-03T19:35:00.007-05:00

For the last few weeks I've been thinking a lot about my father. We were seeing lots of signs that his MS was finally winning and while Dad put up an enormous struggle it was a battle we all knew he would eventually lose. Last week I got a call that his health was failing and this wouldn't be like the other times where he would bounce back and continue to amaze us all. So, I went to see him and, sadly, to say goodbye. When I walked in I found a man that I barely recognized.

It was hard to watch as Multiple Sclerosis wrestled against my Dad's will. The cruelty of the disease is unnerving. It never stops and it never tells you what's coming next. First, his coordination forced him to stop driving and then the fatigue forced him stop teaching and then essentially to stop living. When the MS left him unable to eat or drink I wondered what was left and in the end, there wasn't anything so it took him.

While I was growing up I would hear stories from family and and friends of my Dad talking about their memories of him. The stories seemed to focus on youthful high jinx and exuberance and the vitality and health of a young boy and a young man that I never knew. I thought a lot about that and the hopes and dreams he must have had but Dad was a practical man and we never discussed what those dreams were when I got older, the reality of living and fighting the good fight stepped in the way of that.

All of that got me thinking about how many people Dad touched in his life and how he touched people in such different ways. Those that knew Dad the longest remember everything that was taken from him. They remember a young, strong and tough young adult that looked nothing like the frail, dehydrated and starved man he eventually became. My experience is vastly different and those that met Dad later in life have a different understand of him still.

Each person that knew Dad had an incredibly unique relationship with him. Not a single person of the thousands that met my father, in whatever capacity, can claim that they had an identical experience with him. While this is the case with all relationships it is something still to marvel and hold dear to our hearts. He was a unique man to us and each person he knew was unique to him.

I couldn't really get out of this blog without mentioning WVU. Everyone knows what a fanatic my Dad was when it came to the Mountaineers so it doesn't seem like this would be finished unless I included something from Morgantown.

Before you read any further, watch this 10 second video clip.

Major Harris was one of the best quarterbacks (and possibly players) ever to play at WVU. He made plays that left fans simply spellbound, slack jawed and in awe. The video shows what is simply known as "The Play" to Mountaineer fans and the story after the video ends is just as compelling and THAT is the part of the story I want to tell.

A few years after the game Don Nehlen relayed the story of how "The Play" came to be. The story is simple, Major Harris simply ran the wrong play. You can see right at the beginning of the video where Major was rolling to the right while his offensive line rolled to the left. Once he made that mistake and got caught out in the flat alone he had no choice but to keep going and stutter step and fight and improvise until "The Play" became legend. Major Harris walked off the field and over to Coach Nehlen and said "Sorry coach, I ran the wrong play". Nehlen said he looked back at his star qb and said "Don't worry, Maj. We'll take results like that".

So it was with my Dad. Dad wasn't exclusive in his struggle and certainly wasn't alone in executing life's game plan wrong from time to time. We all live lives like that and Dad was no exception. Every day he struggled with what MS was doing to him physically but he never quit, never showed panic and never got angry. He simply stutter stepped (he did that literally) and improvised his way around every obstacle put in front of him. He refused to be tackled by life and stayed amazingly positive through it all. That is his legacy to all of us that knew him. Dad didn't always make the right first step but he never failed to keep going, gaining the respect of those around him, making them feel lucky to know him and me really damned proud to call him Father. And so to that I'll say "Don't worry, Dad. We'll take results like that".

May you finally be free.

Love,
Your Proud Son.

Some pictures of Costa Rica (Finally)

2010-06-21T16:29:00.003-05:00

It took some time but I finally got some pictures together of Costa Rica. Many of you heard of our less than perfect weather that we experienced so a lot of the things we'd planned on doing didn't happen.
We spent an extra day stuck on the beach after the three continuous days of rain turned into flooding. I've got a picture of that coming soon. On the day we finally left we started the morning with an earthquake, the third of the week.
I'll have to visit Costa Rica at some point when the weather is behaving a bit better. Enjoy!

Rebuilding Haiti...three amazing video clips

2010-06-05T23:05:00.002-05:00

How does a small, impoverished, third world island country rebuild after a devastating earthquake? Here are three videos that will leave you amazed at the spirit and determination of human beings.

Brian Drops 303 New Pictures!

2010-06-01T21:00:00.002-05:00

Three hundred and three pictures brought to you by my traveling buddy, Michael Sandoval. Enjoy! Feel free to drop a comment (or several!)

An afternoon in Guatemala

2010-05-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

We took a day run into Guatemala because of the Mayan ruins called "Quirigua". It's about a four hour drive from Copan so it was a full day. The weather was slightly irritable and it did rain a good bit of our drive and while we were visiting the ruins. Worse than the rain was the unreal humidity that we experienced. For the first time in my life I actually was unable to keep the sweat from running like a faucet off my forehead. It was a totally new experience for me and one I'm not totally ready to experience again!
Quirigua is a nice ruins group to see when visiting the Copan area as the two cities are tied together through war. The fall of Mayan community in Copan was a direct result of a lost battle with the village at Quirigua. Quirigua also used Copan as a model to build its city so it was interesting to see the differences and similarities between the two. For more information on the ruins you can click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quirigu%C3%A1

We also stopped in the regionally important city of Chiquimula and took a quick walk around the town. It was a bustling and busy city that serves as a regional shopping hub. Our driver says that he makes a monthly trip to the city to buy things he can't find in Copan. That seems to be a common thing for the citizens of the outlying areas to do.
For more information on Chiquimula click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiquimula

The drive through Guatemala was easy and much flatter, particularly as we got closer to the ruins, than the Copan region in Honduras. As you can see from some of the photos I took from the car the area was very pretty, lush and green.

We didn't spend a lot of time in the country but enjoyed the things that we were able to see. Hope you enjoy the pictures and feel free to leave comments!

Thoughts from Honduras (with pictures!)

2010-05-28T11:30:00.003-05:00

Honduras was the surprise of my trip. While natural beauty and outdoor activities are expected in Costa Rica not many people hear about Honduras. Honduras is one of the more politically stable countries in Central America, successfully holding seven consecutive presidential elections (none of them even had to be decided by hanging chads and the Supreme Court!). Of course there was that whole coup d'etat last year but who's counting? The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion in damage, a total that was far worse in effect than Hurricane Katrina was in the US. For some perspective, the ENTIRE GDP of Honduras was just $33 billion which means that a full 6% of the entire economy was destroyed by the hurricane. The USA's GDP was $14.6 TRILLION and the US govt. estimates that Katrina did $110 billion in damages or less than 1 percent of the GDP here.

Michael and I traveled from San Salvador to the UNESCO sight at Copan Ruinas by KingQuality bus. This was the first of many adventures we had the two weeks we were traveling as the bus blew a tire at the top of a remote mountain and then broke down again about an hour later. We had purchased a ticket to the city of Copan and it actually said Copan on our boarding passes but found out that the bus merely throws you off at Santa Rosa de Copan which is about an hour away. We were lucky that we hadn't missed the ONE bus to Copan that operates. It's a local bus stopping at all the little villages along the way.
After about an hour we made it to Copan and checked into our hostel. There are more pictures of our hostel on my Facebook page if you'd like to check them out. We stayed at http://www.donudos.com/ which was a great choice. The food was wonderful and the staff was warm and truly friendly.
We wound up spending an unplanned day in Copan because we were enjoying it so much. We took a full morning to see the Mayan ruins that gives Copan Ruinas its name. Marvin was our guide for the tour and he was a great addition to helping us understand the complex. For more information on the ruins click here http://www.copanruins.com/.
Also, we took in Macaw Mountain http://www.macawmountain.com/ and the Enchanted Wings Butterfly House http://10000birds.com/enchanted-wings-nature-center-copan.htm and, of course, the zip line!
Enjoy the pictures below!

Some final thoughts from Honduras....

The people are incredible. The warmth and friendliness shown to us was so genuine. It touched me and for that I'm a better person.

I may never be able to eat tortillas again. The ones from Honduras were heavenly! We would find people selling fresh made tortillas on street corners from baskets with blankets wrapping the tortillas to keep them warm. Walk up, pull out a few pennies and get a stack of hot, fresh and delicious tortillas. Also, they're thick unlike tortillas here which are nearly see through. In Honduras and surrounding areas a tortilla is about a 1/4 inch thick and slightly smaller in diameter than what we see here in the US. One can hear the slapping of the uncooked tortilla into the palms of the women who make them all day long. These are truly hand made by incredibly talented cooks.

We were fortunate to meet our great tour guide/driver/interpreter Daniel who helped us enjoy our time immensely. Without his help we could very well still be wandering the mountains bordering Guatemala. Our deepest thanks!

I'd also like to mention the family we met at the Dunkin' Donuts in Tegucigalpa. A father and his two sons were out for the evening at the mall near our hotel and just happened to sit beside of us and struck up a conversation. We chatted for a solid hour and possibly longer as they practiced their English and we practiced our Spanish. Thank you for your warm welcome to the capital of the country and I think both Michael and I look forward to accepting your invitation to visit the city again and spend some time seeing Tegucigalpa through the eyes of the locals!

Honduras was incredibly lush and green. I wasn't quite expecting it and so I was caught off guard by it.

I can't imagine how some of the coffee is harvested here. We saw LOTS of coffee trees on hillsides that were at least on a 30%-35% grades. I couldn't imagine WALKING up the hillside let alone trying to get something to grow and harvested from it.

The people and the land touched me in a similar way that Cambodia did. While not nearly as poor as Cambodia, the Hondurans showed their wealth of humanity through their kindness, smiles and personalities and I'll have that forever.

For more on Honduras... The CIA has a great internet handbook with information on every country in the world. Honduras can be found here https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ho.html

Also Wikipedia has a great entry on the country here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras

El Salvador

2010-05-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

Here is the first batch of pictures from my trip. These are pictures and video taken from my camera while in San Salvador. Coming in the near futures, Michael's pictures and possibly some pictures I took with my phone. Enjoy them!

Impressions of El Salvador

2010-05-15T20:11:00.002-05:00

Some thoughts on a couple of days in San Salvador-

One must possess the patience of Job and have the absolute absence of fear to drive in this town.

It´s hot. Really hot. REALLY hot. Painfully so. It´s been near 100 degrees both days in San Salvador and it seems we´re in a cool period with temperatures near 43 or 44 celcius in the near future. That works out to about 105-110 in the near future.

Mister Donut seems to use the Starbucks theory of store building here which is if you can´t see one Mister Donut from another then they aren´t close enough together!

The ride from the airport to the city is about 45km. The airport is near the beach and is on a flat and easy to access plot of land making it one of the safer airports in Central America. The ride in is a pleasant one with a very nice four lane highway designed exactly like the US interstate system. The terrain reminded me of West Virginia at times with similar terrain and topography.

