I know it's not because I like my job any better.
I guess stuff has been happening, but I haven't felt compelled to bore anyone with it here anonymously. I'll work on that.
Monday, October 03, 2011
Wow! Has it really been three years since I last posted?
I know it's not because the glorious MBTA/MBCR/MBwtf Commuter Rail has been any better.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
What a surprise! Boston Commuter Rail running late again.
For the fourth day in a row, the Needham line is running more than 15 minutes late. Given the volume of human traffic passing through South Station during the evening rush, imagine having a significant percentage of them stuck in the station, waiting (yet again) for their train to grace us with its presence. Several hundred people are standing or milling around, clogging the platforms and the station, tripping over each other and blocking those passengers lucky enough to have a train they can board.
Back Bay Station fares even worse, given that the waiting passengers are stuck in a poorly ventilated sewer ditch of an underground station while the train takes its time coming in. After all of that, Back Bay passengers have little chance of good seats since all the double-decker cars seem to have gone on the endagered list.
Trains go in two directions (unless your even MORE incompetent than these guys and you roll sideways - they haven't done that for a while now). Forward or backward. How hard is it really to get from one end of a line to the other, following a schedule that has changed very little in decades?
The current high gasoline prices are an opportunity to promote the use mass transit by commuters, not to discourage it! Providing commuters with reasonably comfortable trains that are on time could build a new ridership that stays even if gasoline prices drop back to previous levels.
Back Bay Station fares even worse, given that the waiting passengers are stuck in a poorly ventilated sewer ditch of an underground station while the train takes its time coming in. After all of that, Back Bay passengers have little chance of good seats since all the double-decker cars seem to have gone on the endagered list.
Trains go in two directions (unless your even MORE incompetent than these guys and you roll sideways - they haven't done that for a while now). Forward or backward. How hard is it really to get from one end of a line to the other, following a schedule that has changed very little in decades?
The current high gasoline prices are an opportunity to promote the use mass transit by commuters, not to discourage it! Providing commuters with reasonably comfortable trains that are on time could build a new ridership that stays even if gasoline prices drop back to previous levels.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Good night for a game!
The Sox are playing the Orioles tonight. It's a slow game so far, but when you have beer and hot dogs in nice weather on a Friday night, who cares about baseball?!?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Quality
As gas goes up in price, let us admire the state of our mass transit infrastructure...
(Photo of a blocked-off area of South Station where the sky is falling.)
(Photo of a blocked-off area of South Station where the sky is falling.)
Friday, June 20, 2008
The dog is just too cute!
After several agonizing days of allergies, I am glad to say that the progressing season (it will be Summer in about 29 minutes) and the heavy rain that just passed through have finally washed the pollen out of the air!
Every year at this time, I have a hellish week of severe allergy symptoms that even preclude me from petting my own dog. Naturally, she gets all paranoid and insecure when this happens.
This evening, as Spring turns, officially, into Summer, I can actually pet my dog and even play with her at the, until recently pollen-filled, Arboretum! Yay! Let everyone but the squirrels and bunnies rejoice!
Here you see Nutmeg eagerly awaiting the rest of her pack. She's sure they'll be along shortly...
Every year at this time, I have a hellish week of severe allergy symptoms that even preclude me from petting my own dog. Naturally, she gets all paranoid and insecure when this happens.
This evening, as Spring turns, officially, into Summer, I can actually pet my dog and even play with her at the, until recently pollen-filled, Arboretum! Yay! Let everyone but the squirrels and bunnies rejoice!
Here you see Nutmeg eagerly awaiting the rest of her pack. She's sure they'll be along shortly...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
What's with today's weather?
Today was supposed to be a miserably wet and stormy day. I should have known the forecast was wrong when the local weather girl was describing storms outside despite the bright sunshine washing out the screen.
Sadly, I was supposed to get a bunch of chores done around the house. The weather, however, has me outside photographing dogs bobbing around the local watering hole.
I hope you are all out enjoying the day and only reading this later tonight!
Sadly, I was supposed to get a bunch of chores done around the house. The weather, however, has me outside photographing dogs bobbing around the local watering hole.
I hope you are all out enjoying the day and only reading this later tonight!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
I'm Walking on Water
No, I've not been deified (lately). I'm walking on a frozen lake in downtown St. Moritz, Switzerland. Some here are even walking their dogs out here. The accumulated droppings add to the ambience. The crankt-sounding German speakers behind me (they may be happy for all I know, but they always sound cranky to me) make me wonder if Blofeld really does have a secret mountain lair here.
I've only just arrived, but I can see why it's such a popular ski spot. In addition to walking on water and hearing dogs bark with accents, I get to see Alps in every direction, including some that look very skiable. The trams go right from town up the slopes, and the tree line is barely a few stories up, leaving wide open slopes.
Getting here was a bit of a miracle as the roads leading here, hairpin turns and all, were clearly not designed for anything as fast or big as our bus. The acrophobes in the group got today's adrenaline fix looking down the sheer, guardrail-free drops zooming past the bus.
Next up is jet-lag recovery, hopefully followed by some amazing skiing. Actually, I'll count it as amazing if I make it down in one piece, first try.
I've only just arrived, but I can see why it's such a popular ski spot. In addition to walking on water and hearing dogs bark with accents, I get to see Alps in every direction, including some that look very skiable. The trams go right from town up the slopes, and the tree line is barely a few stories up, leaving wide open slopes.
Getting here was a bit of a miracle as the roads leading here, hairpin turns and all, were clearly not designed for anything as fast or big as our bus. The acrophobes in the group got today's adrenaline fix looking down the sheer, guardrail-free drops zooming past the bus.
Next up is jet-lag recovery, hopefully followed by some amazing skiing. Actually, I'll count it as amazing if I make it down in one piece, first try.
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