Liberal Talk Radio

Autopia notes that Japan’s first high speed rail opened 43 years ago today, with maximum speeds of 187mph. Since then, they’ve been dilligently expanding it year by year. Will there be any high-speed rail in the U.S. 43 years from today? Color me skeptical. But this is what happens when you forgo the small updates [...]

A funny joke, except you just know that an idea like this was floated in the Ford boardroom more than once.

And no, it doesn’t run windows, and it’s not cheap, either: “This is not cheap what they’re doing,” said Kevin Desmond, general manager at King County Metro Transit. “Microsoft employees enjoy good benefits that many employers would give their right arm to be able to provide.” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, acknowledged it is expensive [...]

I’ve been up since five trying to figure out a way to get my mom from SEA to FNT before noon tomorrow. Yes, that’s right, she’s got a confirmed flight reservation, and yet as of 5a today, we knew she wasn’t going to make her connection in ATL, and thus wouldn’t get in to FNT [...]

Back in the 80s, everyone wanted to ride in a limousine. Then in the 90s, the limo lost its shine: Kurt Cobain would never be caught dead in the kind of car that David Lee Roth liked to party in. These days, private jets are the new limos: A one-time charter is still more expensive [...]

Autopia opines about why Toyota’s had such a hard time developing a successful full-size truck: Early Japanese and German pickup trucks were diminutive, high in utility, cheap to operate and remarkably practical. But they couldn’t haul 2,000 pounds of trailer and boat to the lake on the occasional weekend. Worse, they offended the very macho [...]

It’s awful convenient how this works, isn’t it? Republicans, in an effort to enrich America’s investor class, cut top marginal tax rates for 30 years America becomes unable to fund upgrades to its highways The investor class then funds the election of George W. Bush, who goes on to demonstrate just how incompetently the government [...]

The Senate is talking about $1.4B for Amtrak next year, which is far more than the $800M that Bush wants: David Johnson, assistant director of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, a membership advocacy group, said that if Congress were to go along with Bush’s budget, Amtrak would have to slash service to stay alive. [...]

Nice long articleon car sharing in Brandweek. I’ve gotten in a Zipcar and a Flexcar from time to time, and generally found it to be a pleasing experience. I’d definitely consider getting one if I found myself in a position to do so.

Proud member of the Lionel-Industrial Complex: WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—In the nation’s capital of gridlock, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson promised Monday to create a partnership to build a light rail network and help untangle the Los Angeles region’s notorious traffic. With gas prices rising and roadways jammed, Richardson said it was time to rethink a [...]