It´s still really hot.

The most important thing a person can own in El Salvador seems to be a ridiculously loud speaker so that it can be placed right at the door of a business. This does draw attention to the store but also creates a sound barrier preventing anyone from being able to actually enter the store.

Tourists are rare and when seen should be gawked at until they are completely out of sight.

This is an NRA type of town! Because of the recently civil war and past political instability plus the pretty serious poverty many people face most businesses employ security guards. Now, as most of my blog readers are Americans you are thinking of the security guards at the US malls tht are generally mockable and unable to make it a real police officer. This is not the case in El Salvador. The security guards here are some of the baddest mo-fo´s to be found. Most wear a supremely militaristic uniform complete with pants tucked into jack boots with a full on arsenal slung around the neck. We´re talking shotguns, rifles and semi-automatic long barrel guns not designed just to scare a person (although they do that successfully as well). Strapped around the waist, enough ammunition to keep the bad guys from trying to be bad.

It´s still absurdly hot.

As I´m typing this, the rains have started to fall. It´s raining in torrents, sheets of it. Relief is coming to a city that needs a cool night. This is the beginning of the rainy season in most of Central America and we haven´t had to deal with it yet. I´m sure we´ll get acclomated with it as the trip continues.

I´ll have pictures of our adventures when I get back to the States and I´ll put them in some order and post them. Until then...adios....oh, and it´s hot.

National Mediation Board investigates Delta over behavior during Union election.

2010-05-07T09:40:00.002-05:00

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A federal labor board is investigating claims that Delta Air Lines interfered in a small union representation election.

The National Mediation Board, which oversees airline labor relations, said in a memo it will investigate allegations by the International Association of Machinists following an election among 91 flight simulator technicians from Delta and merger partner Northwest Airlines. The board sometimes dismisses such allegations.

The union, which failed to get enough votes to win the election, wants a new election using a different voting process. Simulator technicians were unionized at Northwest but not at Delta.

The union claims Delta offered a pay raise to non-union employees; promised a change in work schedules; had supervisors conduct one-on-one meetings to influence employees to not vote for the union; conducted surveillance to discourage discussion about the union; and denied union representatives access to break rooms.

Delta said its pay increases had already been planned and that any statements at issue were both true and protected by the First Amendment. The company denied other allegations.

“We believe the IAM’s claims grossly distort both the facts and the law to support its allegations,” Delta said in a written statement.

The investigation comes as Delta faces likely representation elections among flight attendants and other ground workers, who also were unionized at Northwest but not Delta.

Born Free

2010-04-27T23:23:00.002-05:00

If you let it happen to anyone, it will happen to you.
Arizona, you should be ashamed.

The Miners Lost

2010-04-16T09:28:00.001-05:00

A look at the lives lost at Upper Branch in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

The Miners Lost

Great picture today from WVU

2010-04-06T15:08:00.001-05:00

The 10 Most Disliked Companies In America: Harris Interactive

2010-04-06T11:20:00.000-05:00

Delta Air Lines named one of the most hated companies in America. I could say so many things but I'll refrain from it.

The 10 Most Disliked Companies In America: Harris Interactive

Dumbest Things Ever Said on an Airplane

2010-04-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

...or why Americans should have to pass an examine to leave the US.
Working on an airplane does bring with it lots of opportunities to hear some of the most ridiculous things ever spoken. Some can be expected and are just the result of people not thinking through things before they say them. I get asked on a regular basis on international flights from the US to Asia and Europe if we're spending the night or if we just go right back to the US. IT'S A 13 HOUR FLIGHT FROM MINNEAPOLIS TO TOKYO (and another 13 hours back), DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WE JUST RELOAD THE PLANE AND FLY HOME WITHOUT A BREAK?
There's also the "what river is that" and "where are we" and "why are the fields in circles" questions that cause flight attendants to fire off curt and biting answers that lead to complaint letters. While these are commonly asked questions that make flight attendants wonder how people got to the airport by themselves every once in a while a question is asked or a conversation is overheard that leaves flight attendants horrified at who has wandered onto the plane. Furthermore, as an American, when these happen on international flights it leads me to support an "exit exam" policy for US citizens. If you can't pass a simple set of questions you just simply aren't allowed to leave the US because you WILL embarrass us.
Mexico flights tend to be the worst when it comes to these things. I often am left wondering two things about Mexican citizens (and about a million things about US citizens) after these flights. The two things I wonder about Mexican citizens are 1-Are they really running across the border just to see if EVERYONE in the US is as stupid as the tourists and 2- If they actually just might be running from the stupid tourists.
Recently I was working a flight to Los Cabos and we were going through and doing the beverage service. The beverage service itself is sometimes one of the more frustrating things a flight attendant can ever be forced to do. I'm forever stunned at the amount of people that are incapable of telling me if they want peanuts or pretzels (oh, the choices overwhelm) and why it is imperative that the question "What would you like to drink" be followed by the passenger suddenly needing to look out the window to respond. FOLKS, YOU'RE ON AN AIRPLANE WITH TWO VERY LARGE ENGINES FLYING AT NEARLY 500 MILES PER HOUR. YOUR RESPONSES NEED TO BE LOUDER THAN THOSE TWO THINGS AND YOU SHOULD LOOK AT ME SO THAT I CAN HEAR/USE MY LIP READING SKILLS TO DECIPHER YOUR CHOICE!!!!!!!! I'm also always a bit frustrated by the husbands/teenagers that can't tell me directly what they want to drink but must tell their wife/mother so she can order for them even when they are sitting BETWEEN me and said wife/mother. Am I really that intimidating? Really? There's also the people who refuse to look up from their computers, take off their earphones (and have an entire conversation consisting of saying "what?" to me) or take their noses out of the newspaper for the whole 30 seconds it takes to tell me what they want to drink and to take it from me. All of these people sometimes take me as close to the edge of my sanity as I ever care to be, but every once in a while someone says something so completely and stunningly dumb that it has to be written about, and so goes it goes.
There was a row with Dad, Mom and 15ish year old son sitting together. As I approached them this is the conversation I overheard:

15ish year old son: "Mom, do they celebrate Easter in Mexico?"
(my internal conversation): "It's one of the most Catholic countries on the planet. Just knowing that nugget of information should answer that most ridiculous question, although you are probably only about 15 years old so I'll give you a break but I'm keeping a close eye on you to make sure you can figure out how to open your peanuts or pretzels...if you can make that complicated of a decision"
Mom's response to son: "I'm pretty sure that they do, they seem to celebrate most American holidays there"
(my internal conversation): "WTF??? American holiday? Easter? Huh? OMG? She did NOT just say that? Jesus, Christianity, American? Unable to form full thoughts, stupid people draining my ability to comprehend. Fading. Feeling weak. Must go get something from front galley before laughing in her face and making snide comment resulting in comment letter. Make flight end soon!"
Needless to say I was appalled and horrified that these people were about to be turned loose on a foreign country while possessing US passports.
This is why I've decided that we should require an exit exam for Americans wanting to go to foreign lands. Obviously we've now made it too simple to find the airport so we must add a level of challenge.

Anyone have any ideas for questions to ask on the exam? If so, post them in the comments section and we'll get a test put together!

An Airline Dispatcher’s View on Why Ground Delays Happen (Guest Post)

2010-03-31T14:15:00.000-05:00

A great look from an insider as to why three hour limits on tarmac delays are a horrible idea.

An Airline Dispatcher’s View on Why Ground Delays Happen (Guest Post)

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood to Perform at Greenbrier Resort - WVNS-TV - WVNSTV.com

2010-03-31T12:24:00.001-05:00

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood to Perform at Greenbrier Resort - WVNS-TV - WVNSTV.com

Posted using ShareThis

Another interesting move in the airline wars

2010-03-31T09:42:00.002-05:00

The airline industry continues to make odd bedfellows out of rivals. This morning American Airlines and low cost carrier jetBlue announced a deal for slot swaps and codesharing in JFK and DCA. Very interesting development!

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/03/31/340158/jetblue-and-american-unveil-a-strategic-new-partnership.html

Dying Man Shares Previously Unseen Amateur Video of Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

2010-03-30T17:21:00.000-05:00

A 70 year old man found a never before seen videotape of the Challenge explosion. He turned it over to a museum a week before his death and is now available to watch at the link below.

Dying Man Shares Previously Unseen Amateur Video of Space Shuttle <em>Challenger</em> Disaster

On This Day in Aviation History: March 30th

2010-03-30T17:01:00.000-05:00

On This Day in Aviation History: March 30th

Delta steals a codeshare partner

2010-03-29T16:12:00.003-05:00

http://blog.seattlepi.com/worldairlinenews/archives/199857.asp?from=blog_last3
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=85530.blog

Several media outlets, including the Seattle PI and USAToday, are now reporting that Canadian low cost carrier WestJet is dumping Southwest Airlines and their codeshare agreement in favor of an agreement with Delta Airlines. This would be a nice get for Delta and would also allow WestJet to play on a more even field with Air Canada. Air Canada is a member of Star Alliance with United, Continental and USAirways in North America while WestJet has been unaffiliated.
Delta Airlines recently announced a new proposal to swap landing slots in DCA with USAirways and their landing slots (and terminal) at LaGuardia that included selling 10 slots to WestJet. Obviously those slots would then be used to feed passengers to WestJet in LGA for flights into Canada.

AirTran fires back at Southwest

2010-03-26T10:51:00.003-05:00

I'm sure most of you have seen the new Southwest ad that shows Southwest employees "flashing" an airplane with painted stomachs saying "bags fly free". The other plane is an AirTran plane although SWA did blur out the name. AirTran hasn't taken too kindly to it and has fired back with a new viral ad mocking SWA's boarding process and folksy style. Check it out at the link below.

http://www.insideairtran.com/?p=2565

I've gone and done it again!

2010-03-26T00:47:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I should just know better but I'll never learn. Just a few months after the last redesign I've gone and redone the blog yet again. Blogger sent me an email telling me all about the new options that they had added to their site and I just had to go play a bit. So, hope you like the new layout but don't get used to it, I'm sure it'll change again soon.

From USAToday

2010-03-22T14:27:00.001-05:00

Fed up with airline fees for checked bags? You're not alone. Many of the nation's flight attendants say they feel your pain – literally. More than 80% of attendants claim that they've sustained injuries from helping with passengers' carry-ons. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) is using that data – which the union says comes from a representative sample survey of its 50,000 members – to press Congress to set a standardized size limit for carry-on bags on U.S. commercial flights. Currently, each airline is able to determine its own size limits for carry-on items.

