You may recall I was quite mad when my plant disappeared. So mad I expressed myself in verse.
Now, when I mentioned this at work, I also pointed interested folks to my statement on the web.
But one person asked a question I felt a poetic response was called for:
For Paul
August 19, 2005
(Who on reading To The Thief, asked "But how is it a poem?")
Modern verse
Stands accurs'd,
The rhymes weak,
The meter burst.
Who wastes the time
Fit word to lines?
Hallmark writers
And morose men,
Their true loves thrall,
'Til true love ends.
And folks like me,
A helpless case.
Pull pen away,
I'll rap to space.
Modern verse
Stands accurs'd.
The poems bad-
The critics worse!
Friday, August 19, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Fast Growing Beet Plants
Check out these fast growing sprouts. These Detroit Dark Red beets have already jumped up this far since being planted August 6th.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
To The Thief
Oh, why did you take
My pot and plants?
Only a day ago, they moved
From my safe windowsill
To the porch.
Dear thief,
Did you not think
-Or did you not care-
That you would confirm my worst suspicions of
Human nature?
You could have watched, with me
The basil grow, and bolt.
You could have watched
The green miracle against
Black soil.
Oh Thief,
You can not know, of course,
That I planted those seeds in March
Sheltering them in my window.
I planted them in defiance,
My middle finger to the tired Winter
Unwilling to surrender
To springtime.
I worried, and coaxed,
And finally when my little plants were ready
To grow beyond their first pot,
I transplanted them, and placed them on
My sunny porch.
I could curse you.
You would deserve the
Divine retribution.
What defense would you have?
If your excuse was hunger,
Why steal the pot and soil?
Will you sell them on the side of the road?
Or did you take it out of simple spite?
Save your excuses.
I am forgiven of my sins;
I will not demand justice from you.
Remember, though, that the Lord
Also comes like a thief in the night.
And He, too, will reap
Where He has not sown.
My pot and plants?
Only a day ago, they moved
From my safe windowsill
To the porch.
Dear thief,
Did you not think
-Or did you not care-
That you would confirm my worst suspicions of
Human nature?
You could have watched, with me
The basil grow, and bolt.
You could have watched
The green miracle against
Black soil.
Oh Thief,
You can not know, of course,
That I planted those seeds in March
Sheltering them in my window.
I planted them in defiance,
My middle finger to the tired Winter
Unwilling to surrender
To springtime.
I worried, and coaxed,
And finally when my little plants were ready
To grow beyond their first pot,
I transplanted them, and placed them on
My sunny porch.
I could curse you.
You would deserve the
Divine retribution.
What defense would you have?
If your excuse was hunger,
Why steal the pot and soil?
Will you sell them on the side of the road?
Or did you take it out of simple spite?
Save your excuses.
I am forgiven of my sins;
I will not demand justice from you.
Remember, though, that the Lord
Also comes like a thief in the night.
And He, too, will reap
Where He has not sown.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Science v. Religion: Religion Still Winning
Jacob Weisberg, writing in Slate, wants me to understand that the scientific worldview that explains the world in materialistic terms is better than the religious worldview that explains the world via the Bible.
I do not find it at all odd that the President, like most Americans, wants schools to explain controversial topics in a way that does not offend the beliefs of the students and their parents.
If I understand his claim, the fact that the vast majority of scientists believe "we're here because of random mutation and natural selection" is suffient to require the teaching of evolution in public schools.
Now, why do I find his arguement odd? Read on (cited in the article):
According to the most recent Gallup poll on the subject (2004), 45 percent of Americans believe God created human beings in their present form 10,000 years ago, while another 38 percent believe that God directed the process of evolution. Only 13 percent accept the prevailing scientific view of evolution as an unguided, random process.
So, when a majority of scientists hold a belief, it must be taught in schools. When a majority of everyone else holds a contrary belief, it must not be taught in schools?
I must admit, I am unimpressed.
And remember, the President said, quite reasonably, I think:
"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."
So what is he unhappy about?
