News and notes from around the interweb:
- The cabins aren’t being maintained, episode 19,261.
@united flight UA6262 today in seat 9A has a broken armrest. The whole seat just twist every time it’s moved. pic.twitter.com/hrGMtqPoDa
— Charles Haddock (@ThinkBigCharles) October 3, 2023
- United defers start of two India routes. San Francisco – Delhi is probably due to lack of Russia overflight, while Newark – Mumbai seems likely due to lack of aircraft given all of the new long haul the airline is flying.
- But what’s even the point of deposing your country’s ‘President for Life’ in a family dispute through military coup and ruling for over four decades after that, if your kids can’t do this? (HT: JonNYC)
Two weeks ago, Teodoro Obiang, Vice-Pres of Equatorial Guinea and son of the President, stayed at a $75,000 / night penthouse in NY @TheMarkHotelNY;
He attended the UN assembly, where he spoke about the lack of development in Africa and reforming the UN.
1/2
His Instagram vid: pic.twitter.com/Z7mnRf8Etv— Emmanuel Freudenthal (@EmmanFre) October 3, 2023
- Japan Airlines accidentally announced that they plan to rent pajamas to passengers when they plan to ‘loan’ them. Eco this and that masking cost-savings. But no rental charge.
- 50% bonus on transfers from Singapore Airlines to Shangri-La Hotels consider if your KrisFlyer miles are expiring.
Oh I thought that story was going to be about Hunter.
Sounds more like dictator-admirer and wannabe dictator himself’s son Don Jr.
Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by some of the most murderous dictators of the post-war era. The thing is, they have huge amounts of oil and the people there should be living well. Except for those at the top they are not by a long shot. Hopefully the West (and specifically the U.S.) won’t think supporting this government is to its advantage the way the Shah, Papa Doc, Mobutu and many others were to “fight Communism” (later “fight terrorism”). These things always end the same way with money stolen by “our” person, an angry popular uprising, and the foreign supporters unceremoniously kicked out. The U.S. just spent billions on drone bases in Niger so that it could play whack-a-hole with the Islamic radical groups across North Africa—destroy as many as you want, but if conditions stay awful there another will immediately arise.. “Our” president there was just overthrown, in part by officers trained in America, and now our investment is gone too. Maybe the Wagner Group will take it over.
Mrs. Zelensky goes shopping in Paris with Uncle Sam’s Amex card. War is hell!
Joe: Send another $24 billion or else.
@drrichard: “These things always end the same way with money stolen by “our” person, an angry popular uprising, and the foreign supporters unceremoniously kicked out. ”
Isn’t that the end game here? If our money eventually supports this happening, I am okay with that. All we can do is make public videos like this, how much we are giving, and any insight — and proof — how it is being used. Thinks like Starlink terminals given to their people to enhance connectivity and distribute information and news is money well spent.
This Obiang dude seems pretty cool! He know how to stay fly!
(I meant “whack-a-mole”.) I don’t know if it is the end game, Mike. Obviously plenty of military contractors get rich, and Congress gets its Citizens United donations from them while the military officers get their promotions. Somehow the officials at the top–never mind the party in power –always expect that doing the same thing will result in a different outcome, which is one definition of insanity. Throw out Saddam in a war based on lies and see Iraq turn into chaos, then do it again with Gaddafi and get the same thing…it is disheartening. But most Americans couldn’t find these places with both hands so I doubt if they care how many die. And the system is self-sustaining. Many years ago a CIA recruiter interviewed me to be an analyst. His compliment was, “We can’t use you. You think too much for yourself.”
POS Trump wannabe!
People at the top always live Expansively. Trump loved being pres. because of all the perks and a steady income plus making out like a bandit in his four years in the white house. He and his children (and they behave like children) made out like bandits also. Going hunting on our dime with secret service at our expense. He inflated the charge for the rooms where the secret service to stay at M a L, he charged us the taxpayers for his rental for golf carts at his own golf courses. Also at his golf course in Scotland.
@drrichard states:” Throw out Saddam in a war based on lies and see Iraq turn into chaos, then do it again with Gaddafi and get the same thing…it is disheartening.”
Disheartening? Really? But that was the objective from the start, to destroy nations and destabilize the region. Not exactly what most Americans like to be done in their name. However, most Americans are not aware that the Deep State is running things and that we have a state within (CIA and other “intelligence” apparatus) that have run amok for decades.
Well actually Alice, Trump’s wealth plummeted while he was president. Obama’s grew substantially but lags far behind the wealth of the Biden’s over the last 15 years. Duh!
Great move from JAL to reuse pajamas. Too much waste already.
Wish other airlines did too.