Spokane airport doesn’t stack up, and that’s good

There are times when the ranking of “very low” related to Spokane’s performance is actually a good thing.

So it is at Flightstats.com, a map-based display of airline flight delays across the United States. With all the travel taking place this time of year, we checked periodically to see how GEG (the airline code for Spokane International) was doing.

Generally, Spokane’s map icon showed a circle half-filled in green. That means low levels of flight delays. The same map, which relies on real-time data fed by the Federal Aviation Administration, highlights the worst delays with orange (moderate) or solid-red (excessive). Chicago seemed permanently marked by a dark red circle all last week.

Site value: moderate. It provides a quick overview of the entire nation’s air system. One can also plug in each airport’s code and get a real-time summary of inbound flights and scheduled arrivals.

Greendimes.com

Here’s one way to lose 50 pounds, or however much all that junk mail you get each year weighs.

Greendimes is a handy for-profit Web site that helps shut down that pesky junk mail that comes to your house via U.S. Mail. It’s not the only company trying to save the environment and make some money in the process. But it definitely gets points for diligence and commitment to the cause.

Founded in 2006 in San Francisco, the company has you register for $36, then it tracks down the assorted sources of credit card offers and catalogs going to your address, and removes your name from their lists.

So far it has signed up roughly 50,000 people who are eager to stop the junk mail. Among them: actors Matt Damon and TV celebrity Oprah Winfrey.

MeeMix

If you like exploring the vast online music world, here’s another clever startup that creates a personalized Web radio station. It’s the Israel-based MeeMix, which just went into public beta mode.

This is a crowded area already, with Pandora and Last.fm both trying to make inroads with users.

MeeMix is free for now, so dial it up. One warning: Its search features didn’t find some of the artists we wanted, such as blues guitarist Roy Rogers or pianist Emanuel Ax.