Priebus seeks to make history

Reince Priebus says he's running for a third term as Republican National Committee chairman.

• Reince Priebus says he's running for a third term as Republican National Committee chairman


• Priebus would be the longest-serving RNC chairman ever


• Part of his tenure has included rebuilding the party's campaign coffers and broadening the GOP base

Washington (CNN) -- Reince Priebus says he has the votes to win another term as chairman of the Republican National Committee, an organization he successfully rebuilt following the 2010 midterm elections.

Priebus told RNC members of his plan to seek a third term in an email Monday night and said that 150 of the 168 party officials and political activists who make up the national organization have pledged to support him, according to a copy of the note obtained by CNN.

"With such support it is impossible for me to say no," Priebus wrote. "Therefore, I write to seek your support for another term as RNC chairman. As some of you may have heard me say, thus far we accomplished about 80 percent of what we needed to accomplish with another 80 percent left to go. If we are going to win in 2016, we must build upon what we were able to accomplish over the last 4 years, and I ask for your continued support to make sure we do in fact accomplish that goal."

When Priebus took over the RNC, it was $25 million in debt, which he helped to erase by convincing deep-pocketed Republican donors to start contributing again to the committee after the controversial chairmanship of Michael Steele.

After the 2012 election, Priebus focused the RNC's efforts on upgrading the committee's technological infrastructure and voter data as well as outreach to minority communities.

He commissioned a report, the "Growth and Opportunity Project," that outlined ways for the GOP to grow its base. Republicans largely embraced the report, but social conservatives opposed a recommendation the party be more tolerant of people who are gay.

At this time, Priebus has no opponent in the race to lead the national party. Assuming he wins election to a third term at the RNC Winter Meeting in January, Priebus will be on track to be the longest-serving chairman in committee history.

Top 10 USA apres ski hotels

The Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is set on grounds covering 12 acres with their own landscaped trails along Flat Creek.

The Wild Sage restaurant at the tropically named Rusty Parrot Lodge boasts Jackson Hole's only AAA Four Diamond award.

Diners at the White Buffalo Club in Jackson, Wyoming, can limber up with a visit to the bar for margaritas laced with grapefruit or coconut.

The Rocks Modern Grill at Colorado's giant Beaver Creek Lodge has some giant selections -- grilled duck flatbreads, bison chili and wild game meatballs among them.

The Indini cocktail is named after the dog that also inspired the name of the Brown Hound Lounge at Colorado's Tivoli Lodge.

Colorado's Keystone Lodge and Spa at Keystone Resort offers signature body therapies featuring soy and blueberry, coconut and mango pineapple.

Part of the 30,000-square foot Serenity Spa at the Westgate Park City Resort & Spa in Park City, Utah.

The Hefner Lounge at Colorado's Aspen Meadows Resort features its own apres ski menu loaded with elk chili and hand-cut fries to warm drink specials. And a pretty decent view.

Poolside at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa in Colorado. The resort's Fireside Bar has a menu devoted to craft beers.

Though named after a Swiss mountain village, the Zermatt Resort is located in Midway, Utah. The resort's geothermal pool readies skiers for another day.

• Kayak.com has compiled a list of the most popular 4- and 5-star U.S. ski destination hotels and resorts


• List includes several destinations in Jackson, Wyoming, including the Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa


• Colorado's Vail also claims multiple venues, including the Tivoli Lodge

(CNN) -- It doesn't matter if you're taking on double black diamond trails, gliding cross country through the woods, or staring at the bunny slope with a sense of doom, you can embrace apres ski life.

Much like the 19th hole in golf, apres ski is a chance to reward oneself after a busy day of relaxation.

It might involve meeting friends for a beer, it might mean a couples massage at a Swiss-style spa, or it could just be going out for dinner to see what bison tastes like, but it's definitely a time meant to be enjoyed.

With winter approaching quickly (and already here in some areas), Kayak.com put together the most popular 4- and 5-star ski destination hotels and resorts in the United States.

Whether it's a spa treatment or a drink by the fire, here's Kayak's list of the perfect places to sit back, kick up your feet or plaster cast, and unwind.

Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa (Jackson, Wyoming)

The Rusty Parrot Lodge's spa offers a Finnish-style body massage with fresh berry oil serum.

If you want to know how a Jackson, Wyoming hotel got such a tropical name, check out the bird at the front desk, then ask owner Ron Harrison for the full story.

Rusty Parrot , 175 North Jackson Street, Jackson, Wyoming; +1 307 733 2000

Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole (Jackson, Wyoming)

Located on 12 acres adjacent to Wyoming's Elk National Refuge, the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole offers an eucalyptus steam room and special spa suites with soaking tubs.

Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole , 475 N Cache St, Jackson, Wyoming; +1 800-323-9279

White Buffalo Club (Jackson, Wyoming)

Yep, still in Jackson Hole. Before tucking into a 18-ounce bison ribeye, you might want to stop by the bar at the White Buffalo Club for a pre-dinner margarita flavored with pink grapefruit or coconut.

Utah's Zermatt resorts is named after a Swiss village.

White Buffalo Club , 160 West Gill Avenue Jackson, Wyoming; +1 888 256 8182

Beaver Creek Lodge (Beaver Creek, Colorado)

After a day on the mountains of Colorado, the Rocks Modern Grill at Beaver Creek Lodge refuels skiers with grilled duck flatbreads, bison chili, and wild game meatballs.

Beaver Creek Lodge , 26 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek, Colorado +1 970 845 9800

Tivoli Lodge (Vail, Colorado)

At Vail's Brown Hound Lounge at the Tivoli Lodge, apres skiers can sample an Indini cocktail inspired by Indy the chocolate Labrador for whom the lounge is named.

Tivoli Lodge, 386 Hanson Ranch Road, Vail, Colorado; +1 970 476 5615 ext. 10

Keystone Lodge and Spa (Keystone, Colorado)

Located in Keystone, Colorado, the Keystone Lodge and Spa at Keystone Resort offers signature body therapies featuring soy and blueberry, coconut and mango pineapple, or desert salt and mountain rain.

Keystone Lodge and Spa , 22010 U.S. 6, Keystone, Colorado; +1 970 496 2316

Read more: Insider Guide to the best of Colorado skiing

Westgate Park City Resort & Spa (Park City, Utah)

Utah's Westgate Park City Resort & Spa offers an award-winning 30,000-square foot Serenity Spa with an aromatherapy steam room, a cedar sauna, and a waterfall hydrotherapy spa.

Westgate Park City Resort & Spa , 3000 Canyons Resorts Drive, Park City, Utah; +1 435 655 2240

Aspen Meadows Resort (Aspen, Colorado)

The Hefner Lounge at Aspen Meadows Resort features its own apres ski menu loaded with everything from elk chili and hand-cut fries to warm drink specials.

It also lists "snow friendly" wines, raising the question: is there such a thing as a "snow unfriendly" wine?

Aspen Meadows Resort, 845 Meadows Road, Aspen, Colorado; +1 800 452 42 40

Vail Cascade Resort & Spa (Vail, Colorado)

There are more than 200 breweries in Colorado. At Vail Cascade Resort & Spa's Fireside Bar, visitors can warm up while ordering from a menu devoted to craft beers.

Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, 1300 Westhaven Drive, Vail, Colorado; +1 970 476 7111

Zermatt Resort (Midway, Utah)

Midway, Utah's Zermatt Resort is named after a Swiss mountain village.

The Zermatt includes a ruheraum, or relaxation room, where guests can relax after a dip in the resort's geothermal pool.

Zermatt Resort , 784 West Resort Drive, Midway, Utah; +1 866 937 6288

An end to the battle for the armrest?

Protecting passengers from the horrors of human contact: the Soarigami armrest divider.

Soarigami has created a folksy "Annoying Passenger Anthem," complete with cartoon video, to promote its product.

Soarigami takes its cues from Japanese paper folding to create the armrest divider from a sheet of plastic.

The Soarigami says it hopes its invention will foster friendships instead of animosity, even though it could trigger unwanted conversations.

Another in-flight innovation, the Knee Defender, has been blamed for sparking in-flight hostilities.

• Soarigami makers say its armrest divider can reduce in-flight annoyances


• Origami-inspired device clips to any armrest and creates a shared space


• Device, set to retail for about $30, is expected to go on sale in early 2015

(CNN) -- Could this device finally bring a peaceful end to the great arms race in the sky?

That's what the makers of Soarigami, a plastic divider that allows air passengers to comfortably share an armrest, are claiming.

The device, to go on sale for about $30 in early 2015, balances atop the existing armrest to create an extended leaning platform that prevents the horrors of actual physical contact.

Hostile elbow exchanges with fellow fliers are frequently listed as among the biggest annoyances of being crammed into an aircraft with other humans.

Soarigami's inventors, who've created a folksy "Annoying Passenger Anthem" complete with cartoon video to promote their product, say the device will foster friendships rather than animosity.

That'll set it apart from the recently introduced "knee defender" which has triggered in-flight hostilities by blocking the mechanism that allows seats to be reclined.

MORE: 20 most annoying things people do on planes

Paper plane

Jerkiness is often in the eye of the beholder, but there's certainly no shortage in the skies. What are the most annoying habits on airplanes? Click through the gallery of 20 top irritants.

