Speeds

It seems to me that it is way past time that we comment on the automobile commercials on TV. They show these beautiful vehicles and they exhibit their attributes mostly at road speeds that would make an astronaut cringe. Must they show the cars traveling at excessive speeds? Is this setting a good example to our present generation of drivers and potential drivers? Cars are traveling today at speeds that cause accidents and kill people. Cars are an expensive item. Must they also show us how they drive at "Mach 1"?

BALTIMORE -- All along, they had been so relaxed. So when it came time for Team O'Neill's horse to make his charge -- a historic one -- the colt moved forward almost nonchalantly. I'll Have Another glided past Bodemeister to win the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course, setting up a chance at the first Triple Crown since 1978. The California-based horse is the 12th to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed edged Alydar in all three races.

Assembly leaders announced Wednesday that they were accelerating the hearing schedule and vote on education-reform proposals that could increase the state's eligibility for hundreds of billions of federal grant dollars. The state stands to receive up to $700 million if it is successful. -- Seema Mehta

If California starts building a 130-mile segment of high-speed rail late this year as planned, it will enter into a risky race against a deadline set up under federal law. The bullet train track through the Central Valley would cost $6 billion and have to be completed by September 2017, or else potentially lose some of its federal funding. It would mean spending as much as $3.5 million every calendar day, holidays and weekends included -- the fastest rate of transportation construction known in U.S. history, according to industry and academic experts.

O'Neill did an excellent job of exposing the Luddite mentality and paucity of technical understanding rampant in his industry. The 55-m.p.h. speed limit does not save lives. It does waste time, harass otherwise law-abiding citizens, creates disrespect for law enforcement personnel, and turns driving into drudgery. Highway design standards do not reflect the absolute maximum safe speed for a given roadway, as stated by O'Neill. Design standards relate to worst-case geometric factors such as curve radius.

Re "Driving a Deadly Dinosaur," Aug. 11: One major cause of the bloodletting on Ortega Highway is Caltrans engineers posting a half-century-old mountain road for near-freeway speeds of 55 mph. Truly, it must take years of training in highway engineering to pull that one off. So we see one more outcome of Caltrans' belief that it is blessed with the secular equivalent of papal infallibility. Riverside County's similar obstinacy in refusing to adopt a double-fine policy in their area also doesn't help defuse a nasty situation.

Last week Meghan McCain spent two days chattering with the ladies of ABC's "The View." Today she's scheduled to talk about hair extensions on the CW's "The Tyra Banks Show." And this hour, and seemingly every hour, Sen. John McCain's daughter tweets away, gabbing with members of her "Twitterfam" about her hopes for a better dating life and for more flattering photos of her rear end. This woman-child, just out of college, would build a solo media conglomerate and claim a role as a spokeswoman for a new GOP, based mostly on pluck, her name, good cheer, her name, sass and, did I say, her name?

After observing the Simpson court proceedings to date, it seems the wheels of justice at the trial will turn at two speeds--slow and stop. MARK L. DENESSEN Redondo Beach

Re "Zoom Times: South O.C. Freeway Speeds Climbing" June 4: Why focus on SUVs and blame them for increased speeds? The three examples given of speeders include a 1999 Saturn going 88 mph, a 1999 Escort going 85 and a 1995 Corolla going 88. Oops! I didn't realize that when SUVs were cited as the main culprits, it referred to Small Urban Vehicles. P.S. It would be nice if CHP Officer Randy Dopp caught the felons committing crimes instead of their "loved ones" visiting them in desert prisons.

Mark Johnson of Albany, N.Y., accused last month of racing heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson at speeds of 71 m.p.h. on an Albany street, has been jailed on charges of selling cocaine.

To prepare to face Jamie Moyer on Friday night, Dodgers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. could watch videos of his past at-bats against the Colorado Rockies left-hander. Or he could talk to his father, Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn Sr., who also faced him. Rookie Scott Van Slyke could also solicit advice from his father, former All-Star Andy Van Slyke. Shortstop Dee Gordon's father, former pitcher Tom Gordon, was Moyer's teammate. And Manager Don Mattingly, playing for the New York Yankees, hit a home run against Moyer - 19 years ago. "I think Jamie pitched against my grandfather," jokedJerry Hairston Jr., a third-generation major leaguer.

