The Blog.

Kanye West Heartless Mixcraft Remake

2011-08-07T12:48:00.003-04:00

I used Mixcraft 5's beats and sounds to recreate Kanye West's song Heartless:

Update

2011-08-07T11:49:00.002-04:00

As of a couple years ago, I have no longer been a part of the BVEStation community; I parted ways due to a lack of interest in trains and train simulators. While a return to the community is very much possible, pending a revival of my interest in trains and such, I am not going to return to the community just yet. I enjoyed my time being part of BVEStation, and wish everyone there, including the site's founder/owner, "Ipaclansite," the best.

For now, I will use this blog as a personal blog.

Four Hi-Speed Bullet Trains Break Down Between UK and France

2009-12-19T12:55:00.002-05:00

4 Eurostar trains broke down inside the channel between England and France. These four trains were all high speed bullet trains that travel over 300 km/h. The incident was blamed on wintry conditions. 2,000 riders were stranded for 10 hours, with limited necessities such as water and food. However, everyone made it through without any major problems.

With this incident as well, Eurostar's safety is being questioned. As a former passenger on their trains, I would say that they are a well-renowned company that does take safety very seriously. My ride was comfortable and straight-forward (and fast or course), and going through tunnels, the only feeling that you got was the ear feeling people get when a plane lands as the train enters the tunnel. But that's natural. For more on the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091219/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_train_breakdowns

Doomsday Returns?

2009-12-14T17:09:00.002-05:00

Just when we thought those cuts and fares were out of speculation, they're right back, and with a vengeance. As early as Wednesday, the MTA could easily implement those cuts previously mentioned earlier this year, which would elminate 2 subway lines, cut service on multiple other lines, eliminate more than twenty bus routes and eliminate weekend and/or overnight service on many others. Plus, this time, not only are regular fares expected to go up, but I and 500,000 other NYC students won't have our green metrocards next year that let us go to school and back home for free.

Unlike the last heap of talking and rumors, this time, this is absolutely unacceptable. As far as I could see, the MTA basically avoided the cuts the first time just to cover up for a disaster in the future, just to hope they somehow get out of it by now. But they were just not idiotic enough to realize they're digging their own grave. And by now, one would think that they'd have learned not to spend spend spend like there's no tomorrow, but all they've done is just add more and more debt to the point where there really will be a doomsday. Cuz honestly, at this rate, if this is how the MTA learns from its mistakes, I don't see how they'll last 10 years down the road. There just appears to be no effort from the MTA to fix their financial situation. How could you have dug such a deep hole the first time and just dig deeper now?

As for the student metrocards:
There is a border between what's fair and what's not fair. And this is not fair. There are basically two main arguments that can be made for this: the NYC is the only city to provide free transit to students, and students only wreck havoc on the system, and make it worse. Yes NYC is the only provider in the US for free transit to students, but this is NYC. Of the more than 500,000 students in the city, a large chunk of them NEED (absolutely need) the subway or bus to get home to avoid walking hours on end. Right off the top of my head, I can add together the number of students in the city's specialized high schools, which totals at least 10,000 and likely more, whose commute to school is longer than the commute of many adults. There are just thousands more regular public school students, who go to high school or middle school futher away from their houses that also require public transit. There are also a huge chunk of students in private schools who require transit. And it is imperative that it be free. In just about every other corner of this country, students do not have to spend time, money or energy to get to school and home. Not NYC. Personally, I use 3 hours+ (3 hours+) of my day just to get to school and back. If I were to have to pay for it, so would many other students who probably have worse commutes than me, and what kind of country do we live in, where school is provided for free, and we have to PAY our way into them? Let me write this again:

What kind of city would we have to live in, where school is provided for free, and we have to PAY our way into them?

And this isn't all about students either, it's about the parents. How would I feel if I were the father of a son and daughter, stugglying to move along, and now having to deal with more money to have to spend just to send my kids to school? It is NOT fair, and unjustifiable. As for the argument about students wreaking havoc, I as a student can say the exact same thing about adults. But first, let's define havoc. Making noise is NOT catastrophe or havoc or anything bad. People talk everywhere, people even curse everywhere. If I'm talking to my friends, I'm not wreaking havoc. I'm not doing any wrong. We don't live in a country where the norm is silence, and rightfully so. There is freedom of speech, and talking isn't a havoc. Of course, the bar btwn havoc and not-havoc is subjective, but this is where the typical bar should be set for most people.

While these cuts and fare-hikes and fare-introductions are seemingly more likely by the minute, of course my hope is that all the ranting I have done does not mean anything, The only way it becomes void is if perhaps a year from now, I'm still not paying a fare just to get home, and people are still moving along as always, because this time, if these things happen, it simply won't be the same anymore.

New Poll

2009-12-05T11:07:00.002-05:00

As our old poll has now closed, I have added a new one, this time based on a sports-related matter.
It is based on the fact that all four current NYC teams in football and basketball are having their own struggles, all of which are likely not to make the playoffs. Nonetheless, something may give, and crazier things have happened. So which team(s) do you think will make the playoffs?

Here are the results of the old poll. It's amazing that someone voted for that greater than 2.50.

Yankees Win 27th World Series!

2009-11-05T17:58:00.002-05:00

They did it.

2009 has been a magical season for the Yankees, who defeated the Phillies in the World Series 4-2. Hideki Matsui may not be back next year, but he had perhaps the biggest game of his career last night, with a 2 run HR, a 2 run single and a 2 run double. It was a one man show, and he gets the MVP award of the World Series.

Congratulations to the New York Yankees, and its PARTY AND PARADE TIME!
For those who wish to attend the parade, it's tomorrow (Friday) at 11am. I myself may just go. For the path, search up "Canyon of Heroes" on google.

Photos from Major League Baseball (MLB).

Yankees are back in the World Series

2009-10-26T13:07:00.002-04:00

Just 4 more wins to go until number 27!

Recap of the Angels series:

Solid series for both teams. The Yankees did all they could to win every game they played, and lost the third and fifth both on one run. There was a lot of talk about how the Yankees might end up losing the same way this year as they did in 2004, but this is clearly a different team, driven to win in a very different way, and there is a lot of chemistry. Game 1 was a solid performance for CC and the rest of the team, in which the Yankees took the first game 4-1. Game 2 was a fiasco. It's actually hard to remember everything that happened in that game. But from the 9th inning on, the Yankees were resilient with the exception of Aceves' run, who so far has performed below expectations. A-Rod came up big against Fuentes, and the Yankees would win off an error by the Angels. Game 3 was a walk-off victory for the Angels, who managed to score from 2 hits off Aceves. This shifted the momentum of the series for the Angels. However, the Yankees responded with a 10-1 pounding the next day, off another excellent performance by CC. The next game was a nail-biter, in which the Angels won off the very last pitch of the game. Fuentes, who was pitching deserves credit for getting that ball for a strike, but although not many people think so, it really was pure luck. If Swisher hit that thing a centimeter higher or less, that ball would have been out of the park. The Yankees then went home with the intention to prevent a Game 7, beating the Angles 5-2 in Game 6, a nitty-gritty game that did not feature any home runs, a rarity at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte pitched great, Mo did his thing, and the Yankees produced and capitalized off of the Angels' errors. And then comes the champagne.

Ray Stubblebine/Reuters

The Phillies are next. The Yankees beat the second best team in the league this LCS by beating the Angels, but the Phillies are damn good as well, and they may be harder to beat, because they are similar to the Yankees, with a power lineup and excellent starting and relief pitching. I'm excited, the city's excited, and I always felt that if the Yankees could get past the Angels or Red Sox, the Phillies or whatever the team that was coming up would not be much harder to defeat. 4 more wins to go, and hopefully the team will get there.

PATH Train Overshoots and Hits Bumper Block

2009-10-21T17:23:00.003-04:00

Today during the morning rush, a Manhattan-bound PATH train from Hoboken overshot the 33rd St. station and subsequently crashed into a bumper block, injuring 13 people. Although the crash occurred during the morning rush, the NYT is reporting that the train was at most just half full, with 425-450 passengers onboard. The cause of the crash is unknown as an investigation is currently underway. The driver was perhaps careless or made a mistake, but this is only speculation from my part. For more info, click on the following link:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/path-train-crash/

Pic from wikipedia (wikimedia section), by user referred to as "Aude"

Yankees Take Commanding 2-0 Series Lead Over Minnesota In Dramatic Fashion

2009-10-10T10:22:00.003-04:00

Who says A-Rod isn't clutch in the playoffs?

The Yankees won a crazy game, that had everything in it, from let-downs, drama, controversy, everything. But to start off from the beginning, the starting pitching match-up was between Nick Blackburn for the Twins and AJ Burnett for the Yankees, who apparently needed Jose Molina to catch him. That catching move seemed to have worked out, because AJ through pretty damn well through his 6 innings. Yes he hit people, yes he walked a lot of people, but he got the outs he needed to get, and Minnesota did not capitalize. The first shot Minnesota had to take the lead was in the 4th inning, where Punto got a basehit that would've scored Minnesota's first run. However, Gomez slips after passing second base, and Jeter made a heads-up play to tag him out BEFORE the Twins could score. The Twins did take a 1-0 later on, after a clutch hit by Harris (I think) that Johnny Damon ALMOST catched. The Yankees got it back the next half-inning, where Jeter, Mr. October, hits a ground rule double, to be driven in by A-Rod's first big hit in that game. The Twins got their lead back against Phil Hughes, who walked a batter in the 8th after getting 2 quick outs, and gave up 2 base hits. Mo came in and gave up another base hit, so it was now 3-1 Twins. At this point, I definitely thought the Yankees were done, but I was wrong. At the bottom of the 9th, it was deja vu all over again, and Joe Nathan implodes, but to the credit of a great hit by Mark Texeira, and an unbelievable and very dramatic home run by A-Rod. It was a whole new ball game, at 3-3. In extra innings, the Yankees had the best chance to win the game, with Posada getting a blooped base hit, and Gardner doing his job marvelously, getting from first to third, all in Jeter's at bat. The Twins then intentionally walked Jeter, hoping for a double play. Damon did come up big, and lined one down the middle. However, the shortstop caught the ball, and Gardner was running home, which ended the inning bitterly. In the next inning, Damaso Marte, who has pitched great since coming back from injury, gave up a single to the infamous Joe Mauer (but gave up a double before that), and had a first-and-second-no-out jam. Girardi brought in David Robertson, which was really all he could do, after using too many pitchers just to the get outs in the 7th and 8th inning. Robertson gave up a base hit, but Mauer held up at third, which he probably should not have done. Either way, it was 0 out and bases loaded, and it seemed all but impossible for the Yankees to get out of this inning without giving up a run. But they pull through. Texeira catches a line drive, and then catches a ground ball on which he throws to home plate. Robertson then gets the next batter to fly out, and the Yankees were all but certain to capitalize. The next innning, Texeira hits a laser that manages to get out, and the Yankees win, in remarkable but yet nerve-wrecking fashion.

Now to the controversy, which is of course the umpiring. The glaring mistake is obviously that ball that landed fair and should have been a ground rule double. But the fact of the matter is, if the right call was made, no one actually knows what whould have happened. If the exact same things happen, then it'd be first and third, no one out with Robertson in the game. The Yankees would bring the in-field in, and who knows whether that ground ball would've been caught? Either way, unless a person can actually prove unprovable concepts of time, there's no way anyone can say the same things would have happened. Although the call was wrong, the fact that no one argued the call until the replay on TV was shown shows that just about everyone, including me, accepted that as a foul ball. On TV, the view of the ball and the line was cut off right before it landed, so no one could actually tell. However, my reasoning was that it was slicing so much that it was definitely foul, and the umpire appeared confident of his call. That was the glaring controversy, because of the replay on TV. However, there was another controversy, that would have led to a Yankees victory. Brett Gardner took off from third because Damon's line drive tipped Mijares' glove. If that were the case, the Yankees obviously would have won, because Gardner was going home. And another controversy was the calls on Hughes in the 8th. The evidence I keep on hearing to back that up in TBS's K-zone on their HD broadcast. However, that's NOT good enough. It isn't. Why? Because all the K-zone shows is where the pitch is in a specific position. Some pitches curve late into the strikezone for a strike (Mo's cutter) and come up as balls, while others tail out of the strikezone, and appear as a strike (lefty sliders), and there's no definition as to which position to consider, and most umpires just rely on where the ball is when the catcher catches it. So there isn't much to back up the calls against Hughes, although you can say the umpiring behind the plate wasn't that consistent. But you can't say the K-zone proves that the umpire was horrible.

To sum up: great win for the Yankees, and a dramatic postseason game. This gets them over the hump of losing the first round, I hope. Game 3 in Minnesota on Sunday at 7PM.

Yankees Win 100th Game, Clinch AL East Division, Best 2009 MLB Record, Home Field Advantage Through Postseason

2009-09-27T21:35:00.003-04:00

Today may have been just one game, but today's win for the Yankees did so much. First off, they have won 100 games with a week in the season left to go. Second, they have clinched the AL East Division today against their division rival, the Red Sox, in a comeback and (rather) dramatic win. Third, with this win, they now have the best record in the league regardless of how this last week goes, and best of all, they look unbeatable in a best of 5/best of 7 series. Today's a day worth celebrating, and celebrate they did.

(Pic 1 source: NYT)

(Pic 2 from mlb.com)

What's next? Win the world series, and please don't screw up again. The Yankees know by now, it's world series or bust. This was a great day, and a great day for them to party, but this year, more than ever, they need to win those postseason games and at least get to the world series. But this year is definitely different. They have a CC Sebathia that's your go-to starting pitcher, they have an 8th inning guy in Phil Hughes, they have a beast bullpen, and they've always had that 1-9 dangerous lineup. The keys this year are AJ Burnett doing what he does best (which I think he will), the offense coming up big in big situations, the bullpen doing their thing, and that will basically get the world series. Unlike many other teams in the league this year, the Yankees don't have to go into the postseason as if it's a big puzzle to solve. They just have to keep up what they've been doing, and if they do, I expect the 27th championship to come this year.

The UN GA (Gridlock for the City)

2009-09-21T19:30:00.003-04:00

The UN General Assembly's meeting of many world leaders is this week, and that spells gridlock traffic for the city. The city has its own closures and info on its homepage, and I made a map, using Google Maps, the city's website and my own knowledge to make a map outlining the closures, and (hopefully most of) the streets that will be affected, if not all. It sucks, I know, I go through the UN's general vicinity during rush hour everyday, but there just has to be that period of time where the world's leaders meet, and unfortunately it's now. It'd be better to do it during the summer however, where there's no students or teachers to worry about, which cuts down on traffic at least a bit.

To zoom in, click on the photo for a better look. It's no professional piece of work, but it gives you a picture of the traffic situation tomorrow.

R42 (V) and a R160 (C)?

2009-09-19T09:30:00.003-04:00

The R42 Train has now become an essential part to the V line. The V has now changed dramatically, from featuring a near-all exclusive R46 fleet to now featuring a majority of R42s/R40Ms, with some R32s and R46s mixed in. This likely now means that the R42s are now off the (E) line, which based on my observations is just about all R160s now, and the R42s/R32s are now off the (F) line, which on my observations are still mostly R46s, but there are plenty of R160 (F) trains as well.

(Pics from Nycsubway.org)

Taken by: Ian Dale

Here's something no one has likely ever seen; a R160 (C) Train. Not to burst anyone's bubble, but this train was at the layup after Jamaica Center on the (E) line, so this train was NOT IN SERVICE. In all likelihood, the C.R. was toying with the signs and everything, and this train was running on the (E) line.

Taken By: Robert Mencher (great shot Robert)

As a bonus: The (7) line may still consist solely of R62s, but it has had a new feature that has made riding the line during rush hour easier. Each (7) train car now has a green circle and a red diamond over the (7), now making it stress-free to distinguish between a local and express train. This is one of the innovations that I must praise the MTA for (which almost never happens).

Taken by: Peter Ehrlich

SAY WHAAATTTT

2009-09-14T22:35:00.003-04:00

Yes Kanye West usually crashes the stage and says what he feels, but this is just stupid:

(pic from Huffington Post)

Now, to be honest, he did have a point that Beyonce's video for Single Ladies was one of the all time best, but it's not his right to crash the stage when someone's receiving their first vma moon man. And it's plain stupid to push yourself into controversy like this when you're not involved period. Even before this, Kanye's been trippin', with so many people hating his album and so many people ranting against him, but this is going to put that over the line. But I for one have always been a huge Kanye fan, and I'll stay that way. Why? His music in many ways is just over the top for me. This move may be one the stupidest and most arrogant I've ever seen, but when he drops his next CD, I'll still end up buying it. I can basically guarantee that. Of course I've heard others basically "boycotting" anything he makes in the music industry, but this is one day after he crashed the stage. A month from now, who knows how many people still remember this. Will this hurt his sales? Probably. Will this hurt his ego? No doubt, but it's been hurting already. On a bright note, Beyonce gave Taylor Swift her moment. In case you're wondering, Kanye issued an apology on his blog, then removed it, and now a new one's back. So I think he knows he screwed up big time, but is he really sorry? I guess yeah, but that's for everyone to decide.

Kanye's current apology on his blog:

Other VMA notable things: Michael Jackson tribute was pretty good, I liked it, but it's never the same as MJ performing in person. Generally all the other performers did good, Taylor Swift's subway thing was of interest to me, but I need more info before I write anything. The only bad performance in my opinion was Lady Gaga's, who I thought was doing great until the blood, which I just thought was stupid and disgusting, and unnecessary. But I like that new song she's dropping. Beyonce was awesome as usual, and I didn't see Jay-Z. The VMAs are really deteoriating though. No hype this year, the biggest story of the show was something that wasn't supposed to happen, short performances, long commercials, very aggravating. And why does Beyonce win video of the year and not best female video? That seems very weird to me.

BLOG POSTS COMING SOON (busy and not enough time): Mark Sanchez (Future of the Jets), Yankees Update, and hopefully stuff on the Taylor Swift subway performance, also R42 (V) now a staple on Queens Blvd Line

911

2009-09-11T18:11:00.002-04:00

Eight years ago on this very day, New York's World Trade Center tower, Washington's Pentagon, along with several domestic USA flights, perished from the world as we knew it. The attack was the responsibility of the terrorist group Al Qaeda, of whom is controlled by Osama Bin Laden. On this day eight years ago, a total of 2,974 (source: wikipedia) people not just from the USA but many other countries, died in innocence. Today, we, not only as Americans, but citizens of the world, honor and remember them, in an effort to prove that the devastating events that occurred 8 years ago have not destroyed our freedom, democracy, and right to believe in what we believe in.

Tropical Storm Danny

2009-08-26T15:26:00.003-04:00

Tropical Storm Danny has now formed, east of Florida and north of the Bahamas.At the moment, it has 45 mph winds, and is expected to become a weak category 1 hurricane by Friday. Tropical Storm Danny does not have the potential at all to become what Hurricane Bill became, but its path is strikingly similar with Bill's, which missed the US curving out to the Atlantic Ocean. Danny like Bill is expected to turn northwards soon, and then northeastward, much at the same place as Hurricane Bill turned toward the east. However, Danny's path is more towards the East, and many of the computer models I've seen predict a direct hit for Massachusetts. The storm also has the capability of hitting North Carolina, but at this point, it may just brush the coast itself. This is a storm that should be monitored by the many residents along the US East Coast, from the easternmost tip of NC to the border of Canada. But at this point, for residents here in NYC, it looks like just a shower event. However, we are in Danny's projected path, but towards the westernmost section of it, meaning that it is much more likely that we are not going to feel any direct effects, and just a wash out weekend. Here is the 5-day forecast and satellite image from wunderground.com, and it updates by itself (neat and cool feature I found out with Hurricane Bill).

Yankees Win 2 of 3 Against Boston

2009-08-24T11:21:00.002-04:00

The Yankees continue to be what I consider the hottest team in baseball. Following a long west coast road trip, the Yankees came into Boston on the first day with a vengeance. They win the first game in an offensive blowout, 20-11. Hideki Matsui hit 2 home runs for 7 RBIs, a feat that has not been done by any other Yankee since the famous Lou Gehrig. Although Andy Petitte along with the Yankees bullpen did not pitch well giving up 11 runs, the Yankees provided a huge batch of offense, on a night when 20 runs was in fact close to a necessity.

The Yankees lost the second game 14-1, which for them was an ugly loss to Junichi Tazawa, the pitcher who A-Rod hit his dramatic 2 run game winning homer against in the 15 inning 2-0 thriller. Tazawa did not overpower the Yankees at all, but he pinpointed his fastballs well enough to prevent the Yankees from hitting many balls well. Meanwhile, AJ Burnett had a lot of trouble at the mound, giving up 7 runs in the first 2 innings. This game seemed out of reach from that point on.

The third game was obviously a tie breaker, and perhaps one of the games that the Yankees in a way had to win. Derek Jeter started the game off with a first-pitch homerun into right field off Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. C.C. Sebathia pitched very well in a game that the Yankees really needed to win, giving up 4 runs and allowing no walks or home runs. Hideki Matsui hit another 2 home runs, both solo shots, the first giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead, and the second giving the Yankees an 8-4 win. By the 9th inning, Mariano Rivera was up doing his thing, and the Yankees sealed a great win against the Red Sox, leading by 7.5 games in the Eastern Division.

PICTURE SOURCE: New York Times

Q65 Schedule, Route, Stops

2009-08-22T20:29:00.003-04:00

(Image from Google Streetview, owned by Google)

Here is a page for the schedule, bus stops (as of the date of this post), and the route map of the Q65 Bus Route, that runs from College Point, Queens, NY to Jamaica, Queens, NY.

Q65 Bus Stops:

IMPORTANT NOTE: The bus stops mentioned here are not official names and are not from the MTA itself. The stops here have been compiled from my personal knowledge (as a daily commuter of this line), the use of Google's street view features, and info from Google Earth. This list is to inform you of the GENERAL location of where the Q65 bus stops are, in a rush hour run, but not necessarily what each stop is designated for (i.e., a certain road, a certain intersection, certain neighborhood). Bus stops in the MTA change frequently, sometimes without notice, so I suggest that you not use this list for relying on absolute and exact directions, but for a reference or a source of info if you are to use this bus route in the future.

In the future, transfers to other bus lines will be added to this list, and other bus stop lists may be compiled in the future.

KEY/LEGEND:

Blue Stops: LIMITED Stops (Buses with a "LIMITED" designation stop here)
Black Stops: Local Buses ONLY (Buses with a "LIMITED" designation pass this stop)
(?)[?]: Stops with these question marks may not exist anymore or may have different designations or locations. The info for these stops may not be accurate.

Q65 Route Stops:

1. Sutphin Blvd and 94th Ave. (Sutphin Blvd Subway Station [E][J][Z]) (FIRST/FINAL STOP)
2. Archer Ave and 153rd St. (Jamaica Center Subway Station [E][J][Z]) (To Jamaica: Stop is btwn Parsons Blvd and 153rd St.)
3. Jamaica Ave. and Parsons Blvd (Also easily accessible from Jamaica Center Subway Station)
4. 89th Ave. and Parsons Blvd
5. Hillside Ave. and Parsons Blvd (Parsons Blvd. Subway Station [F])
6. 164th St. and Hillside Ave.
7. 164th St. and Highland Ave.
8. 164th St. and 85th Ave.
9. 164th St. and 84th Ave.
10. 164th St. and Grand Central Parkway
11. 164th St. and 82nd Rd. (Queens Hospital Center)
12. 164th St. and Goethals Ave.
13. 164th St. and Union Turnpike
14. 164th St. and 78th Ave.
15. 164th St. and 77th Ave.
16. 164th St. and 76th Ave.
17. 164th St. and 75th Ave.
18. 164th St. and 72nd Ave.
19. 164th St. and Jewel Ave.
20. 164th St. and 67th Ave.
21. 164th St. and 65th Ave.
22. 164th St. and Horace Harding Expressway (LIE)
23. 164th St. and 59th Ave. (TO JAMAICA ONLY)
24. 164th St. and Booth Memorial Ave.
25. 164th St. and Metcalf Ave.
26. 164th St. and Lithonia Ave. (TO JAMAICA: Stop is at 164 St. and Oak Ave.)
27. 164th St. and Pidgeon Meadow Rd. (TO JAMAICA: Stop is at Pidgeon Meadow Rd. and Laburnum Ave.)
28. Pidgeon Meadow Rd. and 46th Ave (Stops are on Pidgeon Meadow Rd.)
29. 45th Ave and 162nd St
30. 45th Ave and 158th St
31. 45th Ave and 156th St
32. 45th Ave and 149th St
33. 45th Ave and Parsons Blvd (Flushing Hospital)
34. 45th Ave and Bowne St.
35. Bowne St and Cherry Ave
36. Bowne St and Sanford Ave
37. Sanford Ave and Kissena Blvd
38. Kissena Blvd and Main St. (Flushing Public Library, To Jamaica Only [?])
39. Main St and Roosevelt Ave. (Main St Subway Station [7]<7>)
40. Main St and 37th Ave
41. Main St and Northern Blvd
42. College Point Blvd and Northern Blvd (To Jamaica Only [?])
43. College Point Blvd and Whitestone Expressway
44. College Point Blvd and 31st Ave
45. College Point Blvd and 123rd St/28th Ave
46. College Point Blvd and 26th Ave
47. College Point Blvd and 25th Rd
48. College Point Blvd and 23rd Ave
49. College Point Blvd and 20th Ave
50. College Point Blvd and 18th Ave (To College Point Only [?])
51. College Point Blvd and 14th Rd (To Jamaica: Stop is on College Point Blvd and 15th Ave)
52. 14th Rd and 120th St. (To Jamaica: Stop is on 15th Ave and 119th St)
53. 14th Rd and 118th St. (To Jamaica: Stop is on 15th Ave and 118th St)
54. 14th Rd and 116th St. (To College Point Only)
55. 14th Rd and 114th St. (To Jamaica: Stop is on 15th Ave and 114th St)
56. 14th Rd and 112th St. (To Jamaica: Stop is on 15th Ave and 112th St)
57. 14th Ave and 110th St. (FIRST/FINAL STOP)
58. 15th Ave and 110th St. (To Jamaica Only)

Q65 Route Map: (From the MTA web site, available at www.mta.info)

Q65 Schedule (Adobe PDF Format, Acrobat Reader Software Needed)

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Tropical Depression Ana, Hurricane Bill, Tropical Storm Claudette

2009-08-16T10:53:00.006-04:00

Up to yesterday, 2009 had been one of the quietest hurricane seasons ever. Nothing formed for quite a while, but now, two storms have now formed, with a third one set to form, and a forth with the potential to turn into a storm.

We have Tropical Storm Ana, which at this point is a minimal tropical storm with 40 mph winds, basically in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, towards the southern end. It's moving west towards the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico damn fast, but it is not forecasted to turn into a hurricane, and may even weakened into a tropical depression before it even touches the USA. It is expected to weaken because it will move through Cuba and Haiti, and hurricanes/tropical storms obviously weaken when encountering land. In all likelihood, this thing will just be a rain drenching storm in the Gulf.

UPDATE: Ana is now a tropical depression of 35 mph winds, and it may not survive much longer.

Tropical Storm Bill is at this moment a medium-strength tropical storm with 60 mph winds, directly behind Ana. This storm is of interest because it is forecasted to strengthen to hurricane strength, and even beyond that. By this time Friday, Bill is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane, with the potential to even become a Category 4 hurricane. What's also interesting is its path as well. The storm will take a northwestern path unlike Ana which is in front of it, and curve at first towards Florida and then further north, anywhere from South Carolina to due north. At this point, it may even reach the Northeastern United States, anywhere from Boston to New Jersey, or it will hit the Southeastern states of Georgia or the Carolinas. If it reaches my (our) area, it's obviously a question how strong it'll be and what we're actually in for, but we'll find out in a few days. This storm's definitely worth monitoring, and has the potential to be problematic.

UPDATE: Bill now a Category 1 hurricane, as expected.

Tropical Depression Four is expected to become Tropical Storm Claudette, and is in the Gulf of Mexico, directly west of Florida, and heading for Alabama and Florida. This thing won't last long, but it will bring a lot of rain to residents in Alabama and Florida.

UPDATE: Claudette, now a depression, made landfall as a 50 mph tropical storm on the Florida Panhandle.

If there's anything in here that you do not get, read more about tropical cyclones/hurricanes/typhoons here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone

And here's the latest map of Tropical Storm Bill (satellite and 5 day forecast). It is from wunderground.com and it will be updated when necessary.

Satellite: 11 AM EDT 8/16/09
NEW UPDATE: 5 AM EDT 8/17/09

5 Day Forecast : 11 AM EDT 8/16/09
NEW UPDATE: 5 AM EDT 8/17/09

R44 (F) R32 (V) Trains

2009-08-13T17:38:00.003-04:00

While scrolling through nycsubway.org's excellent photo collection, I came across two rare sights, an R44 (F) train and an R32 (V) train. The R44 (F) train is probably as rare as it gets, since I can't even remember the last time there was another line with an R44 other than the (A). This however is probably just a random sight that doesn't show signs of much. The R32 (V) is not as rare, but it is interesting. The R32s have been really moving in weird patterns. The R160 takeover of the (E) has led to the disposal of the majority of the R32s from the (E) line (for scrapping or other purposes), and right now, they're on the (A)/(C) mostly, but they still apparently run through Queens Blvd, mostly now on the (F), which at times even looks to have more R32s than the (E), and I guess the (V) now also. The (R) may also have R32s, but I haven't seen one myself. Here are the photos.

R44 (F) picture owned by John Barnes, from nycsubway.org
R32 (V) pictures owned by David of Broadway, from nycsubway.org

R32 (V) pictures owned by David of Broadway, from nycsubway.org

YANKEES WIN 2-0 IN 15 INNING THRILLER

2009-08-08T00:46:00.004-04:00

WHAT A GAME. And I thought yesterday's game was crazy. It's late at night right now, so more info tomorrow, but here are the basic details:

AJ Burnett vs. Josh Beckett (Starting Pitchers)

Going into this game, Burnett was coming off a bad outing, and Beckett was coming off a tough loss to the Yankees yesterday. Both pitched like aces, and the pitching matchup that many people expected lived up to expectations. Both pitchers went about 7 innings, Beckett allowing just 4 its, Burnett allowing JUST ONE, a bloop in the first inning. It was a 0-0 score up until the last moment, Red Sox down to their last pitcher, Yankees pitching everyone but Melancon and Robertson. The Red Sox threatened multiple times but did not get past a first and second no one out situation with a hit. However, the Red Sox did hit a couple of near home runs, one that missed the foul pole by about 10 feet, and one caught by Eric Hinske on the warning track well into the game. The Yankees had more opportunities than the Red Sox to score (as it appeared), and left the bases loaded with 2 out at one point. The Yankees had runners in scoring position in multiple innings, but ended those situations largely with strikeouts. The Yankees' best opportunity came in the bottom of the 14th, when Eric Hinske barely missed a game-winning line drive, which was caught by the Red Sox right fielder at the edge of his glove. Melky Cabrera, who was up next, missed a game-winning line drive by just an inch or two, by lining a shot JUST foul. He then struck out against Tazawa, who made his major league debut in the most tantalizing of circumstances. In the next inning, Jeter singled off Tazawa, but Damon bunted out, and Texeira struck out, leaving two outs for A-Rod. I could tell immediately that A-Rod's shot was going to end up either in the seats or the back of the outfield.

What were the stakes of this game?

This game was even more dramatic because of the situation the Red Sox and Yankees were in. The Red Sox took a tough lost yesterday night, and absolutely needed a win to rebound and have a legit chance of catching up to the Yankees in the divisional race. The Yankees knew that coming into the series, they needed to secure much more of a lead against the Red Sox. The Red Sox were absolutely determined this game, and it showed when their manager but in their superstar closer Papelbon when Jeter was coming up in a potential game-winning situation. The Yankees were also very urgent to win this game, and risked using their last catcher in the 14th inning, by sending Ramiro Pena to run for Posada.

The Yankees won in part because in my opinion Joe Girardi outmanaged Francona. Although there's little you can do in the late stages of this game, Girardi was able to stretch his pitchers out through the extra innings, knowing that this game would end up stretching for many innings, without dangerously hurting his chances to win. Francona did not have a good plan for extra innings, and found himself left with no choice but to use Tazawa, who is perhaps one of the worst pitchers to leave in a pitch 'til the end situation in a ball game. Once Tazawa came in, it definitely looked like the Yankees had the edge in this game, especially since the Yankees were still using one of their better relief pitchers, Phil Coke. Credit for the Yankees' win also goes to Alfredo Aceves, who pitched 3 excellent shut-out innings, and gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. Bruney also came up big in pressure situations, and Coke pitched a great top of the 15th.

The Red Sox bull pen defended the Yankee offense very well through 13, but Tazawa looked ready to break at any given moment. The Yankees and Red Sox however, still face off in about 15 hours, and have a very short night to recover from today's fiasco. The Yanks hope they can get a long and solid outing from CC Sebathia, while the Red Sox send out Clay Buchholz.

Overall, this is why I love watching the Yankees. These are games that money can't buy.

(Photo belongs to ESPN, link: http://www.espn.go.com/mlb/photos?photoId=2295605&gameId=290807110)

Yankees (Finally) Win Against the 2009 Red Sox; NBA on Steroids?

2009-08-06T22:32:00.004-04:00

There are multiple things worth mentioning today. First off, the Yankees-Red Sox matchup. Yanks are winning 13-4 (it's the 8th [I think] inning right now), in what has been set up as an important game. It was a great game to watch on TV, and I've never seen so much hitting in one game. The most impressive hit in my opinion is the one by Melky to that second deck. That was beast. And it was important; gave 'em the 5-3 advantage. Posada's also had a big game, despite running towards home carelessly after his first hit (which seemed at that time like a bad sign of things to come). The game's been pretty damn chaotic too however. Joba looked awful after the 8 runs the Yankees scored in the 4th (I think?). But he (somehow) managed to get through the inning relatively fine. It is also odd that the Red Sox kept their first relief pitcher in for so long; if it weren't for that, let's just say it probably wouldn't be 13-4 right now.

This IS a statement game for the Yankees. They may have gotten away with 0-8 against the Red Sox, but it's August, the stakes are much higher, and the Yankees needed to come into the first game with a vengeance. This is perhaps the best way to start off a big 4-game series against the Red Sox. Although Joba wasn't as good as his previous couple of starts, holding the Red Sox to 4 runs isn't that bad, and I (as a Yankee fan) just love to see the Yankees bomb the Red Sox. Moreover, the 0-8 scare is over, and hopefully, by this time Sunday, the gap in the AL East between the Yankees and Red Sox will be bigger.

Update: 12 walks and 13-4? Wow, crazy game...
Update 2: It's now 13-5, and this game might just never end.
Update 3: 13-6, like I said, just might never end.
Update 4: 13-6 final score, 11:01 PM.

Here's a live look from MLB.com (live at least right now):

Now, the second issue: The MLB (obviously) has a big steroid issue that just isn't going away, at least until those 2003 names are all released. But who knew the NBA might just have the same kind of problem? Today, before the Yankees game, I saw a news flash on Sportscenter saying that Rashard Lewis of the Orlando Magic is suspended 10 games for a high testosterone level. Why did he have a high testosterone level? He admitted himself in a statement that he used an over-the-counter drug the NBA didn't allow. Now exactly what he used isn't clear, nor is it clear when he used it, what circumstances etc, but he deserves credit for immediately being open about it and releasing a well thought out and meaningful statement, which I really liked. But this story looked so much like what the MLB has been dealing with for the past decade. Rashard Lewis is no Lebron or Kobe, but he played an important role on an Orlando Magic team that upset Lebron's Cavs and made it to the NBA Finals. This may just die out in a couple of days, but it could also lead to a PED problem that the NBA definitely doesn't need. I do like the way the NBA handled the issue however. The 10-game suspension means something and shows that they don't expect steroids or PEDs to be an issue in the League, and it serves as a punishment, whether reasonable or not. Hopefully, this is just a small issue that won't develop into much, but it is worth wondering whether a year from now names pop out in the NBA like names pop out in baseball.

Passenger Allowed to Drive an LIRR Train

2009-08-06T14:54:00.003-04:00

Yup, it's probably a train enthusiast's dream to get to drive a real train, and not just BVE or other simulators. One dude got the chance (perhaps of a lifetime?) to drive an LIRR train. However, this was a stupid idea by the T.O. (or engineer, as the NYT refers to him), Ronald Cabrera, to let the dude, William Kutsch, drive the train during the morning rush, where things could easily go wrong. They got busted by the MTA Police Department, and now face charges of reckless endangerment, and possibly a year in jail. Who is to blame? Definitely the T.O. Cabrera for letting him operate the train, but Kutsch has to be smart enough to know what he faces, and to know that it reall ain't safe driving a rush hour LIRR train. Now I don't know whether Kutsch may be a BVE type of guy or anything. According to the New York Times, he "does not have a train engineer's license and has never received formal instruction in driving a train." That just means he wasn't trained by the MTA whatsoever, but he could just be a train enthusiast who does use computer simulators (like the free BVE). Generally speaking, Kutsch probably knew how to drive the thing, otherwise passengers would have complained about the train itself (and the NYT doesn't mention anything about passengers complaining on the ride). The train was going from the Hicksville Station to the Hunterspoint Station (where the 7 train also stops) on the Port Jefferson Branch. According to the NYT, the train did reach 80 mph, which is damn fast, even for LIRR.

Well, at least now BVE fans know that they'll probably go to prison if they get busted for driving an actual train, rather than driving a simulated train on their computers.

Here is a picture of the Hunterspoint Station (SOURCE: Wikipedia.Org), where the train travelled towards.

For more info:

Engineer Let Passenger Operate L.I.R.R. Train, Officials Say

David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez Tested Positive For PEDs in 2003

2009-07-30T15:19:00.003-04:00

News has broken out that two Red Sox superstars (one former one) tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. The reason it has taken so long for us to find out is that the names were leaked. However, the 2003 list, which was intended to be anonymous, still has nearly 100 more names on it, some that we know and some that we don't. Others on the list that we do know include A-Rod, who got busted relatively recently and Sammy Sosa, who has been in the steroid picture for years it seems. The timing however of their test is very very interesting, because it is the year in which David Ortiz had his breakout season in Boston, and Manny followed in his path as well. That baseball season was also the year that Boston beat the Yankees in the miraculous 3-0 comeback and won the World Series. It may not be fair to declare their World Series win a flunk, but who knows if they would've won it if Ortiz and Ramirez were clean? It is also interesting that the steroid/drug use has moved from the Yankees to the Red Sox. The Yankees have had a large amount of steroid scandals (Roger Clemens, Andy Petitte, Gary Sheffield [talks], Jason Giambi, A-Rod), while the Red Sox didn't have any scandals. However, now they are the focal point of the steroid/drug era, now that their seemingly two biggest star players, Ortiz and Manny are now busted. Manny Ramirez's bust was not a surprise to me however, largely because he took that weird drug that I've heard all around the news is taken to avoid the side effects that 'roids give you. After that, it was safe to assume in my opinion that he was cheating. Ortiz wasn't really ever in the picture however, and he has standed hard against steroids. Then again, A-Rod was out of the picture, and he was busted (but not after his trade/signing to the Yankees). The bigger concern perhaps is that there are still about 100 names on that 2003 list, and it is unfair for people like Ortiz, Ramirez, A-Rod etc. to have their names leaked and not the others. It is unfair for them to pay the price of public humiliation (which they do deserve for choosing to use steroids in the first place), but not for the 100 others. If the MLB wants to move past steroids, they'll have to release every name off every list relating to steroids. Once everything is no longer hidden, it will create hype and all that, but it'll disappear (nothing lasts forever). If this keeps happening, it is just safe to expect to see another name or two next year pop out and it will keep on happening for a while. The only other option is to keep diligently hiding these lists, which can be done, but it is so much harder to hide than it is to just open up. To get a good look at the PED impact for Ramirez and Ortiz, take a look at their stats a year before and a year after ('02,'03'04): (SOURCE: mlb.com)

David Ortiz:

2002: .272 AVG, 20 HR, 75 RBI
2003: .288 AVG, 31 HR, 101 RBI
2004: .301 AVG, 41 HR, 139 RBI

Quite a rise in just a 3 year period. For Ortiz, this was his turning point.

Manny Ramirez:

2002: .349 AVG, 33 HR, 107 RBI
2003: .325 AVG, 37 HR, 104 RBI
2004: .308 AVG, 43 HR, 130 RBI

Ramirez also rises, but not as much as Ortiz, and his numbers during this period aren't as good as they were during his time with the Indians.

I remember when I used to see these two dudes on TV against the Yankees, and I always knew bad things were coming. Now, I can't exactly picture them the same manner.

(PICTURE SOURCE: espn.com)

New Poll

2009-07-27T23:18:00.004-04:00

On the right side of the blog, there is now a new poll, asking for your opinion on what the MTA base fare should be. As you all know, the fare was raised recently to $2.25, which especially in these times is very unfair. As for myself, I consider the $2 fare the fairest, and comparing with many other transit systems in the world, it works and vibes. It was easy to understand in the past how to pay for metrocards, just adding 2 bucks for every ride. And now with the $.25, the numbers start crunching and I don't like doing math just to pay for a ride on the train. Although the extra $.25 may not seem like much, here is how the numbers add up, say for a daily round trip commuter:

2 Dollar Fare:

$4 One Day
$28 One Week
$124 One Month (31 Days)
$1,460 One Year (Gee, 1K+ outta the bank just to ride the train?)

2.25 Dollar Fare:

$5 One Day
$35 One Week
$155 One Month
$1,825 One Year (365 Bucks More....Money I Could Really Use On Other Things)

Although I don't need to buy my own metrocard (except for the summer), I understand the pinch. Here's a listing of the MTA's new fares (straight from mta.info):

Fare Changes — Effective June 28, 2009

Subways, NYCT Bus, MTA Bus, LI Bus, Staten Island Railway

Fare Type	Full Fare	Reduced Fare
Base Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard Fare	$2.25	$1.10*
Minimum purchase for new MetroCard	$4.50	$4.50
Cash (Bus only)	$2.25	$1.10
Single-Ride Ticket	$2.25	N/A
Pay-Per-Ride Bonus and Minimum Purchase Threshold	15% with $8 or more purchase	15% with $8 or more purchase
Average price per ride with Pay-Per-Ride Bonus	$1.96	$0.96
Unlimited Ride MetroCard
1-Day	$8.25	N/A
7-Day	$27	$13.50
14-Day	$51.50	$25.75
30-Day	$89	$44.50
Express Bus
Cash	$5.50	$2.75**
Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard Fare	$5.50	$2.75**
Average price per ride with Pay-Per-Ride Bonus	$4.78	$2.39**
7-Day Express Bus Plus Unlimited Ride MetroCard	$45	N/A

* Reduced Fare customers who do not have a Reduced Fare MetroCard pay $2.25 at a subway station booth for a round trip.

** Reduced Fare is not available during peak periods, 6-10 AM and 3-7 PM.

Fare collection will be implemented at SIR Tompkinsville station upon installation of a fare control area.

In addition, buses operated by MTA Bus will begin operating under policies consistent with those of New York City Transit.

Elimination of student reduced fares on all MTA Bus express service
Change of MTA Bus weekday off-peak eligibility period to begin at 10 a.m. (instead of 9 a.m.) for discounted fares for senior citizens and disabled customers on Northeast Bronx express bus service

Buses operated by LI Bus will begin operating under the following policy:

The $.25 charge for cash transfers is eliminated and magnetic stripe paper transfers are now accepted for travel between LI Bus and NYCT/MTA Bus local service.
The age for reduced fare discounts is raised to 65 to align with NYCT and MTA Bus service.

Other discount policies for NYCT, MTA Bus, and LI Bus are unchanged.

MetroCards Purchased Before June 28

Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard

Cards purchased prior to June 28 can still be used. Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on June 28, 2009, the higher fare will be deducted from your Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard.

Unlimited Ride MetroCard

MetroCard Vending Machines and station attendants will sell Unlimited Ride MetroCards at the current prices until midnight on Saturday, June 27. After midnight you will be able to purchase Unlimited Ride cards at the new, higher prices.

To get the full value of a 1-Day, 7-Day, 14-Day or 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard or the 7-day Express Bus Plus MetroCard purchased prior to June 28, you must begin using the card on or before July 6.

The chart shows when your Unlimited Ride MetroCard will expire. Regardless of the printed expiration date or date of first use, the MetroCard will expire on these dates.

Type of MetroCard	For Full Value, Start Using By	Expiration Date
1-Day Fun Pass	July 6	July 6
7-Day Unlimited Ride	July 6	July 12
14-Day Unlimited Ride	July 6	July 19
30-Day Unlimited Ride	July 6	Aug 4
7-Day Express Bus Plus	July 6	July 12

An unused or partially used MetroCard purchased prior to June 28 will be refunded on a pro-rated basis. To return a card, ask a station attendant for a postage-paid envelope.

Paratransit — Effective June 28, 2009

The NYC Transit Access-A-Ride fare is $2.25
The LI Bus Able-Ride fare is $3.75
The cost of a LI Bus Able-Ride 20-trip book is $75

Commuter Railroads — Effective June 17, 2009

Fare changes by MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and MTA Metro-North Railroad (MNR) for New York State service include the following:

Increase full fare one-way, full fare ten-trip, weekly and monthly tickets fares to/from Manhattan/LIRR Zone 1 stations/Hoboken from 5.0% to 11.6%
Intermediate full fares for LIRR and MNR East of Hudson service will increase from 7.1% to 20%; however, any increase of more than 11.75% is no more than $.75 per ride. Intermediate full fares on MNR West of Hudson service will increase up to 33%. The increases for some child/senior/disabled fares may vary slightly from these percentages.
New Haven Line fares to NY stations will increase in stages.
Increase the on-board fare differential to up to $6.50 from $5.50.
CityTicket fares will increase from $3.25 to $3.50; family fare price are unchanged.
Reduce the Mail & Ride fare discount on the railroad portion of the joint Monthly Commutation/Monthly Unlimited Ride MetroCard from 5% to 4%.
Senior citizen/disabled person/child fare discount policies and other Mail&Ride/WebTicket discounts remain unchanged

Specific fare information:

Long Island Rail Road
Metro-North Railroad

Commuter Rail Connecting Services — Effective June 28, 2009

	One Way	Weekly	Monthly
NYC Buses	$2.25	$9.75	$31.75
LI Bus	$2.25	$10.50	$38.00
Hudson Rail Link	$2.25	$9.75	$28.50
Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry*	$3.25	$11.00	$33.00
Newburgh Beacon Ferry*	$1.25	$5.50	$11.00

UniTicket with the X25 bus is eliminated.