Among the survey's other findings: About half of the union's attendants claim they've witnessed carry-on items falling from overhead bins during the two months preceding the survey. The AFA-CWA's conclusion? The union says in a release "the survey validated anecdotal reports that carry-on baggage is out of control, mostly due to recent fees to check luggage."

"We now have compelling evidence that flight attendants and passengers are being injured by excess amounts of oversized carry-on items," AFA-CWA chief Patricia Friend says in the release. "AFA-CWA has been urging Congress, government agencies, and carriers to establish reasonable carry-on limitations that will improve the overall safety, health and security of crew and passengers inside the aircraft cabin. These limits will reduce injuries and distractions caused by carry-ons and allow flight attendants to devote more attention to the critical task of ensuring the safest and most secure flight possible."

As part of its efforts to push ahead with its effort, the AFA-CWA has unveiled a website devoted to the top. It can be found at endcarryoncrunch.org.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/TodayInTheSky.

Exciting news for Lewisburg!

2010-03-21T13:26:00.001-05:00

Delta to offer new nonstop service to Greenbrier Valley Airport

March 19, 2010

Delta will offer daily, nonstop service to Greenbrier Valley Airport from Atlanta and New York-LaGuardia thanks to a new partnership with The Greenbrier, an historic landmark and luxury resort located in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The new year-round service, which begins June 10, will utilize 50-seat CRJ-200 aircraft.

“Delta is excited to be providing convenient, nonstop service between Greenbrier Valley Airport and Atlanta and New York-LaGuardia,” said Joe Esposito, managing director-Domestic Network Planning. “Thanks to the connections of Delta’s large global network, the new flights will provide increased opportunities for visitors from around the world to visit the Greenbrier Valley.”

Flights are available for booking on Saturday and will be operated by Delta Connection carriers Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines.

One of the better Top Ten lists I've seen in a while

2010-03-21T10:22:00.002-05:00

Eventually, your hypocrisy will be called out!

List of Top 10 Anti-Gay Activists Caught Being Gay on Ranker

"The Letter" by Macy Gray

2010-03-10T18:16:00.001-06:00

Dedicated by me to an longtime friend.

All I ever wanted was some love and peace and harmony
I could dance in the raw in the sun underneath the stars
When I walk over to my money tree ain't nobody there
Trying to take from me
When they ask "Are you truly free?" I'd say "Yes, truly"
But down here in really everybody knows there ain't
No such thing
And It's clear
It's obviously this is not the place I'm supposed to be
On and on and on I've searched
What I'm looking for is not here on earth
I can't stand I can't take no more
So I know that I goota go
So long everybody
Mama don't be sad for me
Life was a heartache and now I am finally free
Don't know where I'm headed
Hope I see you someday soon
So long everybody
I have gone beyond the moon

All I ever wanted was some love and peace and harmony
Just to be live and shine
When I get ready I up and fly
And I can't remember none of the things that I want
To forget
It's the best - satisfaction no less
Ask if I'm free and I'll say "Oh yes"
But down here in really everybody knows there ain't
No such thing
And It's clear
It's obviously this is not the place I'm supposed to be
On and on and on I've searched
What I'm looking for is not here on earth
I can't stand I can't take no more
So I know that I goota go
So long everybody
Mama don't be sad for me
Life was a heartache and now I am finally free
Don't know where I'm headed
Hope I see you someday soon
So long everybody

Bachmann will push 2010 census - TheHill.com

2010-03-04T19:59:00.000-06:00

Once it was pointed out that Bachmann's district will probably be redistricted out of existence in the next Census she flipped on how effective and "legal" the census count is and now intends to vote on a resolution encouraging people to participate in the upcoming count.

Bachmann will push 2010 census - TheHill.com

Author nails it on tarmac delays

2010-03-02T10:30:00.002-06:00

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-02-28/blog/sponsored-blogs/air-charter/fly-or-fine-airlines-fight-back

Here's one of the best blog posts I've seen on the recent changes to the airplane tarmac delay policy. The unintended consequences that airlines warned about are rearing their ugly heads and the flying public will still not be able to make airplanes fly through overcrowded airspace, heavy snowstorms and antiquated airports.

Know the code

2010-02-23T12:53:00.006-06:00

One of the most frustrating things about airline travel is the seemingly arbitrary array of fees that come with it these days.
My biggest complaint with the fees is not that the airlines do it but that they explain it so poorly (or don't even attempt to explain it at all). For instance, Delta which is the worlds largest airline, doesn't even put the rules for their fare codes on their website. As a matter of fact, not a single airline website I searched offered a page that explained what fare codes meant and the benefits that came with each.
I was able to find definitions of the fare codes used by Delta Airlines and definitions of what each one of those mean and the benefits of them. They've been linked into my blog but you can see the page directly by clicking on the blue article title.
Thanks to www.cwsi.net/delta.htm for the article.

ome | mobile

Delta Airlines Fare Chart
Credit and thanks goes to DLfc for originally creating this document.

CheapOair.com

Fare Class	Domestic Segment Upgrade	Transoceanic PMU or mileage Upgrade	Description
A	Discounted First class	na	Discounted Domestic First class. A class of service are commonly HUP and QUP fares basis, making this fare technically an "upgraded" fare. Why is this important to note? Let's say you get rerouted, or there is a schedule change and you are booked in a flight where no more First class fares are available. You would not be eligible for compensation or partial refund as getting into First class on this fare is contingent on the space being available when booked. It is technically a coach fare. This makes it relatively important to book yourself a seat assignment when travelling in A.
B	Yes	Yes	Coach, Upgradeable transoceanic & domestic (also eligible for D511 mileage award domestic upgrade)
C	NA	Business Elite Fare	Business Elite Latin America (domestic first class seat, Business Elite service)
D	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	Discounted Business Elite transoceanic and domestic (limited markets)
E	No	No	Coach travel, promotional / contest awards no mileage accrual, no upgrades. Also used for SkyBonus (the company version of SkyMiles) awards
F	First Class Fare	NA	First Class Full fare - also used when involuntary rerouting any fare class passenger in First due to bumps, irregular ops, etc.
G	via PMU Points Award	NA	First Class, Domestic upgraded via Platinum Medallion Upgrade, North American Upgrade or Upgrade Points award
H	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
I	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	Published deeply discounted and/or promotional business class fare, also non published promotional or convention fare in business class. How to find Business Elite "I" fares.
J	NA	Business Elite Fare	Business Elite transoceanic full fare - also used when rerouting any fare class passenger in BE due to bumps, irregular ops, etc.
K	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) see note 1 *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
L	Yes*	No	Transoceanic or domestic (deep discounted fare) Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
M	Yes	Yes	Upgradeable, transoceanic & domestic (also eligible for D511 mileage award domestic upgrade)
N	No	No	Coach Points Award - non-upgradeable - no mileage accrual on award tickets
O	NA	Business Elite Award	Business Elite Points Award - no mileage accrual on award tickets
Q	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) see note 1 *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
R	First Class Award	NA	First Class, Domestic Award - - no mileage accrual on award tickets
S	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	This fare has been noted as a new discounted business bucket. The new order of business fares is J, C, D, S, I with J being the highest fare class. This fare may also be a non-upgradeable, transoceanic or domestic - consolidator fares. Generally changeable without fee through your booking agent (e.g. tour group). These are NOT priceline fares ... they are fares purchased by a consolidator valid on any number of flights, generally international, for coach travel. May be used for SkyBonus (the company version of SkyMiles) awards.
T	Yes*	No	Transoceanic or domestic New lowest fare typically for fare matching competitors. Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
U	Yes*	No	Coach (discount web fare. domestic and appears to be international too. see note 2). Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
V	via segment	NA	First Class, Domestic upgraded via Segment upgrade
X	via segment	NA	Business Elite Domestic & Business Mexico upgraded via Segment upgrade (the Mexico flights are domestic First Class cabins coded as "Business")
Y	Yes	Yes	Full Fare coach, Upgradeable transoceanic & domestic (eligible for D411 mileage award domestic upgrade) - also used when involuntary rerouting any fare class passenger due to bumps, irregular ops, etc. which could allow an originally non-upgradeable domestic fare to be upgraded after the reclassification (if you are lucky enough to find available inventory under these conditions)
Z	NA	via PMU or Points Award	Business Elite, transoceanic and domestic when upgraded via Platinum Medallion Upgrade or Points award

Color code	Description
x	Coach
x	First / Business Elite
Yes	Fare is Upgradeable
No	Fare is NOT Upgradeable
NA	not applicable
?	unknown - to be determined

No attempt is made to indicate fare rules like minimum stays, Saturday night requirements, advance purchase rules, etc. You will find that these will vary within a primary class. Class codes like Y06 for example, indicate a Y class fare but some special conditions exist (indicated by the suffix 06). Still, the upgrade rules for Y class apply.

Note 1: Delta classes of service letters do NOT apply to award space on partners, these are booked in partners award ticket class of service. Here is a breakdown of SkyTeam + Alaska Airlines (aka Multi-Airline awards):
Air France - Bus (O) Econ (X)
Aero Mexico - Bus (C) (except on MEX-NRT, where it is "R") Econ (U)
Alaska Airlines - Bus (A) Econ (W)
Avianca - Bus (A) Econ (Z)
Alitalia - Bus (Z) Econ (U)
Copa - Bus (E) Econ (G)
Continental - Bus (E) Econ (G)
China Southern - Bus (I) (P within China) Econ (O)
Hawaiian Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (Z)
Korean Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (E)
KLM - Bus (D) Econ (W)
Kenya Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (W)
Northwest - Bus (D) (Domestically is A) Econ(W)
Czech - Bus (Z) Econ (E)
Aeroflot - Bus (O) Econ (X)
Air Europa - Bus (P) Econ (A)

Note 2: Please note that while domestically only Y, B, and M class of service are upgradeable with mileage awards, Hawaii is an exception. For Hawaii, Y, B, M, H, Q, and K class of service are eligible for mileage upgrades.

Note 3: "Priceline and others 'don't-get-to-choose-the-airline' travel agents book seats into U, L, K, and Q classes. Regardless of market restrictions, these fares have the lowest possible freedoms (no upgradeability, changeability, FF eligibility, or refundability) by virtue they were purchased through one of these agents." ... This would infer that K & Q classes on Delta would NOT be upgradeable when tickets are obtained from these sources. I have no experience with these type of tickets. It is my understanding Delta does provide Skymiles for Priceline tickets and I am not familiar with any special conditions on domestic K & Q that would eliminate them from upgrade consideration - I pass along the comment just the same.

Medallion Upgrade Order Priority

Try our Medallion Upgrade Priority Calculator

Note: Executive Partner status is the secret top-tier status at Delta given to very high spenders at Delta. Think United Global Services, Concierge Key at American, Chairman's Circle at Continental, Premier at BA, etc. Invitation-only type clubs where if you have to ask to be invited, then you're not doing enough to make it.

