Random? Noooo....

Remember my last post - the one about USAirways Orlando flight disaster? It was just a beginning of totally improbably screwed-up trip. In addition to double cancellation of the flight to Orlando, we had to endure:

• sleepiness during the show on Monday,
• cancellation of one account call on Tuesday,
• missing shipment of exhibit items from Orlando to Philadelphia,
• improvised setup of the table for the show on Wednesday,
• two more account call cancellations on Thursday and Friday,
• weather reversal upon return to Las Vegas: it was warmer and dryer in Philly than in Vegas!

So please don't tell me that the world is random: this concentration of 'coincidences' is highly improbable...
The only good point is that the weather remained moderate in Las Vegas since our return. I like it!

Wish I was a bird...

... so I would not have to use commercial airlines to fly. I still cannot believe what happened to me and my colleague on Sunday:

• we were scheduled to fly from Las Vegas to Orlando, FL on USAirways flight departing at 11:34am, so we showed up at the airport shortly after 9 am;
• the inbound flight with our plane was showing as only 10 minutes delayed, so no reason to be worried; it arrived eventually and we were almost ready to board;
• now delays started to pop-up: first 1 hour ("but please stay at the gate for updates"), then 4 hours, eventually cancellation -- everything because of 'breaks problem';
• then hectic attempts to get another flight: eventually they have rebooked us to fly to Dallas on USAirways, then to Orlando on American; we were supposed to arrive at 12:30 am (Monday) instead of original 7pm Sunday;
• when we showed up at the gate for the Dallas flight the entire situation repeated very accurately: at first delayed incoming flight, then 'small delay due to breaks problem' that started to extend beyond one hour, which meant missed connection in Dallas...
• they gathered all Orlando passengers rebooked via Dallas (again) and another search for the replacement flight started: it ended up with Delta flight departing at 10:10pm Sunday and arriving 5:45 am Monday;
• we made it on Delta without any delays, but you can imagine how much fun it was to do a trade show after whole day at the airport and red-eye flight...

Fly by USAirwaste...

9/11

So it is September 11th again. Many remember it as the anniversary of 2001 events, but significantly less -- as the anniversary of Mountain Meadows Massacre. One orchestrated by conservative, Islamic extremism, the other by Mormon theocracy; both should remind us of dangers of reemerging monster of religious radicalism. It really doesn't matter if they are hailing from mountainous hideaways somewhere near Pakistan/Afghanistan border or from Liberty University: those minions always claim that they protect families, religion, nation, etc. In reality they bring misery, oppression and death to everybody who stands on their way to final destination -- absolute power.
Remembering is the key to stopping them. Maybe America wakes up before it is completely covered by the shadow of religious fanaticism. Maybe it is not too late...