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Friends of Amtrak

Friends of Amtrak, by Craig S. O'Connell, is an internet advocacy effort supporting continued funding for Amtrak by providing information on legislation and Amtrak operations. Friends of Amtrak has been working on behalf of Amtrak since 1995. Click here to subscribe to the Friends of Amtrak e-mail distribution list.

It was a beautiful day in Wells, Maine, on October 22, 2018. I was in a pretty bad mood because my trusty Honda Accord had decided to periodically not start and at this point was sitting in the station parking lot awaiting AAA. After that and the musings of Amtrak management I welcomed the chance to grab some shots of the Downeaster at work.

First, there was the cheerful station, bedecked with Halloween decor.

Then Northbound #683, in a canopy of fall colors way down the line, spot on time at 2:53.

Then Southbound #686 on time at 2:59. All went like clockwork. The trains were gleaming and clean in appearance. Further good news is that PanAm work on the tracks is due to be over as I write this and two more round trips will be added.

Oh, as for the Honda, it spent two days in a Honda service center in New Hampshire, where nobody could figure out why we have starting problems. That will have to be done down where I live in Massachustts....where compared to the Downeaster our commuter rail trains border on being a practical joke....dirty windows, track changes that leave passengers isolated, and new apps that won't download. And now winter is coming. lol.

Camera: Sony HV90

Photos and text by Ron Goodenow. Please do not republish. . For more of Ron's Friends of Amtrak Photo Gallery please CLICK HERE

Sadly, on October 28, 2018, Ron Goodenow passed from this life. Those of us who knew him personally are deeply saddened but will always remember Ron as very special human being capable of so much love, warmth and life. The train and photographic community has also lost a good life long friend. Amtrak has lost a champion. Rest in peace, my friend. We will miss you. This photographic gallery will remain as a testimony to your commitment to passenger train travel as well as your fine artistic photographic skills. --Craig S. O'Connell

  • Contact Congress--To call your Member of Congress: US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121
  • To reach the Congressional switchboard call 1-202-224-3121.
  • The Toll Free Numbers I have for the Congressional switchboard are: 1-800-828-0498 / 1-800-459-1887 / 1-800-614-2803 / 1-866-340-9281 / 1-866-338-1015 / 1-866-220-0044 / 1-877-851-6437 (These are unofficial and all subject to change).
    To locate your House/Senate Member Online:

Friends of Amtrak Photo Gallery by Ron Goodenow

"Downeaster" Photos

Ron Goodenow's Attic - a photo collection of railroad memorabilia including timetables, tickets, menus and more.

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What You Can Do To Help Save Rail Passenger Service In This Country

Is Amtrak becoming like the airlines? (Reprinted from USA Today)

by Bill McGee, Special to USA TODAY Published 5:00 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2018

For years I’ve been traveling to the nation’s capital to represent airline passengers before Congress, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. And I often get there by train. That’s not a punchline or a cheap shot, just a simple recognition that for me – and millions of others who live along the Interstate 95 corridor – Amtrak is the quickest, easiest, least stressful, most productive and often cheapest mode to get from Connecticut to downtown Washington. The same is true in many other communities nationwide.

But like many other riders and consumer advocates, I’ve started to note “airline creep” working its way into Amtrak’s policies, pricing, fees and service. It’s little wonder, since the former CEO of Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines is now the CEO of the nation’s train line. So it’s also little wonder those of us who love riding the rails are now asking: Is Amtrak turning into a low-cost airline?

Planes to trains
In July 2017, Amtrak’s board appointed Richard Anderson president and CEO, after he previously served as the CEO of first Northwest and then Delta and oversaw the merger of those two carriers. Three months later former Continental and Northwest executive Tim Griffin was named Amtrak’s chief marketing officer; then an ex-Northwest and Delta officer was tapped as Amtrak’s chief safety officer. Other former Delta execs now head up the “passenger experience” and “product development & customer experience” departments.

To be sure, many rail riders no doubt are happy with several recent innovations, including new meal options, upgraded Wi-Fi and even Dunkin’ Donuts coffee onboard. But what’s interesting is that Amtrak has been defining itself as NOT being an airline, even while emulating one. In September 2017, shortly after Anderson’s arrival, the rail line launched a new marketing campaign entitled “Break the Travel Quo” that dissed air travel by touting Amtrak’s ample legroom and freedom to use electronic devices with no “airplane mode.” The campaign took aim at airlines by specifically assailing other travel “rules, restrictions, additional fees and shrinking legroom.” And that drumbeat has continued; just last month Amtrak posted an ad on Facebook touting “2 free checked bags” and “0 middle seats.”

Such advantages are what make Amtrak the travel mode of choice for me and so many others. A report from the Congressional Research Service in September 2017 titled “Amtrak: Overview” found the following: “By some measures, Amtrak is performing as well as or better than it ever has in its 47-year history. For example, it is carrying a near-record number of passengers, and its passenger load factor and its operating ratio are at the upper end of their historic ranges. On the other hand, Amtrak’s ridership is barely growing at a time when other transportation modes are seeing ridership increases.”

