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Almost every year, the Royal Rumble entertains fans with drama surrounding the WrestleMania title shot and excitement over returning superstars. Sunday night in New York City, those two elements came together perfectly for the 21st edition of the WWE's January pay-per-view.
Triple H battled hard just to get into the Rumble match and looked to be in good shape to win it when he entered 29th. But the Madison Square Garden crowd was stunned to see John Cena enter 30th and outlast a final four that included Kane, Batista and Triple H to emerge as the winner.
The final two men from the 2007 Royal Rumble, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, began the match together and lasted over 30 minutes. Both were eliminated within a few seconds of each other, with HBK tossing out the Dead Man before getting thrown out himself by Mr. Kennedy.
Long-time fans got a treat when WWE legends Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper headed for the ring in the 18th and 19th spots. Neither lasted long, as Kane entered 20th and quickly dispatched the veterans.
Though he spent most of his time hiding under the ring, Hornswoggle enjoyed a long run in the Rumble and even earned an elimination when he popped out and pulled The Miz to the floor. He soon found himself at the mercy of Big Daddy V and others in the ring, but old pal Finlay bailed him out, though it cost him his own place in the match because he used his shillelagh.
Cena's surprise entrance led to a quick thinning of the crowd as he threw Carlito, Chavo Guerrero and Mark Henry out in short order. Batista took care of Mr. Kennedy and Umaga to leave just four men.
After Triple H and Batista teamed up to eliminate Kane, The Game sent The Animal packing. Triple H and Cena squared off for a spirited four minutes, with each hitting a few signature spots. Cena's triumph came just past the 51-minute mark and seemed to draw more boos than cheers from the lively MSG fans.
In the bout preceding the Rumble match, we saw a champion take on champion. WWE champion Randy Orton and Intercontinental champion Jeff Hardy started off with some mat holds. Jeff hit the leg drop into the abdomen. Hardy tossed Orton to the outside and connected with a drop kick through the rope, knocking Orton into the security barrier.
Orton, seemingly fed up with the match, grabbed his belt. Hardy cut him off, though, and tossed him back into the ring. Orton countered a high risk move, and Hardy crashed to the outside.
With both men back in the ring, Orton turned to the Garvin stomps. The WWE champ dropped two knees, nearly scoring a pin. The fight spilled to the outside again, and Hardy connected with a forearm off the apron.
Orton avoided a charge in the corner, sending Hardy crashing into the steel ring post. Orton took advantage and locked in a body scissors. Both men traded shots until Hardy hit a Whisper in the Wind. Orton rolled out of the ring as Hardy climbed the turnbuckle. Orton was dropkicked off the apron, and then hit a splash off the top turnbuckle.
With the action back in the ring, Hardy went for the Twist of Fate but Orton countered into an RKO. Orton covered for the win and retained his WWE championship.
The next WWE pay-per-view is No Way Out on February 17th.
If you've been with us for the past few years, you know the drill by now. Nick's comments will be in plain type with Dale's remarks in italics.
Ric Flair vs. MVP -- Career Threatening Match (for Flair)
Winner... and still employed by WWE... Ric Flair at 7 minutes and 56 seconds.
Match Rating: 6/10
Vince talks with Hornswoggle about the luck of the Irish in Madison Square Garden. Vince tells his "son" not to trust anyone in the Rumble, even Finlay. Guess who walks in? Finlay. So Vince drills the "DTA" into his boy and tells Finlay to watch his back.
Hey, it's the guy from American Gladiators! Not the new show either -- the cheesy original. Jim Ross and King Lawler introduce their new broadcast partner, Mike Adamle.
Chris Jericho vs. John Bradshaw Layfield
JBL and Jericho tie up to start the match, and JBL is very tentative. Jericho gains the upper hand, putting the boots to him. Jericho locks on the Walls, but JBL is able to easily grab the ropes. JBL recovers to slap on a sleeper. Jericho is tossed to the outside and is busted open. JBL stomps away at Jericho, who responds with a clothesline out of the corner. Jericho then misses a bulldog, but JBL still goes down. Both men fight to the outside. JBL clears off the top of the announce table, but Jericho tattoos him with a chair, getting himself disqualified.
Winner... JBL at 9 minutes and 26 seconds.
After the bell, Jericho continues the assault with another chair shot. Jericho grabs a camera cable and chokes JBL, hanging him on the ropes. A bloody Jericho is finally escorted back by several refs.
Match Rating: 7/10 (Finishing Move: 10/10)
Ashley knocks on Maria's door, only to be greeted by Santino Marella. He tells her Maria isn't interested in posing in Playboy.
But we are. Right, Dale?
Yes, yes, we are are!
Edge (w/ Vicky Guerrero and the Edge Heads)(champion) vs. Rey Mysterio (challenger) -- World Heavyweight Championship
Winner... and still World Heavyweight Champion... Edge at 12 minutes and 26 seconds.
Match Rating: 7.5/10
Mr. Kennedy congratulates Flair on his win in his own special way. Kennedy tells Flair that after he wins the Rumble, he would love... but HBK interrupts before Kennedy can finish that thought. HBK gives his congratulations to the Nature Boy. Batista walks in, and then Triple H joins the party. Triple H says as far as tonight goes, the best man will win.
Michaels also tries to plug his new shirt, now available at WWE.com, but Triple H says he hates shilling. Funny stuff.
Maria comes out to host the Kiss Cam. Ashley then walks out to join her, and wants to know if she will accept Hugh Hefner's offer to pose in Playboy. Santino interrupts with a mystery guest. Santino says no one wants to see Maria naked and rips on the New York Giants. Ashley shuts Santino up to get Maria's answer. She puts the answer to the crowd, and they go nuts. Santino brings in his special friend to meet Ashley. Its Big Dick Johnson decked out in Patriots gear. Ashley knocks him from the ring, sending him to the back.
Randy Orton (champion) vs. Jeff Hardy (challenger) -- World Wrestling Championship Match
Winner... and still WWE champion ... Randy Orton 14 minutes and 26 seconds.
Match Rating: 7/10
Royal Rumble Match
Most Eliminations: Triple H with five and a half
Shortest time in ring: Shelton Benjamin at 12 seconds
Longest time in ring: Batista at 37 minutes and 50 seconds
Longest time in ring without an elimination: John Morrison at 30 minutes and 30 seconds
Winner... John Cena.
Michael Buffer must have lowered his fee, or he's really hurting for work...
Jimmy Snuka looks a little... saggy. He was my favorite wrestler as a kid, and it was cool seeing him for a minute, but I was glad he didn't stick around long.
Finlay was disqualified for using his shillelagh even though Sandman used his Kendo stick with no penalty last year.
Hornswoggle was never eliminated, he just sort of walked off to the back when Finlay was disqualified.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Event Rating: 8/10
Dale and Nick are sure to hear from plenty of people that claim they knew all along that Cena was going to show up and win the Rumble, but they're not buying it. If you still think you can convince them, you can e-mail Dale at email@example.com or Nick at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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- McLaren news
McLaren keen to keep Button and Perez in 2014
McLaren looks set to keep Jenson Button and Sergio Perez at the team next year with an announcement expected soon.
Button has an option to extend his contract into next year and beyond, but in Belgium revealed it had not yet been signed. However, with both team and drivers keen to remain together an announcement that both Button and Perez will drive for the team in 2014 and beyond is expected soon.
"Let's just say both drivers have done a good job here and deserve a better McLaren next year and that's what we aim to give them," team principal Martin Whitmarsh said.
Ahead of last weekend's race Button told the press: "I think I have a contract for next year but I don't think it has a signature on it yet! But I really want to be here next year."
Joking with Whitmarsh on Saturday night at Spa, Button admitted: "That was very unfair of me!"
Perez also sees his future at McLaren.
"I am determined to stay in this team, I absolutely love this team," he said. "I know that this team can deliver, because I know the people and I know how hungry we are to win. I will stay here for that and be a champion for McLaren."
He added: "There are options on the contract [for next year] but I'm pretty sure I will stay here."


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Aug. 23, 2005
PRINCETON, N.J. (August 17, 2005) - Iowa, Kentucky, Texas, and West Virginia will host the Regional Rounds of the Guardians Classic, a 16-team college basketball tournament, on November 12-16, 2005. The Championship Rounds of the event will be held November 21-22 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Last year, Creighton won the Guardians Classic with an overtime win against Ohio State, 65-63.
Tickets for this year's Championship Rounds will go on sale this Saturday (08/20/05) at 10:00 a.m. CST. See below for more information.
Outlined below are the dates, locations, and matchups for the tournament.
Regional Rounds:
Austin Regional Rounds November 15th & 16th Frank Erwin Center -- Austin, Texas Texas vs. Southern Samford vs. Sacramento State
Lexington Regional Rounds November 13th & 14th Rupp Arena -- Lexington, Ky. Kentucky vs. South Dakota State Lipscomb vs. Northern Colorado
Iowa City Regional Rounds November 14th & 15th Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- Iowa City, Iowa Iowa vs. UMES Colgate vs. Utah Valley State Morgantown Regional Rounds November 12th & 13th WVU Coliseum -- Morgantown, W.V. West Virginia vs. Louisiana Monroe Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Wofford
Championship Rounds:
Semifinal Doubleheader November 21st Municipal Auditorium Austin Winner vs. Morgantown Winner Iowa City Winner vs. Lexington Winner Championship Doubleheader November 22nd Municipal Auditorium Consolation Game Championship Game


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It's the TED Radio Hour from NPR. I'm Guy Raz. And the show today, how small, subtle changes in nature can throw its whole balance into a freefall, how everything is connected. And for Jane Poynter, at one point in her life, everything depended on those connections working. It was when she was in her mid-20s and living under glass. You must have had, like, mixing feelings about that?