The president seems to view the conflict between evolutionary theory and intelligent design as something like the debate over Social Security reform. But this is not a disagreement with two reasonable points of view, let alone two equally valid ones. Intelligent design, which asserts that gaps in evolutionary science prove God must have had a role in creation, may be—as Bob Wright argues—creationism in camouflage. Or it may be—as William Saletan argues—a step in the creationist cave-in to evolution. But whatever it represents, intelligent design is a faith-based theory with no scientific validity or credibility
So that must be it, the president knows the real truth of the matter, but is hiding it from us, the plebes, in order to stay in office.
If Bush had said schools should give equal time to the view that the Sun revolves around the Earth, or that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer, he'd have been laughed out of his office.
So, the President is being faulted for saying things that scientists say are untrue but are popular, and for not saying untrue unpopular things, because then he would forced out of office (appearently via a heretofore-unnoticed codicil to the grounds for impeachment?)
Oh goodness this is a mess.
Let us review politics. Politicians give the voters what they want. In a Republic, we tell politicians what we, the voters want, and expect them to generally reflect our wishes (except when it would really harm a minority.)
Weisberg's real complaint is with democracy. That schools teach the things that the local community wants is critical to democracy, and to the whole scheme of public schools as well.
It's hard enough to get people to pay for schools; how likely is it that you'd willingly pay taxes to support an organization that ridicules and minimizes your fundamental religious beliefs?
Oh wait, isn't this the exact same arguement that lead to the disestablishment of the churches? Which, like the schools, were formerly provided for by public exactions?
Now, I know my point of view is unreasonable, but so what?
If I believe the universe is less than 10,000 years old, and that God created it in 6 days (and rested on the seventh) and that the Son of God was born of a Virgin, died and was resurrected to bring eternal life, well I may be unreasonable, but I'm in good company.
And since public schools have to reflect someone's beliefs, why not ours?
Back in Middle School, when we hit the sex ed portion of the health curriculum, teachers handed everyone a note alerting their parents, and advising them that they could opt to have their children study other health related topics in the library.
My answer is simple: when the class comes to the creationist and intelligent design portions of the curriculum teachers should send a note home with all the children.
And if the parents want to let their kids sit in the library reading about Galapagos, the school should let them.
I do not find it at all odd that the President, like most Americans, wants schools to explain controversial topics in a way that does not offend the beliefs of the students and their parents.
If I understand his claim, the fact that the vast majority of scientists believe "we're here because of random mutation and natural selection" is suffient to require the teaching of evolution in public schools.
Now, why do I find his arguement odd? Read on (cited in the article):
According to the most recent Gallup poll on the subject (2004), 45 percent of Americans believe God created human beings in their present form 10,000 years ago, while another 38 percent believe that God directed the process of evolution. Only 13 percent accept the prevailing scientific view of evolution as an unguided, random process.
So, when a majority of scientists hold a belief, it must be taught in schools. When a majority of everyone else holds a contrary belief, it must not be taught in schools?
I must admit, I am unimpressed.
And remember, the President said, quite reasonably, I think:
"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."
So what is he unhappy about?
The president seems to view the conflict between evolutionary theory and intelligent design as something like the debate over Social Security reform. But this is not a disagreement with two reasonable points of view, let alone two equally valid ones. Intelligent design, which asserts that gaps in evolutionary science prove God must have had a role in creation, may be—as Bob Wright argues—creationism in camouflage. Or it may be—as William Saletan argues—a step in the creationist cave-in to evolution. But whatever it represents, intelligent design is a faith-based theory with no scientific validity or credibility
So that must be it, the president knows the real truth of the matter, but is hiding it from us, the plebes, in order to stay in office.
If Bush had said schools should give equal time to the view that the Sun revolves around the Earth, or that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer, he'd have been laughed out of his office.
So, the President is being faulted for saying things that scientists say are untrue but are popular, and for not saying untrue unpopular things, because then he would forced out of office (appearently via a heretofore-unnoticed codicil to the grounds for impeachment?)
Oh goodness this is a mess.
Let us review politics. Politicians give the voters what they want. In a Republic, we tell politicians what we, the voters want, and expect them to generally reflect our wishes (except when it would really harm a minority.)
Weisberg's real complaint is with democracy. That schools teach the things that the local community wants is critical to democracy, and to the whole scheme of public schools as well.
It's hard enough to get people to pay for schools; how likely is it that you'd willingly pay taxes to support an organization that ridicules and minimizes your fundamental religious beliefs?