However, that passenger load factor – the percentage of occupied seats – has been inching up from the 51 percent mark in last year’s report. The latest stats, which reflect the year to date through July, indicate loads are at 58 percent for both the national network and its crown jewel, the Northeast Corridor. Of course, such news is a paradox, since fuller trains are good news for executives, investors and even taxpayers, but bad news for passengers in crowded train cars. That said, the typical domestic airline cabin is both more crowded and more profitable. Average passenger loads for the domestic airline industry haven’t been below 58 percent since 1977; what’s more, there are no middle seats on Amtrak – yet.

'Tracking' changes
I reached out to riders and advocates alike and asked if the rhetoric has matched the experience. Time and again, I encountered Amtrak customers worried about the company’s new direction. Especially since President Donald Trump has called for “drastic cuts” to Amtrak’s budget, with elimination of service to more than 220 cities in 23 states, as I noted here in January in “Eight disturbing travel trends you’ll confront in 2018.”

“The concerns about changes being made under Richard Anderson’s regime at Amtrak are real,” says Charlie Leocha, president of nonprofit Travelers United. “The railroad experience is moving in the direction of airline service.” He’s echoed by Kevin Mitchell, a frequent Amtrak rider and chairman of the Business Travel Coalition: “I believe that Amtrak and its customers are not faring well under the guidance of former airline executives. After the radical consolidation of the U.S. airline industry, the current crop of executives … were schooled in increasing confusing fees and shrinking seats.”

Here’s a summation of the issues that most concern customers who want Amtrak to be an alternative to airline service, not a duplication of it.

• Pricing/discounts. Amtrak recently revamped its standard pricing reductions. As Leocha notes, “Amtrak no longer offers discounts to veterans, students and AAA members, and the minimum age of eligibility for the senior discount was raised to 65 from 62.” What’s more, that senior discount is now 10 percent rather than 15 percent. Instead, Amtrak has introduced temporary reductions, such as a four-day sale for seniors and a three-day sale for students.

Another frequent rider, Lauren from Boston, notes: “My real issue is that under the new CEO, Amtrak, a government entity that receives taxpayer money, is offering large corporate discounts while at the same time cutting back on discounts previously offered to seniors and students.” John M., a rail customer in California, adds, “I’m a veteran and a taxpayer, and my tax dollars help go to Amtrak. But they cut the (veterans) discount. Just when I need it most.”The rail line also introduced a more complex pricing option in May, by launching 25 percent off on reservations booked 21 days before travel. The three-week advance fare is one of the most common and complex pricing “buckets” employed by airlines.

Ticketing. Lisa Beth, who travels frequently from New York City to visit family in Baltimore, has indeed seen changes in the last year, and some are positive changes: “I noticed a few months ago they reupholstered the seats and made them much more comfortable, what you would want on an airplane.” But she worries that stricter policies and fees are creeping in, and says, “I remember in the 1980s and 1990s, if I missed a train I would just take the next one. I had complete flexibility. Now it’s gotten more stringent. I noticed recently that if I canceled I could get an eVoucher, but if I wanted my money back I had to pay a fee. I worry that the rules will become even more overly restrictive.” Leocha agrees, stating Amtrak’s cancellation policy is now more “airline-like,” with penalties for most reservations canceled 24 hours after booking.

In addition, these penalties hit riders the hardest at peak travel times, just as the airlines do. As Mitchell points out, “A public, taxpayer-funded service should be cost-based and not discriminatory to those who subsidize it. Would the Internal Revenue Service get away with higher fees for citizens paying online at peak call times?”

Seat comfort. In July 2017, just as Anderson was taking over, train junkies felt a shiver when they read here and elsewhere that the outgoing Amtrak CEO stated at the National Press Club that seats might start getting tighter: “We are looking at doing some creative things. There’ll be some other things that don’t make it quite as comfortable.” Those remarks prompted Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to urge the rail line not to start on the “slippery slope” of “packing people in like sardines.”

Roomier accommodations on Amtrak was something I addressed here with “Train or plane? Which is the better choice?” and “Tale of the tape: Amtrak is more comfortable than airlines.” I noted Amtrak’s coach seats offer width of 23 inches and legroom “pitch” of 39 inches between seats, and much more in premium classes. Consider that the economy/coach sections of the Big Three Airlines – American, Delta and United – on workhorse Boeing 737s in domestic service offer pitch of 30 to 31 inches and width of 16.6 to 17.8 inches. Amtrak continues to offer much roomier seats, but the stats aren’t on anymore, and don’t bother asking Julie, “Your Virtual Assistant,” because she’s not saying.

