Minor technical difficulties
I often wonder what’s behind the phrase “minor technical difficulties” whenever you hear the phrase used in real life. Is it really something technical? Or maybe just a crucial employee who has a case of diarrhea? It can mean anything, really. I’m pretty sure, it often is something as mundane as in this comic. In Vienna they sometimes like to use the phrase “an ill passenger” when they have to stop the subway. But “ill passenger” can mean anything from someone having a heart attack to somebody jumping in front of the train.
Talking about ill: Thanks everyone for your wishes a couple of weeks ago, when I wrote I was getting sick! I went through a few really bad days, and annoyingly, I’m still not fully recovered. I’m still struggling with some sort of slight bronchitis that doesn’t want to go away. And my doctor says it’s viral and not bacterial, so I can’t just pop a magic antibiotic pill. Sigh. It’s times like these that make you appreciate the times when you’re healthy. It’s so easy to take that for granted. I hope you all out there are doing fine! If you are, please drink a beer for me, or take a run, not necessarily in that order! I hope I can join you again soon.
The standard euphemism for a suicide used to be “Störung im Betriebsablauf” (operational disruption) at Deutsche Bahn.
Speaking of bronchitis, this time I managed to fend it off in the early stages with regular inhalations of ambroxol hydrochloride, herbal infusions (the “tea” kind, not IV) mint oil and lozenges. Of course that’s probably mostly the “powerful placebo” effect, and I would have gone to see a doctor if it had deteriorated from slightly annoying to pretty bad. My wife has let it get as bad as full-blown pneumonia a couple of times, so we are quite careful about it now.
Translation says:
“The ‘pilot’ is an IMBECILE”
Modern pants, so comfortable as a jump suit… except (after a long drive or flight) when that BLASTED STRING gets stuck & no Zip … MAjOR TECHNiCAL DiFFiCULTY!!
When I think of “Technical Difficulties” as a student, I usually think of disruptions to my classes due to the computer, projector, microphone, “Doc-cam,” and whatever else is giving the professor trouble.Not uncommon, especially in the older buildings.
When i worked for this really marginal air freight outfit ,
i was getting ready to depart Boeing field with load,
and all of the sudden the radios quit.still on the ramp,
I called the office. “Hit the top of the panel with your fist and see what happens.” I did and they worked. “Works every time.-if it happens again, just give the stack a whack!.”
The FAA shut them down after I left to do something a lot safer-Aerial Firefighting..
Once when i was flying i was told the plane i had rented was having Minor technical difficulties. Come to discover, the previous pilot had whaled, bounced many times and hit the prop at least once, causing the plane to be grounded. The company i was renting the plane from, was insisting that the plane was still flyable. I decided to skip flying for the day and pay the penalty for late cancellation of the rental. as for being self grounded, no money and no one in the area that rents planes to get current.