Coffee Talk VI: The Undiscovered Country

[dash]

Saw a report he took his own life but still not confirmed. No matter what they are still not captured.

 

[blindbaby]

So funny how the COVID deniers/die suddenly "Christians" turned on him as soon as he proves he is alive and then the jacket.

Check the replies to his tweet.

I've read a ton of comments on Tik Toxic. A lot of people who prayed for him think they're owed something by DH as they feel that it's their prayers that saved his life. I always counter with, "its my prayers to Allah that are the REAL reason he's still alive". Surprisingly and somewhat disappointingly, nobody has offered up a rebuttal.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I've read a ton of comments on Tik Toxic. A lot of people who prayed for him think they're owed something by DH as they feel that it's their prayers that saved his life. I always counter with, "its my prayers to Allah that are the REAL reason he's still alive". Surprisingly and somewhat disappointingly, nobody has offered up a rebuttal.

I say it could very well have been my chants, meditations, offerings & salutations to Buddha is what did the trick.

 

[forty_three]

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156512284/turkey-earthquake-erdogan-building-safety

 

[thedddd]

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156512284/turkey-earthquake-erdogan-building-safety

Deregulation always has long term consequences. I wonder where we are seeing that right now.....

Trump's Deregulation Drive Weakens Safety Rules: Analysis

An Associated Press review of the Department of Transportation’s rulemaking activities in Trump’s first year in office shows at least a dozen safety rules that were under development or already adopted have been repealed, withdrawn, delayed or put on the back burner. In most cases, those rules...

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

Trump Admin’s Latest Rail Safety Rollback Sets up Industry to Make Its Own Rules

This week, the Trump administration’s Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew another rail safety recommendation originally proposed during the Obama administration. In the process, the agency made quite clear that it has no plans to further regulate the rail industry, especially the...

www.desmog.com

 

[dash]

The only reason Trump isn't the worst president in US history is that somehow James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson were worse.

 

[thedddd]

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156512284/turkey-earthquake-erdogan-building-safety

Then on this topic:

Turkish contractor caught fleeing abroad after major destruction in his building

Mehmet Yaşar Coşkun, the contractor of Rönesans Residence which was destroyed in the earthquake in southeastern Turkey, was detained at Istanbul Airport while trying to flee abroad. According to reports, 1,000 people are under the rubble of the building that his company built. On Feb. 11, he was...

www.duvarenglish.com

 

[Comeds]

Luckily I cannot see anyone in the US cutting any construction corners just to put a few extra dollars in their pockets.

 

[thedddd]

Oh these people are still trying to grift off of this.

Let me note not a drop of that liquid spills anywhere on that extension cord even though she is supposed to be shaking uncontrollably.

 

[thedddd]

@forty_three -> I love how all these politicians and right wing grifters are coming out of the wood work over 10 days later making mention of the East Palestine train de-railment. Heck even Bill Johnson punted this to Dewine until yesterday.

I guess this is the next thing they want to blame the President for since they have nothing left to actually offer.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

@forty_three -> I love how all these politicians and right wing grifters are coming out of the wood work over 10 days later making mention of the East Palestine train de-railment. Heck even Bill Johnson punted this to Dewine until yesterday.

I guess this is the next thing they want to blame the President for since they have nothing left to actually offer.

The regulation waving is bullshit and if it turns out that, for example, braking problems played into this then that should be front and centre (although I do love the framing of the two-person crew requirement being “rollback” as a Trump cut when it was never actually implemented by the Obama Admin.) but the DOT has been absent on this, Pete was busy admonishing construction workers for not being dark skinned enough yesterday and hasn’t mentioned this incident at all adding to a list of shit he’s flubbed lately while carrying on with his life as if this job isn’t his biggest priority.

You can always blame people for causing a crisis but how you handle it while it’s ongoing is always a reflection on you.

 

[thedddd]

The regulation waving is bullshit and if it turns out that, for example, braking problems played into this then that should be front and centre (although I do love the framing of the two-person crew requirement being “rollback” as a Trump cut when it was never actually implemented by the Obama Admin.) but the DOT has been absent on this, Pete was busy admonishing construction workers for not being dark skinned enough yesterday and hasn’t mentioned this incident at all adding to a list of shit he’s flubbed lately while carrying on with his life as if this job isn’t his biggest priority.

