Das Doak
@dasdoak.bsky.social
Gentleman adventurer, mostly decent bastard, only slightly pessimistic optimist. I ride bikes, tinker, program, and read way too much.
White, cis, straight, US male if you need the context. It's a fucked demographic; wasn't my choice to be born into it.
White, cis, straight, US male if you need the context. It's a fucked demographic; wasn't my choice to be born into it.
According to the Wikipedia article on Adipocere, it could be *way* worse:
![Screenshot from the text on the wikipedia article for Adipocere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adipocere
"In 1825, physician and lecturer Augustus Granville is believed to have (somewhat unwittingly) made candles from the adipocere of a mummy and used them to light the public lecture he gave to report on the mummy's dissection. Granville apparently thought that the waxy material from which he made the candles had been used to preserve the mummy, rather than its being a product of the saponification of the mummified body.[5]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3wdm4emc3uq7756djxl7hopp/bafkreiaum5ao3qa7rt6vjnjf6mcpexoqwdzz3f7gp5i4robdijcsbidpdq@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 8:49 AM
According to the Wikipedia article on Adipocere, it could be *way* worse:
Even changing consumer preferences still translate into a feeling of increased costs for people further down the ladder, because today's new cars are next year's used cars.
November 9, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Even changing consumer preferences still translate into a feeling of increased costs for people further down the ladder, because today's new cars are next year's used cars.
And, of course, this leaves off the third leg of "the good life" - a higher education.
Younger generations being confronted by an economy that only offers luxury options are doing so with much more debt straight out of the gate than their parents.
Younger generations being confronted by an economy that only offers luxury options are doing so with much more debt straight out of the gate than their parents.
November 9, 2025 at 10:30 AM
And, of course, this leaves off the third leg of "the good life" - a higher education.
Younger generations being confronted by an economy that only offers luxury options are doing so with much more debt straight out of the gate than their parents.
Younger generations being confronted by an economy that only offers luxury options are doing so with much more debt straight out of the gate than their parents.
While Stancil is right about this *overall* I think it's relevant that the two key elements of the American Dream - cars and houses - have gotten *much* more expensive, leading younger generations to feel worse-off than their parents, even though their purchasing power is, on net, higher.
November 9, 2025 at 10:25 AM
While Stancil is right about this *overall* I think it's relevant that the two key elements of the American Dream - cars and houses - have gotten *much* more expensive, leading younger generations to feel worse-off than their parents, even though their purchasing power is, on net, higher.
What tipped me off was there being a lot more of the Netherlands.
A map that showed an accurate coastline would be much more useful than this - but also would be the sort of thing that's the product of *multiple* doctorates, particularly if it had a slider for the year.
A map that showed an accurate coastline would be much more useful than this - but also would be the sort of thing that's the product of *multiple* doctorates, particularly if it had a slider for the year.
November 6, 2025 at 9:39 PM
What tipped me off was there being a lot more of the Netherlands.
A map that showed an accurate coastline would be much more useful than this - but also would be the sort of thing that's the product of *multiple* doctorates, particularly if it had a slider for the year.
A map that showed an accurate coastline would be much more useful than this - but also would be the sort of thing that's the product of *multiple* doctorates, particularly if it had a slider for the year.
Wooooow, that is a *really* nice alignment clear out to Berlin. Pity the Wachusett Reservoir drowned the rest of it - the reroute they did isn't as nice.
If that alignment is still clear, someone should take a good look at reactivating it for rail service.
If that alignment is still clear, someone should take a good look at reactivating it for rail service.
November 5, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Wooooow, that is a *really* nice alignment clear out to Berlin. Pity the Wachusett Reservoir drowned the rest of it - the reroute they did isn't as nice.
If that alignment is still clear, someone should take a good look at reactivating it for rail service.
If that alignment is still clear, someone should take a good look at reactivating it for rail service.
You connect them the same way we connect the high speed segments anywhere else - with low speed segments. You just engineer to have as many high-speed segments as possible.
November 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
You connect them the same way we connect the high speed segments anywhere else - with low speed segments. You just engineer to have as many high-speed segments as possible.
You're misunderstanding me; a good portion of the track along that route is quite straight and *could* be definition HSR (just *barely*) if the track quality was just upgraded.
The valley portions could also be upgraded to barely-HSR, but you'd be doing a lot of viaducts, cuts, and a few tunnels.
The valley portions could also be upgraded to barely-HSR, but you'd be doing a lot of viaducts, cuts, and a few tunnels.
November 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM
You're misunderstanding me; a good portion of the track along that route is quite straight and *could* be definition HSR (just *barely*) if the track quality was just upgraded.
