On the Road Again....

Or rather I SHOULD be on the Road.

Instead, I am sitting, waiting for my thrice-delayed arrival in Indianapolis via Detroit.

I should have just driven, given the ~= 7 hour I-70 trip would be about a wash by the time you factor in my distance from the airport in KC and making a connection.

But I didn't. I succombed to the siren song of an early return via the only direct flight available for my Friday return. If you fly on a regular basis, you already know which carrier, given I sit in the airport in Detroit as I type this.

Shoulda drove.

I arrived early at MCI (Mid-Continent International, I think was the moniker that resulted in that code.) The Detroit flight was delayed, but I had close to an hour lay-over in MI so, no problem. (HA!)

I also retrieved a message on my cell from my new boss, indicating that my intended client-contact was out sick and a designated alternate to ask for when I arrived in Indy.

No problem.

Little did I know.

Actually, the flight from KC to the Great Lakes country was great. Had a conversation with a young man, also from my particular subhurb who used to work for a subsidiary of my company. He was now involved with a California-based start-up and we had a lively talk about many things. I, at least, had a great time.

Arrived in plenty of time for the connection. Find my seat and settle in for the 7 minute flight to the heart of Abe Lincoln's birth-state. (Note: Lest you be too confused, Detroit is in the Eastern time-zone. Thus the short seeming duration, given that departure and arrival times are stated in local time. In a previous life that brought me frequently to European locations, I would often arrive before I left while flying East, a nice trick when you can pull it off. ;->)

We finally pull out of the gate and final tests of electrical systems are the last impediment to on-time take-off.

Big Impediment.

Eventually, they bring us back to the gate.

Then, they announce we will not only de-plane, but we will need to be re-booked on other flights.

When consulting with the NWA 800 Reservationist (pilot's suggestion, rather than waiting in the Ginormous line) I have a seat on the 5:20 flight.

It is now 6:03 and there is finally a plane at the gate. (Surprisingly, the gate did not make the anticipated change.)

As we are estimated to take off an hour late, I will post this and pay more attention to the gate action.

More later.


Shoul'da Drove...

Dilbert Quotes Contest

A MAGAZINE RECENTLY RAN A "DILBERT QUOTES" CONTEST. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR
PEOPLE TO SUBMIT QUOTES FROM THEIR REAL-LIFE DILBERT-TYPE MANAGERS.



HERE ARE THE TOP TEN FINALISTS:
1. "As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building
using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and
employees will receive their cards in two weeks."
(This was the winning quote from Fred Dales, Microsoft Corp. in Redmond,
WA)

2. "What I need is an exact list of specific unknown problems we might
encounter."
(Lykes Lines Shipping)

3. "E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be
used only for company business."     (Accounting Manager, Electric Boat
Company)
 

 4. "This project is so important, we can't let things that are more
important interfere with it."    (Advertising/Marketing manager, United
Parcel Service)
 
5. "Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule."
(Plant manager, Delco Corporation)

6. "No one will believe you solved this problem in one day!  We've been
working on it for months.  Now, go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let
you know when it's time to tell them."
(R&D supervisor, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing/3M Corp.)

7. Quote from the Boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say."
(Marketing executive, Citrix Corporation)

8. My sister passed away and her funeral was scheduled for Monday. When I
told my Boss, he said she died on purpose so that I would have to miss
work on the busiest day of the year.  He then asked if we could change her
burial to Friday.  He said, "That would be better for me."
(Shipping executive, FTD Florists)

9. "We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going
to discuss it with the employees."     (Switching supervisor, AT&T Long
Lines Division)
 

 10. One day my Boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a
project I was working on.   I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough.
He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to
ask for it!"
(Hallmark Cards Executive)

Some Ideas So You Don't Get Caught

I know, I know, based on recent the last few posts (recent is hardly the word, and I intend to address that...) this is becoming a kind of Anti-Phishing School...  (Ba Dum, Bump)
More about more than this in a few, I promise.

Meanwhile:

Give criminals credit for adapting. It has become clear that stealing personal information is easier, more profitable, and less risky than mugging or burgling them. Unfortunately, the effect of this realization on the criminal community is that phishing and identity theft continue their astonishing growth.

A new nationwide survey by First Data Corp. confirms the news. According to First Data, fully 6.8% of all U.S. adults have been victimized by ID theft, and more than 43% have received phishing e-mails.

The grand total of citizens who’ve been victims of some sort of identity theft or fraud: a staggering 54 million.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to pass along expert tips on avoiding identity theft:

1. Don’t carry your Social Security card with you, or print this number on your checks.

2. Every year, get a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies. Each agency has a Web site, or you can order all three at www.annualcreditreport.com.

3. Using the toll-free telephone number 888-567-8688, you can ask not to be mailed unasked-for credit offers. This is a good idea because ID thieves often use these mailings to steal data.

4. If your state offers a do-not-call list to protect you from telemarketers, sign up.

5. Don’t give out credit-card or bank-account numbers over the phone unless you are positive you’re speaking with a trusted merchant.

6. Tell your bank, insurance company, and stock broker not to share your personal data with other firms.

7. Close rarely-used credit-card accounts. Study your statements carefully to spot unauthorized activity.

8. Invest in a personal shredder to destroy sensitive records before discarding them. Remember, 70% of all ID theft occurs not through high-tech means, but through old-fashioned tactics such as dumpster diving.

Tempus Fugit

By my calculations (365.25/2=182.625 24*0.625=15) at approximately 1:00PM today the Year of Our Lord 2005 will be half-way over. These calculations may not be strictly precise, given the way Pope Gegory's calendar handles the extra time via leap years, but this seems close enough. (BTW, the only reason I know he was the 13th Pope by that name was my Wiki-Search. I dare you to name a single thing accomplished by the first twelve...)

I only mention it because I noted the passing of the Solstice and was surprised on how far off the mid-point of the year actually occurred.

(Extra Bonus: I think the title link is a LOT more fun than some dry Latin dictionary, don't you?)

Anyway, just a little reminder, in case you have some un-finished Resolutions or anything.

Hey, don't look at me.
Maybe my resolution was to remember to remind YOU... '-)