Tuesday, January 05, 2016
186 Miles Per Hour
I haven't written about SUPERTRAINS enough lately. Recently rode a few. 186 miles per hour is fast! We laugh at your silly cars on the highway. Though, really, rail doesn't need top speeds that are that fast to be great. Average speeds are more important. Manage to average about 85mph and you're doing pretty well. We don't have enough of that, either, but it can be achieved with minor (if not cheap) upgrades.
Sick
As I said, I rarely get sick, so when I do I don't really know how to cope. I don't mean that my delicate self is overwhelmed by it, just that I don't have a very good sense of what "sick" is. Am I about to die or do I just have a little cold? Mostly kidding. I know I just have a little cold, nothing worse, but I still have a hard time assessing it.
The Board
One of the conceits of cop shows is that there's tremendous pressure from politicians and the public to solve crimes. Unsolved murders are a black mark on police departments and individual detectives, and the press is constantly breathing down their necks for arrests and convictions.
At least here in the urban hellhole, that just isn't the case. We hear about the crimes, but rarely get much follow up. Okay, when it's a certain kind of white person getting killed we might hear more about it, but mostly the stories just disappear and the too often the murders are unsolved.
This is more a criticism of the local press than the cops. They just don't follow these stories from start to finish.
At least here in the urban hellhole, that just isn't the case. We hear about the crimes, but rarely get much follow up. Okay, when it's a certain kind of white person getting killed we might hear more about it, but mostly the stories just disappear and the too often the murders are unsolved.
This is more a criticism of the local press than the cops. They just don't follow these stories from start to finish.
They Take Up A Lot Of Space
Because the urban hellhole is old by American standards, plots are small and there isn't much off street parking. But when new construction does come in, neighborhood groups tend to push for lots of off street parking because they don't want to lose their precious almost free parking spots on the street. The thing is that cars take up a lot of space and plots are small. There just isn't room for cars. There's a proposal for a development on an empty lot near me and the local CW is something like "that plot is too small for that development and also it needs parking." The disconnect is bizarre.
Anyway, the point is, cars take up a lot of space. It's time we understood that.
Anyway, the point is, cars take up a lot of space. It's time we understood that.
Take Your God Bothering Elsewhere
Good for the ACLU.
I grew up as an atheist. My parents didn't raise me to be an atheist, they just didn't raise me with any religious teaching at all, and by the time I heard about this God stuff it all sounded pretty silly. I had some teachers in school who tried to sneak in religion whenever they thought they could get away with it. Sneaky bastards, really. I mean, they obviously gave this stuff a lot of thought. It was important to them to try to get away with as many God and Jesus references they could. Not most teachers, of course, but a few.
Anyway, things like "God bless America" are not neutral. The evidence that they aren't neutral is that people like the teachers I referred to are constantly trying to get it into the classroom. If it was neutral they wouldn't give a shit.
I grew up as an atheist. My parents didn't raise me to be an atheist, they just didn't raise me with any religious teaching at all, and by the time I heard about this God stuff it all sounded pretty silly. I had some teachers in school who tried to sneak in religion whenever they thought they could get away with it. Sneaky bastards, really. I mean, they obviously gave this stuff a lot of thought. It was important to them to try to get away with as many God and Jesus references they could. Not most teachers, of course, but a few.
Anyway, things like "God bless America" are not neutral. The evidence that they aren't neutral is that people like the teachers I referred to are constantly trying to get it into the classroom. If it was neutral they wouldn't give a shit.
Good Morning
Authorities plan to cut power at the Oregon wildlife reserve. (thanks to J G-B for the link).
Monday, January 04, 2016
Good Second Step
Some were worried (understandably!) that the outgoing mayor did this to take one for the team for the new mayor. Apparently not.
Mayor Kenney on Monday barred almost all cooperation between city law enforcement and federal immigration agents, reverting to an earlier policy that made Philadelphia one of the nation's "sanctuary cities."
"The only way that people buy into [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is when they . . . have input into the process," Kenney, who had promised to rescind his predecessor's 11th-hour order on his first day in office, said at a signing ceremony where immigrant-rights activists cheered.
What The Fuckity Fuck
I don't even know what to make of this.
Just jail the bastard.
FLINT, MI -- Gov. Rick Snyder quietly helped deliver 1,500 water filters to Flint last month -- even as state officials gave assurances that the city's tap water was safe and meeting all regulatory standards.
Dave Murray, a spokesman for Snyder, confirmed that the filters, distributed by the Concerned Pastors for Social Action, came from a "corporate donor that does not wish to be recognized but cares deeply about the community."
The donor "worked with the governor to provide 1,500 faucet filters to be distributed to city homes," Murray said in an email.
Just jail the bastard.
Good First Step
Your stupid car should not be parked on the City Hall apron. I really don't get people who live in the city (assuming they don't have a disability) and think a 5-10 minute walk from another parking location is an undue burden.
Meet the New Boss
The urban hellhole has a new mayor. I admit I follow local politics less than I should, but that's largely because it's really hard to follow local politics based on press reports. Too much of what's important is really the story behind the story, the stuff that doesn't actually make it into the papers. The tuned in reporters know it, but it doesn't always fit the model of journalism that they're trying to do.
Another issue is that one of the biggest issues facing the city - schools - can't easily be addressed. The state took over the school system about 15 years ago and has been doing its best to destroy it ever since. All the city can do is throw more money it doesn't have at it and hope that not all of it goes into the coffers of corrupt charter operators.
Another issue is that one of the biggest issues facing the city - schools - can't easily be addressed. The state took over the school system about 15 years ago and has been doing its best to destroy it ever since. All the city can do is throw more money it doesn't have at it and hope that not all of it goes into the coffers of corrupt charter operators.
Happy, Happy Hour
According to this Daily Kos post, the idiots from Nevada who have occupied a tourist outpost in Oregon and claimed they were prepared to stay for years, forgot to pack food.
Over/under on whether they last a week?
Over/under on whether they last a week?
Some Good News
Prison sentences for certain kinds of criminals are generally way too harsh, but what might be even worse is that we make it way too hard for those people to reintegrate into society after their too harsh sentences have been served. The punishment should end when state supervision (jail, probation, etc) ends.
Both Sides
On the left people protest and march without guns and the cops kick the shit out of them, on the right they show up with machine guns and conquer a federal facility. So, you know, both sides.
Sunday, January 03, 2016
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