Heroism involves taking on voluntarily an extreme risk to one's own life in order to save the lives of others. There has to be the element of sacrifice. The word "hero" has been so sensationalized by the media as to have become almost meaningless. Not surprising - journalists are paid to appeal to emotions, not reason. I suspect the pilots themselves find all this "hero worship" distasteful, as would any professional with integrity.

[Sorry, I meant Mumbai.]

I agree with Patrick. The woman in the Mobassa terrorist incident who left a safe room to stop terrorists killing the children in her charge at great risk to her own life is a hero. The man who jumped onto the subway tracks to help a stranger get out of the way of a train is a hero. A hero is one who takes a great risk with his or her own life to save others. The pilots and crew were not "heros" but were skilled professionals and lucky.

In a world run by Bernard Madoffs the pilots are heros.

Had the pilot not kept the wings pefectly level one wing would have dug in and the plane would have been torn apart. Those passengers and crew owe a lot to the pilot(s).

"It is irritating to hear the endless gushings of the cable news anchors/reporters who keep referring to the incident as a "miracle"

At least we hav'nt had to listen to the usual "We were saved by the Lord" and "Jesus was our co-pilot" drivel.

I think we have to admit that, much as we like Patrick, he can be a little pedantic at times.

I doubt it. Israel is too busy right now killing children in Gaza.

The real "heros" here are the designers and engineers at Airbus who ensured that the plane would float.

When will we get to see an HBO series about a woman with four husbands? Now that might be worth watching.

I suspect that one of the major causes of addiction is isolation and lonliness, which are endemic in North American society. This self-obsession is pathological. Whatever effectiveness 12 step programs have is likely due to the social support people find in them and the opportunity they give for people to refocus their attention on others.

No one should ever say "I love you" to anyone. It should be redundant.

"Hummer's legendary reliability"

Actually, the Hummer is one of the least reliable vehicles on the road.

"Money can't buy me love"

I feel sorry for this young woman that she may be passing up finding an actual relationship while wasting her time with this guy. Or she may not be capable of a real emotional connection. It's sad.

This is right on target. A woman (or man) can sell their bodies if they want, but time goes fast and why pass up any chance of a real loving relationship and family? For designer shoes? Not worth it.

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"

Obama was born in 1961, making him very much a "boomer".

Better still, don't date anyone. Dating leads to dancing, dancing to fucking and fucking to babies which we all know are the ultimate evil. Better yet, kill yourself and let your body be composted. Then there will be more room on the planet for such species as cockroaches and rats which we all know are much better than humans.

You have to love the French. They don't care what or whether their intellectuals think as long as they wear the right handmade shirts, have a really nice apartment, and a handy string of aphorisms ready to launch at the media. Philosophy lite.

1. Extreme wealth should be heavily taxed. No one can "earn" a billion dollars except by exploiting many other people

2. The taxes should be spent to ensure that everyone has decent housing, education and health care. The present income inequality in this country and throughout the world is an obscenity and the main source of human suffering.

3. If 1 and 2 applied, your relative would not be an object of envy and you would be in a position to develop you skills to contribute to society.

An excellent thought-provoking article. From Emirates first class luxury to this! They say travel broadens the mind and, Patrick, it has. Thank you.

Bankers need lessons in the public grovel. On second thought, I'll pass.

"In my 20+ years as a pilot the majority of my aborted landings were due to Runway Excursions"

Tourism really is out of control, now they even have runway excursions.

How much does it cost to fly Emirates First Class? I thought so. Fogetaboutit.

"But all the phone calls and e-mails to my Democratic representatives won't stop them from being pussies and bending over and taking it in the ass.....so to speak.

How do I know this? Because that's what they always do"

That's what all politicians have been paid to do - wring their hands, say all the right things and then pass the bailout. It is truly the best democracy money can buy. The US has been a kleptocracy for many years; now it is obvious.

"I then figured out I had no idea what to do if we had started rolling without the flaps deployed! Advice, Patrick?"

This is off topic, but an example of TSA overeaching.

A friend was taking a baby toy with batteries (not Lithium) in carry on baggage and it was confiscated at JFK. No compensation. No reason. Not on any list of prohibited items.

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