* Effective June 17

Bridges and Tunnels — Effective July 12, 2009

In this chart, major crossings are the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, and Queens Midtown Tunnel. Minor crossings are the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge and the Cross Bay Veterans' Memorial Bridge.

Crossing Charges for Cars	Cash	E‑ZPass
Verrazano-Narrows	$11.00	$9.14
Major Crossings	$5.50	$4.57
Minor Crossings	$2.75	$1.71
Henry Hudson Bridge	$3.00	$2.09

In addition:

E‑Z Pass rates apply to New York E-Z Pass Customer Service Center accounts only. Non-NYCSC Customers will pay the cash rates.

Obama: Police "Acted Stupidly"

2009-07-25T19:33:00.002-04:00

Barack Obama a couple of days ago said that police "acted stupidly" by arresting Henry Gates for breaking into his own house. He has come under a lot of fire. However, it is my opinion that he does not deserve the criticism he has gotten. Let's take a look at the circumstances:

(Source: YAHOO NEWS)

1. Henry Gates is a Harvard Law Professor, and was entering his own home.

2. According to Yahoo News, the arrested "followed a report of a possible burglary," now you may understand that, but I don't. I don't get if that means that someone thought that there's going to be a robbery, or a robbery just happened etc.

3. According to Yahoo News, "A woman apparently saw Gates force the front door and called police." That is perfectly fine, because if I were to see someone (regardless of race) break through a door, I'd also may think he/she is a robber.

4. Once the police came, they ordered Gates to show ID to prove that it was his house. However, Gates didn't show ID, and accused the police of racism. Then he was arrested. The police officer (Sargeant James Crowley) claims that he did everything right, and will not apologize (if necessary).

Now I really don't know what the police are taught to do in that situation. But if I were Gates, I'd be pissed. Period. The thought of getting arrested for breaking into your own house is ridiculous. Now in all likelihood, Gates was offended, and rightfully so, since there are so many incidents, especially here in NYC, where race has been the center point of so many crimes.

Gates in some way had to have communicated to the police that it was his house. But the police still end up arresting him. But that is NOT how society has been taught to work. Gates had to have been considered innocent until proven guilty. And he was not proven guilty. So he should not have been arrested. And if he told the police that it was his house (why wouldn't you), then he more or less has proven that he is innocent.

So when Obama said that police "acted stupidly," he is right. Another big question is also whether the situation would have been different if Gates was not African-American. Despite what many people may think, there is still a large amount of racism in the US, and it is my belief that racism will always exist, because it is human nature to categorize and differentiate others. But unlike the past, no one today would likely ever admit that he or she is a racist, even if he or she is. Therefore, we'll never actually know whether race influenced this incident. But if I were to choose "YES" or "NO," I'd have to go with yes. I and many others have heard of many incidents in which police do their own personal racial profiling.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the police. The concept of having a police department in any city is a great concept, and we need the police. But the way that many American police departments are operating is not good at all. Police officers often make bad (and even stupid) decisions. I myself have been stopped for no apparent reason too. And when there is an incident I am involved in, the police always end up resolving it in an ignorant and nonchalant manner, and many times, it doesn't get resolved at all.

Is the job just too hard for police officers? That is NOT (NOT) the issue. People don't stand out for doing what's easy, but for doing what's hard. And if you can't be an efficient police officer and make the right decisions, then you don't earn your pay or earn the right to still be a police officer.

Now getting back to Obama's comment, he in a lighter tone praised the Cambridge police and retracted from his "acted stupidly" comment. Some news companies such as the Daily News say that Obama did not apologize, while others may consider his later statements as an apology. What do I consider it? I consider it just clarification. Most people likely took his words as bashing the police. Obama basically clarified that he did not like how the police handled the situation, and he's not calling the police "stupid." And I'm glad that he in my opinion did not apologize, because he was right. They DID "act stupidly."

Here is a photo of the incident. It looks comical, how he is getting arrested. Picture credit goes to the Associated Press.

State of the US Economy

2009-07-20T15:21:00.002-04:00

How's the economy doing? Still not too well. I don't know about you, but it feels like forever since those days when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and the Dow Jones began dropping in milestones. So by now, what did people exactly expect? I really had no idea what to expect. But where exactly are we right now? One thing we can settle upon is that we are at least inbetween the high and low points of the recession as of now. But the most important question is this: Are we recovering?

That question is very hard to accurately answer. There isn't really a specific way to measure exactly which way the economy is going. Some people use the stock market as the measuring stick of the US economy. In terms of the stock market, YES we are recovering. Here is a graph of the Dow Jones since the start of 2009 (SOURCE: Google Finance):

As you can see, it's basically a U shaped graph, and now we're above where we started at the beginning of the year. Is this a sign of good things to come? It really should be. Many people don't regard the stock market as the measuring stick of the economy, but in my opinion, it does reflect the economy overall. When the recession began, the stock market fell with Citigroup, AIG, Lehman Bros. etc. It didn't go on its own path. And this time, I think the fact that it's going up does mean that the economy is going up.

There are still many economic problems however. Unemployment is still too high, and companies are still going bankrupt (GM, almost CIT). Tourism is down in places like Tokyo (when I went there, it was very barren). So no, the economy isn't yet where it needs to be. But again, are we recovering? I would say yes.

SF Train Crash

2009-07-19T08:46:00.002-04:00

Yesterday on July 19, two commuter trains crashed in San Francisco, injuring a total of 48 people. The crash occurred in the SF Muni system (San Francisco Municipal Railway) involving 2 light rail trains, at the West Portal Station. A (K) Train, known also as the Ingleside Line, was at the West Portal Station, when an (L) Train, known also as the Taraval Line, crashed into the (K) from behind, around 2:30 PM. Here is a map from wikipedia of the vicinity:

PURPLE: (L) Train
BLUE: (K) Train

As for the cause of the crash, no one as of now knows. Seeing that West Portal is where three lines meet, it may as well have been a dispatcher error, sending an (L) train in while a (K) was already in the station. It also may have been a T.O. error, going into the station while a train was already there. Maybe also the signals screwed up. A green instead of the intended red. Of course, there many possibilities, and we'll find out eventually. On a positive note, there were no fatalities in this crash. For more info, please go to the source I used, the NYT; link posted below:

Dozens Hurt In San Francisco Train Crash

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-07-15T20:47:00.002-04:00

This may have been something that occurred a couple of weeks ago (when I couldn't access the blog), but it is my wish to honor the king of pop, Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009. Although I wasn't here when Michael created his records and music, I can still take a listen today, more than 25 years since the beginning of the 80's (the decade in which he released what I consider the two best works of pop music, Thriller and Bad). He's had 13 number-one hits in the US, and countless more throughout the world. His single "We Are The World" jumped to number one on virtually every country's billboard, and his album "Thriller" is more of a household item than just a CD. He's heavily influenced all genres of music, from rock to rap. He's gone through a traumatizing number of health and personal issues, but it will never destroy the fact that he is perhaps THE most talented musical artist that set foot on the Earth.

May Michael Jackson Rest In Peace, Prosperity, Power.

Some of my favorite Michael Jackson songs: (No particular order)

Bad, Thriller, Rock With You, You Are Not Alone, Heal The World, We Are The World, Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Black or White, Man In The Mirror, Do You Remember The Time, PYT (Pretty Young Thang), Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

In honor of Michael Jackson, Chicago's hit music radio station B96 created a mix of Michael's greatest hits, and it can be downloaded here (I highly recommend this mix).

B96 Michael Jackson Tribute Mix

Background Pic from thehollywoodnews.com
Album Layers from wikipedia.org

Tokyo Narita Airport

2009-07-14T15:15:00.004-04:00

As this blog progresses, I will be blogging not just about trains and BVE, but also other aspects of life that I have interests with. One of them is the commercial aviation industry. One of the major airports I was lucky to visit this year was the Narita Airport (serves Tokyo). Here's my airport ratings: (to be continued with each airport I rate)

(Delta/Northwest) Departure check-in: 3.5/5

It was relatively smooth, but Delta/Northwest and its merger makes it a bit confusing at each particular airport, and we just don't know whether to use Delta or Northwest, or both, or who knows... The self-service screens were kind of tedious, but it wasn't a lengthy process.

(Security/Customs) Departure: 4.5/5

Very very nice, just a little crowded, the space could be bigger.

(Gates/Past security) Departure: 4/5

Relatively nice open space, it's getting more crowded though, and getting to your gate is more of a puzzle than a smooth path.

(Customs) Arrival: 5/5

Excellent, and the customs agents aren't poker faced robots like most airports.

(Baggage Claim) Arrival: 4/5

Very nice, typically not too long.

OVERALL: 4/5

The airport's very nice, it seems to be a bit too small, but it's well maintained, and relatively comfortable.

(MORE PHOTOS SOON)

1. Delta/Northwest (I really don't know what they label it anymore) to NYC, it was labelled as Northwest 798, but the plane says Delta. Korean Air in the back.

Changes 2

2009-07-12T22:22:00.001-04:00

The BVEStation Slideshow will now be moved into this blog post.

A new slideshow of all other miscellaneous pics will also be created in this blog post in the near future.

New Changes 1

2009-07-12T11:41:00.003-04:00

This blog will undergo several changes in the coming days:

Change One:

The video section of the blog will move to a new page (for a specific reason).

The videos will all be posted on this blog, and a link will show up on the homepage to the videos.

2008 Year In Review (From Jibjab)

R160 (E) Testing (From Subchat.Com)

R32, R38, R40, R42 Tribute Video
By BVEStation Member Danny21

Bryant the Railfanning Idiot:

Events of 10/1 BVEStation Railfan Trip:

Poll: Favorite MTA Train Final Results

2009-06-11T20:38:00.002-04:00

Here are the results of the first blog poll: (Sorry I forgot the R143s)

1. R160
2. R42
3. R40 Slant/M

This Day in Train History by Greatxu

2009-06-11T20:26:00.002-04:00

6/11/09: Today marks the 37th Anniversary of the Eltham Hall rail crash. This crash, which occurred in 1972, killed a total of 6 people and injured over 100. It was caused by a driving error, and the train operator of the train was intoxicated (basically drunk). The crash occurred close to the Eltham Hall station in the British Railway System, specifically in a curve designed for trains to go through at 20 mph. However, the train operator was at a speed of 65 mph at the curve. The train was running on the Bexleyheath Line in the southern UK, between the stations "Margate" and "Kentish Town." Here's a picture of the crash, and info on the line.

(ALL INFO AND PICS FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG)

This Day in Train History by Greatxu

2009-06-06T22:27:00.004-04:00

Yes, this blog hasn't been updated for a long time, due to my lack of time to report them. But starting today, I will start a new cycle of posts on specific historical events occurring on this day.

For today (6/6/09):

Creation/Inauguration of the Pario Metro Line 5 (June 6, 1906)

Back then, Line 5 of the Paris Metro ran just 4 stops from the station "" to "Gare "D'Austerlitz." It is Paris Metro's 4th oldest line, and nowadays runs a total of 22 stops, a distance of 14.6 km (9.1 miles). Line 5 is important not only in that it offers service to tourist attractions such as Bastille and Parc de la Villette, but because it serves 3 of Paris's important railways stations (Gare D'Austerlitz, Gare du Nord, Gard de L'est), similar to having an NYC subway line serve 3 stations with a railroad station like Grand Central Terminal (OUCH).

French --> "Gare" means "railroad station," "Nord" means "North," "L'est" means "East," "D'Austerlitz" is a French name, "Place D'Italie" is a neighborhood in Paris named after Avenue D'Italie, one of the historical roads linking Paris to Italy.

PICTURE FROM NYC.SUBWAY.ORG (World Section) by David Pirmann

(INFO CREDITED TO WIKIPEDIA.ORG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_M%C3%A9tro_Line_5)

R160 (F) and Others by Greatxu

2009-04-02T19:26:00.003-04:00

There are several train changes to be noted that have occurred in the past half month or so:

R160 (F): Pics from nycsubway.org

This marks the beginning of the end for the R32s. However, it is noteworthy that there are still a few sets of R32s on the (F) still running rounds, and there has been one or two spotted on the (E). So, from less than a year ago, the E and F have undergone the following changes:

(E) //// R32 --> R32/R42 --> R32/R42/R40M --> R160/R32/R42/R40M --> R160/R42/R40M --> (FUTURE) R160 (MY GUESS)

(F) //// R46/R32 --> R46/R32/R42 --> R160/R46/R32/R42 --> (FUTURE) R160/R42 ? (MY GUESS)

I guess the R46s will disappear from the Q. Blvd Express soon too, and for me it's not as enjoyable seeing them go as much as the R32s.

R42 (F): Pics from nycsubway.org

This was expected. The R42s have pushed onto the (F) now, after they arrived onto the (R). This like the (E)'s R42s and the (R)'s R42s are probably just temporary.

R46 (A): Pics from nycsubway.org

This was unexpected for me. This seemed virtually impossible to me, because the (A) has been bombarded with all the 60-foot trains at some point. The (A) has undergone a rediculously huge change in the past 2 years: (Along with the C)

(A) //// R32/R38/R44 --> R32/R38/R44/R160 --> R32/R38/R42/R44 --> R32/R38/R40M/R42/R44 --> R38/R40M/R40 Slant/R42/R44 --> R32/R38/R40M/R40 Slant/R42/R44 --> R32/R40M/R40 Slant/R42/R44/R46

(C) //// R32/R38 --> R38 --> R38/R40M/R40 Slant/R42 --> R32/R40M/R40 Slant/R42

The (A) now has 7 different operating trains running, which is rediculous in my opinion. There is virtually no way to know what train you will encounter while waiting for the (A). It is also hard to tell which train is the dominant one. The R44 has generally held that position, but I've seen countless R40M and Slant sets, and there was a point where seeing a R42 was something that happened more than once a day for me. However, the R38 has never quite dominated the (A), and the R32 disappeared, then magically reappeared.

The (C) now has 5 different trains, which is still pretty odd. And there is speculation that the R46s on the (A) will move to the (C). However, unlike the (A), I think there is a dominant train. At first, the R32 and R38 were pretty much even, until the R32 disappeared and the R38 was dominant. Then the R40M and Slant took over (completely), and the R32 reappeared. The R40M and Slant are the dominating sets.

That's about it with the train changes in the subway. What happens to the other lines is anyone's guess. I don't think though that the MTA would bother conduct train moves now that the budget's a problem.

And now the budget cuts. I know and understand that 2.50 a ride downright sucks, but I don't think anyone in their right mind anticipated that the MTA could stay 2 bucks for an extended period of time. Jtb listed all those changes, so a heads up for anyone that might be affected. But other than that, it's going to be a nuisance for some of us, but think about it this way: Would it be smarter to cut service on the (W) and (Z) or eliminate a heavy line such as the (A),(D),(7),(4),(E)? I'd rather strip the (W).

MTA Budget Cuts and Fare Hikes approved by MTA by jtb1234

2009-03-26T10:08:00.005-04:00

The MTA has finally given in to there cuts. $103 30 day Metrocards, higher tolls on already tolled East River bridges and Tunnels, service cuts, and a;; because they did not receive a bailout from Albany...

