January 24, 2008
Subways More Expensive Here, So Are Mobile Phones, And So Will Be Space Travel
TTC subways twice as costly to build as Madrid's. And they got tapas while they were building it.
Rogers increases their fake "system access" fee. Torontoist has learned that this is only the first in a proposed system of additional fees, including an "energy cost of making your phone ring louder" fee, a "remembering that you're paying for additional services" fee, and the obviously necessary "keeping track of all the fees you owe us" fee.
Toronto officials issue public alert for rabies. It went something like, "Holy shit! Rabies! Holy fucking shit, can you believe it? Rabies!"
Rebel groups sign peace treaty with Democratic Republic of Congo. Experts project that with luck, the treaty may result in as much as a three percent decrease in internecine warfare over the next six months.
Virgin Galactic unveils the design of their sub-orbital pleasure spacecraft. HEY KIDS! Have fun ranking this on a scale of energy waste from one through ten, where one is "shoes that light up" and ten is "those trucks with the billboards on them."
And apparently firing John Ferguson was good mojo, because the Leafs beat the Capitals.
Photo by Metrix X from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
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I think that Torstar article refers to landline rates, not mobile phones...
The rabies totally scooped me. I SOOOO called Dr.Flea's on being the absolute worst years ago..
http://torontoist.com/2005/07/he_said_she_sai_12.php
There's also a pretty sketchy looking pet store in a flea market (can't quite remember the name of the market or the store) just north of St. Clair West on Old Weston Road. The only time I took a really long look at the animals, the cages and conditions looked pretty bad.
Who buys dogs at a flea market, except to be ironic?
And who cares THAT much about being ironic?
Consider the notion that this planet is not eternally safe and may, at some point in the future, suffer an existential catastrophe (of our making or otherwise).
It would be in humanity's best interests not to keep all of our eggs in this one blue-and-green basket.
Incremental steps in commercial spaceflight get us closer to that day. Unless you think governments should have sole monopoly on travel, and decide who gets to go where.
Once again, the Star misses the point. Not really interested in the fact that Madrid built subways for half the cost per kilometer. Much more interested in the fact that Madrid built 150 km of the subway in the time it took Toronto to build 6 km. Big picture people, big picture!
The Star article actually states that Madrid built the 150 km from 1995 to 2007, 12 years, and the TTC built Sheppard line in 8 years. If the Sheppard line had just taken 4 more years, it would have been built out to Kingston.
But seriously, there is something wrong when we can't keep up with other major transit systems.
Chris: Even if we aren't to blame for the planet's collapse, do we really deserve another?
Puppies should not be sold in flea markets.
I was told by my guide that St Petersburg,Russia builds a subway station a year. I visited in 2002.
I recognize and support the attempt to maintain a distinctive tone of voice for your posts, but the swearing undermines the effort by rendering the writing juvenile.
I believe my concern with your criticism, David, can best be expressed by rubbing my index finger against my thumb and proclaiming it the world's smallest violin playing "Cry Me A River."
Billboard trucks? Kid stuff.
"The Madrid subway is built deeper than Toronto's because the soil is easier to dig. That means the Madrid rails don't need to be laid on rubber pucks to reduce noise and vibration, as is done in Toronto."
It's nice to see the TTC uses Canadian technology!
I do like violins, and swearing is ok.. BUT Holy F** Sh!* and Jesus *** Christ are used far too often. I'm sure you can tell I'm Christian but I would not use any other (or same) Gods name in vain either. // end of rant.
'Chris: Even if we aren't to blame for the planet's collapse, do we really deserve another?'
Here we go again-typical Generation X/Y disdain of the space program and space travel, simply because it isn't as trendy as saving the planet/ecosphere (reminds me of a quote from the movie The Last Starfighter-"Oh great, save the whales, but not the universe, huh?"-said in response to the hero Alex Rogan by his android duplicate Beta about not wanting to go to Rylos to fight the Ko-Dan for the Star Leauge Of Planets.) The comment also shows how science is regarded and taught in schools these days-in a shitty manner as usual, and only the trendy enviromental sciences. Real class.
Hey big guy, here's a good reason why we should be considering getting our collective ass in space: the threat of an asteroid hitting Earth! It's already almost happened:
And could happen again:
These news reports more than ever state the case that we need to start investing in the space program, need to get back to the moon and place colonies on it, need to bulid L-5 settlements in space, and also need to redirect our technological resourses towards preventing an asteroid strike, either by using nuclear weapons in orbit to stop said asteroid from hitting Earth, or by building a sattlite that will send out laser pulses to deflect said asteroid from miles away. This won't happen, however, with bullshit nilistic attitudes like yours. So you'd better wake the frack up and stop talking the felgacarb that you just said above (terminology courtesy of everybody's favorite TV show, Battlestar Galactica).
As for the other matter: Ontario needs to get its shit together and start funding transportation again! And Toronto, when it gets the money, should start building the three new lines it needs-starting with the Eglington West line, which can even go all the way to the airport!
Why go to the airport WHEN AN ASTEROID MIGHT HIT IT?
Solex: I'm sorry you interpreted my comment incorrectly. I have the utmost respect for space exploration and support it entirely. I'm just not sure if it's right to colonize another planet. I care about the planet/ecosphere, but I also care about what goes on outside of our solar system. My comment was geared more towards the negative aspects of human nature than any human endeavours in space. Hence the "even if we aren't to blame for the planet's collapse". Also, it was a question (not a statement, mind you) and was intended perhaps to generate further debate on the issue of colonization in the face of terrestrial destruction. You seem to have missed the point entirely. Yes I know asteroids have come close to destroying us. Should we not debate the proper way to avoid complete annihilation?
As for this comment you posted: "This won't happen, however, with bullshit nilistic attitudes like yours."
I'm not a nihilist, I've never been a nihilist and I completely reject the nihilist philosophy. I'm not sure how you figure I'm a nihilist just from one question posed on a message board.
I'm a nihilist and I saw we blow up the fucking moon.
Someone who can't spell frak properly isn't to be trusted on space travel. Seriously, dude, the show's been on for years, we've had multiple confirmations on the spelling. Actually, I agree with you about developing the monitoring capabilities to see if imminent extinction is headed our way. First things first: awareness! Then, build defense systems to protect us from those big hunks of rock. Ballistic missles are probably not the way to go. A space based defence system - one that has weapons pointed OUT, not IN (a true sign that we're a species with little wisdom, we aim weapons at ourselves) - that would be able to deflect and redirect errant celestial bodies from far enough out that we would be assured of not having to deal with shrapnel is ideal.
Andrew: To be a huge nerd, I believe "frack" was used in the first Battlestar Galactica and "frak" belongs to the new Battlestar. Of course, I also thought Solex's usage was wrong, since the first show cannot be by any means anyone's favourite show. I mean, damn. So bad.
MarkO, I'm calling your comments nihilistic because I've been hearing the same bullshit from everybody for most of my life, especially when I indicate (or they find out) that I'm a fan of science fiction. The space program has done a world of good for people, and I'm quite fed up with hearing how its meaningless to them-the same people who talk into cellphones, use PDA's, use/talk into Blackberry PDA's/cellphones that were likely an outgrowth of the technology derived from the same space program/sci-fi that they now put down, as well as the lightweight plastics that half of them probably get around on and will have to do so with when they get older. The idea that we will somehow 'rape' Mars, Venus, the Jovian mini-system and the moon is also bullshit-there's no life on any of them to begin with!
Furthermore, if the abovementioned asteroids do slam into Earth, the current hue and cry about the ecosphere will pale compared to the likely nuclear winter, tidal waves, tsunamis and global cooling that will result-then, we will have to indeed start going into space, something similar to what happens in Mobile Suit Gundam-only instead of overpopulation being the reason, it'll be a wrecked planet; something that we could have done on our own dime when we felt like it, but we now have to do because of this catastrophe. You wouldn't want to live on Earth after that-assuming you've survived the disaster at all.
Andrew: How the word is spelt means nothing in the grand scheme of things, and the old Battlestar Galactica fans would utterly beg to differ with you on that. Thanks for your words of support on the asteroid deflection problem, though I think that we will have to have a system that combines both the missiles and the laser pulse device.
As an old school BSG fan...sigh, so old school I saw the movie in the theatre, I was very apprehensive about the "re-imagining". Now, I acknowledge nothing older than 2003, save for the cute little references [i.e. frak, boxey, by yr command, tom zarek].
