Fast Train At 300 mph -- Wee!

China's passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record.

Item from the Associated Press -- "A Chinese passenger train hit a record speed of 302 miles per hour (486 kilometers per hour) Friday during a test run of a yet-to-be opened link between Beijing and Shanghai, state media said."

300 mph -- Wee! How fast are our American commercial trains going?

The point of this post is not about train speeds. Other countries trains which have gone faster. This Chinese train is the fastest speed for an unmodified conventional commercial train. But again. this post is not about speed, or not just about speed. It is about passenger rail. The point I wish to make isn't even about China, but the United States.

And the question is: Why? When a developing country like China is developing a passenger rail system which is attractive to customers, why is our nation's rail system so dismal in comparison? Why is America lagging behind the rail systems of the Europeans, and the Japanese. and the Chinese. Rail travel is more carbon efficient than air travel, thus in the long run more economical.

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Brodie Cumming - "100 Famous Rock Guitar Riffs" (Video)

Alright, this guy obviously knows what he's doing. But the fact that something like this exists speaks to the weird cultural space wasted on guitar mags and dudes sitting around transcribing Steve Vai solos. Brodie's talented, but it'd be cool if he wrote and recorded some original stuff. Right? Right.

Leslie Nielsen, R. I. P.

The actor Leslie Nielsen, who appeared in over "100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters died," yesterday, Sunday, from complications from pneumonia, in a hospital Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

He is best known as a deadpan comic actor, the star of the very funny 1980 movie "Airplane!" and of the equally funny "Naked Gun" series of movies.

For thirty years he played the straight dramatic lead. I remember first seeing him as the Swap Fox in a TV series from Disney, and later on TV, in the sci-fi Forbidden Planet. Then he made Airplane, with its "anything-goes style to film comedy that's still the model for spoofs. Much of the credit for that lies with (him). (He) became its seriously silly face." And he became "one of the goofiest performers of his generation." He transformed from drama to comedy, from being a "B' actor to an "A" starring performer, in spoofs like the Naked Gun series, and in Dracula: Dead and Loving It and Spy Hard.

For many decades of entertainment, Leslie Nielsen, R. I. P.

Fifty Days At Sea Adrift

Fifty days at sea adrift in a tiny, boat., and rescued. Three teenagers, one 14 and the other two both 15. Eating fish and a sea gulls, and drinking rain water. Surviving after given up for dead. Saved by a tuna boat off course. What a great story!

Reports the Associated Press -- "Three teenage boys who spent 50 days adrift in a tiny boat in the South Pacific walked ashore on shaky legs Friday after their chance rescue -- celebrated on their home island hundreds of miles (kilometers) away as a miracle that brought them back from the dead ... The boys (are) recovering from their ordeal in a military hospital."

The boys had set off on Oct 5th from their home island to one nearby, and their boat went adrift.

Tai Fredricsen, the first mate of the tuna boat that rescued the teens, said the boys told him that they had "just two coconuts with them when they set out. During their ordeal, they drank rainwater that collected in the boat and ate fish they had caught. Once, they managed to grab a bird that landed on the boat and they devoured that. The rescue came not a moment too soon. Fredricsen said they had begun to drink sea water because it hadn't rained in the past few nights."

This will probably be a movie. It is such a great story. It probably has already been a movie.

The Kissmass Tree

Another sign on the net that it is the Christmas season -- the item from ITN News on the Kissmass Tree.

In many cities, in many lands, it is the time for the lighting of the Christmas Tee, and in the city of London, it is time for the lighting of the Kissmass Tree. The Kissmass Tree?

From ITN News -- "Couples in London's Covent Garden can use their passion to ignite the lights on the Kissmass -- Christmas - Tree -- by creating a circuit that lights up over 50,000 lights on a Christmas tree. It lights up when people close the circuit with a kiss." See th video.

It is a happy, jolly, demonstration of Christmas joy, love and goodwill too. It is a project to raise money for a charity set up by Prince Charles in 1976, to help young people to fulfill their potential.

In London's Covent Gardens, couple locked their lips under the mistletoe to light up the Kissmass Tree. And the world? For themselves and for some others.

World's largest Gingerbread Village

It is the holiday season. It's the day after Thanksgiving, the last days of November, and pre-Christmas has begun. Folks in lots of places are rolling out their Christmas stuff.

An interesting item appeared on the net this morning --

ITN News reported that in Norway, in the city of Bergen, school children have built the world's largest gingerbread village. It's been dubbed the "world's sweetest village."

The village has a model train that runs its way through it. It has " hundreds of houses and other structures, " and "features an oil rig -- a common sight off the coast of Norway."

The gingerbread village is put on display annually. This is the twentieth year.

Reports ITN News, the gingerbread village project organizer Steinar Kristoffersen, said this year's village was bigger and nicer than last year's.

And what says Christmas better than a gingerbread house? A ginger bread village? A ginger bread village built by school children? See the video.

Cookie Monster Hosting SNL?

No. No way. No.

The Cookie Monster, the little bug-eyed monster, whose claim to fame is that he loves cookies and has been on the PBS children's show, Sesame Street, for years and years, wants to host on Saturday Night Live? This monster has put out an audition video. See the video.