Here's what will happen:
Fare Increases:
A single ride on bus or subway increases $.50 from $2 to $2.50
7 day unlimited Metrocard increases $6 from $25 to $31
14 day Unlimited Metrocard increases $12 from $47 to $59
30 day unlimited Metrocard increases $22 from $81 to $103
Express Bus cash fare increases $1.25 from $5 to $6
Access-A-Ride trip increases $.50 from $2 to $2.50
Cash Tolls on major MTA Bridges and Tunnels increase $1.50 from $5 to $6.50
E-Zpass toll on major bridges and tunnels: From $4.15 to $5.26
Cash toll on minor bridges and tunnels: From $2.50 to $3.25
E-ZPass toll on minor bridges: $1.55 to $1.96
Long Island bus: From $2 per ride to $3.50
Metro North monthly ride from White Plains to Grand Central increases $52 from $191 to $243

Now the Service Cuts:
Subway:
The (W) is eliminated
The (Z) is eliminated
The (G) is shortened
The (M) is shortened
The late-night (N) skips 5 stations
18 more passengeres cram in on most lines.
City Bus:
At least 23 lines are eliminated:
M6,M8,M10, M18, M27, M30, B23, B25, B37, B39, B51, B75, Bx4, Bx14, Bx20, Bx34, Q26, Q56, Q74, Q75, Q84, X32, X25.
At least 28 Weekend buses are eliminated
At least 49 buses will start or end earlier.
Finally Metro North:
2 Harlem Line Southeast-bound trains are cancelled.
2 New Haven to New York trains are cancelled.

This is going to be one long year with this....
Mostly taken from http://www.nypost.com/seven/03262009/news/regionalnews/the_great_train_robbery_161364.htm

New South Ferry Station Opens by Greatxu

2009-03-17T19:11:00.003-04:00

The brand new South Ferry station has opened, on March 16, 2009, and I took my own visit there. Overall, it's an impressive station, but it is not too special in my own eyes. It had that new feel to it obviously, and it was very quiet inside. Although the station's nice, there is clearly no new technology to speak of, and everything within the station is in the same general pattern as the rest of the subway. The most impressive feat of the station though is its glass entrance. I've never actually seen something close to that at all, especially when used as a subway entrance. Here are my pics:

Monday Mega-Storm by Greatxu

2009-03-02T21:17:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since the city has had a snow storm like this one. It was enough to cancel school throughout the city for the entire day, including all NYC Public Schools, numerous NJ Public Schools, L.I. Schools, and Private Schools throughout the tri-state area. Over here where I am (NE Queens), we like the rest of the city received 6-10 inches of snow on the ground. The hardest hit within the region was parts of NJ and Long Island. However, the presence of this storm was felt regardless of where you were. The entire tri-state region was under a Winter Storm Warning for nearly an entire 24-hour period, with snow starting at 8 pm Sunday night and ending today (Monday) at noon.

For many kids and students, having a snow day here in NY is rare, not because there's never any snow, but usually the D.O.E seems to just refuse to let a day off. However, today was indeed an exception, and it was a fun day for people like me, who love snow!

On the transit side of things, everything appeared to go smoothly for a snow storm. The MTA relatively successfully implemented their Weather Advisory system, and Cold Weather Planner. As for service disruptions, there have been more than usual, but nothing too drastic, the most gruesome being the cancellation of the (7) Express, and the cancellation of limited-bus service.

Roads today were treacherous, but they were cleared fairly quickly. It is fair to say that commuters probably had a tough time, but it was not total chaos. However, as expected, it was chaotic in the NYC Airports, with many flight cancellations and extensive delays. However, we all survived the day, and it's back to business tomorrow.

Obama Address to Congress Tonight

2009-02-24T19:44:00.001-05:00

Bloomberg's NYC by Error46146

2009-02-21T21:00:00.002-05:00

So the other day, I was reading AMNY and they had an article
about how mayor Bloomy's changes to the city is sort of making the Big Apple look
like Europe. For example, Bloomy is closing streets to create bike lanes and sidewalk cafes. He's redesigning our newsstands and bus stops look a lot like ones found in Spain. While I am open for change and I am glad that Bloomy is willing to accept ideas from others, I do want him to think about the impact these changes will have on our city. For example, closing down street lanes
is a really big mistake right there already. Manhattan is the most horribly congested place to drive in. Even walking is faster than driving, and I think cutting street lanes will only make things worse. Although I do support public transportation and the subway (and this traffic is one reason why) there are some people who are never ever going to give up their cars no matter what and this isn't going to stop them. Also, closing of street lanes would delay our buses
and taxis too. This would also hurt our public transportation to an extent as well. Therefore, Bloomberg should really reconsider his idea of closing street lanes in Manhattan like this because the negative impact is much higher than the benefits sure it discourages driving but you know
how stubborn and one track minded some people are. This is America, not China or Europe where they ride their bikes to work, here as much as I don't want to say it Car is King, and we need to respect that. Also as a side note, we should be careful to keep our individuality too.
We shouldn't totally change ourselves. We should still keep our signature style, the style that makes NYC so unique from other places. Even if that style is rather negative in some areas it's what makes us unique and separates us from other cities in the world. I am glad we
are embracing the world and accepting change but we need to be careful
about it too.

For more info:

http://gothamist.com/2008/11/21/grand_street_bike_lane_not_so_popul.php

R42 (F), R32 (G), R160 (E) by Greatxu

2009-02-19T19:49:00.005-05:00

The R42 has now "invaded" 3 of the 4 main Queens Boulevard subway lines (all except the V).
Although the invasion of the R42 means that the oldest trains in the system, the R32s, are now leaving for good, I don't see what the MTA is trying to do. It is hard to tell whether these R42s are temporary in any way as a replacement until R160s are made, or whether they will be here for years at a time. The R40/R42 invasion of the A/C line has proven to be seemingly longer than temporary, and it is very possible that the R42/R40 invasion of Queens Boulevard will turn out that way too.

(R32 (G), thanks to BVEStation member R32_3838

Despite the R42 invasion, there are more and more R160 appearances on the (E) line. Here are my pics of the R160s I caught: (2 in service, 1 was testing)

Thanks to BVEStation member R32_3838 for the R42 (F) pics:

Doomsday Budget by Greatxu

2009-02-06T17:42:00.003-05:00

There has been much about budget talks and the MTA "Doomsday Scenario" throughout BVEStation, NYC and the MTA. Members here on the blog and on BVEStation such as Arcangel and Jtb1234 have been giving some solid updates on the talks. Instead of giving you all the info (which would take up easily more than 2 pages), I am going to give you guys my view on the situation:

1. Despite what everyone is saying, this WILL NOT be a "Doomsday" type cut of any sort. There is obviously a reason why the MTA is considering cutting lines like the (W) and (Z) and not lines like the (A)(D)(E)(N) etc. Cutting the (W) would mean extending the (Q) to Ditmars, which would ease the extra load that would go to the (N). This will not create a lot of extra passengers on the (N), nor the (Q). Cutting the (Z) would hurt in my opinion, because the (J) would then become a completely local route, and have the extra passengers that would take the (Z). However, it will not be to the point where the (J) line will be dealing with overcrowding to the extent of the Lex Line or the (E).

2. The most painful aspect of the budget cutting would be the increased fares. I've heard from the media and BVEStation and really throughout the city of the possibility of a fare hike to 3 dollars. This is gonna hurt everyone. First off, riders who absolutely need the MTA will have less money in their wallets because of this, and the MTA will lose riders who decide that battling the midtown traffic is a more money-efficient way of getting to work. This aspect of the proposed cuts would hurt the most.

3. The only plan-B that's made some noise is tolling all the East River Crossings. This is harshly unfair to middle-class residents of Queens like me, who rely on free bridges like the Queensboro Bridge to get to school or work. It is grossly unfair to put the financial burden on those of us who do not even relate to the MTA's problems, and should not have to pay tolls to get into Manhattan daily. This will not help ease any problems within the subway system either. It will simply lead to the current MTA dealing with even more passengers rather than a smaller MTA (with the cuts) dealing with less passengers.

4. The best solution to this is for government to get involved. The MTA may be a private company, but it is the government and mayor's responsibility to keep the city together, especially under these tough economic times. If they do not decide to aid the MTA financially, they will have part of the blame. And let this also be a lesson to the MTA, to better manage their budget when this problem is solved. We definitely need newer equipment and more service in the transit system, but make sure you can manage the current system without any problems before going on a spending spree.

2/3/09 Update by Greatxu

2009-02-03T20:17:00.004-05:00

Here's an update:

- New IRC Chat in BVEStation
- Some New Orion 7 New Generation Hybrid Pics by Greatxu

Chinese New Year by Error46146 and Greatxu

2009-01-30T19:40:00.003-05:00

Although Chinese New Year has already passed, at January 26 this year (of the Ox), it will be celebrated in NYC this weekend (1/31 and 2/1). I will be starring in the Flushing, Queens Chinese New Year Parade, to represent the Fresh Meadows Chinese School. I've attended this parade many times as a spectator, and this year I myself will be part of the celebration. If you're interested in seeing the parade, it is from 11-1 on Saturday, and will go through the center of Flushing, on Main Street. If you wanna attend, I would also suggest getting there earlier to get a great spot. And as another heads up, due to the parade, tomorrow will be another crazy bus day, and all buses that normally traverse Flushing (just about all of them) will likely be diverted in some way. For more info on this year's Flushing Parade, go here:

http://queens.about.com/cs/neighborhoods/p/2004_chinesenew.htm

And for info on the Chinatown Parade:
(Info from About.Com)

10th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
See Pictures from the Chinese Lunar New Year Parade
The parade usually winds throughout Chinatown along Mott, Canal, and Bayard streets, and along East Broadway.
Time: noon - 3 pm, Sunday, February 1, 2009
Place: Canal Street South
The spectacle features elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances galore, Asian musicians, magicians, acrobats and procession by local organizations. Over 5,000 people are expected to march in the parade, which will start at Mott Street and promenade through practically every street in of Chinatown, finally dispersing at Worth Street. The parade is expected to conclude at 3:00 pm, at which time an outdoor cultural festival will take place on Bayard Street featuring more performances by musicians, dancers and martial artists.

And here is some info about the holiday itself, also known as the Spring Festival, written by Error46146:

Chinese New Year is a wonderful holiday in which as the name says the
Chinese people celebrate the new year. Chinese New Year is about partying, feasting and good times in which we all wish and hope the best for the following year. This year (2009) is the Year of the Ox. The Chinese use a special calendar, which is very different from the other one. The Chinese calendar is based on the location of the moon while the modern calendar is based on the
sun. There is 30 days in each month, 12 months in a year which is why Chinese new year is on a different date on our calendar every year since the two are incompatible. Chinese New Year is a federal holiday in China and the celebrations take up a whole week. We all must clean our home before the first day and have a fresh start and clear all our problems. On the first day we all go out and watch the traditional lion dance and we set off firecrackers. Then we go home and have a big filling feast with rice, chicken, pork, vegetables, fish, everything! The festivities and enjoyment traditionally go on all week but because of our busy modern lives today the holiday is truncated to the first few days only. However, Chinese New Year is still a very important part of
the Chinese culture and heritage and it continues to live on forever and ever!

Here are two photos of last year's parade in Flushing (taken by Greatxu):

Queens to MTA Brass: X-Bay Tolls = Hardship for Rockaway

2009-01-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

By: Joshua M. Cintrón

It looks as if another toll package has been put on the table, adding to the already painful list of tolling which has in its crosshairs, currently free east river bridge access to Manhattan via the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensboro bridges as well as numerous subway service cuts and higher tolls, which have residents from all over the city up in arms.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering slapping people who travel across the Cross-Bay Bridge – a critical link between the neighborhoods of Woodhaven and Far Rockaway in Queens – with a toll as well as eliminating a program that currently provides people who use said bridge on a routine basis with a refund. This, along with a barrage of service cuts – is a part of a plan to balance the ailed transit agency’s budget for the following fiscal year and to reduce or eliminate their projected deficit of $1.2 billion.

Hundreds of people voiced their opinions at a hearing that was held at the Sheraton LaGuardia East last night in what turned out to be another earful; not only about the fare hikes and tolls but about the consideration of time – or lack thereof, of the scheduling of that night’s hearings. “Its anti-American to hold a hearing on the same day as the inauguration of our 44th president”, said one resident of Queens while another followed up by stating that “the number of people you see here today would have been greater if these hearings were scheduled of a day with less conflict of interest for the people”.

One Queens resident wrapped up everyone’s thoughts in this simple statement: “Any toll on this bridge violates the New York City charter and will be a hardship for residents of the Rockaways and Broad Channel”.

In addition to this plan, the MTA is also considering the elimination of the Q26, Q56, Q74, Q84, QM22, QM23 and X32 bus routes but, the MTA maintains their position by saying that New York City residents can avoid such drastic actions if Albany implements recommendations based on the findings of the Ravitch commission and are encouraging residents to contact their congresspersons to request them to lobby for their cause.

The next hearing where riders and drivers alike can voice their opinion will be this coming Monday night in Staten Island.

The Obama Express by Greatxu

2009-01-17T19:34:00.002-05:00

Today, to kick off the Inauguration Cycle, Barack Obama traveled by train from Philadelphia to D.C. As a BVE and train forum, I find it appropriate to talk about the specifics of this special train, and a few pictures to go with it.

The Obama Express was run by Amtrak, and was the "11:38 to Washington D.C." (Huffington Post). The back car of the train is called the "Georgia 300" and was built in 1939 by Pullman-Standard. It has carried both former presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, and is quite a lavish train, containing its own and living room. This train is coupled to Amtrak's fleet, which carried Obama from Philly's 30th St. station to Biden's town of Wilmington, Delaware. Next to Baltimore, MD, and of course, finally to D.C.'s Union Station.

SOURCES: Huffington Post, Baltimore Sun

PICS FROM: Huffington Post

US Airways Flight 1549 – Miracle On The Hudson River By Arcangel

2009-01-16T12:07:00.004-05:00

UPDATE BY GREATXU: Here's a surveillance video from Newsday of the crash...no sounds, but this is what happened:

There have been many occurrences in these past few years that have given our airline industry a black eye. It was on this date that – from the bravery of one man – the entire passenger load of what was once thought as another doomed airliner, became a part of what was rightfully deemed by Governor David Patterson as a “Miracle On The Hudson”.

Shortly before 3:25 PM Eastern Time, a US Airways Airbus A320 began to experience engine trouble due to what the pilot Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger III describes as a “double bird hit”, causing a catastrophic failure of both engine, only after 3-5 minutes after a normal take-off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, as it flew over the Fordham section of The Bronx.

There is some speculation as to whether or not the pilot was attempting to make an emergency landing at nearby Teterboro Airport or if he was attempting to come about to LaGuardia Airport to attempt a landing there but, all of that went out the window as an eyewitness described the plane as “gliding” into the Hudson at around 3:30 PM. Not soon after, nearby vessels from New York Waterway came around and about to assist in the rescue operation, becoming the first responders to assist in what turned out to be a major rescue effort by Police, Fire Department, and the Port Authority. There were very

As soon as it was all said and done, all 155 passengers were declared to be “safe and off the plane” according to a spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Investigations are currently taking place as representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board have flown up from Washington DC and at this current moment, the plane is currently being plucked out of the water to search for a data recorder in order to make a determination of exactly what caused the fate of the Airbus A320.

Keep in touch with your local news and wire organizations for more details.

