Don’t Saturate Your Almonds in Dark Matter 

FROM THE EDITOR, RAILWAY AGE DECEMBER 2024 ISSUE: The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines  “contemplative” as both an adjective and noun. The adjective form means “expressing or involving deep thought.” The noun form signifies “a person whose life is devoted primarily to prayer, especially in a monastery or convent.”

Well-known contemplative religious figure Father Richard Rohr recently wrote: “I recommend a serious fast from cable and internet news. The brain’s amygdala cannot process this much negativity, misinformation, opinion and paranoia. It gets hooked.”

He’s got a point. While I have no intention of retiring to a monastery (those places don’t permit spouses), I’ve made a conscious decision (“a choice made with awareness, intention and deliberation, considering all options and weighing the risks and benefits”) to limit my exposure to the “negativity, misinformation, opinion and paranoia” that pervades today’s general media. My “seasoned” amygdala—the tiny, almond-shaped structure deep in the brain’s temporal lobe that plays a key role in processing emotions, especially social stimuli—has soaked up way too much dark matter during, say, the past nine years. It’s saturated, and I won’t risk suffering from PESD (Post-Election Stress Disorder,) not if I can help it.

Almonds, of course, are nuts, and there are too many cases of them running amok on the airwaves, in cyberspace and in print (remember that medium?). It’s hard enough discerning fact from fiction, data from delusional thinking, prescient predictions from politically driven proselytization, or accurate analysis from aggravated assault on our industry, for Railway Age. For that, we’ve got experienced voices of reason like Contributing Editors Frank N. Wilner and Jason Seidl (“2025 Outlook”) and David Nahass (“Financial Edge”). Three samples:

Wilner: “A railroad rampart against the absurd could be supply chain-knowledgeable Sen. John Thune (R-S.Dak.), elected the new Majority Leader by Republican peers—the filter against daft legislation and Looney Tunes Presidential nominations reaching the Senate floor for vote. His legacy depends on his protecting from Executive Branch aggrandizement the Senate’s Constitutional role as a co-equal branch of government. Railroads should wish him a hearty Godspeed.”

Seidl: “Historically, most post-Presidential election cycles come with increased visibility for companies that unleash more business across transports; this one will likely not be much different. What is different is where we came from, the very clear expectations of a new Administration that has a majority in both Houses, and a Federal Reserve that appears to be on track to continue rate reductions. Let’s explore this backdrop and how it will pertain to our outlook for the rail industry in 2025.”

Nahass: “There’s an old saying: When your taxi driver gives you stock tips, get out of the market. Here’s today’s reframe of that sentiment: When the Associated Press starts telling you there are going to be problems settling your labor contract nine months before its expiration, it might be time to cut and run.”

Indeed, we are living in interesting times; 2025 could be even more interesting—or not. In either case, Happy Holidays, and have a safe, healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year!