A "Peace on Earth" sign greeted Amtrak passengers in Eugene, Oregon on 12-December-2009
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON - I guess my sense of humor is fundamentally suspect. When passing through Eugene, Oregon on the train last week--a town considered the runner-up for hippie capitol of world--I was terribly amused to find a prominent building with "Peace on Earth" as its holiday decoration. Peace out, dudes.
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Similarly, the baggage car used on the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation's Holiday Express is named after philanthropist Gordon Zimmerman, but is sometimes referred to in shorthand as "the Gordo." When I heard, "I think Santa Claus is in the Gordo right now," I about died laughing--was Santa in the Gordo, or was he just gordo (Spanish for, er, rotund)?
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The Holiday Express is featured as the December picture in my 2010 Railroad Calendar, available from Shutterfly as a last-minute gift. The calendar features pictures from California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ontario, Oregon, and Washington and scenes with the BNSF, Canadian Pacific, CSX, GO Transit, Nickel Plate, Ontario Northland, Ontario Southland, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and VIA Rail Canada.
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We've heard (see yesterday's radio pick) that Thomas the Tank engine is a suspect gift because it teaches sexism and classism. I found what I consider much more disturbing gift at a REI store in Issaquah, Washington--National Parks Monopoly. If there ever were something that should be free of private ownership and capitalists, it is the national parks, which should be public property and available to all. I find National Parks Monopoly to be a sacrilege.
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Probably the greatest sacrilege of this holiday season, though, is the "Christmas #1" song in Great Britain. A campaign to end the string of Simon Cowell's "X-Factor" winners as the Christmas #1 at four years has succeeded, as "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine is #1 after a surprising number of downloads. A 17-year old song laced with an obscenity making it to #1? If this is what passes for a "Christmas miracle" this year, we really have poor judgment when we wish upon a star in this world.
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