Wired: “Superfast Bullet Trains are Finally Coming to the U.S.”

Long post today, but I really feel like I want to write on this topic.

Wired.com has an absolutely fantastic overview of high-speed rail up today, and it’s a must-read:

Superfast Bullet Trains Are Finally Coming to the U.S.

I’ve written about high-speed rail in the past, and will probably continue to do so. I’m a HUGE fan of high-speed rail, and have been for many years.

Unfortunately (to our great shame and detriment) we’re terrible at thinking long-term in this country. Our stubborn refusal here in the US to invest in long-term infrastructure improvement projects – and our love affair with the automobile – has caused the greatest industrial nation in the world to fall far behind Europe and Asia, who have already been using high-speed rail to grow their economies and create opportunity for their citizens for DECADES.

The American transportation industry has stagnated, and we’re now going backward instead of forward. Our current transportation infrastructure is in a terrible state of decay… we’ve even fallen behind China. This is completely unacceptable, to my mind, when we have the workforce and resources in this country to make quality high-speed rail a reality.

It’s time for we Americans to do a reality check: air travel in the US is becoming more frustrating, more inhibitive, more uncomfortable, more dangerous and more expensive. Our rail system as it currently exists here in the US, is a joke. Automobile travel is slow, cumbersome and expensive. High-speed trains are capable of travelling in excess of 200 mph… they’re the alternative that we need to provide safe, inexpensive, quick and comfortable travel between major cities and regions.

It’s long past time for the US to get into the game… I’m absolutely thrilled to see the President taking this project seriously, and so many of our forward-thinking state Governors using stimulus funds to develop regional HSR systems. It’s LONG overdue.

The development of a national high speed rail system will absolutely transform this country… it will create millions of jobs and thousands of small businesses that are directly and indirectly related to the industry, and provide tremendous economic opportunity for American citizens who will finally be able to travel between major cities quickly and effortlessly for both work and leisure.

It will also have a tremendous impact on our dependence on foreign oil, something that all Americans should get behind.

When the White House announced last spring that it would allocate billions of stimulus dollars to high-speed-rail projects, states submitted 45 applications for more than $50 billion in aid. In the end, the Federal Railroad Administration decided to distribute $8 billion in funding to 31 states, with the biggest single grants going to California ($2.3 billion) and Florida ($1.3 billion). (Source: Time)

A foot in the door, to be sure, but it’s a great start.

High-speed rail has literally transformed the economy of every nation that uses it, and it will transform ours in the same way. Regional high-speed rail is the first important step… it may take twenty to thirty years to improve existing lines and services, develop regional systems in every state and connect them all to build a national high speed rail system, but we have to start somewhere. In the long run, it will be worth every single penny of our investment.

I’m extremely thrilled that we’ve finally gotten started on this project, and I hope to live long enough to see a national high-speed rail system in the US finally come to fruition. It’s a long-term investment in American infrastructure that will benefit our children, our childrens’ children, and all future generations.

More on high-speed rail, from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail

Taking a break

Dear readers,

There are so many things going on in my personal life right now that I’m simply not able to keep a daily or even weekly blog.

School, work, family commitments, fiddle lessons, cultural activities and daily time at the gym are gobbling up my days and evenings. And on top of it all, I have a move to prepare for… there are not enough hours in the day.

It may be a while before I can start posting on a regular basis again, but I’ll keep the lights on anyway.

UPDATE 1-23: The comments at LGF are beginning to look a bit more agreeable, so I’ll be back on the comment threads when I can find some free time.

Andrew Sullivan, delinked

I’m a longtime reader of Andrew Sullivan, but I’m removing him from my blogroll this morning for this outrageous comment: 

I too am sick of the Israelis for their contempt for the interests of their most important ally, their continuation of brutalizing colonization of the West Bank, their shameless ethnic engineering in East Jerusalem, their pulverization of Gaza, the direct manipulation of domestic American politics by their ambassador, and on and on. And, yes, I’m also sick of the war crimes and theocratic insanity of Hamas, and the lame passive-aggression of the PA, and the inability of the Palestinian leadership to prepare for actual governance as opposed to the victimized preening and theatrics and violence they prefer to the difficult compromises required if we are to move forward.

