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Arturo O'Farrill & ALJA Raise $100,000 to Benefit NYC Musicians
Article Contributed by JP Cutler Media | Published on Friday, December 18, 2020
GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist/composer Arturo O'Farrill and nonprofit the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance (ALJA) announce they have reached their crowd-funding goal of $100,000 raised through the ALJA Emergency Artist Fund (GoFundMe) and "Giving Tuesday" initiative to help New York/New Jersey-based jazz musicians during the COVID-19 global pandemic. New York City's community of independent musicians have faced extreme economic challenges since March 2020. ALJA's efforts to raise funds through generous donations from the community at large hits a milestone of $100,000 going directly to artists through individual grants and fees for performance and teaching.
The ALJA Emergency Artist Fund provides immediate assistance to musicians and other performing and teaching artists who are the recipients of over 200 individual grants. The on-going work of artists will continue to be funded into 2021 to recognize their tireless work presenting master classes for youth and adults, online classes for NY Public School partners, and in-person classes for the Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats (with strict public health protocols in partnership with Shape Shifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY). The ALJA Emergency Artist Fund is open to artists in New York and New Jersey, prioritizing the Afro Latin and Latin jazz musical communities. To donate to the ALJA Emergency Artist Fund, please visit: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/alja-emergency-artist-fund and https://afrolatinjazz.org.
"It's during challenging times like the ones we are now living in that our community excels in its strength, compassion, and ability to come together for the benefit of all," says Marietta Ulacia (Executive Director, Afro Latin Jazz Alliance). "Today, we have asked for support to help our community of musicians, teaching artists, and the artistic community. Reaching our overall goal of $100,000 is an incredible declaration of the giving spirit. These donations are making a real difference!"
The work of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance and Artist Director Arturo O'Farrill has never skipped a beat with the onslaught of the pandemic. The launch of the new ALJA Digital Village offers immediate and ongoing work for ALJA's close network of standout musicians and educators through ambitious digital music programming.
The flagship of the Digital Village is Virtual Birdland, which has featured 35 consecutive weeks of original programming with nearly 50 different musicians performing remotely in the safety of their own homes. Virtual Birdland presents an ambitious repertoire of big band arrangements with O'Farrill and his 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra regularly performing with special guest artists such as Paquito de Rivera, Rudresh Mahathappa, Sean Jones, Ana Tijoux, Yaz Ahmed, Malika Zarra, DJ Logic, and others. Participating musicians span the globe from Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Vera Cruz, Paris, UK, Madrid, Montreal, Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Switzerland. More than 100 newly recorded songs have been showcased on Virtual Birdland. An array of programming on Digital Village (particularly the Friday evening "La Plaza") has presented lauded artists including Dr. Cornel West, Letieres Leite and Orkestra Rumpilezz, Guy Mintus, Miguel Zenon, Samuel Torres, Sofia Rei, Telmary and Rebel Diaz, as well as partnerships with OriGen Collective, Globalquerque, HotHouse Global, La Casita BronX BandA, Philadelphia Jazz Project, WNYC Greene Space, UC San Diego, North Sea Jazz Festival, and others. Tune in to Virtual Birdland at facebook.com/BirdlandJazzClub and facebook.com/afrolatinjazzalliance.
Coinciding with the ALJA Digital Village initiative, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance has supported 20 virtual screenings and panel discussions for the newly released independent documentary film, Fandango at the Wall, now available on HBO, HBO Max, and HBO Latino (released on September 25, 2020). From executive producers Quincy Jones, Andrew Young, Carlos Santana, producers Kabir Sehgal and Doug Davis, and director Varda Bar-Kar, Fandango at the Wall follows Arturo O'Farrill and Sehgal as they prepare to record a live album at the U.S.-Mexico border wall. For more info, please visit: fandangowall.com.
O'Farrill's acclaimed recording career has further been recognized by The Recording Academy with the nomination of two GRAMMY Awards for his latest album Four Questions (ZOHO Music: April 10, 2020) featuring Dr. Cornel West. O'Farrill is nominated in two categories, "Best Latin Jazz Album" (for Four Questions) and "Best Original Composition" (for "Baby Jack").
ALJA sets its early 2021 initiatives on the release of the live album, Virtual Birdland (ZOHO Music, spring 2021), along with a continuation of the weekly online broadcasts on the ALJA Digital Village. In spring 2021, ALJA presents in partnership with CSUN Soraya Performing Arts Center (Los Angeles, CA) a live recorded video performance of repertoire highlighting compositions in the film, Fandango at the Wall. Alongside O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, special guest artists perform including son jarocho artists from Vera Cruz, Mexico including Patricio Hidalgo, Ramón Gutiérrez Hernández, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao Romero, and Jorge Francisco Castillo; Mandy Gonzalez (NY); and the Villalobos Brothers (live and remote from Spain). The live material was recorded at Shape Shifter Lab in Brooklyn in November 2020 while maintaining strict public health and social distancing guidelines (including open doors in 40-degree weather).
For more information regarding the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, please visit afrolatinjazz.org
Arturo O'Farrill
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Oliver Hazard Perry And The Battle Of Lake Erie
WARS | August 5, 2019
The Battle of Lake Erie. 1911 painting by Edward Percy Moran. Source: (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)
The War of 1812 is not the sexiest war in American history. It was generally unpopular, the United States was not ready for the war, the British burned Washington, D.C., and it ended in a stalemate. Still, the War of 1812 brought the United States the national anthem thanks to Francis Scott Key; and it created a naval hero for the Americans: Oliver Hazard Perry.
Portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry, painted by Gilbert Stuart, 1818. Source: (Wikipedia)
Oliver Hazard Perry was born on August 23, 1785, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was warranted a midshipman in 1799 and took part in the Quasi-war against the French as well as the action against the Tripoli pirates. At the beginning of the War of 1812, he found himself stationed at Newport, Rhode Island commanding a small squadron of gunboats.
Perry, however, wanted a more important command. He, therefore, petitioned Isaac Chauncey, who was the commander of naval operations on the Great Lakes. Chauncey who needed seasoned men to help build a flotilla against British Canada, brought Perry to help.
The Brig "Niagara" has gone through several restorations and is still afloat as a museum ship in Erie, Pennsylvania. Source: (Wikipedia)
The Great Lakes is not typically thought of as a great theater of naval combat. But its strategic importance was immeasurable. It formed the border between Canada and the United States, and it was the great highway of commerce into the heart of North America. The nation that could control the lakes, could determine the outcome of the war. The British knew this and at the outset of hostilities seized control of the lake and were building an even larger fleet.
Perry hired a team of carpenters and within a year had built a fleet of nine vessels consisting of six small gunboats, a sloop, and two brigs -- the Lawrence and Niagara. Meanwhile, the British under the command of Robert Heriot Barclay were continuing to strengthen their own forces.
Battle of Lake Erie by Frank Christian Muller. Source: (Wikimedia)
The battle took place at Put-in-Bay on September 10, 1813. Barclay's forces had better and more accurate range with their cannons, but Perry's carronades had more firepower. When the action opened at 11:45 A.M., Perry spent an hour taking heavy fire on his flagship Lawrence while he struggled to get into firing range. But by the time he was within distance to fire his carronades at the British, he found that he was not effective, his artillery being overloaded.
The Lawrence by this point was badly beaten up and virtually all of his weapons useless. Meanwhile, the captain of the Niagara, Jesse Elliott, had backed off, leaving the Lawrence to burn. When he was certain that the Lawrence was lost, he boarded one of the ship's cutters holding a blue flag that read, "Don't Give Up The Ship." This command was uttered by Captain James Lawrence (of whom Perry's ship was named) as his dying words in a naval engagement in 1813 and was adopted by Perry. Perry sailed to the Niagara. In a tense exchange, Elliott volunteered to leave the Niagara and rally the schooners. Perry took command of the Niagara.
Oliver Perry (1860) by William Walcutt. Memorial column in background. At Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Source: (Wikimedia)
Perry's fleet was now at close range and with great firepower, unleashed devastation upon the British. Every commanding officer aboard the British fleet was wounded or killed, leaving the command to junior officers. In an act of further derring-do, Perry rammed the Niagara into the British flagship.
By nightfall, the Americans had won. Perry wrote a message to Major General William Henry Harrison, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."
Perry's victory ensured that the Ohio Valley would remain in American hands and made Canada vulnerable to American attacks. This gave the United States some bargaining power when the war concluded in 1815. Perry himself was awarded a gold medal and promoted to captain. Perry died of yellow fever while on a mission in South America in 1819. His legacy as the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie immortalized him in American naval history.
Tags: Oliver Hazard Perry | The Battle Of Lake Erie | American Naval History
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Joseph Louis Irenée Jean Abadie (15 December 1873, Tarbes – 1934) was a French neurologist who is remembered for naming Abadie's symptom.

Brief biography
Joseph Louis Irenée Jean Abadie was born in 1873 in Tarbes, département Hautes-Pyrénées, France. He studied medicine at the University of Bordeaux, qualifying in 1900. In 1918 he became professor of neurology and psychiatry at Bordeaux. His work included the study of tabes dorsalis and alcoholism. He died in 1934.

