Author: John Tierney

Posted on

Flight Attendants are trained for any eventuality.

Well, it is their formal dress and just as well they were not flying into Australia; As  they would have their wooden zoob-tubes confiscated.

On board a Singapore Airlines flight are these gentlemen from Papua New Guinea in their national tuxedo.

They are on their way to attend a formal wedding dinner in Singapore.

Posted on

Democracy ?

Years ago I read and remember the story of the overthrow of Mosaddegh in Iran and look how that turned out. Also as todays politicians get into a politically righteous  lather about Cambridge Analytica I also remember the rush to war over the yet to be located weapons of mass destruction. How quickly the public forgets, that is if they ever knew or cared.


I have noticed over the years of my life there is a pattern where we rush into a war or military excursion with no prior agreed or defined exit plan. Almost as if the primary objective is to get the conflict started and the funds flowing and we will cobble together a withdrawal when there is no other remaining alternative.

Some time ago I heard a review of a book by Misha Glenny, McMafia. My son just put the TV series Mc Mafia on line for me and last night I watched the first two episodes. It is a very up to date take on the role of the Russian oligarchs and how their internecine struggles are impacting the west. It reminds me of another TV series Reilly Ace does Spies that covered the same ground in the time of the Russian revolution. Nothing changes much.  You might like to watch it.

I heard that over the last decade an estimated 80bn English pounds of dirty Russian money has washed through London so I don’t believe Ms May has the freedom to do much more than huff and puff and maybe stop the English team from participating in the upcoming World Cup In Russia. Which will save some travel expenses as they are usually eliminated in the early rounds.
Here is an interesting interview with the Guardian reporter who broke the story on Cambridge Analytica,  http://radio.abc.net.au/programitem/pgEVgyz2rG?play=true. 
I have an online subscription with the Guardian as a small contribution to trying to keep investigative journalism alive.
Finally I very much enjoy reading your thoughts and opinions on these issues so when you have time please keep them coming.
All the best for now,
John
Posted on

The Joys of Modern Travel

Flying from Vancouver to Washington in 2018.

The flight was delayed leaving Vancouver because it was snowing in Toronto and they were cleaning the runways. As soon as we landed in Toronto I received a text message saying my connecting flight to Baltimore (it is close to Jessica’s home) was cancelled. After a lot of scrambling, including clearing US immigration they are based in Toronto,  and warning my daughter Jessica I was rebooked on a flight to Reagan airport in Washington DC. Just before we boarded they announced that there was a storm at Reagan airport and it would be at the pilot’s discretion to land or return to Toronto. We boarded and taxied out to a holding area where the pilot announced that there was too much fuel on board so we had to wait 30 minutes with the engines running to burn it off. We arrived at Reagan, landing in heavy rain and fog at 01:00 am. However my suitcase did not arrive so today I am waiting for my clothes to show up.

My new and my first granddaughter Charlotte is supposed to arrive next Wednesday,  but being a  young lady she will arrive when she is ready. I am very much looking forward to greeting her. In the meantime this morning  I play on the floor with her big brother John Michael who is all of two years old. Boy is his life about to change.