And if Rahm Emanuel is sick of them all, one can imagine how the average American feels.

THIS average American supports Israel, Mr. Sullivan… 100 percent.

There is no comparison here. Israel is Americas’ staunch friend and ally, and the ONLY free electoral democracy in the Middle East. Her citizens have suffered tremendously under the brutal and ongoing terror attacks from Hamas and Palestinian militants, and they are now facing a dangerous and severe situation with Iran.

There’s no way in hell that I’m going to support an individual who expresses this kind of outrageous, anti-Semitic sentiment about Israel… not now, and not ever.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men

“I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.”

~ Taylor Caldwell

Experts find the home of President Barack Obamas’ ancestor

An interesting piece this morning from the Irish Independent: the home of Barack Obamas’ Irish ancestor has been located in Moneygall, Co Offaly, Ireland.

The modest residence is confirmed to be the former home of Obamas’ great-great grandfather Falmouth Kearney, an Irish immigrant who came to America in 1850 at the age of 19.

Moneygall, County Offaly, is a small Irish village about an hour and a
half west of Dublin.

Experts find the home of president’s ancestor

By Barry Duggan
Friday December 11 2009

THE home of US President Barack Obama’s Irish ancestors has been located in the heart of a small village, despite being previously believed to have been demolished.

Researchers from Trinity College, Dublin, confirmed that a modest two-storey terraced home in the main street of Moneygall, Co Offaly, was indeed the home of the American president’s Irish forefathers.

As the president was in Oslo to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, US Ambassador Dan Rooney yesterday added fresh impetus to hopes that Mr Obama would visit Moneygall when he stopped off in the quiet village and received further invitations to pass on to the White House.

Barack Obama’s third-great-grandfather on his mother’s side, Fulmouth Kearney, left the village more than 150 years ago.

Researchers from the Eneclann unit of Trinity College have confirmed that the modest home on the busy Dublin-Limerick road was home to Mr Obama’s Irish ancestor.

Local shopkeeper John Donovan is the current owner of the modest building. He inherited the home from his grandmother and it is being let to a tenant.

Mr Donovan said the house had not been touched since his grandmother’s time.

Yesterday’s visit by Mr Rooney was the third time a member of the US embassy had visited Moneygall in the last year. Accompanied by his wife, Patricia, the ambassador enjoyed a glass of Guinness in Ollie Hayes’ pub in the village. He also met Henry Healy (25), who is Mr Obama’s eight cousin.

Mr Healy issued the diplomat and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football team with a “cead mile failte”. He said it was only a matter of time before his distant cousin made the trip to Moneygall.

Mr Rooney said he would be informing the president of the open invitation extended by the people of Moneygall “through cable”.

He acknowledged that “it would be great” if Mr Obama came to the Offaly village.

“I know that President Obama likes Ireland very much. He does want to come and we will try to get to that whenever we can . . . but I won’t make any promises,” Mr Rooney said.

The historical research team at Eneclann (Trinity) has a fascinating summary of Obamas’ Irish geneology here.

Following the confirmation of President Obamas’ Irish ancestry last year, it’s been determined that he is 3.1 percent Irish. He is the 28th U.S. President to claim Irish ancestry (list follows).

