Virgin America, a new branch of Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, took flight for the first time on August 8th. The airline currently only operates between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C. A look at their current introductory fares makes me want to book a flight in first class just for fun - only $149 each way between here and the Bay.
These are the planes of the future and wired for everything a gadget geek like me would need, from 110v plug ins at every seat, USB ports, and two WiFi ports on board for an in flight network. That's right - now you can chat with other members on the plane while listening to your iPod which has zero chance of running out of juice. The planes also feature mood lighting, leather seats (with massage capability in first class), a bank of 3,000 MP3s on board and on-demand movies at every seat. Additionally, you can order fresh food when you want it via the touch screen at your seat. Also, the flights are cashless - swipe your card for whatever you want and you're done. And for you game players, no more solitaire - say hello to Doom and other such games. A review I read said the interior of the plane felt like "a big happy iPod." It sounds like heaven. I can't wait to take a trip.

The song of the day is "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones off their 1978 album Road to Ruin. It's a catchy song that I always find myself singing along to in the car. The band formed in 1974, and though they didn't have a lot of commercial success, they toured nearly non-stop for 22 years until their breakup in 1996. Oddly, the band's three founding members — Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone—died within eight years of the band's breakup.