Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - August 4th
If you aren't aware, the state of Florida has a passenger train service that runs between South Florida and Orlando called Brightline. This is the only privately run passenger service in the nation (or at least that's what I've heard).
The issue at hand is that they are claiming that they are losing money .... and may declare bankruptcy.
But I wanted to dig into that a little. Let's start with a short (and pretty superficial) history lesson. The company running the service is a direct descendant of Henry Flagler's Railroad (if you don't recall that story, he was a tycoon that was attempting to remake Florida to his liking in the early 20th century, and secured land to build a railroad to allow for the export of goods that he could profit from, and he could bring wealthy tourists into the state for holidays, as well).
At some point after his death, that rail service became Florida East Coast railway. It only provided for the movement of goods (but not passengers) in and out of Florida, and primarily went from Jacksonville to Miami.
The company has had various ownership, and has had investors over the decades. They've also setup various subsidiaries, one of which is the Florida East Coast Industries, which they tell you is not part of the bigger FEC. Whatever that means.
At some point during the Obama administration, there was a move to provide federal funds for passenger rail service around the country. There was a consortium that applied for money to run a train service between Miami and Orlando, with a desire to expand that later to more of the state. The administration approved it, but the state said "no thanks" because of politics.
The FECI stepped forward and said they would privately fund it. Their stated goal was to be able to make the trip in under 3 hours (it takes 4 by car), and be competitive with airline pricing. Business people could benefit. It would run between the airports, so you have to park somewhere, take the train, and then somehow get from the airport to your destination (rental car, uber, maybe bus?) - but it would be the same situation as flying.
The thing is that the FEC already owned the right of way and the tracks. So, in principle, this would be a low-cost-to-build option. The FECI essentially piggy-backed off of the original plan, and started building. They used their own money, and built a passenger service that just ran in the South Florida corridor. That, in turn, raised more capital.
In the end, they used that money to build the route to Orlando.
I should note that at one point, Brightline had a partnership with Richard Branson's "Virgin" name, which provided some capital. But that relationship went south, and ended in lawsuits.
Now, here's where the bankruptcy aspect comes in. And mind you, there is a bit of speculation in here.
One issue is that they changed ownership and took private equity money, which always looks for a return on their investment.
And another issue is that there was already a passenger service in the same south Florida corridor that was funded by the counties, with some money from the state. That simply wouldn't do. Yeah, it appears that they want some government subsidies, too!
By claiming they're losing money, it sets up this weird showdown. They've already laid tracks and have the trains. And they have ridership... the threat is that it would be a shame if they ceased operation wouldn't it?
Assuming this is all true, welcome to the 21st century version of capitalism. Which is right on brand for what Flagler was doing.
===
Here’s a novel idea to catch a rocket in a net!
|
Give kids the world Sweepstakes |
Disney World is partnering with Give Kids the World to raise money - and is offering a chance to win a stay in the Cinderella suite in the castle in the magic kingdom. Now that's something I can get behind and am happy to promote!
No purchase is necessary to get a single entry, but why not give at least $10 to the organization?
- $10 you will receive 100 entries.
- $25 you will receive 250 entries.
- $50 you will receive 500 entries plus 100 BONUS entries (600 total entries).
- $75 you will receive 750 entries.
- $100 you will receive 1000 entries.
- $150 you will receive 1500 entries.
- $250+ you will receive 2500 entries.
The short version is that inhaling higher doses of CO2 in a controlled setting, at regular intervals, stimulates the brain to clear more of the plaque that leads to Alzheimer’s.
So the thinking is that changing our breathing methods and focusing on the exercise could help the brain to flush more of the plaques and help with prevention.
|
The explanation is helpful, but the embedded video showing how one can easily calculate the weight of the earth using some weights is very, very cool
|
This is an interesting thought experiment about how Lamarck's theories on inherited traits turn out to be true, but not quite in the way that he suggested. Rather, it’s a more nuanced thing that happens in evolution.
So the suggestion that both he and Darwin are both correct in their evolutionary theory, and can be used together to explain how plants and animals evolve.
|
It has been long understood that a single flight surface with a specific shape would theoretically be more aerodynamic than the designs where there are multiple attached parts, and the surface characteristics are limited by our ability to machine these parts.
But now, with new ability to manufacture shapes and have fewer attachment points, it has become feasible to create the plane of the future: a blended wing that is more aerodynamic than anything we’ve ever seen.
|
Bonus: Here's a thought about school shootings and our lack of ability to combat the problem - and our misguided effort to find a "solution"... and therein lies the issue. You can't solve any problem without understanding the root cause.
|
Bitchin' Dave's newsletter is published weekly. Please feel free to forward it around. If you want to subscribe or unsubscribe, send an email to geezergamer92@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment