Text 8056, 124 rader
Skriven 2006-11-27 21:02:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: AIRLINE WOES 584
========================
It's all Greek to you:

 GJ> I have been present, in a USA airport, when several volunteers for
 GJ> bumping were called for.  They were offered cash and a flight the next

There is a difference between VDB (voluntary denied boarding) and
IDB (the same, only kicking and screaming). In the first case, the
victims pick themselves, the carrot being an increasing reverse
auctional situation, usually starting at a free ticket, then going
to $200 in credits, and so on. The latter case is actually fairly
rare, as though the airlines are in fact money-grubbing ogres,
the p.r. hit from a real kicking and screaming IDB would in fact
be pretty large, so they have gotten pretty good at gauging the
greed of their passengers.

In the case of a true IDB, when there are no volunteers at the
rate the airline is willing to pay, there is a legally mandated
scale of compensation that is moderately generous.

 GJ> day.  I was tempted, but as I had connecting flights and an Echo
 GJ> picnic appointment, I declined.  This was my first experience of such
 GJ> a practice, and I wondered how such a disorganised airline could
 GJ> continue running at a profit.

I pointed this out to our favorite airline representative
quite a while ago, back when the majors were in the pink of
health, and I was told that the planners and their computers
knew better than I. It struck me then, as it does now, that
someone must have made a horrible error in the algorithm
for yield management, perhaps a sign change in a particularly
important line item.

 GJ> you would have been unaware of the dregs of society (me)
 ML> Interestingly, you're nowhere near the bottom of the barrel
 ML> in this department.
 GJ> Oh?  Who is, and how are passengers rated for their rejectability?

Young and domestic are high on the list. Stupid-looking also
probably counts. Also, the fact that you're on record as a
member of KrisFlyer pretty much guarantees that you'll never
be bumped on a United or Lufthansa flight.

 ML> We were in 120F, and he goes out often ...
 GJ> Try fording metre-deep, fast-flowing rising rivers, bottomless bogs
 GJ> and clogging mud, while under attack by millions of giant malarial
 GJ> mosquitoes, 100 km from home as night is falling.

Quite different - no rivers at all, and the vermin are more like
rattlesnakes and scorpions.

 Not the place where
 GJ> you want a little dashboard light to come up which says, "See your
 GJ> dealer immediately".

Hah, his Jeep is so tough it doesn't even have such a light.

It's all Greek to both of us:

 ML> Damn, there goes my advantage.
 GJ> Don't worry.  Just go off to the more remote islands to try coping
 GJ> with local dialects.  Don't bother with island red wines, though.
 GJ> Avoid Mykonos unless you have an irresistable urge (and plenty of
 GJ> money) to mix with the rich and famous.

Somewhere in those remote islands probably lives a tribe that
still speaks my Attic, same way as in the outer islands of the
southeastern US there are populations that speak a fairly
unchanged version of Cavalier English as well as fairly
unchanged versions of various African languages.

 ML> Greek food is - probably because of the isolation enforced by
 ML> mountains and large bodies of water - quite unpredictable.
 GJ> Title: OCTAPOTHI SOUVLAKI
 GJ> 1 kg Lamb cutlets- trimmed

Not -that- unpredictable, though.

 GJ> PAITHAKIA/MARINATED, CHAR-GRILLED LAMB CUTLETS: Marinate the lamb
 GJ> cutlets in olive oil, rosemary, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook on a
 GJ> char-grill, to perfection.

What kind of silliness tells you to cook something to perfection?

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.04

      Title: CRANBERRY CHOPS
 Categories: Meats, Main dish
      Yield: 6 Servings

      6    Boneless pork loin chops
           - (1/2-inch thick)
      1 ts Butter
      1 ts Oil
      1 c  Chopped onion
    1/3 c  Chopped carrots
  1 1/4 c  Chicken broth
      2 tb Sugar
      2 tb Red wine vinegar
    1/2 c  Cranberries

  Fresh cranberries add a fruity touch to butterey sauteed pork chops
  browned to perfection.

  Heat butter and oil in a nonstick frypan. Brown chops on both sides; set
  aside. Saute onions and carrots until brown and tender. Return chops to
  pan. Add chicken broth. Cover and cook 10-12 minutes until pork is done.
  Remove chops and keep warm. Add sugar, vinegar and cranberries. Cook
  until cranberries pop. Heat chops in sauce before serving.

  Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
  Cooking Time: 15 minutes.

  Nutrient Information per Serving:

  Calories: 179. Protein: 23 g. Fat: 8 g.
  Sodium: 235 mg. Cholesterol: 60 mg.

  * COOKFDN brings you this recipe with the kind permission of:
  * National Pork Producers Council <pork@nppc.org> http://www.nppc.org

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