For the Israeli traveler - at least they gave you the things that they couldn't get back into your bag! I flew out of Philly soon after 9-11, when they had the 'search all bags' thing going but didn't have the luggage xray machines yet. I was at the end of a tour, with a stuffed bag from things that I had picked up. They couldn't get everything back into my bag and my options were to basically stay in the airport for the rest of my natural life. I couldn't repack the bag myself, I couldn't leave security to buy another bag, I couldn't get on my flight and I couldn't leave the airport. We just sort of stood there staring at each other until I thought to ask if I could carry my fall coat onto the airplane as a carry-on. With the coat gone, they were able to get the bag zipped and I was fine - but I really don't know what would have happened if I couldn't have done that.
For the snow in FL - I was on tour there one Dec. when I heard a radio commercial about an upcoming xmas party at a local mall where they were going to 'truck in snow' for the occasion. For a born and bred Minnesotan, that was the funniest thing I had ever heard and nearly drove off the road because I was laughing so hard. Of course, my sound tech - born and bred down the bayou from Nu'Orlens couldn't figure out what I thought was so funny.
-Centaura