External links

1873 births
1934 deaths
People from Tarbes
French neurologists
French psychiatrists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Doctor Who Christmas Special Recap and Reaction: "The Husbands of River Song"
Sunday, January 03, 2016 / Jaime / 2 comments
Recap (by Rica Wiersema):
"Everyone down in Snow-ville liked Christmas a lot… But the flying saucer, landing just north of Snow-ville, did not." Ominous alien spaceship is ominous. Also, the Doctor has just landed in the town, (which I have temporarily named 'Snow-ville) and he doesn't seem to enjoy the ambiance either.
He gets a knock on his door from a fellow looking for a surgeon. He answers, "Close enough. Why?" Because there's a medical emergency. And we all know what this means: he is the wrong 'surgeon'.
The servant leads the Doctor to the saucer, where a cross woman is waiting for their arrival. She also happens to be River Song! But when the Doctor says her name, she doesn't recognize his new face.
"How do you know me?"
"Well, it's a tiny bit complicated. People usually need a flow chart."
Doctor Who in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen. But wait, there's more! She's sent for a surgeon to heal her… husband?
"I think I'm going to need a bigger flow chart."
Ornament planets and snowy TARDIS!? Christmasy theme song is Christmasy!
River's "husband" is King Hydroflax, a cyborg with thousands of followers watching with baited breath to see if he'll survive his injuries. And against his commands, River sent for a surgeon to save the life of her 'one true love' — which she explains through much gushing and entirely-awkward lovey-dovey language.
The Doctor sulks in the corner until he realizes that she actually thinks he's a real surgeon… and he doesn't even know what species Hydroflax is!
To make things worse, the Doctor refuses to bow and keeps angering everyone with gallows humor. River takes him into a back room to explain the procedure: the universe's most valuable diamond is lodged in Hydroflax's brain from an explosion. However, she doesn't want to remove the diamond — she wants to remove Hydroflax's whole head to return the diamond to its owners, who hired her in the first place. Hydroflax is a murdererous cannibal, and she doesn't mind killing him… but it turns out he's been listening in on their entire conversation!
Hydroflax approaches the both of them and accuses River of her plans. However, she didn't even need a surgeon to remove his head; being a cyborg, he can actually remove it from his armored body himself. And now he plans to destroy River for her betrayal, but she stands boldly back. Suddenly the Doctor gets a chance to see that River, despite her psycopathic tendencies, is trying to do something right by defending the helpless and stealing back what Hydroflax has stolen from others. Jury's still out on how she's going to do it with a sonic trowel, but…
When the guards attack, River's trowel keeps them back, but the headless cyborg Armor is more powerful. The Doctor has to grab Hydroflax's head and hold him over a garbage chute to demand that they leave River alone. Once she gets over to where the Doctor is, she radios for someone called Ramone to beam her and the Doctor out.
The two land out in the snow and have a good laugh at the disembodied head threatening them from inside River's handbag. When Ramone appears, however, the bonding ends because River greets him with a passionate kiss; another husband, apparently.
As it turns out, the two of them brought Hydroflax's ship here because they're looking for a man with twelve faces, code name "Damsel." As in "Damsel in Distress." And it hasn't crossed River's mind that the Doctor could have more than twelve faces.
Meanwhile, the Cyborg Armor demands information from River's assistant… by cutting his head off and uploading him into the armor.
Meanwhile, River brings the Doctor and Ramone to the TARDIS. Since the Doctor isn't here, she'll just have to use her key to steal it and then bring it back once she's done… apparently, he never notices when she does that.
However, this is the Doctor's chance to appear shocked at the inside of the TARDIS — and boy, does he play it up like a true drama queen!
Hydroflax's head powers down, but there's a problem when they try to take off: the TARDIS can't take off when someone's body registers as both inside and outside of it. Since Hydroflax's head is inside and his body is outside, the ship won't take off. To make it worse, the Cyborg Armor is homing in on them… but it's acquired Ramone's head!
The Armor charges into the TARDIS and grabs River to kill her, but the Doctor shuts the doors behind it and the ship takes off! The turbulence shakes River free, and she flees outside with the Doctor as soon as they land. As it turns out, they're on board a space cruise ship for the fantabulously-rich.
River calls in a favor from one of the waiters to have the baggage hold sealed (to keep the Armor trapped). But she's not here to return the diamond to its owners; she's here to sell it. This ship requires guests and even the staff to have murderous records.
"This is where genocide comes to kick back and relax. Do try the fish."
While they wait for the buyers at dinner, River explains that she married Hydroflax by posing as his nurse because men will believe any story they're the hero of. (That remark doesn't bode well for our Time Lord.) When the Doctor sees that she's reading her TARDIS diary and asks why she looks sad, she admits that it's nearly full.
"The man who gave me this was the sort of man who knew exactly how long a diary you were going to need."
Meanwhile, the staff see Ramone's head in the baggage hold camera feed and go to get him out.
River's buyer comes to see the diamond and gives her payment for it. He's filled the restaurant with his own followers… and they do this all in honor of their king, Hydroflax. (Needless to say, River zips the bag back up.)
Down in the hold, the waiter is caught by the Armor… but he bargains with the Armor. If it spares him, he can provide it with the perfect head: the head of River's real husband.
River and the Doctor try to leave once they've handed over the bag, but since they can't, the Doctor pulls out the head of Hydroflax and starts asking for bids. After all, if these followers are truly devout, surely they'll put a price on his head! Then the waiter comes in with the Armor following, but it refuses to put Hydroflax's head back on. His tissue deterioration is irreversible, so the Armor decides that he needs a new head and kills him.
The waiter steals River's diary to help the Armor find the perfect head and reads that she's just come from Manhattan. They hope to find the Doctor by putting River in danger as bait, if he isn't here already… but River doesn't think he'll come. She loves the Doctor, but she doesn't think he's ever loved her back.
"When you love the Doctor, it's like loving the stars themselves. You don't expect a sunset to admire you back! And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you: the Doctor is not stupid enough or sentimental enough and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!"
Then she turns to see the man who is standing next to her, smiling like a teenager fallen head-over-heels, who simply whispers…
"Hello, sweetie."
Immediately, the two begin the most fast-paced and flirtatious conversation about their escape plan, which hinges on an impending meteor strike. As it turns out, River planned the whole thing.
"I'm an archaeologist from the future: I dug you up."
River catches the priceless diamond (in her cleavage), and they split up: River will drive the ship, and the Doctor will handle the Armor. How? He catches River's digital money and uploads it to the Armor — now it has hundreds of stock markets and firewalls arguing in its head, and they fry its brain!
When he rejoins River at the controls, she realizes that the planet they're aiming for is Derillium with the Singing Towers. He tricks her into getting teleported back onto the TARDIS, but she drives it back to the cockpit to rescue him. They shut the doors just before impact, and the crash knocks River out. The Doctor peeks outside at the wreckage, then travels forward in time to the next morning when a young man is looking for survivors… right next to the Singing Towers. The Doctor gives him the priceless diamond on one condition: he should build a restaurant right on that spot, with a perfect view of the Towers.
He pops forward in time again, sets a reservation for Christmas day, then pops forward again. When River awakens, she finds herself in the finest restaurant in the galaxy, where Ramone works as a waiter with his new metal body (the Armor's evil having been deleted by the stock market). The Doctor appears in a new suit (sob) and gives her a gift: his screwdriver.
Then they marvel at the Singing Towers at last. It's just the wind blowing through the stone, but it's beautiful music nonetheless. When she notices that the Doctor is sad, she admits that she looks up stories about him and herself… and some say that their last night together is at the Singing Towers. He admits that not everything can be avoided and that times do end and happily ever after doesn't exist. But she insists that happily ever after doesn't mean forever: just a little time. And as it turns out, time is exactly what they have: a single night on Derillium is twenty-four earth-years long.
And they both lived happily ever after…
Quote of the Episode:
River: "If either of you use my name again, I will remove your organs in alphabetical order. Any questions?"
The Doctor: "Which alphabet?"
Bethany:
There was just something about seeing Stephen Moffat's name up on the screen during the intro that took me back to so many of my favorite moments and characters in Doctor Who. The presence of his name stamped proudly almost seemed a declaration that this special was going to be good. Thankfully, that stamp of approval didn't fail. River Song has always been one of my favorite characters in this series, and to see more of her story was wonderful. At first I was confused, trying to place where in the Doctor's timeline this story took place since River didn't seem to recognize him and was involved with at least two other men. It was all a part of River's plot, of course, and pretty true to her character.
I could probably come up with many favorite moments, but I'll narrow them down to just three. First, I loved how River was attempting to steal the TARDIS. at one point, much to the Doctor's chagrin. Secondly, the moment when River realized who the Doctor was and how the two instantly melted into their old relationship. A lovely moment between an "old married couple." Lastly, the scene between River and the Doctor at the Singing Towers was heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. I loved how it connected to series four's "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead," with the Doctor giving River his sonic screwdriver and telling her that endings were necessary, sort of a nod to the season finale situation with Clara.
Overall, I think this special episode was a fitting tribute to a character we haven't seen for a while. I always figured the point of River's death must have been reached without any evidence aside from her absence. Returning to the end of River's timeline was a special thing and something that brings closure to all the fans who loved her.
I personally loved the episode and am looking forward to what comes next.
Jaime:
When they first cast Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, I wanted an episode with him and River Song. I thought the dynamics between them would be interesting, since he would be "older" this time around. Plus, I just love when River shows up. However, I didn't know how they would do it. Originally, River's timeline was supposed to be opposite of his: the first time he meets her is the last the time she meets him; the first time she meets him is the last time he's supposed to meet her. However, her story didn't exactly happen this way. I guess we really do need a flow chart.
That being said, when I first heard River would be returning for the Christmas special, I was ecstatic. I've always loved her story, her arc, her interactions with the Doctor. Some of my favorite episodes include her. I've been waiting all season for this episode, and it did not disappoint me.
At first, I felt unsure about the episode. I didn't know where it fit into River's timeline. I wasn't sure why she was with so many other "husbands." She didn't, at first, seem like the River I love. (Oh, it was her all right, but she didn't seem to be the same.) But as the episode continued, it felt like Doctor Who. There were little jokes, such as the flow chart or the Doctor's pretend reaction to stepping into the TARDIS or their banter about who else they've 'married.' I loved it. And then, the Doctor said, "Hello, Sweetie" to River, and I was sold, melted into a puddle of fangirl feels.
Overall, I think the episode did well to bring another piece of River's crazy timeline to life. I loved her interactions with Capaldi's Doctor, both before and after she knew it was him. I liked the concept of the episode, the plot with the diamond and the robotic armor guy. I liked that they ended up at the Singing Towers. The ending made my fangirl heart happy. This episode definitely showed another side to the Doctor. It revealed how much he does love River, no matter his face or what events brought them together. I loved that he was grumpy and jealous when he learned she married someone else, I loved that he gave her the sonic screwdriver, I loved that everything he did was for her.
While this could possibly be the last time we see River, I'm glad it was a worthwhile episode. I wish she could stick around to be his on and off again companion for the next season. Their dynamics were fun. The episode was fun. And I'm excited for whatever comes next.
Rica:
I honestly wasn't sure to expect coming into this Christmas special. For one thing, the Doctor has said goodbye to River so many times that I've almost gotten sick of it… but I was also looking forward to seeing how she would interact with Capaldi. Forgive me if you prefer the previous Doctors (I enjoyed them, too) but Capaldi has been the Doctor to end all Doctors, in my opinion. He's finally been able to drop the side-plot of romance and just be his own man. But enough about what I expected: let's take a look at how I reacted!
Overall, I loved the hijinks in this episode: River running around flirting and Capaldi being his usual grumpy self. It had all the cute moments and all the frightening moments at the right times.
However, I will say this about the story: it felt a little over-complicated. Not because there was too much new information to process, but just because it takes a lot of foreknowledge to understand fully. You essentially have to know about everything from River's very first episode in Season 4 until now. And while millions of fans have been watching since then, that amount of background-knowledge still a bit of an excessive requirement. A lot of Clara's last episodes felt that way as well.
But the good news is that I don't think the show is going to keep building more and more complicated story lines. I've started to notice that the plots tend to reset almost completely after three companions or so.
First there was Rose, then Martha and Donna; we'll call that "Phase One." Then the show 'restarted' with Amy, Rory, and Clara: "Phase Two." The only link between the phases was River, and she wasn't so much a main character as a recurring one (in the same way that Davros and the Cybermen and the Silurians have recurring encounters with the Doctor). She appeared just before Donna's time with Tennant came to an end. Now, I suspect that Me (Ashildr) will be the new link between Phase 2 and Phase 3.
It's about time for the Doctor to start fresh with a new companion, and to go on somewhat-newer adventures. He'll still have his ongoing conflict with Gallifrey, the Daleks (now hybrids?), and the rest. But hopefully the next season will be a good place for newcomers to stumble in. And the new companion(s)? Well, I'm personally hoping that the show might put romance on the shelf for a while and make way for a new dynamic, like a brother-and-sister duo. Fingers crossed!
What did you think of "The Husbands of River Song"? Let us know in the comments and tell us what you're most excited to see in the next season of Doctor Who!
BBC, Bethany Baldwin, collaborations, Doctor Who, Jaime Heller, reactions, recaps, Rica Wiersema
Evangeline January 3, 2016 at 9:31 PM
I loved the end bit with the sonic that made me cry.. and the Hello Sweetie. I laughed so hard at the Doctor hamming it up over the TARDIS interior but aside from that i didn't enjoy it as much as i usually did.. hmm OH and w when they fell over in the snow I adored that too.
Jaime January 6, 2016 at 7:57 PM
I watched it twice through before writing up my response. The first time through, I was a bit unsure how I felt (though there were moments I loved, like what you mentioned). The second time through, I loved it more. I either was distracted the first time or needed a second watch (which sometimes I feel I need to do with the regular, series episodes as well).


