I am not sure, but I think that US companies helped design high speed rail in other countries, we just don't do it here (except in my backyard with the Acela that occassionaly reachs 150MPH).

I'm surprised this didn't happen before, I am from the east coast - but I thought the Mississippi was known for its yearly floods.... and they built an airport right next to the river.

I think you missed part of the article, the subject is the photographer.

@ GoodBytes: Natural Flavors is where companies are allowed to hide their secret recipes - you can Google more on that yourself.

These were all available just a couple years ago at my local grocery store, coke released one of the bottles every couple of months in a 6 pack, I have dozens of each (empty) in my closest because my girlfriend is a pack-rat.

They still use the leaves from the coca plant but they go through a thorough "cocaine extraction process," they are apparently used for flavor. They are one of the few companies that are allowed to grow/import/use the product - its likely part of their "secret" ingredients - and I hear its why Pepsi has never been…

High-fructose corn syrup and sugar are nutritionally and metabolically equivalent. As a matter of fact you could consider them the same because high-fructose corn syrup is a type of sugar.

Planes don't seem very exciting - you can rent one without very many credentials, or charter one that won't have the security you find at airports, if they want a plane to crash - even a big one, money is all they need.

The airports have all that stuff and security is still a joke....

My favorite quote of all time!

I agree "these days the GPS is the default altimeter with the barometric altimeter as a backup" - and the same applies to our phones, when you lose GPS signal it uses all the other ones as a backup (magnetometer, barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope).

Apparently some manufacturers like Motorola in the Xoom are installing barometers - to help measure change in elevation. I think a thermometer would just get very confused between pockets and your hands, and heat generated from the processors/charging.

Many advanced GPS units in cars have these extra sensors as well, GPS can loose signal but using a compass and the accelerometer and gyroscope the phone can make a good guess without the SAT's signal where it is because it can tell the direction you are traveling and whether you slow down or speed up. The Car GPS uses…

I was thinking the exact same thing - nothing in my pen glass right now would survive those long swings, or the paper chaff buildup.

I am sure trains there are like the modern trains here - dumping on the tracks has been illegal for many years, waste must be retained in a tank and disposed of properly.

I think I have the crappiest DSL - I get just over 1mbs... (I get 3.5mbs teathered to my iphone...)

But you are still able to use the road with pot holes...

Others already mentioned the elevation of the mountain increasing your radiation exposure,

Radiation is something I wouldn't want to F with, although many reports say the levels are low and safe, I wouldn't want to bet MY life on it. I can see whats about to hit me during earthquakes and floods even if I didn't know it was coming, but I would run from the radiation ghost.

I think the Height is cool, but from what I understand thats the height to the top of the needle - I wish the occupied structure soared to that height before adding the spire.