The Cup Noodle – カップヌードル Kappu Nūdoru

Instant noodles were invented in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the Taiwanese-born founder of the Japanese food company Nissin. He used Chicken Ramen as the first instant ramen noodles.

In 1970, Nissin formed the subsidiary Nissin Foods (USA) Co. Inc, to sell instant noodles in the United States. Nissin recognized that the bowls traditionally used to package instant noodles in Asia were not common in the U.S, so they used the paper cup designed by Ron R. Matteson. In 1971, they introduced instant ramen packaged in a foam cup. The three original Cup O’ Noodles flavors in the US were beef, chicken and shrimp. Pork flavor was added in 1976. In 1978, Nissin Foods offered more new varieties of Top Ramen and Cup O’ Noodles. The product was known as Cup O’ Noodles in the United States until 1993.[1] In 1998, Cup Noodles Hot Sauce Varieties introduced (Beef, Chicken, Pork and Shrimp).

Instant ramen noodles are made with wheat flour, water, salt, and kansui, an alkaline water that adds elasticity to the noodles. First, the ingredients are kneaded together to make a dough. Next, this dough is rolled out and cut into thin noodles. The noodles are then steamed and are finally packaged after dehydration. Advanced technologies are used in every step of the manufacturing process. Dehydration is especially important for the preservability of instant ramen, so noodle makers have experimented with many methods.

 

Momofuku Ando, the founder of Nissin, succeeded in making the first instant ramen after much trial and error. Tempura, a traditional Japanese deep-fried food, gave him the idea of removing moisture from the noodles by frying them in oil at a high temperature. This method makes it possible to dehydrate the noodles almost completely. Moreover, it has the added advantage of leaving countless minuscule holes on the surface, making it easier for the noodles to rehydrate when steeped in hot water.

 

Recently, a new method of dehydrating ramen noodles has emerged: “blow-drying” them at a high temperature instead of frying. This was actually tried in the early days of instant ramen, but it was unpopular because the noodles did not loosen in the soup easily and because they became rubbery. In the late 1990s, thanks to refinements in blow-drying technology and in the combination of ingredients, a dehydration method was developed in which the noodles are exposed to hot air at 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 60 minutes. Known as “nonfried noodles,” ramen products made in this way have become popular for being low in calories.

 

One important merit of instant foods is that they can be stored for long periods. To ensure preservability, the water content cannot exceed 12%. Fried instant noodles have a water content of between 3% and 6%, while nonfried noodles measure around 10%. Compared to fried noodles, which have tiny holes, nonfried noodles take about two extra minutes to rehydrate. This problem should eventually be solved, though, with the development of even newer technology.

 

Dehydration is only one aspect of instant ramen production, but this overview has been enough to show us how hard ramen makers have been working to develop various methods of production in pursuit of an ever-better eating experience.

https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/hitech/ramen/ramen02.html

Zebra

I finally got to see a zebra upclose.

1. they stink! &

2. I now know if they are black with white stripes or white with black stripes.

The key is to look at the inside of their legs. The black spot is actually their base color. So the zebra is black with white stripes.

Mind blown! 🙂

Indonesia

A blog in my earlier site had explored Indonesia. Decided to write up something again:

The History of Indonesia or more precisely of the Indonesian archipelago in South East Asia with 17,508 islands goes back to Homo erectus (popularly known as the “Java Man”). There have been found fossilized remains of about one million years ago.[1]

Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, came to South East Asia from Taiwan. They arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE. The native Melanesian peoples went to the far eastern regions.[2] The agricultural conditions were very good. When wet-field rice cultivation was developed as early as the eighth century BCE,[3] villages and towns developed. And small kingdoms began to flourish by the first century CE. Indonesia’s sea-lane position helped international trade. There was trade with both Indian kingdoms and China already several centuries BCE.[4] Trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history.[5]

The nutmeg plant is native to Indonesia’s Banda Islands. It is so valuable, that European colonial powers were attacted to Indonesia.

From the seventh century CE, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished as a result of trade. Hinduism and Buddhism were imported with it.[6] In the late 13th century, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom was founded in eastern Java and under Gajah Mada, its influence stretched over much of Indonesia; this period is often referred to as a “Golden Age” in Indonesian history.[7]

During the 13th century Islam spread to the in northern Sumatra.[8] More and more Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam. By the end of the 16th century it was the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra. But it mixed with existing cultural and religious influences.[9]

The first Europeans arrived in Indonesia in 1512, when Portuguese traders, led by Francisco Serrão, sought to monopolize the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku.[10] Dutch and British traders followed. In 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power. But Dutch control stretched not very far. Only in the early 20th century it extended to borders of today.

Sukarno, Indonesia’s founding president

During the Second World War the Dutch lost control and in August 1945, Sukarno, an influential nationalist leader, declared independence and was appointed president.[11] After some fights the Netherlands formally recognized Indonesian independence in December 1949[12] (with the exception of The Dutch territory of West New Guinea).

Sukarno moved from democracy towards dictatorship. But Sukarno lost power to the head of the military, General Suharto who was formally appointed president in March 1968. He was supported by the US government,[13] and encouraged foreign direct investment in Indonesia, which helped economic growth during the following thirty years.[14] But his rule went along with corruption and suppression of political opposition.

In 1997 and 1998, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the Asian Financial Crisis.[15] This increased popular discontent with the New Order[16] and led to popular protests. Suharto resigned on 21 May 1998.[17] In 1999, East Timor voted to leave the state of Indonesia, after a twenty-five-year military occupation.[18] After Suharto’s resignation democracy improved. A regional autonomy program was introduced, and the first direct presidential election took place in 2004. But some political and economic instability has remained.[19] A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005.[20]

The history of Indonesia has been shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, a series of human migrations and contacts, wars and conquests, as well as by trade, economics and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagiccountry of 17,000 to 18,000 islands (8,844 named and 922 permanently inhabited) stretching along the equator in South East Asia. The country’s strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade; trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history. The area of Indonesia is populated by peoples of various migrations, creating a diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and languages. The archipelago’s landforms and climate significantly influenced agriculture and trade, and the formation of states. The boundaries of the state of Indonesia represent the 20th century borders of the Dutch East Indies.

Fossilised remains of Homo erectus and his tools, popularly known as the “Java Man“, suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by at least 1.5 million years ago. Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, are thought to have originally been from Taiwan and arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE. From the 7th century CE, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it. The agricultural Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties subsequently thrived and declined in inland Java. The last significant non-Muslim kingdom, the Hindu Majapahit kingdom, flourished from the late 13th century, and its influence stretched over much of Indonesia. The earliest evidence of Islamised populations in Indonesia dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra; other Indonesian areas gradually adopted Islam which became the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences.

Europeans such as the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia from the 16th century seeking to monopolise the sources of valuable nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in Maluku. In 1602 the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power by 1610. Following bankruptcy, the VOC was formally dissolved in 1800, and the government of the Netherlands established the Dutch East Indies under government control. By the early 20th century, Dutch dominance extended to the current boundaries. The Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation in 1942–45 during WWII ended Dutch rule, and encouraged the previously suppressed Indonesian independence movement. Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, nationalist leader, Sukarno, declared independence and became president. The Netherlands tried to reestablish its rule, but a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949, when in the face of international pressure, the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence.

An attempted coup in 1965 led to a violent army-led anti-communist purge in which over half a million people were killed. General Suharto politically outmanoeuvred President Sukarno, and became president in March 1968. His New Order administration garnered the favour of the West, whose investment in Indonesia was a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth. In the late 1990s, however, Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis, which led to popular protests and Suharto’s resignation on 21 May 1998. The Reformasi era following Suharto’s resignation, has led to a strengthening of democratic processes, including a regional autonomy program, the secession of East Timor, and the first direct presidential election in 2004. Political and economic instability, social unrest, corruption, natural disasters, and terrorism have slowed progress. Although relations among different religious and ethnic groups are largely harmonious, acute sectarian discontent and violence remain problems in some areas.

