It seems like every time I work in St. John's the traffic gets crazier, and it's not the driver's fault, for the most part, it is the infrastructure. The roads in St. John's were not built to accommodate any sort of growth. Actually its that way in most of Newfoundland, but because most of the growth is happening on the Avalon Peninsula, the problem is compounded in the capital city.
Take for instance the TCH all across the province. There is about 900 kms of highway from East to West and we're lucky if 200 kms of that is actually divided highway. A divided highway is safer and allows traffic to flow more easily because the passing lane is always available, yet most of our highway is missing the passing lane. As someone who travels across the province a lot and is often pressed for time while doing so, having to slow down and go behind a car on the highway who's maximum speed seems to be 80 km/h really blows!
Although in certain cases the two lane divided highway isn't always efficient - i.e. the outer ring road. Traffic in the morning and evening is always slow on it, in both lanes. Some of that is the driver's fault for blocking two lanes with their slow speed rather than one, but some of it is the design of the roadway. There is very little room in which to merge from an exit to the highway, therefore the slow cars in the right lane have to veer into the left lane to allow the people merging to get on the highway, which causes all sorts of traffic jams.
Basically this complaint isn't going anywhere, because it is too late. Not much can be done about existing roadways, but why didn't the Government of Newfoundland take examples from other places that have 3-4 or more lanes on the highways? Most places have carpool lanes and bus lanes (which would be awesome on the outer ring road), but for some reason our roads could not be designed and built this way. Either the people building them had no foresight or faith in population growth in Newfoundland or they were just too cheap or poor at the time to do it. Either way it is a very frustrating experience, especially when you've been to large cities like Miami and Los Angeles who have humongous populations, yet traffic on their freeways seems to flow way better.
Download:
Away From Me - Puddle of Mudd
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
No Wonder No Bands Come Here
Upon hearing that neither Goo Goo Dolls concerts in Newfoundland has sold out, when they have everywhere else, it made me really frustrated. It shows why no modern bands come to Newfoundland, because they can't get the support. If one of the most successful alternative rock bands in the last 15 years cannot sell 1000 tickets, then why would other promoters think they can bring bands here and expect to sell out?
I don't know if its the venue and older people don't want to go to a stand up concert, or if its the damn "scene kids" around St. John's who are too afraid to go because they're not allowed to like something that could be considered popular music, but either way I'm getting afraid that it is going to end up cancelled, and that would be terrible.
Download:
Sympathy - Goo Goo Dolls
I don't know if its the venue and older people don't want to go to a stand up concert, or if its the damn "scene kids" around St. John's who are too afraid to go because they're not allowed to like something that could be considered popular music, but either way I'm getting afraid that it is going to end up cancelled, and that would be terrible.
Download:
Sympathy - Goo Goo Dolls
Monday, December 13, 2010
Unprepared
*To all my followers who have been patient during my long delay in posts, thank you. For the two that ripped me on Facebook about it, please realize that this blog is something fun I do when I have free time. I do not have a set schedule or maximum time between blogs. If I do this, it becomes more like work and less of a hobby for me. I have been very busy over the past three weeks traveling across the province for work, studying for exams and with other social commitments and as a result have not always had access to a computer. Blogging is not my priority, nor will it be my priority. I will blog when I have the time and have something I want to talk about. It will be on my own schedule, so while you are free to complain or boycott the blog I will not be changing my habits for anyone for fear that it will become a duty.
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The news story about the Bay Bulls man who had barricaded himself in his home with a weapon has been beaten to death, but that's what makes it so bad for the RCMP. I generally respect and feel safe with our police force, but after the Bay Bulls incident, I can honestly say I have lost some faith in it.
When something strange like this incident or something rare like a murder occurs, most of us assume our police force probably isn't fully equipped to deal with it. And that's not a knock on the training they receive or how hard they work, it's just that practice makes perfect. In any job, you can receive copious amounts of training but until you actually get to put that to use in a real-life scenario than it is hard to be good at it. So while the lunatic escaping the house undetected is inexcusable it is not overly surprising considering how little this type of thing happens (which is a good thing).
However what really makes the RCMP look bad is that they were on the news EVERY day stating that they are ready for ANY situation, and that they have everything under control. They claim they are fully prepared for this situation and whatever occurs they have it under control but were committing for a peaceful resolution. It's great that they wanted peace (although its better TV if they didn't), but they really made themselves look like a bunch of morons when the crazy guy, who had access to weapons and had shown a willingness to use them manages to sneak away from them and get 23 km before a common citizen notices him! Someone could have easily been hurt or even killed by this man, and all because the RCMP clearly did not have everything covered. I know it was 8 days and people were probably exhausted, but when it comes to the public safety, you do not have any room for error, but unfortunately the local police force was exposed as having a lot of errors. You would think they would know every exit point in the house and have 1-2 people watching these points, just in case the guy came out. He could have snuck out and started shooting at the police and they wouldn't have even known what was happening until they started getting hit with bullets. It's totally unacceptable and my confidence level in these guys went down.
We are still awaiting official word on how it happened, and I am begging of the RCMP to not come up with excuses and to just admit openly that they were not fully prepared and that they screwed up BIG TIME. Although that probably won't happen.
So hopefully lesson learned, however if I ever find myself in a hostage situation, I won't be thanking my lucky stars that the RCMP or RNC are on the case.