When does your Medallion Status update? New

Delta is now processing members to elite status the night immediately following the flight that makes the member elgible for medallion status - no more weekend waits!

If I use "Pay with miles" will I be able to receive upgrades or accrued miles?
No. You will not be able to receive any upgrades or accrued miles including Medallion or Skymiles using the "Pay with Miles" option.

Comments? Corrections?
Send me an e-mail and I will incorporate them.

Credits
Thanks to DLFc, Adam S., Biometrist, Walter A., Winocas, and many other passionate frequent flyers that have helped put this together.

Support
I'm a very passionate frequent flyer and believe that knowledge has its advantages. Although I do not accept donations directly, you can offer your support by purchasing your favorite items at Amazon.com using the link below. It doesn't cost you anything extra but does give me a little bit of money to cover my hosting costs. Also consider using this link to make any purchases from Amazon.com in the future. Hit Ctrl-D to bookmark. Thanks.

Facebook Status Classic

2010-02-18T23:32:00.002-06:00

Another in the occasional series "Facebook Status Classics"

From my high school friend, Burl Fluharty, comes this gem "My 5 year old son and I were playing Star Wars with his two light up with sound lightsabers yesterday. He was Yoda. He hit me with the lightsaber and said, "hhhmmmmm....dumba$$ you are"

Former NWA (now Delta hubs) finish #1 and #2 in JD Power survey

2010-02-18T10:51:00.002-06:00

I'm happy to see Detroit and Minneapolis land at the top of this report. I like both airports a great deal and as an employee of the old Northwest Airlines it's great to see our two biggest hub airports do so well.
Detroit is a treat because of the simplicity of the (former) World Gateway Terminal that Northwest and now Delta use as a hub. The terminal is clean with high ceilings and tons of glass that allows lots and lots of natural light to stream into the gate area. I've not been to the "other" terminal in Detroit since it was replaced but I'm sure that it is built in a similar fashion.

You can check out the airport here:
http://www.metroairport.com/

Minneapolis is nice because it is my current "home" airport. The airport is packed with shopping and restaurant choices and feels huge so if you've got a few hours you can really wander around and feel like you've seen something. The center part of the airport is built like a mall with lots of shopping options and a large food court. Scattered throughout the concourses are more shops and restaurants and even interesting and interactive advertising.

You can check out MSP here:
http://www.mspairport.com/

The full report is below or follow the link.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jd-power-and-associates-reports-although-technology-may-help-improve-the-airport-experience-the-basics-have-the-greatest-impact-on-passenger-satisfaction-84688587.html

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Although Technology May Help Improve the Airport Experience, the Basics Have the Greatest Impact on Passenger Satisfaction

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Indianapolis International and Kansas City International Airports Each Rank Highest in Overall Passenger Satisfaction in their Respective Segments

Download image

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Although technology has revolutionized air travel during the past decade, passenger satisfaction with airports continues to lag behind that of other aspects of the travel industry, largely because passenger expectations of basic needs—such as prompt baggage delivery, airport comfort and ease of navigating the airport—are not being met consistently, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a)

The study measures overall airport satisfaction in three segments: large (30 million or more passengers per year), medium (10 million to 30 million passengers per year) and small (fewer than 10 million passengers per year). Six factors—assessed through 27 specific attributes—are examined to determine overall customer satisfaction: airport accessibility; baggage claim; check-in/baggage check process; terminal facilities; security check; and food and retail services.

Overall passenger satisfaction with the airport experience averages 690 on a 1,000-point scale in 2010, which is an improvement from 675 in 2008. However, satisfaction with airports in 2010 is considerably lower than satisfaction with hotels (756, on average) and rental cars (733, on average). (1)

Technology has helped drive efficiencies for airports and increase convenience for travelers—for example, through wireless Internet access, parking lot management systems and online check-in. However, the study finds that the areas with greatest impact on overall passenger satisfaction are speed of baggage delivery; ease of check-in and baggage check; comfort in airport terminals; and the amount of time required for security check. For many passengers, basic needs such as seating comfort and ease of moving through the airport are not consistently being met.

"As much as Internet access may be a fun diversion or enable productivity for passengers, getting passengers in and out of the airport easily and efficiently is of utmost importance," said Stuart Greif, vice president and general manager of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Airports can best facilitate passenger progress and improve satisfaction by focusing on key elements such as the clarity of airport signage, facilitating quick and accurate delivery of baggage and partnering with the TSA to reduce security check wait times."

The study finds that providing high levels of airport passenger satisfaction has a strong positive impact on retail spending. Among passengers who are "disappointed" with their airport experience (providing ratings of one to five on a 10-point scale), airport retail spending averages $14.12. However, passengers who are "delighted" with their airport experience (providing ratings of 10 on a 10-point scale), spend an average of $20.55 on airport retail purchases—45 percent more than do "disappointed" passengers. Only a small percentage of passengers—9 percent—are "delighted" with their airport experience.

At the segment level, passenger satisfaction with large airports has decreased in recent years. During the same time frame, satisfaction with medium airports has remained flat while satisfaction with small airports has increased.

Large Airports

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports and performs particularly well in the terminal facilities and baggage claim factors. Denver International (DEN) and Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP), in a tie, closely follow DTW in the segment rankings. DEN performs particularly well in the airport accessibility factor.

Medium Airports

Kansas City International (MCI) ranks highest among medium airports, and performs particularly well in three of the six factors: airport accessibility, check-in/baggage check and security check. Following MCI in the segment rankings are Portland International (PDX) and Tampa International (TPA). PDX performs particularly well in the food and retail services factor while TPA performs particularly well in the terminal facilities and baggage claim factors.

Small Airports

Among small airports, Indianapolis International Airport (IND) ranks highest and performs particularly well in the check-in/baggage check, security check and terminal facilities factors. Following IND in the segment rankings are Fort Myers/Southwest Florida International (RSW) and Tucson International (TUS).

The 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 12,100 passengers who took a round-trip flight between January and December 2009. Passengers evaluated their departing and arriving airports, and the study includes a total of more than 24, 200 evaluations. The study was fielded between January and December 2009. For more information, view airport ratings or read an article on JDPower.com.

   
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Large Airport Ranking (30 million passengers          J.D. Power.com
    or more per year)                                    Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County - DTW     705       5
   Denver International - DEN                  701       5
   Minneapolis/St. Paul International - MSP    701       5
   Orlando International - MCO                 700       5
   Phoenix Sky Harbor International- PHX       699       5
   Charlotte Douglas International - CLT       697       5
  
   Dallas/Ft. Worth International - DFW        692       4
   George Bush Intercontinental/
    Houston - IAH                              685       4
   McCarran International - LAS                682       4
  
   Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
    International - ATL                        666       3
   Seattle-Tacoma International - SEA          666       3
   Large Airport Segment Average               665       3
   Toronto Pearson International - YYZ         655       3
   San Francisco International - SFO           647       3
  
   Chicago O'Hare International - ORD          639       2
   John F. Kennedy International - JFK         635       2
   Philadelphia International - PHL            629       2
   Miami International - MIA                   617       2
   Los Angeles International - LAX             616       2
   Newark International - EWR                  609       2
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Medium Airport Ranking
   (10 million to fewer than 30 million
    passengers per year)                                 J.D. Power.com
                                                         Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Kansas City International - MCI             742       5
   Portland (OR) International - PDX           733       5
   Tampa International - TPA                   730       5
  
   Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
    International - CVG                        713       4
   Salt Lake City International - SLC          712       4
   Calgary International - YYC                 708       4
   Baltimore Washington International - BWI    707       4
  
   Oakland International - OAK                 691       3
   Chicago Midway International - MDW          684       3
   Lambert St. Louis International - STL       683       3
   Medium Airport Segment Average              683       3
   Memphis International - MEM                 682       3
   San Diego International/Lindbergh
    Field - SAN                                678       3
   Fort Lauderdale Hollywood
    International - FLL                        677       3
   Cleveland Hopkins International - CLE       675       3
   Honolulu International - HNL                675       3
   Reagan National International - DCA         672       3
   Vancouver International - YVR               669       3
  
   Dulles International - IAD                  646       2
   Boston Logan International - BOS            644       2
   LaGuardia International - LGA               604       2
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Small Airport Ranking
   (fewer than 10 million passengers per year)           J.D. Power.com
                                                         Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Indianapolis International - IND            777       5
   Southwest Florida International - RSW       767       5
  
   Tucson International - TUS                  755       4
   Jacksonville International Airport - JAX    754       4
   Austin-Bergstrom International - AUS        752       4
   T. F. Green Airport -  PVD                  750       4
   Palm Beach International Airport - PBI      740       4
   Albuquerque International Sunport - ABQ     735       4
  
   Pittsburgh International - PIT              729       3
   General Mitchell International - MKE        726       3
   Small Airport Segment Average               721       3
   Buffalo Niagara International
    Airport - BUF                              720       3
   Nashville International - BNA               717       3
   Port Columbus International - CMH           715       3
   Raleigh-Durham International - RDU          715       3
   Sacramento International - SMF              715       3
   Bob Hope Airport - BUR                      707       3
   John Wayne Airport - SNA                    706       3
   Houston Hobby International - HOU           697       3
  
   Bradley International - BDL                 691       2
   Reno/Tahoe International - RNO              689       2
   Dallas Love Field - DAL                     679       2
   San Antonio International - SAT             677       2
   Louis Armstrong New Orleans
    International - MSY                        673       2
   San Jose International - SJC                645       2

Also included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are: Albany International Airport – ALB; Anchorage International Airport – ANC; Boise Airport – BOI; Dayton International Airport – DAY; El Paso International – ELP; Greater Rochester International Airport – ROC; Long Beach Airport – LGB; Louisville International Airport – SDF; Manchester-Boston Regional Airport – MHT; Norfolk International Airport – ORF; Omaha Airport Authority Eppley Airfield – OMA; Ontario International Airport – ONT; Richmond International Airport – RIC; Spokane International Airport – GEG; Tulsa International – TUL; and Will Rogers World Airport – OKC.

Power Circle Ratings Legend:
5 – Among the best
4 – Better than most
3 – About average
2 – The rest

(1) Source: J.D. Power and Associates 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM)and J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM)

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Does it snow in West Virginia?

2010-02-16T18:33:00.002-06:00

The locals here in Minneapolis like to take their winters seriously. They have a bit of a self congratulatory tone about themselves when discussing how they handle the months of long cold nights and the piles and piles of snow. Many times these same people want to know what I know about winter being that I'm from western Virginia. Once I'm done explaining that western Virginia and West Virginia aren't one in the same (North and South Dakota serve as a great reference point out here) I explain to them that West Virginia is more north than south and at a fairly high elevation meaning that I'm very familiar with snow and the added challenge of driving in it at a 15 degree angle.

