Interesting Links for 21-08-2019

[andrewducker]

A Party Room and a Prison Cell: Inside the Friends writers' room

(tags:friends TV writing )

Another really clear explanation of why HS2 is vital for improving Britain's railway infrastructure

(tags:UK trains hs2 )

World's oldest webcam to be switched off

(tags:webcam history )

Saudi Arabia implements end to travel restrictions for Saudi women

(tags:women saudiarabia )

Rabies is utterly terrifying. No, really, scarier than that.

(tags:disease viaSwampers brain death terrifying )

'Matrix 4': Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss & Lana Wachowski to Return

(tags:movies wtf )

Disney-Sony Standoff Means Spider-Man leaves the MCU

(tags:marvel movies Disney Sony spiderman business )

How to Make Friends, According to Science

(tags:friendship psychology )

A Future Message From Generation X's Reverse Mortgage Pitchman, Trent Reznor

(tags:TrentReznor funny Doom satire )

Scotland's finances: What is Gers and how is it calculated?

(tags:Scotland economy money statistics )

Maybe Your Zoloft Stopped Working Because A Liver Fluke Tried To Turn Your Nth-Great-Grandmother Into A Zombie

(tags:drugs biology Parasites evolution immune_system )

Practice doesn't always make perfect (and only accounted for 1/4 of the skills difference for violinists)

(tags:practice )

Channel 4's response to ridiculous complaints is fantastic

(tags:channel4 complaints funny video )

Comments

[jack]

"Rabies is utterly terrifying. No, really, scarier than that."

I did feel like "maybe zombie disease already exists"

"A Party Room and a Prison Cell: Inside the Friends writers' room"

Always fascinating to hear how these things worked.

"Another really clear explanation of why HS2 is vital for improving Britain's railway infrastructure"

That sounds persuasive to me. HS2 is a topic that always feels weird to me, because I tend to find the "HS2 is boring but necessary infrastructure improvement" argument persuasive, but enough people I trust are on the "HS2 is a stupid vanity project" side that I find it hard to discount it, even when there aren't specifics. (And, I mean, I admit if it's a choice between HS2 and upgrading the infrastructure in the rest of the country, that would be more important, but I don't think there's a choice between them like that.)

[andrewducker]

Yeah, it's not like we have to choose that much.

And it does seem to stand on its own merits.

[doug]

I think the original case had significant merits, but at some point with the cost explosion, and the scope cuts (e.g. reduction in design speeds, elimination of cycle infrastructure on the bridges) it has to shift from "expensive but worth it" to "nice idea but not at that cost". My sense is we're past that now. Even if you don't agree yet, it really does not look like a megaproject with a robust grip on its own management, and I can't believe there's anyone who honestly, genuinely thinks it won't end up costing significantly more than even the current leaked estimates.

OTOH, now is not a great time to cancel megaprojects. It's big enough to cause significant damage to the economy, and we really do not need that in the next 12 months.

[andrewducker]

I think that given the choice between "the UK has a train system that's horribly overloaded and can't be reasonably upgraded" and "the UK has a train system which is reasonably modern and doesn't have the long distance and local trains on the same lines" I'm prepared to pay a staggering amount for that.

I'm seeing this as the starting point for a whole new network, and unless someone comes along with a way that that could be cheaper with a different approach, this is the only way we're going to get it.