Daily Dunklin Democrat

Off the Beaton Path -- Dull Detroit

Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 3:43 PM
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Hello Bloggers and Blogettes,

I have risen from the dead to make an attempt at this whole blogging thing again. My reemergence to the world of blogging was inspired by the boredom that is the Detroit International Airport. On a connection flight to Paris I have a lay over of eight and a half hours in Detroit. That's right over EIGHT hours in an airport. Don't get me wrong, they have a monorail that you can ride up and down the mile long airport as well as a pretty fountain with lights encapsulated in a glass thingy. Sorry for the ambiguity in the glass description but I thought "thingy" was the most appropriate term for whatever that glass "thingy" is supposed to be.

Those two activities have kept me entertained for the first 18 minutes, but the remaining 522 minutes may be a challenge. My phone's battery is dead and the charger is in my checked luggage and I'm tired of memorizing play lines and reading the USA Today. So what better thing to do than blog?

The primary discussion from America's frequent fliers is the latest news out of the Middle East; the assassination of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. As I roam from seat to seat around the airport I overhear people talking about how this will affect the country of Pakistan. On top of the uncertainty that will consume the nation, the assassination seems unusually strange to me and to several thousand Murray State students who went to hear her speak on MSU's campus last spring; hence my intrigue to the topic. The first democratically elected female prime minister in the Middle East discussed the difficulty and struggle she has had promoting democracy in Pakistan. Not that she's without a few skeletons in her closet, but nonetheless, an interesting speaker.

The next topic of discussion is about my place of destination, France. While spending a semester in New York City I met friends from across the globe. So I say to myself, "Ron, what good are friends if you can't use'em for a free place to stay?" Consequently I decided that I should gather some NYC friends and go spend some time with my European comrades. In France I'm looking forward to seeing the Musée du Louvre, the Arc de Triumph, the Tour Eiffel and Notre Dame. However, I get an occasional funny look by some when I mention that I'm going to France. As the saying goes, "France, they are always there when THEY need YOU."

So here are today's possible discussion questions:

What is your longest lay over in an airport?

What did you do to keep busy?

How will the assassination of Prime Minister Bhutto affect the Middle East?

What are your thoughts of France?

What better thing is there to do that blog?

Comments
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]

Ron, France if full of frogs and nothing else. I'm no longer sure why we ever liberated them!

-- Posted by br549 on Tue, Jan 8, 2008, at 7:59 PM

Not sure why we liberated them??? We need to remember history and the fact that they sent their navy to help us out during the revolution and if not for that, we may still be under the power of the King of England. I do agree that it seems as though our sacrifice during WWII for France may not be as appreciated as it should be.

-- Posted by grizz1 on Wed, Jan 9, 2008, at 9:09 AM

Ron,

The longest we have ever waited in an airport was in Denver for 1.5 hours, however there was a place to eat lots of hotwings. All the other times it seems that we pull into one end of the terminal, run to the other end of the terminal, catch a train/tram/monorail and travel 3 terminals over run to the end of it, just in time to hand over the ticket as they shut the doors of the plane. My thought of France is they don't have enough "GOOD OLE BOYS", and not enough large mouth bass to catch, or enough crappe to eat. I think that last part of my last sentence tells what better things there are to do, rather than blog.

-- Posted by silly on Wed, Jan 9, 2008, at 3:20 PM

The Detroit Airport is surprisingly beautiful! I wasn't there long (sorry), but I was very impressed by the "glass thingy" and the red monorail (though I didn't figure out how to ride it). Oh....Is that the airport with that cool underground tunnel that has all the classical music and a light show??

As for France, I've taken two trips through there and have sworn NEVER AGAIN! Why pay all that money and go to all that trouble to be insulted???

Cool idea to post a blog from an airport!

-- Posted by goat lady on Sat, Jan 12, 2008, at 1:03 PM

Just thought you folks should now the European response to "France, they're always there when THEY need YOU."

My European friend's response was, "The United States, they're always there."

Thoughts?

-- Posted by Ron on Sat, Feb 2, 2008, at 10:25 PM

Thought you might like to hear the European response.

Ron: France, they are always there when THEY need YOU.

EuroFriend: The United States, they are always there. PERIOD!

-- Posted by Ron on Mon, Feb 4, 2008, at 12:38 AM

Well, you know my theory on France. They're why I would only get to President one day- you know, bad combination, me + big red button.