The valley portions could also be upgraded to barely-HSR, but you'd be doing a lot of viaducts, cuts, and a few tunnels.
The valley portions could also be upgraded to barely-HSR, but you'd be doing a lot of viaducts, cuts, and a few tunnels.
Anyways, the situation in Massachusetts is nowhere near as dire with the existing rail alignments I've seen in the intermountain west where engineers had to deal with *huge* elevation changes and absolutely mad canyons. Y'all have it pretty good compared to this:
November 5, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Anyways, the situation in Massachusetts is nowhere near as dire with the existing rail alignments I've seen in the intermountain west where engineers had to deal with *huge* elevation changes and absolutely mad canyons. Y'all have it pretty good compared to this:
Honestly, most of the existing track between Boston and Albany along the Springfield alignment isn't that bad; it's just old and hasn't been maintained up to high-speed standards - and, even then, the worst is just 19th century stuff from when excavation was expensive, so they contoured constantly.
November 5, 2025 at 6:41 AM
Honestly, most of the existing track between Boston and Albany along the Springfield alignment isn't that bad; it's just old and hasn't been maintained up to high-speed standards - and, even then, the worst is just 19th century stuff from when excavation was expensive, so they contoured constantly.
Hinsdale, for example, could *easily* accommodate another set of double HSR tracks in addition to the existing freight tracks with nothing more than retaining walls along the existing right-of-way and a new bridge. No property taking required.
November 5, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Hinsdale, for example, could *easily* accommodate another set of double HSR tracks in addition to the existing freight tracks with nothing more than retaining walls along the existing right-of-way and a new bridge. No property taking required.
There already *are* multiple rail alignments from Boston going west and going to NYC; straightening them to allow HSR would require far less land taking than a highway widening, let alone a new one.
But, of course, all of this assumes conventional construction and not a continuous viaduct.
But, of course, all of this assumes conventional construction and not a continuous viaduct.
November 5, 2025 at 3:26 AM
There already *are* multiple rail alignments from Boston going west and going to NYC; straightening them to allow HSR would require far less land taking than a highway widening, let alone a new one.
But, of course, all of this assumes conventional construction and not a continuous viaduct.
But, of course, all of this assumes conventional construction and not a continuous viaduct.
We have lots of linear infrastructure and often are expanding it in places where we have to bulldoze people's houses to do so.
The key difference is that the linear infrastructure we have and continue building is far more polluting and generates far less revenue than HSR would.
The key difference is that the linear infrastructure we have and continue building is far more polluting and generates far less revenue than HSR would.
November 5, 2025 at 12:54 AM
We have lots of linear infrastructure and often are expanding it in places where we have to bulldoze people's houses to do so.
The key difference is that the linear infrastructure we have and continue building is far more polluting and generates far less revenue than HSR would.
The key difference is that the linear infrastructure we have and continue building is far more polluting and generates far less revenue than HSR would.
And, finally, demand bar cars. We used to be a civilized country, we can RETVRN. 29/29
November 5, 2025 at 12:40 AM
And, finally, demand bar cars. We used to be a civilized country, we can RETVRN. 29/29
So, where does that leave us?
Well, to start with, while it's not the most important thing in the world to deal with right this second - creeping fascism edges that out by... a lot - we really should hate flying and having to fly so much more than we already do. 26/
Well, to start with, while it's not the most important thing in the world to deal with right this second - creeping fascism edges that out by... a lot - we really should hate flying and having to fly so much more than we already do. 26/
November 5, 2025 at 12:34 AM
So, where does that leave us?
Well, to start with, while it's not the most important thing in the world to deal with right this second - creeping fascism edges that out by... a lot - we really should hate flying and having to fly so much more than we already do. 26/
Well, to start with, while it's not the most important thing in the world to deal with right this second - creeping fascism edges that out by... a lot - we really should hate flying and having to fly so much more than we already do. 26/
And, again, we've gone through *all* of this without confronting the fact that flying is extraordinarily energy intensive and really frigging hard to decarbonize on account of the whole "batteries are heavy" thing.
It really is hard to think of an all-around worse system.
25/
It really is hard to think of an all-around worse system.
25/
November 5, 2025 at 12:29 AM
And, again, we've gone through *all* of this without confronting the fact that flying is extraordinarily energy intensive and really frigging hard to decarbonize on account of the whole "batteries are heavy" thing.
It really is hard to think of an all-around worse system.
25/
It really is hard to think of an all-around worse system.
