Monday, December 16, 2024

LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF ATLAS SHRUGGED

 In the opening scenes of Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand sets the conflict of values between the heirs of the Taggart Transcontinental railroad. James invested corporation rolling stock and his own money in a copper mining venture in Mexico. He relied on inside information from his friends in Washington and other corporate collaborators. Dagny has been withdrawing the engines and cars. Earlier month, Caltrain sold 19 locomotives and 90 galley cars to the government of Peru for $6 million. The justifications for the sale are almost verbatim from James Taggart. 


“This agreement will help Peru embrace a more sustainable future while also bringing millions of dollars to help us keep Caltrain running,” stated Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard in a press release. “Our former Caltrain passenger cars and locomotives will enable the start of new commuter rail service in greater Lima, cleaner air for commuters and community members and the access to opportunity that great public transportation provides.”

As part of the state funding for the electrification, the F40 locomotives were supposed to be rendered unusable, per California state law. However, Caltrain was able to obtain a waiver from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District because of the environmental benefits of establishing a new commuter rail service in Peru. The deal was brokered with the Government of Lima, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Commerce." https://railfan.com/caltrain-f40s-gallery-cars-sold-to-peru/

Previously on Necessary Facts

Greg Browne’s Necessary Factual Truths

That Goddam Ayn Rand Book 

The Influence of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism 


Saturday, December 14, 2024

Longevity

In 1973, I was reading and writing for The Libertarian Connection and, as it happened, my wife at the time got her hair caught in a printing press. She was OK but the ER doctor recommended that she take a course of multiple vitamins. And that tied in with the Life Extension themes in the LC. (See Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw in Wikipedia.) A few years later and with the new, current, and present wife, everything was natural, organic, locally sourced, and good for both you and the planet. We belonged to food co-ops in every town we moved to and even served on a board. You can live well by choice though living long may not be amenable to human action.

I always like the aphorism attributed wrongly to Thomas Edison: “All I ask of my body is that it carry my brain around.” I quoted that to a colleague and she replied by asking me how long it would do that if I do not exercise. 

Social Security Administration
I have always been a walker, but not much more. Then, I joined the Texas State Guard and ramped up my physical fitness. Being assigned to the National Guard put me above a gym and we were paid to use it. So, that helped. When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in July of 2022, the oncologist gave me 80 pages of background from Wolters Kluwer. I thought that I had six months to two years to live. (How do you make God laugh?) But I responded well. (Stem Cell Collection.) And here I am. The oncologist said that I could live to be 80 or beyond. So, there was no gain there, just holding the line.

Long before that, maybe 15 years ago, I found an actuarial table that gave me an expiration date of June 18, 2032. Fifteen years ago, that seemed far away. This week, I ran the numbers again. The government is still betting on an early out for me. 



However, Northwest Mutual gave me better odds, assuming I do not take up smoking, drinking, illegal drugs, and driving without a seatbelt—and that I continue to walk at least 30 minutes a day. 

Yesterday, it being cold and rainy, I drove most of the day, patrolling garages but this week, walking became a new kind of bank account. 


I always liked science; I just was never exceptional at the practice; I had to take Physics 1 and Calculus 1 three times each to get A grades in them. To edit for the American Astronomical Society Historical Astronomy Division, I took an online class in astrophysics. It was not required but I thought that it was important to understand the content that I was reading. Most of my practice in astronomy is mere stargazing with 4-inch refractors from city and suburban skies. 


On the other hand, my microscopes never get even that much use, athough I bought a new one after my diagnosis. Biology just never grabbed me. I had microscopes as a kid and enjoyed the views. However, in college, I took physics three times and biology never. 


Today, I have textbooks on microbiology and histology, sadly underused and not marked up and dog-eared. That being as it was, a new year brings new resolutions. From the UT library, I checked out two books on genetics and bought two more from Half Price Books, including “For Dummies.” It is not that I expect to gain any special understanding of aging but rather the value in mental exercise associated with a new body of knowledge.

 

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

Biohackers 

Epigenetics 

Epigenetics and Evolution 

Austin Biobash 2013