I’m not a train nerd, but this video of replacing tracks is pretty darn awesome. I’d love to see a resurgence of train use in the US. Perhaps in the post oil days we’ll rediscover how awesome rail travel can be. I know that while I went to school in Wheaton, one of my favorite things about living near Chicago was the light rail system. It might take a few extra minutes to get downtown, but you didn’t have to mess with traffic, and you could zone out and just enjoy the ride or get some work done.

And I’m sure everyone’s seen this video of a certain Pulp Fiction/Snakes on a Plane Star reading a bedtime story that parents can relate to by now. I’m sorry if the language offends, but I think once a word can be used in a children’s bedtime story without major backlash it has lost it’s bite. (NSFW or kids, seriously if you’re not old enough for Pulp Fiction don’t watch. I don’t want to get in trouble with your parents.)

Welcome to the future where we live in pods on the top of buildings. I think it’s a great idea, I’ve always wanted to live on a space station. But where would I keep my books?

And lastly, but not leastly, I ran across this insightful article on “How To Steal Like An Artist.”

The more I art, the more I realize that all art is in some way derivative. Like the Bible says, “There is nothing new underneath the sun.” It’s not nearly as depressing as you think. The way a great artist steals you might not even recognize what it was they stole. It may be an idea or just an element from the work of another artist, and it’s usually re-purposed and twisted into something shiny and new that has little resemblance to the original. Think of it more as recycling. If you know who the artist/author lists as their influences then you might be able to see the stolen bits. Art builds on what came before just like science, engineering, and everything else.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go hack out a lung and get to writing.