I found this story today in the Charleston, WV Gazette. http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201002160493

When more than 200 inches of snow falls on your town so far this winter, where do you put it?

"The Department of Highways is better equipped than it used to be, and it's been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the snow," said Rich Hopkins of the Pioneer Press publishing company in Terra Alta. "But the banks at the sides of the roads are getting pretty high and keep caving in. That makes the roads not as wide as they should be."

But people in the Preston County town are getting to work and going to the store. "There's not the big panic over snow that you have elsewhere," he said.

Hopkins said the local National Weather Service cooperative observer has already tallied more than 200 inches of snowfall at Terra Alta so far this season. According to the National Weather Service's Charleston Forecast Office, the Preston County community officially had 44 inches on the ground Tuesday morning, including 8 inches of new snow, making it the snowiest town in the state.

"We've been blessed by not having blowing snow," said Hopkins. "That would cause some problems."

Schools in Preston County were closed due to snow on Tuesday, as they were in all other West Virginia counties except Hardy, which operated on a two-hour delay.

According to the National Weather Service, Davis had 38 inches of snow on the ground Tuesday morning, followed by Snowshoe with 36 inches (not counting its ski slopes), and Bayard in Grant County and Kumbrabow State Forest in Randolph, each with 34. Kumbrabow picked up 14 inches of fresh snow during the previous 24 hours.

Snow packs of 20 inches or more were reported at Albright, Frost, Glady, Keyser, Parsons and Richwood.

Joe Stevens, spokesman for the West Virginia Ski Areas Association, said all of the state's snow resorts handled capacity crowds during the Presidents Day weekend.

"Back in the winter of 1995-1996, we had 290 inches of snow at Snowshoe, when I was working there," he said. "But this is the most snow I've seen since then. It's everywhere. Canaan Valley just passed the 200-inch mark for snowfall this season, and there's still a lot of winter left."

With their slopes covered by more than 4 feet of snow, officials at Snowshoe Mountain Resort announced Monday that they would extend this year's season one week, to April 5.

On Tuesday, state Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox told a Senate panel that the Division of Highways has already spent $49 million of the $54 million budgeted for snow and ice removal this season. If more than the remaining $5 million is used to battle snow, money may have to be appropriated from paving and other maintenance funds, he said.

Meteorologist Dave Marsalek of the National Weather Service's Charleston Forecast Office said the current pattern of scattered statewide snow showers can be expected to last at least through Wednesday night and possibly into Thursday.

"The higher mountains stand a better chance of long-term accumulations, while the lowlands won't get all that much -- just the occasional snowstorm that could drop an inch or so," he said. "It looks like things will get quieter late Friday and the first part of Saturday, but then the next system moves in Saturday night."

A winter weather advisory remains in effect through noon today for the Kanawha Valley, where continued light snow and gusting westerly winds are expected, making driving conditions hazardous.

Breaking Delta Airlines News

2010-02-16T17:07:00.002-06:00

This is from a memo sent to employees today....

"Delta filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation today to fly between Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, and Seattle, Detroit, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Service at Tokyo-Haneda, which is centrally located and popular among business travelers, would complement Delta’s Asia hub at Tokyo-Narita, Delta said in a release today. The new service also would increase competition between the U.S. and Tokyo by providing an alternative to the service offered by the Star and oneworld alliances. Both alliances already have a strong presence at Tokyo-Haneda, accounting for 84% of scheduled departures and 90% of scheduled seats. “No U.S. airline has invested more in Tokyo,” said Glen Hauenstein, e.v.p.-Network and Revenue Management. “More customers and communities stand to gain from new Delta service at Haneda than can be served by competing applications.”

This seems to be Delta's first response to Japan Air Lines (JAL) recent decision to stay in oneworld and not make the move to SkyTeam. Pointing to the concentration of international flights by the other two major airline alliances (oneworld and Star) Delta is playing the "more competition" card it downplayed just last week when touting the benefits of JAL moving to SkyTeam.
Furthermore, the move if approved, will put more pressure on JAL which recently filed bankruptcy to quickly reorganize and make decisions concerning its future.
I suspected that Delta would retaliate quickly over JAL's decision and that there would be a step up in competitive pressures and this one will be fun to watch play out.

A new blog for you to enjoy

2010-02-13T23:19:00.002-06:00

www.dumpbachmann.blogspot.com

Many of you know the name Michele Bachman. Ms. Bachman is a Republican Congresswoman from the 6th district here in Minnesota and has been the center of constant controversy for several years. Some of her famous incidents have included stating she was called by God to run for the seat, and that she and her husband fasted for three days to be sure. Congresswoman Bachman is a member of a church that is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, whose doctrine teaches that the Roman Catholic papacy is the Antichrist identified in Scripture ( Here is the link to the Synod webpage that states just that, with their justification http://www.wels.net/about-wels/doctrinal-statements/antichrist?page=0,5)
She has also introduced legislation to bar the US from recognizing currency other than the US Dollar (which is already they case), claimed that CO2 isn't harmful, told listeners on a radio show that Thomas Jefferson told us that "having a revolution every now and then is a good thing." and recently claimed that she would not participate in the 2010 census (even though CONSTITUTION requires it).
Bachman has always won with narrow margins and it looks as though, even in a year where Democrats are in retreat, her seat is very much vulnerable. She won reelection in 2008 with only about 46% of the vote and a spread of less than 3% points.
Tarryl Clark is the DFL'er running against her (Minnesota doesn't have a Democratic party but a Democrat-Farmers League that is the defacto Democratic party in the state). Her site is http://www.tarrylclark.com/
I put up the link to the Dump Bachmann site for your entertainment. Click through and sift through the insanity that is her. Enjoy!

The Great Blog Overhaul

2010-02-12T00:26:00.002-06:00

As you come in and out visiting my blog (cause I know you make this a daily ritual!) you'll probably notice that the page has been overhauled. I just thought that it was time to freshen it up a bit and see what happens.
I like it right now but we'll see if I continue to like the changes. You might notice more things change or revert back as I move forward but for now, this is it!

Southwest Airlines being investigated AGAIN for safety.

2010-02-10T17:33:00.001-06:00

Things keep coming for SWA. After two previous investigations and a record breaking fine of nearly $100 million, SWA is being investigated AGAIN for safety related issues.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-southwestprobe_09bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3f6a35a.html

CRW overrun blamed on pilot error.

2010-02-10T17:30:00.001-06:00

Click on the blue hyperlink above or cut and paste the link below. I suspect there are gonna be unemployed pilots over this.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704820904575056084012937888.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs=article

Craig Ferguson waves to me!

2010-02-10T17:24:00.003-06:00

I made it out to a taping of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" last night and he started a new segment of Twitter reading. One of the first ones read is from "TheAntiPalin" (which I suggest you start to follow on Twitter) which is my friend Alisha. He reads our Tweet and waves at us at about the 3:45 mark. Look for us in the audience waving!

Foul-mouthed West Virginia Mountaineers student section under fire - ESPN

2010-02-02T17:32:00.000-06:00

WVU is finally addressing student behavior at basketball games. I'm sorry to hear that it has come to this as the WVU students are great fans with lots of passion for their school and sports teams.
Furthermore it does seem to me that sometimes WVU is held to a different standard than other schools. While the behavior in Morgantown is rowdy and sometimes uninviting it does seem a bit hypocritical for opponents to be "offended" or "put off" by comments of Mountaineer fans and then make references to our fans as "hillbillies" and "rednecks" and "inbreds". Maybe if we could get a little less of THAT (particularly from a fan base located in KENTUCKY of all places) we'd be less likely to chant "Karen Sypher" at a head coach.

Foul-mouthed West Virginia Mountaineers student section under fire - ESPN

Planes with maintenance problems have flown anyway - USATODAY.com

2010-02-02T11:59:00.000-06:00

Great report by USAToday about outsourcing airline maintenance to the lowest bidder, shoddy oversight by the FAA and the ever constant pressure from consumers who demand ever cheaper flights.

Planes with maintenance problems have flown anyway - USATODAY.com

The new iPad from Apple

2010-01-28T20:49:00.001-06:00

TSA agent photographed napping on job reassigned - USATODAY.com

2010-01-28T15:05:00.000-06:00

TSA strikes again!

TSA agent photographed napping on job reassigned - USATODAY.com

Classic Facebook Status Addition

2010-01-25T11:26:00.002-06:00

Another in the continuing series of "Classic Facebook Status" updates, this one this morning from Casey Shober....

" Never get out of the shower jammin to 80's music when the cat is around. They just might think your thingy is a play toy!!!!!!!!"

Good advice for us all!

USAirways Express flight goes off runway in Charleston

2010-01-19T19:50:00.002-06:00

Picture of the PSA operated USAirways Express CRJ that aborted takeoff and ran into the EMAS overrun of Yeager Airport today. Not the way you want your day to end in the world of aviation.

Divorce Rates Significantly Higher in States Banning Gay Marriage

2010-01-12T12:30:00.004-06:00

From www.FiveThirtyEight.com
You can click on the Blog banner headline to link directly to the column and website.
Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans
by Nate Silver @ 4:12 AM

Over the past decade or so, divorce has gradually become more uncommon in the United States. Since 2003, however, the decline in divorce rates has been largely confined to states which have not passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriage. These states saw their divorce rates decrease by an average of 8 percent between 2003 and 2008. States which had passed a same-sex marriage ban as of January 1, 2008, however, saw their divorce rates rise by about 1 percent over the same period.

The table below details the divorce rates for the 43 states that reported their divorce statistics to the CDC in both 2003 and 2008. It is calculated by taking the total number of divorces in the state that year, and dividing it by the number of married persons, as reported by the Census Bureau. The result is then multiplied by two, since each divorce involves two people. This is different than how the divorce rate is sometimes calculated, which may be as a share of the overall population rather than the number of married persons; I prefer my approach because it will not penalize a state for having a lot of marriages (and therefore more opportunities for divorce). However, there are also more complicated versions of the divorce rate calculation that account for the age of the married couples, and so forth; these are probably superior, but mine is intended to be a simple approach. The table also lists the percentage change in the divorce rate between 2003 and 2008, and the current status of gay marriage and domestic partnerships within each state.

As is somewhat visually apparent, those states which have tended to take more liberal policies toward gay marriage have tended also to have larger declines in their divorce rates. In Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004, the divorce rate has declined by 21 percent and is the lowest in the country by some margin. It is joined at the top of the list by Rhode Island and New Mexico, which do not perform same-sex marriages but idiosyncratically also have no statute or constitutional provision expressly forbidding them, as well as Maine, whose legislature approved same-sex marriage only to have it overturned (although not banned constitutionally) by its voters.