My word for the year is content and I was delighted to find this post at the Little Light On A Hill blog. I'm very much a proponent of writing down my blessings, thanks to reading Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts", and that's just one of the 10 tips.
Ray and I have been hand holders from the day we met. After many years of marriage, we still hold hands at every opportunity. Sometimes it's because we want to connect through touch, others it's to show support. This sweet article, HOLDING HANDS is a delightful story of a sweet couple who have been holding hands for many more years than we have!
I came across this article in the Grace and Truth Link-Up at Like A Bubbling Brook. I'm always looking for encouragement in my prayer life and this short article fits the bill perfectly. From making time to choosing a journal it's definitely worth the read.
Heavenly Father, it's such a scary time we live in. Give us strength and courage to move forward and share the Gospel of Peace. For those who have lost loved ones, let them know Your Presence as the grieve. For those who are injured, heal them completely. Give the leaders of France and of other countries around the world wisdom and discernment in dealing with terrorism. Soften the hearts of those who would harm the innocent. Oh, LORD, You have promised to be always there for us and we know You are. Keep us safe in Your loving arms. I lift this prayer in the Precious Name of Jesus. Make it so!
This entry was posted in Friday Faves and tagged Blessings, Christian Blogs, Holding Hands, prayer by Marie. Bookmark the permalink.
When Lou and I were able to go to church together every time we left we were holding hand every time the Priest would see us leaving holding hand he would tell us that some one was going to think we were in love. On Sundays he leaves for work at 9 and gets home at 12 in the night. Monday,Tuesday and wednesday's from 2 in the afternoon until 12 at night. Then he has off Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I just wish they would give him a normal schedule.
I believe holding hands not only connects us personally but connects others to us through the love we are showing.


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Felsősebes (Vyšná Šebastová), község Szlovákiában az Eperjesi járásban
 Felsősebes (Verhnyij Bisztrij), település, Majdánka része Ukrajnában, az Ökörmezői járásban


