Hello Mary Lu

"In the valley of the jolly Ho! Ho! Ho! green giant."

I don't know about many of you, but those words were owned by the booming voice of Len Dresslar, a singer and vocalist who was the voice of the Jolly Green Giant. Last week, Len passed away in Palm Springs of cancer. I had the pleasure of meeting Len and his wife Dorothy one evening during the weekly sing-song and dinner show at Tony's in Palm Springs. His voice was distinct and for someone like me who grew up hearing that voice sing many jingles and songs on TV and radio while I was growing up-- you couldn't mistake it.

That evening we had a short but lovely chat about radio, tv and how the business of jingle singing had changed over the years. It was a pleasure to meet him. RIP Len, the valley's going to miss you.

Nothing interesting to say...

Today's comment du jour is best said by Dave Whamond creator of The Reality Check.

Dave hits the nail on the head when it comes to a large number of blogs online today. "Nothing very interesting to say." When I first began blogging, there were less than 1000. The Blogging World consisted of a group of die-hard geeks and technically accomplished writers who not only had something interesting to say but, were more than willing to beat difficult software into submission to get it posted.

Doc brought up the subject of trying to get high speed internet access (AKA broadband) when traveling. It's been a long term problem for me when we have to travel because for years I had the responsibilities of running several online forums. In the old days we had dial-up. Most hotels offered unlimited local calls so logging into CompuServe was a breeze most places, because they had the most dial-ups in the US. Today we have hotels limiting local calls, so dial up isn't an option. But many do offer broadband, which makes life a lot easier when Doug and I turn into roadwarriers.

Many hotels now offer broadband free. While Doc and I may enjoy a stay at a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, my budget doesn't always allow me to stay in a luxury hotel.

Doug and I are probably your typical budget minded, internet savvy middle aged travelers who both travel with our individual laptops everywhere. We travel with a Linksys WRT54GC-FR Compact Router in order for both of us to get online at the same time. (Just like home.)

Our requirements for hotels are simple but specific: Cable TV with Foxx News, CNN and a decent movie channel. We want a refrigerator, microwave and an ironing board, a free business breakfast bar AND free broadband internet service, at a rate of no more than $75-100 a night.

Can it be done? Yep-- here's our short list.

1. Hilton: I've been a member of Hilton's Honors Club for years, and while some locations are more than the $100 price cap, the amenities normally exceed my expectations and with the cable, broadband, pool and other goodies it make a stay well worth while. Most hotels have wifi in the lobby and pool area. The Palm Springs Hilton has wifi that covers the outdoor pool bar.

5. Choice Suites: Free broadband in every room. In fact each room is a mini suite. Forgot your computer? Most properties have public access computers for the use of their guests to check email, website etc. They are excellent!

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A while back someone clued me in on a list of about 2000 hotels that offer free broadband and many offer wifi (at least in the lobby.) HotelChains.com offers a lot of information.

Note: Do you have a cell phone? Does it have a cable to access your computer? If so, it's likely you have a modem enabled cell phone which can act as a cell phone modem. When all else fails and I need to access the internet when traveling, I plug in the cell phone and use my free afterhours, nights and weekend minutes to pick up my email. It may not be fast, but it really works in a pinch.

Brian Webb who runs our local Space Archive Launch Alert group has notified the photophiles of the final Titan IV launch will take place on Wednesday, October 19, between 9 AM and 1PM PDT. The exact time is never announced for security reasons. If we are lucky enough to have a clear day, the rare daytime launch will be visible for hundreds of miles.

For those of you who have never witnessed an unusual day launch, it is worth the effort, they are different than night launches as the darkness highlights the trajectory. For day launches it is best to get as close to the site as possible. We will try to get to the Reagan Library or other choice spot to photograph this flight.

A while back some fools released a full sized adult alligator into a Harbor City lake here in Los Angeles. To date "Reggie" the gator has elluded three gator professional wranglers, including Katrina evacuee Thomas "T-Bone" Quinn. Quinn who used to hunt alligators in Louisiana for profit. He graciously showed LA that Southern hospitiality and hard-working nature has a place here as he volunteered his time and expertise to help catch Reggie as a way to show his gratitude to Los Angeles for offering him shelter.

Quinn who had set up camp at Machado Lake in an RV, with the help of a variety of LA officials, told everyone that Reggie hasn't been seen in a week and is going into a pre-hibernation state with the start of colder weather. He told officials that the alligator will slow down his movement and feeding and will not return to an active state until spring when the temperatures warm up.

From my POV, T-Bone Quinn is one of the good guys, who despite the fact he lost nearly everything to Katrina, has decided to help himself by helping others here in LA. First by offering to catch Reggie. Second by helping set up a website to help the local Katrina evacuees, with the help of a LA lawfirm. Rumor has it he's returning to The Dream Center to live until he decides what he wants to do with the rest of his life. However he has told LA Councilwoman Janice Hahn he intents to come back in the spring and continue his hunt for Reggie. I suspect for Quinn its as much a matter of pride as it is in principle in getting his gator.