There is no sleeper observation car on the EB. The sight seeing lounge (observation car) is open to everyone. and that creates a bit of a problem because people don't use it to observe. They use it to get out of coach, go there to read, get on their cell phone when they have access and play cards. The worst are the Amish. They travel in large groups and then Bogart all of the tables in the SSL, sit around and play cards and rarely look ou the window.

Meals are being cut back on some trains. They are all pre prepared on the Capital Limited now with few choices.

Maybe I'll just take the Portland route then because it's just an overnight-er to Montana and it gets dark outside by the time you hit Spokane WA. I've never had a problem with the Amish on the Oregon route inside the observation car.

 

A sad day indeed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46728111

 

Obviously the posing cop was staged. You can see he can't help but grinning. But nice to know he has a sense of humor.

 

http://www.philly.com/news/philadelphia/pete-the-groin-crusher-pennsylvania-hospital-20190102.html

“I’m holding someone’s groin for 20 minutes, they tend to remember me and nobody else,” Schiavo said. “I tell them: ‘I can promise you two things when I’m done: You’ll never forget my name or my face.’ And they never do.”
...
But Schiavo is no stranger to pressure. He grew up at "Nint and Jackson” in South Philly and graduated from West Catholic High before joining the Navy. He spent six years in the service, during which he ran computers on anti-submarine aircraft, saw conflict in Libya, and was put in gator-infested swamps for survival training.

 

Just who is an 'engineer' in Oregon?
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/...eer-federal-judge-rules?utm_source=reddit.com

In other words, the only people in Oregon who could legally call themselves “engineers” in any context were people who were board certified professional engineers. Järlström has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and spent his career working in electronics, but wasn’t board certified. He sued the state’s engineering board and, last week, a US District Court judge for the District of Oregon ruled that the state’s law is unconstitutional.
...
The law “has been deployed against people who use the word ‘engineer’ in voter pamphlets, ballot statements, business cards, e-mails, blogs, business names, corporate filings, websites, and even individual photographs on websites,” Gedge wrote in one of his legal briefs. “Recent targets have included politicians, activists, companies, schools, associations, and ordinary people like Järlström.”

 

Just who is an 'engineer' in Oregon?
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/...eer-federal-judge-rules?utm_source=reddit.com

Along the lines of what I would expect from Oregon.

Each state has different rules regarding using the title of Engineer (and a host of other titles, such as Realtor or Lawyer). Most states, as far as I could determine many moons ago when it was an item of concern for me personally, have a few categories of scenarios in which you can and can't use the term and, I think, Colorado is pretty middle-of-the-road. Here (again, as of many moons ago, things do change) I could call myself an engineer in most contexts, but I could not testify in court as an engineer in the role as an expert witness, use the word Engineer or Engineering in my business name, or put myself forth as an engineer in the context of public works projects. I can only do those things if I am a registered professional engineer with the State DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies). In talking to them, they said that if I used Engineer in my business name that they would not pursue an action unless they found that I was doing, or attempting to do, those other things, but they recommended that I just avoid the use to be on the safe side. They also made it clear that I was completely within my rights to describe myself as an engineer in all other contexts, including business contexts. I always felt this was a reasonable balance of interests.

Out of curiosity I asked them about what if I was called to testify in a court case and the question of whether I was an engineer came up. They said that as long as the reason that I was testifying wasn't because I was an engineer offering testimony as an engineer, that the fact that I was an engineer could be made part of the record and that I was under no obligation to even point out that I was not a registered professional engineer -- if either side wanted that to be part of the record, then it was their responsibility to ask me. But, again, they recommended that, to be safe, it would be best to point that out myself.

 

Just who is an 'engineer' in Oregon?
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/...eer-federal-judge-rules?utm_source=reddit.com

Down here, you have to have an engineering degree from a certified university if you want to advertise yourself as one. But in the special case of structures you also have to be certified as what we call a "calculista", which is someone with the expertise of calculating stresses and determining the minimum material requirements for any structure, and you have the responsibility of keeping a detailed registry of every single job you've approved for construction, with no statute of limitations.

Other states have similar laws on the books, which, in theory, exist to prevent random people from claiming to be an engineer and then advertising their services to, for example, build a bridge.

 

Not a huge hockey fan but what I have seen from our Penguins and dealing with the public, they have a lot of class. Sid the Kid never fails to disappoint. The Crosby's raised a fine young man and should be proud. The NFL has a lot to learn from these guys.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-to-trash-talking-fan-credits-his-good-chirps

 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/seals-marines-charged-with-green-beret-logan-melgars-murder


Hearts of darkness.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/navy-seal-to-plead-not-guilty-to-murder-of-isis-teen-1.563095

Navy prosecutors have painted a picture of a highly trained fighter and medic going off the rails on his eighth deployment — indiscriminately shooting at Iraqi civilians — and stabbing to death a captured Islamic State fighter estimated to be 15 years old, and then posing with the corpse at his re-enlistment ceremony.

https://www.scribd.com/document/393...-The-Navy-SEAL-Accused-Of-War-Crimes-In-Mosul

It's hard to turn off that 'war' switch. You can't always check your emotions at the door.

 

It's hard to turn off that 'war' switch. You can't always check your emotions at the door.

you're right about that ... I'm a peaceful civilian, but I've read quite a bit of material about what prolonged exposure to violence does to people... and war always brings the worst of human nature in all of us.

 

... and war always brings the worst of human nature in all of us.

I totally agree on that.

 

you're right about that ... I'm a peaceful civilian, but I've read quite a bit of material about what prolonged exposure to violence does to people... and war always brings the worst of human nature in all of us.

 

... and war always brings the worst of human nature in all of us.

I totally agree on that.

I get the sentiment of what you guys are saying, but our nature is the way it is for a reason. Those "worst" traits are what helped our ancestors become ... our ancestors. Those without the traits are long gone. When shit gets real, I want warriors on my flanks, not snowflakes.

 

I get the sentiment of what you guys are saying, but our nature is the way it is for a reason. Those "worst" traits are what helped our ancestors become ... our ancestors. Those without the traits are long gone. When shit gets real, I want warriors on my flanks, not snowflakes.

My comment was not intended to be anti-military, but rather to point out that once in fighter mode, it becomes hard after the conflict is over for a human to let go of violence and go back to a peaceful existence. I respect and admire those who fought (and still fight) for the ideals of justice and equality. And I honestly hope our civilization will never go short of them, otherwise a very heavy price will be paid by all of us.

 

... once in fighter mode, it becomes hard after the conflict is over for a human to let go of violence and go back to a peaceful existence.

Very true. One thing you don't hear much about, is the fact that many of those that have experienced combat actually "f-ing loved it". (Direct quote from a Marine friend of mine.) There are terrible down sides of combat but there is also exhilaration, a sense of purpose, camaraderie, and so on. One thing I see in many struggling vets is that they miss all that and no longer feel 'important". Nothing they do in peace seems as useful or worthwhile as their service, and they end up floating around. They don't seem to want to recover. They have defined themselves as one thing, and can't get off of it.

 

I get the sentiment of what you guys are saying, but our nature is the way it is for a reason. Those "worst" traits are what helped our ancestors become ... our ancestors. Those without the traits are long gone. When shit gets real, I want warriors on my flanks, not snowflakes.

In the case of the SEAL operator, higher command should have pulled him back for an RR trip to Dr. Feel Good as they had plenty of advanced notice he was pushing the limits. I can't see how a murder charge is warranted on a person we just tried to vaporize with an airstrike but what he did was not the actions of a warrior. I want warriors too but we don't need maniacs on the battlefield.

 

I want warriors too but we don't need maniacs on the battlefield.

Maybe just a few berserkers?

 

Maybe just a few berserkers?

I've seen a few in my day.

 

. I'm a peaceful civilian, but I've read quite a bit of material about what prolonged exposure to violence does to people... and war always brings the worst of human nature in all of us.

Why do you think that most armies are made up of the very young of society, they are 'Invincible' and also very easy to instill discipline during the boot camp stage where the camaraderie bonds are made.
Most are raised in a religions background where they are instilled with commandments, one of which is usually 'Thou shall not kill'.
But then a rifle is place in their hands and they instructed to go out and kill the 'enemy' many of which include women and children.
For the effects of war on those that partake, a very good documentary is the one by Ken Burns 10 part series on the Vietnam war, which displays the evil on both sides.
Max.

 

We have never needed a war to bring the worst out.