Recent posts

#1

Sports / Re: NFL (2024 Season)

Last post by webny99 - Today at 11:37:18 AM

^ All I'm saying is a somewhat similar strategy worked out OK for the Packers with Jordan Love and even better for the Chiefs with Mahomes. Even though the financials here are a bit different, the fact that they just paid Cousins so much money is arguably the worse move. It's a unique approach, but too early to say for sure that it was a bad move since the projected upside is long-term rather than immediate. If the pick hits, the contract stuff won't matter as much, and certainly won't be a talking point in 5+ years.

#2

Traffic Control / Re: Unique, Odd, or Interestin...

Last post by roadfro - Today at 11:34:29 AM

This is on US Route 2 at the Idaho and Montana border. I don't think I've seen a sign that actually said state line: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZbUjEXdFeByQtAuR8
<...>
That Idaho sign is also kind of wrong by having "standard" in there. Just have Pacific Time Zone, like the Montana side does in the other direction, except it's Mountain instead of Pacific. And what's with the hyphens?

It's only wrong about 7 months out of the year... unless maybe Idaho DOT changes it out for a sign stating "Entering Pacific Daylight Time Zone" during daylight savings...

Yeah, odd that they'd include "standard" time in the sign. But I've found a lot of people don't understand what "standard" or abbreviations like "PST" or "PDT" mean in this context, and use the terms incorrectly all the time. 

Only place where including "standard" on a sign like this might make sense is entering Arizona or some other place that does not observe daylight savings time.

#3

General Highway Talk / Re: Road-Geeky Things Of The P...

Last post by Shedingtonian - Today at 11:26:28 AM

As much as a LOVE panning around on Google Earth and the like and enjoy it when there is new imagery to browse, I have a pang of nostalgia for the days before the ubiquity of such online resources and my efforts to keep our copy of the Delorme atlas for Wisconsin updated amid a flurry of rural expressway/freeway construction in the state.

The only method at my disposal from the back seat was to have a pencil and lightly make notes as we were driving a new alignment approximating where we were based on the landmarks I could see.  Then I'd go back with whiteout and pen once we got home and make the changes permanent.  The pencil was crucial because I could erase my crude sketch before committing it to pen with a nice flat desk to work on.

I drew many a new bypass fairly accurately in this manner, particularly along WI 29 and US 10.  I want to say I got really close with my rendering of the WI 29 bypass of Shawano and Bonduel when I compared it to aerials years later.  This was also how I tracked the freeway conversion of US 41 between Milwaukee and Oshkosh throughout the 90s.

I still use pen and whiteout to keep my old Delorme atlas current.  (I really like the cartography in those old atlases.)  But it's so much easier to do it with aerials on a screen in front of me.  Still, I admire the ambition I had and the tinge of excitement when the annual Thanksgiving trip to Milwaukee neared.  Because I knew I would see what progress had been made that summer.

That's made me smile, it's pretty heartwarming. I remember when I also drew on my maps, but instead of drawing newly built roads, I drew traced over routes that I wanted to drive on. The fact that you still draw on that old map, I really like that dedication, heheh!

#4

Traffic Control / Re: Is Georgia finally getting...

Last post by roadfro - Today at 11:26:26 AM

The exit to US 23 rightly deserves an exit only panel since that lane drops.

This isn't a lane drop, the exit uses a regular deceleration lane. I don't think it would make sense to drop a thru lane right before a major system interchange.

An added deceleration lane still drops, so an exit only panel isn't out of the question (Nevada DOT will typically sign these with exit only).

#5

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by LilianaUwU - Today at 11:16:53 AM

I have been on infrastructure in Québec, yes.

#6

General Highway Talk / Re: Road-Geeky Things Of The P...

Last post by triplemultiplex - Today at 11:09:32 AM

As much as a LOVE panning around on Google Earth and the like and enjoy it when there is new imagery to browse, I have a pang of nostalgia for the days before the ubiquity of such online resources and my efforts to keep our copy of the Delorme atlas for Wisconsin updated amid a flurry of rural expressway/freeway construction in the state.