Engel Curve

I came across a very interesting concept and started reading about it:

The Engel Curve.

In microeconomics, an Engel curve describes how household expenditure on a particular good or service varies with household income.[1][2] There are two varieties of Engel curves. Budget share Engel curves describe how the proportion of household income spent on a good varies with income. Alternatively, Engel curves can also describe how real expenditure varies with household income. They are named after the German statistician Ernst Engel (1821–1896), who was the first to investigate this relationship between goods expenditure and income systematically in 1857. The best-known single result from the article is Engel’s law which states that the poorer a family is, the larger the budget share it spends on nourishment.

Engel’s law is an observation in economics stating that as income rises, the proportion of income spent on food falls, even if absolute expenditure on food rises. In other words, the income elasticity of demand of food is between 0 and 1.

The law was named after the statistician Ernst Engel (1821–1896).

Engel’s law does not imply that food spending remains unchanged as income increases: It suggests that consumers increase their expenditures for food products in percentage terms less than their increases in income.[1][2]

One application of this statistic is treating it as a reflection of the living standard of a country. As this proportion — or “Engel coefficient” — increases, the country is by nature poorer; conversely a low Engel coefficient indicates a higher standard of living.

More Details:

Income consumption curve is the locus, in indifference curve map, of the equilibrium quantities consumed by an individual at different levels of his income. Thus, the income consumption curve (ICC) can be used to derive the relationship between the level of consumer’s income and the quantity purchased of a commodity by him.

A nineteenth century German statistician Ernet Engel (1821-1896) made an empirical study of family budgets to draw conclusions about the pattern of consumption expenditure, that is, expenditure on different goods and services by the households at different levels of income.

The conclusions he arrived at are still believed to be generally valid. According to Engel’s studies, as the income of a family increases, the proportion of its income spent on necessities such as food falls and that spent on luxuries (consisting of industrial goods and services) increases.

In other words, the poor families spend a relatively large proportion of their income on nec­essaries, whereas rich families spend a relatively a large part of their income on luxuries. This change in the pattern of consumption expenditure (that is, decline in the proportion of income spent on food and other necessities and increase in the proportion of income spent on luxuries) with the rise in income of the families has been called Engel’s law.

 

Though Engel dealt with the relationship between income and expenditure on different goods, in order to keep our analysis simple we will describe and explain the relationship between income and quantities purchased of goods. However, both types of relations convey the same information about individual’s consumption behaviour as in our analysis of Engel’s curve; the prices of goods are held constant.

The curve showing the relationship between the levels of income and quantity purchased of particular commodities has therefore been called Engel curve. In what follows we explain how an Engel curve is derived from income con­sumption curve. In our analysis of Engel curve we relate quantity purchased of a commodity, rather than expenditure on it, to the level of consumer’s income.

It is worth noting that like the demand curve depicting relationship between price and quantity purchased, other factors remaining the same, Engel curve shows relationship be­tween income and quantity demanded, other influences on quantity purchased such as prices of goods, consumer preferences are assumed to be held constant.

For deriving Engel curve from income consumption curve we plot level of income on the Y-axis and quantity purchased of a commodity on the X-axis. Consider panel (a) in Fig. 8.26. Given the difference map representing the preferences of a consumer and the prices of two goods X and Y, ICC is the income consumption curve showing the equilibrium quantities purchased chased of a commodity by the consumer as his income increases from Rs.300 to Rs. 400 and to Rs. 500 per day. It will be seen from panel (a) of Fig. 8.26 that when income is Rs. 300, given prices of goods X and Y, the consumer is buying OQ1 quantity of the commodity.

In panel (b) of Fig. 8.26 in which level of income is represented on the vertical axis and quantity purchased of commodity X on the horizontal axis we directly plot quantity OQ1 against income level of Rs. 300. As the income increases to Rs. 400, prices of goods remaining constant, the budget line in panel (a) shifts outward to the left to the new position B2L2 with which consumer is in equilibrium at point S and the consumer buys OQ2 quantity of good X.