You folded your suit coat nicely and placed your hat in the allotted overhead space. Too bad Bin Hog just mangled it all while shoving his suitcase, stroller and shopping bags into a space meant for one personal item.

Airplane movies: the opiate of the flying masses. Except when your hyperactive neighbor takes 30 minutes to decide between "Grown Ups 2" or something a little less cerebral. Such behavior earns "passengers who take too long to pick a movie" the number 19 spot on our "most annoying" list.

Coming in at spot 18 -- compulsive leg-shaking. The fidgety leg-shaker isn't all that common, but still annoying when encountered at altitude.

Annoying behavior number 17? Boarding ahead of group number. Most airlines have a system for getting hundreds of passengers aboard in the least amount of time. That's why we schlep on as part of Group A or B or C. Just because you drew the short straw on this one doesn't give you the right to pretend to be dyslexic.

What's more annoying than people rushing to board the plane? Babies crying. Are we really blaming babies for doing what babies do naturally? Sure, as long as they're your kids, and not ours.

"I'd learn some bladder control if I was in the window seat," runs the unspoken complaint. Number 15 on our list -- those who get huffy when you leave your seat.

"Hey, we just landed. ... can you hear me? ... we just landed ... I'm on the runway ... can you hear me now? ... We just landed ... " Annoying behavior number 14: Those who can't bear to wait to deplane before yacking on their cell phones.

We get it -- airlines have cut back on food service, forcing us all to bring our own snacks and meals onboard. But did you really have to clean out the back of your refrigerator? Bringing aboard stinky food isn't just annoying, it's gross too.

Hey, we're trying to read here. Number 12 on the rude behavior list: people who don't know how to use their inside voices on planes.

Coming in at number 11 -- elbow wars. Do you often find yourself elbowing someone else's arm off what should be a shared space? That's armrest hegemony. And it's annoying.

Praise God, the middle seat is empty! Til the guy next to you employs annoying behavior number 10 and lays claim to the no man's land of the middle seat with a book, coat or inflatable neck support.

Thanks for sharing your globules of diseased saliva. This lonely gentleman may have the only sensible approach to dealing with those who practice annoying behavior number nine -- germ sharing.

Bleep, bloop, blorp. Funny how some of the most irritating things on the planet can be called "games." Even more irritating are people who play them, on a plane, with the sound turned on.

"Sir, is that a ... carry-on?" Annoying behavior number seven: Wielding huge suitcases as carry-ons.

Here we've regressed to the time before the invention of the queue. Don't you just hate people who rush from the back of the plane in an attempt to disembark first?

Another annoying behavior that also falls into the gross category -- cutting fingernails inflight. Toenails are also trimmed at 30,000 feet, but that would have been a really offensive picture.

"Feet nudism" is a common complaint, earning it the number 4 spot on our list. Appalling side note: people who actually go to the bathroom on the airplane in their bare feet.

We've all encountered the toilet hogger. What are they doing in there, you wonder as you hover cross-legged by the door. Certainly not being considerate of other people.

Annoying travel behavior number two: recliners. Aviation engineers, listen up: No one likes the recline button! Time to reinvent the plane seat.

"He kicked someone's seat-back." Airplane Irritant No. 1 -- seat-back kicking -- invites a violent response.

Rudest things people do on planes

20. Abusing overhead bin space

19. Taking ages to choose a movie

18. Compulsive leg-shaking

17. Boarding ahead of group number

15. Getting huffy when you leave seat

14. Yacking on cell phone

13. Bringing aboard stinky food

11. Establishing armrest hegemony

10. Poaching shared middle seat

9. Coughing, sneezing, germ sharing

8. Playing games with sound on

7. Wielding huge suitcases as carry-ons

6. People behind trying to disembark first

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20 rudest things people do on planes

"While we do anticipate some travelers to have issues with sharing, we feel like this is a great conversation starter," says Soarigami spokesman Arthur Chang.

"Both users have an equal share, whereas other products have a winner and a loser."

When deployed, the Soarigami -- taking its name from Japanese words sora (sky) and gami (graceful) -- is styled to resemble a cheerful paper plane made out of an airmail envelope.

A future version will double as an iPad or cellphone carrying case.

As to when and how passengers should introduce the origami-inspired device to their armrest partners, Chang says there are no fixed rules.

"In terms of etiquette, we don't want to force people to behave one way or another. Our goal is to lighten the mood and make the skies funner and savvier."

However he acknowledges that by eliminating one problem, the Soarigami may create another: unwanted conversation.

Can the Soarigami end the battle for armrest hegemony? How would you react if the person next to you pulled one out? Leave a comment.

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