"As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13–14).
Therefore, God does not demand perfection from us, which would be impossible. What He does demand is faith – He expects men and women to believe what He says, and then to try hard to please Him.
This is what we learn from Abraham.
"He believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
"The words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (in other words, 'to put us right with God').
Another key scripture says "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4) and this is quoted three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:9–10, ESV).
When we really try to do that, we start to realize how far from God's ways our lives have been. This is the beginning of what the Bible calls 'repentance'.
Six weeks after Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, the Apostle Peter stood up boldly in the city and accused the crowd of murdering the Son of God.
"Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:36–38).
Even a sin as bad as that can be forgiven, if we can truly repent and do as these people did. The word 'repent' means 'change your mind, think differently'.
It means being truly sorry for the wrong we have done and the good we have failed to do, and then making up our minds to start again, living a new kind of life.
Although we cannot possibly earn eternal life and we depend completely on God's grace (meaning His favour and forgiveness), God expects us to show our appreciation by doing our best to live in His way.
Before Jesus began to teach, John the Baptist was sent to show people the way back to God, to be reconciled to Him.
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophets: "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make his paths straight.'" John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins" (Mark 1:1–5).
"When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matthew 3:7–8).
It must be the same with us, when we desire to be associated with Jesus by baptism into his name, to share the hope of eternal life. We must look at ourselves honestly, facing up to the faults we have.
Saul the Pharisee learned the same thing. He converted to Christ, and became the person we know as the Apostle Paul. He spent the rest of his life preaching and teaching people "that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20).
In earlier studies from this series, we were thinking about the sacrifices and other rituals of Old Testament times.
teach men and women about how far they had gone from God's standards and to make them aware of their need for forgiveness. In other words, they were to bring people to this state of mind that the Bible calls 'repentance'.
"Now, therefore," says the LORD, "Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if He will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him? (Joel 2:12–14).
John chapter 4 records a wonderful conversation about the state of mind that God wants us to have. A woman wanted to know whether it was best to worship God on a mountain in her country (Mount Gerizim, see Joshua 8:33), or in Jerusalem. Jesus carefully explained to her that where believers worship is not the important thing.
"Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:21–24).
God calls us to have faith in His promises and to believe that He wants us to be part of His kingdom.
When we develop this faith, we realise our shortcomings and so repent, changing our mind and outlook to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Plans to slash ticket office opening hours at c2c stations
Luke Acton
Ticket barriers at London Fenchurch Street. Picture: Mike Brooke.
Mike Brooke
Train operator c2c plans to reduce the number of hours its ticket offices are open at stations across the network.
Some of the biggest changes to be proposed include closing the ticket offices at Dagenham Dock and Rainham completely on Saturdays.
Rainham, along with Limehouse, is also facing morning-only opening hours during the week.
The travel watchdog London TravelWatch is running the consultation, which closes on October 14. By law, rail operators have to consult the watchdog, which is independent of transport operators and the government.
Arthur Leathley is chair of London TravelWatch. He said it wants to ensure passengers can still purchase all the tickets they need after the proposed changes.
"Passengers will also want to be reassured that there will be suitable provision of information and security if the reduction in opening hours of ticket offices at these stations goes ahead," he added.
"We will review the responses we receive from passengers and make a recommendation to the Department for Transport based on these and other information we receive."
According to c2c, this is the first time it's proposed changes to ticket office operating hours since the mid-1990s. It emphasised that this was before the introduction of things like smartphones, Oyster cards and contactless payment.
In a statement, the operator said these changes meant current opening hours are "not sustainable given changing customer demand".
It added that the changes are being suggested for offices that sell 12 tickets or fewer every hour - the equivalent of one ticket every five minutes. All the offices will be open during peak morning times on weekdays and none of them are closing completely.
To help make the change, c2c said it has been investing in new ticket machines, online ticket systems, improved CCTV and mobile security patrols.
The proposed changes only affect ticket offices - busier stations will have staff on duty from the first to the last train and almost every stop will have staff at the barriers in morning and afternoon peak times. There aren't any redundancies being made as part of the plans.
Passengers can comment on the proposals by emailing consultations@londontravelwatch.org.uk. More information about the proposals can be found at c2c's website c2c-online.co.uk.
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With smartphone applications of all types taking the world by storm, the old-fashioned way of texting utilizing plan carrier's balance is almost in the verge of disappearing. The market colorfully showcasing various texting apps, young as well as old people are ditching traditional texting for new-age communication methods! Keeping that in mind, in this informative piece, we take a look at four of the best text messaging apps in the world today.
Talking about text messaging apps, the most common word that comes to people's minds, perhaps, is 'WhatsApp'. With more than 200 million daily users filled with stories to share, emotions and words, the messaging app has changed the way we interact forever. Its group chat has the ability to let 30 people communicate at once, and allowing people to share audios as well as images, the app works by utilizing mobile number as one's account identity, enabling a person to add profile picture and other details corresponding to the mobile number.
However, WhatsApp is only one part of the equation, because there are many who swear by Viber. With a feature of allowing up to 40 people to converse in a particular group, this fun app is mostly used by non-WhatsApp users. Featuring Facebook integration in some cases, the app is totally free to be benefitted from, allowing millions to text or call in exchange of nothing!
When it comes to best text messaging apps, Text Me is truly widely used as well. Having the ability to use emoticons and share location, most users find this app very engaging, and since it allows comfortable video calling sessions too in addition to regular calling, the appeal is furthermore enhanced. Besides, its fun credit system allows users to be playful when using it.
The last one in this article, but a very popular one regardless, is the Pinger text messaging application. Enabling a user to access voicemails, photos, texts and everything else associated with another user just by clicking the profile picture, this application has a crowd of its own. Allowing users to know the time of a message being seen by the receiver, this particular app takes things to a completely another level by providing users with new app numbers. People of more than 35 countries are welcome to use the app, and the experience is certainly unique.
All-in-all, the above apps are some of the best text messaging apps in the world and Kakao Talk will be here in the list this year. There are many other good apps too which are similar to the above four, and it is mostly a matter of preference over quality as to which user decides to choose which messenger in the long run.


The U.S. business community is facing a war of intelligence attrition. Fortune 500s will see countless experienced knowledge workers walk out the door over the next two decades. The U.S. Armed Forces are losing millions of officers and key personnel to retirement.
For even those companies that thrive on innovation, the numbers are daunting – and demand action. Some 900,000 white collar workers from the Executive Branch of government, and another 5,400 federal executives, will be up for retirement over the next decade, according to an August 2007 study from Tandberg.
A McKinsey Quarterly survey in 2007 found that the Baby Boomer generation is "the best-educated, most highly skilled aging workforce in U.S. history." Though they're "only" about 40% of the workforce, they comprise more than half of all managers and almost half of all professionals, like doctors and lawyers.
Many are preparing to leave – and American leadership isn't prepared to lose them. To paraphrase one-time presidential contender Ross Perot, that "giant sucking sound" being heard across the business landscape is the vacuum of combined knowledge locked up in the heads of millions of baby boomers heading off into retirement.
As the boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) retires, executive leadership faces a daunting task: How to ensure key intelligence and know-how doesn't walk out the door when they retire. The loss of business intelligence and corporate knowledge, especially in R&D-focused companies or organizations, could amount to billions of dollars in lost intellectual capital. Leaders must act fast.
Even those organizations with young employees must consider knowledge management. Knowledge loss also occurs as key personnel resign or are lost to illness or tragedy, taking with them a trove of irreplaceable knowledge.
The question becomes: How do leaders keep the older generation actively engaged so that process of extracting and archiving key information is interesting, challenging and rewarding?
– Establish and share rules of and rationales for engagement. Determine how information gathering will be accomplished – for example, by questionnaire, survey, online system, etc. Will sales people drop into the contact management system such key nuggets as a client's admin's name, or the client's birthday, or his preference to be called Robert, and not Bob, thus strengthening key relationships? If so, be sure to tell the entire organization to do this – and why this is should be done.
– Scan the personnel landscape. Create a database charting individual or shared "expertise clusters" across the organization. Use relationship software or "spiders" to track knowledge by department and employee (See exhibit example). Learn, cross-reference and document where key knowledge or competencies reside. If a key term or phrase were searched by project or product, specific individuals' names should come up.
– Set up a database or system for collecting information. This is especially important in larger organizations. It's not enough to do a "knowledge dump" from one person to another. Resignation or illness could strike, leaving the company in the same situation again. Create a sustainable "Knowledge Library" system to capture key data, information and processes. Databasing solutions can be as simple as a shared Excel spread sheet, or use of enterprise collaboration platforms like Confluence (http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/), Socialtext (http://www.socialtext.com/) or TWiki (http://twiki.org/). Easy to create, update and maintain, sharing knowledge across the organization becomes a simple process.
– Create a home for – and invite – nuanced info. At my old company, we manufactured screw-on pumps that turned liquid soap into foam. Early on, clients called about "leakers" – pumps that loosened during shipment. Our president discovered the right amount of "let off torque" to keep them in place. Because how much torque varied by bottle type, such experience-borne knowledge could not be written in customer instructions. Soon after, he took ill and left the company – but not before writing this key bit of pass-along information in a reference manual used by everyone who's come after him.
– Build bridges early on. Like a mentor / apprentice relationship, encourage interaction between the generations. This can foster an esprit de corps and facilitate a transfer of knowledge across ranks and age groups.
– Host events to bring people together. Monthly breakfasts, after-work happy hour "spit & whittle" chats, and other informal exchanges can create opportunities for verbal or hands-on knowledge sharing. Hold a seminar in effective knowledge-sharing principles and practices; invite the entire organization.
– Use social media and online tools. Create a closed group on LinkedIn, subscribe to an online whiteboard or collaborative application, create a spreadsheet or chart on Google Docs, set up a blog, forum or company intranet where retirees can return online and enter insights they recall after leaving the organization. Don't be afraid to "crowd source" new ideas from retirees by sending eblasts or messages via group tools.
– Make knowledge sharing a continual, perpetual habit, not a one-time act. Encourage people to document and share what they know. Invite, even incentivize retirees to return to share solutions later when they may recall something they've done in the past.
Remember, no tidbit is too small. It's just not about the knowledge behind what they did. Gather details regarding the work-arounds they devised and the minutia involving their otherwise undocumented experience of things that work – and things that don't. Even informal practices – like a workflow system that has proven effective – must be put into writing for archival and sharing purposes.
Boomers are retiring. Years of hard data and soft know-how is preparing to leave your organization. Are you prepared to avoid the vacuum?
Robert F. Brands, a veteran corporate executive who now consults with companies worldwide and author of Robert's Rules of Innovation (www.robertsrulesofinnovation.com). Brands, a senior executive for companies like GTE, Kohler and Rexam, is president and founder of InnovationCoach.com. Having gained hands-on experience in bringing innovation to market, creating and improving the necessary product development processes and needed culture, he delivered and exceeded bringing "at least one new product per year to market" resulting in double digit profitable growth and shareholder value.


ICSE, ISC Minimum Passing Marks Dropped by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). These changes will be applicable from the 2019 academic session. These changes have been done to bring the uniformity among different boards in the country. Inter Board Working Group (IBWG) made many recommendations in which it was suggested that all the boards in the country should have same pass mark criteria. On account of these suggestions, the council decided o change its pass mark criteria.
Now the pass percentage has been reduced from 35% to 33% for ICSE Examinations and 40% to35 % for ISC Examinations. The same will be applicable for classes 9th and 11th as well, class 9th passing percentage will be 33% and class 11th passing percentage will be 35% from the examination year 2019.
Gerry Arathoon, chief executive of CISCE said that objective of taking such step was to bring close uniformity with other boards in the county. He also added that these changes were decided following several meetings with the ministry of human resources and development along with other boards of the country. He said that these changes would be effective from next academic session 2019 and requested all the schools to implement these criteria for the next examination year. This would be implemented in internal as well as external examinations.
Get more Education News Here.