Oh wait, isn't this the exact same arguement that lead to the disestablishment of the churches? Which, like the schools, were formerly provided for by public exactions?
Now, I know my point of view is unreasonable, but so what?
If I believe the universe is less than 10,000 years old, and that God created it in 6 days (and rested on the seventh) and that the Son of God was born of a Virgin, died and was resurrected to bring eternal life, well I may be unreasonable, but I'm in good company.
And since public schools have to reflect someone's beliefs, why not ours?
***
Back in Middle School, when we hit the sex ed portion of the health curriculum, teachers handed everyone a note alerting their parents, and advising them that they could opt to have their children study other health related topics in the library.
My answer is simple: when the class comes to the creationist and intelligent design portions of the curriculum teachers should send a note home with all the children.
And if the parents want to let their kids sit in the library reading about Galapagos, the school should let them.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
A Time for Bigger Pots
The last week or so, my Basil had begun to look a little sickly. The top leaves where the new growth was occuring looked fine, but the older leaves were turning whitish and falling off. At first I suspected that I'd just failed to water enough, since the leaves were also a little droopy.
But more frequent watering wasn't helping.
Next on the list of possibilities, though one I'd feared, was that the roots had run out of room to grow. I'd been dreading it because there's always a risk when transferring to a larger pot that the plant will be unable to take the stress, and die.
But gardening is always a risky enterprise. So today I transferred both my basil and my pomegranite tree into new, larger pots. The basil had indeed become root bound, with clear roots spread all through the bounderies of the old pot, and peeking through the drain-hole on the bottom.
The pomegranite, while the roots were well-developed, only had a few tentative feelers out to the edges of the pot. Still, I wanted to give it plenty of room to grow as we head into the home stretch of the summer.
Speaking of home stretches, and of the sadly inevitable end of summer, I also wanted to try something a bit more exotic. On Saturday I bought a window box, soil, and something entirely new for me: beet seeds.
The beets are supposed to need just 60 days until harvest and will tolerate a little cold weather. I searched a little on-line, and it appears that the absolute end of the growing season in Philadelphia should be the first week of November. Thus, I should have plenty of time, but there's no telling the weather. (I also looked up my zone. My zip code is in zone 6. Thanks American Horticultural Society.)
Planted on Saturday, they've already started to sprout (which is always a little miraculous.) I'll punch the first pigeon I catch munching on a sprout.
The beet seeds were sold under the name American Seed, and should only be about 3 inches when I dig them up.
Finally, you can see in the basil picture that the Sedum is growing, and in fact is preparing to flower. The nasturtiums, however, croaked. I suspect that they didn't get a good enough footing in the unusually hot summer we've been having. Oh well, something to try again next year. I think the Sedum are quite handsome so far, with a lot of red in their thick stalks. And the flowers should attract butterflies and bees when they start blooming.
But more frequent watering wasn't helping.
Next on the list of possibilities, though one I'd feared, was that the roots had run out of room to grow. I'd been dreading it because there's always a risk when transferring to a larger pot that the plant will be unable to take the stress, and die.
But gardening is always a risky enterprise. So today I transferred both my basil and my pomegranite tree into new, larger pots. The basil had indeed become root bound, with clear roots spread all through the bounderies of the old pot, and peeking through the drain-hole on the bottom.
The pomegranite, while the roots were well-developed, only had a few tentative feelers out to the edges of the pot. Still, I wanted to give it plenty of room to grow as we head into the home stretch of the summer.
Speaking of home stretches, and of the sadly inevitable end of summer, I also wanted to try something a bit more exotic. On Saturday I bought a window box, soil, and something entirely new for me: beet seeds.
The beets are supposed to need just 60 days until harvest and will tolerate a little cold weather. I searched a little on-line, and it appears that the absolute end of the growing season in Philadelphia should be the first week of November. Thus, I should have plenty of time, but there's no telling the weather. (I also looked up my zone. My zip code is in zone 6. Thanks American Horticultural Society.)
Planted on Saturday, they've already started to sprout (which is always a little miraculous.) I'll punch the first pigeon I catch munching on a sprout.
The beet seeds were sold under the name American Seed, and should only be about 3 inches when I dig them up.