Q65 Woes by Greatxu

2009-01-07T18:26:00.002-05:00

The Q65 Route is my home route, and I take it nearly every week day. It is a relatively heavily trafficked bus route. It uses the Orion V CNGs, and is run by MTA Bus (formerly run by Queens Surface). The route runs from College Point to Flushing and Jamaica, with the 2 ends at College Point Blvd and the AirTrain Station on Sutphin Blvd. However, there are many things horribly wrong with this route. But first, let me list the good things:

1. LIMITED Service. BIG UP. It definitely saves some time for those of us who need the route for longer distances, and we don't need to stop at practically every block along the route. It's a much more comfortable bus ride too, and the bus travels longer distances at more constant speeds.
2. Relatively Ample Service. Rush hour buses come every 5 minutes, with alternating limiteds and locals.

But that's about it with the good part. There are NUMEROUS things I have to say that are bad.

1. LATE EVERY 49 OUT OF 50 TIMES. This route has never been known for being punctual at all. Buses arrive at Main Street Flushing on time. However, it is ALWAYS late after it leaves downtown Flushing. This is due to the bigger problem of traffic, but also due to bus drivers. I understand this is a hard route to drive with many turns and uphills. However, certain bus drivers (I take the route so often I can recognize certain drivers) are always late, because they drive slower than the average speed of the traffic along the road, and spend extra time doing other things during their job. For example, more than once, I have seen bus drivers on the route get off next to a deli to grab some cookies or a drink. Fine, have a snack, but NOT DURING YOUR RUN. YOU DON'T NEED IT YET. Also, I've seen drivers pick up their friends on the street onto the bus, to have a conversation. They get on and talk the day away and get off at the same spot. This is UNACCEPTABLE.
2. TRAFFIC. This route is filled with problems outside of the bus. Flushing is practically a daily bus jam, and there are more buses on the road than cars practically. Flushing is dangerously overcrowded during rush hour, with people rushing for their right route and jay-walking/sprinting through streets. There are JUST TOO MANY ROUTES THERE. Every bus route (about 25 altogether) stop along a stretch of 3 blocks, and about five of them overcrowd the Roosevelt/MainSt intersection, being that it is their terminal, laying over at the worst possible spot. Also, when you have 5 different routes all criss-crossing throughout the place, it gets completely out of hand. One bus can barely make a narrow turn, and when there are hundreds of buses every hour making the same turn, it DOESN'T WORK. Outside of Flushing, it's just as hard. There are about 20 total turns on the Q65 route, and it is not easy for bus drivers to make hard 90 degree turns all the time. Also, on narrow roads like Bowne Street and Sanford Ave, there are many many double parkers, who force 2-way traffic to narrow into a small space, creating much more of a delay.
3. THE BUSES. CNGs are not made for this route. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether to like or dislike these buses, but not on the Q65 should they run. It is almost once a month there is a bus that has broken down for whatever reason. Sometimes the engine has a problem, sometimes the bus just can't start up, sometimes even the wheelchair machine goes down but yet it can't go back up, leaving the bus with no choice but the stay there. The route is full of uphills which are very hard to maneuver with a heavy bus like this one. And the bigger the bus, the harder the turns. The LED signs on the Bus are also very bad, and are not easy to read at all. During the day, they are barely visible, under the gleaming sun. During the night, the extra light does not help. And these signs are often dead and broken.

BVEStation 2008 Year In Review By Greatxu

2008-12-31T20:53:00.003-05:00

2008 has been BVEStation's first full year! Here is a recap of what has happened through this year in the world of BVE, Transit and Routes:

Photo of the Month Winners:

January 2008 - Not available.

February 2008 - Rayv145 - R142 (2) Train

March 2008 - Error46146 and Ipaclansite///R62 (7) Train by Error46146, R46 (F) Train by Ipaclansite

April 2008 - Rayv145, R142 (2) Train

May 2008 - R160 Maniac, R46 (F) Train

June 2008 - R160 Maniac, R160 (N) Train

July 2008 - Error46146, R32 (E) Train

August 2008 - Mike, 59th Street Tunnel

September 2008 - Rayv145, R142 (4) Train

October 2008 - Troxio, R160 (Q) Train

November 2008 - Kamakazi, R68 (D) Train

December 2008 - Troxio, R160 (N) Train

The most notable new train appearances of 2008: (Pics from Nycsubway.org)

R42, R40M, R40 Slant (A) Train

R42 taken by Glenn L. Rowe///R40M taken by Glenn L. Rowe ///R40 Slant taken by Glenn L. Rowe

R68 (B), R160 (B) Train Testing

R68 taken by David Pirmann///R160 (B) taken by Zach Summer

R40M, R40 Slant (C) Trains

(Photos in the blog already)

R42, R160 (E) Trains

R42 taken by Rich Panse///R160 taken by Leonard Wilson

R160 (J)/(Z) Train

R160 (J) taken by Peter Ehrlich

R160 (Q) Train

R160 taken by Zach Summer

R42 (R) Train (Photo from Subchat.Com)

R160 (W) Train

R160 taken by Gin Yee

2008 NYCT-BVE Releases:

January 20, 2008 - - The NYCTBA team

New York City Transit Authority Special
IND R1 Holiday 2007 Route
2nd Avenue, Manhattan to Queens Plaza, Queens

February 11, 2008 - - TJay1724

New York City Transit Authority
Fulton Ferry, Downtown Brooklyn to East New York, Brooklyn
1950 BMT Lexington Avenue Elevated Route

March 23, 2008 - - JayJay85

New York City Transit Authority
BMT (X) 2nd Avenue Express/Staten Island Local:
from Central Park West in Manhattan to Tottenville in Staten Island

April 8, 2008 - Harbourvale Line - nickgoh_45 (No picture available)

May 11, 2008 - - Coneykidw8

New York City Transit Authority (S)
Franklin Shuttle (Northbound)
Prospect Park to Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn

May 28, 2008 - - Rayv145

New York City Transit Authority (S)

Riverbank Park Shuttle
Riverbank Park - 149th Street-Grand Concourse

June 2, 2008 - Fun Coaster Route - Nickgoh_45 (No Picture Available)

July 1, 2008 - - 5_Baychester

New York Transit Authority
(H) Line Demo to Times Square
(No Picture Available)

August 3, 2008 - (O) - IND Queens Blvd Line

New York Transit Authority
Fictional New York City Transit (O) Line
From Rockaway Park B116 Street To Hook Creek Blvd
(No Picture Available)

August 21, 2008 - - Jayjay85

New York Transit Authority
New Jersey Shuttle Train
Leber Avenue, New Jersey to Washington Street-Perth Amboy, New Jersey
(No Picture Available)

October 9, 2008 - - Ipaclansite

New York City Transit Authority (G) Line
Court Square, Queens to Bedford-Nostrand, Brooklyn
Crosstown Local (Brooklyn Bound)

October 9, 2008 - - Greatxu

New York Transit Authority
NYCT-U Line
From Howard Beach to Bedford Park Boulevard

December 20, 2008 - - Jayjay85

New York Transit Authority
(Q) Line + (H) Bonus
(Q) - 57th Street, Midtown to Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

Contests:

PLEASE NOTE THAT VOTING IS STILL BEING DONE, AND THESE ARE NOT THE FINAL RESULTS.

PHOTO OF THE YEAR: (Will be decided by votes)

12. N/A
11. N/A
10. N/A
9. N/A
8. Troxio - December 2008 1 VOTE
7. Kamakazi - November 2008 1 VOTE
6. Troxio - October 2008 1 VOTE
5. Error46146 - July 2008 1 VOTE
4. R160 Maniac - June 2008 3 VOTES
3. Error46146 - March 2008 4 VOTES
2. Rayv145- September 2008 5 VOTES

1. Mike - August 2008 6 VOTES

Top 10 ROUTES OF THE YEAR: (Will be decided by votes)

10. N/A
9. N/A
8. N/A
7. N/A
6. N/A
5. (V) IND R1 Holiday 2007 Route by the NYCTBA Team 1 VOTE
4. NJ Shuttle by Jayjay85 1 VOTE
3. NYCT-(G) by Ipaclansite 3 VOTES
2. NYCT-(U) by Greatxu 4 VOTES
1. NYCT-(X) by Jayjay85 5 VOTES

Top 10 MOST NOTABLE BVESTATION/BVE EVENTS OF 2008: (Will be decided by votes)

10. N/A
9. N/A
8. N/A
7. N/A
6. N/A
5. N/A
4. N/A
3. Commencement of BVE5 (and the rebirth of Mackoy). 1 VOTE
2. Release of the (G) and (U). 4 VOTES
1. Super Route Tuesday (April 1, 2008) 4 VOTES

MOST NOTABLE MTA/Transit EVENT OF 2008

8. N/A
7. N/A
6. Proposed Budget Cuts 1 VOTE
5. R40/R42 (A)/(C)/(E) 1 VOTE
4. R160 Takeover on the N,Q,W,J,M,Z 1 VOTE
3. New South Ferry Terminal 2 VOTES
2. Retirement of the Old Generation Trains, R32,R38,R40,R42 3 VOTES
1. R160 (E)/(F) Testing 5 VOTES

MTA Adds More To Their Planned Budget Cuts by jtb1234

2008-12-30T15:02:00.004-05:00

Excerpted from:

http://secondavenuesagas.com/

Operate the N via the Manhattan Bridge Late Nights
Net Annual Savings: $390,000
30-Minute Headways 2 a.m.-5 a.m.
125 percent of seated-load weekday middays and evenings

The (N) operating via the Manhattan Bridge late nights could prove disastrous in the long run. That would make the (R) the only train running through the tunnel late nights, and we all know how slow the (R) is. I can understand the 30 minute head-ways, but some people actually work late nights and it would be horrible for them having to wait 30 minutes for just one train to come.

R160s On The (E) By Greatxu

2008-12-22T14:30:00.004-05:00

(Pictures from The Rail Fan Window Blog)

ABOUT DAMN TIME! DON'T CHA THINK?!

The R160's are officially in revenue service on the Queens Boulevard (E) line. This is a big BIG advantage to riders like me who rely on the (E) line and the (F), soon to be receiving the R160s. These trains are the MTA's newest, and will be taking over the Queens Blvd express lines (E)(F) in the near future. They are a far cry from the old screeching technologically deficient R32s that served the (E).

NYCT-H and NYCT-Q Released by Greatxu

2008-12-21T22:14:00.004-05:00

Two new BVE Route lines, the (Q) and the fictional (H), have been released by JayJay85, after a long wait.

New York City Transit Q Line from
57th Street, Midtown to Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn
Broadway Express

Here is some info on getting the route to work:

There are 6 route/object/sound downloads in the entire package:

OBJECT PACK 2 - The "Pennyslvania" folder goes in the "Richmond" folder in BVE\Railway\Object\Richmond.
OBJECT PACK 3 - The "Q2" folder goes to BVE\Railway\Sound.
OBJECT PACK 4 - The "QBrighton" folder goes to BVE\Railway\Object.
OBJECT PACK 5 - The "Cars" folder goes in the "Richmond" folder in BVE\Railway\Object\Richmond.
BONUS ROUTE - The "H" folder goes to BVE\Railway\Sound.
ROUTE FILE - This folder goes to BVE\Railway\Route.

NOTE: The "Richmond" folder does not come with the (Q)/(H) Package; it is available with the (X).

If your download works fine, each package should automatically install itself into the right location.

Jayjay85 also includes a complete list of the original station platform lengths of the IND, in the ROUTE FILE download, along with a fictional development story of the Staten Island Line. These files are in the 2007 Word Document format. If you have an older version of Microsoft Word, here is the link to the converter:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA100444731033.aspx

Follow the directions on that page.

If you're opening the route without BVE Route Randomizer, you need to make sure that your trains have the right names (go to BVE/Train, and your trains are listed in folders):

If you're playing NYCT-H Express: make sure you have a train called "R160B"
If you're playing NYCT-H: make sure you have a train called "R44"
If you're playing NYCT-Q Express: make sure you have a train called "R160B"
If you're playing NYCT-Q (to Atlantic): make sure you have a train called "R40 Slant"
If you're playing NYCT-Q (to Nicole Parker): make sure you have a train called "R40 Slant"

Your train names have to be exactly like that (no exceptions) or you'll get the subscript out of range error. It is because BVE recognizes the route exactly with the train it's for, unless you use BVE Route Randomizer.

Also note that this route takes drastically longer to load than other routes. It is similar to the (U) and (G) which take up to 10 minutes and more on my computer, can take even longer on other computers, and may not be playable on even slower computers.

If you have further problems feel free to ask anyone on BVEStation for help.

Enjoy! And here are some of Jayjay85's provided screenshots:

The Bush Shoe Incident by Greatxu

2008-12-15T17:32:00.002-05:00

Some of you may know, President Bush was "attacked" yesterday, in the weirdest of ways. An Iraqi news reporter decided to throw his two shoes at Bush.

It was an unannounced farewell visit, and before throwing the shoes, the reporter criticized Bush in Arabic, then launched the shoes at Bush, who I must say deserves some credit for that quick dodge. But honestly, if you're going to throw shoes at the President, at least make sure you hit him. A failed attempt gives you humiliation and doesn't help you gain anything. Although some people are taking this seriously, I see it as more of a joke incident. And come to think of it, if this is the type of opposition Bush faces, imagine what Obama may face. But if it were Obama there instead of Bush, I bet he'd catch those shoes like basketballs, then launch them back. Overall, a pretty odd occurrence, to take seriously in some respects but ultimately it won't become a huge deal.

Here's the video:

New South Ferry Station by Greatxu/Ipaclansite

2008-12-14T16:05:00.003-05:00

This was a featured story on the BVEStation homepage written by ipaclansite:

In the wake of 9/11, the federal government put more than $4 billion toward the economic recovery of Lower Manhattan. Seven years later, the first of the transit projects is finally nearing completion.

The new South Ferry Terminal has a $1.5 million installation by Brooklyn artists Mike and Doug Starn. Reflective glass tiles recall the trees in Battery Park, while a marble mosaic overlays maps of New York from 1640, 1860 and 1970. (Photo: aharon rothschild/metro)

The $530 million South Ferry Terminal opens next month. It’s under the old 1 subway station, which was built in 1905 and can only accommodate the first five cars of each train. The new ADA-compliant stop will not only allow today’s full ten-car trains: “It’s our first 21st century station,” said MTA capital construction chief Michael Horodniceanu, praising such innovations as a fire-alarm system that’s connected to escalators and ventilation fans.

The first new station since 1989 will link the subway with buses and the Staten Island Ferry. Wide granite platforms will be “air-tempered,” keeping temperatures cool on the hottest days, and riders can transfer to the R/W lines. More trains can be accommodated than in the old station, cutting four to six minutes off the average 1 rider’s trip.

“It’s overdue,” Horodniceanu said. The old station will be used for train storage.

Beneath Battery Park, workers discovered a fortification wall from the mid-1700s. Part of that wall is reconstructed at a station entrance.

http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/article/South_Ferry_subway_station_ready_finally/14564.html

Here the concept of the new South Ferry Station (from the MTA Capital Construction website):

From the MTA Website (what's new and to be expected):

A full-length platform that will accommodate two 10-car subway trains, allowing customers to board and alight from each subway car
Additional station entrances to reduce congestion and provide better access,and provide improved access to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and Battery Park.
A new free transfer between the line at the South Ferry Terminal and the and lines at Whitehall Street station.
Station accessibility compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The new South Ferry Terminal will be built with sufficient overrun track south of the platform to allow trains to safely enter at higher speeds.
The crossover tracks north of the station will utilize state-of-the-art switching technology
The overall design of the station will provide capacity for up to 24 trains per hour

My take on this: seems like a good and logical plan. The current South Ferry is famous for its narrow loop, which is very disadvantageous. Every train enters the station screeching unbelievably loud, and only its first five cars can fit inside. Moreover, in order to avoid the horrendously huge gap between the train and the platform, the MTA had to build manual platform extensions and block the gap with chains and gates. It's worth just trashing it completely and building a new one. Not to mention, an extra transfer (to Whitehall St. (R)(W)) always helps!