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Transbay Terminal Compromise In The Works?
That's what Steven T. Jones of the San Francisco Bay Guardian reported Friday night:
TJPA spokesperson Adam Alberti tells the Guardian that involved agencies are hoping operational adjustments can be made to handle up to eight trains per hour at Transbay, and that the additional four trains per hour that the California High-Speed Rail Authority says it wants might have to stop at the existing 4th and Townsend station.
Several commenters have floated this idea in our various Transbay posts, of having some trains go all the way to SF Transbay and others terminate at 4th and King. I'm curious which trains would stop where - won't most riders want to go all the way to the Financial District? Do we believe the typical Southern Californian* will understand the difference between SF 4th and King and SF Transbay Terminal on an HSR map, timetable, or website? Perhaps they will, and a 4th and King solution is dependent on the Central Subway - but this is probably the best solution given the politics of the matter.
Operationally, I can live with it, but as you all know by now I tend to take the big picture view of all this - I'm curious what those of you who are skilled in the details of the Transbay Terminal issue think.
Jones's article continues, still paraphrasing Adam Alberti:
He said there is a growing consensus against building a second floor of train platforms, which could add $1 billion to the price of the project. The TJPA board needs to land on a plan by May so current contracts can be issued and so regional agencies can come together on a request for about $1 billion in federal stimulus money when the state makes its formal request for federal high-speed rail funding in June.
That says to me that SF city and Caltrain officials, who have many of the TJPA seats, and the MTC are part of this "growing consensus" against the second floor concept that CHSRA has been pushing. They want to move quickly to get the contracts out and to show the feds that we really are moving on the shovel-ready aspects of the HSR project in order to get some stimulus money. I think that is exactly the right approach to take.
Of course, Quentin Kopp still isn't happy:
CHSRA Chair Quentin Kopp continues to question the Transbay Terminal project, saying its schedule and location have been dictated by its bus component and noting that its costs have been creeping ever higher. "This has all the earmarks of San Francisco's Big Dig."
I don't really understand what is up with Kopp's opposition to the Transbay Terminal project, but this does not reflect very well on him. It will only cause more people to think that his whole "we need a second floor for unspecified operational reasons" was in fact an effort to kill the train box idea entirely and terminate the line at 4th and King. And that may well be exactly what is going on here. But Kopp isn't doing himself or the Authority or the project any favors by his stance on this. And his use of the "Big Dig" canard is really not a good idea at all. The HSR deniers have been using that frame against us for months, and although we've done well in beating it back, the last thing we need is for an official of the CHSRA to start using it themselves. There is in fact NO indication whatsoever, at this point, that the Transbay Terminal project will be plagued by the kind of massive cost overruns that hit the Big Dig - and as many have noted, one of the reasons for those overruns was constant meddling in the design process by various authorities.
At a time when Kopp has a much bigger problem on his hands - the unrealistic demand of mid-Peninsula cities for a tunnel - he should not be going around pissing off and alienating potential allies with attacks on the Transbay Terminal project. Let's hope that this compromise is workable, that it holds, and that we can move on with the overall HSR project.
* - I was born and raised in Southern California and while I love that place dearly, not everyone there is skilled at grasping these kinds of details.
Labels: Caltrain, CHSRA, DTX tunnel, Quentin Kopp, San Francisco, Transbay Terminal, transportation, tunnel
Why do the trains have to be in the basement? Billion dollars to put in a second level of trains would probably cover lots of the cost of using the parking lots between Main and Beale. Billion you could probably buy everything between Main and Beale from Market to the Embaracdero. Trains from 4th then come across Townsend or King to Embarcadero and have a nice gentle curve into a station. Designed so that one day when a tunnel across the bay is built you have space for commuter and regional services. There's going to be something across the Bay sometime, BART is at capacity and the Bay Bridge is very close to it.
The fact that having some HSR trains terminate at 4th & King and others at the SFTT (cp Caltrain) is clear evidence of design by committee. If you're going to spend billions on a new multimodal hub, the design needs to provide enough capacity to last at least 50 years.
That said, six platforms is actually plenty. The problem is capacity through the throat and in the tunnel. Plus, Caltrain refusing to switch to level boarding at SFTT.
I don't know why CHSRA asked for a second level instead of e.g. a single loop track that would have all trains enter the station from the east and exit to the west. Make sure all curves have a radius of at least 250m = ~825ft, preferably 280m = ~925ft. Use Natoma/3rd instead of Minna/2nd Street.
Add appropriate signaling and the whole thing will easily support 2.5 minute headways for HSR and Caltrain combined. It's the two-way traffic through a severely curved throat that's constraining capacity.
Btw, the current design calls for a three-track tunnel constructed just 20-25 feet under the surface using the so-called New Austrian Tunneling Method.
This relies on careful measurements to verify that the weight of the overburden can be supported by the rock itself, so expensive prefab rebar ring liners can be omitted. The technique was developed for tunneling through solid rocks in the Alps and is generally not used for more than two lanes at a time.
Mechanically, the method relies on deformation of the overburden to divert stresses around the invert. In SF, the tunnel would run through highly fractured Franciscan rock that would deform by a greater amount, increasing the risk of cracks forming in any structures left standing above ground.
Single-track circular tunnel bores with ring liners would reduce that risk, freeing up money to increase curve radii. Under city streets, excavation could switch to cut-and-cover.
Of course, most of these complications would disappear if the construction of the train station were decoupled from that of the nearby bus terminal. Mission Street is nice and straight, just the way trains like it.
This transbay terminal mess is indicative of this badly managed project overall.
actually, the Transbay Terminal wasn't designed by CHSRA at all but by the TJPA, an SF organization pre-occupied with real estate rather than effective transportation.
It's the lack of planning integration that's at the root of this. Of course, CHSRA was just a paper tiger until last November so it had zero clout in SF.
It's really pretty simple: the TJPA doesn't have any funding lined up for the train station, and is looking enviously to the CHSRA's bond money.
Kopp is just saying "Mine!"
Everything else (including talk of 12 tph and two-level stations) is noise.
Off topic : excellent editorial in todays' SJ Mercury regarding HSR on the Peninsula. By the way, has anyone told SF pols that tiny MP, Atherton, and PA want HSR to terminate in SJ?
bossyman15 said...
Yeah stopping trains this station or that station makes sense and lowers overall cost.
Come on Kopp, don't make an ass to yourself. Just move on and better focus on mid Peninsula. If trains were forced to stop in San Jose then SF is useless so better focus on mid Peninsula.
Anon, it doesn't matter that some Menlo Park, Atherton, and Palo Alto politicians want the trains to terminate in San Jose. There is no chance of that happening.
First, why doesn't Kopp retire or get a real job. He's a tired old dinosaur who shouldn' be involved in HSr at all in my opinion as shown be his lack of focus on the important issues. Anyone who has been hanging around california politics as long as he has is corrupt as hell anyway. He needs to keep his nose out of San Francisco development issues as well. The best solution is indeed for some trains to go to TBT and others to go to $th and here's why. Business hour, express trains should serve the downtown to downtown crowd better by using LAUS to TBT. While mid day, limiteds, and locals, can serve 4th. At 4th there is more room for parking, drop off and pick up areas. Families and friends and other leisure travelers who are traveling per the cheaper coach tickets and off peak tickets can use 4th. Fist and Business Express travelers who pay a premium for the higher classes and faster trips - will be delivered to the FIDI directly. people who are here as tourists don't need the TBT stop as they will have bags and most likely be using a cab to get to their hotel. NOt to mention there is more room at 4th to have a rental car area as well. In addition to that, the central subway from 4th is a direct connection to the union square hotel district and in fact while it will terminate short of the Wharf, is will get them pretty close to the wharf area hotels. I know what Im talking about because I've worked in travel/tourism and hospitality for 30 years and this would be a very reasonable compromise based on people's needs and preferences.
There is no chance of that happening.
Indeed, Robert. For the Peninsula politicians who want HSR to terminate at San Jose, I have two words for you:
Nancy Pelosi.
I know this is a state project and not a Federal one, but anyone who thinks she would allow HSR to bypass San Francisco has another think coming.
Sticking to "all trains must serve TBT no matter what - just because high rise loving big city fast train lovers want it that way and cost and compromise be damned is only going to hold up progress and increase cost.
True, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein ( who lives in SF) and Barbara boxer, all from the bay area, are not likely to let SF be left out.
arcady said...
Plus, Caltrain refusing to switch to level boarding at SFTT.
Rafael: Caltrain has level boarding as its long term goal, and indeed would probably have it as a short term goal, but for stupid CPUC regulations. The question is, what will the level be? And the same applies to HSR as well.
Clem said... "It's really pretty simple: the TJPA doesn't have any funding lined up for the train station, and is looking enviously to the CHSRA's bond money."
Actually, the train-box itself, the TJPA is looking enviously at the $8b in HSR Stimulus funding.
The CHSRA's bond money, its looking enviously at that for the DTX when it comes time to actually connect the train box to the existing rail line.
"Kopp is just saying "Mine!""
That's true ... generically, in the sense of not wanting money allocated to the TJPA to be penciled in as "Federal money we gave to the CA HSR system", specifically in terms of negotiations regarding CHSRA contributing toward the DTX.
"Everything else (including talk of 12 tph and two-level stations) is noise."
12tph is, on the one hand, the CHSRA trying to stretch the weight of the 5 minute headway requirement as far as it will go, and then the TJPA pushed back in the political arena by mocking the idea that 12tph is necessary.
But the 5 minute headways are something that could have some weight, since there is a local statutory requirement to host the HSR at the TBT, and Prop1A is specific on the requirement for 5 minute headways.
If they only offer 5 minute HSR headways as far as 4th and King / 4th and Townsend, by dividing the traffic, the CHSRA could argue that lets them off the hook on contributing anything to the DTX past 4th and Townsend, at least out of the $9b bond funding plus any Federal matching funds that can be shaken loose by that bond funding.
neroden@gmail said...
Why not put the trains on the roof where the streetcars originally were, and continue them across the Bay Bridge?
Does nobody ever think BIG?
@ neroden -
we did think of that but unfortunately, the asphalt empire isn't about to give back a couple of lanes on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge or on 101/I-80.
Realistically, there is no way to bring HSR trains above grade level in downtown SF. Not that it matters that much. Barcelona Sants is also underground and has no problems attracting passengers.
Andy Chow said...
From a credibility perspective I don't trust Quentin Kopp to cooperate in a good-faith.
20 years ago, he was against the purchase of the SP right of way between San Francisco and San Jose. He still complain that now. Without that right of way, Caltrain wouldn't be able to run as much trains as it is now and HSR would have much more difficulty in obtaining the right of way.
10 years ago, he pushed for a BART extension alignment that ultimately cut off direct Caltrain and future HSR access to SFO's AirTrain. That alignment also increased SamTrans and BART operating cost so that Millbrae and SFO can have equal service.
The TJPA's plan is reasonable given the physical constraints. Rather than cooperating he threw a tantrum in public. 4th & King is not viable because there won't be enough transit access to the trains, and Central Subway just won't cut it with only two-car light rail trains.
The TJPA "compromise" is reasonable by adjusting train operation. The extra trains that may or may not ever be operated could still be reasonably accommodated. Riders on those trains could just transfer to Caltrain or other HSR trains that serve TBT, since a lot of these trains won't be full anyway.
Slightly off topic: Ray LaHood talks up High Speed Rail as Obama's legacy.
Transit at first will be no better for rail users at TBT than 4th and King unless this passage way is built from Embarcadero station to TBT. At least 4th and King as N-Judha street cars at the station now and will have Central Subway.
I do agree with Kopp on one thing
this station does seem to be Bus first rail afterthought..We are going from 6platforms to 3 with the same kind of stub end layout and double the traffic..And the TBT people say its more than workable?
@ yesonhsr -
