penguins DO like ice, especially in their Mattini's (shaken, not stirred)...

15 hours NY --> Tokyo on AA much better than 5 hours Tokyo --> HKG on Cathay...

Probably Brussels / Antwerp, to be finalized...

Prefer to keep my Euros with me as much as possible, lol...

Chocolate is ALWAYS the right answer...

I had to fly AA on the way back to Seattle.
Ugggh, cattle class with no room to stretch.
Prefer UA with Economy Plus.
Only plus side to AA was having Pepsi to drink instead of Coke.
Video selection is limited to on screen with no seat back video.
Took window seats instead of aisle. Bad choice to watch the video screens.
757 for international flights, uggh. No room on that plane with 3-3 and a single aisle. 767 was a bit better with dual aisle and what felt like more space. Can see video better from window seat on 767 than 757.
Then every time the capt. puts on the seat belt warning, the video stops and goes to a stupid automated announcement about this sign. Takes longer to play that short video clip than it does for cabin crew to make the announcement.
They call that progress. I really don't care for AA.

On a different topic, before you fly, look for a luggage handheld scale by Balanzza. The BZ200 is a nice compact scale that is very accurate. I had AA say that my 51.5 lb case was 52.5. I checked out the accuracy of the Ballanza scale here and found that AA scale was off by 1lb. The scale in metric had an error rate on a 265 gram slab of cold butter (weighed it on a digital food scale first) of 10 grams. But then again this scale is not made to weigh such light weight objects. But 10 grams to 1 pound error rate? I put more faith in this handheld scale. Plus the agent said they only calibrate their scales weekly. So that also says that their scales can be way off.

Flight back to here was long. Plane to BRU got held up at JFK due to late arrival from Aruba of all places. Got held up in JFK for 2.5 hrs. So I walked all the AA terminal wings and then got some expensive grub. We had to taxi out to runway 04 in the middle of nowhere. Then got held a little bit while the air settled after a A380 blasted off. Then strong heads winds added their insult to the already long day. Arrived in BRU 2hrs late. But I had no choice in this flight as it was all paid for by the state.

So that's my horror story.

When you get here don't forget to take a small diamond back with you.
Your S.O. will like that along with the chocolate.
You can find both in the area around the Central station.

penguins DO like ice, especially in their Mattini's (shaken, not stirred)...

15 hours NY --> Tokyo on AA much better than 5 hours Tokyo --> HKG on Cathay...

Probably Brussels / Antwerp, to be finalized...

Prefer to keep my Euros with me as much as possible, lol...

Chocolate is ALWAYS the right answer...

When you get here don't forget to take a small diamond back with you.
Your S.O. will like that along with the chocolate.
You can find both in the area around the Central station.

So how much is a small diamond?

And you said "Only plus side to AA was having Pepsi to drink instead of Coke." If you also get a bottle of bourbon you really won't notice the difference!

When you get here don't forget to take a small diamond back with you.
Your S.O. will like that along with the chocolate.
You can find both in the area around the Central station.

So how much is a small diamond?

And you said "Only plus side to AA was having Pepsi to drink instead of Coke." If you also get a bottle of bourbon you really won't notice the difference!

It's Pepsi and Coke on AA from what I understood.
At least on International flights.
Bourbon you have to pay for by the shot. Out of my league.

Small diamond? No idea, varies by clarity and cut.
Suppose a grand or $500 depending on "small"

Eh, prefer Coke, but for the most part, cola's are fungible...

Thought alcohol was free on intl flights. I just drink orange juice...

Good thing my s/o doesn't care much for diamonds, she's more a pearl person... but she DOES like chocolate!

When you get here don't forget to take a small diamond back with you.
Your S.O. will like that along with the chocolate.
You can find both in the area around the Central station.

So how much is a small diamond?

And you said "Only plus side to AA was having Pepsi to drink instead of Coke." If you also get a bottle of bourbon you really won't notice the difference!

It's Pepsi and Coke on AA from what I understood.
At least on International flights.
Bourbon you have to pay for by the shot. Out of my league.

Small diamond? No idea, varies by clarity and cut.
Suppose a grand or $500 depending on "small"

Whew! I make one little bottle last for 2 glasses on an airplane, don't want to make anyone think I will become a problem!!

As for the diamond I guess that ruins that idea...I was thinking of buying a loose diamond every payday and just putting it away for a rainy day, but 500 bucks is waaaay out of my league!!

And I used to LOVE Vodka and OJ when I was a in the Navy, still like OJ when we go out for Sunday Brunch and have Mimosa's!

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Small diamond? No idea, varies by clarity and cut.
Suppose a grand or $500 depending on "small"

As for the diamond I guess that ruins that idea... I was thinking of buying a loose diamond every payday and just putting it away for a rainy day, but 500 bucks is waaaay out of my league!!

I don't really want to get into this, but diamond prices vary by clarity and weightsize in carats. Cut is largely neither here nor there.

