I often hear folks in their 70’s saying, “I’m doing this now because I don’t know how much longer I will be able to do it.” Do you think the seniors in these two YouTube videos ever think this way? They are to be admired.
Most young adults can’t do what this 90 year old just accomplished.
Most young adults can’t dance like these seniors either.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get to experience the day when the Airbus’s Concorde-2 will be able to fly me from New York to London in one hour. 
Each time I make a long airplane trip, I always question why someone can’t make it shorter. I guess that day is about to come.
The scuttlebutt is that the aircraft manufacturer is working on a Concorde-2 that will actually feature a combination of turbojets, ramjets, and a rocket motor that will get passengers from NYC to London in an hour.
The big news is that the Airbus has been granted a patent for a new hypersonic passenger jet that could dramatically speed up airline travel.
Condé Nast Traveler explains, “The Airbus Concorde-2 will take off vertically, shooting straight up on a set of turbojets until the rocket motor kicks in to send you to 30,000 feet, where yet a third set of engines—ramjets this time—jump in to push you forward to your destination. An hour later, touchdown in the land of the Queen.”
Click here to read more technical information from Condé Nast Traveler
Meanwhile, on a personal note.
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Image from Rinspeed.
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is starting to tease Facebook users about some of the truly unique innovations that will be on exhibit this year. The one that caught my eye was from the Swiss engineering and design firm Rinspeed.
The Etos from Rinspeed is a “concept” sports car which boasts a fully autonomous steering wheel that folds away when the driver wants to relax. The displays in the car morph into a Harman entertainment system. The system also responds to human voice commands. Now that’s a wowwee.
The Etos also offers a drone with its own landing pad. This is pretty awesome. I can just see it now. I never leave the car. I just give orders to the drone. “Get me this. Do that for me. Fly here and there.”
That works for me. More in January.
This is a most unusual situation. What are the birds telling us? Trust, comfort and even dependability? We are witnessing a strong connection between man and bird. It’s a beautiful thing. I look at this video as a metaphor for life. Sometimes we just have to take a chance.
This is one of the most impressive machines I have ever seen. I first saw it on Facebook but I can’t find anything about it.
A Facebook page, called Breeds of Speed, posted this automated lumberjack. It cuts trees faster than any human possibly could. This could be a threat to an entire profession.
If anyone has any further information on this invention, let me know. I want to give proper credit.
Thanks
This is just one of many wonderments that never cease to amaze me. Be sure to watch the video. It’s amazing what the creative mind forces us to do.
Onto the Goldstein wedding.
The Goldstein Wedding
Spending time with Richard Ekstract
A big influence in my life
Neil and Linda, the bride’s parents
Eileen Ekstract
I went to New York Comic Con today. It’s a real eye opener to attend an event where everyone is 40, or even 50 years, younger than you. It’s like going back to the future. I tried my best not to feel like I was on the outside looking in. It didn’t take very long to get caught up in the fantasy of comics. Here is my pictorial essay. 
Ever since inventor Keahi Seymour was 12 years old, he has always wanted to run faster than an Ostrich, sometimes even a car. Seymour’s prototype Bionic boots let him travel up to 25 miles per hour. You have to see this video. Read more about it in Science Dump.
My girl friend Mindi Lampert is a mental health counselor. She has just published this book which is filled with notes she received from children expressing their inner most thoughts. It’s a must read for anyone who wants to understand how children think. There are some amazing words under the cover.
Mindi has a Master of Science degree in Counseling. For the past 18 years, she has been counseling children in the Miami Dade County Public Schools. She is a psychotherapist with a private practice for adults, adolescents, and children. She is also a Florida Supreme Certified Court Family Mediator and an Adjunct Professor at Miami Dade College where she teaches classes on phychology and student life skills.
The reason why I’m writing about Mindi’s book today is because more and more of my friends are starting to have grandchildren. This book is an eye opener. It’s also a great gift. There is nothing else like it around.
From The Author
As I collected, assembled, and compiled this book, even after more than fifteen years of accumulating and reading these notes, there has not been a time when I wasn’t filled with an array of emotions. It’s the difficult and many times gut-wrenching feelings expressed that are the hardest to digest. The honesty of the children’s notes can be most overwhelming to read, especially as parents. There are many books on parenting. This is a different kind of parenting book. I wanted to bring you the voice of the children. This book has, in its most simplistic way, hopefully taught you what children want most from their parents. They want to feel safe, loved, wanted, accepted as they are, and mostly they want your complete and undivided attention, at least some of the time. I also hope that you have a better realization of how smart and deep-thinking elementary-aged children are. They understand much more than you can imagine. They have their own perceptions and beliefs when the family is going through a crisis, even if you don’t tell them anything. They have complicated and prolific minds. They long for an attachment and a connection to you, the people that are supposed to love them the most-their parents. With that richness of safety and love, the possibilities are endless. Lastly, for the thousands of children that will forever have a warm and special place in my heart for sharing their “Elementary Thoughts” with me, I will lovingly remember you always
Quite honestly, I never heard of the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (also known as CEATEC) annual trade show in Japan. It’s going on now. Japan says it’s their largest electronics trade show.
The only reason I know something about it is because my fiend, Steve Greenberg, was asked to attend. He flew to Tokyo on Sunday.
Robots seem to be the big attraction this year. Watch the videos for some miraculous introductions. Also click on this CNET link for a more in depth story.
This is a great opportunity to see these products first.
DigiDame 