the SFTT design calls for 3 island platforms and 6 platform tracks. They're not the issue, since trains can be turned around very quickly if SF is seen as a mere stop along the LA-SF-LA route.
The problem is that trains can't get in and out of the SFTT fast enough because the curves in the DTX tunnel are too severe and one of them too close to the station. Move from 2nd to 3rd Street and increase curve radius from 150m (~500ft) to 280m (~925ft) and it can be made to work, even with just two tunnel tracks.
Still won't be ideal, but this late in the game TJPA isn't going to admit it blundered by forcing high speed trains to come to a bus terminal in the the first place.
Is there anyone who actually wants to get out of their train from LA three blocks from the water and two blocks from Market surrounded by concrete (Bay Bridge approach ramps)? When you could get off a train right by AT&T Park and either walk along the waterfront or pick up a streetcar into downtown?
San Francisco is a beautiful city, meaning you have to search pretty hard to find a place as ugly as the blocks surrounding the Transbay Terminal.
(I actually would like the Transbay Terminal as a destination if they were planning on an Umeda/Shinjuku style underground mall that stretched all the way to Market Street and the Ferry Building. That would be worth it. As it is, 4th and King is just a much nicer place.)
MissionPK, the Transbay Terminal is almost in the heart of the city, located just a block from BART and MUNI. I like the area around AT&T Park but it doesn't compare to the Ferry Building environs in either beauty or, more importantly, in connectivity to the major destinations and transit systems in the city.
As to Quentin Kopp, I think he's acting in good faith - he's just not being very clear in his points about the Transbay Terminal, and should be doing more to build bridges and alliances on this.
Love the Ferry Building, but at least as it is now, it's still quite a walk from the Transbay Terminal.
I guess as someone who works in the South Bay and used to live in Potrero Hill and commute on Caltrain (I now live in San Jose), I've never really understood the downtown area. Even a good percentage of the tech/design companies in SF are south of 80 and closer to 4th and King than to the Transbay Terminal.
Are there any good studies on the traffic patterns we expect to change from air to rail or from car to rail? My admittedly skewed opinion would have put many more people coming up LA to Silicon Valley for business than LA to SF. For many Bay Area visits, I'd expect Diridon or Millbrae to make much more sense due to greater potential for rental car parking and short term parking for pickup. Once you get to SF, I'd expect it to be as much tourism/cultural as business.
In the end, though, I think I mainly just like the idea of stepping out of a train at 4th and King into the wonderful fresh air of SF, looking out at the bay, rather than deep in some tunnel.
@Rafael: Can we get the TBT renamed to President Barack Obama Station then? Because TBT is a pretty utilitarian name for such a useful station. :) Not quite the glamour in that as there is in, say, "Grand Central Station" or something ;p.
I'm glad for this "compromise." No point in going over it again, but the 12tph number is not terribly likely - they could deal with massive demand before hitting that number, so we probably won't be dealing with this "issue" until I'm retired and population in California has shifted a bit inland anyhow. I'm more concerned about the curve radii, but I'm getting the feeling that CAHSRA isn't concerned about that at all.
@MissionPk: I can't speak for other industries, but the non-entertainment law segments of the legal community in CA is centered on San Francisco due to the location of the California Supreme Court on McAllister. Most folks I know that go up to City of SF never rent a car because of the fact that the business and legal community in SF is so tightly packed into the Embarcadero/Market/FInancial District areas.
Personally, I don't think that knowing that your train will stop at 4th+King will dissuade people from traveling. But once they start operating it would probably make good business sense to have transit maps available for all of their stops, especially for SF, SJ, LA, and eventually SD.
ian said...
@Bianca
you make nancy pelosi sound like chuck norris.
@ transbay vs. 4th & King
i could live with it, as well. i could see SoCalers getting a little confused / pissed off that their train arbitrarily didn't go all the way downtown, and with two stations the nicer solution is to go to both (like the TGV from paris arriving in Lyon, stopping at Part-Dieu before terminating at Perrache).
however, if downtown will be shifting South (as it is beginning to), 4th & King won't be all that further away, so by the time trains need to terminate there, it'll be all right, i bet.
(or you could just have some of the non-express or shorter-route trains end there, assuming they have more time / wouldn't mind making the transfer.)
(or have a specific service terminate there, so it's a predictable / doesn't take riders by surprise.)
(or scrap transbay, and since i saw ferry building being discussed, let's take over the embarcadero and just build an entirely different station there, annexed to the ferry building. that'd be beautiful, to see on the waterfront, coming into sf...)
(thoughts rambling.)
Aaron: Grand Central is all about the glamor. It's a stub-end terminal that serves exactly one commuter rail system, out of three in its region. You should compare it to Penn Station, which is utilitarian and far more used, if less spacious.
Yeah, but GCT used to have intercity service before they did all of that re-routing over Hell Gate (my understanding being that trains from Upstate and Boston used to run to GCT). :) Anyhow, I just mean name, not purpose.
Aren't they going to do a project to make GCT a run-through terminal? I know the current project is to run a couple LIRR services into GCT, which will relieve Penn Station - don't get me wrong, I love Penn Station, but trying to find your train amidst the maze of LIRR and NJT services is just dizzying.
BruceMcF said...
"I'm glad for this "compromise." No point in going over it again, but the 12tph number is not terribly likely - they could deal with massive demand before hitting that number, so we probably won't be dealing with this "issue" until I'm retired and population in California has shifted a bit inland anyhow."
12tph was always a garbled translation of the 5 minute headways requirement. That is in 2008-Prop1A precisely to protect the people of California from being sold a pig in a poke ... a HSR system which pretends to be capable of providing a commercially effective service, but with capabilities grossly hobbled by this or that political "fix" and "reasonable compromise solution".
They can run around and around, but if they cannot offer 5 minute headways, it aint a cost that the CHSRA is supposed to be putting any of that $9b towards.
It seems likely that they could offer 5 minute HSR headways in the general envelope of the EIR/EIS by following Richard's layout ... and save substantial money to boot because they'd only need a 2 track tunnel ... but instead of solving the problem, they appear set on trying to "fix" it politically.
Politicians getting involved int eh design adn looking for a compromise will only create a boondoggle and really screw things up! My fear is that this state and country is going to spend over $40 billion on an HSR system and a primary destination city station may be under-designed.
Do it right the first time, findign the funding for the additional level!
I lived in the Bay Area a little from 2000 to the end of 2004. I followed transportation and HSR issues whenever tehy surfaced.
Way back when... when the Transbay Terminal was being discussed... the City of SF inadvertently approved a tower that was right in the way of the HSR alignment being planned. And, I believe the developer was quickly approaching filing for building permits.
The problem occurred because the City/County of San Francisco had two agencies that did not know what the other was doing... and HSR was still considered a possibility... and not a done deal.
Anyway, it ended up being in the press and Newsome got involved to seek a solution; which ended up being teh City claiming emminent domain over teh property so that the alignment could be retained.
It costa pretty penny because the value of the proerty was based on the permissible development.
Bottomline... San Francisco and the Transbay Terminal are wedded to teh alignment and having HSR serve the Terminal.
The grey area is level of service.
^^^^ I am so sorry for the typos.
My fear is that this state and country is going to spend over $40 billion on an HSR system and a primary destination city station may be under-designed.My fear is that they're going to blow their $10 billion worth of bond money on building lines from San Francisco to San Jose and LA to Anaheim, and then the feds and private investors refuse to put up any more cash. Or else that they can't even start to spend their money for lack of federal and private matching funds. Or the state runs out of money and the project dies.
@MissionPK:
The underground mall at Umeda is just one of Osaka's many, that awesome city must hold a world record for underground shopping areas. It would be really cool to have such a concourse connecting future TBT with Embarcadero Station and the Ferry Building, I don't know if San Franciscans in general would be too enthusiastic for it though. Though it's a very progressive city in many ways, it's also rather staid when it comes to planning and architecture.
Yeah, but GCT used to have intercity service before they did all of that re-routing over Hell Gate (my understanding being that trains from Upstate and Boston used to run to GCT). :) Anyhow, I just mean name, not purpose.Before they built Penn. Station the only railroad serving Manhattan was the New York Central or it's subsidiaries. All the other railroads had big terminals in New Jersey and they used ferries to get passengers to Manhattan. Through service involved putting the train on a ferry in New Jersey and taking it to the Bronx ( or vice versa ) They didn't "reroute" trains over Hell's Gate and into Penn Station, it was competition to the New York Central and to provide through service to points west and south.... in 1910. Grand Central saw it's last regular intercity train in 1991. They could run intercity trains into Grand Central tomorrow, they just choose not to.
Aren't they going to do a project to make GCT a run-through terminal?Nope. And if things run through it's not a terminal anymore.
a couple LIRR services into GCT, which will relieve Penn StationMore than a couple. From Wikipedia: Current plans call for 24-trains-per-hour service to Grand Central Terminal during peak morning hours, with an estimated 162,000 passenger trips to and from Grand Central on an average weekday.
... through a measly two tunnels and with only 8 platforms....
trying to find your train amidst the maze of LIRR and NJT services is just dizzying.It's not that hard. You look at the departure screens and find what track your train is on. You go to that track and get on the train. They make announcements on the public address system too. If you aren't sure there are conductors loitering about who will answer your questions, like "Does this train go to Speonk?
@Rafael: Can we get the TBT renamed to President Barack Obama Station then? Because TBT is a pretty utilitarian name for such a useful station. :)
No. Can't do that. It's the Transbay Terminal. Always has been. San Franciscans still aren't over the name change from Army Street to Whatever it is now. Candlestick is still candlestick etc. NO name changing.
Brian Tyler said...
I have posted a commentary regarding solutions to the capacity restraints of the new terminal on my blog Switching Modes.
Adirondacker: "From Wikipedia: Current plans call for 24-trains-per-hour service to Grand Central Terminal during peak morning hours, with an estimated 162,000 passenger trips to and from Grand Central on an average weekday.
... through a measly two tunnels and with only 8 platforms...."
But Grand Central Terminal is not a stub terminal ... it has turning loops within the terminal ... and the Park Avenue Tunnel is not designed like its for street cars, making a hard right turn to enter the station.
At the TBT, even the tail tracks appear to have been dropped or postponed indefinitely.
I wasn't referencing the New York Central parts of Grand Central that have been there for a century. Neither was Aaron. The MTA is building a whole new terminal under Grand Central for the LIRR.
It's going to have 24 trains per hour in addition to existing traffic for Metro North. Roughly doubling the amount of commuters to the Grand Central area of Midtown.
Won't go anywhere near the Park Ave. Tunnels. Comes in from Long Island in the "Tunnels to Nowhere" that were built in the 70s under 63rd Street. All part of the project for the Second Avenue Subway and a second set of tunnels for the Queens Blvd. lines.
East Side Access on the MTA's web site. East Side Access more or less all on one page on Wikipedia
Commodore Vanderbilt had the foresight to buy the land in 1869. Some of the platforms in the existing Grand Central do connect to loop tracks. Some don't.
I've never been able to find a current track layout but it's close to the original. Upper Level and Lower Level from Wikepedia's article on Grand Central
HiSpeed Services and Branding
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Gavin Newsom on HSR
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Earth Day 2009: Focus on Electricity
Is Vegas HSR Out of the Obama HSR Stimulus Derby?
How The AVE Is Changing Spain
Open Thread: Next Steps for California?
Obama's HSR Plan (Mostly) Lauded - But How To Pay ...
The Vexed DTX Tunnel
Obama Announces HSR Funding Plan
Homeland Security Theater
Feedback to CHSRA
Quentin Kopp On Transbay Terminal
Ray LaHood: HSR To Be "Obama's Legacy"
An Interesting Story From Menlo Park
Alstom: "Make It Happen"
Suggestions For The CHSRA Web Site
Why We Call Them NIMBYs
Sweden's Gröna Tåget (Green Train)
Infrastructurist Compares HSR Projects Around the ...
Tren de Alta Velocidad en San José
Speeding Up Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner
Americans Favor High Speed Trains
CHSRA Gets Its $29.1 Million
East Bay Blues
Transbay Terminal Redux
Sacramento Bound
Two Quick Peninsula Updates
Mythbusting the Caltrain Corridor
Avoiding Palo Alto Altogether


