Snow globes banned

Right down at the bottom of the TSA list of prohibited items, we see "Snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation".

Seems unlikely that a terrorist would go to the trouble of putting explosive-making liquids into a snow globe, but I guess they have to think of everything...

Northwest Airliner overshoots airport - by 150 miles

Bizarre story, and I wonder did no passengers realise that they had passed Minneapolis.

Perhaps they thought that Delta was turning it into a Ryanair-style airline which uses airports which are not particularly close to the destination city. I remember flying to Brussels with Ryanair and looking down, thinking "hmm that is Brussels we just passed", and then flying on for quite a while before we landed in "Brussels Charleroi"- which is a long way from Brussels itself.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/10/23/airliner.fly.by/index.html

Good Greek restaurant in Baltimore

Although I live in an area which has a large Greek population, I had to go to Baltimore, Maryland, for an upscale Greek restaurant. At the Black Olive in the Fells Point area, I had really good fish dish. However, the food took ages to arrive (and it was fish, so it didn't take long to cook) and I had to eat fast because I was worried about the rental car overstaying the 2-hour parking limit on the street where it was left.

Not cheap, but good food - just make sure you are not in a hurry.

Google Voice - the Ghost in the machine

I've been using Google Voice for cheap international calls from my Blackberry. It effectively gives the Blackberry a new phone number, and supplants AT&T's international calling (which is actually pretty cheap anyway, but not as cheap as Google Voice). AT&T should be worried about this, it's like a "ghost in the machine" - even the icon is a bit ghostly.

Good Italian restaurant in Columbus, Ohio

Martini is a good Italian restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. I'd recommend the braised short ribs or the veal ravioli.

Virgin America to offer Free Wifi

If I'd know this last week, I would have flown Virgin America for a trip to LA this week, rather than my usual United....

Code for free in-flight WiFi when flying Boston to BWI

Crossposted to Boston Irish

If you're flying Boston to BWI on Airtran, you can get free WiFi from now until the end of 2009 by following these steps:

1. On the plane, select the "gogoinflight" SSID
2. Sign in or click "Buy" to create a new account.
3. On the "Payment Info" page, enter this code (case sensitive): BOSBWI
4. Click "Update Total".

Not a good idea to tell airline checkin staff that your bags were packed by Osama Bin Laden

Virgin Atlantic letter to Tory MP David Amess:

"Your comment at check-in that Osama Bin Laden had packed your bags was unwise"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218007/MP-says-bags-packed-Bin-Laden-violently-ill-plane--sends-letter-complaint-Virgin.html#ixzz0SuxPQGRG

London Underground - Sloths to the rescue

Check out this fake London Underground sign. (having lived in Dublin and Boston, I always find it funny that people in London grumble about their underground system. I can see it is annoying when escalators often are broken down, or trains are crowded. But it is head and shoulders over Boston, and Dublin does not even have an underground rail system).

Hat tip to the Daily Telegraph - 15 funny road signs