Spencerblog Joins the Mile High Club

No, not that club. The Mile High Blogging Club.

I am as I type this some 30,000 feet over, I dunno, Kansas maybe, heading back home from Las Vegas where I went to visit a sick friend. (He's not physically ill. He has a gambling problem.)

Anyway, USAir is now offering WiFi service and it's awesome. I'm on it right now, and of course, it reminds me of Louie CK's excellent bit on "How everything is amazing but nobody's happy."

I just watched it again. You can see it here.

As Louie CK tells Conan O'Brien

"I was on an airplane and there was high-speed Internet on the airplane. That's the newest thing that I know exists. And I'm sitting on the plane and they go, open up your laptop, you can go on the Internet.

"And it's fast, and I'm watching YouTube clips. It's amaz--I'm on an airplane! And then it breaks down. And they apologize, the Internet's not working. And the guy next to me goes, 'This is b___s___.' I mean, how quickly does the world owe him something that he knew existed only 10 seconds ago?"

It's a great bit. But here's the thing. Airplane WiFi costs $12.95 a shot. So no wonder the guy was angry. I'd be angry too. Or at least, I'd want to make sure I didn't get stung for the $12.95 I just charged to my credit card.

Not that I begrudge USair, or any of the airlines, a way to make a buck. I kind of feel sorry for the airlines. They hardly make any money. They're always going bankrupt and yet they still get people from here to there in amazing time. Like Louie CK points out.

OK, so I just paid $7 for a Bud Light. That was my choice. I didn't have to buy it or drink it. And my Pastrami Reuben sandwich cost $7 too and was mostly bread. But it did come with a chocolate chip cookie, chips, and Naturally Fresh Thousand Island dressing. I didn't have to buy that either, but what else is there to do on a 4-and-a-half hour flight, but eat and read? Well, now you can blog, but that costs money too.

BTW there was nothing naturally fresh about Naturally Fresh Thousand Island dressing, seeing as how it comes in a plastic container with a foil top. If anything, the dressing is unaturally fresh. Tasty too, thanks to the ingenuity of mankind.

Also my rowmate and I would like to thank whoever the passenger was who didn't show up for seat 17E. Flying is much more comfortable when nobody sitting next to you in the middle seat.

I may even have another Bud Light. It is, after all, Friday and still happy hour here in this time zone. Throw in the Wifi and I'll be out an additional $34 for the flight.

For a Friday night out, pretty cheap. I think I'll check out what's new at Netflix.

Ciao.