It might seem an anomaly, but if you want to buy a diamond you'll be given an appropriate price. If you want to sell you'll get around nothing. And by nothing I mean $0 if anyone would take it at all.

http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Diamonds/dsourcecalculate.asp

You may have more luck with gold, but the buyingselling margins still come into play

http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk/coinsorbars.html

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As for the diamond I guess that ruins that idea... I was thinking of buying a loose diamond every payday and just putting it away for a rainy day, but 500 bucks is waaaay out of my league!!

I don't really want to get into this, but diamond prices vary by clarity and weightsize in carats. Cut is largely neither here nor there.

It might seem an anomaly, but if you want to buy a diamond you'll be given an appropriate price. If you want to sell you'll get around nothing. And by nothing I mean $0 if anyone would take it at all.

http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Diamonds/dsourcecalculate.asp

Hmmmm, that hardly seems fair! I had always thought of diamonds as something tangible, kind of like gold, but easier to buy and keep. I guess I was wrong!
Thanks for setting me straight!!

It might seem an anomaly, but if you want to buy a diamond you'll be given an appropriate price. If you want to sell you'll get around nothing. And by nothing I mean $0 if anyone would take it at all.

http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Diamonds/dsourcecalculate.asp

Hmmmm, that hardly seems fair! I had always thought of diamonds as something tangible, kind of like gold, but easier to buy and keep. I guess I was wrong!
Thanks for setting me straight!!

Diamond is a mineral that can be simulated or synthesised - with simulated stones offering better characteristics than the natural version in some respectsopinions. Its price iswas virtually determined by de Beers acting as a cartel in all but name (this may have changed more recently). The price is virtually plucked out of the air and has no real meaning apart from the fact people keep paying the amount asked. It will burn at sufficiently high temperature and degrade into graphite. Diamonds are not forever.

Gold is in finite supply and is an element in the periodic table. It can't be synthesised. It can't be created nor destroyed.

Slight difference...

(Descriptions above are shorthand - I know there are caveats all round, but it's near enough to make the basic point).

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help, i'm being shanghai'd in... shanghai...

help, i'm being shanghai'd in... shanghai...

Well I hope you are okay now, it has been 21 hours since you posted!

You sure are the World traveler! I hope you really do enjoy it!! You are seeing places that the rest of us only see on the tv or a map! Have you ever thought of writing a book about your travels and adventures?

help, i'm being shanghai'd in... shanghai...

Well I hope you are okay now, it has been 21 hours since you posted!

You sure are the World traveler! I hope you really do enjoy it!! You are seeing places that the rest of us only see on the tv or a map! Have you ever thought of writing a book about your travels and adventures?

He needs to make that Linux Penguin sit on a flying piece of ice.
So it would be magical ice instead of a magical carpet.
Shanghai'd in Shanghai?
Thought penguins were just ignored there.

I'M A BANKRUPT PENGUIN !!!

I am in Macau, and spent the day at their (in)famous casinos.

What is factual, is that the casinos in Macau will NOT accept their own money (the Pataca), they will ONLY accept Hong Kong Dollars.

What is not so factual, is that if requested, casios will also accept Boinc points (and people call them "worthless", ha!) and Krill for gambling purposes.

I gambled away all my Boinc points and Krill!

I'm gonna have a big negative RAC pretty soon, lol!

Guess I'll have to swim back to Hong Kong, since I can't afford the ferry (just kidding)...

find a sea turtle to hitch a ride on lmao

I'M A BANKRUPT PENGUIN !!!

I am in Macau, and spent the day at their (in)famous casinos.

What is factual, is that the casinos in Macau will NOT accept their own money (the Pataca), they will ONLY accept Hong Kong Dollars.

What is not so factual, is that if requested, casios will also accept Boinc points (and people call them "worthless", ha!) and Krill for gambling purposes.

I gambled away all my Boinc points and Krill!

I'm gonna have a big negative RAC pretty soon, lol!

Guess I'll have to swim back to Hong Kong, since I can't afford the ferry (just kidding)...

the only turtles around here are the ones that are going to get invited to dinner, or is that invited for dinner, or ... they're gonna be turtle soup!!!

i don't want to get too close to them or i'll end up as penguin soup!

the only turtles around here are the ones that are going to get invited to dinner, or is that invited for dinner, or ... they're gonna be turtle soup!!!

i don't want to get too close to them or i'll end up as penguin soup!

I hear penguins taste like chicken!

stop that, lol !!!

Calling Colonel Sanders, some good breast meat tenderized the right way should be delicious. Does that come with fries as well?

stop that, lol !!!

Seems you penguins have lost your bearings.
Your heading to Rio instead of your usual places.
Then you need an airlift to home.

Calling Colonel Sanders, some good breast meat tenderized the right way should be delicious. Does that come with fries as well?

stop that, lol !!!

I will be stopping by the Colonel's place tonight on the way home to pick up dinner for the week! My wife is going out of town and since I love the chicken and she doesn't as much I will be getting a bucket to last me until she comes back. Ummm my mouth is watering already, I LOVE cold fried chicken!!