1960's Volkswagen Beetle LEGO set
I guess I should add this 1960's Volkswagen Beetle LEGO set to my list of LEGO sets I want to build. All the details are there and this would make a great shelf item to show off. I like! Compared to the camper van, this is a steal! Just $99 (coming out in August)!
Check out this insane remix of cars on highways and streets
Check out this video from Conner Griffith made for his 2016 RISD Senior Film. I would love to see a behind the scenes editing process for this video.
How highways wrecked American cities
Sometimes I think about how American cities would probably look a lot like closely-knit European cities if it weren't for the idea of demolishing entire city blocks and neighborhoods just to build a highway over it. If you think of any neighborhood near you that's built underneath or around a highway/freeway, you might see some of the ill-effects of highway projects with your very own eyes. These giant concrete structures tend to lend themselves to low property value (pollution and noise are huge factors) and even an increase in crime as it becomes a way for criminals to quickly and easily get in and out of a neighborhood with speed (in fact, a recent book I read talks about how highways can lead to an increase in bank robberies).
If you liked this video above about highways, you might enjoy this Bowery Boys podcast about how Jane Jacobs organized people to save the Village in NYC.
Getting around Germany by rail
Photo by Herman Yung
As you know, I just came back from a 1.5 week visit to two major cities in Germany -- Hannover and Munich -- with a few suburbs and smaller cities in between. For the entire time I was in Germany, I didn't rely on 4-wheeled transportation. Meaning, I didn't rent a car. With everything I knew beforehand about Germany, I figured I could probably get around quite easily with just a train ticket and forego vehicular modes of transportation altogether. It turns out that that's precisely right.
Getting around Germany by rail is wonderful. I have so many great things to say and remember about the Deutsche Bahn system which stretches across nearly every part of Germany. The system incorporates trams, regional trains, inter-city express trains, and I believe even some freight trains. All of this travel done by cities and you pay by zone depending on your intended distance. It's quite good and affordable, not to mention extremely fast and efficient. Most of my travels were on the S Bahn, ICE express trains, and the U Bahn/city buses. The only real gripe I had was that there zoning system makes for quite a convoluted arrangement in ticket purchasing. It made me miss the single-fare-any-destination-possible of the NYC MTA. But that was it really. By all measurable standards, the Deutsche Bahn is above and beyond anything that is available in the United States. It makes Amtrak look miserable.
And on that note, it really made me wonder why the US doesn't have a transportation system like this? I mean, we already have the inter-state rail system set up. The only thing we're lacking is the right type of trains that can deliver the same comfort and speed as those in Germany and the infrastructure to adequately handle passenger and freight traffic on the same lines. With our focus on cars here in the US, I'm realizing more than ever that we've got it all backwards compared to our European friends. Wish our governments funneled more money and expertise into rail travel.
You can purchase caltrops on Amazon
Interesting. I just found out you can purchase caltrops on Amazon. If you don't know what caltrops are, they are those spiked road stars you see in spy movies that drop out from the getaway car in a pursuit to deflate the tires of any pursuing vehicles.
Also, for added fun, read the reviews of these things.
