Moving target

 

Last Friday morning, Amtrak chugged past, westbound. Two Amtrak pass by each day, west in the morning, east in the evening.

This train was spectacular: 

An extra locomotive, red over silver and a big logo on the flank

Standard baggage and passenger cars

Two Southern Pacific observation cars, dark green over light green

An old-fashioned passenger car, silver with a rounded stern, bringing up the rear

It's hard to see details when the train's moving at top speed.

Earlier this month, westbound Amtrak hauled a car behind the baggage car, black over dark red, labeled Federal Railroad Administration in gold. It looked like a classic, but the FRA still exists, so maybe it was recent vintage.

That also might have been the train with a wide red stripe on the side of the lead locomotive. Again, moving at speed.

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Aggravated Are Us. A newspaper website that I first subscribed to around 2013 now puts up Captcha boxes, enamored of stop lights, crosswalks, and street lights. For crying out loud.

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High art

 

Saw an interview with a Sheriff, maybe in Nevada, who sat at a desk with books shelved behind him. First in the stack was "The Art of War," by Sun Tzu. I hope he's too busy to read.

Not sure why I started to watch "The King's Man," but it took two tries to get through. What a stupid mess.  I liked the first two, even with the comic book origin. They made sense of a comic-book sort.

A couple days ago, I stumbled across a marathon of "Breaking Bad," first-season episodes I had not seen. Multi-layered characters, motivations, desperation. Plus Skyler, her son, and her sister. What a trio worthy of never-ending hate.

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Keep scrolling, kid

Somebody in the crew that posts data for DirecTV's program guide has a bad habit: Grabbing the first entry from an Internet search.

The tyros confused living men with dead men. Same names, but yikes, DirecTV, hire a proof-reader.

Evidence:

"Some Like It Hot," made in 1959, lists Dave Barry among the cast. With data on the humorist Dave Barry, including photo. He was 12 when the movie was made.

The elder Dave Barry, 1918-2001, who played the manager of the all-girl band, was a comedian and actor in in radio, stage, movies, TV and voice-over. He was the opening act for stars such as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Liberace, and Wayne Newton during a 50-year run in Las Vegas. If you don't know who they were, look them up, youngster.

Evidence:

Will Rogers, 1879-1935, is listed in a 2009 episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," with picture.

Numerous credits of the actual actor, Will Rogers, include "Bridge of Spies," "Bull," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

The elder Rogers was a vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He made 48 silent movies and, after sound arrived in 1929, 21 feature films.

One of his most famous sayings: "I never met a man I didn't like."

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