Through The Mist Darkly

Hugh Laurie, of “House” fame, does such a wonderful job that it’s easy to forget that he is very, very British.  He appeared with Stephen Fry in A Bit Of Fry And Laurie on the BBC in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  Here they are with a cheeky version of that old Christmas chestnut It’s a Wonderful Life.  Instead of George Bailey, Rupert Murdoch of modern media infamy gets to see what the world would be like without him. (Caution, the language is a little spicy for delicate North American ears)

Found over at Jeff Hoard’s excellent site.

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A collection of comments from the annual ZAGAT airline survey .

“They think nothing is too good for you, and that’s what they provide.”

“The only thing you can hope for is a short flight”

“Their planes make Larry King look young”

“Sitting any closer might constitute marriage in some states”

“I’d rather be a package on FedEx”

“If they could have pay toilets, they would”

“Makes standing in line at the DMV seem like fun”

“They fired the last employee found smiling”

“Only thing worse than flying them is the delay to fly them”

“Equipment must have been used by Lindbergh”

“When asked what kind of chicken they had, she replied ‘the dead kind’”

“I thought the Geneva Convention prevented this kind of thing”

“Only good thing about first class these days is that you leave the plane first”

“Flight schedules are for customers’ amusement”

“Gets you from point a to point b – except if you fly through Philly.”

“Livestock travels under better conditions”

“If a butterfly sneezes, everything gets delayed”

“They lose your luggage between Boston and Buffalo and give you someone in Manila to talk to about it”

“Don’t enter the toilet without a hazmat suit”

“Website is slower than my 100 year-old grandmother”

“The legroom is great if you’re a yard gnome”

“First they make you need a drink, then charge you for it.”

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From a 1978 performance in Germany, Weather Report’s classic “Birdland”.  Weather Report was one of the earliest and best jazz fusion bands and this video shows them at their most talented. 

Josef Zawinul on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on horn and  Jaco Pastorius on bass.

Classic!

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Ok, the gloves are off.  The turkey’s been devoured and Black Friday has come and gone. Toronto’s had the first snow of the season and every ad now has that red and green theme. It’s straight downhill to Christmas now. 

Time to put my Grinch cap back on and start exploring all that makes December the crazy month we all love to hate. As usual, I’m looking for the world’s worst Xmas albums.  You know the ones.  You don’t even need to listen to them to know they’re absolute crap.  And nothing says crap like music from the double-wide.

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The other day, I wrote a post about the Etihad Airlines Airbus A340 that had a bad accident while undergoing engine testing.  A number of people were hurt but these pictures show how amazing it is that no one was killed.

More pictures available over at Flightblogger

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(click pic to make big)

A friend passed on this easy to remember guideline to obtaining the perfect golf swing.  I’ll study this all winter and I’ll be good to go when the spring comes!

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Cpl. Nicholas Beauchamp (pictured) and Pte. Michel Levesque were killed today and three other  Canadian soldiers were injuried as a result of roadside bomb near Kandahar city in Afghanistan.  The soldiers were involved in a “targeted security mission” when their lightly armoured vehicle drove over the IED which was probably planted by the Taliban who have been increasing the explosive power of their devices.

The deaths bring the total to 74 Canadians (73 soldiers and 1 diplomat) killed since 2002.  In a few days, their bodies will arrive in Trenton and make the solemn journey to Toronto along the section of Highway 401 named “The Highway Of Heroes”.  Only fitting, for heroes they are.

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Etihad Airlines is now short one airplane.  Last night, engineers were testing the engines of their newest Airbus A340-600 when the plane suddenly jumped the chocks and crashed into a jet blast barrier.  The tests were being conducted at the Airbus factory in Toulouse France before delivery to the airline.

10 people were on board and 5 sustained minor injuries.  The aircraft, however, looks like it might be a write-off.

AP Photo

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The city of Brampton is finally talking about getting rid of the old bandshell at nearby Chinguacousy Park.  This is so overdue that I can’t believe it might actually be torn down.

I took this picture July 1, 2006 during the Canada Day celebrations.  Of course, we’re looking at the back of the bandshell but the flag was bright and the building didn’t actually look half bad from this angle.  The actual stage was a mass of pigeon shit and graffiti.  Contrast it with this shot taken last week after the Remembrance Day ceremony.

Yeah, there’s a structure worth saving.  I won’t hold my breath waiting for City Council to actually come up with a timeline but at least they’re talking.

Story in the Brampton Guardian.

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We celebrate all those who went to war.  Especially those who did not return or have passed on from illness or old age.

I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony in the park by the house this morning.  The participants get younger every year.  From Vimy Ridge all the way to Afghanistan, we gather to thank all those who fought and still fight under the Canadian flag.