25/
I know this first hand because I'm a white dude who grew up in the petit-bourgeois; when I fly by myself it's still uncomfortable in the ways that flying normally is, but I can see how it'd be enjoyable if you were flying business class and getting dropped off and picked up by a black car. 21/
November 5, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I know this first hand because I'm a white dude who grew up in the petit-bourgeois; when I fly by myself it's still uncomfortable in the ways that flying normally is, but I can see how it'd be enjoyable if you were flying business class and getting dropped off and picked up by a black car. 21/
At this point it seems almost silly to add the travel time to the station - who the hell *wouldn't* want to skip airport security in exchange for a few hours of travel time? - but, when we do, we find that it adds - at worst - barely fifty additional minutes. Total. If you walk slowly. 15/
November 4, 2025 at 11:27 PM
At this point it seems almost silly to add the travel time to the station - who the hell *wouldn't* want to skip airport security in exchange for a few hours of travel time? - but, when we do, we find that it adds - at worst - barely fifty additional minutes. Total. If you walk slowly. 15/
But let's take a look at one last case:
The train with the highest average speed in Revenue Service is the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which *averages* 197mph. On our NYC-LA route, we're looking at fourteen hours, twelve minutes of travel time.
Breakfast in NYC, dinner in LA. 14/
The train with the highest average speed in Revenue Service is the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which *averages* 197mph. On our NYC-LA route, we're looking at fourteen hours, twelve minutes of travel time.
Breakfast in NYC, dinner in LA. 14/
November 4, 2025 at 11:17 PM
But let's take a look at one last case:
The train with the highest average speed in Revenue Service is the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which *averages* 197mph. On our NYC-LA route, we're looking at fourteen hours, twelve minutes of travel time.
Breakfast in NYC, dinner in LA. 14/
The train with the highest average speed in Revenue Service is the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, which *averages* 197mph. On our NYC-LA route, we're looking at fourteen hours, twelve minutes of travel time.
Breakfast in NYC, dinner in LA. 14/
At this point, given that we're burning a full day by flying or taking the train, the train starts to win because, again, you aren't sitting in airplane seats the entire time. You can get up, walk around, have a meal, and - on the trains of civilized countries - have a drink.
November 4, 2025 at 11:10 PM
At this point, given that we're burning a full day by flying or taking the train, the train starts to win because, again, you aren't sitting in airplane seats the entire time. You can get up, walk around, have a meal, and - on the trains of civilized countries - have a drink.
Trains get interesting though - the seating experience on a train is *vastly* better than either a bus or a plane, and it's not unusual for long-distance trains to have roomettes for sleeping, meaning that a day-long journey isn't a draining ordeal.
It can be relaxing and energizing even. 10/
It can be relaxing and energizing even. 10/
November 4, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Trains get interesting though - the seating experience on a train is *vastly* better than either a bus or a plane, and it's not unusual for long-distance trains to have roomettes for sleeping, meaning that a day-long journey isn't a draining ordeal.
It can be relaxing and energizing even. 10/
It can be relaxing and energizing even. 10/
Driving takes 43 hours - and that's not wall time, that's driving time - in addition to also being incredibly draining. You can do it in pretty close to 43 hours if you're tag-teaming it with a team of 2-3 people and, while it can be fun, it's definitely an "acquired taste" style of fun. 8/
November 4, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Driving takes 43 hours - and that's not wall time, that's driving time - in addition to also being incredibly draining. You can do it in pretty close to 43 hours if you're tag-teaming it with a team of 2-3 people and, while it can be fun, it's definitely an "acquired taste" style of fun. 8/
Once you've added in the "Please arrive two hours before your flight!" we're already talking about *nine hours* of travel time. And that just gets us to LAX, at which point you need to spend *another* hour to get to your destination, plus probably 30-ish minutes to deplane and get baggage. 5/
November 4, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Once you've added in the "Please arrive two hours before your flight!" we're already talking about *nine hours* of travel time. And that just gets us to LAX, at which point you need to spend *another* hour to get to your destination, plus probably 30-ish minutes to deplane and get baggage. 5/
Because the flight doesn't actually *originate* in New York - it leaves from Newark Liberty International, which is takes forty minutes to *an hour* to get to, assuming we're starting from New York City Hall (which, given that you probably don't live on EWR's doorstep, makes for a decent proxy.) 4/
November 4, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Because the flight doesn't actually *originate* in New York - it leaves from Newark Liberty International, which is takes forty minutes to *an hour* to get to, assuming we're starting from New York City Hall (which, given that you probably don't live on EWR's doorstep, makes for a decent proxy.) 4/