Well aged

For the discriminating Canaanite warlord: Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,700-year-old wine cellar in Israel, and chemical analysis reveals the vino was the good stuff reserved for important palace occasions (Page A2).

The discovery confirms that even in ancient times, sophisticated wines were made for the enjoyment of the ruling class — especially since a copy of the Robb Report’s 1686 B.C. Wine, Spirits &Cigar Guide also was found in the ruins of the cellar.

Hang up and fly: After years of insisting that cell phones interfere with the operation of airliners, the Federal Communications Commission says it will consider allowing travelers to make in-flight calls (Q&A, Page A8).

So why is the FCC doing this? The Buzz figures the powers that be asked themselves, “OK, we’ve got absurd security theater at the airport, narrow seats with no legroom, extra charges for using the overheard racks — what else can we do to make air travel a miserable experience? Hey, how about obnoxious cell phone conversations!

Gut bomb: A police bomb squad in Oklahoma City was summoned to investigate a suspicious foil-wrapped item that turned out to be a burrito (Page A7).

Noting it contained extra beans, three kinds of meat and an undetermined type of unctuous sauce, the cops detonated the burrito as a precautionary measure to prevent anyone from eating it.

— Mark Carlson, Herald staff