Thus, in panel (b) of Fig. 8.26 we plot quantity purchased OQ2 of commodity X against income level of Rs. 400. Likewise, as income further rises to Rs. 500, budget line in panel (a) shifts to B3L3 and the consumer buys OQ3 quantity of X in his new equilibrium position at T. Therefore, in panel (b) of Fig. 8.26, we plot OQ3 against income of Rs. 500. Thus equilibrium points constituting the income consumption curve in consumer’s indifference map have been transformed into Engel curve depicting quantity-income relationship.

Each point of an Engel curve corresponds to the relevant a point of income consumption curve. Thus R’ of the Engel curve EC corresponds to point R on the ICC curve. As seen from panel (b) Engel curve for normal goods is upward sloping which shows that as income increases, consumer buys more of a commodity.

The slope of Engel curve EC drawn in panel (b) of Figure 5.26 equals OM/OQ where AM stands for income and AQ a for change in quantity demanded of good X and has a positive sign. It is important to note that the slope of the Engel curve in Fig. 8.26 (panel (b)) increases as income increases. This indicates that with every equal increase in income, expansion in quantity purchased of the good successively declines.

This upward-sloping Engel curve with increasing slope as income rises depicts the case of necessities, consumption of which increases relatively less as income rises. For instance, in Fig. 8.26 when income is initially Rs. 300 (= M1) per week, the quantity purchased of the good X equals OQ, and when income rises by Rs. 100 to Rs. 400 (= M2) per week he increases his consumption to OQ2, that is, by quantity Q1Q2.

Now when his income per week further increases by Rs. 100 to Rs. 500 per week, the quantity consumed increases to OQ3, that is, Q2Q3which is less than Q1Q2. Thus, an Engel curve drawn in panel (b) of Fig. 8.26 the quantity purchased of the commodity increases with the increase in income but at a decreasing rate. This shape of the Engel curve is obtained for necessaries.

The Engel curve drawn in Fig. 8.27 is upward sloping but is concave. This implies that the slope of the Engel curve (ΔM/ΔQ) is declining with the increase in income. That is, on the Engel curve of a commodity depicted in Fig. 8.27 the equal increments in income result in successively larger increases in the quantity purchased of the commodity.

Thus, in Fig. 8.27 at income of Rs. 300 the consumer purchases OQ, quantity of a commodity. The increase in income by Rs. 100 to Rs. 400 results in increase in quantity purchased of the commodity equal to Q1Q2. With the further increase in income by the same amount of Rs. 100 to Rs. 500, the quantity purchased increases by Q2Q3 which is larger than Q1Q2.

This implies that as a consumer becomes richer he purchases relatively more of the commodity. Such com­modities are called luxuries. Examples of luxuries are air travel, butter, costly woollen suits, air conditioners, costly fruits, etc.

Engel Curve

In case of inferior goods, consumption of the commodity declines as income increases. Engel curve of an inferior good is drawn in Figure 8.28 which is backward bending indicating fall in quantity purchased of the good as income increases.

Backward Bending Engel Curve of an Inferior Good

An extreme case of an Engel curve is a vertical straight line as drawn in Fig. 8.29. This represents the case of a neutral commodity which is quite unresponsive to increase in income. The Engel curve of the shape of a vertical straight line shows that a person goes on consuming the same amount of a commodity whatever the level Commodity X of his income. For example, the quantity of common salt purchased by a family remains the same, determined as it is by food habits, with the increase in their income.

Engel Curve of a Neutral Good

:Read more: 

A Polo Shirt

which ironically is not a shirt but a T-Shirt.

A polo shirt is a form of shirt with a collar, a placket neckline with typically two or three buttons, and an optional pocket. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved; they were originally used by polo players during the 1920

History of the polo shirt

At the end of the 19th Century outdoor activities became important for the British ruling class. Johdpur pants and polo shirts became part of the wardrobe for horse-related sports. The two garments were brought back from India by the British, along with the game of polo. A picture shot at the end of the XIX (19th) century presumably in India, shows players wearing a striped polo shirt.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tennis players ordinarily wore “tennis whites” consisting of long-sleeved white button-up shirts (worn with the sleeves rolled up), flannel trousers, and ties.This attire presented problems for ease of play and comfort.