Finally, you can see in the basil picture that the Sedum is growing, and in fact is preparing to flower. The nasturtiums, however, croaked. I suspect that they didn't get a good enough footing in the unusually hot summer we've been having. Oh well, something to try again next year. I think the Sedum are quite handsome so far, with a lot of red in their thick stalks. And the flowers should attract butterflies and bees when they start blooming.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Joke Product?
You're a vegetarian, or you're on a diet. So you eat some tofu, done up to taste like something recognizably edible.
But what if you're a cannibal, and don't want to run afoul of the law or basic morality?
The solution?
Hufu
Tip of the hat to the Nashville Scene's Pith in the Wind.
Part of me suspects a little Bonsai Kitten hoax...
But what if you're a cannibal, and don't want to run afoul of the law or basic morality?
The solution?
Hufu
Tip of the hat to the Nashville Scene's Pith in the Wind.
Part of me suspects a little Bonsai Kitten hoax...
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Least Qualified Man in the Room
On Friday, before going to work, I put on the good suit and went to a meeting of the Philadelphia Bar Association's International Law Committee.
It was cool! But rather intimidating. I was the only law student; everyone else (except for the speaker) were practicing lawyers.
But I got to learn about the International Visitor's Council of Philadelphia, including the upcoming First Wednesday.
It was cool! But rather intimidating. I was the only law student; everyone else (except for the speaker) were practicing lawyers.
But I got to learn about the International Visitor's Council of Philadelphia, including the upcoming First Wednesday.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Consider for your Attention
Sure, it's fun to read my blog, but what if you want more Philadelphia-style bloggy goodness?
Law, linguistics, and politics, all stewed into one tasty meal. Served up piping hot by Eh Nonymous.
So head on down to http://unusedandunusable.powerblogs.com and get your read on.
Law, linguistics, and politics, all stewed into one tasty meal. Served up piping hot by Eh Nonymous.
So head on down to http://unusedandunusable.powerblogs.com and get your read on.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
When is a warranty a bad idea?
My HP Deskjet 3745 is great for dashing off quick text pages and, if I've got the time, surprisingly good looking photos. Indeed, with proper glossy paper and the right settings in the driver details, the output easily rivals a drugstore photos.
But the printer is approaching its first year, and so I got an email today from HP, advising me that an extended three year warranty could be had for $34.99.
The problem here is very simple: a brand-new printer only costs, from HP, $39.99.
Take it from me, a former printer technician. We have reached the era of the throw-away printer, and it is glorious. There is no reason, once it falls out of warranty, to ever have this printer repaired. Just buy a new one. Period. Don't even think twice about it. At worst, give it to a curious 10-year-old to take apart, but forget about repairing it.
HP knows which printer I bought, so I find it even weirder that they would try to sell me a warranty that costs only a few dollars less than a new machine. Indeed, the cost of paying a troubleshooter to sit down in front of the printer would easily exceed the replacement cost--undoubtedly they'll just plug in a usb cable, run a diagnostic, and if the result comes back as anything other than "jam in paper feed area" ship out a replacement "refurbished" unit.
But the printer is approaching its first year, and so I got an email today from HP, advising me that an extended three year warranty could be had for $34.99.
The problem here is very simple: a brand-new printer only costs, from HP, $39.99.
Take it from me, a former printer technician. We have reached the era of the throw-away printer, and it is glorious. There is no reason, once it falls out of warranty, to ever have this printer repaired. Just buy a new one. Period. Don't even think twice about it. At worst, give it to a curious 10-year-old to take apart, but forget about repairing it.
HP knows which printer I bought, so I find it even weirder that they would try to sell me a warranty that costs only a few dollars less than a new machine. Indeed, the cost of paying a troubleshooter to sit down in front of the printer would easily exceed the replacement cost--undoubtedly they'll just plug in a usb cable, run a diagnostic, and if the result comes back as anything other than "jam in paper feed area" ship out a replacement "refurbished" unit.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Shorts at Work
This week I'm wearing shorts and seersucker to work.
Why? Well, first off, my legs are quite handsome, thank you very much.
But the important reason is that I'm over at the warehouse, where it's dirty and there are no customers with delicate sensibilities to offend.
But it's fun. I get to fill up boxes, and ship stuff out. It rocks. You get a real sense of accomplishment when you see a big pile of "ready to ships" and you know you were an important part of creating that pile.
