Category Archives: Technology and Society

The War On Cars

Thoughts from Lileks:

I share many of the New Urbanist ideas for cities, but I can’t cast my lot in with the group because they are screwball-daft when the subject of cars comes up, and will entertain any inconvenience as long as it’s anti-car. I don’t want to ride a got-damned bicycle to work. Most people don’t. Period. So you have to force them out of their cars into something else. If a neighborhood is made sufficiently inconvenient for cars, some will adapt, and some will find a home in a placewhere they can have a car. That’s your choice. If you stay, fine; glad you’re happy. If you go out into the far-flung exurbs because you want to drive, and are willing to endure a few inconveniences, then fine; that’s yhour choice. You’d think the Critics of Everyone Else’s Choices would be happy that people are living far out and taking the train in, but no, a fresh new horror has revealed itself as people continue to show the depthless roiling stinky-pitch of their hearts:

While city planners generally welcome transit hubs to their community, they are concerned that, if improperly located, the stations will actually increase sprawl by encouraging people to drive to rail stations instead of walking, biking or taking the bus.

People are driving to the train.

And PARKING.

The monsters.

The Cloud People

versus the Ground People.

I totally get the anger that has created Trump. I share it. But I will never understand why they don’t see that he’s a false vessel for it.

Also, this is funny but sad, about Whole Foods customers.

[Update a while later]

This seems related: The new WASPs are Asians in Silicon Valley.

SpaceX’s Manifest And Schedule

Peter Selding has a good report on what Gwynne said earlier this week.

I don’t think sixteen more flights this year is overly ambitious. I’d sure like to see the heavy fly in November, the new announced date, but I also won’t be at all surprised to see it slip into 2017. And from what she said, I’m very encouraged about minimum refurbishment.

[Update in the afternoon]

Oh, isn’t this cute. Roscosmos thinks it can compete by cutting manufacturing costs on Angara.