Two Apologies

I got two apologies in my email, recently. The first was from WisCon, apologizing for the computer glitchy-ness relating to panel assignments. Me, I think, hey, I know that WisCon is done on a totally volunteer basis, and the still do better than any other con I've been to. So. While apologies are always a mark of class in my mind, it's only icing on an already perfectly chocolaty cake. Maybe I'm just too much in love with WisCon to see any of its faults, but, with me, its credit is so high it'd need to do something horrific to lose my faith. Thank you, WisCon volunteers, for everything you do.

The second apology was from Expedia. Remember how they screwed up my flight last October? How I was on hold for four and a half hours before giving up? Did I mention that I never did get to speak to someone there, and that their first email response was just simply wrong (after taking a week) and my follow-up email was never responded to and that I ultimately had to contact American Airlines directly to get a refund on my ticket.

Well, now, seven months later, they sent me an apology. According to them, their problems have been resolved, and they're offering me a $50 certificate by way of compensation. Unlike WisCon, Expedia is a business, and this, in my opinion, fails to entice me to ever try their service again. Screw you, Expedia.

The Government Nobody Deserves

On Sunday, President Rene Preval chose Ericq Pierre, 63, a respected Haitian economist with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, to be the country's prime minister.

— "Canada welcomes Haitian PM's appointment"

Oh, for Christ's sake. An economist with the IDB?

In THAC, we often have conversations about the almost-stolen election of 2006. Préval is one of the good guys, and there's evidence that the elections officials destroyed many of his ballots. If Haitians had not marched in the streets in protest over fishy early results, the election may have gone very differently. (Canada, by the way, brags about the $30 million that it spent on the elections).

One of the guys in THAC talks about how it's too easy for leftists to say, "Whew, the good guys won. Fight over." Really, Haitians saved the Presidency, but the balance of power in the Senate, municipal and other government bodies was compromised. When Alexis was forced out a few weeks ago, that was a real blow for Lespwa (Préval's new party) and for Lavalas. It's not surprising that the Convergence-dominated senate ganged up on him. How shocking is it that he's been replaced with an IDB economist?

Edit: Here are two leftist analyses of this announcement. This passage, from the second (and quoted in the first) is intersting:

Preval was also pressured to choose Ericq Pierre by several visiting foreign officials such as Alain Joyandel, French Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophonie, Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), and Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

One of the big issues that's going to emerge in the new few years is that, with both Préval and Aristide now out of the running for next president, Haiti needs the next batch of respected and popular political leaders. One of the reasons I take Lovinsky's kidnapping so hard is that I believe that he could have one day become Haiti's president. He is known, respected and politically connected.

Living in a Venn Diagram

Some time ago, it occurred to me that I live simultaneously in two very different worlds. ( leftist, fannish, or part of the government? )