George Washington, 1st President 1789-97 (County Cork)
John Adams, 2nd President 1797-1801
James Madison, 4th President 1809-17 (County Clare)
James Monroe, 5th President 1817-25
John Quincy Adams, 6th President 1825-29
Andrew Jackson, 7th President 1829-37 (County Antrim)
James Knox Polk, 11th President 1845-49 (County Londonderry)
James Buchanan, 15th President 1857-61 (County Tyrone)
Andrew Johnson, 17th president 1865-69 (County Antrim)
Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President 1869-77 (County Tyrone)
Chester A. Arthur, 21st President 1881-85 (County Antrim)
Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President 1885-89, 1893-97 (County Antrim)
Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President 1889-93 (County Down)
William McKinley, 25th President 1897-1901 (County Antrim)
Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president 1901-09 (County Antrim)
William Howard Taft, 27th President 1909-13
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President 1913-21 (County Tyrone)
Warren G. Harding, 29th President 1921-23
Harry S. Truman, 33rd President 1945-53
Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President 1963-69
Richard Nixon, 37th President 1969-74 (County Antrim) & (County Kildare)
Gerald Ford, 38th President 1974-77 (County Monaghan)
Jimmy Carter, 39th President 1977-81 (County Londonderry)
Ronald Reagan, 40th President 1981-89 (County Tipperary)
George H. W. Bush, 41st President 1989-93 (Counties Down & Wexford)
Bill Clinton, 42nd President 1993-2001 (County Fermanagh)
George W. Bush, 43rd President 2001-2009 (Counties Antrim, Cork, Down, & Wexford)
Barack Obama, 44th President 2009- (County Offaly)

Irish folks are, as you might expect, having a lot of fun with this.

Liam Clancy, 1935-2009… the end of an era

A fine son of Tipperary and the last of the Clancy Brothers passed away during the week.

Liam Clancy was described by Bob Dylan saying “I never heard a singer as good as him ever. He was just the best ballad singer I ever heard in my life, still is probably.”

He had teamed up with his brothers and Tommy Makem touring New York, Boston & Chicago but a 16-minute appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on St Patrick’s Day in 1961 brought them to national attention and they were signed to Columbia Records.

They donned the renowned Aran jumpers (sweaters) and essentially gave new life to Irish folk music and a cottage clothing industry. In 1973 he left the group to pursue a solo career. He moved to Calgary, Alberta, where he became an established television performer.

In 1974 Clancy and Makem were booked to perform separately in Cleveland, Ohio. Persuaded to do one set together, they soon afterwards became Makem and Clancy, recording & touring as a duo until 1988. They made Eric Bogle’s song “And the Band played Waltzing Matilda” their own. In the mid-1980s they teamed up with the other Clancys for a reunion tour.

He released an album this year that was recorded in his studio in Ring, Co.Waterford.

Clancy’s last days were spent at home in Ireland. He passed away at a hospital in Cork, at the age of 74 years. His passing marks the end of an era in Irish Folk music.
From the Irish Times:

Singer Liam Clancy dies aged 74

More from the Associated Press, here.

Goodnight, Liam… you will be missed.

Charles Johnson is right: on parting ways with the right

Charles Johnson over at Little Green Footballs is once again demonstrating his usual level of moral candor and intellectual honesty with a deep, bold cut to the GOP’s jugular:

Why I Parted Ways With the Right

1. Support for fascists, both in America (see: Pat Buchanan, Robert Stacy McCain, etc.) and in Europe (see: Vlaams Belang, BNP, SIOE, Pat Buchanan, etc.)

2. Support for bigotry, hatred, and white supremacism (see: Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Robert Stacy McCain, Lew Rockwell, etc.)

3. Support for throwing women back into the Dark Ages, and general religious fanaticism (see: Operation Rescue, anti-abortion groups, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Tony Perkins, the entire religious right, etc.)

4. Support for anti-science bad craziness (see: creationism, climate change denialism, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, James Inhofe, etc.)

5. Support for homophobic bigotry (see: Sarah Palin, Dobson, the entire religious right, etc.)

6. Support for anti-government lunacy (see: tea parties, militias, Fox News, Glenn Beck, etc.)

7. Support for conspiracy theories and hate speech (see: Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Birthers, creationists, climate deniers, etc.)

8. A right-wing blogosphere that is almost universally dominated by raging hate speech (see: Hot Air, Free Republic, Ace of Spades, etc.)

9. Anti-Islamic bigotry that goes far beyond simply criticizing radical Islam, into support for fascism, violence, and genocide (see: Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, etc.)