René Lacoste, the French seven-time Grand Slam tennis champion, felt that the stiff tennis attire was too cumbersome and uncomfortable. He designed a white, short-sleeved, loosely-knit piqué cotton (he called the cotton weave jersey petit piqué) shirt with an unstarched, flat, protruding collar, a buttoned placket, and a shirt-tail longer in back than in front (known today as a “tennis tail”; see below), which he first wore at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.

Beginning in 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts, as the American press had begun to refer to him as “The Crocodile” a nickname which he embraced.

Lacoste’s design mitigated the problems that traditional tennis attire created:

  • the short, cuffed sleeves solved the tendency of long sleeves to roll down
  • the soft collar could be loosened easily by unbuttoning the placket
  • the piqué collar could be worn upturned to protect the neck skin from the sun
  • the jersey knit piqué cotton breathed and was more durable
  • the “tennis tail” prevented the shirt from pulling out of the wearer’s trousers or shorts

In 1933, after retiring from professional tennis, Lacoste teamed up with André Gillier, a friend who was a clothing merchandiser, to market that shirt in Europe and North America. Together, they formed the company Chemise Lacoste, and began selling their shirts, which included the small embroidered crocodile logo on the left breast.

Application to polo

Until the beginning of 20th century polo players wore thick long-sleeve shirts made of Oxford-cloth cotton.[12] This shirt was the first to have a buttoned-down collar, which polo players invented in the late 19th century to keep their collars from flapping in the wind (Brooks Brothers‘ early president, John Brooks, noticed this while at a polo match in England and began producing such a shirt in 1896).

Brooks Brothers still produces this style of button-down “polo shirt”. Still, like early tennis clothing, those clothes presented a discomfort on the field.

In 1920, Lewis Lacey, a Canadian born of English parents in Montreal, Quebec, in 1887, haberdasher and polo player, began producing a shirt that was embroidered with an emblem of a polo player, a design originated at the Hurlingham Polo Club near Buenos Aires. The definition of the uniform of polo players – the polo shirt and a pair of white trousers – is actually a fairly recent addition to the sport. Until the 1940s shirts were generally very plain, with no numbers, writing or logos. When necessary, numbers (ranging from 1 – 4) were simply pinned on to the back of the player’s shirts a few minutes before the start of a match. To differentiate the polo teams from one another, some polo shirts had horizontal stripes, others bore diagonal coloured stripes.

The story behind US Polo’s Polo T-shirts

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the non-profit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States. With worldwide distribution through over 1,000 U.S. Polo Assn. branded stores, independent retail, department stores and e-commerce, the U.S. Polo Assn. brand offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in approximately 150 countries worldwide. The Association’s trademarks and logos registered worldwide are managed by USPA Global Licensing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the USPA.

USPA Global Licensing, Inc. partners with licensees in North and South America,[1] Asia, Europe,[2] Scandinavia, Russia, and the Middle East[3] to provide consumers with branded apparel, accessories, luggage, watches, shoes, small leather goods, eyewear and home furnishings.

As a for-profit corporation, USPA Global Licensing, Inc. pays taxes on its profits generated by sales from U.S. Polo Assn. products and submits royalties to the USPA for the exclusive rights to license its trademarks. Since its incorporation in 1890, U.S. Polo Assn. has realized annual global retail sales in excess of $1.6 billion. The royalties paid to the USPA enables them to promote the sport of polo and underwrite educational and training programs such as benefits for polo player members, support training centers for interscholastic and intercollegiate polo competition [4] and fund programs in umpiring, competition and equine welfare.

Very interesting indeed!

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Polo_Assn.
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polo_shirt

 

Fertility of the sea

I came across this really powerful Japanese Taiko drum ensemble

got me really thinking and doing more research on the composer: Eitetsu Hayashi. The title : Fertility of the sea.

More about Hayashi San: Eitetsu Hayashi (林英哲 Hayashi Eitetsu)(born February 2, 1952) is an acclaimed Japanese musician best known for his solo performance work in taiko.[1] Hayashi joined the group Ondekoza at an early age. Later, after parting from group, helped found the taiko group Kodo, though he quickly left to begin a solo career.[2] Hayashi has performed in notable venues such as Carnegie Hall in 1984 and was the first featured taiko performer at the institution.[3][4] He is also the recipient of multiple awards recognizing the cultural value of his work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eitetsu_Hayashi

test post

testing new post with classic editor.

Looks like it worked. for some reason, I was unable to add a new blogpost with the new editor. Switched to the classic editor and it all worked just fine! Dang!

 

I’ve Moved!

Folks- i have been working on creating a new blog using WordPress – so please visit the new URL – http://blog.supermenon.com

I need to create the auto re-direct- but till i can figure out the how to auto redirect and not crash my blog – i request you to please click here

#southwest pilot holds plane for Traveler

I have read, from various sources, how Southwest is a people centric organization – and considering their stock symbol is LUV, I thought this was the most touching story for a long time. Kudos to the pilot.

I picked up this story from:

It’s easy to be an airline industry critic in an era of “no waivers, no favors” and fees on top of fees. It’s easy to paint airlines as heartless corporations that treat us like self-loading cargo.

But every now and then, you hear a story that turns you into an adoring fan. Like Nancy’s story.

Before I continue, I should mention a few things: Nancy is a faithful reader of this site, and I agreed to use only her first name because of the brutal nature of the crime and the age of the victim. Second, I’m not an emotional, John Boehner-type, but I can’t read her story without getting a little teary.

So you’ve been warned: Grab a tissue.

Last night, my husband and I got the tragic news that our three-year-old grandson in Denver had been murdered by our daughter’s live-in boyfriend.

He is being taken off life support tonight at 9 o’clock and his parents have opted for organ donation, which will take place immediately. Over 25 people will receive his gift tonight and many lives will be saved.

This morning, after only a couple hours sleep, my husband and I began to make all arrangements to get him to Denver to be with our daughter. He is currently on business in LA and is flying Southwest.

While his employer, Northrop Grumman, made arrangements to get his ticket changed so he could get to Tucson today (which he had to do in order to not spend any extra money) I called Southwest to arrange his flight from Tucson to Denver so he would be stepping off one plane and getting on another.

He has several free flights with them so I couldn’t really do it on the website. The ticketing agent was holding back tears throughout the call. I’m actually her step-mother and it’s much more important for my husband to be there than for me to be there.

In LAX, the lines to both check a bag and get through security were exceptional. He got to the airport two hours early and was still late getting to his plane.

Every step of the way, he’s on the verge of tears and trying to get assistance from both TSA and Southwest employees to get to his plane on time.

According to him, everyone he talked to couldn’t have cared less. When he was done with security, he grabbed his computer bag, shoes and belt and ran to his terminal in his stocking feet.

When he got there, the pilot of his plane and the ticketing agent both said, “Are you Mark? We held the plane for you and we’re so sorry about the loss of your grandson.”

The pilot held the plane that was supposed to take off at 11:50 until 12:02 when my husband got there.

As my husband walked down the Jetway with the pilot, he said, “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

The pilot responded with, “They can’t go anywhere without me and I wasn’t going anywhere without you. Now relax. We’ll get you there. And again, I’m so sorry.”

My husband was able to take his first deep breath of the day.

I don’t know any other airline that would have done this.

I’m speechless. Twelve minutes many not sound like a lot to you or me, but every second counts when you’re an airline. Southwest can turn an entire plane around in about 20 minutes, so 12 minutes is half an eternity.

I shared Nancy’s story with Southwest, and a representative said the airline was “proud” of the way the pilot had held the flight. Again, most airlines would punish an employee who holds up the line for any reason.

My Monday post is normally called, “Can this trip be saved?” But today I’m sharing a trip that was saved amid tragic circumstances by a compassionate pilot and an airline that supported his decision to hold a flight.

Good work, Southwest!