Again, nothing much going on around the world today, but this unusual hot weather could turn to snow in New York and New England this weekend .  Cities like Chattanooga, Birmingham and St. Louis could challenge heat records today dating back more than 125 years.  Then on Saturday, there could be some snowflakes in the northeast.  Not much, and mostly only at elevation, but the first snowfall is always exciting for most. One bit of sad news is that the first American pope, Robert Francis Prevost, or Pope Leo XIV, a year and a half into service, found out that he has lung cancer.  No details yet.  Here is a video. Yesterday, I reported on the embarrassing situation of the USA being mediocre, if not poor, in excellence of airports and airlines.  Those, unfortunately, could very well be mere symptoms of our possible decline as as the world leader.. On the other hand, according to Google AI: Many prominent analysts argue that talk of American decline is a recurr...

This is one of those days when nothing important seems to be happening anywhere.  My travel companion will be flying to Darwin, Australia tomorrow, so I thought I would educate you (and me ) about this city. First of all, I don't ever plan to visit Darwin. However, if I did, I would consider also catching The Ghan to Adelaide. I am known for taking long-distance train trips, and somewhere in my memory was something about this one being unique.   So I asked Google AI: Yes, The Ghan is widely considered one of the most significant and legendary long-distance train journeys in the world . [ 1 , 2 ] Epic Route: It spans 2,979 kilometers (1,851 miles) straight through the center of Australia, running between Adelaide in the south and Darwin in the north (via Alice Springs and Katherine). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Duration: The standard journey takes about 53 to 54 hours, while the extended southbound "Ghan Expedition" takes up to 75 hours with extra excursions. [ 1 , 2 ] Luxur...