Not unexpected -- A lot of former Sesame Street watchers are trying to help the dude get the gig. They are twittering like crazy. They must think the Cookie Monster is the new Betty White, and have joined in the craven Internet campaign to lobby the SNL suits to give the cookie eating fiend his big night time break.

Okay, his audition video has laughs -- But!

Okay, my first reaction to the Cookie Monster's campaign to host Saturday Night Live was -- lol. That is a funny idea. Clever of PBS to want to go -- well? To go SNL?!

But, as I thought about this, I figured -- 'Isn't this a spoof? A joke?'

Then, as I pondered further, my thoughts turned negative on the Cookie Monster.

SNL should have some standards. Betty White is funny, a classy lady, She brightened up the place. She got the writers to write some good stuff too.

SNL should be irreverent. I think even President Bush, who is out hawking his book wouldn't do too bad hosting SNL. Even Dick Cheney could inspire the writers. But the cookie monster? No way,

The Cookie Monster is pre-school stuff, dude. This would turn the writers batty, trying to fit the Cookie Monster into the junky --(junk is a popular words these days -- junky from junk) skits. It would call for too much self-censorship, dude.

10 Uses for Squinkies

Squinkies, those ridiculous squishy, tiny toys that are all the rage right now for no apparent reason other than heavy marketing, have entered my home. My daughter loves tiny toys, so it was no surprise when she saw them at the store, wanted them, and got some from friends and family for her recent fifth birthday. The things are mildly cute, sure, but when you have them all over the house they get pretty annoying—especially when you step on them.

If you’ve got a squinky surplus in your house, or if your child is gifted duplicates, here are some ideas for what to do with them.

10. Re-Gift

If it’s the exact same set your child has, just leave it sealed and wrap it to give to another child.

9. Donate

I doubt many Toys for Tots locations will be getting squinkies this year; many people simply donate the cheapest toys they can afford, after all. This would make the perfect gift for a little girl or boy who has seen or heard of these toys but might never have them otherwise.

8. Use Them as Pencil Toppers

I don’t think they’d work as erasers, but they can be sort of cute at the top of your writing utensil.

7. Cat Toys

Our cats love to bat them. The only thing is, they’d surely be choking hazards if ingested, so they may not be the best toy for younger cats.

6. Toy Swap

Invite other kids over and have a toy swap during which they all bring duplicate toys to exchange. Alternatively, have them all bring a toy and donate them all to your nearest toy drive.

5. Art Projects

From topping cakes to being perfect inserts in Christmas wreaths, squinkies will work well in many different art projects.

4. Game Tokens

Make up your own family board game using squinkies as the playing pieces.

3. Scavenger Hunts

We have a tradition in our home where we hide an alien figure in the living room for people to find when they enter. We almost never talk about it, but it’s hidden every week by various family members and friends who visit. Part of the alien has to be visible. Squinkies would work well for a tradition like this or something similar.

2. Science Experiments

Whether you’re working on “Sink or Float?” or rocket launchers, squinkies would come in handy.

1. Buried Treasure

Bury the squinkies in the ground or sandbox and let kids find them.

Baby Boomer Know-It-Alls

Do Baby Boomers Know Everything There's To Know About Sex?!

Item from the Associated Press -- "A majority of the baby boomers think they've learned just about all there is to know on the subject of sex, and more women than men are confident of their knowledge",according to a new Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll. See the video.

The poll goes on to say that 59% of middle-aged women and only 49% of men the same age, claim to know all of what there is to know about sex. Though I have some problems with the wording of "knowing it all" what the video is getting at is that by the time we reach middle age, most of us have had quite a bit of practice, but how much we know really depends on what our general attitude about sex is. Even for middle aged adults, at least for some, sex is still something worth learning on an ongoing basis.

Women tend to be more vocal about their health concerns and are more likely to consult their girlfriends and physicians when they have any doubts or questions. Even though it's not mentioned in the video, I think there is more pressure on the woman to be more knowledgable than men on the subject of sex, but more pressure on the man to perform, and well.So, in that sense women do tend to know more about sex, but not all their is to know-- about sex. Realistically, does anyone really know all there is to know? Even Dan Savage, the sex advice god frequently consults a panel of sex therapists, sex workers and women for the advice he doles out on a weekly basis.

Looking at the baby boomers gives us a glimpse into the future of what sex will look like for most of us when we age. And what really stuck out was that as people age, sex becomes less important as the need for it declines. Maybe that is what allows the baby boomers such a know-it-all perspective. A clear mind and open to learning, rather than the youthful obsession with getting it on.

Benedict XVI and Condom Use

I've written many negative things about this pope, Benedict XVI, mainly about his slow response to the church's sex scandal, and his reported, shameful involvement in the cover up. But, when he says something, anything, -- and he rarely has -- that sounds as if it is coming from the mind of a 21st century man, then I am willing -- pleased -- to make a positive comment.

This past week Pope Benedict addressed the AIDS's crisis and the use of condoms. The Catholic Church has long banned the use of condoms and all contraceptive devices and means, and has not lifted the ban on condoms for use as a contraception, but he has said that condom use can be justified in some cases, such as for male prostitutes seeking to prevent the spread of HIV. I would think this would also cover hetro sex, in the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS .

This is a step by the church into the modern world and an attempt to deal with modern issues, and not to just keep the church tied to a rigid interpretation of ancient doctrine.

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