On the other hand, the seven states at the bottom of the chart all had constitutional prohibitions on same-sex marriage in place throughout 2008. The state which experienced the highest increase in its divorce rate over the period (Alaska, at 17.2 percent) also happens to be the first one to have altered its constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage, in 1998.

Overall, the states which had enacted a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage as of 1/1/08 saw their divorce rates rise by 0.9 percent over the five-year interval. States which had not adopted a constitutional ban, on the other hand, experienced an 8.0 percent decline, on average, in their divorce rates. Eleven of the 24 states (46 percent) to have altered their constitutions by 1/1/08 to ban gay marriage experienced an overall decline in their divorce rates, but 13 of the 19 which hadn't did (68 percent).

The differences are highly statistically significant. Nevertheless, they do not necessarily imply causation. The decision to ban same-sex marriage does not occur randomly throughout the states, but instead is strongly correlated with other factors, such as religiosity and political ideology, which we have made no attempt to account for. Nor do we know in which way the causal arrow might point. It could be that voters who have more marital problems of their own are more inclined to deny the right of marriage to same-sex couples.

There is, however, probably now enough data on this subject to engage in more sophisticated longitudinal studies on this subject (more sophisticated than I have engaged in here), which might produce more robust conclusions. Although only Massachusetts has affirmed gay marriage for any length of time, the difference between the states which have banned it constitutionally versus statutorily may be worth examining, as the former represents a significantly more confident assertion about the nature of state-sanctioned marriage. At the very least, I would be surprised if there were any statistical evidence that interpreting the right of marriage to apply to same-sex couples would be injurious to heterosexual couples in any material way.

Yet they've managed to build one of the largest economies in the world.

2010-01-08T14:33:00.001-06:00

92 of the most true things ever said about flight attendants.

2010-01-08T12:24:00.000-06:00

1. You can eat a 4 course meal standing at the kitchen counter.
2. You search for a button to flush the toilet
3. You look for the "crew line" at the grocery store.
4. You can pack for a 2 week trip to Europe in 1 roll-aboard
5. All of your pens have different hotel names on them
6. You NEVER unpack
7. You can recognize pilots by the backs of their heads-but not by their faces
8. You can tell from 70 yards away if a piece of luggage will fit in the overhead bin
9. You care about the local news in a city three states away
10. You can tie a neck scarf 36 ways
11. You know at least 25 uses for air sickness bags-none of which pertain to vomit
12. You understand and actually use the 24-hour clock
13. You own 2 sets of uniforms: fat and thin
14. You don't think in "months"-you think in "bid packs"
15. You always point with two fingers
16. You get a little too excited by certain types of ice
17. You stand at the front door and politely say "Buh-bye, thanks, have a nice day" when someone leaves your home
18. You can make a sentence using all of the following phrases: "At this time," "For your safety," "Feel free," and "As a reminder"
19. You know what's on the cover of the current issues of In Touch, Star, and People magazines
20. You stop and inspect every fire extinguisher you pass, just to make sure the "gauge is in the green"
21. Your thighs are covered in bruises from armrests and elbows
22. You wake up and have to look at the hotel stationery to figure out where you are
23. You refer to cities by their airport codes
24. You actually understand every item on this list
25. Everytime the door bell rings you look up at the ceiling.
26. You change into you "galley shoes" to cook dinner at home!
27. You open your bathroom doors at home slowly incase someone forgot to lock it.
28. You only know 250 or 350 degrees on your home oven
29. When you ask your spouse when they will be coming home from work you ask for their "ETA"
30. You can spot out an airplane from the ground above and tell the other person what airline it is!
31. You go through each room at your friends place looking for magazines to read!
32. You bring home different grocery bags full of goodies that you can't get in your home town! and tell a story about it!
33. You know better NOT to date a pilot!
34. Your a fire fighter, a nurse, a security officer and a server all in one!
35. Your a GREAT multi - tasker!
36. You have mastered the art of walking very quickly down the aisle and not catching anyone's eye.
37. Your at a friends party and you start wiping your hands on their curtains.
38.You call for the car doors to be armed and cross checked before pulling away.
39.you answer your phone by saying "Hi its ..... at "position"
40. when you try and put the foot brake on your shopping cart.
41.When releasing your seatbelt in the car, you try to 'lift the top portion of the buckle and pull apart" and are confused when you can't find it.
42. When sitting in the backseat of your friends car, you check the seat pocket for garbage.
43. when your friends or family ask what time it is, you ask in what time zone!
44. When you're really tired and are staying in for the night, you tell you're friends you're 'slam-clicking'.
45. you remember the hotel phone numbers better than your home phone number.
46. You see rubbish dropped on the floor in your own home and instead of bending down to pick it up, you kick it under the sofa.
47. You have 400 mobile numbers in your adress book of crew you still wanted to meet up with....but when you finally get the time and browes for numbers you cannot put their faces and names together!
48. You locate all the exits when on public transport and learn the door operations.
49. You are standing in an elevator in your hotel and cant remember what floor you're supposed to go to, or what your room number is.
50. You can never make definite plans, otherwise you know you'll be delayed/called out, for sure!
51. You can't help saying goodbye to friends or anyone without sounding patronising... "b'bye now.. bye!
52. when you've finished your dinner you throw the dirty plate in the cupboard and kick the door shut.
53. If you check your breast pocket for a pen when you are going to write a shopping list at home.
54. You automatically uncross your legs, sit back, and fold your arms across your lap when you hear an engine rev up, whether you're a passenger on a flight that day or just in the car!
55. Every time someone ask's a question your reply is ... 'Just bear with me, or standby...
56. when ur going out from the hotel on a layover u smile and greet ppl u meet in the lifts... and ur not even in uniform! lol
57. You take out one blanket from the overhead bin or closet....and you hide it behind your back, running fast so no one sees it so you can use it!!!!
58. You know the water gague is showing empty and you grab a bottle of water and start washing your hands!
59. You spin around in the aft galley and yell, i love my job, i love my job....
60. You carry around ultra concentrated spray for the smells that come out of the lavoratory to protect you and your fellow co-workers!
61. You carry around a sharpie marker!
62. You work 18 hour days then go home and start cleaning up after someone else!
63. You have soo much time off you have 2 jobs!
64. Your dead heading on a flight and your sleeping and you wake up when they say "doors for departure and cross check" or when you hear the high low chimes in the cabin!
65. You tell people to turn off their cellphones or ipods.
66. If someone is smoking you show them the sign and remind them not to smoke!
67. You are ready to shop when you get to your destination!
68. You get so use to standing up while eating you don't even look for a chair anymore.
69. You hate people that slam their doors and call them slam-clickers!
70. You have soo many pictures, you don't know what album to start with and what pictures belong where anymore!
71. You don't like long walks at the beach anymore, cause all you do is walk the ocean, but 36,000FT above!
72. you stuff your cell phone in your bra while out clubbing in case you get a call from crew sked
73. you have mastered the art of putting on makeup in the car/bus/subway
74. you carry in your purse a stain-remover pencil at all times
75. you apologize for everything
76. you are no longer disgusted at stepping in dog poo: you've seen worse...trust me!
77. you appreciate time at home more than anyone else
78. when you ask someone a question, you stick your ear in their face and put your hand around it in order to hear better
79. you've developed an interest for astrology, and constantly ask "what's your sign?"
80. you're a pro of small talk and specialize in four categories: children, mortgages, divorces, and your in-laws
81. you've got a bunch of old worthless coins from the pre-Euro era
82. you bring your big suitcase on a one-day layover to get your groceries!
83. you know how to create a gourmet fondue using jersey milk bars, stale crew fruit, plastic cutlery and china from the business class cabin.
84. you bring home some passenger meal trays and wash them, then fill them with your own food and heat it up on board during your next flight!
85. you're dead-heading and you offer to place other passengers' luggage in the overhead bins, or bring them blankets.
86. you keep your crew tags visible when you are dead-heading, so that the flight attendants will know you are crew and offer you free food/booze.
87. you keep all your creams/perfumes/cosmetics in small pots and bottles so that they pass security cause you know its has to be under 100ML
88. You hear your cell phone ring even when it's not ringing
89. you bid flights according to the hotel at a destination, and not necessarily the destination itself
90. your fruits and veggies at home always go bad because you're always away
91. You never brew regular coffee on a trans atlantic flights, instead you brew all decaf to put the pax back to sleep ;)
92. You have different currencies in your wallet.

Does your state allow gay marriage? How about marrying your first cousin?

2010-01-08T10:45:00.004-06:00

Source-The Atlantic. The Daily Dish-Andrew Sullivan.

Click on the title for the link to the post.

Boredom in January

2010-01-06T22:05:00.002-06:00

There are moments when work frustrates us all. Sometimes it is unexpected but oftentimes our jobs have a natural rhythm and we know when and what will frustrate us. The airline industry is no exception.
While there are many times when the job is unpredictably frustrating with mechanical problems, grumpy passengers and the like there are also times when frustration is as predictable as Newark air traffic control delays. One of those frustrating times is January. The whole month is a waste for me. Once the big Christmas rush is over the flying dries up and in creeps boredom. I remember my first January at work where I only flew six days for the entire month. Fortunately I get a guaranteed base salary so it isn't financially ruinous.
This year I flew the first three days of the month on "made-up" patterns that simply add unneeded staffing to airplanes, it seems to be some sort of attempt by my employer to add to the amazing customer service (snicker) that we already have. The problem with that is now I'll probably not fly much more for the rest of the month. It's all about finding ways to stave off boredom until March and spring break flying starts up. I've settled into Netflix mode and with "The Biggest Loser" back and "American Idol" coming next week I've gotten good at time killing.
I've often thought that I should get a hobby of some sort but being a renter it can't be anything that involves lots of set-up and tear down so there goes woodworking and train collecting and I like my freedom so pot growing is also scratched off the list. (I'm just checking to see if you're comprehending what you're reading!) As much as I've thought about it I haven't thought of anything that sounds interesting to get into so I continue to watch an insane amount of tv and grow yet even more bored.
Anyone have any ideas?

Here's one of the best websites I've come across in a long while.

2010-01-05T00:14:00.001-06:00

The website is http://textsfromlastnight.com/ and it's hysterical.

Enjoy!

American Airlines F/A threatens passenger over orange juice request.

2009-12-16T14:51:00.001-06:00

FUNNY commercial

2009-12-08T16:46:00.000-06:00

Holidazzle 2009!

