The silly mustang clip at the beginning is quite long and annoying, but this is a pretty neat hobby!
this post includes an embedded video available here

Labels: video

This is what I do at work every day. I don't know what store this is or who these people are, it just happens to be the same company I work for.
this post includes an embedded video available here

Labels: video

Yet another high speed rail line opened in Europe last month. The line connecting Frankfurt, Germany and Paris, France made the previously six-plus hours ride take a mere three and a half. Running at speeds up to 199mph (320kph) enabled the trip time to be cut in half. High speed rail, while technically slower than air travel, is a cheaper, hassle-free alternative to flying.

This three hour long rail connection is only the beginning of a proposed Europe-wide high speed rail system. The system is planned to go from Barcelona, Spain to Budapest, Hungary, which is roughly a 20 hour drive by car.

It seems like the United States will never see such a system. Our struggling rail system's crown jewel is Amtrak's Acela service (pictured). Acela only runs on one line, the Northeast Corridor, and travels at only 150mph (242kph), 49mph slower than the mentioned European High Speed rail. In addition to the slower speed, only relatively small portions of the track can accommodate these speeds, since the trains used existing right-of-ways through highly developed communities.

Just around 15 days from now I'll be going to NYC (again!). I love trains and when I visit there, I always ride NJ Transit's North East Corridor Line, pictured here. So fantastic!

Visit my flickr page: j.reed

Labels: flickr

There are going to be two ffs from me today, since I haven't blogged in the last 10 or so days, including missing a flickr friday.

Here is the Cyclone roller coaster in NYC, which I'll have to say is the best wooden roller coaster I've ever been on. The sky looks awesome, almost like fire, like doomsday or something.

Remember not to ride "on the wheels" while on this coaster!

Visit my flickr page: j.reed

Labels: flickr, new york

Longest commercial ever? It's two minutes long, and you don't even know what it is about until the last 10 seconds. It is still very cool, though. I love the opening shot!
this post includes an embedded video availible here

Labels: video

Forty-eight years ago, the Post Office Department (now known as the United States Postal Service) had their foray into rocket mail. In coordination with the U.S. Navy, a former nuclear missile, its payload having been replaced with two U.S. Mail containers, was launched to deliver the first and only rocket transported mail in U.S. history.

Consisting of mainly commemorative post cards, the missile was launched from the U.S. Navy submarine USS Barbero. Amazingly, for such an elaborate mail delivery system, postage was only 4 cents for domestic mail and 8 cents for international mail.

Rocket Mail wasn't very successful. The postmaster at the time predicted that "before man reaches the moon, mail will be delivered within hours from New York to California, to Britain, to India or Australia by guided missiles. We stand on the threshold of rocket mail." This was of course proven wrong, when 10 years later, Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

The concept to this day is still regarded as a possibility and there remain many supporters of such a concept.

Labels: history

Here is an awesome High Dynamic Range shot of Amsterdam. I love the colors of the boats, the dark sky, and the off center steeple in the background.

Visit my flickr page: j.reed

Labels: flickr