Bedbugs

With all the sleeping in hotels I have been doing lately (averaging about 2 nights a week, which is still tolerable), my attention was naturally caught when I started reading articles about how bedbugs seem to have had a renaissance of sorts. One of the hotels I have spent some time in in London...while convenient because of its location and ammenities...has a particular smell about it. As I described to a colleague (who agreed with me, as he was stuck in the same hotel), "like unwashed old men." That particular mix of sweat, old fashioned cologne, and maybe a hint of shoe polish all mixed together. Not really a pleasant odor to have in your nostrils as you try to get to sleep.

And a week ago, I came home from a few nights abroad with a strange spot on my stomach. Like a spider bite, but less vicious. Who knows what it was, but then a few days later, I read the article on the resurgence of bed bugs and got suspicious. Spent some time with wikipedia's article (photo of bedbug from there) on said creature and was relieved to learn that though they might take a bite or two out of you, bedbugs are seen to be as relatively harmless.

And because I am *not sure* that I was actually bitten by a bed bug, I won't publish the name of the hotel.

Saw this article today in the NYTIMES and had to laugh. Apparently for pest control and related companies, the search term "bedbug" has become quite expensive because of the sudden popularity of the search term.

Quite astounding sometimes - the swift effect the real world can have on interactive/digital advertising budgets.