tling

Now you're talking like a Western child.

FTFY

But seriously, it's important to point out that kids around the world are basically the same: they like playing with other kids, and they like glowing rectangles.

Watching cork being harvested is quite satisfying, especially if you turn up the audio.

That's three years after the design is proposed, finished, approved, and funded, which has been many years in the making.

"Proposals for electrifying the line began as early as 1992" per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrification_of_Caltrain, which is an excellent wikipedia article. During the funding debacle, much attention was made towards education, and the wikipedia page got much much better.

Slightly OT, but the wiki also has this gem from Atherton: "city representatives asserted that "newer, cleaner, more efficient diesel trains" should supplant plans for "century-old catenary electrical line technology." "

• by accelerating and decelerating like BART instead of an 18 wheeler, times should be cut about 2 minute per stop.

• right now, there's a maximum speed -- 35 mph IIRC -- for trains going across roads that might have cars. The electrification also includes grade separation of a few road crossings, which will speed up the entire route.

I'd guess a baby bullet could be as low as 50 minutes instead of 60, but that's just a PIDOOMA estimate.

The neglected aspect of life in your comment is luck. Sometimes people hurt their back or shoulder and can never work again in their previously well-paid field. Sometimes family members need hospice-like care, and a family member has to stay home to take care of them if no one else will pay for a home nurse (a common problem in the USA). Sometimes a child has an life-threatening illness and needs constant home care for months, causing loss of a job for a parent. Or one of many other unique problems that don't allow for them to be a productive member of society.

My feeling is that even if you have bad luck, we as a society should strive to create and support a social floor whereby all US citizens won't go hungry, won't go without shelter, and won't go without healthcare. The price of this is fairly low compared to our GDP, and the benefit to everyone to know that neither they nor their parents or their children will ever go without the basics of life is quite valuable. That's why I support OWS, at least.