Tonight, the big announcement was that the Prez was nominating John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court. For commentary, I turn to Bench Memos (Part of the NRO stable). I also go to The Volokh Conspiracy, and the SCOTUSblog sister blog The Supreme Court Nomination Blog.
Because tomorrow, of course, people are going to ask me "so, what do you think about the nomination."
Why? Well, first off, my legs are quite handsome, thank you very much.
But the important reason is that I'm over at the warehouse, where it's dirty and there are no customers with delicate sensibilities to offend.
But it's fun. I get to fill up boxes, and ship stuff out. It rocks. You get a real sense of accomplishment when you see a big pile of "ready to ships" and you know you were an important part of creating that pile.
Tonight, the big announcement was that the Prez was nominating John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court. For commentary, I turn to Bench Memos (Part of the NRO stable). I also go to The Volokh Conspiracy, and the SCOTUSblog sister blog The Supreme Court Nomination Blog.
Because tomorrow, of course, people are going to ask me "so, what do you think about the nomination."
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Work
So, I worked three days in a row, and now I'm enjoying a day off. It'll be fun to have money coming in again. This week I'll spend mostly at the warehouse, helping to ship out computers to students.
As for the exams earlier this week, I feel pretty good about them. Civ Pro II was a good bit harder for me than Land Use, but neither gave me any horrible vibes.
And tonight, I look forward to doing some long delayed laundry while watching Adult Swim.
As for the exams earlier this week, I feel pretty good about them. Civ Pro II was a good bit harder for me than Land Use, but neither gave me any horrible vibes.
And tonight, I look forward to doing some long delayed laundry while watching Adult Swim.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Unusual Payment Dispute Resolution Mechanism
Zimbabwean athlete and hermaphrodite claims that "her male organs became enlarged after a traditional healer took revenge on her when she failed to settle a bill for treatment last year"
See the BBC for more.
See the BBC for more.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Research Links Comparative Int'l Law
To be addressed in two days, when I'll have the luxury of boredom for a month. (Last summer exam is Wednesday night, first day back in class for fall is August 29).
Then I'll want to fully investigate The Supreme Court of India, The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Touro's Summer Program in Shimla, the Bar Association of India, and of course the reason for the research.
Then I'll want to fully investigate The Supreme Court of India, The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Touro's Summer Program in Shimla, the Bar Association of India, and of course the reason for the research.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Land Use Exam and Me
Tonight is the Land Use exam. Hopefully I'll do well. After the exam, not a lot of rest: Wednesday is the exam for Civ Pro II.
And, right now it's just shy of 90 degrees. Woo-hoo Summer.
And, right now it's just shy of 90 degrees. Woo-hoo Summer.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Yesterday, I combined two squirts of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 2 cups chopped rhubarb, 4 cups of sliced strawberries, and 1 cup of cornstarch into a 9-inch store-bought frozen pie pan and cooked it for 1 hour at 375 Degrees.
The good news is that it tastes fantastic. The rhubarb adds a great tang to the filling, and there is bounteous strawberry flavor as well. The cinnamon and lemon are in the background, right where they're supposed to be.
The bad news is that 1 cup of cornstarch was not enough. The filling tastes great but is runny. Instead of free-standing slices, my pie's consistency is more cobbler-like.
Now, last year I made a number of pies, and then I discovered that I got much more reliable results out of tapioca in my cherry pies, and perhaps the best results when I preheated the filling mixture on low heat on the stovetop ahead of time.
Regardless, I'm now off to study for exams. Monday is Land Use, so I'll be studying that today and tomorrow. Civ Pro II is Wednesday, so Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I'll be hitting the books for that one.
The good news is that it tastes fantastic. The rhubarb adds a great tang to the filling, and there is bounteous strawberry flavor as well. The cinnamon and lemon are in the background, right where they're supposed to be.
The bad news is that 1 cup of cornstarch was not enough. The filling tastes great but is runny. Instead of free-standing slices, my pie's consistency is more cobbler-like.
Now, last year I made a number of pies, and then I discovered that I got much more reliable results out of tapioca in my cherry pies, and perhaps the best results when I preheated the filling mixture on low heat on the stovetop ahead of time.
