Opinion of Previous Poster's Signature Thread

[traininthedistance]

Canceling the fully-planned and mostly-paid-for ARC tunnel (which would have doubled our severely bottlenecked rail capacity across the Hudson) was the very definition of penny wise, pound foolish- and given the millions of people who live on Long Island and its isolation from goods across the country, we could really use that cross-Hudson freight tunnel, too.

Yes, in fact, I would like to go out and buy more tunnel.  Because it's a necessary investment in the future.

[traininthedistance]

Subway map?

It's a proposed line (originally floated in a 1996 plan, with a couple recent spurts of interest as well) linking the outer boroughs and providing transfer points for the vast majority of lines- and it would probably use light rail rather than subway cars, since the ridership would be lower than Manhattan lines.  The good thing about it is that it would be built almost entirely on little-used freight trackage, so no need to build new track or acquire new right-of way (though some refurbishing would be necessary), which lowers the cost from "insanely prohibitive" to "we could do this someday if we were actually committed to our infrastructure".  The bad thing about it is that it's mutually exclusive with building a cross-Hudson freight tunnel, because that would use the exact same trackage on the Brooklyn end.  I'm agnostic on which project I prefer, but we really ought to go ahead with one of them.

The lines in gray are current subway lines.

SKIP

[traininthedistance]

Smoking kills.  Good numbers, tho.

[traininthedistance]

You must really like to ride your bicycle.  I hate them - terribly uncomfortable and sweat-promoting.

In point of fact, I don't actually own a bicycle, and haven't ridden one in years.  But if Citibike ever expands to my part of Brooklyn, that might change.

I certainly can't imagine driving a car in the city, not unless it's full of passengers and/or furniture.

SKIP

[traininthedistance]

Sorry, Snowy, I'm not going to skip you.

...Rush Holt is quite possibly my single favorite congressman.  I really wish he had a realistic shot of moving up to the Senate.

[traininthedistance]

Needs some cheesecake.  May I suggest:



Hawt.

[traininthedistance]

Fairly interesting. Do you mean to show that in the context of rise in ocean levels due to climate change, or just related to flooding?

Well, it's the new revised flood zone map for NYC, which came out early this year IIRC, and both includes a) finer gradations- six zones instead of the old three, and b) more areas which are flood-prone.  The fact that more areas are flood-prone is obviously related to climate change, but sea level rise isn't directly dealt with here.

Also, because I like maps.  But that was obvious.

SKIP

[traininthedistance]

I feel like baking cookies.  Moist cookies.

[traininthedistance]

It would be great if she had a snowball's chance in Dallas (aka the eleventh circle of Hell).  Alas I doubt she does.

[traininthedistance]

Oh, huh, I guess XKCD still exists.

[traininthedistance]

I like your "blast from the past" series a bunch, but this one isn't as exciting as the irony of Blue Opebo and most of the others.

[traininthedistance]

The one Christmas TV special worth a damn.  I'm gonna listen to some Vince Guaraldi in honor.

[traininthedistance]

For a relaxing time, make it Suntory time.

One of my absolutely favorite movies ever.

[traininthedistance]

Pretty sure someone else pointed it out already, but: kinda looks like John Edwards.  Hope he doesn't *act* like John Edwards.

[traininthedistance]

Guilty as hell on the first charge... not so much for the second, whew.

[traininthedistance]

What does that refer to?

VMT projections over time, which of course continue to just be straight lines up and up, in direct contravention to reality.  Self-justifying dimwit highway planners delenda est. 

Gully:  Not a fan of Thomas Kuhn, I guess?

[traininthedistance]

That's some pretty solid Photoshoppery.

[traininthedistance]

How exactly does one go about proving that they were appointed by God?

[traininthedistance]

They elect coroners as a partisan position.

Coroners.  Why?  I know that's a thing that happens, but...

[traininthedistance]

Let's just say that I miss your Christopher Hitchens phase.

[traininthedistance]

train: I have a weird fascination with abandoned modern buildings, so I love that sig. Where is that building/why was it abandoned?

It's an abandoned mall in Akron, Ohio.  Found it here:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2014/06/22/seph_lawless_photographs_abandoned_malls_in_his_book_black_friday.html

SKIP

[traininthedistance]

Indeed.

(That is to say, I [presumably] agree with whatever sentiment led you to sig this quote, rather than the quote itself.)

[traininthedistance]

How about no.