Etc...

Now, where's my car?

"We're done," Marcia Powers said last Saturday as she and her husband, Ken, finished a walk at Point Reyes, Calif. The couple live 78 miles away in Pleasanton - a long hike any way you measure it, right? Hah, if only. In fact, the Powers had been hoofing it for 4,900 miles, making them the first couple known to traverse the 13-state transcontinental American Discovery Trail in one continuous trip. The Powers set out from Delaware on a brisk February day and completed their trek 24 hours ahead of schedule. En route, they crossed farmland and cities, mountains, desert, and 14 national parks, endured snow, quicksand, and lightning, and experienced the kindness of strangers who offered places to sleep and water when they were parched. "We're a bit sad that a great adventure is over," said Marcia. "Americans are truly warmhearted and wonderful people.... It's an amazing country."

In connection with their centennial celebration, the editors of the show business newspaper Variety asked industry professionals and the public to vote for the most influential entertainers of the past 100 years. Of the thousands of possibilities - human, animal, and animated - The Beatles emerged as the top "Icons of the Century," beating out beloved trumpeter, Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong, whose career in jazz spanned roughly 50 years. Why The Beatles? They were selected as the most influential in terms of their overall commercial, creative, political, and social impact. The top 10 choices as greatest entertainers of the century, according to the Variety survey:
1. The Beatles
2. Louis Armstrong
3. Lucille Ball
4. Humphrey Bogart
5. Marlon Brando
6. Charlie Chaplin
7. James Dean
8. Marilyn Monroe
9. Mickey Mouse
10. Elvis Presley