JANE POYNTER: Mixed feelings in what way?
RAZ: I don't know, the outside world and the idea that you were almost like, in a zoo.
POYNTER: I liked seeing people looking through the windows. The one time, however, that it was very intrusive was when people knocked on the glass. You'd be working away and all of a sudden, you'd hear this banging on the glass. And you'd look up and all of a sudden, all of these cameras would pick up and click, click, click, click, click.
RAZ: OK. So you may remember this. This was the ultimate group house. It was called Biosphere 2. And it was like a giant glass terrarium in the middle of the Arizona desert. It's actually still there. Anyway, Jane and seven other researchers wanted to see if they could sustain themselves for two years, farming their own food, recycling their own waste, breathing only the air inside that sealed biosphere. And all under the condition that they would not leave. Here's Jane Poynter from the TED stage.
POYNTER: So Biosphere 2 was essentially a three-acre, entirely sealed, miniature world that I lived in for two years and 20 minutes. And so we had our own miniature rainforests, a private beach with a coral reef. We had a savanna, a marsh, a desert. We had our own half-acre farm that we had to grow everything. And of course we had our human habitat where we lived. Back in the mid-'80s when we were designing Biosphere 2, we had to ask ourselves some pretty basic questions. I mean, what is a biosphere? And so, well, we decided that what it really is, is that it is entirely materially closed. That is, nothing goes in or out at all - no material. And energetically open. Which is essentially what planet Earth is.
And by 1991, we finally had this thing built and it was time for us to go in and give it a go. We needed to know, can you take this biosphere that has evolved on a planetary scale and jam it into a little bottle, and will it survive? Big questions. And we wanted to know this both for being able to go somewhere else in the universe - if we were going to go to Mars, for instance, would we take a biosphere with us to live in it? We also wanted to know so that we could understand more about the Earth that we all live in.
RAZ: So, like, how long before you realized that everything inside of that place was, you know, was connected?
POYNTER: Very quickly. The most profound experience I had in the biosphere was the experience of not only being completely dependent on my biosphere, but being absolutely a part of my biosphere in a very literal way. I mean, as I walked through the biosphere, I was incredibly conscious of the fact that the plants surrounding me were providing me with the oxygen that I needed to breathe, and that I was providing them some of the CO2 they needed to grow.
POYNTER: When I breathed out, my CO2 fed the sweet potatoes that I was growing. And we ate an awful lot of sweet potatoes. And those sweet potatoes became part of me. In fact, we ate so many sweet potatoes I became orange with sweet potato. I literally was eating the same carbon over and over again. I was eating myself in some strange sort of bizarre way. Here I am inside Biosphere 2 making a pizza.
So I am harvesting the wheat in order to make the dough. And then of course I have to milk the goats and feed the goats in order to make the cheese. It took me four months in Biosphere 2 to make a pizza. Here in Biosphere 1, well, it takes me about two minutes 'cause I pick up the phone and I call and say, hey, can you deliver the pizza?
RAZ: Like, you really know how to make a pizza.
POYNTER: Oh, I really know how to make a pizza.
RAZ: From the ground up.
POYNTER: (Laughing) But boy, do you appreciate that pizza.
RAZ: But, I mean, it was just - it wasn't, like, just goats that you were milking, right? I mean, there were other animals, other species in there, right?
POYNTER: We had - the domestic animals played a rather fun role. We had chickens, goats and pigs. And, you know, we didn't really need animals in there. We could've had a vegetarian diet, but the domestic animals were in there because when you grow agricultural products, there's a lot of it that humans can't eat. So, like, there's all of these beautiful greens that we can't eat and they're extremely high protein for goats. So they would eat all of the greens and produce milk for us.
Then aside from all the domestic animals, 250 species of insects were put inside there. There were numerous lizards and garter snakes and tortoises. So we really were trying to re-create many aspects of the ecosystem. Now we were a fairly small ecosystem, so we couldn't have large ungulates roaming across our savanna. So we had to play those roles by harvesting the grass and that kind of thing. But the animals played an extremely important role in the ecological cycling.
RAZ: I mean, it sounds amazing, but, you know, there were things that just didn't work.
POYNTER: Really almost every aspect of the biosphere worked but one, which was a very important aspect of the biosphere, but what boiled down to a very simple design flaw.
POYNTER: Because it turned out that we were losing oxygen, quite a lot of oxygen. We had lost seven tons of oxygen and we had no clue where it was. And we had sleep apnea at night so you'd wake up gasping with breath because that's - your blood chemistry has changed and that you literally do that. You stop breathing and then you gasp. And everybody outside thought we were dying. I mean, the media was making it sound like we were dying and I had to call up my mother every other day saying, no, Mom, it's fine - fine. We're fine. And the doctor was, in fact, checking us to make sure we were in fact fine. But, in fact, he was the person that was most susceptible to the oxygen. And one day he couldn't add up a line of figures and it was time for us to put oxygen in.
And we did indeed find it, and we found it in the concrete - essentially had done something very simple; we had put too much carbon in the soil in the form of compost. It broke down. It took oxygen out of the air, put CO2 into the air, and it went into the concrete. Pretty straightforward really. So you might think, well, boy, your life-support system was failing you. Wasn't that dreadful? Yes. In a sense, it was terrifying, except that I knew that I could walk out the airlock door at any time if it really got bad. Though who was going to say "I can't take it anymore"? Not me, that was for sure. And...
RAZ: And things really did go bad inside Biosphere 2. They got the oxygen sorted out, but they lost all this weight because they couldn't grow enough food. And then they started to argue about how to run things. And the connections between them started to break down.
POYNTER: We really struggled with our interpersonal relationships so there's no question. And it was painful; it, you know, in some circumstances could have been dangerous. It definitely reduced the creativity with which we addressed our challenges that we had in the biosphere. Though, we still did come together and manage the biosphere, and we did complete the two years. It just made it so much harder.
RAZ: I mean, despite all those problems - there's almost like a lazy narrative, you know, that came out of Biosphere 2, that it was, like, this total debacle that, you know, it was a total failure. But the actual truth is that it spawned hundreds of, like, research papers and we learned a lot from it, right?
POYNTER: Yeah. Gosh, there's so much to say about that. I mean, the science that came out of Biosphere 2 was really extraordinary. You've probably heard of the souring seas, where we have the acidification of the ocean, which is, you know, really beginning to cause havoc around the world in our coral reefs and other parts of our ecosystems within the ocean. And Biosphere 2 was really the first time that that was quantified - in the little miniature ocean inside Biosphere 2.
RAZ: That is so cool. I mean, do you - when you look back at that time, do you sort of think about how the things that you did out there really kind of apply to how we live here on Earth?
POYNTER: What I think about is that we are a part of a biosphere. You know, in Biosphere 2, the health of our biosphere was something that we could look at moment to moment. We looked at the CO2 on a daily basis, sometimes on an hourly basis, seeing it going up and going down. And we attempted to manage those levels of CO2 within our biospheres actively. And it was very immediate. And the challenge that we have in Biosphere 1 - the Earth - is that very often, the kinds of challenges we're looking at are not immediate. They're things that happen over decades, maybe over a hundred years.
POYNTER: The Industrial Revolution, and Prometheus, has given us this - the ability to light up the world. It has also given us this - the ability to look at the world from the outside. And if you lose where you are in your biosphere or are perhaps having a difficulty connecting with where you are in the biosphere, I would say to you, take a deep breath. The yogis had it right - breath does, in fact, connect us all in a very literal way. Take a breath now and as you breathe, think about what is in your breath. There, perhaps, is the CO2 from the person sitting next door to you. Maybe there's a little bit of oxygen from some algae on the beach not far from here. It also connects us in time. There may be some carbon in your breath from the dinosaurs. There could also be carbon that you are exhaling now that will be in the breath of your great-great-great-grandchildren.
RAZ: Jane Poynter. She now runs a company that designs products for extreme environments like space. You can hear her full talk at TED.com. And, by the way, Biosphere 2 is still out there in the Arizona desert. No one lives there, but they're still doing research and still giving tours. Do you ever go back?
POYNTER: Oh, yes. I love going to the biosphere. And of course, when people come to Tucson - friends, family, colleagues always want to go up there. Even though we were in there 20 years ago...
RAZ: Yeah.
POYNTER: It is still an astounding building to go and see.
RAZ: I'm assuming you don't have to pay admission, right?
POYNTER: (Laughing) No, I don't have to pay admission. I think I would go to say I have a lifetime pass.
Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Re: Political Attitude Overall
I'm gonna have to ride shotgun with Ralin here, I agree with ALMOST *not all* of what he's said. First off, Heavy Automatic Firearms (such as the SAW) are expensive, and I mean EXPENSIVE, same goes with large bore weapons such as the Barrett .50BMG Rifles/other or .50AE Desert Eagle/equivalent handguns.
Summary - High Caliber Weapons -
1. They are large and almost unwielding -
2. Small ammunition capacity
3. Expensive
4. Have to have special permits to own in most areas
Barrett Model 99 .50BMG bolt action, weighs 23 lbs, no magazine (means one shot then you have to manually reload) costs over $4,000 U.S dollars with taxes. The ammunition it requires is the 12.7x99mm NATO cartridge, (For you poeple who don't know what I'm talking about, it's known as the .50cal bullet that everyone is sooooo afraid of) commercially available, it costs between $1.75 and $2.25 EACH.