R40's on the C by Greatxu

2008-12-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

R40s (both the M and the Slants) are running on the (C) now. This was first reported (at least to me) by subchat.com. Although I don't consider it too significant, here are some things it can lead to:

1. The retirement of the R38 train (which is almost 100% of what the C consisted of).
2. The C will NOT (I repeat will NOT) get R46s, UNTIL R160s are delivered to Queens Blvd.
3. R160s on Queens Boulevard looks like a bigger possibility, now that both the R32 and R38 seem to be undergoing retirement.
4. 8th Ave will be undergoing a R40/R42 Renovation (as it already has), and may be undergoing even bigger changes in the future (R46s, no R44s, R160s possible).

Anyway here are the subchat.com pics:

NYCTA Route Updates By Greatxu

2008-11-27T12:01:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of the routes currently in progress on BVEStation:

NYCT-(4) Line by Crew of BVEStation (Kevin, Joe, BStyles, Rayv145, Edawg, Coneykidw8)

Here is the latest screenshot:

Brief History of the (4) Line by Coneykidw8:

The BVE version of the 4 line will depict the line in it's normal operating pattern from Utica Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn to Woodlawn in the Bronx. The section between Brooklyn Bridge and 38th Street and Park Avenue is part of the Original IRT subway line which was the first official subway line in New York City. The other parts were constructed at different times and considered add-ons to the original route.

Later versions of our route will include the late night and/or General Order run from New Lots Avenue a few stops north of Utica and the terminus of the 3 line to Woodlawn making all local stops. This will be the most graphically complete NYCTA BVE route to date as we will not stop working on a station until it is detailed according to pictures and data collected from our specially appointed data collectors and texture explorers and what not.

NYCT - (9) by Coneykidw8

Skeleton made by JayJay85. Will run through the non-fictional 7th Ave Local line, and into a fictional Staten Island line.

NYCT- (E) Manhattan Bound by Error46146 Queensbound by Cityrail_Oscars

Queens-bound announcements by Canarsie143.
Skeleton by Phantom909 (Joe).

NYCT-(L) by Danny21 and Canarsie143

NYCT-(Q) by BMT Nassau Streel Local and Kawasaki Plant

Harbourvale Line (Version 2) by nickgoh_45

INFO: The Harbourvale Line v2 begins from Harbourvale as before, continue the same route as v1, however the track layouts are different from v1. The route will stop at Shorevale, Rivervale, University, Chinatown, Central, Square Quays but not Square Quays Depot. Also, the route will however continue from Square Quays, plying the three new stations, named Blackton East, Blackton Central and Town Square

NYCT-(8) by Rayv145

INFO: The Bronx portion of the 3rd Avenue El, which is now replaced by the Bx55. The line takes place today, depicting what the line would look like if the MTA didn't close it down, and instead renovated the whole line. This line will use the R62A as it's main train, though of course you can change it in BRR. The BETA will go to Tremont Avenue, and the Final will go to Gun Hill Road. As of now, I'm about 80% done with 7 stations, and the whole route needs signals and smooth curves, except certain areas.

NYCT-(HL) by Bstyles

Runs from the World Trade Center to West 145th St. in Harlem\Washington Heights.

More updates soon!

808's and Heartbreak by Greatxu

2008-11-27T11:41:00.003-05:00

That's the name of Kanye West's new album, released on November 24, 2008. I bought my own copy at Best Buy, and here's my song by song review. Overall, a very impressive album, and definitely better than I expected.

1. Say You Will - 4.5/5 Very nice into in my opinion, definitely sets the tone. The song is rather simplistic, but Kanye uses his auto-tune to the best of his ability, and mixes it with a nice beat.

2. Welcome to Heartbreak - 3.5/5 Pretty good song, good beat.

3. Heartless - 4/5 - Kanye's second single off the album. Very nice and simple beat, and nice lyrics

4. Amazing - 3.5/5 - A relatively good song, but rather simple. One of Kanye's best beats, and it features Young Jeezy, who spits a good verse.

5. Love Lockdown - 3/5 - The hyped first single off Kanye's album. It has a definite meaning in its beat, and the fancy drums. It has a real catchy pattern, but it doesn't mix too well.

6. Paranoid - 4/5 - Very interesting song, sounds a bit like an 80's throwback. Has an interesting beat, and the auto-tune sounds pretty good.

7. RoboCop - 4.5/5 - Very nice work done. This song was leaked on the internet unfinished, but became a very nice end product.

8. Street Lights - 4/5 - Another simple yet meaningful song.

9. Bad News - 3/5 - Very simple and pretty catchy song, but I don't like the auto-tune.

10. See You In My Nightmares - 5/5 - This song is absolute fire. Very emotional song, and the beat/background music fits in with it. Wayne is featured - I'm not a Lil Wayne fan at all, but Kanye really uses him well here.

11. Coldest Winter 4/5 - Again another simple yet meaningful song. It's a pretty good end to the album (excluding the bonus track)

12. Pinocchio Story (Bonus) - 2/5 - This track really isn't needed. It's a freestyle at one of Kanye's concerts. It has meaning to it, but it doesn't vibe or have a "ring" to it.

Overall: 4/5

I would recommend this album if you listened to Kanye before or listen to pop or hip hop. It's a different feel, and has I guess a bittersweet sound in it. But it's worth the 10 bucks you'd pay for it.

Chocolat, a 1988 Film by Greatxu

2008-11-22T13:54:00.003-05:00

Recently in school, my English class was assigned to write an essay on a film we watched, called Chocolat.

For more info on the film, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolat_(1988_film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094868/

I wrote an essay describing the purpose and moral of the film, for which I received an excellent mark on. Here it is:

The film Chocolat portrays a society influenced both positively and negatively by European Society. Although there are clear racial boundaries between blacks and whites in the movie, the evidence of Protée’s relationship with both Aimée and France shows that their society is willing to unite and change for the better. However, France’s final exchange with Mungo and the eventual ending of the film shows that fully going beyond the originally established racial boundaries will take far longer than anticipated.

From the start of the film, it is apparent that Protée has an extended but complex relationship with Aimée. Although Protée and Aimée do not ever speak of love, they hint towards it through their actions. For example, Aimée asks Protée to help her put on her dress in one scene. Although there is relative silence within the scene, the two stare at each other in the mirror, as if they have a sexual longing for each other. Although Aimée and Protée know that society at that time would not allow them to pursue a relationship, their interactions show that they want to go beyond racial borders if society permits them.

Protée also has an interesting relationship with Aimée’s daughter, France. For example, France in one scene allows Protée to eat from her own plate and also shows Protée how to eat ants on the ground. Protée and France therefore share an existent relationship. Although the segregated nature created by the entrance of European society hinders equality between Protée, Aimée and France, it also portrays a society willing to move towards the right direction.

Although Protée, Aimée, and France’s relationships with one another demonstrate their willingness to surpass racial boundaries, France’s talk with Mungo shows how little has changed ever since the influence of European Society. Mungo may have offered a ride for France, but his decision to reject France’s offer to have a drink shows that the same racial boundaries that originated from European influence still exist in modern times. Mungo declines France’s offer due to a boundary set long before their confrontation, in which interracial dating was not allowed and highly condemned. Mungo’s message to France is that European Society may have influenced Africa, but it was not and will not be welcomed in the future. Mungo’s message is also supported by the ending scene of the modern African lifestyle, which has westernized but remained the same in many ways. Life is different for both whites and blacks in Cameroon, where the movie is filmed, in that western technology, such as planes and cars have been implemented in the country. However, as portrayed in the last scene of the film, blacks and whites are still segregated in the same manner as before Africa’s modernization. Blacks still hold tougher occupations such as in the airport, and whites like France have more of the pleasures of society, such as being able to ride a plane. Therefore, while the scheme of life in Africa changes by the end of the film, the racial boundaries left by European Society still remain in a variety of ways.

Although the racial boundaries in the movie may be affected by many different factors, the bar is set by the colonizing Europeans who entered Africa. As seen in Chocolat, the entrance of a new society collapsed a lasting balance in Africa, in which blacks largely became servants to whites and remain at the relative lower end of society, even beyond the end of the film. However, European Society also brought a sense of diversity to the continent of Africa, in which there is hope that one day the racial boundaries set long ago will no longer exist.

(Photo from Wikipedia)

The Ups and Downs of the MTA by Jtb1234

2008-11-22T13:51:00.000-05:00

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is one of the most important transportation agencies in the tri-state area, but it has been having some budget problems of late. Because of the financial crisis the country’s been going through, the MTA is making some controversial sacrifices to spare some money. In the board meeting they just had, the MTA decided to get rid of two lines, halve two more lines, decrease weekend and midday service, and get rid of some weekend bus routes.

The two lines that they plan to rid of are the Z (Nassau Street Express) and the W (Broadway local). However, they are very helpful in the MTA’s crazy schemes. The Z is the Nassau Street Express and skip-stops with the J during rush hours. Getting rid of the Z would increase ridership on the J during the rush hour excessively, probably almost filling it to capacity. The W is the Broadway and Astoria local but doesn’t run during late nights. It is the only local line that goes into Astoria and the only train from Astoria that goes into Whitehall. If they get rid of the W, that gets rid of a one stop ride from Astoria to lower Manhattan and also increases the ridership of the N excessively.

The two lines that would be halved, the G and the M, are some of the most important lines in the system. The G is the only train that goes through Brooklyn and Queens while not going into Manhattan, which gives it more ridership by going into different neighborhoods. Now a couple of years back, the MTA cancelled G service to 71st Continental Ave, except on weekends and late nights. Now, some people think that is one of the worst moves the MTA has ever made, but if this plan actually works out, it would never go to Continental AveBrooklyn could also prove disastrous. During rush hour, it goes from Myrtle Avenue to Bay Parkway, and is the other local along with the R. Now, the R train is one of the slowest in the system, and if it were the only local, it would be disastrous! It would make the R extremely crowded and because it is so slow, make some riders very angry. anymore. The M not going to

Now if I were in charge of the MTA and I wanted to save money, I wouldn’t get rid of all the lines. I would just half the order of the new R160 trains. It takes a lot of money to build them, so if the MTA didn’t buy as many, they would save money. They could also just use older cars that stay together like the R32 or the R40 instead of throwing all of this metal into the water!

State of BVEStation Address by ipaclansite

2008-11-16T16:01:00.003-05:00

These few months, there has been an issue brought up by the BVEStation Administration. The persistent flaming around the forum was definitely not what I had dreamed BVEStation to be. The chat room also goes beyond what I had pictured it to be. Sure we're all out of work or school, tired and just want to let off some steam, but it is our job to watch out for these things. And yes we all have flamed a little bit here and there, there's no question about that now. It is the staff's duty to watch over the activity around the forum, and it is the member's duty to keep a watchful eye on how things are being run, making sure that you respect each other's opinions, and resist flaming of each other. That rule, has gone untackled so many times, its been up to the point where its about time I have to say something.

It has been several weeks I have seen such things with my own eyes. We literally have people who are afraid to post on the forum because of their fear of being flamed around the forum, and this isn't the type of environment we should provide to our fellow members. The sections that I expect to see high amount of posts, have dwindled into all time lows, while the sections like the Off Topic sections have started increasing, while at the same time that section providing basis for flame wars to begin. I cannot tolerate this anymore, neither should the other staff members, and more importantly the members.

I say as members of BVEStation, we should tone down the flaming ourselves, welcome our new members, while maintaining a comfortable environment for everyone else who wishes to learn, interact, or ask questions.

For people who simply don't use the search function, just let it slide, do them a favor and find the topic for them, provide a link, and give them a friendly reminder to not do it the next time, this is what a useful and helpful member does. They provide detailed help to others, and not only does this increase the reputation of BVEStation being a helpful environment for the world, it makes you look good among the administration. There is no reason to flame one another because of their first offense.

My dream of BVEStation is to become a helpful and interesting environment for people who wish to learn how to build BVE content, this all ranges from route building, to object creation, to train building. We house some of the most special routes in the BVE World, we shouldn't house some of the most uncivilized people on the internet. BVEStation was designed to house these routes, and provide meaningful information for everyone. The forums, are the central discussion centers for people who seek this type of help. The chat room was designed for people who want quick answers. Ever since we started to grow, this dream has drived off alot. Compare ourselves to Trainsimcentral, how much more BVE oriented, and civilized they are. What are we, the neanderthals of the west, where all we do is flame others for our own satisfaction, and not for the sake of everyone else. We all have done it, we all have seen it. Its time for us to do something about it, and it starts with each and every one of us. BVEStation is our home on the internet, lets keep it a nice place.

-Kevin (ipaclansite)

R40 Slant on the (A) Line By Greatxu

2008-11-16T15:48:00.002-05:00

Although I've noted the changed on Queens Blvd, another line that has undergone quite a few transformations is the (A) line. Within the past one and a half years, the line has had many different trains run on it, and include:

Pictures from NYCSubway.Org, all taken by Glenn L. Rowe.

The R32

The R38

The R40M

The R42

The R44

The R160 (Testing)

And now, the R40 Slant!

God knows what the MTA is doing, but it is always interesting how all these trains have been congregated into one line. Personally, I've seen most of them in service, the exceptions being the R40 Slant and the R160 testing. As a former student of Stuyvesant, I used to take the (A) train on a regular basis. Before the entrance of the R40M, R42, R160 Testing and R40 Slant, the (A) usually consisted of mostly R44's and a relatively small but consistant upbringing of R32's and R38's. The change occurred during the second quarter of 2008, and R42's began to show up. At first, it was only one set, but as time proved, it sprouted. Then there came R40M sets, largely during the summer and fall of 2008. The R160 Testing also occurred during the summer. The R40 Slant was taken by Glenn three days prior to today (11/7/08). It's definitely something, considering how at this time a year ago, none of this was expected. Nowadays, there are presumably large numbers of R40's and R42's on the (A) line. There still remain quite a R44's, and a small amount of R38's. R32's are now rare, but there are still some that remain I assume. At this point, I predict the (A) will continue to receive R40's and R42's with some more slants, but these are temporary. There have been R179 (new train?) rumors that have developed, and R160's may appear one day again.

R160 Testing on the (E) Line by Greatxu and Error46146

2008-11-16T15:46:00.000-05:00

Error46146's Point of View: As you can see, it is not good. In my opinion it is very sad and horrible to see this on the E line, and once the E line is rid of its R32's and R42's and all you see is the R160, the E line will never ever be the same again. But at least its better than having the R46 on the E line.

Greatxu's Point of View: This is a long overdue testing, and I think it should've been done years ago. The (E) is arguably the second busiest BMT/IND line in the entire NYC Subway system, and literally uses the oldest trains in the system. Riders for years have had to deal with the endless screeching, inaudible announcements, loud trains and uncomfortable commutes on the (E) line. And I'm not the only one who considers the (E) in a bad state. In the last MTA Rider Report Card, the (E) was tied with several other lines for the worst line in the system, with a failing grade of D+. However, the R160 testing on the (E) provides an opening for a possibility of seeing these new trains on the line. It would certainly provide a more comfortable ride, and would make a daily commute more enjoyable and much (much) less of a hassle.

