A thousand years of train rides

When Aaron and Ralph figured out we could get monthly train passes for a thousand years with what the U.S. military spent every minute in 2008, we were gobsmacked.

And even if you let your imagination take wing -- say, for example, what if you bought a helicopter, hired a pilot, bought helipad space in the city -- you could do all that for what the military spent in the 10 minutes it took Aaron to walk to the station: $19 million. *

Not only that, you'd have enough left over for two or three (million) lattes.

You'd be awake for at least a thousand years on that much coffee.

With $1.9 million, we could educate children in Afghanistan. Help heal the wounds of the tsunami and of decades of civil war in Aceh. Make sure students in the United States know there are honorable, peaceful alternatives to military service.

Don't miss the train on this one. Help us wage peace.


* Used commercial Bell helicopter: $3.5 million
Private pilot: $100,000 a year
City lot near work for helipad: $5 million
Fuel and maintenance per hour of flight time: $300
Large latte: $4 (with generous tip)