Averbuch.net

(this post was written while I was flying and will be posted once I get online later – actual written time, 7:35 AM, Dec 11)

Taking another business trip this morning (I am writing this at about 40,000 feet, but will upload later), and failing to fall asleep on the ride down, I spent some time looking around at how and what people read while sitting on the plane (and trying not to be invasive).

It’s fairly interesting; there are some sleepers, lots of fiction books (though none I have ever heard of, save the ubiquitius Harry Potter readers – I mean seriously, haven’t you read them all yet?), a few people on their PCs, and surprisingly, no magazine or newspaper readers. I wonder how this would change for a flight at a different time of day – our flight did take off at 6:40 AM, after all. I’ll have to look around again later this evening when we return back (and yes, this makes a very, very long day).

That last fact shocks me; especially, as I love to utilize flights as a good opportunitiy to catch up on periodicals that I then leave behind in the airport in hopes that it gives someone else to read.

What I’ve read so far on the plane (and granted we’ve only been flying for an hour or so – I do read fast, after all):

1. Alaska Airlines In-Flight Magazine
2. Finished my copy of the Economist from this week (I usually read this as a back-and-forth over a couple of bus rides to and from work, but still had 15 or so pages to go)
3. A few sections of the Seattle Times (that someone had left on their seat on the airport – THANKS!)
   1. Article that makes me happiest: Yeah for Northwest Airlines starting Seattle-London service; more traffic on the straight to Europe route should make us booking flights for going to Israel next year easier.
4. Money Magazine (just came yesterday – it’s part of a series of magazines that Joelle and I signed up for since she had a pretty small amount of Delta Airlines miles that were going to expire unless we used them – not enough to get a flight, might as well get something for them)
   1. Hints to self – they mention looking at the Treasury Departments website to see if there are outstanding savings bonds in your name; I have never done this – I wonder if there are some that have been lost along the way.
   2. Hint #2 – look up charity’s and their financial statements online. I’ve never spent time investigating these, since I usually just go with organizations I am involved with.
5. Seattle Jewish Transcript (and the Happy Hannukah insert) – By the way, the last issue and this one have had the first 2 of a 3-part series on Christian Evangelical movements and Jews (mostly focused on the so-called “Jews for Jesus”) – a couple of thoughts:
   1. It is sort of surprising there hasn’t been a letters to the editor backlash against the newspaper giving these organizations any press.
   2. I find it hilarious (and scary) to the effort that these groups go through to try and woo just one Jew. Seriously – why do they care so much?
   3. The articles are, in the end, quite fascinating. It’s probably the most interesting read they’ve had in there in a long time, so I, for one, am glad they are printing them.

My other reading material for the ride back (though I may need to pick up another reading material as well) is a book the President of Kavana recommended, but I haven’t gotten around to… hopefully it will take up the time it states, and thus, half of the flight: “The Ultimate Board Member’s Book: A 1-hour Guide”

I wonder what my reading list says about me?