The 44th President of the United States By Greatxu

2008-11-16T15:45:00.003-05:00

I am pleased to announce that the next president of the United States who will succeed George W. Bush will be the Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. Obama won a historical election yesterday in what I (and many others) consider a landslide, surpassing by predictions (although they were in the most part accurate). Here are the results as of Wednesday afternoon, and two states are still not done counting votes (it is too close, but not an election decider):

SOURCE: RealClearPolitics.Com

Presidential Election

Barack Obama and Joe Biden 53% (364 EV)

John McCain and Sarah Palin 46% (163 EV)

7:00 ET	Obama	McCain			Obama	McCain
Georgia (15)	46%	53%	(99%)	South Carolina (8)	45%	54%	(99%)
Indiana (11)	50%	49%	(99%)	Vermont (3)	67%	32%	(97%)
Kentucky (8)	41%	58%	(100%)	Virginia (13)	52%	47%	(99%)
7:30 ET
North Carolina (15)	50%	49%	(100%)	Ohio (20)	51%	47%	(100%)
West Virginia (5)	43%	56%	(100%)
8:00 ET
Alabama (9)	39%	61%	(99%)	Massachusetts (12)	62%	36%	(100%)
Connecticut (7)	60%	39%	(98%)	Mississippi (6)	43%	57%	(99%)
Delaware (3)	62%	37%	(100%)	Missouri (11)	49%	50%	(100%)
DC (3)	93%	7%	(100%)	New Hampshire (4)	55%	45%	(94%)
Florida (27)	51%	49%	(99%)	New Jersey (15)	57%	42%	(99%)
Illinois (21)	62%	37%	(99%)	Oklahoma (7)	34%	66%	(100%)
Maine (4)	58%	41%	(97%)	Pennsylvania (21)	55%	44%	(99%)
Maryland (10)	61%	38%	(99%)	Tennessee (11)	42%	57%	(100%)
8:30 ET
Arkansas (6)	39%	59%	(100%)
9:00 ET
Arizona (10)	45%	54%	(99%)	New York (31)	62%	37%	(99%)
Colorado (9)	53%	45%	(99%)	North Dakota (3)	45%	53%	(100%)
Kansas (6)	41%	57%	(100%)	Rhode Island (4)	63%	35%	(98%)
Louisiana (9)	40%	59%	(100%)	South Dakota (3)	45%	53%	(100%)
Michigan (17)	57%	41%	(100%)	Texas (34)	44%	55%	(100%)
Minnesota (10)	54%	44%	(100%)	Wisconsin (10)	56%	43%	(100%)
Nebraska (5)	41%	57%	(99%)	Wyoming (3)	33%	65%	(100%)
New Mexico (5)	57%	42%	(100%)
10:00 ET
Iowa (7)	54%	45%	(100%)	Nevada (5)	55%	43%	(100%)
Montana (3)	47%	50%	(100%)	Utah (5)	34%	63%	(100%)
11:00 ET
California (55)	61%	37%	(97%)	Oregon (7)	56%	42%	(85%)
Hawaii (4)	72%	27%	(100%)	Washington (11)	58%	41%	(67%)
Idaho (4)	36%	61%	(100%)
1:00 ET	Obama	McCain			Obama	McCain
Alaska (3)	36%	62%	(99%)

In the Senate, the Democrats (Party of the USA) attained 6 more seats, and the Republicans obviously lost 6. In the house, Dems gained 19, GOP lost 19. However, there are quite a few battles left in the House and Senate, and even a recount issued. The presidential election is certainly settled, but the state of Missouri is still in the midst of uncertainty. It is certainly questionable whether Obama could possibly win in a landslide as big as today. I certainly didn't expect the result that came, especially states such as Indiana and Ohio, which appeared to lean Republican. However, Obama managed to squeak out the state of Indiana and won Ohio rather early. Here in New York, Obama won by a substantial margin as expected. According to CNN, Obama won each and every borough of NYC by more than 70%, with the exception of Staten Island, which actually went for McCain. Obama will take office on January 20, 2009, and as a supporter of Obama, I certainly can't wait.

2008 USA Presidential Election by Greatxu

2008-11-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, the USA will decide on who will become the next president. For those of you how somehow have missed all the publicity, here and the candidates:

Sen. Barack Obama (IL), Sen. Joe Biden (CT) (Dems)
Sen. John McCain (AZ), Gov. Sarah Palin (AK) (GOP)

First of all, I am not allowed to vote, because I am under 18, but if I were to support a candidate I would support Barack Obama.

Now here are a set of electoral maps for the race so far. For those of you who don't know, the next president will be decided on electoral votes, obtained by winning the popular vote of each state. Each state has a specific value of electoral votes, and winner takes all. Traditionally, Dems are Blue and GOP are Red. 270 Electoral Votes to win.

RealClearPolitics.Com:

Electoral-Vote.Com:

CNN:

NY Times:

FOX News:

Ok there are probably hundreds more, but all of them except one by the looks of it project an Obama win, the only one not projecting the win still projecting a large Obama lead (just not up to 270 yet). Now here's my prediction, using RealClearPolitics.Com:

Mine is based on polls but not entirely, and it's basically an Obama win, but not really a landslide as some of the other maps show. First, I basically categorized my battleground states, which I consider:

Nevada
Colorado
Florida
Virginia
North Carolina
Ohio
Indiana
Missouri
Montana
North Dakota

Now there are 4 states that others may categorize as battlegrounds, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Georgia. Arizona has tightened within only the last 3 days however, and I can't see McCain losing his home states. Pennsylvania is considered a battleground by numerous people, but I don't consider it one, because there has not been a poll showing McCain with any type of lead there since April or May. I've used the same logic of Georgia. Obama has been up only in one entire poll there, and only by 1%. New Mexico isn't a battleground to me because Obama seems to have sustained a stable lead there, and there has been a poll that showed Obama leading by more than 10% (not even Clinton surpassed that). Now here's how I arranged the battlegrounds:

Nevada - Obama. The state seemed to go for McCain during the summer, but right now, I've seen polls above 5%, which is nothing close to a guarantee, but a lean. However, I can see McCain winning Nevada nonetheless (it's possible, he's been up in many polls, just not recent ones).

Colorado - Obama. The state's been in the mix the entire year. It has demographics that clearly favor McCain, but right now, the polls point towards Obama. McCain led for a period of time after Palin was his VP, but it's history now. McCain can win Colorado, but it's unlikely

Florida - McCain. Florida was one of the two states (the other one Michigan) where there wasn't a real primary, and this state basically won the primaries for McCain. The demographics kind of favor Obama, but McCain has had some strong support there. Polls show a slight Obama lead, but there were polls showing a Romney lead during the primaries, and McCain won by a small but stable margin.

Ohio - McCain. The state has some polls trending toward Obama, but the state was not good for Obama during the primaries, and during that time there was a rather large lack of support for him. McCain has also campaigned in Ohio and it has gone towards Bush twice already.

Virginia - Obama. Virginia was a big win for Obama during the primaries, and the polls have had him up by 6-8%, while McCain's been up by 4% or less in the summer. Generally, this state is considered by some people to be Obama already not a battleground, but McCain has a small but possible chance of winning this state, because of the Republican background. It is worthy to note that if Obama wins this state when the polls close at 7pm, the election will almost certainly be over, since Obama will have 272 Electoral Votes even without winning any of the other battleground states I've listed.

North Carolina - Obama. This state favored McCain all summer but by less than 4%, but has now favored Obama by those margins. Right now, people are really divided on this state, but I smell an upset. North Carolina more or less won Obama the primaries, and rejuvenated him after the Rev. Wright controversy. The margin of victory in North Carolina for Obama was larger than expected, and a momentum shift, and the polls only lean closer to an Obama win.

Indiana - McCain. It's a typical Republican state, and it's been in the mix only recently, after the economic crisis. McCain has seen leads of up to say 5% here, while Obama's had about the same, but less of those 5% and more of those 2-4%. McCain to me has the poll advantage, and also the demographic advantage.

Missouri -McCain. A typical Ohio-like state, with varying demographics. This one is very tight and very hard to predict, because it was one of those nail-biter and weird Democratic Primaries, where Obama was down by 20% with 50% precincts but managed to win by like 1%. However, it's gone Republican for Bush the last two times, and I don't think it will change this time. Polls have the race here for Obama McCain like 1-2%.

Montana/North Dakota - McCain. Both states are about the same, and have very with Electoral votes. These states are Republican States, but Obama's had an impact, which is why I have these as battleground states. The Democratic Caucuses showed large support for Obama that was unexpected, but not too stable. Obama's had some leads here, but McCain has had the larger ones, and the Palin effect.

WINNER: Obama. McCain can do it people, but it's like being down 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a football game. The odds are against him because he has to win all the battleground states that I listed in order to win, or shake up Pennsylvania, the only Kerry state that appears to have any possibility of shifting. And even when he shifts Pennsylvania, he still needs to win a large majority of the battleground states.

Here is a list of BVEStation Endorsements:

Greatxu - Obama
Phantom909 - McCain
Error46146 - Obama
Danny21- McCain
Kawasaki_Plant - Obama
Butters007 - Obama
Jayjay85 - Obama
Blackmanor1000 - McCain
Bstyles - Obama
Coneykidw8 - Obama
Amtrak_Train_7_Empire_Builder - Obama

39th Annual NYC Marathon By Greatxu

2008-11-16T10:25:00.000-05:00

The 39th Annual ING New York City Marathon took place today, and over 35,000 people took part in more than 26 miles of running through each of the five boroughs of New York City. Every year, it gets bigger and bigger.

Congrats this year to:

Men's winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil
Men's runner up Abderrahim Goumri of Morocco
Men's third place winner Daniel Rono of Kenya
Women's winner Paula Radcliffe of the UK
Women's runner up Ludmila Petrova of Russia
Women's third place winner Kara Goucher of USA
Wheelchair Winner Kurt Fearnley of Australia
Handcyclist Winner Arkadiusz Skrzypinski of Poland

I went out to cheer runners on today, and I was around the vicinity of 5th Ave 59th Street. I didn't catch up to the wheelchair or handcyclist winner, but here's what I got with my camera: All photos are taken by Greatxu (Jerry).

The Queer Q60 By Error46146

2008-11-16T10:18:00.000-05:00

I ride the Q60 bus on a frequent basis and one lovely thing I've noticed (and my fellow passengers have as well) is that the Q60 has this lovely habit of coming once every like 20 minutes, and when it finally does come you see three, four buses coming in at a time. Why?? Why do they have four buses come once every twenty minutes? Wouldn't it be so much more efficient if they had one bus come every five minutes instead of four every twenty?

The MTA really needs to do something about this, I know the Q60 is a very long route and delays can happen, but I highly doubt that the delays are so coincidental every single time and three buses get delayed and fall behind with the fourth one, the MTA should at least try to even out the service on the Q60.

This happens with other bus lines too, sometimes they have two buses at a time on the Q23, Q11, Q53, etc, but those are very crowded bus lines, but I've noticed that they only go up to two buses at a time and also the buses come on a frequent regular basis. The Q60 isn't really that crowded when you think about it, it's only crowded because it takes so long for a bus to come and the line at the bus stops build up therefore creating crowding.

So therefore I think the MTA should at least try to do something about this problem and try to even out the Q60 service. The end.

An Orion VII bus on the Q60. If you look carefully, you'll see another Q60 in the back (therefore proving my point, and yes two more came after these two). Photo by error46146

MTA Bus Orion VII Next Generation Hybrid By Greatxu

2008-11-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

For those of you who may not know yet, the MTA has a new bus in service, thus the title. I've been lucky enough to catch one and ride in it, and have a couple of photos (bad quality because it's my camera phone). And here's what I noticed:

-Much quieter than the other hybrids (at least the ones they run in Queens)
-The seats that were originally made out of plastic actually seem like they are made out of metal now
-The other hybrids were generally black inside, the new one has gray in place of the black
-"PLEASE EXIT THROUGH THE REAR DOOR" automated announcement
-Back door doesn't have that tape anymore, and it opens only when the bus driver wants it to
-All the tapes are gone, it's 100% cords
-Shiny :D

However, it doesn't feel that different from the older hybrids.....it's the same general design, the seating arrangement's largely the same. But it's always nice to have a new shiny bus than an old broken one.

-My bus was running on the M16 Route in Manhattan, #3817
-Photo One Taken By Adam E. Moreira and may be found here

-Photos Two and Three Taken By Greatxu (Jerry)

Will Queens Boulevard Change For Real? By Greatxu

2008-11-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

Queens Boulevard isn’t completely the same anymore underground. It actually seems to be getting some attention. There’ve been many cries of change down under, not from those Obama posters in every station, but the trains themselves. There’s definitely something going on when you see a big blue (E), something that’s been missing for decades. There’s definitely something going on when your train isn’t crawling past Roosevelt Avenue every morning and living up to the term “express.” There’s definitely something going on when a daily morning commute feels more like a routine than an adventure.

The IND Queens Boulevard Line has been largely the same ever since the controversial decision to create the (V) line, and re-route the (F) via the 63^rd Street Tunnel. The (E) and (F) have been the default express lines, and the (R) has been the default local line. The (V) has always and will likely continue to be just “there” if unchanged. And for those of us who take the (E) and (F) (especially the E), we always know we’re going to stand and squeeze our way into our trains. Roosevelt Avenue has always been the most notorious station in Queens, due to its overcrowding and confusion upon the faces of each and every commuter there. And ever since the 90’s, Queens Boulevard has consistently run R46’s on the (F), (R) and when introduced, the (V) line, while the (E) has consistently used R32 trains. Occasionally, each commuter is greeted with the R32 (F) or (R) surprise, or the R46 (E) surprise. However, there has rarely ever been anything else on Queens Blvd, with the exception of garbage trains (which actually makes the R32 sound bearable to me) and one R38 (V) train a few years back. However, for a period of time, Queens Blvd was prospering, stable and as calm as it could ever be. But like the rest of the system, Queens Boulevard has been growing in unprecedented rates in the past couple of years, and something truly needs to be done. A daily commute, especially on the (E) and (F) lines, has become more of a scramble for a seat and a squeeze.

But recently, we’ve all been noticing some changes, the two most notable ones being the R42s on the (E), and the new R160 testing on the (F). R42s on the (E) is definitely something different, but has it really helped Queens Blvd? I would say largely not. The R42 trains are still overcrowded with passengers as usual, have many air conditioning problems just like the default R32s, and have noticeable rust throughout the exterior. However, R42s do help in one specific way. It was always been hard to distinguish an R32 (E) train from an R32 (F) train, because in the LED signs on the R32, they appear nearly the same. However, if there were to be an R42 (E) and an R42 (F), they would be easily distinguishable. However, a commute on an R42 does not feel too different from a commute on a R32. There has also been some very recent R160 testing on the (F) line. The thought of a R160 running shifts on Queens Boulevard may be a nightmare to rail fans, but a welcome surprise to daily commuters. Although trains would still be overcrowded, it would certainly be a much more comfortable and calm ride. However, testing has not guaranteed future service.

Queens Blvd has only seen some signs of interest recently. It may just be the typical small surprise that does not lead somewhere. However, the line has truly been shifting in the right direction recently. By no means is a test run or faster commute a promise of change, but there have been many points in which Queens Blvd commuters have wondered if anything would be done to help the worsening situation down under. But during these past few days, I think there’s hope that one day I’ll actually enjoy my daily morning commute.

Left: R42 on the (E) line (by Error46146)
Right: R160 on the (M) Line (by Error46146)