Apparently all of you have/know how to purchase a firearm (har har), I'm just going to go over it again for ya just in case. ALL 50 STATES before you buy a gun of ANY kind, the gun shop, store, Wal-Mart or wherever, run a Federal background check on you. If you have any criminal record whatsoever, you will be turned down and will not be allowed to purchase the firearm. ALSO the weapon must be registered at some point or the other.
Seems like a pain in the *** huh?
I was thinking about Light Machine guns, it was a typing error and lack of paying attention on my behalf, that's what was on my mind, sorry.
But the AK thing, that's mainly in third world countries, you can't get an automatic AK or anything in that power range legally without permits, and even if you do they will most likely be over $1,000 from what I've seen.


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Writer Jeff Johnson has an interesting and funny proposal for stimulating the economy in the New York Times. It's funny because it's mostly true, we are stimulating the economy by borrowing from our children. In the mean time, I saved money on the web hosting I use for this site with a discount from iPageReviewer.com
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Stimulus with our children's money
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Metro considers 16th Street limited-stop bus service
Metro's finance committee is going to be considering a plan to start up a 16th Street limited-stop bus service. For the first 15 months, the service will be financed by the District, but if the line meets certain performance criteria (the targests are higher than the system average passengers per trip, passengers per revenue mile and cost recovery), it will be funded by Metro as a whole through the funding formula.
The new limited-stop service will be called the S9, and will operate between Silver Spring and McPherson Square during morning (6:30-10:00) and evening (3:00-7:00) rush hours, every 10 minutes. Having the bus stop only 16 times per direction is expected to save 6-8 minutes each way. For the first full year of operation (July 2009-July 2010), DDOT is expected to pay just over $1.6M to operate the line.
In addition to operating the new bus line, Metro wants to assign two bus line supervisors to the route to better manage bus bunching and other schedule adherence problems.
Metro has some other changes to the "S" bus lines that can only be implemented after further transit study. They are considering a "turn-back" service at Colorado Ave. or Piney Branch Parkway, to more frequently service the more heavily utilized southern portion of the route; they're considering dedicated southbound morning peak bus only lanes between Piney Branch and Florida Avenue; and they're considering queue jumping lanes at two intersections along the route, where through a change in intersection design, buses would be given "head of the line" privileges at red lights. They are also studying transit signal priority, where buses can send signals to traffic lights, holding them green until the bus goes through the intersection.
This isn't the first limited-stop Metrobus service. Metro Extra route 79, which operates along Georgia Avenue and 7th/9th Streets NW, carries over 5,400 passengers per day in all-day (6am to 7pm) service from Silver Spring to Archives. Its operating cost is higher than the proposed route, with a lower current cost recovery ratio than the target for S9. It meets the other productivity requirements for the S9 line, making it pretty likely that similar service on the S9 route will be successful enough to continue. There's also the limited-stop 37 line, which operates on the 30s corridor from Friendship Heights to downtown in the peak direction only during rush hour.
If approved by the FAO committee and the full board, the new line is expected to start operating on March 29.
Virginia "Crossover Day" - Legislative Update
Virginia's Legislative Process is now about halfway through the session. Virginia's Constitution limits the length of the session to 60 days (90 days for a budget year), and bills have to be passed by February 10th of this year in order to be considered by the other house. Here's an update on the transportation bills being considered in 2009:
HB 1604: This bill authorizes borrowing $12M for a parking garage near the state capitol. It passed the House unanimously. Identical bill SB 852 also passed the Senate, so this one is as good as law.
HB 1876: This bill looks like the winner among the many bills requiring drivers of motor vehicles to avoid the use of cell phones while driving. The bill is a big improvement over the predecessors. It's been reported out of the two different committees. The provisions only apply to motor vehicles, prohibit dialing or entering text, reading emails or text messages. The law doesn't apply to GPS navigation systems or in emergencies. It also doesn't allow an officer to pull you over for using a cell phone (it's not a primary offense). Penalty is a $20 fine the first time, $50 otherwise.
HB 1645: This bill allows localities to use up to two-thirds of their highway funds to service debt for projects in any of various capital improvement programs. This means that localities can pay for more projects through debt financing. It passed the house unanimously. This is similar to SB 1438, which passed the Senate 36-4.
HB 2476: Extends until 2010 the special clean fuel plates allowing single drivers to use the HOV lanes if they drive a hybrid or other clean fuel vehicle.
On to the Senate:
SB 1402: Increases the penalty for "Improper Driving", a lesser offense than reckless driving, from $500 to $1000. Passed the Senate unanimously.
I encourage Virginia residents to visit Richmond Sunlight and to contact their legislators about any of these bills you feel strongly about.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Someone get me a reader from North Dakota and Alaska
Like many bloggers, I'm interested in who's out there reading. I use online tools out there to see reader statistics, Google Analytics and Feedburner are two of them. One of my favorite features is in Google Analytics. It displays a map showing where your readers come from. Since July I've almost filled in the US map, except for North Dakota and Alaska.
I'm putting out a call, I'd like to fill in the US map. Could one of you you please forward an article you found interesting to someone you know in North Dakota or Alaska? I know I write mostly about transportation policy in the Washington, DC area and performance parking, but perhaps these subjects might be of interest?
Andrew Biggs on the principles of the Social Security program
The US Government can now borrow for free
How I started working out (and stuck with it!)
Well, if anyone can help me out, thanks.
For your information, no personally identifiable information is tracked with the tools I use. It's stuff like the date and time, how you got here (whether it's a google search or a referral from another site) what your network name is (e.g., "US House of Representatives"), what pages you looked at and how long you stayed, and what link (if any) you clicked to leave. I don't share this information with anyone except for aggregate numbers like the total visitors for an article.
Feel free to post comments on anything I write.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Observations on Philadelphia
To escape the masses for Inauguration and to take a rare family trip, we went to Philadelphia for the 4-day weekend. Here are some of the things I noticed on my trip:
- If you're used to DC's megablocks, the short blocks offered by an older-style city are refreshing. Looking at a map while planning the trip, I was disappointed by how little appeared to be in walking distance. Once I got to Philly, I think it was that I was expecting a 7 block walk to be a long distance. Had I checked the scale of the map, I would have figured out that the blocks are much shorter than DC's, which seemed to work really well. Philadelphia's center city has short blocks and narrow streets, which is very pleasant for pedestrians.
- Our microwave in the hotel had ringtones. It played "Oh, Suzanna!", "Auld Lang Syne", and some other song I've never heard. It's actually very annoying because it doesn't turn off when you open the door, only when the song is over. Please, just beep when you're done.
- Laptops with no internet are boring, but $10 per day for wifi is kind of a ripoff. I bought one day's worth but was on the lookout for free wifi everywhere. If you like coffee there are plenty of places.
- 30-minute headways for buses = I'm not going to bother. Additionally, buses are inherently harder to learn as a system. Philadelphia, like Washington, does not use Google Transit. 10 minute headways for weekend trains = great. Also, not decreasing service just because it's the middle of the day or a federal holiday = also great. If WMATA weren't so strapped for funding, I'd say this was a good idea. I don't see how they could afford it, though, with their significant funding shortfall. I think every system should have the equivalent of LA's "12-minute map" so that people who want to get around without schedules can figure out where the best part of the system goes.
- Our hotel, the Embassy Suites, had trilateral symmetry. Great room, but the elevators get overwhelmed, especially when an entire high school band moves in at the same time. I would highly recommend this hotel for tourists because it's close to the city center, the museums, and transit. Parking was expensive; I would just take one of the Chinatown buses that run 5-6 times per day for around $15 each way. Some of the buses even have WiFi, I've heard.
- Much as the District's street naming system seems to "confuse" tourists, at least it's a system. If you don't live or work here, how do you memorize the pattern of east-west street names? (Update: you just do. I seemed to get it after a couple of days)
- If your transit lines on the map are designated with colors, it doesn't help to have the website have you choose between the "Market Street" line and the "Broad Street" line. Just call them the Blue Line and the Orange Line. At least it's better than Pittsburgh, where the light rail line had a route number and was mixed in with the bus schedules.
- 15F is really, really cold.
- If all you're going to do is the museums and downtown, there's no need to bring a car to Philly. Getting to Pat's King of Steaks requires either a lot of planning to figure out the bus system or a car, though. I guess I could have taken a cab, but do they allow two-year-olds to ride without a car seat?
In all, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Philadelphia and would definitely go back. It's highly recommended for people who like an urban/city experience as well as some great museums (National Liberty Museum, Independence Hall, Franklin Institute).
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
2008 Metrobus Performance Report
I recently received the Metrobus Performance Report for 2008. It's available here (PDF - main sheet) or here (entire collection as Excel). As expected, a lot of the same lines are listed among the worst performers as in 2007. Here they are for 2008:
24T: This bus only averages 189 passengers per day. Fares only pay 9% of operating costs, and each rider costs area governments $7.24 in subsidy, for a total subsidy of almost $350,000 per year. This performance is even lower than last year, with declining cost recovery ratio (defined as passenger revenue divided by operating costs). Travel between the Metro and Tyson's Corner Westpark Transit station is duplicated by a much faster, more frequent bus provided by Fairfax County Connector. Eliminating or cutting back this line further should be on the table. There are some people along Westmoreland Street in Arlington and Lewinsville Road in Fairfax County that would lose bus service if this line is cut back, but this is the lowest performer in the system and funds should be diverted to where they can make a greater impact.
98: This evening Adams Morgan shuttle link is still one of Metrobus' worst lines. It's expected to be replaced with a circulator service, transferring the responsibility for funding the line to the District. Oddly, it's not listed in the main table but shows up in each table listing lines that failed to meet basic criteria. Like the 24T, it failed all of WMATA's performance criteria, with one of the lowest cost recoveries in the system, high subsidy per passenger (over $10 each), and low ridership (less than 6 passengers per trip even though it only runs during times that demand is expected to be high).
N8: This line increased in failed criteria from 3 to 4. The line decreased in ridership by over 10%, and all related performance criteria suffered. The line serves about 350 passengers per day with a subsidy of $1M.
For lines that failed less than 4 criteria, I'm just going to list them.
C7, C9 (repeat from 2007)
15K, 15L (repeat)
E6 (improved in ridership since 2007)
66, 68 (declined in performance since 2007)
17 (A B F M) (repeat)
18E, 18F (repeat)
Other notable lines are the B30 and the 5A. These are the only WMATA links to the BWI and Dulles airports. Both have too few passengers per revenue mile, probably due to the length of the line. Other than that, they perform adequately, with generally good cost recovery (the 5A is the highest in the system) and moderate subsidies compared to other lines.
The best lines have changed little from last year, as expected:
For daily passengers, the 30s lines were split up into different statistical bins, so they lose their #1 spot to the 70/71 combination. The northern portion of this Georgia Avenue/7th street line is a prime candidate for upgrading, in my mind, to streetcar, but according to DC (PDF) it's unclear whether the line will be streetcar or BRT.
For cost recovery, it's the 5A followed by the 18(GHJ) express buses from Pentagon. These lines' cost recovery is helped by the fact that they charge a premium fare for express service. The highest cost recovery among local buses is the X2, same as last year.
By passengers per mile, it's the X2 and the 42 bus. These lines are great "pedestrian accelerators", with relatively frequent service (check this against schedule) and low overall route length. The X2 is on the short list for upgrading to streetcar service.
By subsidy per passenger, it's the X2 again. I don't know why the subsidy increased so much this year, but last year it was a lot less. Annual operating costs were higher by more than $1M, and passenger revenue was less than last year. Ridership was down overall by about 500,000 per year.
By passengers per trip, it's the C2/C4 combination just like last year. I believe the data for the P12 line is not correct for number of revenue trips, based on the spreadsheet stating 6,000 trips for this year and 30,000 trips for last year, with approximately the same ridership. I just don't buy that the same number of people are riding the same bus line, with a dramatic cut in frequency that I'd never heard of.
Just like last year, I think this performance just demonstrates how good a line the X2 is. It's no wonder that DC is considering upgrading the line to streetcar. Let's hope they get the funding and overhead wires issues sorted out quickly so we can start laying some tracks.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
WMATA proposes $103 million in operating expense cuts for FY 2010
WMATA has posted a special report to be presented to the Board of Directors' "Special Budget Committee" at 9am tomorrow morning.
The big picture: WMATA faces a $176M budget gap, due mostly to increased personnel costs ($99M) and the elimination of a one-time budget trick* employed last year to reduce a fare increase ($36M). WMATA will present a plan to eliminate $103M of that gap, leaving management and the Board with the tough decision of how much service to cut, or whether to consider increasing fares for the second year in a row. WMATA's member jurisdictions could be asked to provide a "cost of living" increase of 2% in the budgeted subsidy, which would reduce the shortfall by another $10M.
Cost increases: The largest increases in costs ($44 million) come from wage increases for unionized employees, which WMATA budgeting treats as sacrosanct. But in these hard times, unions all over the country are being asked to do their part to help keep costs down. For example, in Montgomery County the firefighters' union agreed to cuts in order to help the county balance its budget, nationally the Teamsters agreed to wage cuts of 10% in order to help keep their employers afloat. All Headline News reports that Boston has asked its city worker's union for a wage freeze in order to help balance the budget. Bridgeport, Connecticut workers have agreed to a two-year wage freeze as well as a five day unpaid vacation (furlough). Would it be fair to ask the unions to compromise and agree to a cut in wages or at least a cut in wage growth rates (perhaps a one-year wage freeze)? The cuts might save some jobs compared to having to lay off workers or cut service (which would lay off more workers).
Big Cuts: The biggest cuts are to the metro work force, which will decrease by 292 funded positions out of over 10,000. These cuts will keep WMATA's personnel costs from increasing by almost $100M this year. Out of the eliminated positions, most (70%) will be from rail and bus divisions (about twice as many lost in rail as in bus), and most of the rest will come from administrative divisions (28%).
It's hard to tell from this presentation whether most of the eliminated jobs are from slots that just haven't been filled, or whether most of them are workers who will be laid off. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, when Metro was considering cutting 900 jobs the split was approximately half and half. Now that the number of eliminated positions appears to have shrunk, perhaps all of the proposed staffing cuts will be from unfilled positions. It's unclear from the previous discussion whether the 900 eliminated jobs include those that result from service cuts.
Smaller Cuts: Other smaller cuts are to increase the number of workers per supervisor, to reorganize the staff with fewer levels of supervision, to reduce overtime, and to take advantage of today's low fuel prices. WMATA also proposes to "employ technology-driven approach[es] to traffic/ridership measurement", which, according to Metro, should result in more accurate data collection. As someone who is interested in data and analysis, I hope that WMATA will be forthcoming in sharing this data with the public.In addition, non-personnel expenses (such as materials purchases) will be deferred when possible. This should concern riders because it just pushes the problem down the road rather than actually cuts back on costs. In that case, the required fare increases or service cuts are not eliminated, but are merely deferred until next year. Also, if the reduction in supervision means that poor customer service or unsafe practices are not improved or prevented, it could reduce the quality of WMATA's operations.
Changes from the prior report: Comparing this proposal to the one previously presented to the Finance, Administration and Oversight Committee in early January, there's an "Other" expense of $22M from the previous presentation that's missing from this one, and with that unexplained disappearing item, WMATA appears to have met their goal of eliminating $103M from the baseline. The rest of the shortfall will have to be made up in service cuts, which according to the previous proposal, will cut expenses by $87M and revenues by $14M. The presentation to be discussed tomorrow does not provide any specific proposals for service cuts. Alternatively, the Board could decide to raise fares or the subsidy provided by local governments. WMATA is not allowed to run a surplus or a deficit. To close the books, any surplus (deficit) at the end of the year is returned to (or charged from) WMATA's member jurisdictions via the funding formula. Typically, WMATA runs a surplus compared to the budget and returns some of the subsidy.
The Bottom Line: Metro's operating costs increased by $159M, and revenues, even with increased ridership, went down by $17M. WMATA is proposing $103M in cuts to operating expenses, leaving a $73M gap that must be filled, most likely with cuts in rail or bus service. Future board presentations are expected to discuss changes to the FY 2010 operating revenues and potential service cuts.
*WMATA's fare increase last year started in January 2008, but the money collected from January to July was actually applied to the next year's operating revenues (running from July 2008 to July 2009). Since WMATA can only use that trick once, there's a shortfall of around $36 million).


text:
User:W. Frank/Sandbox/Karachi
Karachi [10] (Urdu: كراچى, Sindhi: कराची/ڪراچي) is the capital of the province of Sindh, was the former capital of Pakistan and is still its largest city.
Beginning in 1947 at the bloody partition of the British Raj, when hundreds of thousands of Muhajirs from India sought refuge, the population has exploded from about 450,000 to an estimated 18 million today. With more than a million new inhabitants pouring in each year, it's not surprising that the stretch marks are showing in one of the largest and most rapidly growing cities in this world!
Karachi, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is the financial and commercial centre of the nation, as well as its largest port. Karachi is different from the rest of Pakistan in the same way that New York is different from the rest of the United States. The pace of life is more hurried; time is money, and money is life. It is comparable to other Asian cities, such as Mumbai. Locals call it: the City of Lights, the City of The Quaid, and the City that Never Sleeps.
The city credits its growth to the mixed populations of economic and political migrants along with refugees from different national, provincial, linguistic and religious origins, who generally come to the city to settle permanently. Residents and those born in the city are called "Karachi-ites" and almost 98% of the population in Karachi understands the Urdu language.
Karachi is a huge city and an administrative division of Sindh Province. Karachi is officially divided into 5 districts and 6 military cantonments.
However, visitors should find the conceptual region list below more useful for getting around:
Karachi is the most diverse and cosmopolitan city in Pakistan and may offer a hint as to the future direction of modern life in Pakistan. Large numbers of non-Muslim religious communities are settled in Karachi compared to other Pakistan cities: Hindus, Christians, Ahmadiyya, Parsis, Sikhs, Bahai, Jews, Buddhists as well as Zoroastrians. Karachi's inhabitants, locally known as Karachiites, are a cosmopolitan population composed of many ethno-linguistic groups from all parts of Pakistan, as well as migrants from several different countries and regions, making the city's population a diverse melting pot.
The early history of Karachi dates back to 327–325 BC, when Alexander the Great used the city to camped and prepare a fleet for Babylonia. Karachi was later known to the Arabs as Debal from where Muhammad bin Qasim led his conquering force into South Asia in 712 AD. The modern day history of Karachi begins when it was made the capital of Sindh in the 1840s. In 1878 under the British Raj, the city was connected to the rest of British India by rail. Public building projects, such as Frere Hall and the Empress Market were undertaken. In 1876, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, was born in the city. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Karachi had become a bustling metropolis with beautiful classical and colonial European styled buildings, lining the city's thoroughfares. Karachi was chosen as the capital of Pakistan. In 1960, the capital of Pakistan was moved from Karachi to the newly built Islamabad. During the 1960s, Karachi was seen as an economic role model around the world. Many countries sought to emulate Pakistan's economic planning strategy and one of them, South Korea, copied the city's second "Five-Year Plan" and world Financial Centre in Seoul is designed and modelled after Karachi. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, ethnic and political violence broke out across the city between Muhajir followers of the Mohajir Quami Movement, ethnic Sindhis and Punjabis and state forces. As a result, the Pakistani army was deployed to restore peace in the city.