From what I've read about asteroid deflection, the problem with ballistic missles is they are a relatively imprecise tool with which to alter the orbital path of an incoming hunk of rock, ice and metal. A more thorough solution is to attach explosive devices to nudge the asteroid's path so it will swing by Earth with a wide margin. Laser pulse devices are welcome. I think the missle thing has to do with the fact that you can aim a missle with fantastic accuracy, but that accuracy is for naught when topographical features of thea steroid present themselves. Of course, this is from memory, so I could be wildly wrong here.
You know what though? I am not going to live long enough to see space flight commercially available like air travel today, nor will I be able to visit other celestial bodies [the moon, or an orbital space station would suffice for Kobol]. I'm so bitter I'm tempted to say if I can't do it I want no one to be able to do it.
Solex: I'm a huge sci-fi fan as well and I'm all for learning all we can about the universe. I never said a single negative thing about any space program and my comment wasn't necessarily coming from an ecological perspective. You're assuming a great many things about me and my statement and to say that it is nihilistic simply because you've heard (what you assume to be) that argument before doesn't actually make it nihilistic. Yes, I agree that barren planets have very little that we can corrupt. I was referring to our treatment of each other (generally speaking, or course).
Asteroids are a very serious threat to the planet and will have horrible consequences if we get hit by one (I read an article today that said an asteroid the size of a skyscraper will pass pretty close to Earth on Tuesday), but again, I'm not sure if we should colonize other planets or if we should develop a deflection system.
MarkO: A 1,0000 apologies if I offended you-glad to hear you do support space travel. But as Chris Taylor put it, we can't be placing all our eggs into one basket. Even if we do build an asteroid deflection system, we can't always depend only on that to protect us, especially if a mistake in detecting said asteroid happens and the system dosen't stop it in time. We have to start getting our collective asses off of this rock if we plan to mature and meet our potential as a species; also, as Plutarch put it, "When men arrive at a goal, they should not turn back." People of the past expected us of the 21st century to have gotten into space, as well as a whole lot of wonderous things, and instead of living up to our potential, we've thrown it away on nilisim, cynicism, and just plain 'don't-give-a-frak'ism, only settling on just fixing the enviroment instead of fixing the enviroment, ending poverty, hunger, war, and shooting for the stars. The last one is actually better for North America and Europe and for the young people that live there, because it will give them somthing to truly aspire to instead of doing the same stuff as everybody else did before, and does now. That is what we should also be doing in addition to the (to be brutally frank) trendy goal to 'make poverty history'. And we need to get cracking on it, because the next one's slated to come in 2018, and that might just be the one that's on the money.
'All the universe, or nothing. What shall it be? What shall it be?-John Cabal, The Shape Of Things To Come
I agree that our potential is squandered. So much innovative and creative thinking goes into endeavours that don't contribute to our progress, that are destructive not just to the environment, but our own minds. The potential does exist to solve so many of the world's problems, and yet we can buy reclining chairs that massage us seven ways from Sunday. If only the great ideas that keep coming out (like the phenomenal plan for the TTC) had the money behind them and if only we didn't keep hearing stories about innovations that only the hyper-wealthy can afford (like Virgin Galactic) apathy and cynicism wouldn't reign supreme. The problem is that so much change is necessary. How do we get started?
MarkO: As Chris said, Virgin Galactic is a pretty good near-low cost way to get people into space and for space travel to begin. Let's face it: you all don't give a flying frak about the U.S. goverment doing anything-and because of what they do usually, that's understandable-so private industry doing should be okay for you. Unless the Scandanavians decide to go into space exploration big time, or Europe puts its resourses into doing so, this is it, unless you want the equally nast and imperialistic PRC to go up there company endevours are ccompant comp
Sorry, everybody, but my old crappy Power PC Mac was acting up, and I couldn't complete what I was saying! Here's the rest:
MarkO: As Chris said, Virgin Galactic is a pretty good near-low cost way to get people into space and for space travel to begin. Let's face it: you all don't give a flying frak about the U.S. government doing anything-and because of what they do usually, that's understandable-so private industry doing should be okay for you. Unless the Scandinavians decide to go into space exploration big time, or Europe puts its resources into doing so, this is it, unless you want the equally nasty and imperialistic PRC to go up there, and start another Cold War-style space race.