But the delays weren't that bad. I sat at gate B34 in Cincinnati with Becky and Colleen, two other friendly young Bostonians. After the delay time was updated and we had two hours to kill, we started watching Monsters, Inc. on my laptop. We didn't finish the movie before boarding, but I caught the rest in the air. Good stuff.

Finally, after arriving in Boston to gargantuan lines for taxis, Becky's friends, who lived not far from me, offered me a ride home. For almost nothing, I got a ride home at a late hour with a fun, friendly atmosphere. So for all that, guys, thanks.

now to see if I can manage a second international trip in September…

Curiously enough, the prohibition against bringing grain alcohol across the Atlantic has nothing to do with import restrictions – rather, it's because the silly airlines insist they will not transport a highly flammable liquid. A moment's thought exposes this as nonsense, since airliners fly around all the time filled with extremely combustible kerosene, which is not only more dangerous than ethanol, but also has an unpleasant, greasy aftertaste.

Just as I was admiring the scene, a young policeman standing in front of Lenin's Mausoleum waved at me and signaled at me to come over. I strolled there and he asked for my passport. Yuks, another silly passport check on dangerous Asians like me. Maybe he thinks I'm a Chechen terrorist. I handed over my passport, which he examined carefully.

"OK, fine," the blond policeman said in halting English, "but you have committed a crime."

This initially scary story turns out to be rather amusing. Lots of good stuff on this site, too.

A fun story about a guy whose job is to tempt pickpockets around the world. He earns their respect, perhaps by stealing his wallet back, and learns their techniques over coffee. Then he consults to business travelers and police departments. A short, sweet, unusual professional narrative.

Long, interesting article about an expat's experience in Saudi Arabia.

Real-time flight status, with maps, weather, and other stats.

One cool visualization: Airport traffic into Boston.