Located on the coast, Karachi has a relatively mild climate with low levels of precipitation (approximately 10 inches per annum), the bulk of which occurs during the July-August monsoon season. Winters are mild, and the summers are hot. The city's proximity to the sea keeps humidity levels at a near-constant high, and cool sea breezes relieve the heat of the summer months. Due to the high temperatures during the summer (ranging from 30-44°C from April to October), the winter months (November to February) are generally considered the best times to visit Karachi. July, December and January have pleasing and cloudy weather when most of the social events, ranging from weddings to charity fund raisers, frequently take place. Tourists and expatriates usually visit Karachi in these months. Karachi's weather is considered mild and can be compared to Florida's weather (except for the precipitation). The highest ever recorded temperature in Karachi is 47.8 °C while the lowest is 0 °C.
The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other cities and towns in Pakistan. Karachi's culture is characterized by the blending of Middle Eastern, Central Asian, South Asian and Western influences, as well as the city's status as a major international business centre. As a whole, there is considerable diversity in culture, and this diversity has produced a unique cultural amalgam of its own type. Karachi also hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country.
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two-year diploma course in performing arts that includes classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Music Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.
The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and Mushaira (poetry recitations). The Kara Film Festival organized annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries. Our Karachi Festival celebrates Architecture of Karachi.
Karachi is Pakistan's melting pot — a confluence of people from various parts of Pakistan as well from India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Urdu and English are both official languages of Pakistan and, therefore, Karachi. English is the lingua franca (British control began in the 1840's and did not end until 1947). Most locals learn English in school and know at least basic English. English is widely used in the corporate world and in banking and trading. Other languages widely spoken in Karachi include Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto.
Get in[edit]
By plane[edit]
Jinnah International Airport (IATA: KHI ICAO: OPKC), [11], is Pakistan's busiest and largest international and domestic airport. It has connections to many other hubs such as Toronto, London, Dubai, Delhi, Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Istanbul and basically any major international city. It is also the hub for Pakistan International Airlines [12], Pakistan's national carrier, which flies to numerous destinations, including all the major cities in Pakistan, and international cities such as Beijing, Barcelona, London, New York, Toronto, Istanbul, Kabul, Copenhagen, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Milan, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Abu Dhabi, Chicago, Birmingham, Manchester, Hong Kong, Dhaka, Sharjah, Al Ain, Kathmandu, Kuwait, Mumbai, Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, Amman, Bangkok, Tokyo and a couple of others. Facilities in the airport include a McDonald's, ATMs, free internet, wifi, a hotel, currency exchange counters, first class lounges, mosques and a duty free shop that doesn't sell alcohol. Immigration used to be a lengthy process, but after a rearrangement of counters and the introduction of a green channel in 2006 this is no longer the case. There are separate queues for foreign travelers, children's and unaccompanied travelers, and business travelers in the immigration.
By bus[edit]
Karachi is well served by inter city buses from destinations inside Pakistan. There are plenty of long-distance bus companies both private and public sector, mostly clustered outside the Cantonment Railway Station. These include Blue Lines and Green Lines. Buses run 24 hours a day in and out of the city to other major cities of Pakistan. Intercity buses tend to be more modern and well kept than local buses of Karachi. The most comfortable and popular bus operators to and from Karachi are:
By train[edit]
Trains arrive in Karachi from all over Pakistan. Karachi has two main train stations, City Railway Station and Cantonment Railway Station. Both train station originates almost about the same number of trains from each, but all trains from City railway station also stop at Cantonment soon after.
First Class travel with Pakistan Railways [15] is good, and Karachi has railway connections with various major cities in Pakistan including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi, & Peshawar. India is directly connected with Karachi via rail, using the Thar Express. The Thar Express runs weekly between Bhagat Ki Kothi near Jodhpur, India and Karachi.
By car[edit]
National Highways number N-5, Karachi Northern Bypass no. N-10, RCD Highway no. N-25, no. N-55 and Motorway M-9 also known as Super Highway radiate from the city providing links to all parts of the country. The road conditions are generally better. Distances from various cities to Karachi are:
By boat[edit]
Karachi is a major trading hub for dhows from around the Indian Ocean. Travellers wanting to arrive in the city this way will probably need to make their own arrangements with the captain of the vessel.
Get around[edit]
Once you get the hang of travelling in Karachi, it becomes a very entertaining experience. You meet new people and get to see unexpected things. It's not very hard to find a mode of transportation and if you know what you are doing, it is very easy to get around. The Karachi Circular Railway was planning to re-start a proposed Mass Rapid Transit System a few years ago but the project is still delayed due to bureaucratic hurdles.
By foot[edit]
Sometimes, walking may actually be the fastest way to get from point A to B. Always ensure you walk on the footpath, or if one isn't available, as far to the side of the road as possible and on the right facing on-coming traffic. The road is not that dangerous a place in Karachi, but many pedestrians are often injured by passive drivers. Those who are squeamish to pollution or have asthma may need to wear a mask; the air pollution from passing trucks and buses, combined with the searing heat and humidity can be overwhelming at times.
By auto-rickshaw[edit]
Auto rickshaws are a popular method of travelling in Karachi and very common. If you need to travel shorter distances, go by auto-rickshaw (locally known as just rickshaw) You can find them everywhere. Set prices beforehand. They don't usually follow traffic guidelines, so some might think it's dangerous, but they're perfectly safe and a cheap way to get around. Pregnant ladies are most strongly advised not to travel by auto-rickshaws since the combination of rash driving, poor suspensions, and horrible road conditions have quite often led to serious complications. The auto-rickshaw is a slow and uncomfortable vehicle and not recommended for very long distances.
By bus[edit]
City bus and minibus routes move back and forth around Karachi but they're a confusing bet for the visitors, with numbers, destinations and stops poorly marked, and buses are horribly crowded and noisy. Outsiders might be put off by the cramped conditions in the buses, and might prefer travelling in taxis, but the most common method of travelling in Karachi is by bus, both private and government-run. For lack of space, people often sit on the roof, or hang from bars, and are jam-packed inside the bus.
Local buses are run by the Metro Bus Service and the Green Bus Service, which are a little more expensive than other buses but are more comfortable and usually less crowded. They cover a limited area and you can catch them from Saddar's Empress Market.
By taxi[edit]
Black and Yellow[edit]
Black and Yellow taxis usually don't have any meter, so you should first fix the charge and the location with the driver before getting in. The official rate per kilometre is around Rs 7 but expect to pay around double. Taxis are cheap and plentiful ($15-20 should be enough to take you from one end of the city to the other). Most taxis in Karachi are small-medium sized cars (non air-conditioned), painted black-and-yellow. You can hail a cab off the streets. However, many are quite rickety and dirty. The cab drivers are possibly reliable and will take passengers to any destination required. Seat belts are not mandatory for taxi passengers and most standard black and yellow taxis will not even have them installed, though expect them in the branded ones.
Private taxis[edit]
If you want a comfortable and air-conditioned ride, it's best to travel by branded cab services that operate with government-approved tariffs. These services operate modern fleets with well trained drivers. Available with 30-60 minutes notice, they're clean; air-conditioned; equipped with digital, tamper-proof meters; punctual; honest and GPS-equipped and monitored (which makes them far more secure at any time). Respected firms include:
By car[edit]
The speed limit is 40 km/h in residential areas and generally 80 km/h on arterial roads.
Driving in Karachi can be bit difficult because of poor driver discipline, so it may be easier to hire a car with a driver.
Car hire[edit]
Local and a few international car rental companies (most notably Avis, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt) operate in the city. Renters will need to provide a valid credit card, a passport or Pakistan national identity card, a cash deposit and their driving licence.
Chauffeur drive[edit]
Travel agents and hotels can arrange private chauffeur driven cars. Expensive compared with taxis, however they are the most trusted, secure and comfortable way to travel around the city.
See[edit][add listing]
Karachi is a huge city and there is a lot to see here, so all individual listings are in the appropriate district articles, but the typical "tourist" sights are concentrated in South Karachi. An overview is presented here.
Colonial buildings and landmarks[edit]
The British built variety of private and public buildings during British Raj from 1858 to 1947 in Karachi, many of which colonial buildings and landmarks still remains today. Some fine examples are located in the Karachi South district, such as Frere Hall, Mughal architecture styled Mohatta Palace and Hindu Gymkhana, Karachi Port Trust, Khaliqdina Hall, City Court Building, Denso Hall, Quaid-e-Azam House, Trinity Church, Sind Club, Karachi Gymkhana, Karachi Cotton Exchange, DJ Science College, Supreme Court, Saint Andrews Church, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Sindh High Court, Wazir Mansion and the most notable Empress Market. There are a also lot of other modern and old structures to look at in this district specially in Saddar town.
To get the best experience, take a long stroll around the wide roads of MA Jinnah Road, and I I Chundrigar Road. Other famous monuments to be seen in I I Chundrigar area are the Mereweather Tower, Former Lloyds Bank building, Karachi Stock Exchange and many banks that are also excellent examples of colonial architecture in the city. This area preserves some of the finest private architecture from Karachi's early period. The area is known as main business street of Karachi and home to a large number of banks and office buildings. It is the also largest financial district in the country and often termed as the "Wall Street of Pakistan".
