Lament 3: Cry Hard With A Vengeance

[Questor]

I hate you.

[Oxymoron]

So, one of my Great-Aunt died this morning.

She had been in the hospital since last saturday, after a cerebral hemorrhage knocked her out. That was her second and final cerebral hemorrhage, as she had had another one several month ago, which left her weakened and unable to perform a number of basic tasks.

She had always been a strong and independant woman, a family leader, and she had become very depressed after her first incident, has she had to re-learn the most basic things, like how to walk. I've had several phone conversations with her (she lived hundreds of kilometers away) to help her use the computer - she didn't have any difficulty using it before. I encouraged her to fight, to stay focused on the progresses she made toward recovery. But I was far away and these where just some words...

Anyway, in her last week of agony the doctors put her under tranquilizer & morphine to let her slip away peacefully - she couldn't bear to be in that state, not even able to speak.

She had celebrated her 93rd anniversary two month ago.

Now it is over.

Farewell to you.

[The Spartan]

I hate you.

He might be going first class, but he's also going to Salt Lake. So it balances out.

That doesn't make me feel much better having spent nearly a full day over the course of my vacation last year with my 185+cm 106+kg frame wedged into second class all the while trying to somehow stretch my legs out so my knees wouldn't stiffen up too much or, better still, stop aching.

[Losonti Tokash]

I'm sorry man

[Oxymoron]

I'm okay. A little bit sad that she had to go like that, is all. But at the end of day, well... she had a great, productive life and that's what count.

At least AFAIK she wasn't alone when she went, as her family was staying close to her pretty much throughout the days and nights.

[Phantasee]

Phant, how do you deal with having to endorse really stupid shit your party is doing?

Same way I deal with having to enact gov't policy I'm not a fan of. The public, not I, is an arbiter of it (via elections and the like) and you do your job to the best of your ability, because you are serving the public.

Though, perhaps sub in "party" for public in his case.

Thanks, that's a good way to think about it.

I don't. Among friends (government people) I bitch about it being stupid; among family (party people) I talk about what we need to do better.

There is a difference between government and party; GoA doesn't have to do everything the PCAA wants. We just went into debt with the 2013 budget, a state we haven't been in since 2001. Party people are pissed, opposition is livid, but the reasoning is IMO sound. Interest rates are low, we earn more on our investments than we pay in debt. We need to build infrastructure right now because we will be at 5 million people in 2025 or so, from 3.7M today. That shit is gonna cost us say more the longer we wait.

But if the GoA and party are doing something stupid? I stay silent, publicly. I have access to the ministers and I'm on the party executive. I have channels to voice my displeasure, and channels to enact change. Why shoot ourselves in the foot, by complaining publicly? Why shoot myself in the foot, supporting idiocy?

[RyanThunder]

I'm sorry man

[Straha]

I hate you.

He might be going first class, but he's also going to Salt Lake. So it balances out.

Pocatello, Idaho actually. So... it's pretty bad.

I hate you.

He might be going first class, but he's also going to Salt Lake. So it balances out.

That doesn't make me feel much better having spent nearly a full day over the course of my vacation last year with my 185+cm 106+kg frame wedged into second class all the while trying to somehow stretch my legs out so my knees wouldn't stiffen up too much or, better still, stop aching.

Brocephalus, I feel your pain. I'm 6'6" (198cm?), fly cross-country regularly, and do not fit anywhere on planes (except first class). This was recompense for delaying my trip twelve hours and I am not ashamed to admit I put the upgrade to the best of use.

[Zod]

Pocatello, Idaho actually. So... it's pretty bad.

I used to live in Idaho. You couldn't pay me to go back there.

[Flagg]

The panhandle is pretty, I've driven through. The rest of the state...

[timmy]

My sympathies for famille Oxy

Pocatello, Idaho actually. So... it's pretty bad.

Ohhh, I almost got t-boned by an F truck there a few years ago! Coincidence?

[The Spartan]

Brocephalus, I feel your pain. I'm 6'6" (198cm?), fly cross-country regularly, and do not fit anywhere on planes (except first class). This was recompense for delaying my trip twelve hours and I am not ashamed to admit I put the upgrade to the best of use.