A grandfather plays with his grandson waiting for the ceremony to begin.  It is vitally important that the old teach the young why we come together once a year in memory and celebration of the contribution that so many men and women have made.

Canada has such a proud military history that we need to cherish.  The thousands that died in the First and Second War reach out from their graves to welcome those who are still dying today in the defense of freedom.

I guess my work at the Toronto Aerospace Museum is responsible for how different I feel about Remembrance Day than in years gone past.  Being surrounded by reminders of how fragile the aircraft were has made me realize just how brave these men and women were.  The tail gunner’s turret from the old Lancaster bomber sits at the entrance to the restoration room.  I wouldn’t be able to fit in it and a brave young man sat in it for hours on end - cold, cramped and alone.  He could see the fighters diving at him, he could feel the flak bursting all around him.  To think that he not only did this once but day after day is amazing.

So, we gather and we remember.  We bring our children out in the cold and ask them to stand quietly.  They stare at the young cadets who form the honour guard with their ancient rifles barrel down.  They listen to the chaplain read the prayers.  They sing the National Anthem.  What is going through their young minds?  What questions do they ask their parents and what answers do they have to give?

They shall not grow old

As we that are left, grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun

And in the morning

We will remember them

More pictures are available here

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32 years ago today, the lake freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a violent storm on Lake Superior with the loss of 29 men.  Gordon Lightfoot’s moving tribute.

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Yesterday morning, I checked out of the hotel in Edmonton in preparation for the drive to the airport and my flight back home.

Made my way out to the parking lot and located the crappy little Pontiac G5 that Avis had so kindly provided me.  (Word to the wise - if you’re considering one of these little crapboxes - DONT!).  Anyway, I opened up the trunk and found someone else’s luggage already there!

“Hmmm”, says I, “this can’t be right”.  I checked the key fob to make sure I had the right car.  Then I looked at the luggage.  Small bag contained a laptop and lots of paperwork but no identification.  Bigger bag had a luggage tag that showed the owner as working for one our clients (Coincidence Number 1).  There was a cellphone number but when I tried it I got voicemail for a woman with a different name.

I was deciding what to do; leave the luggage at the front desk or try calling the chap’s work number.  All of a sudden, 2 stalls down I spot a little Pontiac G5 pulling out.  Same car, same color (Coincidence Number 2).  I hurried over, rapped on the driver’s window and asked, “Are you so and so?”.  “Yes”, he replied.  “Well, I’ve got your luggage”.

Turns out the guy who works for our client (Coincidence Number 1) rented a blue Pontiac G5 (Coincidence Number 2) from Avis (Coincidence Number 3) and was staying at the same hotel (Coincidence Number 4) and was leaving at the same time (Coincidence Number 5). To top it off, the cars had identical keying (Coincidence Number 6).

In the end, everything worked out.  The chances of this happening again are probably 1 in a million and the working out successfully are higher than that.

What a weird way to start the day.

Update:  I sent a note to Avis laying out the details of this little problem.  They sent me back as response that said, in part “This is an issue that would need to be addressed to the auto maker. Avis has no control over the ignition stitches and keys that are installed by Pontiac. We simply buy our vehicles from them to provide to our customers.”

Thanks Avis.  Pass the buck.

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Runway Incursions a Top Concern at Overcrowded Airports

Headline over at Aviation.com.  I’m glad that the authorities think that the possibility of 2 aircraft hitting each other is a matter of “concern”.

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Edmonton is a city in the midst of the oil sands boom.  It’s been a few years since I’ve been out here and the changes are apparent everywhere.  New building everywhere and traffic to match.  The highway in from the airport has been widened and the trip that used to pass through fields and ranches now has Home Depots and housing.

Nowhere is the boom more evident than in the job market.  Restaurants have whole sections closed off because they can’t find wait staff to work them.  Signs are everywhere promising bonuses and incentives to prospective employees.  My company has a hard time finding and keeping warehouse and office workers who are lured away by the constant bidding for their services.  Whether they stay in Edmonton or make the trek north, it’s an employee’s market.

Sooner or later, the boom will bust.  The Alberta government is demanding higher royalties from the oil companies.  It’s hard to imagine that the need for oil will slacken but nothing lasts forever.  How long this up cycle will last is for the gamblers in the stock market to bet on but Edmonton is certainly riding the wave.

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Tomorrow morning, I’m off to Edmonton for a few day of business.   Daytime temps of 5 above and nighttime lows of -5.  At least I leave before the snow comes that is forecast for Friday.

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been out there and flown Westjet.   Since I was last there, the oil business has boomed.  It will be interesting to see what this new found wealth has done to the city.

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