There are few good if not so many museums in Karachi which can be referred to as the most famous museums in Pakistan. Most of the museums in the city are concentrated in Karachi South district such as Mohatta Palace, Quaid-e-Azam's Mausoleum and Museum, State Bank Museum and most popular National Museum of Pakistan. Also worth planning a visit is prominent Arts Council of Pakistan.
Pakistan Air Force Museum, and Pakistan Maritime Museum situated in Karachi East district on Karsaz road are with to visit. There are many small museums scattered all over the city's. For listings of specific museum, see the individual district sections of our guide.
Beaches and islands[edit]
Karachi has many big and small beaches, including one in the Karachi South's downtown area "Clifton Beach", which is city's busiest and most popular beach. But they aren't that great and the water off Karachi's coast is extraordinarily dirty. The relatively better ones are in the Karachi West district most popularly Sandspit Beach, and Hawke's Bay Beach. However, they are a great place to see how the locals spend their Sunday evenings, with various food and game activities such as horse riding etc. A word of advice to women: Karachi beaches are not the kind you can wear swimsuits to, particularly two-pieces.
There are a few waterfronts and islands are also located in Karachi, most popular island among tourists is Manora Island in Karachi West district.
Karachi has a justified reputation as a concrete jungle, but there are some nice pockets of greenery within the city. Some city parks are very well-maintained mostly in Karachi South district where two most popular Bagh-e-Ibn-e-Qasim Park, Boat Basin Park, Hill Park, and Jheel Park are located, which offers birds eye view of the city. The city zoo (Karachi Zoo) is also located in this district and well-preserved. In Karachi East, there are plenty of amusement parks are situated and some parks with "Safari Park" being most popular. In Malir district, you can found plenty of water parks, a best option for relaxation.
Karachi also have Pakistan's second largest national park "Kirthar National Park", which is situated outside the city in the Kirthar range mountains in Karachi District.
Do[edit][add listing]
There is much to do in Karachi; a city of more than 16 million people is unlikely to be short on activities. Simply let yourself be overwhelmed by this city, its size and scope, its heart breaking disparity between rich and poor, and its breathtaking sights and sounds. Karachi isn't just a city, it is a world unto itself.
Karachi hosts plenty of cultural events on regular basis, from art exhibitions to concerts, theatre plays and has a fine collection of Anglo-Indian architecture, a legacy of the British Raj, which will keep history buffs engaged. Culture vultures will find a city with many art galleries, displaying a broad spectrum of works from Asia, and some New Age works from aspiring Pakistani artists.
Local newspapers often have listings of forthcoming culture event in the city. Some active cultural centers in the city are:
Alliance Française Block 8, Plot St-1, Kehkashan, Clifton
Arts Council of Pakistan MR Kayani Road. Probably the best place to see musical, mushairas and theatrical performances.
British Council c/o British Deputy High Commission in Karachi located at Shahrah-e-Iran Road, Clifton
One is spoiled for choice by the variety of sports that can be found in Karachi. Cricket can be found at every conceivable corner, from the lush grounds of the more wealthy professional clubs or elite schools to the side streets of the working class Saddar City district.
Go Aish Adventure park, University Rd, [29] is Karachi's largest adventure park offering different adventure activities such as rope course, Paintball, Wall climbing, ATV track, Big Swing & Flying Fox.
Golf, there are several fine golf courses which host international tournaments such as the Pakistan Open on the Asian circuit.
Snorkelling, Explore the beautiful aquatic life of Karachi at a totally different level. Spend a thrilling, fun and excitement filled day with Divers Reef [30] at the Churna Island and know what true open sea adventure is all about.
Amusement parks & wildlife[edit]
Don't miss the indoor kids theme parks that are located inside shopping malls, listed under Buy section. See Karachi South, Karachi East and Malir districts for listenings.
Other things you might be interested in doing is catching a movie at the Karachi Cineplex [31]. Or catch a bird's-eye view of the animals from the Chair lifts at Karachi Safari park [32] or visit The Arena, [33] a gaming arcade at Karsaz offering an ice skating rink, bowling alley, minigolf, arcade games, rock-climbing and much more or Area 51, a bowling alley.
For those who love watching the city skyline, they can visit Hill Park, an amusement park, offering a nice view of the City or Polo ground or the Revolving Restaurant [34], which offers a good view of central Karachi.
You can also walk along the beaches, under clear skies, which at night is an experience worth the travel alone, as visitors can gaze towards the heavens while the Arabian sea cascades over their sandalled feet. Streetlights dotting the coast of Karachi increase the beauty of the sea and surrounding areas. Most city dwellers visit other beaches at the outskirt of the city like Hawksbay, Paradise Point, Sansdpit & French Beaches. Huts are available on these far-flung beaches, where you can also fish, yacht, ride horses and camels, collect sea shells and dive. Explore the under water world, marine life and coral reefs via Scuba Diving. Manora Island, next to Clifton Beach, is another breathtaking place for a picnic. Private boats are the easiest way to reach the Island; they can be hired at the marshes of the PNSC building. Manora Island also has a shrine and some hundred-year old monuments. A Riding Victoria type horse carriage from Polo ground to Clifton can be a memorable experience.
Karachi has recently been experiencing a spa boom, and there is now plenty of choice for everything from holistic Ayurveda to green tea hydrotherapy. Good spas can be found in most five-star hotels such as Avari, PC and on Zamzama Avenue.
If you have the time, and inclination to smoke, check out one of Karachi's cigar lounges. They stock quality international brands including authentic Cuban cigars at Club Havana (DHA 5). Other notable lounges are Castro's and the Cigar Bar in Zamzama. These places have luxurious interiors and can give the illusion of being in a 1950s film, Note that you will have to pay a handsome sum for the pleasure of genuine Cubans. You can also try shisha at Cafe Shisha or at Indulge.
See Karachi South district.
Karachi is the financial and commercial capital of the country, there are many jobs available in the financial sector such as banking, the IT/media sector such as BPO, call centre, etc., especially for English-speakers.you can also do acting in one of the largest play and drama industry of world kariwood.most of the dramas are aired in karachi with hundreds of thousands of studios.you can also work in morning shows.
Buy[edit][add listing]
You can shop to your heart's content, in the massive range of markets and bazaars that dot the city, or you can shop & enjoy one of the many modern shopping malls that are found across the city's more affluent sectors, namely Defence and Clifton. And don't worry too much about your budget; a recent survey by the Times newspaper (UK) found Karachi to be the second-cheapest city in the world.
There are a great number of shopping places in Karachi, ranging from the traditional bazaar to the modern shopping malls. A first-time visitor should try and visit the bazaars, The bazaars usually consist of many small vendors selling a variety of products from accessories to clothes to food and drink. In addition, there are larger stores which are more specific in their products. Also one would find that the bazaars are a more culturally enriching experience. One problem is that when shopkeepers find out you're from out of town, they will charge you double/triple prices. Try to go with someone local if you can to get a good price.
If there is one book you need to pick up about the people of Karachi, go for 'Karachiwala: a subcontinent within a city' written by Rumana Husain. It is a coffee-table book sold at all outlets of Liberty Books and copies of the book are also available at bookshops located in major hotels in the city. The book is priced reasonably, and it helps to understand the origins, traditions, history and lifestyles of the diverse communities inhabiting this metropolis.
Buying Pakistani currency[edit]
The Pakistani currency is the Pakistani Rupee (Rs). It is usually advised to get your foreign currency converted in local currency before you buy stuff (off course that's only applicable if you're planning to buy with cash - not a credit card). A number of licensed currency exchange companies operate their offices located in various parts of the cities that can be used for the exchange. A passport might be required as an identification document but the requirement is often ignored. Some good repute currency exchange companies are Khanani & Kalia, and Galaxy International. Most large department stores and souvenir shops, as well as all upmarket restaurants accept major credit cards. Some small shops may choose to pass on their 2-3% service free on to you should you choose to use a credit card, but this is negotiable so don't hesitate to haggle.
ATMs exist in most areas and accept major credit cards.
Places to shop[edit]
Many good places to shop can be found in Karachi South district as well some in Karachi East. Some of the main bazaars in Karachi that deserve a visit:
There are also three underground bazaars in Karachi at Bohri Bazaar, Nazimabad chowrangi and Liaqatabad No. 10. These are just a few to mention. On the whole, shopping in Karachi is an interesting, exhilarating and often tiring experience.
or visit stores located at Zamzama Ave.
Eat[edit][add listing]
Like other capitals in the world, Karachi has the usual array of International fast food outlets. One can easily find a franchise of KFC ☎ +92 21 111 -532-532, McDonalds ☎ +92 21 111 244-622, Subway ☎ +92 21 586-8907, Papa Johns (Clifton) ☎ +92 21 585-3374, Mr Cod ☎ +92 21 535-0746, Henny's ☎ +92 21 5867151, +92 21 5864023 9a-11p), Pizza Hut ☎ +92 21 111 241-241, Domino's ☎ +92 21 111 366-466, Penny Pizza ☎ +92 21 34991029, or Dunkin Donuts ☎ +92 21 111 366-887. The beauty of the food in Karachi is that you will probably find cuisine for every taste.
Food districts[edit]
There are many food streets throughout the city but South Karachi is full of restaurants and cafes and it is useful for the visitor to be aware that there are some areas where the majority of diners are Karachiites, rather than tourists, and in general you will get a much more pleasant, and better value. These places are can be visited even during day time but best visited in the evenings.
Tip between 5-10% at sit-down places. If a place includes service charges on the bill, you don't need to leave an extra tip. Note the difference betwen service tax and service charges. Service tax goes to government and not to the staff. While tipping is always a good practice.