State bullet train officials Thursday approved the environmental impact studies for an initial section of high-speed track to be built from Merced to Fresno, a decision that sets the stage for possible legal challenges from powerful Central Valley farming interests. Certification of the final state and federal environmental reports is a critical step before the California High-Speed Rail Authority can begin to secure government permits and award construction contracts for the first phase of the $68-billion project that would link Los Angeles and San Francisco with 200 mph trains.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to seek a speed limit for skateboarders and penalize them for failing to follow a range of traffic rules, from stopping at stop signs to yielding to pedestrians. On a 12 to 0 vote, the council instructed City Atty. Carmen Trutanich to draft an ordinance that would prohibit "unsafe" skateboard activity and limit riders to a speed of 25 mph. The proposal was initiated by Councilman Joe Buscaino, who described it as a response to the death of two skateboarders over the last year.

Ty Lawson can be a difference-maker for the Denver Nuggets. When the Nuggets' point guard gets into the open court, the Lakers' older legs can't match his speed. He weaves his way past height and depth with great ease, leaving a trail of yellow and purple in his wake. "You're not going to stop Ty Lawson," said Lakers Coach Mike Brown. "You just hope you make him work for his shots. " Lawson's speed helped alter what appeared to be a Lakers blowout Tuesday evening in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Turning heads is what 20-year-old outfielder Mike Trout has done in the minor leagues. Now he's trying to make an impact with the Angels, and those who saw his tremendous burst of speed on a bunt single Tuesday against Minnesota got a glimpse at one of his strengths. "That's as good as it gets," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "I've seen guys who can fly. He's in a class that's as fast as I've ever seen. " Trout was clocked running from home to first in 3.53 seconds by third base coach Dino Ebel . "I was just doing my thing," Trout said.

WASHINGTON — If you're one of the estimated 11 million homeowners burdened with an underwater mortgage, a new federal policy change could be good news: Starting in June, when you want to do a short sale to shed your mortgage and avoid foreclosure, you may not have to wait for months to hear back from your bank when you submit an offer from a potential purchaser. Instead, if your loan is owned or securitized by either of the dominant conventional mortgage market players — Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac — you can expect a response within 30 business days, with a final decision taking no more than 60 days.

KTTV seems to be running videotaped reruns ("Alice," "Three's Company") through a gizmo that plays them faster so they can stick in extra commercials, making the pictures jump on the screen when anyone moves. This technique makes an otherwise good picture very distracting. Commercials, of course, are played at regular speeds. Jim Rieger, Ridgecrest

In mid-2008 when the NHRA indefinitely shortened its top-fuel and funny car races for safety reasons, it raised a question: Should there be record speeds and times kept for that distance? The National Hot Rod Assn. initially decided no. But starting last September, the sanctioning body started allowing records for the shorter distance, partly because the records earn their drivers championship bonus points in the sport's top-level Full Throttle Series. The distance for NHRA drag racing always had been one-quarter mile, or 1,320 feet.

The Denver Nuggets arrived in Los Angeles facing a 3-0 deficit, an odd spot to be in before a playoff opener. That's the discrepancy in star power between the Lakers of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol and the Nuggets of zero players likely to get into Staples Center without ID on Sunday before Game 1 of the first-round series. Bryant, Bynum and Gasol have each won multiple NBA championships. No Nugget has even reached the Finals. Bryant was the league's most valuable player in 2008, and Bynum and Gasol have been All-Stars.

ST. LOUIS — Kings defenseman Matt Greene dashed up the right side No, that's not accurate. The Michigan native plods more than he dashes. OK. Greene, known for his rugged defensive play rather than his scoring touch, darted toward the St. Louis Blues' net No, that doesn't capture the spirit of the thing, either. Greene himself came up with the best description of his pace in scoring the short-handed goal that launched the Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Blues on Saturday in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series.