I might have turned it down, if only because it would ruin me for affordable flight in the future.

To make matters worse, my shoulders are broad enough that I can't not take the armrests. Ultimately I'm squished in two different axes. Then when I stand up, I relieve those only to be squished in the other...

[timmy]

Never, ever turn down a free upgrade.

This is called looking a gift horse in the mouth and it's a federal crime in Australia.

[weemadando]

Straha, I'm the same height and have crammed myself into economy every time. It can be done, but you fucking hate yourself afterwards. 20 hours on Air China just about killed me, not through DVT or anything like that, but sheer muscle tearing, ligament shearing agonising mind-rage.

[Questor]

Straha, I'm the same height and have crammed myself into economy every time. It can be done, but you fucking hate yourself afterwards. 20 hours on Air China just about killed me, not through DVT or anything like that, but sheer muscle tearing, ligament shearing agonising mind-rage.

Good god! Was that a straight shot? The longest straight shot I've ever done is DXB-LAX, but that's only 15.5 hours, and it's Emirates.

I'm also only 178 CM/100 kg so it's not quite as painful for me, despite taking up the armrests on both sides with my shoulders.

I still take the upgrade when I can, but I find that E+ or Lufthansa's new 747 (better seat pitch) work almost as well for me as IFC if I don't have to work or sleep on the plane. If I do, I always prefer a decent international business class seat. If I'm just watching 11-15 hours of movies or reading a book, I don't care.

As for domestic, as long as I'm in E+, I don't sweat the upgrade. I've even turned them down for a five across on an empty domestic config 777.

[weemadando]

No, it was a 12 and 8 with an unscheduled stop in Shanghai (for us) as it was an emergency booking to get around Star Alliance/Thai Airways fucking us during one of the coups.

BTW, China doesn't like you turning up without entry permits, visas etc. When we were pulled aside and had our passports confiscated, suddenly a much longer unscheduled stop was looking like a possibility.

Thankfully, our explanation pleased them (only expected to be a transfer, not have to clear customs, then go back in later) and we were allowed to roam the terminal for a few hours. But not go outside the terminal. Pity. Would have liked to have ridden the maglev.

[Questor]

BTW, China doesn't like you turning up without entry permits, visas etc. When we were pulled aside and had our passports confiscated, suddenly a much longer unscheduled stop was looking like a possibility.

I hear china's almost as humorless about that stuff as the US.

As much as I love the high end of Star Alliance, I have to admit that I don't think I'd trust any but Swiss, Lufthansa, Singapore, Air Canada and maybe United (and they're only on my list because I can wave the FF card) to not screw with me. They seem to be in a race to the bottom with OneWorld to see who can run the biggest difference between the marquee carriers and the rest.

[weemadando]

If/when I travel to the US I'll probably just get my Canadian Passport and use that - unless it's become harder for Canadians now?

[Zablorg]

toot toot all aboard the express train for breakdown

[Questor]

If/when I travel to the US I'll probably just get my Canadian Passport and use that - unless it's become harder for Canadians now?

The US border is annoying for Americans like me, I can't imagine what it's like for foreigners.

The problem is that there is no way to just do a "transit" in the US. You have to go through customs immediately on exit from the airplane, so you (in a similar, visa required situation) would have been forced to explain yourself and might even have found yourself with a nice little immigration detention.

Canadians have it easier than anyone other than americans. I don't think you even need an ESTA if you're on a Canadian passport.

[timmy]

toot toot all aboard the express train for breakdown

??

[Oxymoron]

toot toot all aboard the express train for breakdown

??

Yeah, wassup dude ?

[Crazedwraith]

in one of those odd moods where i am sleepy and disconsolate for no apparent reason.

[Oxymoron]

Apparently when you're in a bad mood, somehow your brain work to reinforce the bad mood by re-surfacing bad memories and shit like that.

I'd suggest happy thoughts.

[Crazedwraith]

That's good advice.

and instead, i loaded up on sugar. I think this may prove to be a bad strategy in the long run.