Uneventful to Jo'burg

I made it halfway round the world as uneventfully as one can.  Getting the 5A from L'Enfant Plaza to Dulles worked really well.  Flight from Dulles to Amsterdam arrived about 50 minutes early, owed to strong tailwinds; a short six-and-a-half hours.  Flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg was exactly on time.  On the last leg (eleven hours), I had an empty seat next to me.  And, I received two full meals, a snack, and an ice cream service.  Sort of what one expects on an American carrier (yeah, right).  Kudos to KLM for good and friendly service.

What I'm On About Today (Saturday)

Just a few things I've spotted lately that I thought were interesting, funny, and odd:

In Positive Economic Sign, Walmart Customers Killing Each Other to Buy Shit

"The Sinking Euro."  Wondering if the Euro will survive

World's First Pee-controlled Video Game Opens In London Bar

What I'm On About Today

Just a few things I've spotted lately that I thought were interesting:

American Express will give you $25 for spending money this Saturday at a small merchant.

Poll finds that those who watch Fox News know less about the news than those who watch no news at all.

Forbes has a neat interactive, online graphic that lets you select a county and then it tells the migration trends to/from that county, such as where people went, how many, and so on.

Canada is going to stop making paper money.

Sunshine, Please. Please!

Another foggy, rainy, sunless morning in DC.  Just like yesterday was and just like tomorrow is predicted to be.  I like a rainy day here and there, but not a whole week.  Come on, just a peek of sun, please.

The view from this morning:

What the Hell Is Going On In California?

If you haven't seen the appalling video coming yesterday out of Davis, California, you must take a look.  Basically, student protesters are sitting on the university's quad, arms linked.  It's pretty much basic civil disobedience, nonviolent to a fault.  Along come the Davis and UC Davis police in what I can only describe as an unprovoked attack.  Photos of the attack are here at the town's newspaper.

This blogger excellently captures the mood of the attacking officer, how he sadistically hoses the students in the face, at point-blank range, with pepper spray.  It's truly, truly disturbing.  These are the people who are supposed to be protecting the students?  As an alum of UC Davis, I find this shameful

In a perfect example of high irony, I went to the UC Davis website to see what spin the university is putting on this, the lead on their site was totally unrelated to yesterday's attack and stated "A Community That Embraces Civility."  What?!  This is what it says:

A community that embraces civility

UC Davis is a proud community filled with innovators, risk takers, artists, scholars and dreamers. For a century, together, we’ve contributed to California while helping to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Platinum No More: Final Thoughts on My Mileage Run

Finally, this morning, the final miles from my mileage run of last weekend posted to my account and my status changed over from Platinum to Diamond. Mission successfully completed.

Some observations I made about myself and mileage running:  my inability to be able to sleep on a plane is a real handicap; as long as there isn't a screaming child, obnoxious adult, or something along those lines, I like to be in an airplane; and, I like to be on-the-go enough that I don't mind being on-the-go to nowhere

The main lesson I learned is that, if I go on a pure mileage run again in the future, I'd prefer to stick to a domestic itinerary, just to avoid overnight flights.  I'm not opposed to the idea of a pure mileage run but I'm more inclined to take a trip somewhere for just a day or two instead.  I like the idea of breaking up the longer stretches of flying. Many professional mileage runners will fly to their destination and return immediately, never leaving the airport.  I actually had this option:  I could have arrived at noon and left on a flight just 45 minutes later.  When I arrived in Warsaw I was so happy I'd not tried that approach.  I may have gone crazy; crazier, that is.  I admire their endurance but it'd make me miserable.

I am glad I tried mileage running.  And, of course, I'm glad for my Diamond status and all of the extra bonus miles that are headed my way.  It was a fun experience and makes for a great story. I'm the only one I know personally who can say "I went to Seattle and then Poland for the weekend." I'm also likely the only person I know who'd even want to say such a thing!

Diamond Day In Warasaw

Another cold, chilly, damp November day in Warsaw.  At the airport on the way back home.  With my flight from Paris home I'll make my status goal and complete my mission.  :-)

Interestingly enough, happy to get back on a plane and head off to a new adventure.  I was so exhausted yesterday afternoon that I was unsure if I'd be ready.  But, after a great night's sleep, I'm ready to go again. Here's hoping for a smooth connection, smooth flights, and a safe trip home.

A photo looking out across the city from the Executive Floor, taken this morning on my way back from breakfast: