JAMAICA is the third–busiest railway station in New York City, and the fourth–busiest in North America (after Toronto Union Station, but ahead of Chicago Union Station) as these things are measured. And yet, if you don’t live in NYC, you probably have never heard of it. After all, it’s in Brooklyn, and virtually all its traffic is to points on Long Island. If the United States were to emphasize long–distance passenger rail services over air services and driving, a re–routing of Northeast Corridor trains might make Jamaica a station of more than local importance.
Tag: weekly post
ASFO 2026–07–25
MID–ATLANTIC, on my way from Southampton to New York. Despite heat waves in Northern Europe, the weather is foggy, rainy, and more than a trifle chilly.
ASFO 2026–07–18
HAMBURG, one day prior to boarding the Queen Mary for a nine–day trip across the Atlantic to New York City, and not coincidentally, the expiry date of my Eurail Pass. Once I come ashore, it will be another week before I am back in Texas.
ASFO 2026–07–11
FAREWELL to Munich? Trying to understand car ownership in Germany, and the continuing failure of the Bundes Ministerium to deal with successive oil crises, through the lens of on–street parking ; the incompatibility of austerity drives with AI hype, and the perennial question of why or how things which are bad for people in general should be good for business ; a misleading announcement about a “nuclear–powered commercial satellite”, which leads me into an explanation of a technology known as betavoltaics ; and a discussion of my medallic art projects.
ASFO 2026–07–04
MetropolCon, in Berlin, the European Science Fiction Convention for this year. No display or program from me, but I did manage to spend some time with friends, and rope SDFer and aNONradio DJ “tyn from Berlin” into coming. I think he had a good time, too. I explain about the Double Secret Platform 22 at Berlin central railway station, and describe a Ridiculous Eurail Pass Trick ; and question why or how it is possible to sell shares in “being tortured for eternity by Robot Satan”. The sestercentennial (why in the world some people are calling it a semi–quincentennial escapes me) of the United States Declaration of Independence merits a recommendation of the musical 1776.
ASFO 2026–06–20
Mail call! Quantities of blast in the outgoing mail ; a second medallic art project for this year ; and the Elon–phant in the room.
ASFO 2026–06–13
Back in Texas, after failing to do a show last week with no excuse whatsoever, what do I have to say? There is the potential effect of the New Glenn explosion on the just–announced NASA lunar program ; the inexplicable or at least inexcusable proposal for looser driver–licensing in Germany ; and a little “I told you so” crowing over the undistinguished results of the Enhanced Games.
ASFO 2026–05–30
A very ambitious NASA announcement set back by a very big explosion, the end of “Beyond Petroleum” and other items from the Financial Times, some museums in Britain, my further travels, and other notes of interest.
- Archive Recording
- 2026 ASFO Masterpost
- A Step Farther Out Masterpost
- Previous Week
- Following Week
- Patreon campaign
ASFO 2026–05–23
Blackpool again? My recent visit to a Nuklearia meetup, a degree of comeuppance for Gerhard Schröder, various recent industrial accidents, performance–enhancing drugs in sport, and an answer to a question from SDFer jlamothe about the possibilities of nuclear power for the Yukon Territory.
ASFO 2026–05–16
Recent events in Romania once again lead us to question the notion of “economic efficiency”. Does it really make sense to re–define what we consider good to match the outcome of a theory? Also, further travel plans, and a stab at re–formatting the Man and Atom Briefing Book.