Drink[edit][add listing]
There are thousands of places to slake your thirst in Karachi—most don't serve alcohol, of course. Cafés, coffee shops, cigar lounges, juice and ice cream parlours are scattered throughout the city, but especially in the South district in the DHA and Clifton areas. There are many good places in the East district too. Several Dunkin Donuts restaurants are located in the city. For Sheesha lovers, "Indulge," a chain of cigar lounges, have branches in Park Tower, Millennium Mall, Rashid Minhas Road, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal. Agha Juice, pioneer of juices in the city, serve some fresh fruit Juices and shakes and have four outlets: In Nazimabad No. 1, Opp Amber Auditorium Bahadurabad, Main Rashid Minhas Road, Gushan Iqbal and Khadda Market Defence, open noon till 3AM. Make sure you go to the branches listed above as there are a lot of places with a similar name.
Drinking alcohol in public areas is nominally banned, but most of the top end hotels have their own bars. A few shops also sell alcohol, but they don't usually have an area to sit and drink. Try local brands like Murree Brewery; others include Budweiser and Bavaria without alcohol.
Try a local limca cola, which makes a "pop" sound when opened. Pakola, Pakistan's premier soft drink brand, is available in flavours such as Ice cream soda, Lychee, Orange, Raspberry, Apple Sidra, Vino, Double cola and Bubble up. Try Lassi, which is a classic yoghurt drink served either plain or sweet and sometimes flavoured or even fused with fresh fruit. Rooh-Afza, a red-coloured, sweet, herbal drink. Sugar Cane Juice — which is extracted by mechanical force — is best when served fresh. You might also love the Falouda and Gola Ganda, which include various kinds of syrups in crushed ice.
If you just want to drink plain water, always go for bottled water of a good brand costing Rs 50 for a 1.5 L bottle of mineral water.
Sleep[edit][add listing]
Karachi has a glut of hotels. Prices range from US$15 (Rs. 1,500) to US$1,000 (Rs. 95,000). As in any other destination, you get what you pay for! The majority of hotels of interest to visitors from outwith Pakistan are located in the Karachi South district where both the business district and the heavily touristed areas are. For listings of specific hotels, see the individual district sections of our guide.
There are hundreds of Budget hotels and dormitories to sleep in. For US$30 per night you can get a very decent room, with private bathroom, cable TV and air conditioning. Please remember that the cheaper budget hotels often don't have their own electric generators - a real problem in the oppressive heat of summer during one of Karachi's many power cuts. Even within the same budget hotel there will often be a range of rooms with varying facilities and prices, but breakfast is not usually provided. Room amenities such as bed linen, soap and even toilet paper may only be provided on request. Budget hotels here are generally male dominated and solo women or couples may feel uncomfortable staying at them. Some places won't even accept women travelling without men at all and it is particularly important for women and couples to personally inspect accommodation first, to make sure it meets their needs.
Karachi's Mid range hotels usually provide breakfast and all have restaurants and room service. There are usually fewer issues for solo women when stay in mid range hotels. Many can be found in Karachi South district. There are also a couple of budget and some good mid range hotels in Karachi East district.
There are plenty of Splurge hotels in Karachi and these, mostly located in Karachi South district are amongst the very best to be found in all of Pakistan. Security tends to be strict at splurge hotels - so expect metal detectors on entry. Breakfasts are usually free, along with airport transfers. The high-rise Sheraton and Avari Towers hotels are prominent landmarks on the Karachi skyline.
Stay safe[edit]
Street crime in Karachi is about what you'd expect in a big city. Use common sense and avoid dangerous areas. Avoid going out alone, or walking by yourself on dark, empty streets at night. Never flash electronics or valuables in public; keep your cell phones, watches, and purses in a safe place. These things easily attract attention. There are also con men looking out for foreigners, so if someone you don't trust approaches you, just keep on walking. Beware of pickpockets when you are in any crowded areas. If withdrawing large amounts of cash from ATM's or banking institutions, either conceal the notes or ask the institution's security to escort you to your vehicle.
The people of Karachi are very hospitable. They tend to welcome any foreigner very warmly, but regardless of how nice someone seems you should remain aware and alert at all times, and try to keep a low profile at all times. Women are usually stared at, in certain parts of the city so bring a male relative or friend, to be safe. In general, in Karachi, if you are ever worried about your safety, make a loud scene. It is an extremely crowded city, and somebody is always around and willing to help. Women should never ever take lifts from strangers. Police can sometimes be almost as shady as criminals in Karachi. Some police officers may be corrupt and unhelpful, while others are very honest and helpful. The safest mode for travel for a tourist is to hire a private taxi. These can be rented for a trip as well as by the day.
Karachi has mostly been spared the attacks that have happened in the rest of the country, but "mostly" is a relative term. You should always keep the emergency telephone contact numbers of your country's consulate in Karachi.
There should be no serious danger in the affluent parts of the city. Defence and Clifton in Karachi South district are regarded as safe at all times, as they are populated by the city's business and cultural elite. These districts offer the most "tourist-friendly" experience of Karachi, given that there will be no language barrier (most Pakistanis can speak some English, and many people in these districts will be completely fluent). Most visitors will find there is a large degree of cultural understanding and compatibility between the residents of Karachi and western tourists.
Traffic jams are a major hassle in Karachi. Although the city government has recently built dozens of underpasses and flyovers to get rid of the overflow of the traffic, it is a good idea to keep a look for any rallies/protests and check out alternate routes while travelling in the city. Being the capital, it's the area most affected during strikes, and you should do your best to keep a low profile during times of political unrest. Avoid any sort of large gatherings, even positive ones, as there's a good chance you'll become the centre of attention and you probably don't want that from a group of raucous chanters. Beware of beggars scattered through out the city.
Try not to to drive in Karachi if you are new to the city since drivers are aggressive and chaotic. Pollution (like most other cities in the subcontinent) is high. It's not common to see local people with face masks on, but at the very least you should carry a handkerchief with you to cover your mouth and nose specially during rickshaw rides.
Pedestrians should be careful while crossing roads as some drivers will neither slow down nor sound a horn to warn of an impending accident. This also applies when getting out of the car on the traffic side; look both ways until you are off the road and don't hesitate to run if you sense a car barrelling towards you. Minibus drivers are particularly notorious.
The area code for Karachi is 21. (International code +92 if calling from outside Pakistan). Karachi phone numbers are eight digits long. All mobile numbers, however, are 11 digits long and begin with "03", and should not be dialled with the city prefix. Omit the '0' when dialling a cell phone from outside Pakistan and prefix with the '92' international code.
Public Call Offices (PCO), can be found all over the city. You will find a PCO in nearly 50% of general or convenience stores; there is usually someone who operates the phone and fax. Rates are usually cheap and will be charged according to the time spent, and you will pay when you have finished your call.
Cybercafes, locally known as "Internet cafes" can be found on virtually every street corner and the rates at around Rs 50 per hr. They usually don't have a very fast operating system nor good internet speed so don't be too impatient. They usually use 14" monitors, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows XP are usually installed on these operating systems. Most of the cafes have a decent speed internet connection with good operating systems.
Internet Access, can be obtained easily on notebook computers with the help of GRPS enabled mobile connections, supported by almost all of the 5 mobile operators. Mobilink provides EDGE based connection in very limited areas of Karachi, however Telenor's coverage of EDGE is wider. The standard cost of GPRS/EDGE usage is Rs 15-Rs 20/MB data transfer, however if you wish to download much more you may want to use unlimited packages, provided by all of the 5 mobile operators. PTCL, Mobilink Infinity, World Call, Wateen, Qubee are WiMax internet providers and Wi-Tribe offers USB internet.
Wi-fi, There are several Wi-Fi Hotspots in Karachi in hotels, malls and cafes/resturants. If you are in a business district like Shahra-e-Faisal or I.I.Chundrigar Road, then most of the area will have free Wi-Fi.
Cell phone, coverage in the city is excellent. Cell phones were considered as a status symbol a few years ago but, since 2002, the telecommunications industry has experienced a bit of a boom. These days you can hardly find a single person in the city without a personal cell phone. There are various service providers offering a huge variety of plans. Among them are Mobilink, Warid Telecom, Telenor, Ufone & Zong (China Mobile). Its not a bad idea to buy a cell phone and use a prepaid plan to get yourself connected while you are in the city. The mobile phones and the prepaid plans are very cheap; you can usually get a new cheap cell phone just for Rs 2,000 and a prepaid connection for Rs 150-400.
Aga Khan Hospital is by far the best private hospital in the city, with world class medical care at an affordable cost. The free-government hospitals, however, aren't up to par with what some visitors may be used to.
Go next[edit]


text:
Irish derivation: Ó Broin.
Name meaning: "Descendant of Bran (King of Leinster)," "raven".
Counties associated with the name: Wicklow, Dublin, Kildare.
Coat of arms motto: "I have fought and conquered."
Read more: What's your Irish clan?
Interesting Facts:
- Seventh most common name in Ireland
Some famous Byrnes:
- Alderman Alfred Byrne (1882 - 1956, Lord Mayor of Dublin ten times)
- Charles Byrne (1761-1783, Irish giant)
- Gabriel Byrne (1950-, Irish actor)
- Fiach McHugh O'Byrne (1534-1597, Lord of Ranelagh, leader of the clan)
- Gay Byrne (1934-, Irish TV personality)
- Myles Byrne (1780-1862, leader of 1798 Rebellion)
- Nicky Byrne (1978-, Irish singer)
- Rose Byrne (1979-, Australian actress)
Read more: What's your Irish clan?


text:
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text:
If you missed Part 1 then it is available here.
