Back in August I mentioned the new R160 trains that were going into an in-service test to evaluate their readiness for the New York Subway system. The test period ran for 30 days, restarting the 30 days every time an problem was encountered. Apparently there were a few problems. but they've all been ironed out.

This is great news for everyone that hates those yellow trains with the orange seats that seem to have been placed inside the train by happenstance. These new trains have a wide open layout with handsome blue benches on either side. Come the end of 2007, 700 of these beauties and their digital information screens and automated announcements will go into use on the N and Q lines. Thats great news for the N line, as it is regarded as the worst line on the entire system (along with the W).

The years coming will be seeing plenty of nice new things on the NYC Subway -- these trains, the Second Avenue subway, and the Fulton Street transit hub (one of the worst stations on the system, and also one of the busiest).

Labels: new york, subway

Well I got flickr friday working again. I also have a draft I hope to publish tonight, so sorry for the lack of activity here while we deal with this transition!

Update: I know its not Friday, thats why this is only a repost! Look out for a brand new one on the 1st.


Visit my flickr page: j.reed

Labels: flickr

this post includes an embedded video availible here

Labels: funny, video

According to this USATODAY article gas prices have climbed a few cents recently. To me, thats not a bit shocking. What lies within the article is the shocker.

A USA TODAY poll conducted in mid-September found that 42% of Americans believe the price of gasoline is being manipulated by the White House to help Republicans win the Nov. 7 elections.

Now, thats just insane. Are 42% of Americans retarded or do they just not know the slightest bit about how this little thing called the economy works? Supply and Demand coupled with speculation is what effects the price. Rising usage in developing countries added to speculation that fuel supplies would not be able to meet demand, thus the price goes up. We then went ahead and ran into a little rain shower called Katrina which knocked out a fair amount of the Gulf's fuel oil manufacturing. This resulted in true lack of supply, and not speculation, thus the price of fuel rises.

This election season, the hurricane season which is nearly exactly average and half as intense as as it was predicted to be lowered speculation of the same true shortages that occurred last year. OPEC has to protect a certain price to keep the income flowing, and at the price fuel was at, alternative fuels start to look a lot cheaper. OPEC boosts output to lower the price to a level that is reasonable enough to the world to not warrant exploring alternative fuels and lowering the dependence on their product.

Historically, this period of the year has always had the cheapest fuel prices.

Another intresting part of the article...

Cutting consumption 10% would lower the price of oil to $30 a barrel, he says. That's about half Monday's price of $58.36 a barrel, down $2.39.

...so I guess all those hybrid and smart drivers aren't such a bad thing for all of us petrol heads.

Labels: cars

Philly's skyline will be drastically changing with this new tower from Comcast. In about a year it'll be at full hight eclipsing One Liberty Place but a paltry 30 feet. In this photo you can see the concrete core rising in the center of the outside structural steel.

Visit my flickr page: j.reed

Labels: flickr