2009-12-04T23:09:00.002-06:00

Every year from Wednesday through Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the City of Minneapolis does what they call "Holidazzle". Holidazzle is essentially a parade of lights through the heart of the city. It's a neat way to celebrate the holidays and get people to come downtown.
I made it for the first time this year and took some pictures of the event, hope you enjoy. The panoramic link is not mine but I found it on the web.

http://bigeyeinthesky.com/View.asp?ID=169&CID=Holidazzle

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/leaving-the-right.html

2009-12-04T12:53:00.001-06:00

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/leaving-the-right.html

2009-12-04T12:53:00.000-06:00

Andrew Sullivan gets it correct in this article when he quotes Ronald Reagan and explains how he didn't leave the right but that the right left him.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/12/leaving-the-right.html

New York Representative NAILS the reality of gay marriage.

2009-12-03T12:16:00.001-06:00

Follow Me!

2009-12-02T20:41:00.002-06:00

In my attempt to take my blog readers along with me as a travel the world, I've added a couple of options that allow you to follow me in live time.

First, there is Loopt. Create an account by simply following the link here:

Loopt will allow you to follow me worldwide (as long as I remember to launch the application on my phone)

The other option is Google Latitude which can be found here http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html

Sign up and send me a note here on my blog and I'll add you to my followers!

American Airlines F/A takes picture of fat passenger in order to draw attention to the issue.

2009-12-01T16:10:00.003-06:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6671018/Obese-air-passenger-in-economy-seat-has-picture-taken.html

WVU BEATS sPITT 19-16!!!!

2009-11-28T01:28:00.000-06:00

Some WVU football facts

2009-11-28T01:26:00.001-06:00

MOUNTAINEER FOOTBALL
1 Superbowl Winning QB
1 Superbowl MVP
1 NFL Pro Bowl MVP
1 Rimington Trophy Winner
2 BCS Bowl Wins
3 NFL Hall of Famers
8 First Round Draft Picks
11 College Hall of Famers
11 Consensus All-Americans
11 2nd Team Academic All Americans
13 1st Team Academic All Americans
13 Conference Championships
14th All-Time winningest Program
17 Top 25 Finishes
28 Bowl Appearances
30 Third Team All Americans
37 Second Team All Americans
40 First Team All-Americans
117 Years of Football
164 Former Mountaineers Drafted into the NFL
Over 200 weeks ranked in the AP Top 25
Over 675 All Time wins
All Time winning Record vs. Big 12, Big East, CUSA, MAC, MWC, SEC & WAC
College Football's All-Time leading Rushing QB
Only School to Produce QB to win 4 bowl games in career as a starter

What are Sarah Palin's views?

2009-11-23T21:49:00.001-06:00

Lets ask the people outside the Border's bookstore getting her autograph

Another Reoccuring Feature

2009-11-21T15:31:00.002-06:00

So, I figured what the hey. I've decided that I would start posting when someone of note (no matter how little that note might be) is on a flight with me. People often ask me about this so it seems like an interesting topic to Blog. These are somewhat rare occurrences for me as I'm often the last person to know who someone is.
This is exactly what happened last night when one of my co-workers pointed out that Jason Earles was on the plane coming up to Winnipeg last night. My co-worker actually had to tell me who he was, as I was clueless. Turns out, he plays Hannah Montana's brother on her eponymous Disney show. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1489118/ He's 32 years old according to IMBD but he's MAYBE 5ft 4in tall and looks like he's possible 10 years old.

Oddly, Winnipeg seems to be the hot spot for autumn C-list actor sightings as the last time I was here I had Rebecca De Mornay http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000360/ and Jamie King http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0454809/ on my flight.

Since this is my first post on the subject in my nearly 10 years of flying, I'll take a second to catch you up on others from past years.

Sheryl Crow http://www.sherylcrow.com/ is the source of one of my best stories. I had Ms. Crow (a favorite of mine) on a flight from Memphis to Los Angeles just months before her "C'mon C'mon" album was released. She ate dinner, fell asleep and woke up in LA. I claim inspiration for one of her songs on her album as it starts "I fell asleep in Memphis and woke up in Hollywood". I'm glad that I could inspire a great artist, now if I could just get a royalty check or two!

Others, without any stories, include Mitch Albom http://mitchalbom.com/ author of "Tuesdays With Morrie" and others. Not to mention a pretty good sports reporter as well. Alice Cooper and his entire band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Ron Jeremy (yes...THAT Ron Jeremy) http://ronjeremy.com/ (Not "OVER THE SHOULDER" friendly!!!), Willard Scott (who told me I had a wonderful voice!!!), Montel Williams and Tubby Smith (Minnesota Gopher Head Basketball coach). Minnesota locals will recognize Tom Petters (who, sadly, was on his way to the trial of the man who had murdered his son in Italy).

I can't say that I've had bad experiences with any of them and most have been gracious and just happy to be left alone.

I look forward to posting more celebrity sightings as they happen!

Reoccuring "Classic Facebook Status" posting

2009-11-15T21:54:00.001-06:00

Joy Bast

just dropped skittles in the toilet and flushed... it was like a 10 second Nascar race

I just cut and pasted this from Wikipedia.

2009-11-15T21:37:00.000-06:00

Wesley Carter "Wes" Welker (born May 1, 1981 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Texas Tech. He is one of only two players in NFL history to ever have converted a field goal, converted an extra point, recorded a tackle, get a blow-job at halftime, and fielded a punt and kickoff return all in the same game. He and T. J. Houshmandzadeh shared league leader honors for receptions during the 2007 season.

Funny spoof of NWA 188. The one that missed the airport.

2009-11-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

SPAM Shopping

2009-11-01T10:58:00.000-06:00

A couple of pictures of all the things that Hormel will sell you. It's an impressive (and tasty!!) list.

The big SPAM burger hanging on the ceiling!

SPAM Around the World!

2009-11-01T10:55:00.000-06:00

A couple of maps showing all the places that SPAM goes!

Here I am auditioning for a spot on the Hormel SPAM production line.

2009-11-01T10:52:00.000-06:00

Some former Dinty Moore products.

Canned Ox joints??? Yum!

Look! A can of SPAM with more HAMMY!

A Day at the SPAM Museum

2009-11-01T10:46:00.003-06:00

This is the parking lot view. I was actually impressed at the nice job that Hormel had done with the museum. I was expecting something kinda hokey and small but the facility is new, well maintained and big.

This is a restaurant directly across from the museum, it specializes in SPAM recipes.

Joel and I standing beside the SPAM mascot inside the museum.

The wall of SPAM right inside the entrance.

Do you feel the LUV?

2009-10-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

A Southwest flight crew booted a "cranky-2-year-old" off an Amarillo, Texas-to-San Jose, Calif., flight because the boy "was acting too much his age," The Associated Press reports. AP writes "Pamela Root says she was confident her son Adam's screams of 'Go! Plane! Go!' and 'I want Daddy!' would subside once they took off Monday. Instead, she says the plane returned to the gate in Amarillo, Texas, and the pair was escorted off."

The San Jose Mercury News, which appears to have broken the story, writes "with her luggage heading back home without her, Root was stuck in Amarillo, Texas, and forced to buy a portable crib and diapers and stay another night with her parents. Still fuming, she wants Southwest to apologize and compensate her for the flight and things she bought. Adam's father, Mike Root, a software engineer at Symantec, who was waiting for them in San Jose, is also livid."

Spokeswoman Marilee McInnis tells the Mercury News it's "very rare'' to ask someone to get off flight, adding that it’s especially "unusual" to remove a crying child. The paper says Southwest is investigating the incident "at the request of the Mercury News."

For Those of You That Remember This Incident

2009-10-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

Northwest Airlines wins ruling over McCarran accident

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 5:29 p.m.

CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court has ruled that Northwest Airlines has the right to continue its pursuit to recover $10.6 million for damage to one of its plane that rolled down an embankment at McCarran International Airport in February 2002.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision of Federal Judge Philip Pro that held Westchester Fire Insurance Company was shielded from continuing its claim.

Northwest Airlines contracted with Phil Mendez, who operated an aircraft maintenance business at the airport. An employee of Mendez was in the cockpit when the plane went down the embankment.

Mendez was insured by a policy issued by Westchester. But he never followed the provision that he must promptly notify the company of an accident or claim. Northwest, after more than a year’s delay, filed suit in Minnesota against Mendez and notified Westchester, which was the first time the insurance company knew about the accident.

Northwest obtained a default judgment against Mendez in Minnesota state court for $10.6 million in January 2005. Ten months later, an attorney for Mendez demanded Westchester provide a defense. The company had canceled the policy before that.

Westchester then filed suit in federal court in Las Vegas saying it had no duty to defend Mendez or pay for the damages to the airplane because Mendez violated the terms of the insurance policy.

Northwest Airlines intervened in the Westchester suit. The insurance company couldn't find Mendez to serve him with papers to appear for a deposition.

Judge Pro granted a default judgment against Mendez for failure to respond to the Westchester suit. The default judgment was also entered against Northwest Airlines, preventing it from pursuing its claim against the insurance company.

The appeals court, in a decision written by Circuit Judge Richard Clifton, said “A default entered against an insured policyholder, Mendez, should not prevent an injured third party, in this instance Northwest, from proceeding on its own behalf.”

Clifton said Judge Pro “should not have entered a default judgment in the action against all defendants based on Mendez’s failure to appear for a deposition.”

The appeals court said it is not making any decision whether Westchester has to pay the claim of Northwest. That will be up to the federal court in Las Vegas.

Mendez maintains the Federal Aviation Agency has absolved him of any liability but he has not produced the documents.

Quite Possibly the Best Thing I've Ever Posted.

2009-10-26T17:53:00.000-05:00

Dear Mr. 8C:

I'm sorry your Silver Elite status on Northwest Airlines didn't qualify you for a first-class upgrade on your recent flight from New York to Minneapolis. All of us, your fellow passengers, shared in the incredulity you expressed so vocally to the gate agent when informed that you would be flying coach.

The subsequent announcement that our departure would be delayed clearly inconvenienced you alone. Your expletive-laden denouncement of the airlines, while unsettling to many of those standing near to you, was an opinion that you obviously deemed necessary to share with all within earshot. It is shocking that the airlines would let a little thing like a mechanical problem with the plane interfere with your very important schedule. Trust me, we all heard you when you said how (expletive omitted) upset you were.

While being a requirement for all of us, your fellow passengers, I understand that the size of carry-on luggage is only a suggestion for you. No, I can't believe the "gall" of the flight attendant who told you that your suitcase would need to be tagged and put in the cargo hold because it was too large to fit in the overhead compartment or underneath the seat in front of you. Of course, it's not your fault that the flight will now be further delayed so the ground crew can stow your oversized suitcase.

By the way, it sounds like your wife or girlfriend or whoever it was you were talking to so loudly on your cell phone really doesn't appreciate you. It seems like the least she could do is to go to the grocery store, get what you want for dinner and pick you up at the airport. After all, no one can seriously think that you will pay five (expletive omitted) dollars for a snack pack in coach.

I'm sure it's hard for you to hear your wife or girlfriend or whoever it was you were talking to when the announcement is made to turn off all electronic devices for takeoff. And, who does the flight attendant think she is to come over and insist that you turn your cell phone off so the flight can depart? Doesn't she know that the rules don't apply to you?

Yes, I know that you would have gotten drunk if the beers were free, but I'm glad that you didn't. Having followed you in line for the lavatory, I clearly see you're one of those men who can't be bothered to lift the toilet seat. You're right. That sticker on the mirror in the lavatory asking passengers to be courteous and clean up after themselves is a "real farce." It's just those flight attendants being too lazy to do their jobs.

None of us in our section of the plane can believe, once we have landed and you are immediately back to talking on your cell phone, that your wife or girlfriend or whoever it was, hadn't even left the house yet, let alone gone grocery shopping for you. Although we all know that you will have to wait for your suitcase in baggage claim and that your ride is going to be late in arriving, it's clear why you need to position yourself in the aisle to better elbow your way to being one of the first people off the plane. Why should you be delayed by anyone sitting in front of you or by someone who just might need a few seconds to collect their things?

I agree with your parting comment that "air travel just ain't what it (expletive omitted) used to be." Though, like your behavior throughout the flight, you are oblivious as to why I agree with you.

Kevin Winge is the executive director of Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that provides nutritious meals to people living with diseases. He wrote this for the Star Tribune's Your Voices blog: startribune.com/yourvoices.

WVU Students show support for UConn's Jasper Howard

2009-10-23T14:46:00.002-05:00

Picture from CoachStewart TwitPics, Story from The D.A., WVU's student newspaper.

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West Virginia University students signed a banner in the Mountainlair Thursday in memory of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard, who was stabbed to death early Sunday morning on UConn’s campus.

The banner, which will be in the Mountainlair again today, is expected to be given to the UConn football team prior to the West Virginia/Connecticut football game Saturday in Milan Puskar Stadium, Mountaineer Maniacs President Cassie Werner said earlier this week.

This will be the first time the Huskies will play a game without Howard, but UConn’s head coach Randy Edsall said the team will bring Howard’s jersey and helmet with them on the trip.

In addition to the banner, the Mountaineer Maniacs will also hand out dark-blue ribbons to students as they enter the gates Saturday.

The Mountaineer football team will be wearing Howard’s number on a sticker on its helmets and will hold a moment of silence prior to kickoff. UConn will also wear a sticker with Howard’s initials.

WVU’s Vice President for Student Affairs Ken Gray and Werner are urging fans at the game Saturday to cheer for the Huskies when they enter the field for the first time prior to the start of the game.

Does it need to do this in mid-October?

2009-10-11T17:36:00.000-05:00

This is what we dealt with once we got to Winnipeg on Friday night.

If you saw my status message on Friday night you saw that we had a bit of an issue upon landing in Winnipeg. The city had gotten hit with an unexepected snowstorm and they had not plowed or cleared the runways or taxiways. We touched down, threw the engines in reverse and slowed down. Usually after the reverse thrusters slow us, they are cut and braking brings the plane to a stop or near stop but not this night. The brakes proved of no worth and we continued down the runway until the reversers were engaged again. Once we were able to stop we turned to enter the taxiway when the tail swung out from behind us..we FISHTAILED! We regained control and attempted to head to the gate but had a horrible vibration that shook the whole plane.
Eventually it was discovered that the plane's wheel had locked at a 90 degree angle and we were stuck in the snow with a bum aircraft. We had to be towed to the gate after sitting for nearly an hour. What a crazy night!

Facebook Status Classics #2

2009-10-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

Melissa Bradley Hamlett

so I am on my way home from a photo shoot, I exit 75 N near Macon and I see a couple holding a sign at the end of the ramp it says..."need fuel for rocketship"....seriously???on Sunday

Facebook Status Classics...A new recurring entry.

2009-10-08T12:43:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've built up quite the Facebook community pushing nearly 500 friends, coworkers and such so I thought it'd be fun if I captured and posted some of the best status updates for my blog watchers to enjoy.
The first entry is from my friend Scott who has this....

Well, I didn't see that coming. Jesus just stopped by, cross on his sholder (sic) and all. But he had a rose with him. Like is he looking for a lover. Guess he was looking for a religous experience. I opened the door and he goes, "I guess I ...have the wrong place" and I was like, "Yes you do have the wrong place."

East Cleveland Mayor's Transgender Life Exposed | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

2009-09-28T23:57:00.002-05:00

East Cleveland Mayor's Transgender Life Exposed | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

Shared via AddThis

East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer's apparent transgender life has been exposed days before a primary election is to be held, the Cleveland Leader reported.

Brewer is livid after photos allegedly of him dressed in sexy female lingerie and makeup were leaked to various media outlets.

Cleveland's NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3, was the first to broadcast the racy photos.

The segment titled Picture Controversy was aired on Wednesday, September 23. “We have no reason to believe the nearly four dozen photos we have are not real,” Tom Meyer said in his report.

Brewer claims that his opponent, Gary Norton, and the East Cleveland Police Department are responsible for the leaked photographs.

“My opponent and his supporters, along with members of the East Cleveland police department, have circulated pictures they have claimed to be of me throughout the city, and have caused them to be placed in numerous resident homes.”

“Some of the photographs – I have heard but not seen – showed a male sex organ and fall within the legal definition of obscenity. Instead of enforcing state laws that prohibit the dissemination of obscene materials, I have been informed that members of the East Cleveland Police Department, along with the Chief of Police, were actively engaged in their dissemination,” Brewer told reporters on Friday.

Both the candidate and department deny any involvement in leaking the photos.

“I condemn whoever put them out,” Norton told WKYC. “I think they are a distraction at this time from the people of East Cleveland and what the City of East Cleveland needs.”

But Norton does admit he's known of the photographs for about a year.

In a statement, the East Cleveland Police Union refuses to identify Brewer as the man in the pictures, defends itself, repeats its endorsement of Norton, and disturbingly smears Brewer's masculinity.

“As we have seen and learned through past practices, the Mayor will put his name and picture on things as his 'stamp of approval' to show that 'HE' is responsible. Well what stamp of approval is this?”

William Safire's Rules on punctuation.

2009-09-28T17:54:00.002-05:00

William Safire's Rules:

Shared via AddThis

William Safire died over the weekend but left us with great observations of English structure and usage. Here are some rules we should all follow as much as possible.

William Safire's Rules for Writers:

Remember to never split an infinitive.
The passive voice should never be used.
Do not put statements in the negative form.
Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.
A writer must not shift your point of view.
And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
Don't overuse exclamation marks!!
Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
Always pick on the correct idiom.
The adverb always follows the verb.
Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.

In a battle over a foreign partner, American Airlines faces a lose-lose proposition | Mitchell ...

2009-09-26T11:27:00.001-05:00

In a battle over a foreign partner, American Airlines faces a lose-lose proposition | Mitchell ...

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The revival of the "Lets GOOOOOOOO Mountaineers!" chant

2009-09-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

Gotta love "The Onion"

2009-09-16T13:22:00.001-05:00

U.S. Condemned For Pre-Emptive Use Of Hillary Clinton Against Pakistan

Today, I'll yell about HSBC, their credit cards and their supposed customer service

2009-09-16T11:43:00.004-05:00

I have a couple of credit cards issued through HSBC that I use and used to like. The interest rates were reasonable and it came with Best Buy Rewards points which are always useful.
The first sign of trouble came soon after the new customer protection regulations were instituted and I was informed that my interest rates would climb (but they did give me a years notice) so I stopped using them and began paying them off.
The second sign was a notice that at the end of the year, the Best Buy program would change and that points would expire annually instead of rolling over. Even worse, if I bought something in December the points would expire almost immediately rendering the plan almost worthless but those two reasons were annoyances more than anything else. Reason number three is why I'm here today.
The third reason is the absolute ridiculous "automatic payment" feature. Almost as soon as I got the two cards I set up an auto payment through the website. This is done through HSBC's VERY OWN WEBSITE. This isn't a payment made through my bank to them but a full on authorization on my credit card's website to automatically pay the bill every month. The system automatically chooses the date itself and payments are made. The system is sold as a way to make sure payments are always on time and a way to avoid late fees and all that. It should be a great system but, of course, credit card companies really don't want you to pay on time because they can't hike your rates as easily or charge you late fees, over the limit fees, etc.
So far, this all sounds great, right? Well, here's where it all fails. Even though the computer picks the dates for payments and those dates are picked for infinitum (I can scroll through the "scheduled payment date" list for years) it can't coordinate due dates with the payment statement. In other words, while the DUE DATE moves at the whim of the credit card company, the payment date won't. So, the company PICKS the date the payment is due and PICKS the day the payment will process and seems to make sure that the PAYMENT is made after the DUE DATE ensuring that I am always late. Handy feature, eh?
Furthermore, when I bring this situation to the attention of the "customer service associates" via email I get standard, cut and paste emails that don't address the issue I'm raising but offers standard regrets and suggestion on how to be a better customer. It's insulting.

I sent an email with essentially this question...
"Why does the due date change but the automatic payment date not change?" and got this response...
"
We are writing to you in response to your inquiry regarding your Account
ending in 4684 issued by HSBC Bank Nevada N.A.

We can certainly understand your concern regarding the late fee. As on
09/16/09, Our records do not indicate any late fee assessed on your account.

What does that have to do with my question?
So, I sent this response.

" I didn't say I had a late fee this month (which tells me my email isn't being read, read completely or understood at all) but it has been an ongoing problem in the past with getting them. I have a standing re-occurring payment set up through your own system that pays you on the 18th of every month but this month (and in several past months) the due date falls before that. Why doesn't the payment date move automatically or, since the payment is a standing payment, the due date move to the autopay date so that I don't have to do this every month?"

and they return...

We are writing to you in response to your inquiry regarding your Account
issued by HSBC Bank Nevada N.A.

We can certainly understand your concern regarding the late fee. This email
confirms a Standard Online Bill Pay payment of $xxx will post to your
Account on 09/18/09. Your billing statement closes on or around the 16th of
the month. Your payment is due 20 to 25 days after the closing date. Because
the number of days can differ each month, your due date may vary.

Which makes me mad and I ask...
"What use is an automatic payment plan if the plan doesn't prevent the payment from being late?"

And they respond by cancelling my automatic payment!
What craziness is that? Because I'm questioning their tactics they pull my automatic payment? How PETTY!

I'm so not happy with your customer service HSBC!

Ever need a minute of relaxation?

2009-09-15T14:45:00.001-05:00

Here's a video I took from the North Shore in Hawai'i. Just a minute of relaxation and peace. If you're having a rough day and need a minute to find your zen, here's a chance. ENJOY!