Regardless, I'm now off to study for exams. Monday is Land Use, so I'll be studying that today and tomorrow. Civ Pro II is Wednesday, so Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I'll be hitting the books for that one.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Fun Book to Read
One of the plus sides to all that time spent in airports was that I got to read some books. On Friday I purchased and read The Tipping Point, then on the way home I had Conspiracy of Fools (written by Kurt Eichenwald, a reporter with the New York Times.) Conspiracy of Fools was great, particularly in how it describes what happens when the venal are not restrained by calmer heads.
And tonight, I'm baking a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Hopefully it'll be good.
And tonight, I'm baking a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Hopefully it'll be good.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
My Weekend
Well, I managed to get home to visit Mom and Dad on Saturday morning. I was the next-to-last standby passenger able to board the morning flight to Atlanta.
And, as a hint for future travellers: The US Airways Express planes at the Philadelphia F terminal are all small little jets. If you're taking a commuter hop to, oh, State College, they're fine. On the other hand, if you're flying for more than 90 minutes, I can only recommend avoiding the gate, and those flights. Further, on the two occasions I have flown on holidays (this weekend and Christmas), they have had long lines, and overburdened staff.
And there are more basic problems with the design of the airport: the Embraer's hold about 40 passengers when full. Each gate only has about 25 chairs (in the 8 hours I spent at the airport Friday, I had plenty of time to count.)
When everything is going fine, no problem, just sit in the seats next door to your gate. However, when (as on Friday) weather is stopping all flights, it leaves you with lots of people milling around without a place to sit. There is a small food court attached to F terminal, but the Euro Cafe's have a pretty good selection of newspapers and magazines and not much else. Fine for a commuter flight, torture if you're stuck for hours at the airport.
So, when trouble emerges, the F terminal is almost guaranteed to get filled with angry, frustrated people with nowhere to sit and nothing to do (well, they do have a nice art installation, but that'll kill at most 30 minutes.)
The main hallway where everyone walks is also quite narrow (for an airport). So when the golf carts come beeping and driving through, there's not enough room to move out of the way.
And, there appears to be no mechanism for handling cancellations surges. When a full flight cancels, of course, there are going to be about 40 people who all need to have their travel plans booked. This takes a while to sort through, of course. Well, think about what happens when you require people to rebook at the gate. After my flight cancelled Friday, I waited 50 minutes to get to the front of the line to get my travel plans fixed. And I heard the maddening announcement of the PA system "Gate Agents, please rebook at gate. Do not send customers to Special Services."
In other words: "Yeah, we know it sucks for the people at the gate, and we know the customers are getting angry and need help, but don't sent 'em to us."
So, to recap. Avoid flights leaving from Philadelphia's F terminal.
Anyway, on to more pleasant topics:
So I got to see the new house. Big yard and good neighbors (I met some of them). And on Sunday, I got to go to church, where again I was impressed by the friendly folks.
The travel, and the uncertainly associated with it, has left me a bit tired, but otherwise I feel pretty good about my classes (exams are next week, so this weekend will be full studying.)
And, as a hint for future travellers: The US Airways Express planes at the Philadelphia F terminal are all small little jets. If you're taking a commuter hop to, oh, State College, they're fine. On the other hand, if you're flying for more than 90 minutes, I can only recommend avoiding the gate, and those flights. Further, on the two occasions I have flown on holidays (this weekend and Christmas), they have had long lines, and overburdened staff.
And there are more basic problems with the design of the airport: the Embraer's hold about 40 passengers when full. Each gate only has about 25 chairs (in the 8 hours I spent at the airport Friday, I had plenty of time to count.)
When everything is going fine, no problem, just sit in the seats next door to your gate. However, when (as on Friday) weather is stopping all flights, it leaves you with lots of people milling around without a place to sit. There is a small food court attached to F terminal, but the Euro Cafe's have a pretty good selection of newspapers and magazines and not much else. Fine for a commuter flight, torture if you're stuck for hours at the airport.
So, when trouble emerges, the F terminal is almost guaranteed to get filled with angry, frustrated people with nowhere to sit and nothing to do (well, they do have a nice art installation, but that'll kill at most 30 minutes.)
The main hallway where everyone walks is also quite narrow (for an airport). So when the golf carts come beeping and driving through, there's not enough room to move out of the way.