The only method at my disposal from the back seat was to have a pencil and lightly make notes as we were driving a new alignment approximating where we were based on the landmarks I could see.  Then I'd go back with whiteout and pen once we got home and make the changes permanent.  The pencil was crucial because I could erase my crude sketch before committing it to pen with a nice flat desk to work on.

I drew many a new bypass fairly accurately in this manner, particularly along WI 29 and US 10.  I want to say I got really close with my rendering of the WI 29 bypass of Shawano and Bonduel when I compared it to aerials years later.  This was also how I tracked the freeway conversion of US 41 between Milwaukee and Oshkosh throughout the 90s.

I still use pen and whiteout to keep my old Delorme atlas current.  (I really like the cartography in those old atlases.)  But it's so much easier to do it with aerials on a screen in front of me.  Still, I admire the ambition I had and the tinge of excitement when the annual Thanksgiving trip to Milwaukee neared.  Because I knew I would see what progress had been made that summer.

#7

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by jmacswimmer - Today at 11:01:21 AM

Key Bridge & I-95 Philly like several others have mentioned. One I haven't seen mentioned yet, though it didn't turn out to be a huge disaster, is I-10 near DTLA - I was on that stretch about 3 weeks before the pallet fire that closed it for a little over a week.

#8

Sports / Re: NFL (2024 Season)

Last post by JayhawkCO - Today at 10:57:49 AM

If I were a Falcons fan, I'd be pissed. Thankfully I think my Vikes had a good night.

I think Penix is the 2nd best QB in the draft. I'd be more pissed that they gave Cousins so much money.

If I were a Falcons fan, I'd be pissed. Thankfully I think my Vikes had a good night.

I don't see the Falcons picking a QB as such a negative. Not having a backup plan to Cousins basically forced the Vikings into a spot where they had to draft a QB this season. Drafting a QB you're intrigued by when it's not a top roster need is much bolder strategy, but it sure worked out for the Packers (and Chiefs!). I think there's a decent chance it works out great for the Falcons, and an even greater chance it's viewed more positively in three years than it is now. Having Cousins basically boxes them out of a top draft pick for as long as he's on the roster unless he gets injured, in which case they'd be plenty happy to get a look at the rookie. And even if they were bad this year, next year's QB class is not projected to be very good.

Definitely worked out well for the Vikings though that they were able to get Dallas Turner at pick #17 when he had been widely (and ironically) mocked to the Falcons at #8.

Drafting Penix when you just signed Cousins is completely asinine. An analogy would be if you were single for a long time and then met a woman that you fell in love with and got married. Right after the wedding, you meet another attractive woman with whom you have an instant connection. Yeah, it sucks at the timing, since you went so long without a relationship, and now you have found two in a short span of time. But now that you've committed to someone, you have to let the other one go. If you decide to engage with both, it's just going to end up messy and cost you a lot of money and heartache.

Of all the QBs to draft as the Falcons, Penix was specifically the worst one, since he turns 24 in two weeks. By the time Cousins is done earning his guaranteed money, Penix will be almost 28, and at least halfway through his prime athletic years.

The whole reason that QBs are so over-drafted is because, when you pick a winner, you get what is basically a $35,000,000 a year player for the price of a rookie contract. That allows a ton of roster flexibility. If you're only in the market to get really expensive free agent QBs, your salary cap obviously gets skewed by the most expensive position in sports.

#9

General Highway Talk / Re: Roads that you have been o...

Last post by triplemultiplex - Today at 10:56:23 AM

Drove down some roads in Hawaii a few years before they were buried in lava in 2018.  Only one has been rebuilt since then.

#10

Sports / Re: NFL (2024 Season)

Last post by jmacswimmer - Today at 10:54:00 AM

Bears quarterback cycle:
pre-draft hype
underwhelming start
glimmers of hope
one really good game or two
regression to the mean
whole season of mediocrity
benched
cut/traded
<start over>

I'm sure it'll be different this time.

Hey now, at least let us ride our high for a little bit before it all comes crashing down    (as my boss just came over and made the same joke not 15 minutes ago...)