You can always blame people for causing a crisis but how you handle it while it’s ongoing is always a reflection on you.

Ehhh..whataboutism doesn't really work here since all are at fault.

1. The deregulation about braking is what is on point. The other was never put in place. It was just made mentioned in that article.
Essentially the regulation wasn't even in place long enough to enforce so we know that these trains were not retrofitted or "self-regulated".
2. We all know the Federal DOT is doing a poor job handling this. And they should be taken to task on it and they are.
3. Who knows what the state communicated to the federal government. Bill Johnson himself clearly stated this when it happened:

He didn't even do a thing until yesterday and it was a photo shoot showing up to the wreckage.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Ehhh..whataboutism doesn't really work here since all are at fault.

1. The deregulation about braking is what is on point. The other was never put in place. It was just made mentioned in that article.
Essentially the regulation wasn't even in place long enough to enforce so we know that these trains were not retrofitted or "self-regulated".
2. We all know the Federal DOT is doing a poor job handling this. And they should be taken to task on it and they are.
3. Who knows what the state communicated to the federal government. Bill Johnson himself clearly stated this when it happened:

He didn't even do a thing until yesterday and it was a photo shoot showing up to the wreckage.

The second article was specifically about that proposal though and the Trump admin. not following through on it (or, as they put it, rollback). There were a couple of items in that article that were proposals framed as cuts to implemented regulation. Just pointing it out, I always hate when journalists do that. There's validity in not following through on that being the wrong move (as with most safety regulations).

I just see a space where the president and his team deserve some criticism here, especially the DOT.

/He also had 2 years in office to put these regulations back in place if he wanted.

 

[thedddd]

The second article was specifically about that proposal though and the Trump admin. not following through on it (or, as they put it, rollback). There were a couple of items in that article that were proposals framed as cuts to implemented regulation. Just pointing it out, I always hate when journalists do that. There's validity in not following through on that being the wrong move (as with most safety regulations).

I just see a space where the president and his team deserve some criticism here, especially the DOT.

/He also had 2 years in office to put these regulations back in place if he wanted.

The second article was more on point proving the deregulation and not the specifics like these quotes:

Since 2017, the Trump administration has already repealed a regulation requiring modern brakes for oil trains and canceled a plan requiring train operators to be tested for sleep apnea.

“DOT’s approach to achieving safety improvements begins with a focus on removing unnecessary barriers and issuing voluntary guidance, rather than regulations that could stifle innovation.”

And by no means do I think Biden couldn't have done something in two years, this is 100% on the DOT not pushing it. I highly doubt if it was put in place the enforcement would have been 100% complete, whereas something from six years ago had an opportunity.

But we prove this over and over again self-regulation does not work and never will. Instead of focusing on that we get the political whatabout finger pointing.

Also the FRA head is an old rail company CEO, we know where their interests lay.
States had to sue to actually pass laws to enforce a 2 person crew.

States seek to overturn federal directive on freight train crew size

The states of Illinois, Nevada and Washington are seeking to push ahead with state laws requiring a train crew size of at least two individuals, despite a federal declaration saying

www.freightwaves.com

NOTE: Ohio is not one of the states with that law.

 

[thedddd]

Even more interesting it seems the Unions enforce two-man crews? This is from a meeting just in December.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/business/freight-railroad-single-person-crews/index.html

Typical Corporate response to safety and is rearing its ugly head right now.

The railroads would prefer only an engineer – and no conductor – in each locomotive. They claim there is no evidence that two-person crews are safer, and insist that a second crew member is unnecessary because of modern safety equipment that’s designed to stop trains automatically if there is a problem in the locomotive.

 

[dash]

 

[thedddd]

Even without any context how is that even a valid question?!?

Granted I would like to know the context and how Matt McKee says "you are the one who brought it into the discussion" where he came to that conclusion.

 

[thedddd]

I see Sarah Palin moved on to become a middle-aged swinger.

 

[forty_three]

I see Sarah Palin moved on to become a middle-aged swinger.

 

[thedddd]

Crap forgot the spoiler! @dash I am sorry.