Espantos #340

Sequentially funny and clumsy moments…

(1) My original flight to Vancouver today was through Houston, but for some reason I was convinced it was through Dallas. When I arrived at the check-in counter to print my boarding passes, the United lady asked me where I was going. This is the dialogue that ensued:

Me: Vancouver through Dallas.

Her: Dallas?

Me: yes Dallas.

Her: Dallas or Dulles?

I can't hear the subtle difference, so the question sounded rather silly, but I went on

Me: Dallas.

As I was thinking of imitating the southern accent and say Dehllas, she asked

Her: Dallas in Texas, or Dulles in Washington DC?

I was about to say Texas, but looked at the ticket to make sure, and then…

Me: ooooh, it's Houston actually. :-D

(2) My flight to Houston was delayed enough that I would miss my connection to Vancouver, so United’s gate agent put me on an American Airlines flight through Dallas, after checking other possible connections (DEN, DTW, IAH, LAX, ORD, MSP, SLC). :-)

(3) Much to my surprise American Airlines planes, unlike United’s, are equipped with wi-fi aboard… for some reason I thought I was going through Dallas! ;-)

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Momentos estranhamente divertidos e consecutivos...

(1) No bilhete, a minha viagem para Vancouver faria ligação em Houston, mas por algum motivo eu pensava que a ligação era em Dallas. Quando cheguei ao balcão do check-in para imprimir os cartões de embarque, a senhora da United perguntou-me para onde eu ía. Seguiu-se este diálogo:

Eu: Vancouver via Dallas.

Ela: Dallas?

Eu: Sim, Dallas.

Ela: Dallas ou Dulles?

Aos meus ouvidos soa igual, pelo que a pergunta me pareceu descabida; continuei dizendo

Eu: Dallas.

Quando já me preparava para imitar o sotaque americano do Sul e dizer Déllas, ela perguntou

Ela: Dallas no Texas, ou Dulles em Washington DC?

Eu já estava para dizer Texas, quando olhei para o bilhete e...

Eu: Hmmmm aliás, é Houston. :-D

(2) O voo para Houston estava ligeiramente atrasado, mas o suficiente para me fazer perder a ligação para Vancouver, pelo que o agente da United me colocou num voo da American Airlines com ligação em Dallas. Isto depois de verificar outras ligações possíveis como Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, ou Salt Lake City. :-)

(3) Para minha grande surpresa, os aviões da American Airlines, estão equipados com internet sem fios a bordo, contrariamente aos da United... por alguma razão eu tinha na ideia que iria voar por Dallas! ;-)

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Posted @39,274 feet

Post feito a 39,274 pés de altitude

Espantos #339

Uvas do tamanho de tomates, ou tomates do tamanho de uvas?

No Times de hoje #142

O New York Times de hoje traz um artigo sobre uma nova tendência em Israel. Vários jovens descendentes de sobreviventes do holocausto, fazem tatuagens nos braços ou mãos com número de prisioneiro do familiar sobrevivente. Numa altura em que aqueles que sobreviveram aos campos de concentração contam já com idade avançada e a curto prazo deixarão de existir, a geração dos seus netos (e não dos seus filhos) decide assim honrar a sua memória por mais uns quantos anos. Dá que pensar...

Palavras lidas #208

The Siege of Belgrade

An Austrian army, awfully arrayed,
Boldly by battery besieged Belgrade.
Cossack commanders cannonading come,
Dealing destruction's devastating doom.
Every endeavor engineers essay,
For fame, for fortune fighting - furious fray!
Generals 'gainst generals grapple - gracious God!
How honors Heaven heroic hardihood!
Infuriate, indiscrminate in ill,
Kindred kill kinsmen, kinsmen kindred kill.
Labor low levels longest, lofiest lines;
Men march 'mid mounds, 'mid moles, ' mid murderous mines;
Now noxious, noisey numbers nothing, naught
Of outward obstacles, opposing ought;
Poor patriots, partly purchased, partly pressed,
Quite quaking, quickly "Quarter! Quarter!" quest.
Reason returns, religious right redounds,
Suwarrow stops such sanguinary sounds.
Truce to thee, Turkey! Triumph to thy train,
Unwise, unjust, unmerciful Ukraine!
Vanish vain victory! vanish, victory vain!
Why wish we warfare? Wherefore welcome were
Xerxes, Ximenes, Xanthus, Xavier?
Yield, yield, ye youths! ye yeomen, yield your yell!
Zeus', Zarpater's, Zoroaster's zeal,
Attracting all, arms against acts appeal!

Alaric Alexander Watts

Cores de Outono #16

Looks like Fall is here!

Numa sala perto de mim #199

Arbitrage (2012). The movie starts showing a very rich man's perfect life which, little by little, we start realizing is not so perfect after all. Above a certain level of wealth, the line between right and wrong just gets blurred and every decision is about damage control... no matter who you're stepping on.

Parece que estou a ouvir #140

Moon River
Andy Williams

Moon river, wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style some day

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker

Wherever you're going, I'm going your way

Two drifters, off to see the world

There's such a lot of world to see

We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend

My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, and me

Moon river, wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style some day

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker

Wherever you're going, I'm going your way

Two drifters, off to see the world

There's such a lot of world to see

We're after that same rainbow's end, waiting, round the bend

My Huckleberry Friend, Moon River, and me
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She sang it on the screen, but he made it famous... and he died today. Memories remain.

Palavras lidas #207

Salad described as heavenly and tomatoes as tasty pillows... it's advertising after all. Still don't know what to make of it.

Pormenores #84

Love the maple leaf!

Retirado do contexto #140

Market failure happens when the "just price" collapses

OR

Market failure happens when people think there is a "just price"?

Ditto #220

A developed country is not a place where poor people have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.

--Mayor of Bogota

Caprichos #233

De manhã exercício físico

à tarde exercício mental.

Vancouver...

...49.25°N 123.1°W,

the northernmost I've been in the western hemisphere.

Chicago...

... hello, goodbye!

Caprichos #232

There's something about sunsets in airplanes

Retirado do contexto #139

"Room Description 
King Bed

•  Traditional Non-smoking, Smoke-free
•	Sweet Sleeper Bed
•	Free Wireless Hi-speed Internet"

Looking forward!

Ditto #219

...one of the most notable characteristics of any Age of Conflict is the effort to achieve economic expansion by political rather than by economic means.

-- Carroll Quigley

Espantos #338

Five SUVs in six parked cars.

Espantos #337

Colorful walk home!

Palavras lidas #206

Bargaining in the Club can sometimes take on an amusing note. Just recently, one overheard two people "handeling" about a two-carat* stone which went as follows:

"Do you have a two-carat stone for $1,200 per carat?"

The man replied "definitely not."

"$1,300?" - No.

"$1,400?" - No.

"$1,500?" - Shrug of the head.

"$1,600?" - Oh yes I have just the stone for you.

The alleged buyer looked at the stone and said:

"Fine, will you take $1,200 per carat for it?"

"Jews and the Diamond Trade," in the Jewish Directory and Almanac, 1984, p. 309

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*1 carat = 0.2 grams