Download:
Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney
===============================================================
The news story about the Bay Bulls man who had barricaded himself in his home with a weapon has been beaten to death, but that's what makes it so bad for the RCMP. I generally respect and feel safe with our police force, but after the Bay Bulls incident, I can honestly say I have lost some faith in it.
When something strange like this incident or something rare like a murder occurs, most of us assume our police force probably isn't fully equipped to deal with it. And that's not a knock on the training they receive or how hard they work, it's just that practice makes perfect. In any job, you can receive copious amounts of training but until you actually get to put that to use in a real-life scenario than it is hard to be good at it. So while the lunatic escaping the house undetected is inexcusable it is not overly surprising considering how little this type of thing happens (which is a good thing).
However what really makes the RCMP look bad is that they were on the news EVERY day stating that they are ready for ANY situation, and that they have everything under control. They claim they are fully prepared for this situation and whatever occurs they have it under control but were committing for a peaceful resolution. It's great that they wanted peace (although its better TV if they didn't), but they really made themselves look like a bunch of morons when the crazy guy, who had access to weapons and had shown a willingness to use them manages to sneak away from them and get 23 km before a common citizen notices him! Someone could have easily been hurt or even killed by this man, and all because the RCMP clearly did not have everything covered. I know it was 8 days and people were probably exhausted, but when it comes to the public safety, you do not have any room for error, but unfortunately the local police force was exposed as having a lot of errors. You would think they would know every exit point in the house and have 1-2 people watching these points, just in case the guy came out. He could have snuck out and started shooting at the police and they wouldn't have even known what was happening until they started getting hit with bullets. It's totally unacceptable and my confidence level in these guys went down.
We are still awaiting official word on how it happened, and I am begging of the RCMP to not come up with excuses and to just admit openly that they were not fully prepared and that they screwed up BIG TIME. Although that probably won't happen.
So hopefully lesson learned, however if I ever find myself in a hostage situation, I won't be thanking my lucky stars that the RCMP or RNC are on the case.
Download:
Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Stingy
To Kim: If someone can disrespect Big Ralph then they are a jerk, especially if we was wearing his sad old man glasses.
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Today I went to Subway in Grand Falls-Windsor for my lunch. It was busy as is usually the case around lunch, and as a result the owner is usually working there on the cash. To give you the background on the type of person she is before I get into the story, the rumor is that she has her closed caption security cameras sending a live video feed to her house so she can monitor her employees when she isn't in the store.
So anyway today I ordered my sub and everything went smooth with me, however I noticed something weird with the person behind me's order. The server had put a handful of napkins, maybe 5 or 6 in with the girl's sub, but apparently the owner of Subway thought this was too much. In front of me and the other customer, she put her hand in the girl's sub bag, hauled out the napkins and removed all but two of them, and then shot a hard look at the employee who was obviously new. How stingy are you that you can't afford to give up 3 or 4 extra napkins? It's not cause you're poor, because a) you franchised a subway and b) those ridiculously white dentures you have in your mouth probably cost a quite a bit (you know the kind I'm talking about, the ones that are so white they can't possibly be real unless your Bon Jovi).. I always thought the management at that place was a little tight because they don't take points cards because that would mean giving out free subs eventually, but when I saw that it really kicked in for me. Quite ridiculous. Next time she is working I'm asking for extra napkins!
In other news, kudos to Wal-Mart employees for verifying signatures on credit card invoices. When you pay now with a credit card they hold the card and compare your signature on the back of it to the one you just put on the invoice. I don't know if they'd actually call you out on a difference, but it takes the whole squiggle your name out of the equation, unless you squiggled on the back of the card. However on a go-forward basis I suggest Wal-Mart starts using the machines that allow you to just put in your PIN number with your chip card.
Download:
Just a Dream - Nelly
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Today I went to Subway in Grand Falls-Windsor for my lunch. It was busy as is usually the case around lunch, and as a result the owner is usually working there on the cash. To give you the background on the type of person she is before I get into the story, the rumor is that she has her closed caption security cameras sending a live video feed to her house so she can monitor her employees when she isn't in the store.
So anyway today I ordered my sub and everything went smooth with me, however I noticed something weird with the person behind me's order. The server had put a handful of napkins, maybe 5 or 6 in with the girl's sub, but apparently the owner of Subway thought this was too much. In front of me and the other customer, she put her hand in the girl's sub bag, hauled out the napkins and removed all but two of them, and then shot a hard look at the employee who was obviously new. How stingy are you that you can't afford to give up 3 or 4 extra napkins? It's not cause you're poor, because a) you franchised a subway and b) those ridiculously white dentures you have in your mouth probably cost a quite a bit (you know the kind I'm talking about, the ones that are so white they can't possibly be real unless your Bon Jovi).. I always thought the management at that place was a little tight because they don't take points cards because that would mean giving out free subs eventually, but when I saw that it really kicked in for me. Quite ridiculous. Next time she is working I'm asking for extra napkins!
In other news, kudos to Wal-Mart employees for verifying signatures on credit card invoices. When you pay now with a credit card they hold the card and compare your signature on the back of it to the one you just put on the invoice. I don't know if they'd actually call you out on a difference, but it takes the whole squiggle your name out of the equation, unless you squiggled on the back of the card. However on a go-forward basis I suggest Wal-Mart starts using the machines that allow you to just put in your PIN number with your chip card.
Download:
Just a Dream - Nelly
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