And, there appears to be no mechanism for handling cancellations surges. When a full flight cancels, of course, there are going to be about 40 people who all need to have their travel plans booked. This takes a while to sort through, of course. Well, think about what happens when you require people to rebook at the gate. After my flight cancelled Friday, I waited 50 minutes to get to the front of the line to get my travel plans fixed. And I heard the maddening announcement of the PA system "Gate Agents, please rebook at gate. Do not send customers to Special Services."
In other words: "Yeah, we know it sucks for the people at the gate, and we know the customers are getting angry and need help, but don't sent 'em to us."
So, to recap. Avoid flights leaving from Philadelphia's F terminal.
Anyway, on to more pleasant topics:
So I got to see the new house. Big yard and good neighbors (I met some of them). And on Sunday, I got to go to church, where again I was impressed by the friendly folks.
The travel, and the uncertainly associated with it, has left me a bit tired, but otherwise I feel pretty good about my classes (exams are next week, so this weekend will be full studying.)
Friday, July 01, 2005
The Airline Industry Makes Me Cry
Originally, I was supposed to leave at 2:55. I am on the standby list for tomorrow, but the earliest actual flight out that I can be booked on is Sunday Afternoon.
What's most frustrating is that I remember when the system had excess capacity. I remember when it was inexpensive to fly. I remember when, if there was a problem, there were enough staff that the gates weren't overwhelmed with frustrated travelers. I remember when there were more than enough chairs in the waiting area, so that you didn't have to sit on a planter, like I did this afternoon.
We'd entered the plane, and then, per a dispatcher order from Atlanta, the flight was cancelled. Then, I had to wait in a 50 minute line for the lone gate agent to rebook everyone. She was never relieved the whole time. No managers came to help, and nobody went to the big desk, located just feet away, where they could easily man 3 or 4 lines. US Airways is not providing enough customer service staff. This is the same frustration I had back at Christmas (when I was similarly delayed overnight).
So tomorrow, 'round 6:00 AM I'll go back to the airport, hoping that a lot of people oversleep and miss their flight. And then I'll snap up one of their seats and fly to Atlanta, to see Mom and Dad.
What's most frustrating is that I remember when the system had excess capacity. I remember when it was inexpensive to fly. I remember when, if there was a problem, there were enough staff that the gates weren't overwhelmed with frustrated travelers. I remember when there were more than enough chairs in the waiting area, so that you didn't have to sit on a planter, like I did this afternoon.
We'd entered the plane, and then, per a dispatcher order from Atlanta, the flight was cancelled. Then, I had to wait in a 50 minute line for the lone gate agent to rebook everyone. She was never relieved the whole time. No managers came to help, and nobody went to the big desk, located just feet away, where they could easily man 3 or 4 lines. US Airways is not providing enough customer service staff. This is the same frustration I had back at Christmas (when I was similarly delayed overnight).
So tomorrow, 'round 6:00 AM I'll go back to the airport, hoping that a lot of people oversleep and miss their flight. And then I'll snap up one of their seats and fly to Atlanta, to see Mom and Dad.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Fall 2005 Class Schedule
Temple Law's fall class schedules were posted today:
This is my overload semester, 12 units, instead of the normal 11 unit max for evening students after the first year. I also had to take a day class, in order to get Professional Responsibility out of the way. On Thursday, I will have a 7 hour gap between the end of my first class, and the beginning of my second.
Professional Responsibility with Glennon
Mondays and Thursdays 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
International Law with Dunoff
Mondays 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM
Wednesdays 7:30 PM - 8:45 PM
Comparative Law with Porrata-Doria
Tuesdays 4:00 PM - 5:50 PM
Evidence with Rice
Tuesdays 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM
Thursdays 7:30 PM - 8:45 PM
This is my overload semester, 12 units, instead of the normal 11 unit max for evening students after the first year. I also had to take a day class, in order to get Professional Responsibility out of the way. On Thursday, I will have a 7 hour gap between the end of my first class, and the beginning of my second.
Professional Responsibility with Glennon
Mondays and Thursdays 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
International Law with Dunoff
Mondays 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM
Wednesdays 7:30 PM - 8:45 PM
Comparative Law with Porrata-Doria
Tuesdays 4:00 PM - 5:50 PM
Evidence with Rice
Tuesdays 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM
Thursdays 7:30 PM - 8:45 PM
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