The dirt on rental cars

Have you ever gotten into a rental car only to find it a little less than sanitary.

I remember renting a fairly nice sedan only to find a suspicious large faded stain which spread across the back seat and carpet. All I kept thinking was, "something bad happened in this car."

Well USA TODAY has tackled that issue in this article.

It seems like there's a bit of a standoff. The big rental car companies (you know the ones, they rhyme with Schmirtz and Davis) swear up and down that they clean the cars obsessively while many of the 1,500 people on the USA TODAY Road Warrior panel say they disagree.

Some of the reader comments are also worth a read. Yeesh!

Get off while taking off

If you've ever yearned to join the mile-high club without the possibility of getting busted by the airplane attendant then this contest may be for you.

According to Reuters, a local English radio station located in the coastal town of Frinton, some 60 miles northeast of London, is inviting couples to go on air and describe how they are growing old.

The winning couple will be flown to Atlanta, Georgia and put onboard a private plane equipped with champagne and a double bed to take to the air in amorous style.

Two out of three ain't bad

The new 2007 Michelin French guide has been released and two Parisian restos have lost one of their three stars.

Both Le Cinq and Taillevent, the Paris restaurant that held three Michelin stars for 34 years, have been demoted.

Although there have been grumblings of rebellion in the food industry against the ratings system which began in the '30s, for the most part gaining the elusive stars is an obsession with chefs and owners.

So losing one is a big deal.

But according to this article in the International Herald Tribune, Jean-Claude Vrinat, the owner and chief executive of Taillevent, said: "What surprises me is that in the past year we've received 614 unsolicited letters of congratulations from customers and only four complaints. I'm not discouraged. Sometimes a kick in the behind is a good motivator."

That's the spirit!