Check Out My Internet Radio!

I'd been hearing about these things for a few years. A couple of weeks ago, I bit the bullet, and bought a Logitech " Squeezebox " internet radio.

This " internet radio " is a radio that doesn't pick up stations the normal way. It picks them up in streams from the internet via an Ethernet physical connection or via your Wi-Fi signal.

With internet radio, you are no longer limited to what is likely a lame selection of local stations. Almost every " over the air " radio station puts their signal on the internet now without charge.

I've played around with internet radio for maybe ten years, via the computer. But the advantage of having a dedicated " internet radio " is that it works even when the computer is off, at any location in the house, with a very good quality audio signal.

I recommend this device - especially if you want to get a get a broader music selection than your crummy local station offers, or someone who wants to follow the news, especially the news from another part of the world.

It's really easy to set up and use - and makes a great present for an older relative who wants to hear the sounds of the " old country "

There are six preset stations. My current selections:

• RTE One, Dublin
• BBC LW
• Deutsche Welle News, Germany
  

• WFUV New York
• KPOA Hawaii
• WWOZ New Orleans

I recommend this product, which is available on Amazon or at quality stores such as J&R.

Thoughts on the Death of Osama bin Laden

They got him.

Nearly ten years ago, my city and my country suffered the worst terrorist attack in world history.

This unspeakable act impacted people from all over America. Even if you were from a small town in say Alabama, miles away from the attacks, it was as though it was your family who had lost somebody. Because you had. This was personal.

Today, US forces have finally delivered justice to the man responsible for the destruction of the building I worked in, as well as the other atrocities done on September 11, 2001.

Let's take a moment to honor those who died nearly ten years ago. And to remember how very grim it was that day.

God bless the US Military, including the Special Forces, and the CIA, FBI, and our brothers from in Britain and many other lands, and all in the Obama and Bush administrations who played any part in bringing Obama to justice this day.

The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.

God bless America.

R Train Service Cancelled on Nights and Weekends

( Bay Ridge News Service )

The MTA announced a new series of service cuts that are to take effect immediately.

Of special interest to Bay Ridge / Sunset Park residents is that the R train will no longer run between the hours of 10pm - 6am Monday - Friday, and that it will not run at all Saturdays or Sundays.

" We are dealing with an unprecedented financial state of chassis " said Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall. " Someone has to pay the price. They need to suck it up. Besides, my kind of people don't ride that train during those hours "

City Councilman Vincent Gentile, reached at Circles restaurant vowed to restore the service. " Not everyone has a car " he said. " This is so unfair, especially after they reduced the Express Bus service last year "

State Senator Marty Golden was promising to organize a sternly worded petition. " This isn't the end of this " he said to the Home Reporter.

" Oh You Pretty Woman " , Willie and the Wheel

I like Willie Nelson, and for a quarter century have been a huge fan of the Western ( Texas ) swing band Asleep At The Wheel

The other night I caught Austin City Limits, the great live music show from Austin, Texas, and caught 'em singing together.

The show was killer, from a joint album called Willie and the Wheel. It's got the boys and the girls, and righteous fiddle players, and even a New Orleans sound which I never heard before from them, and I do believe I will be buying this CD soon.

Sorry I've been AWOL a bit. See you in ten days or so.

Mayor Bloomberg's Block Doesn't have Snow!

The image to the left - Mike Bloomberg's block

The image to the left - a block in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

Image courtesy of Sheepshead Bites. I like their attitude.

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In Staten Island, the street in front of the Sanitation Commissioner's house is in great shape The rest of Staten Island, not so much. ( NY Daily News )

NYC, its mayor, and its Sanitation Department have performed horribly over the past few days. This has been a collapse of management, and there are reports of large numbers of Sanitation Dept employees calling in " sick "

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A bunch of good Bay Ridge snow pictures here in Bay Ridge Journal. ( click photos to enlarge )

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More good pictures here at Bay Ridge Talk

Snow Day In Bay Ridge

Man walking up 68th Street towards Fourth Avenue, 1030 this morning

This reminds me of the major snowstorm in 1996. A storm that wasn’t noticed by most snuck up on us on a Sunday evening into the night, enveloping the Northeast in a massive blanket of white.

In 1996, I was visiting family in Mountain Top, PA. I didn’t have a car then, and took the bus back into Manhattan from Wilkes Barre PA. We barely made it in to Gotham City, as the snow got heavier and heavier along the route. Our excellent bus driver was able to barely make it into the Bus Terminal, passing stranded cars all along the way.

Once there it was cake. The underground portions of the subway system were running great, and I made it home without any problem.

This weekend, I was in suburban Philadelphia, again with family. Though I have a car now, I decided not to take it, and went down by mass transit instead ( Boltbus down, Septa / NJ Transit trains back )

There was no sizable snow on the way home yesterday – the serious snow came upon upon us later in the evening. But there was vicious winds and whiteout conditions at times, which made me happy that I wasn’t driving anywhere.

Overnight, heavy soft snow everywhere, with big drifts of over two feet in many places. There are cars stranded on many sidestreets.

But all night long, I heard the rumble of the R subway line. While major snowstorms wreck havoc on the outdoor train lines, this entirely underground line remains unaffected by any snow condition. Its a great service for us.


Stranded vehicle in the middle of 68th Street, just east of Fourth Avenue

Take the N or R Train to All NYC Airports!

I've passed through the Jay Street Metrotech ( formerly Lawrence Street ) connection a few times. Its easy as pie.


It now makes it easy for Bay Ridge / Sunset Park / other Brooklyn residents to take the subway to JFK Airport. But there are surprisingly easy mass transit options to each of the three area airports. Here's how you do it.


To JFK Airport

• Take Manhattan bound R train to Jay Street / Metrotech. Take the escalator by the second car.
  
• Transfer to the Far Rockaway or Rockaway Park bound A train to Howard Beach / JFK station. ( second or third car )
  
• Take the JFK Airtrain ( $5 fare, paid with MetroCard ) right to your terminal.

To LaGuardia Airport

• Take N train through Manhattan and into Astoria. Get off at Astoria Boulevard and take the stairs by the second or third car
• Follow the sign to LaGuardia bound M60 bus and take the bus to your terminal. Free transfer with MetroCard.
  

N/M60 to LaGuardia not recommended if you have heavy luggage as the bus gets crowded.

To Newark Airport

• Take R train to Cortlandt Street. Exit by the front of the train
• Walk 2-3 blocks to the PATH train. Use your MetroCard to pay $1.75 fare. Take PATH to last stop at Newark Penn Station.
  
• Walk down " Westbound trains " ramp. Using the NJ Transit ticket machine on the platform, use debit / credit card or cash to buy NJ Transit ticket to Newark Airport Station ( $8.25 each way ) . Take the next westbound NJ Transit train that will stop at " EWR ". ( Some, not all Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line trains stop at EWR - ask the conductor to make sure you are on the right train ) Hold on to your ticket
  
• Exit at Newark Airport station. Take the escalator up to the gate where you use your ticket to pass to the Newark Airtrain.
• Take Airtrain to your terminal

I travel, and have taken the train to the airports many times.

I personally find the N/M60 route to LaGuardia the easiest, since the trains and buses run frequently at all hours. The R /A/ Airtrain to JFK may now be just as easy. The connection to Newark is slower and more involved, and is not recommended at past the night rush hour when there can be long gaps between NJT trains. But when the stars are right it works fine- especially during rush hour, when cars run slow.

Save a few bucks, and give 'em a try. Your next trip to Honolulu or London begins with the N or R train!