THE THREAD!!!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Historiker

And I have to return to wintery Germany in a few days [:(]

Already? [:(]

The plane leaves 12/5

[:(]

I know your time here has not yet ended, but how would you rate your experience, Herr Historiker? Still looking to emigrate Deutschland?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
I have no idea what justifies these rail prices in San Fernando Valley, CA when in order to get to Camarillo by car all I have to do is hop on the 118 freeway for 40 minutes. There is never any traffic, the scenery is very much enjoyable, the roads are in perfect condition and there are oodles of parking everywhere. I just dont understand it.

Bozo urban planners that think that the Los Angeles basin should emulate the Eastern US / Metro London / Paris in all ways? People that forget that that area was a cropland 50 years ago and won't ever be an urban hub justifying mass transit? People that vote for a 90 billion dollar high speed rail system with its first station in rural central California? [8|]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

Looking for hiking trails near my house, get this.....[:D]

Yeah. One of my buddies in SoCal backed up to the Santa Monica mountains. Delapidated former Nike missile site behind his house too. Never could find the trigger system. [:D]

[Chickenboy]

Heyyy...a Deutschland emigration UNP...[8D]

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
I have no idea what justifies these rail prices in San Fernando Valley, CA when in order to get to Camarillo by car all I have to do is hop on the 118 freeway for 40 minutes. There is never any traffic, the scenery is very much enjoyable, the roads are in perfect condition and there are oodles of parking everywhere. I just dont understand it.

Bozo urban planners that think that the Los Angeles basin should emulate the Eastern US / Metro London / Paris in all ways? People that forget that that area was a cropland 50 years ago and won't ever be an urban hub justifying mass transit? People that vote for a 90 billion dollar high speed rail system with its first station in rural central California? [8|]

Well, I dont think that these efforts are entirely baseless. For example, there is a relatively new commuter express bus that runs from North Hollywood to Chatsworth and Woodland Hills that seems like an awesome idea. They took the old, disused land that used to belong to a local rail line which runs parallel to Oxnard Ave./Victory Blvd and built a dedicated bus lane, with synchronized lights. At rush hour these busses basically skip every stoplight. A buddy of mine who lives in Hollywood and works here in Chatsworth takes it to work every day. The ride takes about an hour and costs only a couple of bucks for a one-way trip. This in comparison to a similar or greater time spent in traffic on the 101/405/118 and probably double the cost in gas without even figuring in the wear and tear on the vehicle. That idea I can absolutely get behind.

They also put in parking lots at every station where people can park their cars before hopping on the mass transit and even a biking/jogging track that runs from almost North Hollywood to Woodland Hills. I dont know when you were here last, Andre, but from my recollection of 10 years ago when I moved to NY the traffic in the LA area has gotten much worse! It used to be that the only places you could really count on hitting traffic was the 405 around the Getty Museum/Mulholland Pass area and Downtown. Now pretty much any time I've gotten on the 101 its been a parking lot. These commuter buses and subways make perfect sense in the urban areas. But Chatsworth is pretty much the suburban boonies and the Metrolink line doesnt even go to the city. [8|]

My real complaint is the prices. If these trains cost $2-$5, you bet your chicken farm that people would be using them more often. Why would I drive 40 minutes and spend $10-12 bucks in gas if I could drive to the train station, park my car and enjoy the trip at my ease? Another complaint is that once you get there, there are virtually no other commuter services to get you around the place like there are in "real" metropolitan centers. For example, I could take this thing to Anaheim for $15 one way. But once I get there, I have no real way of getting to either Disneyland or the stadiums. So what's the actual point?

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

Looking for hiking trails near my house, get this.....[:D]

Yeah. One of my buddies in SoCal backed up to the Santa Monica mountains. Delapidated former Nike missile site behind his house too. Never could find the trigger system. [:D]

I dont know why, but when I saw this my first thought was "Fallout 4". [:D]

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Heyyy...a Deutschland emigration UNP...[8D]

My fault entirely. You never should have had that one. [:D]

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Dixie

No turns and cold weather make Dixie a sad boy [:(]

No pity for you here. [:-]

Procrastination gets its just deserts. [:'(]

I'll have you know that negotiations are ongoing at the highest levels of the Japanese military hierarchy as to the best options available to prosecute the upcoming hostilities.

Seeing as T is not here, I feel duty bound to ask whether procrastination should get its just desserts?... [:'(]

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Grollub

ORIGINAL: Apollo11

Hi all,

How is weather in Sweden per?

Winter arrived?


Leo "Apollo11"

Not even close. So far very warm for the season. Normally, we should've seen some snow come and go by now. Not a snowflake in sight yet though.

Any sign of Oland replacing Majorca as Europe's resort destination? [:D]

No.

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Grollub

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Gentlemen: I have an announcement. The latest member of the Chickenboy household has been brought home today. I give you little "Sig":

Hmm. Looks like a nice little toy. Have to get a weapons license sometime. Nice relaxation.

You're not allowed to own weapons, Per? [X(]

As a private person, no. No big deal though. I've never felt the need for owning a gun. Looking at all my colleagues and friends I only know one guy that owns some guns and he's competing with them.

Note one; Hunting weapons are quite widespread though as many of the citizens can get access to hunting areas.

Note two; I still have the weapons I'm assigned as an officer, but those are stored at a regiment.

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Historiker

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo




But Per is active military. [X(]

So?

They think about forcing german sportsmen to store their guns at the shooting range. So they can buy a gun, but never own it.

Hunters might face the same thing.

Seems more than a little silly. One of the things I've never objected to in the US is gun ownership. My feeling is that people with a criminal intent who are looking to obtain weapons, will generally be able to obtain them despite laws. Certainly its true that unrestricted sale of ammunition which comes with gun ownership laws also aids those with criminal intent, but I also feel that lack of ammo availability would not serve as a significant-enough deterrent to these people. Somehow, I doubt that gang members, bank robbers etc. spend hundreds of hours and thousands of rounds honing their marksmanship skills. [8|]

What makes you think that ammo is any easier to come by? You have to own a weapon to be allowed to buy ammo ... [;)]

Also, I think the the relative crime rates (especially concerning the more serious ones like homicide) speaks for itself.

[sprior]

negotiations are ongoing at the highest levels of the Japanese military hierarchy as to the best options available to prosecute the upcoming hostilities.

More cunning that a fox that's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.

[sprior]

I still have the weapons I'm assigned as an officer, but those are stored at a regiment.

Yeah, they made me leave the missiles on the submarine too.

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: sprior

I still have the weapons I'm assigned as an officer, but those are stored at a regiment.

Yeah, they made me leave the missiles on the submarine too.

[:D]

[Symon]

ORIGINAL: USS America
... and over 700 of those miles were on Interstate 95.... [;)]

And some of them were maybe on I-85 down to Montgomery and then I-65 down to the fetid swamps of South Alabama.

Hi, ya Mikey. Been 5 months since I was banned for 3 and they still can't get their poop together. Don't care squat about the JWE account, since I have no intention of talking to the forum. So Symon seems good for here. Besides, SuluSea (Eddie) needs a righteous Caribbean buddy to hang with.

Had a ball with Torsten. I was being an honest host and taking him to where he could get some decent Bavarian beer (Alabama is one of the last little pissy Baptist States, where all booze comes from the annaly constricted wisdom of the Alcohol Beverage Commission, i.e., you can't get Jack that's any good). But luckily, I'm only a half hour from Florida so I can get whatever I want with a teensy bit of effort. Thank God for Interstate highways.

So Torsten starts pulling out these cigars, from the humidor. A lot of them I couldn't smoke, because he had a bunch that he had to try and make pronunciamento on. But he gave me some righteous mild ones (saved the wrappers for tomorrow) that were honest to gosh toothsome. Sweet and Slow and didn't bite and tasted like sweet earth with a hint of leather. Torsten was teaching me a lot about cigar 'tastes', Some of them I could get, but others are for cigars I don't smoke. I'm a light-it, chew-it, talk with my mouth full of it kinda guy. It was a real treat to smoke a cigar with an honest afficianado.

Alright, so I still owe you a dinner on last years Army/Navy game. I pay my debts, so don't be surprised if your half-Yankee ass gets a visit I-85 to Charlotte and then... Not far pal.

So I know NC ain't doing doo-doo in the SEC or BCS, so I won't go there. When I was in college, it was up North and the Bruins were kings. That ws back in the days of Sanderson, Esposito, Bucyk, Cashman, Cheevers, Orr, Doak and Hodge. Then my ex-wife of 22 years was from Detroit and if I wasn't a RedWings fan, I was seriously toast ( I mean, like don't touch me, and roll over), Woof.

So, sup bro? s'happin'in?

JWE

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo
I have no idea what justifies these rail prices in San Fernando Valley, CA when in order to get to Camarillo by car all I have to do is hop on the 118 freeway for 40 minutes. There is never any traffic, the scenery is very much enjoyable, the roads are in perfect condition and there are oodles of parking everywhere. I just dont understand it.

Bozo urban planners that think that the Los Angeles basin should emulate the Eastern US / Metro London / Paris in all ways? People that forget that that area was a cropland 50 years ago and won't ever be an urban hub justifying mass transit? People that vote for a 90 billion dollar high speed rail system with its first station in rural central California? [8|]

Well, I dont think that these efforts are entirely baseless. For example, there is a relatively new commuter express bus that runs from North Hollywood to Chatsworth and Woodland Hills that seems like an awesome idea. They took the old, disused land that used to belong to a local rail line which runs parallel to Oxnard Ave./Victory Blvd and built a dedicated bus lane, with synchronized lights. At rush hour these busses basically skip every stoplight. A buddy of mine who lives in Hollywood and works here in Chatsworth takes it to work every day. The ride takes about an hour and costs only a couple of bucks for a one-way trip. This in comparison to a similar or greater time spent in traffic on the 101/405/118 and probably double the cost in gas without even figuring in the wear and tear on the vehicle. That idea I can absolutely get behind.

They also put in parking lots at every station where people can park their cars before hopping on the mass transit and even a biking/jogging track that runs from almost North Hollywood to Woodland Hills. I dont know when you were here last, Andre, but from my recollection of 10 years ago when I moved to NY the traffic in the LA area has gotten much worse! It used to be that the only places you could really count on hitting traffic was the 405 around the Getty Museum/Mulholland Pass area and Downtown. Now pretty much any time I've gotten on the 101 its been a parking lot. These commuter buses and subways make perfect sense in the urban areas. But Chatsworth is pretty much the suburban boonies and the Metrolink line doesnt even go to the city. [8|]

My real complaint is the prices. If these trains cost $2-$5, you bet your chicken farm that people would be using them more often. Why would I drive 40 minutes and spend $10-12 bucks in gas if I could drive to the train station, park my car and enjoy the trip at my ease? Another complaint is that once you get there, there are virtually no other commuter services to get you around the place like there are in "real" metropolitan centers. For example, I could take this thing to Anaheim for $15 one way. But once I get there, I have no real way of getting to either Disneyland or the stadiums. So what's the actual point?

Bus lines I've got no beef with. Enhanced, uber-efficient bus lines make sense for a metropolis sprawl like LA. Subway? High speed rail? Not so much. It's a misapplication of the effort.

Also, with the absurd legal fees, land use fees, construction fees, taxes and what not, it should not be any surprise that building a meaningful subway or high speed rail costs an arm and a leg. It's easy enough to amortize that expense based upon the numbers of people that could use the transport in a unit of time. So, when you have a very expensive train network that needs to be paid by the users over 20-30 years, you get a very expensive train ticket.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Grollub

Also, I think the the relative crime rates (especially concerning the more serious ones like homicide) speaks for itself.

Yep... this is the main reason most European countries have the laws they have regarding gun ownership... the relative crime rates (especially concerning the more serious ones like homicide) are in magnitude of 10-100x less here in Europe...


Leo "Apollo11"

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Apollo11
the relative crime rates (especially concerning the more serious ones like homicide) are in magnitude of 10-100x less here in Europe...

I know this is commonly believed by most Europeans, but do you have a source that cites a per capita homicide rate of 1/100th that of the United States in Europe? If so, I've never seen it.

[Chickenboy]

Interesting (and sad) graph:

ETA: Looks like some of the Eastern European countries have a roughly comparable per capita homicide rate of that of the US. Get a load of some of the Central African, Central American and Carribean / South American countries. [:(]

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Apollo11
the relative crime rates (especially concerning the more serious ones like homicide) are in magnitude of 10-100x less here in Europe...

I know this is commonly believed by most Europeans, but do you have a source that cites a per capita homicide rate of 1/100th that of the United States in Europe? If so, I've never seen it.

You can look at Wikipedia:

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


Generally speaking the statistics for USA are not that bad (because of large number of inhabitants) and they show about 4-5x more than Europe (for murders) but the sheer number is still staggering... and if you add other serious crimes the numbers get even worse... unfortunately this is how things are... [:(]

For example in Per's Sweden there were 91 murders - in USA there were 12,996 - the USA is much bigger than Sweden but still... [:(]



Leo "Apollo11"