mike carey

'Big Airline' will no doubt keep it quiet! It must be worth it for Singapore Airlines as they are still operating daily flights to both EWR and JFK. No economy DVT risk though, they operate A350s with only premium economy and business seating. They have even swapped out the A380s that used to operate to JFK via Frankfurt for the smaller B777. Qantas currently operates the third longest route from Perth to London (B787 three classes [no F]) and it is one of the airline's most profitable. I just flew home on No 4, DFW to Melbourne, 17h20, but in premium economy not economy and it was surprisingly bearable. If/when Qantas start their Project Sunrise flights from the east coast to London and JFK (2025?) they plan a lower than normal seat count on their new A350-1000s and to have a four-class configuration. (They'll be back in NYC before then, joining Air NZ in flying there from AKL next month.)

"Down on the banks of the ..."

Who says Catch 22 is only a work of fiction.

I don't want to go there either, or to Doha, but a good fare on Emirates or Qatar could change my mind. Now, back to the topic at hand.

I dearly wish that you had said that, and that I had been there to witness it. That said, my most recent such withdrawal (of US cash) at the HSBC branch in town, I said was for travel to the US. I didn't say, nor did they ask, why I needed green cash. Nor did I volunteer that some of it was hooker money for a well-known gentleman visiting from the US. But then, the staff were delightful, so I saw no cause to add that particular element of colour about my intentions!

As I sit in the chill of a Canberra morning, I envy you the relaxed drive across so much of the country! Thank you @Oliver for a great weekend, and also to all that assisted and participated in this wonderful tradition.

He may not remember you, but you could have taken the view that hiring him again would in itself be your thanks for his advice, and would give you the opportunity to tell him his earlier advice had enabled you to better understand reactions you'd received from partners on previous encounters.

Hotels in DC were quite expensive when I booked for my stay there last week, but as Unicorn mentioned Crystal City is an option, and both it and Old Town Alexandria (which has more plentiful dining options) cost significantly less at the time (still not exactly inexpensive but that might be just my perspective). As he also said, the Metro is your friend, and both those areas are accessible on the Blue Line, which also takes you to the National Mall area. (The Yellow Line is closed now but is scheduled to reopen before June.) The Silver Line from Dulles is a game changer! Six bux at peak times.

I agree with @Unicorn that AA MCE has quite adequate legroom. I'm not sure I'd say the white wine was anything more than adequate, but hey, it worked at the time! (Booking on AA's AU site - which I had to to use an AU CC - I had to buy it by sector not for the whole trip, so paid the $AUD50 for the three hour sector but not the MIA-MCO one.)

Right, who ever heard of a shark getting hammered anyway?

I must have been eating at the wrong places. No sign at all of any influencers at the diners I was at!

That is true, but it also reflects the general reaction out there that Carlson's firing generated far more interest than Lemon's. Carlson had an agenda that everyone had views on. Lemon did not.

Or to Midway!

Haha, let me count the number of times you've already said that in here! Yet still it sometimes comes as a surprise to people.

Oh, I know all that, but he so completely inhabited the persona of Dame Edna that it seems churlish not to wish that both he and his alter ego might rest in peace and to do so separately. I'm certain that they will continue to coexist and even to clash in the hereafter. And as you suggest, Humphries was no progressive and Dame Edna's snobbery would have come easily to him.

He was. Or She was! Being in Alexandria-on-Potomac, I hadn't heard this sad news, much less whether a state funeral (or memorial service) will be offered. Olivia and Judith were both accorded one.

He was at some forum weekend functions, lovely guy.

You can't discuss whether you agreed with moderation decisions or details of them but there's no problem with talking about whether the moderators can police the forum with the timeliness and in the detail that is needed to keep it on track. Short answer, we couldn't devote one FTE to it, so it wasn't feasible.

Oh, I agree completely. I didn't think that needed to be stated. Most people on both ends of such an exchange know the limits and can respect them. For those who don't or can't, there are laws that can limit their conduct. I was commenting specifically on what can be included as a 'workplace'.

Lol! Indeed, next month is Chuckles, the question was who was the one 86 years ago!

This. There is a difference but you are still in the delivery person's workplace and whatever local workplace sexual harassment laws apply will apply to you. In many jurisdictions they apply to customers as well as other workers and management. You as a customer may be liable, or harassment by a customer may leave the employer liable for failing to provide a safe workplace (they may even have a 'Don't react but tell us if a customer is a creep and we'll ban them' policy). It's not necessarily simply an issue of what is ethical, or of what is appropriate (or lawful) between two random members of the public.

Well, if you must treat Toronto as if you were still in California, things may not turn out well!

That would be the one!

Yes he did, but just for the pool party and he's left town now.