Part 3 of 5 will be available on the ISAF website on Monday 13 January 2014.
Gary Jobson
"There were a few theories in the New Zealand press going on. We'll cast that aside for the moment. One of the other changes you made was to bring Ben Ainslie on the boat. In the long history of the America's Cup it is very rare in the actual Cup to change one of the crew, whether you're winning or losing. So what was behind bringing Ben Ainslie in and what difference did that make?"
Jimmy Spithill
"We had amazing depth in our sailing team. We actually had it set up this way on purpose because our campaign was based around trying to sail two AC72s. We don't get to race in the challenger series. Big advantage to the challenger. Always has been. To take on two 72s, we honestly didn't know how often we'd be able to sail one let alone two which is a big undertaking. So we hired the best guys we could.
"Obviously Ben, no question, one of the best sailors if not the best sailor in the world. John and I had just won the previous America's Cup. We'd just had a very successful series in the 45s where we dominated there. It was a time when things weren't going well. We were in a slower boat for one. Of course, you always make mistakes out on the water and there were some mistakes. But we needed a change. Gary is right. I don't think it ever really usually works like that. But it said a lot, I think, about John and the team and the people we had about how he approached it. We sat down after the race, we spoke about it. We said look we're thinking about making a change. And he said well go, great. I think you should make a change. I think this is the time to do it. I think we just need a change now. Effectively put his hand up. Straight out of the meeting what does he do? He goes straight over to Ben and starts getting Ben ready for the next day. Talking about the navigation software, certain plays on the boat, the pedestal, stuff like that. Everyone saw that on the team. And that really says a lot about the people on our team. When they put the team number 1, always themselves number 2.
"If there's ever a guy on the team who had a lot riding on it or you could say could get worried about how he comes off, would be John. He's from San Francisco. High profile guy. But here he was putting himself second and the team first. And that's, in essence, I think what made the team so good in a high pressure situation. They never thought about themselves. It was always the team. There are so many examples like the example I gave with JK, and ultimately it sounds so simple but it is all about the team and doing what we think is right at the time."
"Well said. Race 8, leg 3, we're going upwind, New Zealand's got maybe a 3 or 4 length lead on you. They're going to tack to leeward ahead and the tack turned into a near capsize. You're coming on at 22 knots or so and you made the decision to go above them, not below them, at that moment. What was in your head when you saw New Zealand almost capsize in Race 8?"
"Initially we were going to try and go below them, or duck them or what we call hook, try and get a hook to leeward and then that didn't look too good right at the end. So luckily we bailed out of that. I thought they were going over with the last look I got at them was they were…I could see Glen Ashby a long way up. It's a funny thing. It's one of those things where you don't enjoy seeing it.
"We'd been involved in a capsize obviously. We were training with Artemis the day they capsized and unfortunately Andrew Simpson passed away. So it's not something you enjoy seeing. The only thing I'd liken it to is maybe a race car driver going past or seeing a crash. Even if they're your competitor you don't like it. You don't like seeing it. At the end of the day, of course, your fears are always on the water and you really do want to almost kill each but when you come ashore there's nothing but respect. You've just been through a battle and you've shared something, two teams, and taken it on and that's something pretty special that you remember. So you want to win on the water. To be honest I think everyone was relieved that they didn't go over and came out and fought another day and finished the race."
"So the score is 8-8 and we're on Race 19. You're to windward at the start. New Zealand is still overlapped at the first turning mark and then you nose dive there. I asked you that on air after the race about it but tell us a little bit about why that happened and how did you recover from it in the final race there?"
"The reach is so critical on these boats. You get to this angle that multihull sailors call the death angle. It's at the angle where it's the fastest point of sail for the boat. When you do get overpowered or get in a tough situation, it's not obvious which way to go to unload the boat or depower. You don't know whether coming up to unload will leave a load or power the boat up or if you go down whether it will power it up again. And that reach mark is usually set right around there. Because it is so fast there's a lot of action. But when you add foiling it really is another dimension. And to get the foiling, the trim the driving in coordination, it is sort of like flying a helicopter to a plane. There's so many things going on at once it's very, very challenging.
"At the end of the day I was really, myself, my mistake, that lead to dropping off the foil. Ultimately, yes, we sort of…I got out of sync on the foil with what Kyle and the guys were doing with the wing and just jumped off the foil. That really shows how tough these boats are to sail. Every single day you are at the red line. You're at the knife edge and you're putting yourself and your teammates right there with you. And there's no other way to sail. The boat only has…its either stop or full throttle. There's no in between. There's no sort of cruise mode. Every day you'd have a couple of these moments. It's I guess sort of like race car drivers who are right at the end from sliding into the wall. That's part of these boats. Very rewarding when you get them right but look it just goes to show if you make a mistake on a boat like this, you get punished and it's obvious. There's no hiding it you know, like did anyone see that?"
We saw it.
I figured you guys might. We could actually hear people on the shore there letting out a bit of a gasp.
Log on to the ISAF website on 13 January 2014 for part three.


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Melges 24 Italian Championship in Scarlino: Giogi of Matteo Balestrero Wins, Maitech Named First Corinthian Overall
17 June 2013
Scarlino, Italy - Giogi helmed by Matteo Balestrero, with the former world champion Nico Celon calling tatctics, conqueres in the light wind of Scarlino – Tuscany the Melges 24 Italian Open National Championship 2013.
The spectacular event featured more than thirty boats coming from eleven nations. The event, organized by Club Nautico Scarlino, crowned Ballestrero's team (together with Davide di Maio, Cristiano Giannetti and Simona Benelli) as Champions after 8 races completed.
Giogi showed off a consistent speed and higher performances during all the weekend raced in very light wind conditions (2-4-9-1-2-12-6-7 as partials). Second place went to Altea of Andrea Racchelli with the podium completed by Maidollidis of Gianluca Perego (with Giovanni Pizzati on helm and Niccolò Bianchi calling tactics).
Fourth place for EFG Bank, the boat helmed by Chris Rast. Fifth position for Maitech owned by Claudio Ceradini with Andrea Pardini on helm, grabbed the title in the Corinthian division title.
The Melges 24 fleet once again demonstrated its vitality in a great regatta which saw strong duels and top level performances with great champions on the water (Nicola Celon, Flavio Favini) competing side by side with some newcomers and corinthians crews.
The program for the forthcoming Melges 24 events include:
Kiel, 22 – 26 June: Kieler Week / European Sailing Series Act 2
Torbole, 26 – 28 July: Torbole Melges 24 Week / European Sailing Series Act 3
Medemblik, 16 – 24 August: Melges 24 European Championship 2013 / European Sailing Series Act 4
The Melges 24 World Championship will be held in San Francisco (USA) from 30 September to 5 October.


text:
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15111 Ashburn Road #undefined, Scugog, ON is located in Scugog's L9L neighborhood.L9L Real Estate is made up of primarily residential properties, with the majority of homes in the neighbourhood being Detached Homes, Vacant Lots and some Farms. The majority of homes found in the L9L neighbourhood have 2 Parking spaces. It is typical to find homes in L9L that were built Before 1969. Neighborhoods found close by include L0B, Raglan and L1H. With no shortage of conveniences, L9L offers a variety of amenities and activities for residents to enjoy.
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- 51 Homes for Sale
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Could be a great fit for you? Here are some statistics to help you decide.
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Married (and not separated) 44.22%
Single (never legally married) 22.11%
Living common law 5.95%
Widowed 5.1%
Divorced 4.25%
Separated 1.7%
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Christian 64.63%
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Muslim 3.4%


text:
The family of Dublin toddler Elie Madden flew home to Ireland on the Irish government jet Tuesday after the toddler's treatment came to an end following a five-month stint in Boston Children's hospital.
An 18-month-old twin from Dublin, Elie was born with the digestive disorder severe posterior tracheomalacia and long-gap esophageal atresia, which meant there was a five centimeter gap between her esophagus and stomach.
As a result of her condition, Elie was unable to eat, drink or swallow without the use of medical equipment. After seven operations at Boston Children's Hospital, she recently ate her first meal and was able to use her voice for the first time.
"We have been away almost five months, it's been a long road," her mother Esti told the Irish Voice on the eve of their departure. "We cannot wait to get home."
Polish-born Esti has been keeping a bedside vigil for her daughter since they arrived in Boston in November. Elie's healthy twin sister Emie and her grandmother Anita have also been in Boston for the duration of the treatment, while dad Eddie remained in Dublin, where he works in a restaurant.
Eddie arrived in Boston on Friday to be reunited with his family before their final journey home.
"I didn't see this day coming," Eddie said of their imminent trip back home to Dublin.
"It is great to see her breathing without a tube and laughing. I fed her myself for the first time last night. I was nervous."
The Dubliner, who had not seen his family since January, was amazed to see Elie's progress and how much the twin sisters had grown.
"They are getting prettier every day," he said.
Doctors have been delighted with Elie's progress after her extended stay in Boston.
"They are astonished that she is eating the way she is right now," Eddie said.
After the family arrives back in Ireland, Elie will be transferred to Crumlin Children's Hospital for around a day, Eddie says.
"I think we return to Boston in about two years," Eddie said.
Meanwhile, the O'Connor family, also from Dublin, flew into Boston on board the Irish government jet on Monday morning to begin treatment for Sergio, a one-year-old twin who suffers from a similar condition to Elie.
The Dublin toddler was diagnosed from tracheo-esophageal fistula with long gap atresia, which prevents him from eating, drinking or swallowing.
The one-year-old twin was accompanied by his parents Donal and Rosa and an Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) medical team.