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August 26, 2021 | Uncategorized
NC State Rises to 4th Place on List of Best Employers
The challenges of a global pandemic have done little to dampen the passion NC State faculty and staff bring to the mission of the university. In fact, employees doubled down on their assessment of NC State as a great place to work, propelling the university to fourth place on a list of the top employers in North Carolina, up from ninth place last year.
The annual survey, conducted by Forbes and the market research company Statista, ranks America's best employers in each state. The list is based on anonymous surveys of 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees.
Respondents were asked to rate their employers on a variety of criteria, including workplace safety, compensation, opportunities for advancement and options for telecommuting. Statista also asked respondents how likely they'd be to recommend their employer to others. The survey was conducted between October 2020 and June 2021.
Software giant Microsoft tops the North Carolina list, followed by Duke University, SAS Institute, NC State and biotech firms Merck and Pfizer. WakeMed, IBM, the Duke University Health System and Cisco Systems round out the top 10.
Focus on Flexibility
In an article announcing the survey results Forbes said the COVID-19 pandemic tested American employers in unprecedented ways. "Many of the top employers on the list are taking a more flexible view of, well, flexibility," the article said. "The prolonged period of remote work during the pandemic has proven that, for many jobs, people can be just as productive from home."
That is certainly true at NC State, where both employees and supervisors are proving to be inventive and resilient as they adapt to new ways of working, while staying focused on the core mission of education, research and service.
The university has supported employees during the pandemic by offering tips and tools for working remotely and by providing virtual health and wellness sessions to help them cope with challenges such as stress and anxiety. NC State has also launched a voluntary shared leave program — allowing employees to donate annual leave to colleagues who have run out of paid time off. And it has expanded professional development opportunities and refreshed the employee recognition program.
A Post COVID-19 Innovation Steering Committee is exploring how NC State can continue to take advantage of flexible work arrangements and make the best use of university space to meet the changing needs of the university workforce.
Proud of the Pack
"No one at NC State has any illusions about how tough this past year has been," says Chancellor Randy Woodson. "But it doesn't surprise me at all to learn that our employees have come through these difficult months with an even deeper commitment to our mission and even more respect for this institution. I can't tell you how proud I am of our entire Wolfpack community."
The Forbes survey results are consistent with a survey of faculty and staff conducted by the UNC System in 2020, in which 84% agreed they are "proud to be a part of this institution" and 89% said they understand how their work contributes to the university's mission.
Other UNC System institutions on the Forbes list include UNC Greensboro, at 31st place; UNC Charlotte, at 40th; and East Carolina University, 51st. UNC-Chapel Hill is ranked 25th, up from 53rd place last year, and UNC Health Care is ranked 28th.
Industry leaders ranked among the top 50 employers in North Carolina include Duke Energy, 15th; FedEx, 23rd; Apple, 26th; PepsiCo, 39th; and Nike, 50th.
This post was originally published in NC State News.
Published in Uncategorized.
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Make a fashion statement without saying a word! This Mauve Fox collarless coat speaks volumes with color, texture and fashion swagger. Give it your unique brand of style, wearing it over all-Black for work and with jeans and boots for weekend errands. We honored this distinctive fur with minimal details: collarless, side-front concealed pockets and European hook closures hiding within the silky, sleek fur. A little uptown and a little downtown, this is the style-stopper you'll wear to black-tie gallery openings as well as your favorite local restaurant where everyone knows your name.
This coat is so so chic. Its a bit of a "man repeller" coat (see the blog of the same name, aka something that is very chic and stylish and that stylish and chic people go bananas for but one that some men might not necessarily "get." :) Honestly, I love it. It's a little ridiculous but I get at least five compliments on it every time I wear it, and it is so fun to just spread a little smile vs a dreary black wool coat! Very chic "NYC cool girl" feel -- looks great with a dress for a fancy night out or jeans and a T! Looks more like the outdoor shots than the studio ones -- bigger and a little chunkier.


