Clutter

Ask the pilot’s Patrick Smith answers some questions, but first gets off on a little rant. Here’s an excerpt:

There are lots of things to dislike about hotel rooms: temperamental air conditioning, ugly carpeting, toe-breaking doorjambs. Here’s another one: cardboard brochures. Nowadays, every hotel amenity, from room service to Wi-Fi, is hawked through one or more annoying cardboard advertisements displayed throughout the room. …

My favorites are the signs boasting of the hotel’s dedication to the environment.

It just makes me scream

The Indians are playing the Red Sox and the the Fox announcers are talking about the Yankees.

Just shut up!

Good line

Arlen Specter at last night’s “Funniest Celebrity in Washington Contest:

Bob told me Elizabeth [Dole] was very angry with him because he complained about the cost of Viagra.

He said ‘You know, Arlen, they cost $10 a pill. And I said, ‘Bob, how in the hell would I know about that.’

And then Elizabeth said to him in anger, ‘Bob, you can afford $40 a year.’

Imponderables

David Pogue has a long list of good questions. Here’s just three of them:

• Why is Wi-Fi free at cheap hotels, but $14 a night at expensive ones?

• What’s the real reason you have to turn off your laptop for takeoff?

• Why don’t all hotels have check-in kiosks like airlines do?

The answer to the second of these I believe is so laptops won’t go flying around if the plane stops abruptly in an aborted takeoff and to keep passengers from being distracted and encumbered during an emergency evacuation.

More fuel to the argument that Washington celebrities never left fifth grade

Time’s Karen Tumulty reports on the 14th annual Funniest Celebrity in Washington Contest.

I neglected to mention the Honorable Mention won by C-SPAN’s Robb Harlston, who was the only contestant to do the requisite Larry Craig portion of his routine with a piece of toilet paper trailing from the back of his pants. Also, just about everyone’s act got interrupted by a cell phone call from Judith Giuliani.

Such originality.

Not what’ll I do?

Sam Brownback has withdrawn as a candidate for president.

Why is it always my candidate that drops out?

Best line of the day, so far

“Ford Runs Out of Duct Tape”

The Truth About Cars reporting on a Ford recall that has been delayed for lack of parts.

What To Do?

Out in Left Field has a problem with neighborhood kids. What should she do?

October 18th

Keith Jackson is 79 today. Whoa, Nellie.

Football hall-of-famer Mike Ditka is 68.

Pam Dawber, Mork’s Mindy, and Mrs. Mark Harmon for 20 years, is 56.

Martina Navratilova is 51.

Joanie Cunningham is 47. That’s Erin Moran.

Wynton Marsalis is 46.

And, as already noted, roll over Beethoven, Charles Edward Anderson Berry is 81 today.

Young Frankenstein’s monster himself, Peter Boyle, who died last December, would have been 72 today.

In any civilized country

… today would be a holiday.

It’s Chuck Berry’s birthday. He’s 81.

The Pedal-to-the-Metal, Totally Illegal, Cross-Country Sprint for Glory

New York to Santa Monica in 31 hours and 4 minutes — a new record. Wired Magazine has the story (not without errors). The ultimate, high-tech road trip.