Good morning, all.
Thanks, Ben, for pointing me to Peter's column. I'm so out of it this week I might have missed it.
ChasSmith, one of the books on city planning that I had to read for a class posed an interesting take on rush hour traffic. His proposal was that businesses could stagger their work shifts, so that not everyone was expected at work at the same time, thereby freeing up dense traffic times. His other was to charge a toll for those people driving on the freeways between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. (Why is it that rush hour is an hour worse in the evening?)
I am NOT a morning person.
This is a silly question -- (or is it?) -- but something I always wonder is: what is the single greatest reason for grossly increasing traffic problems over a given span of however many years.
It's now been 25 (!) years since I lived in L.A., so I know my "this is the way things used to be, kiddies" comments have to be taken with a huge mountain of salt. But...nevertheless...what changes? Does the population of L.A. somehow keep increasing dramatically? Do more and more of the existing population have cars? But it's been a car-oriented place throughout our lifetimes, so how much different can it get?
My general memory is that, when planning to go somewhere, I only had to take potentially significant traffic delays into account in such times as business rush hours. And blessedly, I always lived within good proximity or easy access to my jobs, so I was never a regular "commuter" in all of my years there -- except for about three months when I had just moved back from the Chicago area. I stayed temporarily at a friend's house in Long Beach and driove to my job at Wilshire and Western. That was my only taste of how "the rest of society" lived, and I quickly learned how to manage it and cope with it, but it was about 90 minutes each way and boy, did I rejoice upon getting my new place with a 15-minute "surface street" commute.
Other than that, I never -- repeat, NEVER -- in all of those years had to consider how long it would take me to go over the hill into the Valley. Again, if it was in the late afternoon, of course there would be slow traffic, but I can't recall it EVER being like what BK describes -- not once -- whether I was trying out different canyon roads or just taking the freeways.
I know the rule -- namely, that traffic always increases to fill new lanes of a road, or a whole new road or highway. What I don't understand is: why?
Scientists have figured out how and why flying birds stay in formation:
Flying in a V isn’t just about staying in the right place. It’s also about flapping at the right time. As each bird flaps its wings, the trail of upwash left by its wingtips also moves up and down. The birds behind can somehow sense this and adjust their own flapping to keep their own wings within this moving zone of free lift. “They trace the same path that the bird in front traced through the air,” explains Portugal. Imagine that a flying ibis leaves a red trail with its left wingtip as it moves through the air. The right wingtip of the bird behind would travel through almost exactly the same path. “It’s like walking through the snow with your parents when you’re a kid,” says [Steven] Portugal. “If you follow their footprints, they make your job easier because they’ve crunched the snow down.”
This is a far more active process than what Portugal had assumed. “We thought they’d be roughly in the right area and hit the good air maybe 20 percent of the time,” he says. “Actually they’re tracking the good air throughout their flap cycle. We didn’t think they could do that. It’s quite a feat.”
I know the rule -- namely, that traffic always increases to fill new lanes of a road, or a whole new road or highway. What I don't understand is: why?
ChasSmith, one of the books on city planning that I had to read for a class posed an interesting take on rush hour traffic. His proposal was that businesses could stagger their work shifts, so that not everyone was expected at work at the same time, thereby freeing up dense traffic times. His other was to charge a toll for those people driving on the freeways between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. (Why is it that rush hour is an hour worse in the evening?)
I wonder what DR Ginny's DH Richard will think of this? Showtunes invade the Church of England - A Les Miz mass:
http://www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/news-events/news/news-from-the-diocese-of-york/02331.html
I, for one, want the house cleaned.
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
Congrats to DR ELMORE on being a Top Ten choice.....and continued vibes for LITTLE ME.
AND congrats to DR CHAS SMITH on his AVENUE Q gig....
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
BK: I like to find alternate routes to avoid the "heavy traffic", especially that on the Freeway. Sometimes, however, I find that "others" seem to have found my alternate routes...in mass numbers.
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
Thank you, DR Ron Pulliam!
ChasSmith, one of the books on city planning that I had to read for a class posed an interesting take on rush hour traffic. His proposal was that businesses could stagger their work shifts, so that not everyone was expected at work at the same time, thereby freeing up dense traffic times. His other was to charge a toll for those people driving on the freeways between 7 and 9 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. (Why is it that rush hour is an hour worse in the evening?)
Yes, by all means, charge a toll (i.e. tax on people) for driving on roads their taxes have paid (and continue to pay, upkeep-wise) for.
Just as "toll bridges" have tolls meant to pay off the cost of the bridge. After payoff, the bridge is "supposed to be" free. But guess what? While tolls were being collected, maintenance funds were diverted from the bridge "temporarily, mind you" and now the powers-that-be have allocated bridge maintenance tax money to something else they cannot take it away from and -- SO -- tolls remain in perpetuity...and INCREASE annually.
We, as a public, have been so royally screwed by our politicians over the years. I, for one, want the house cleaned.
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
Thank you, DR Ron Pulliam!
Finally had a chance to read the review. Well deserved, Larry.
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
It's about a 30 degree slope, DR ChasSmith. When it's snowing, you have to open the door and drive up with great confidence. Stopping midway and trying to start again would cause a slide it the left into a stone wall or to the right into Lucille's back yard. She would not be amused, I guarantee.
Southern Ohio is much hillier than northern, which was quite a surprise to me when I moved here from Michigan.
And, the older we get, the steeper our driveway gets!
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
It's about a 30 degree slope, DR ChasSmith. When it's snowing, you have to open the door and drive up with great confidence. Stopping midway and trying to start again would cause a slide to the left into a stone wall or to the right into Lucille's back yard. She would not be amused, I guarantee.
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
It's about a 30 degree slope, DR ChasSmith. When it's snowing, you have to open the door and drive up with great confidence. Stopping midway and trying to start again would cause a slide to the left into a stone wall or to the right into Lucille's back yard. She would not be amused, I guarantee.
Only 30? I would have guessed more! It's steep.
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
It's about a 30 degree slope, DR ChasSmith. When it's snowing, you have to open the door and drive up with great confidence. Stopping midway and trying to start again would cause a slide to the left into a stone wall or to the right into Lucille's back yard. She would not be amused, I guarantee.
Only 30? I would have guessed more! It's steep.
I'd say it's time for some photographic evidence.
I hope DR GEORGE got to work on time this morning.
(http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a532/singdaw1/naturalviolin_zpsecd882ec.jpg)
And the word of the day is: MISOLOGY!
(http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a532/singdaw1/naturalviolin_zpsecd882ec.jpg)
That's a cool picture! ;D
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
I thought that said Sinatra gave you a copy of it, and was mightily impressed for a moment.
It appears as if I am enrolled in my final class.
My Santa is way more impressive than Sinatra ever was.
Home Sweet Home. :)
Just stopped in to say hello. I'll be back later. I hope someone was sharing my photos on facebook over here.
Home Sweet Home. :)
Just stopped in to say hello. I'll be back later. I hope someone was sharing my photos on facebook over here.
I just enjoyed 1 hour and 55 minutes of mindless entertainment. A motion picture entitled NOW YOU SEE ME, starring Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Jessie Eisenberg, and Woody Harrelson (whose father may or may not have shot JFK).
I enjoyed the movie. I turned off my logic key and went for the ride. It was fun.
Ditto on the congrats to DR Elmo on "Dearest Enemy" making TalkinBroadway's "Top 10".
Santa gave me a copy of this for Christmas and it's sitting fairly closely to the CD player.
I thought that said Sinatra gave you a copy of it, and was mightily impressed for a moment.
DR Ginny: steep driveway??
Description, please. (You People in the great Midwest don't know what a steep driveway is.) :)
It's about a 30 degree slope, DR ChasSmith. When it's snowing, you have to open the door and drive up with great confidence. Stopping midway and trying to start again would cause a slide to the left into a stone wall or to the right into Lucille's back yard. She would not be amused, I guarantee.
I'm his date for the party after the show. I'm uncertain what to wear.
(http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a532/singdaw1/naturalviolin_zpsecd882ec.jpg)
That's a cool picture! ;D
This Picture Is Something Special.Thanks David
Welcome home, DR Jane. What a fabulous trip you must have had! :)
And this just in...Brent Barrett Will Return to Broadway Revival of Chicago (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/186623-Brent-Barrett-Will-Return-to-Broadway-Revival-of-Chicago-?tsrc=hph).
Just had to share. :D
And this just in...Brent Barrett Will Return to Broadway Revival of Chicago (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/186623-Brent-Barrett-Will-Return-to-Broadway-Revival-of-Chicago-?tsrc=hph).
Just had to share. :D
That shows how long it has been since I was in New York. I thought CHICAGO was still at The Shubert.
Well done, TCB!
Ginny, is your anniversary today or tomorrow?
Red Alert!
Red Alert!
DR TCB is cogent!
Batten down the hatches.
Hugs to TCB.
T.O.D.
CD (in the house): Barbra Streisand, "Back to Brooklyn"
Bernard Herrmann, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Child is Born"
What do you mean the holiday is over? If Christmas decorations can go up before Halloween, I can listen to Christmas music in January.
CD (in the car): THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (OBC)
This is a silly question -- (or is it?) -- but something I always wonder is: what is the single greatest reason for grossly increasing traffic problems over a given span of however many years.
It's now been 25 (!) years since I lived in L.A., so I know my "this is the way things used to be, kiddies" comments have to be taken with a huge mountain of salt. But...nevertheless...what changes? Does the population of L.A. somehow keep increasing dramatically? Do more and more of the existing population have cars? But it's been a car-oriented place throughout our lifetimes, so how much different can it get?
My general memory is that, when planning to go somewhere, I only had to take potentially significant traffic delays into account in such times as business rush hours. And blessedly, I always lived within good proximity or easy access to my jobs, so I was never a regular "commuter" in all of my years there -- except for about three months when I had just moved back from the Chicago area. I stayed temporarily at a friend's house in Long Beach and driove to my job at Wilshire and Western. That was my only taste of how "the rest of society" lived, and I quickly learned how to manage it and cope with it, but it was about 90 minutes each way and boy, did I rejoice upon getting my new place with a 15-minute "surface street" commute.
Other than that, I never -- repeat, NEVER -- in all of those years had to consider how long it would take me to go over the hill into the Valley. Again, if it was in the late afternoon, of course there would be slow traffic, but I can't recall it EVER being like what BK describes -- not once -- whether I was trying out different canyon roads or just taking the freeways.
I know the rule -- namely, that traffic always increases to fill new lanes of a road, or a whole new road or highway. What I don't understand is: why?
T.O.D.
CD (in the house): Barbra Streisand, "Back to Brooklyn"
Bernard Herrmann, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Child is Born"
What do you mean the holiday is over? If Christmas decorations can go up before Halloween, I can listen to Christmas music in January.
CD (in the car): THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (OBC)
I used to have a friend who didn't take her Christmas tree down until May. She just liked it.
T.O.D.
CD (in the house): Barbra Streisand, "Back to Brooklyn"
Bernard Herrmann, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Child is Born"
What do you mean the holiday is over? If Christmas decorations can go up before Halloween, I can listen to Christmas music in January.
CD (in the car): THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (OBC)
I used to have a friend who didn't take her Christmas tree down until May. She just liked it.
Oh! I have to take the tree down, too?
Kevin is going to New York? Why, is Streisand in town? I know Brent is in London.
Ginny, is your anniversary today or tomorrow?
Today, DR TCB, but we plan to celebrate with dinner at Dayton's Amber Rose tomorrow when Rob and Mary Linda can join us. There's more snow predicted, so we'll see...
We have missed you. I haven't been sharing your FB photos - I figured most of the folks here were already seeing them on FB.
Are you totally jet-lagged?
Home Sweet Home. :)
Just stopped in to say hello. I'll be back later. I hope someone was sharing my photos on facebook over here.
Welcome home, Jane! I probably would have share, but I'm not on FB that often. ;)
Some signs are hilarously awful!
(http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh119/RonPulliam/stupid_warning_labels_05.png) (http://s254.photobucket.com/user/RonPulliam/media/stupid_warning_labels_05.png.html)
Home Sweet Home. :)
Just stopped in to say hello. I'll be back later. I hope someone was sharing my photos on facebook over here.
Welcome HOME! I have been enjoying your FB photos at FB. Did not realize you wanted them shared here. I thought maybe you'd post a slew of them upon your return.
Welcome home, DR Jane. What a fabulous trip you must have had! :)
Was Jane gone?
Congrats to DR John G on finishing the book!
Congrats to DR John G on finishing the book!
Congrats to DR John G on finishing the book!
Congratulations!
Happy Anniversary, DR Ginny and Fr. Richard!
Kevin is going to New York? Why, is Streisand in town? I know Brent is in London.
No, but her sister, Roslyn Kind, is. He's in town to see Broadwayworld.com Visits OZ. The cast includes " Sierra Boggess, Dee Dee Bridgewater, André De Shields, Jennifer Diamond, Kurt Domoney, Samia Finnerty, Mandy Gonzalez, Olivia Hardy, Roslyn Kind, Norm Lewis, Andrea McArdle, Kathy Najimy, Ken Page, Richard Ridge, John Tartaglia, Natalie Toro, Michael Urie and Josh Walden...plus special appearances by Jimmy Coogan, Luke Mannikus, Mitchell Sink and Nicky Torchia, will be celebrating BroadwayWorld.com's Anniversary and all things OZ, as they perform material and entertain from L. Frank Baum's delicious THE WIZARD OF OZ and all characters and incarnations, which would include WICKED, THE WIZ, all things that have to do with the Ruby Red Slippers... and even some Andrew Lloyd Webber (this is from the Web site).
He won't be able to see Brent in Chicago because the Broadwayworld.com show is Monday and Brent goes into Chicago on Monday (direct from London) and Kevin has to be back in Virginia on Tuesday.
BUT, we did get to have dinner with him this evening. He called and we were able to fit him into our bursting social calendar (just kidding, we didn't have plans and could easily see him). He was off to the York after that to see the same show Larry is seeing. We decided not to tag along because we have a full weekend ahead of us.
We had a very good dinner and catch-up with Kevin. It's always great to see him and talk and laugh.
T.O.D.
CD (in the house): Barbra Streisand, "Back to Brooklyn"
Bernard Herrmann, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Child is Born"
What do you mean the holiday is over? If Christmas decorations can go up before Halloween, I can listen to Christmas music in January.
CD (in the car): THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (OBC)
I used to have a friend who didn't take her Christmas tree down until May. She just liked it.
Oh! I have to take the tree down, too?
LOL. No, you don't have to!
Welcome home, DR Jane. What a fabulous trip you must have had! :)
Was Jane gone?
LOL
I thought of you on the too many days at sea, plus there seemed to be ramps to all of the dining rooms, but then I didn't double check the main dining room since we did anytime dining.
T.O.D.
CD (in the house): Barbra Streisand, "Back to Brooklyn"
Bernard Herrmann, "A Christmas Carol" and "A Child is Born"
What do you mean the holiday is over? If Christmas decorations can go up before Halloween, I can listen to Christmas music in January.
CD (in the car): THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (OBC)
I used to have a friend who didn't take her Christmas tree down until May. She just liked it.
Oh! I have to take the tree down, too?
LOL. No, you don't have to!
glad to hear it , I was worried for a minute --- where was I gonna hang the Valentine's hearts?
I really loved the Sheldon Harnick revue. I think the York should make it a main stage production and run it for six weeks instead of just the five performances this weekend. The cast was quite wonderful, and I had so many friends on and offstage that I hope poor KevinH didn't get too much short shrift from me. It was nice to see him, and since the seat next to him was empty, I joined him for the second act. He's coming in for the Feb. 9 LITTLE ME, so I know the mini-HHW reunion will have at least him, DR ChasSmith and me.
My friend Jeff Saver was the MD and he's such a good pianist; His new wife Rhyn was one of the two ladies in the cast; The other was Kerry Conte, who was a child in the New York State Theatre Institute production of A TALE OF CINDERELLA, which I orchestrated in 1994. I think she was in two productions I did there. My beloved Jason Graae was wonderful, and his "She Loves Me" brought the house down.
I got to visit briefly with Jim Morgan of the York, Sheldon Harnick and his wife Margery, whom I'd not seen in at least 10 years,and Charles Strouse. I spent sometime at the party with my friends Steve Cole, David Krane, and Alex Rybeck, who took this photo of Jason and me. I also saw Meg Friedman, our stage manager in Hilton Head, who assisting on this production.
Happy Anniversary to our very own DR Ginny and her very own ever lovin' DH Richard!
I really loved the Sheldon Harnick revue. I think the York should make it a main stage production and run it for six weeks instead of just the five performances this weekend. The cast was quite wonderful, and I had so many friends on and offstage that I hope poor KevinH didn't get too much short shrift from me. It was nice to see him, and since the seat next to him was empty, I joined him for the second act. He's coming in for the Feb. 9 LITTLE ME, so I know the mini-HHW reunion will have at least him, DR ChasSmith and me.
My friend Jeff Saver was the MD and he's such a good pianist; His new wife Rhyn was one of the two ladies in the cast; The other was Kerry Conte, who was a child in the New York State Theatre Institute production of A TALE OF CINDERELLA, which I orchestrated in 1994. I think she was in two productions I did there. My beloved Jason Graae was wonderful, and his "She Loves Me" brought the house down.
I got to visit briefly with Jim Morgan of the York, Sheldon Harnick and his wife Margery, whom I'd not seen in at least 10 years,and Charles Strouse. I spent sometime at the party with my friends Steve Cole, David Krane, and Alex Rybeck, who took this photo of Jason and me. I also saw Meg Friedman, our stage manager in Hilton Head, who assisting on this production.