Would anyone like to join me in my New Year’s tradition of reading about good things that happened this year?
A couple highlights:
There are now ZERO COAL POWER PLANTS in the UK. Zero! Also zero in Slovakia, which closed its last coal plant a full SIX YEARS ahead of schedule! This is great because coal is like, the dirtiest fuel source ever. It’s awful for the planet, it’s awful for our lungs, it’s just The Worst. Goodbye and good riddance!
Last year, EU CO2 emissions fell by 8%, and the data’s not all in for this year yet but they’re on track to drop even more. Yeah, you read that right - the EU may have already passed peak carbon emissions. Excuse me while I do a happy dance over here in the corner - this is a BIG FUCKING DEAL!
This may have been a bad year for abortion rights in the US, but we’re an outlier - over the past 30 years, we are only one of four countries to tighten abortion restrictions, while 60 countries have made it more available. This year, France became the first country in the whole world to make abortion a constitutional right. Seven US states did so too - Colorado, New York, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Arizona and Missouri. That’s right, Missouri! Shocking, huh?
A drug to prevent HIV infections was 100% effective in trials. That. That’s insane. It’s not a vaccine, but it is the closest we’ve ever been to one.
Deaths from tuberculosis, the deadliest infectious disease in the world, hit an all-time global low. Hooray for preventing a truly staggering amount of death!
Egypt and Cabo-Verde both eliminated malaria, and 17 countries started distributing the new malaria vaccine - remember that? Remember how insanely exciting it is that was now have a vaccine for malaria? It is saving lives as we speak.
Deforestation in the Amazon is half what it was two years ago.
The largest dam removal project in history was completed - removing four dams from the Klamath River, thanks to decades of activism by the Karuk and Yurok tribes. A month later, there were salmon spawning in the river basin again - for the first time in a century. Nature’s pretty incredible at bouncing back, if we can just give it the chance. I repeat: Largest. Dam removal. In history!
China finished the Great Green Wall
Prewalski’s horses returned to their homeland in central Kazakhstan, where they’d been missing for 200 years!
Remembering the Fung Wah Bus: NYC to Boston’s Wildest Ride
If you ever needed to get from New York City to Boston (or vice versa) on a tight budget, chances are you’ve heard of the legendary Fung Wah Bus. For years, Fung Wah wasn’t just a cheap way to travel—it was an experience. From its unbeatable prices to its wild reputation, Fung Wah was the stuff of urban travel folklore. Whether you loved it, hated it, or were just slightly terrified by it, one thing’s for sure: it was unforgettable.
The Birth of a Legend
Back in 1996, Fung Wah Bus started out as a little-known service shuttling people between Chinatown in NYC and Chinatown in Boston. Tickets were dirt cheap—sometimes as low as $10! Founder Pei Lin Liang had no idea he was about to start a revolution in intercity travel.
While companies like Greyhound and Amtrak charged way more for the same trip, Fung Wah attracted students, immigrants, and broke adventurers. The buses were simple: no Wi-Fi, no comfy seats, no frills—just a bus, a driver, and a promise to get you where you needed to go (more or less).
The Fung Wah Experience
Let’s be honest—riding the Fung Wah wasn’t for the faint of heart. The buses weren’t exactly luxurious, and the drivers? Let’s just say they had skills—skills that often felt like they were auditioning for NASCAR.
The stories from Fung Wah rides are legendary. Overheated engines? Check. Buses randomly pulling over on the highway? Oh yeah. Packed seats and questionable smells? You bet. But somehow, that was part of the charm. It was like a rite of passage for college students and budget travelers.
Despite the occasional chaos, people loved it. Where else could you spend a few bucks and make it to another city with enough left over for lunch?
The Rise of Chinatown Buses
Fung Wah’s success kicked off an entire industry of “Chinatown buses.” Suddenly, other companies were offering the same cheap rides between cities like Philadelphia, D.C., and Boston. These low-cost buses gave traditional carriers like Greyhound a run for their money, forcing them to drop prices and rethink their business models.
For a while, Fung Wah ruled this space, becoming the go-to option for anyone looking to save cash. Sure, it wasn’t the safest option, but hey—it got the job done.
The Downfall
But all good things must come to an end. Fung Wah’s fast-and-loose approach eventually caught up with it. Over the years, the company faced growing scrutiny for safety violations. There were crashes, breakdowns, and federal investigations.
By 2013, regulators had had enough. The U.S. Department of Transportation shut Fung Wah down, citing major safety concerns—like cracked bus frames. They tried to make a comeback in 2015, but it didn’t stick. And just like that, Fung Wah was gone.
A Legacy That Lives On
Even though it’s no longer around, Fung Wah lives on in the hearts (and memes) of those who rode it. It wasn’t just a bus—it was an experience. For many, it symbolized freedom, adventure, and a chance to explore without breaking the bank.
Today, plenty of budget bus options exist, and they’ve learned from Fung Wah’s mistakes. They’re safer, more reliable, and (sadly) less chaotic. But ask anyone who remembers Fung Wah, and they’ll tell you—it was something special.
Fung Wah in Pop Culture
Over the years, Fung Wah has become a bit of an urban legend. It’s been mentioned in stand-up routines, memes, and indie films. For those who rode it, these nods bring back memories of cramped seats, fast drivers, and the thrill of cheap travel.
Why We’ll Never Forget
Fung Wah wasn’t perfect, but it was iconic. It made travel accessible for people who couldn’t afford Amtrak or didn’t want to deal with Greyhound. It connected communities and opened up a new way to explore on a budget.
If you ever rode a Fung Wah Bus, you’ve got a story to tell. And if you never did? Well, you missed out on one of the most chaotic, thrilling, and oddly charming travel experiences ever.
Fung Wah may be gone, but its legacy is still rolling. Here’s to the little bus line that changed the game—and made the NYC-to-Boston trip one heck of an adventure.
“In this essay, I address the anti-Constitutional discourse that appears in the media: that the Constitution should be displaced by the fears of people who appear on television. This form of opposition to the Constitution poses as expertise. It takes the form of advice to the Court: find some way to allow Trump to be on the ballot, because otherwise people will be upset. Because we are used to hearing endless conversations about politics on television, where everyone seems to be a political advisor, it can seem normal to reduce sections of the Constitution to talking points. But we must pause and consider. In fact, rejecting the legal order in favor of what seems to be politically safe at a given moment is just about the most dangerous move that can be made. It amounts to advocating that we shift from constitutional government to an insurrectionary regime. Indeed, it amounts to participating in that shift, while not taking responsibility for doing so. Let me try to spell this out. In advising the Court to keep Trump on the ballot, political commentators elevate their own fears about others’ resentment above the Constitution. But the very reason we have a Constitution is to handle fear and resentment. To become a public champion of your own own fears and others’ resentments is to support an insurrectionary regime. The purpose of the insurrection clause of the Constitution (the third section of the Fourteenth Amendment) is not to encourage insurrections! If we publicly say that that Supreme Court should disregard it because we fear insurrections, we are making insurrections more likely. We are telling Americans that to undermine constitutional rule they must only intimate that they might be violent. To advocate pitchfork rulings is to endorse regime change; to issue pitchfork rulings is to announce regime change.”
**if you went to college within two ish years after high school and graduated/will graduate in four, I know some people didn’t, all of these measurements are APPROXIMATE