10. Hatred for President Obama that goes far beyond simply criticizing his policies, into racism, hate speech, and bizarre conspiracy theories (see: witch doctor pictures, tea parties, Birthers, Michelle Malkin, Fox News, World Net Daily, Newsmax, and every other right wing source)

And much, much more. The American right wing has gone off the rails, into the bushes, and off the cliff.

I won’t be going over the cliff with them.

As expected, his post early this morning prompted a predictable response from the right: shrieks of outrage, howls of indignation, venomous attacks on his character and accusations of betrayal and liberal leftism all across the right wing blogosphere… a veritible shitstorm of abuse and hostility, all set to the tune of seriously bad crazy.

Which prompted Charles to follow up on his original post here:

The funny thing is, that post about “Why I Parted Ways with the Right?” I wrote it in about three minutes last night. It’s been brewing in my cortex for years, and something triggered the release; exactly what, I don’t really know. Guess it was time.

Here’s an open thread while I try to get through the 437 emails that came in overnight and this morning. Lots of hate mail as you might expect, dripping with venom and serving as object examples of exactly what I wrote about.

To the surprise of absolutely no-one, the usual mob of venomous frothing Johnson haters are out in force tonight, trying to downplay the post and discredit Johnson’s character on every venue that will allow them the bandwidth to do so, and on every blog post where the writer displays even a modicum of support for Mr. Johnson.

Too late, of course: the mainstream media has taken note. The cats’ out of the bag, and it’s not going back in.

Sigmund, Carl and Alfred have responded to Johnson’s post today with an opinion piece that is absolutely spot on:

Charles Johnson Rides Off Into The Sunrise

Charles Johnson’s critique of the political Right serves to highlight the mess in which the GOP and much of the Right find themselves. His critique is equally applicable to the Left. They have their own set of ugly baggage.

Time has shown that when it comes to politics, Charles Johnson travels light. It is a lesson that Americans of all stripes need to learn.

More support coming in from Andrew Sullivan, here.

UPDATE: I’m feeling generous today. Just for the helluvit, I’ve decided to turn moderation off on this one so that my readers and visitors can see the morally upstanding and highly principaled right-wing that Charles speaks of in full flower.

So spew your filth, folks… rant and rave, spray your venom, get it all out of your system. And don’t say that I didn’t give you anything for Christmas.

Happy holidays!

The holidays have finally arrived, and my days and nights have descended into a mad and constant flurry of activity that is keeping me happily engaged in life and away from the blogs.

I’m very busy with school and the family, and tomorrow night we have our annual holiday session at the pub – the biggest and best session of the year, with visiting musicians coming from far and wide. I’m looking forward to seeing many old friends tomorrow night that I haven’t seen for a while.

Here’s a holiday nod and shout out, to all of my trad Newfie friends up in the Provinces… you know who you are!

You know where you are?

American politics: welcome to the jungle.

 

 

Duelling anti-jihad divas Deb Schlussel and Pam Geller vie for top spot

The anti-muslim bigots in the blogosphere are eating each other alive.

“Brave anti-jihad freedom fighter” diva Debbie Schlussel and the self-promoting anti-jihad opportunist Pamela Geller (Atlas Shrugs) are at each others’ throats… each one vying for the title of most authentic female anti-jihad “warrior”.

Schlussel – who credits herself with Pamelas’ “success” and unabashedly links to her unofficial fan club on her front page (for obvious reasons) – is irritated that Pammy is ignoring her criticism and refusing to communicate with her in email. She fired the first of what I’m sure will be multiple volleys yesterday, with this treasonous post:

HUH?!: Geller “Anti-”Honor Killing Rally Features Mother Who Conspired to Kill Daughters

Excerpt:

It pains me to write this because I’ve done much to help Pamela–some of it at her request and much of it because it was the right thing to do–over the years. Among many other things, that includes going out on a limb and criticizing Michelle Malkin for stealing her story on Rachael Ray, the keffiyeh, and Dunkin’ Donuts. And when ABC News and CNN Headline news wanted to interview me on the story, I told them that Pamela had broken it and suggested they contact her, which both did.

Now, Pamela knows better on Patricia Said (and many other things) . . . but she’s doing it anyway. Some people say “not on my watch,” but not only don’t they really mean it, they enable the perpetrators. There are warriors, and then there are pseudo-warriors, who casually throw principle to the wind whenever it’s convenient.

Wake up call, people.

Geller – a conservative anti-muslim bigot and certifiable lunatic whose blog is smeared with shrieking commentary, graphic imagery, “celebrity” photographs (always with her in them) and self-promotional material under humble topic headers like “See Atlas live!” and “GRANDE CONSERVATIVE BLOGRESS DIVA” (where she has a photoshop of her leathery face atop the body of a busty Supergirl figure) – has so far not responded to Diva Debbies’ criticism, public attack and withdrawal of her support.

She’s chosen to apply the traditional and universal response of the DIVA incensed: cease all communication, apply the silent treatment, surround yourself with ego-soothing supporters, and petition mutual friends for support on the sly.

Gellers’ (increasingly intimate) companion Robert Spencer is, I suspect, now fielding emails from both of them demanding his support – and suddenly finding himself in the middle of a raging catfight between two dueling drama queens with inflated egos who both think that they should be at the top of the antijihadi heap. And I suspect that he knows exactly what the consequences will be both online and offline, if he makes the wrong choice.

The folks over at Chasing Evil have a great post up today lampooning both of these self-preening, self-serving prima donnas… and it’s just too good not to link to.

Here’s an excerpt:

Debbie Schlussel Hits out Against “Pseudo-Warrior” Pamela Geller

This is what we expected all along, for the ravenous loons to eat each other up. There may still be a salvageable relationship between Debbie Schlussel and Pamela Geller, they might bury the hatchet to continue with the profitable business of Islamophobia but it does not seem likely.

Of course we couldn’t care less if they remain buddies or not, in fact we hope that we can sit back with a bag of popcorn and watch the preceding blog brawl escalate. Again the starter of this fire is Debbie Schlussel who writes that she regrettably has to call out Pamela Geller who unlike her is not a true warrior but a “pseudo-warrior.” All we can do is laugh.

Some choice cuts from the most recent oeuvre served by Schlussel:

How do you go from–less than two months ago–rightfully condemning a mother for sending her daughters to what she knew would be their murder by their Muslim father . . . to making her a featured speaker at your anti-honor killing rally?! That’s a question you’ll have to ask Pamela Geller, who–as is her recent SOP with me–ignored my e-mails to her, including two asking her why she invited Patricia Said…

This is all over ignored emails. Ha. Priceless.

It boggles the mind that any sane, principled person truly against honor killings would invite this woman, Patricia Said, to speak at such a rally. If she was Rifqa Bary’s mother, the Bary teen would be dead by now, with her help.

Schlussel, herself an insane loon pretty much calls her old friend Pam insane here as well.

Instead of answering my question, Pamela ignored it and covered her ass–choosing to deceive readers of her Atlas Shrugs website with creative editing and removing Patricia Said’s name and changing it to “honor killing victims’ family members.” (It should have read “co-conspirators in honor killings.) But Said will be there, courtesy of Pamela, who organized the rally and paid for Tissie Said’s travel to and lodging for the event.

Tsk, tsk. Schlussel is really bringing the hammer out now. Shocking revelations: Pam Geller is paying people to come out for the anti-Muslim “rally.”

Pamela preferred symbolism over substance, and this isn’t the first time.

Ouch.

Read it all.

Now that the gloves are off, what fresh hell do the duelling divas have planned for each other?

Only time will tell… and I suspect that we won’t have to wait very long to find out. I’m pretty sure that Pammy is going to have something to say about this on her blog – and I’m reasonably certain she’ll do what she usually does with people who have the audacity to disagree with her and criticize her “work”: go for the throat.

Pass the popcorn.