Rich assholes who believe they are smart as a side effect of being rich assholes.

Most folks going the full two day journey are in the sleeper cars. The Roomettes are Amtrak’s two person sleeper accommodations and they’re pretty nice (there are larger accommodations available, but the Roomettes are by far the cheapest and most common). There’s also meals included in the sleeper car price and the food on Amtrak is actually not too bad. If you’re traveling alone (or in any amount of people less than four) the dining car attendant will seat you with folks you don’t know, there’s tons to talk about. Lots of people, whether in the sleepers or in coach, bring books and have their tablets or laptops filled up with movies and series. My last trip up to DC I had saved a bunch of podcasts to listen to and finished Dan Simmons “Hyperion” series while I rode.

Also, not for nothing, long distance sleeper trains are actually making a comeback in Europe and Asia… so maybe we’re actually ahead of the curve on this one.

if it actually ran at an acceptable speed.

So, a train service between Chicago and Miami via Washington DC (as Amtrak’s Floridian will take) is just about 1700 miles (about 2700 km). It would take a train traveling at about 235 mph (378 kph) to meet that seven hour target with zero stops along the way. There’s maybe five train services in the world that even get close to that operational speed and they all travel between cities that are like 250 miles (about 400 km) apart.

Do we need high speed rail in the USA? Yes, absolutely. Is a high speed rail route between Miami and Chicago viable? No, not really. (Edit: my phone keeps auto correcting “it” and “is” to “it’s”)

I guess… I am the target market… I take Amtrak from Savannah, GA to Washington DC (about 12 hours) to visit family at least once a year. This new route is basically the same service, but instead of terminating in NYC, it now goes to Chicago (two other trains still follow the route up to NYC). It’s much more comfortable than the bus and way cheaper than flying; it’s usually about $100-120 for a coach seat round trip. Now that I can get a one seat ride all the way to Chicago, because I’ve never been, right now I’m planning a trip there next spring once I get my tax return.

Leading expert on buttons says to use buttons?

It’s exactly what Big Button wants you to think!!! Wake up sheeple!!!1!1!11

Democracy dies in something something or other.

Had an upgrade while all that was going on. Got a free 50 inch TV for staying with Samsung for my next phone.

Apparently, they are also used for treating erectile disfunction.

Doesn’t Medicare Part D already cover stuff like penis pumps? Have sworn I read that somewhere.

“Shit, sorry babe, I haven’t hit my deductable… I need some money for more condoms.”

If it were for actual votes, yes. But this is money for signing that a petition a PAC Musk runs has created.

Tell your boyfriend, if he says he’s got beef, that I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him.

With this Supreme Court… it might.

That’s… that’s a Pornhub category right? “Watching people watching porn” has got to be a tab on that site. It’s sounds too much like a kink to not be a kink.

Exactly what Big Foot wants you to think, all so they can sell more Foot. Wake up sheeple!!!

When you’re the one in the household with the job that makes actual money, threats of “leave and your fired” can make you do unreasonable things. This irrationality can only be alleviated by collective bargaining and unionization… the employees standing up and saying “nope, there’s a flash flood predicted tomorrow, we’re not going to be coming in.” Remember, these folks are working hard for a wage; their bosses and the owners are making the real money off their labor. All that matters to the company is the profit that could be lost if they shuttered one day for safety’s sake.

Shutting the factory down for a little rain and wind? That could effect output and the bottom line… can’t have that… I’m gonna need you to put your life at risk for our wealth or you can start looking for other work. Work that might not pay this well/have health insurance and other benefits you family needs to survive. Everyone who lives through it gets a pizza party!

*especially if you’ve got nothing to hide.

Living on the Southern Atlantic seaboard here, a lot of our homeless are from New Jersey and Maryland… usually get a big wave of them come winter; local governments in the northeast shipping them down so they don’t die from exposure in the colder months.

If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.