Fact-Checking the "PRT Boondoggle" Blog
A project of the PRT NewsCenter

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Editor's Note: Apologies

It was with great regret that I learned today that !!! !!!!!!, the Minnesota anti-PRT activist who doesn't like it when his name isn't mentioned (so I don't), also doesn't like it when asterisks are used instead of his name.

I am deeply and sincerely sorry for this. As a progressive-thinking person who believes in the fundamental goodness of all human beings other than war criminals, Neoconservatives and advertising executives, I regret causing the gentleman in question even a moment of hurt or embarassment.

I hereby resolve to take the following corrective action. I will no longer spell his name with asterisks. Asterisks, after all, are used for footnotes, and I can see how that could be misinterpreted as demeaning. Instead, I will start using the exclamation point. Not only is the "!" more positive, it has the added advantage of being more in keeping with his loud, insistent and repetitive nature.

And so I say to Mr. !!!!!!—sorry man, no hard feelings, OK?

I also regret that Mr. !!!!!! found a recent copyrighted article at gPRT (Ed Anderson's new project, 7/2) to be too difficult to understand. I quote:

"Here comes some more techno-mumbo-jumbo"

Again, I am so, so sorry. It is never my intention to write over the heads of my readership. My only defense is that Debunking is hard work, and Comedy-Debunking doubley so.

Here is my offer— !!!, from now on any time you come across one of my pieces that is too hard for you to understand, send me an email about it. I will be happy to prepare for you a special easier-to-understand transcript! Wouldn't that be great? For example, here is an excerpt from the Anderson article, accompa- with an !!!!!!-friendly version:


Original!!!-friendly
Anderson described his test track as a 409 x 632-foot oval with 2100 feet of elevated guideway, one large curve, two small curves, and a siding with station/maintenance building. Vehicles will test at speeds up to 35 mph in the large curve and deceleration to 20 mph in the small curves.Anderson said his test track would be a big Tic-Tac shape! It will be up on stilts, with two small bendy parts and one large bendy part. A special house will be where people can get on and off the PRT cars, and where smart people can fix things. In the big bendy part the PRT cars will be able to go a lot faster than you can run, and almost that fast in the small bendy parts!

That's all for now— and Thanks, !!!, for the links!


gPRT
Another problem facing Ken Avidor is what might be called "system droppings"

No comments: