What Has Two Thumbs and Loves a Trans-Atlantic Flight? The worst part of a trip to Europe is, as you might imagine, the long journey across the ocean. Between the long flight, the time zone change and the general dislocation, it is a grueling experience; one that deters some people from even considering a trip abroad. Having come from Stockholm to Phoenix, I can't disagree with any of this. I can say, however, that the upside of the vacation itself far outweighs the unpleasantness of the travel. And, there are a couple things one can do to mitigate the unpleasantness and uncertainty associated with such a trip -- food and movies.
Bring Something to Eat. This is critical. With more and more airlines cutting back on already suspect food and drink service and the uncertainty what any particular airport will have, you simply must bring something to eat. We had the advantage of a decent European breakfast at our hotel, one that included what we on this side of the pond refer to as sandwich fixins' -- bread (including some of the gluten-free variety), meats, cheeses, peanut butter and jelly, and the three of us not named Owen did the responsible thing.
When we got to the Stockholm Airport, and I was looking to get rid of our last bit of Swedish Krona, the food choices were somewhere between slim and none so Owen procured for himself a decorative tin of Skittles and a set of mini Chips Ahoy! cookies. Three days later, I don't think Owen has figured out how to open that tin, so it sits in our cupboard until, months from now, Keri will ask what the hell this thing is doing in her cupboard and throw it out.
The food options were not a whole lot better in London, where we changed planes, not because there are a lack of options at Heathrow, but because they are all located far from the gates and, given the time between our flights, we were unable to make use any of them. As it was, Owen found a vending machine ice cream.
I'm Not Sure What is Going on in England. We flew British Airways through London for the direct flight to Phoenix. We have been through Heathrow a number of times over the past six years, and the experience was always pretty good. This year, at both ends of our trip, the process seemed really inefficient, as we had to wait close to twenty minutes for a shuttle bus to take us between terminals. At the second terminal, our gate was located at the far end. When we got there, we realized there was no bathroom at or near the gate, the closest one back in the middle of the terminal. On top of that, the machine failed that usually provides air conditioning to the plane while at the gate, which ended up delaying the flight for some time, not to mention leaving us a really hot plane. I cannot imagine what would have happened if our flight had been several days later, when the temperatures approached triple digits.
We flew through London the day before Boris Johnson was "elected" new prime minister of the United Kingdom. Johnson, the primary political force behind the pro-Brexit vote, now gets the privilege and honor of steering the ship of state through some very treacherous waters. I am clearly making too much of this, but I can't help but be struck by the coincidence of declining travel experiences at Heathrow and the political and economic cluster our British friends have created for themselves.
How Does the Government Decide What to Regulate? I've always been intrigued in what the government decides what to regulate. My core theory, in a nutshell, is that the government over-regulates individuals and small businesses while under-regulating massive corporations. One area crying out for more and better regulation is in airplane cabin design, particularly when it comes to the space between seats. Much has been written about the reduction seating space over the years, and how we are slowly being turned into sardine profit-centers for the airlines.
That problem can be made worse, very quickly, when the person in front of you decides to put their seat in the full-recline position, as happened to Keri on our 10-hour flight. The ethics of seat-reclining, whatever they were ten years ago, have moved to the "no decent human being reclines their seat" stage. Maybe some day, when we all live under one global government that forces airplane design engineers and corporate executives to fly some amount of time in the very planes they design, this will all change.
Let's All Go to the Movies. One area in which trans-Atlantic travel has really improved are the in-flight entertainment options, now providing personalized screens with lots of movie choices. On our flight back, I got to see four films that I had wanted to see, and I'm absolutely the better for it. Creed II, the latest movie in the Rocky universe, is totally formulaic and overly-dependent on the dated plot from Rocky IV. But, as is often the case for Rocky films, it just works. The actors -- Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson -- are all very strong and make you care deeply about their characters. You know where the plot is going at all times, but that in no way detracts from the experience. And I'll be damned if I wasn't tearing up at the end.
I liked, but did not love, On the Basis of Sex, the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's and Martin Ginsburg's marriage and collaboration on a 1972 challenge to a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that allowed only women to take deductions for payments made for dependent home-health care. Much of the story is told from the perspective of the future Supreme Court Justice, including her personal experiences of gender-based discrimination at Harvard Law School and as a new lawyer in New York in the early 1960's. The movie does a nice job portraying the Ginsburgs, and Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer were good, but I felt like the movie could have been tighter and more focused. Worth seeing, for sure, but this will not be at the top of the current slate of RBG hagiographies.
The Favourite was superb in nearly every way, a black comedy about two cousins vying for the affections of Queen Anne, the last ruler from the House of Stuart. Great writing, production and acting. Olivia Colman was tremendous, and so deserving of her best actress award. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz were terrific, as expected, playing so well off each other in their rivalry at the center of the plot. If you have not seen this film, stop reading this and do so immediately.
I wanted to like Vice more than I did. The subject matter, Dick Cheney, is compelling, and I am big fan of writer and director Adam McKay, as well as pretty much all of the actors in the film. The film does a lot of things well, for sure, but it ultimately fails in conveying a narrative of Cheney that rings true. I am no fan of the former vice president, who is surely responsible for many, many bad things, which makes baffling McKay's decision to put on Cheney things well beyond his control. For a subject like Cheney, a film really needs to explore that person in all their complexity, helping us see what really motivates someone making the choices they have. This film had the potential to do that, but fell short. Worth seeing, still, but I had hoped for more.
That Took a While. Even with four good to great films, that was one long travel day. The guy in front of Keri ultimately was forced to raise his seat, and Keri was able to exhale. We were all allowed to exit the plane, step into the jetway and experience the familiar blast of heat that feels like home. Our bags were not quick in coming off the plane, but they all came, and, a Lyft home to two family members who we have missed terribly for the past seven weeks.
When we got to the Stockholm Airport, and I was looking to get rid of our last bit of Swedish Krona, the food choices were somewhere between slim and none so Owen procured for himself a decorative tin of Skittles and a set of mini Chips Ahoy! cookies. Three days later, I don't think Owen has figured out how to open that tin, so it sits in our cupboard until, months from now, Keri will ask what the hell this thing is doing in her cupboard and throw it out.The food options were not a whole lot better in London, where we changed planes, not because there are a lack of options at Heathrow, but because they are all located far from the gates and, given the time between our flights, we were unable to make use any of them. As it was, Owen found a vending machine ice cream.
I'm Not Sure What is Going on in England. We flew British Airways through London for the direct flight to Phoenix. We have been through Heathrow a number of times over the past six years, and the experience was always pretty good. This year, at both ends of our trip, the process seemed really inefficient, as we had to wait close to twenty minutes for a shuttle bus to take us between terminals. At the second terminal, our gate was located at the far end. When we got there, we realized there was no bathroom at or near the gate, the closest one back in the middle of the terminal. On top of that, the machine failed that usually provides air conditioning to the plane while at the gate, which ended up delaying the flight for some time, not to mention leaving us a really hot plane. I cannot imagine what would have happened if our flight had been several days later, when the temperatures approached triple digits.
We flew through London the day before Boris Johnson was "elected" new prime minister of the United Kingdom. Johnson, the primary political force behind the pro-Brexit vote, now gets the privilege and honor of steering the ship of state through some very treacherous waters. I am clearly making too much of this, but I can't help but be struck by the coincidence of declining travel experiences at Heathrow and the political and economic cluster our British friends have created for themselves.
How Does the Government Decide What to Regulate? I've always been intrigued in what the government decides what to regulate. My core theory, in a nutshell, is that the government over-regulates individuals and small businesses while under-regulating massive corporations. One area crying out for more and better regulation is in airplane cabin design, particularly when it comes to the space between seats. Much has been written about the reduction seating space over the years, and how we are slowly being turned into sardine profit-centers for the airlines.That problem can be made worse, very quickly, when the person in front of you decides to put their seat in the full-recline position, as happened to Keri on our 10-hour flight. The ethics of seat-reclining, whatever they were ten years ago, have moved to the "no decent human being reclines their seat" stage. Maybe some day, when we all live under one global government that forces airplane design engineers and corporate executives to fly some amount of time in the very planes they design, this will all change.
Let's All Go to the Movies. One area in which trans-Atlantic travel has really improved are the in-flight entertainment options, now providing personalized screens with lots of movie choices. On our flight back, I got to see four films that I had wanted to see, and I'm absolutely the better for it. Creed II, the latest movie in the Rocky universe, is totally formulaic and overly-dependent on the dated plot from Rocky IV. But, as is often the case for Rocky films, it just works. The actors -- Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson -- are all very strong and make you care deeply about their characters. You know where the plot is going at all times, but that in no way detracts from the experience. And I'll be damned if I wasn't tearing up at the end.
I liked, but did not love, On the Basis of Sex, the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's and Martin Ginsburg's marriage and collaboration on a 1972 challenge to a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that allowed only women to take deductions for payments made for dependent home-health care. Much of the story is told from the perspective of the future Supreme Court Justice, including her personal experiences of gender-based discrimination at Harvard Law School and as a new lawyer in New York in the early 1960's. The movie does a nice job portraying the Ginsburgs, and Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer were good, but I felt like the movie could have been tighter and more focused. Worth seeing, for sure, but this will not be at the top of the current slate of RBG hagiographies.The Favourite was superb in nearly every way, a black comedy about two cousins vying for the affections of Queen Anne, the last ruler from the House of Stuart. Great writing, production and acting. Olivia Colman was tremendous, and so deserving of her best actress award. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz were terrific, as expected, playing so well off each other in their rivalry at the center of the plot. If you have not seen this film, stop reading this and do so immediately.
I wanted to like Vice more than I did. The subject matter, Dick Cheney, is compelling, and I am big fan of writer and director Adam McKay, as well as pretty much all of the actors in the film. The film does a lot of things well, for sure, but it ultimately fails in conveying a narrative of Cheney that rings true. I am no fan of the former vice president, who is surely responsible for many, many bad things, which makes baffling McKay's decision to put on Cheney things well beyond his control. For a subject like Cheney, a film really needs to explore that person in all their complexity, helping us see what really motivates someone making the choices they have. This film had the potential to do that, but fell short. Worth seeing, still, but I had hoped for more.That Took a While. Even with four good to great films, that was one long travel day. The guy in front of Keri ultimately was forced to raise his seat, and Keri was able to exhale. We were all allowed to exit the plane, step into the jetway and experience the familiar blast of heat that feels like home. Our bags were not quick in coming off the plane, but they all came, and, a Lyft home to two family members who we have missed terribly for the past seven weeks.
Welcome home!!!
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