Anthony Joshua Comments On Tyson Fury's Troubles - "Imagine If That Was 'AJ', They Would Not Have Me Fighting At All"
Tyson Fury recently announced that he will be back in April 2018 and fight at least three times.
Three fights, three opponents and if Fury does actually come back – a massive clash against Anthony Joshua will be inevitable.
In a recent interview with Talk Sport, Joshua revealed that he's been in contact with Fury and the two have had brief chats. Joshua definitely wants the fight and promises that it will happen eventually.


This image of warrior cat coloring pages mates and kits is really great cat coloring pages for your child. You are allowed to download for nothing by clicking the DOWNLOAD button under the picture. It will be connected to a new page. Do right click on the collection, then pick save picture as… After that you have permission to revise the file name and the folder where you want to store the file. Then click the save button.
Check out these pictures corresponding to warrior cat coloring pages mates and kits, may be useful..


JIRA, a product by Atlassian, offers bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management functions. Any event within JIRA can be set as a trigger for your workflow. Now whenever the specified event happens, the associated workflow will run automatically.
To set any JIRA event as trigger, you first need to switch on the trigger toggle button located near the 'Start' icon in your workflow. Then, from the list of triggers under 'All Triggers' on the right, drag and drop JIRA in to the given box.
Once you are done with this, select any event of your choice that you wish to set as trigger from the 'Select Trigger' dropdown options. Let us have a look at the various JIRA events that you can set as triggers.
User Created: If you set this as trigger, Built.io Flow will run the associated workflow automatically whenever a new user is created in your JIRA account. To achieve this, you need to provide your JIRA domain name and password, as well as the Webhook name. Once you enter these details, click on 'Save', and then 'Done' to return to your workflow canvas.
Once you have entered all the details, 'Save' them and click on 'Done'. This will take you back to canvas.


Matthew Winkler is Editor-in-Chief of Bloomberg News, which he co-founded with Michael Bloomberg in 1990. Bloomberg News employs 1,500 editors and reporters in 135 bureaus serving print and broadcast media. Winkler is co-author of Bloomberg by Bloomberg and the author of The Bloomberg Way: A Guide for Reporters and Editors. He has worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Barron′s, and news services of parent Dow Jones & Co. in New York and London. He is chairman of the board of the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship Program at Columbia University and a member of the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Winkler is the 2007 recipient of the Gerald Loeb Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2007 Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for business and financial reporting. Winkler received a bachelor′s degree and an honorary doctorate of law from Kenyon College, where he is a trustee.


Under the most comprehensive review of the rules governing home health care agencies in nearly 30 years, they will be required to be more receptive to the needs of patients and their caregivers.
The federal regulations published in January 2017, specify the conditions under which 12,600 health care agencies in homes can participate in Medicare. Through these government programs, these agencies serve more than 5 million seniors and young adults with disabilities. These regulations greatly strengthen patients rights and require caregivers to be informed and involved in the care plans of their loved ones.
These are real improvements said senior legislative representative. Home health agencies are also expected to coordinate all services that patients receive and to ensure that treatment regimens are explained in a clear and timely manner.
The new rules will take effect in July, but may be delayed while President Donald Trump's administration reviews regulations that have been drafted, or those that have been finalized but have not yet been implemented. The estimated cost of implementation that the home health agencies will assume is: $ 293 million the first year and $ 234 million a year thereafter.
While industry lobbying could derail regulations or send, they back to the negotiating table that is not expected to happen, as there was a substantial consensus on the content. Most likely, a delay in implementation date which several groups in this industry plan to apply. There are a lot of good things about these regulations.
If the agencies need another six or 12 months to prepare, let's do it because we all want to do this right. The health services at home under Medicare are available for seniors or young adults with disabilities who are home bound and have certified by a doctor for intermittent skilled nursing or therapy, need often after replacement Hip, heart attack or stroke.


A 1927 style lingerie sewing pattern featuring a soft bra and tap shorts in 2 styles. Tap shorts can be fashioned with or without V shaped waist yoke. Side button closure. Bra and shorts are cut on the straight grain.


The 28th annual Open Studios Art Tour began its first of three weekend-long exhibitions in Santa Cruz on Oct. 5.
The first week featured artists from North County while this upcoming weekend will feature South County artists. The third and final weekend is known as "encore weekend," where a handful of North and South County artists will come together, giving attendees another opportunity to catch up on what they have missed out on during the tour and buy some artwork.
Attendee Neda Tomasevich commuted from Berkeley to admire the art and finds the Open Studios Art Tour to be impressive.
"The organization of the tour allows you to see a whole variety of media," Tomasevich said.
The variety of media presented at this art tour includes paintings, sculptures, ceramics, hand-woven baskets, jewelry, digital photography and glassblowing.
Tomasevich's friend Carol Wong, a Santa Cruz resident, inspired her to attend. Wong said seeing the art brings change to her everyday life.
"Being a computer programmer, [I find that] art is a great way to see people's creativity," Wong said.
She appreciated the exhibition's variety and quality, and said that she favors this event over all the shows she's been to in Miami and San Francisco. For that reason, she's been attending Open Studios year after year since 2008 and encourages her friends to do the same.
LINDA A. LEVY, a UCSC alumna, displayed her various works of art at the Open Studios Art Tour this past weekend. Linda uses charcoal, water-soluble pens and a computer program called Painter to create her works of art. Photo by Daniela Ruiz.
Ultimately, most of the artists at the Open Studios Art Tour have spent their entire lives using art as a platform to express their creativity. A UCSC alumna with a degree in biopsychology, Linda Levy spent thirty years as a research scientist until she retired in 1999, allowing her attention to be fully devoted to her artwork.
To date, her art has been featured in over 30 exhibitions, for the first time including the Open Studios tour. Prior to being featured in this exhibit, Levy was the chair of Open Studios for four years and is currently one of the arts commissioners of Santa Cruz County. By doing so, Levy said she has a voice in the community which allows her to spread art throughout the community.
When it comes to art, Levy has an eye for human body movements.
"My heart is in the gestural image," Levy said.
She prefers sketching models, preferably dancers, who have more fluid movements and are more consciously aware of their bodies. After much experimentation, Levy has come to enjoy the gesture approach, which involves sketching live models in under sixty seconds with nothing but charcoal and paper.
Sandra Ivany is another artist that has made her way to the Open Arts Studio Tour for her second consecutive year.
"What makes my art different from the other artists at the exhibition is really up to each individual to determine," Ivany said.
Digital photography is her specialty, shooting everything from weddings and still life to her personal favorite — nature landscapes. Ivany has photographed for publications like The New York Times, LIFE Magazine and National Geographic Traveler.
The Tannery, 17th Avenue Studios and Mission Street Studios are examples of venues hosting the Open Arts Studio Tour. All studios offer free admission and refreshments and are open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.


Logic has acquired a reputation for difficulty, perhaps because many of the approaches adopted have been more suitable for mathematicians than computer scientists. This book shows that the subject is not inherently difficult and that the connections between logic and declarative language are straightforward. Many exercises have been included in the hope that these will lead to a much greater confidence in manual proofs, therefore leading to a greater confidence in automated proofs.


When the truck idles, the timing chain rattles. We have replaced the timing chain, tensioner and gears but it didn't work. Someone said just put up with it but we think the chain will wear out again quickly if we do that. What do we try next?
Did you replace the nylon tensioner?
Yes, actually we replaced the timing chain and it was OK for a few thousand k and started rattling again. So then we replaced the timing chain again, the tensioner and the gears. That didn't work, it still rattles. As soon as you give it gas the rattle goes away.
New timing chains don't rattle. Your noise is likely something else.
Hmmm, I was afraid of that!!


4-ways to organize bedding . . .
How to keep all your bedding organized can be crazy. At our house there are a lot of beds which equals lots of sheets. In addition to that, three of our kids have bedding they take to school for nap time. In total I keep track of bedding for 4 twin beds, 2 pack and plays, 2 cribs, 1 queen bed, 1 king bed and 3 school nap cots! I haven't added it all up, but that's a lot! Here are four organization options for your bedding. (And a couple great tricks for baby bedding). Option #1: A 6-shelf hanging canvas sweater organizer is perfect. One for pillow cases and one for sheets. They cost around $12/each. This is perfect because you can separate sheets and pillow cases very easily.
Option #2: A low profile basket or tupperware container that can easily slide under each bed is perfect. Simply store your extra set of sheets under each bed.
Option #3: The linen closet. Now these can be awesome, but they can also get overfilled with towels, bedding and medicine very quickly. If you are tight on storage choose the under bed storage option for bedding and leave the linen closet for extra medicine, toilet paper and other extra bathroom essentials.
Option #4: Store all your extra linens in the laundry room. You don't have to carry them anywhere, but from bed to washer or washer to bed. This is a very simple system.
A couple other great tricks for cribs.
1. If you have a baby. Put two mattress protectors on your crib mattress and then the sheet. Store an extra sheet under the mattress. If you are caught in the middle of the night having to change sheets it's simple. Remove the dirty sheet and the dirty mattress protector. Grab the clean sheet under the mattress and you can quickly fix the bed so your little one can have a clean bed in a jiffy. Don't forget to put this system back in place before the next nap or bedtime.
2. If you send bedding to school with your child, make sure it's the same bedding you have at home. It makes it so much easier for you to know which set is yours and you don't have to worry about which sheet set goes where. All of my kids have used the same red gingham sheets. I think I have ten sets of crib sheets. Our children's school, my kids and myself always know which sheets are ours.
And if you have bedding you are not using. Donate it!