Seating policies. Several riders have noted Amtrak offers another big advantage over the airlines: more liberal seating rules. As one mother of two young children notes, “I wouldn’t want assigned seats when I’ve got my kids with me.” In fact, some customers suggest that just as Amtrak has Quiet Cars popular with business travelers, there should be dedicated zones at no cost for travelers with special needs, seniors and families with young kids. There’s no question this would be a huge improvement over airline travel, since the DOT has failed to implement a 2016 congressional mandate for domestic air carriers to allow families with children under 12 to sit together at no additional cost.Beth also loves the ability to get up and move around on a train – even the ability to move seats entirely: “Last week there was a woman on Bluetooth conducting a conference call right next to me. So I finally got up and moved. You can’t do that on an airplane.” Obviously switching seats won’t be an option if passengers are given designated seats. For those who question if this scenario is likely, it’s worth noting that in May Amtrak announced an assigned seating option for First passengers on Acela trains.

Baggage. Currently, the rules for what you can tote onboard Amtrak are much more liberal than any airline’s: Each passenger is allowed two personal items at 25 pounds each and two carry-ons at 50 pounds each, for a total of 150 pounds. Technically, there are restrictions on overweight bags and excess bags, but even the most frequent rail travelers can’t recall much enforcement.

But some frequent riders quoted on social media and rail blogs are worried the train line may tinker with this key advantage it has over airlines. As one notes: “The good thing is, you can fit your bag over your seat on Amtrak the way you can’t in an airplane. It would be really bad to start having fees for bags.”

A good barometer will be if Amtrak begins enforcing its existing baggage restrictions. As one anonymous rider in Chicago says, “It’s mission creep. Like changing the rules on the (Guest Rewards) program.” This customer noted Amtrak recently ended its partnership with Starwood Hotels.

Time will tell ...
The next year may well determine how all those former airline executives intend to reshape Amtrak. Leocha believes the elimination of customer service agents at some stations is an ominous sign. “We are seeing the worst of airline customer service issues being introduced to the railroad experience,” he says. “The Amtrak Board of Directors and Congress have the final say on these changes, unlike the airlines where changes are made by executives with the needs of investors put squarely in front of the needs of consumers.”

Bill McGee, a contributing editor to Consumer Reports and the former editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, is an FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher who worked in airline operations and management for several years. Tell him what you think of his latest column by sending him an email at Include your name, hometown and daytime phone number, and he may use your feedback in a future column.

Trump's Budget Slashes Amtrak
From Trains Magazine

Home/News/News Wire/UPDATE: Amtrak, light-rail cuts in Trump's first budget
UPDATE: Amtrak, light-rail cuts in Trump's first budget
March 16, 2017

WASHINGTON — Amtrak and mass transit face severe budget cuts under President Trump's proposed fiscal 2018 budget. And a grant program that has provided funds for rail projects is on the verge of elimination.

The 2018 budget would eliminate subsidies for Amtrak's long-distance trains, “which have long been inefficient and incur the vast majority of Amtrak’s operating losses” according to budget documents released overnight. Document writers say cuts would allow the railroad's management to focus on better management of the Northeast Corridor and state-supported passenger rail services.
In a response this morning, Amtrak officials said the cuts would eliminate train service in 23 of the 46 states the system now serves. Those trains feed the Northeast Corridor and state-supported services.

“Amtrak is very focused on running efficiently,” Amtrak officials say in a statement. “We covered 94 percent of our total network operating costs through ticket sales and other revenues in [fiscal year 2016] — but these services all require Federal investment.”
The budget will not provide for any new projects under the Federal Transit Administration's capital investment program. Rather, budget document writers say the change leaves funding up to “localities that use and benefit from these localized projects.”

Officials with the American Public Transportation Association say they are surprised and disappointed with the budget details so far. At a time when the administration is touting $1 trillion for infrastructure, “the White House is recommending cutting billions of dollars from existing transportation and public transit infrastructure programs," APTA officials say.

Association officials say that the cuts would affect projects in Kansas City; Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas; Indianapolis; Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Fort Lauderdale, and Jacksonville, Fla.

The budget proposal also calls for eliminating funding for “unauthorized” Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. In January, the Department of Transportation announced $500 million was available for the popular program, which has been funding projects since 2009.

Among the 2016 grant recipients are San Bernardino County, Calif., which received $8.6 million for passenger rail service; Mississippi's 65-mile long Natchez Railway, that received $10 million for rehabilitation and upgrades for five bridges; and the Springfield, Ill., which received $14 million to build two underpasses for proposed high-speed service between St. Louis and Chicago.

Amtrak's Answer for Aging Acela Fleet: 160 M.P.H. Trains
From the New York Times, August 27, 2016

WASHINGTON — A new era of high-speed train travel is coming to the nation’s busiest rail corridor.
Federal officials on Friday announced a $2.45 billion loan to Amtrak for the purchase of state-of-the-art trains to replace the aging Acela trains that use the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston.

Amtrak plans to put the first of 28 new trains into service in about five years. Once they are fully deployed, officials expect the Acela to depart every half-hour between Washington and New York and every hour between New York and Boston. That should increase passenger capacity by about 40 percent, they said.

While the new trains will not approach the speeds of some Asian and European trains, officials said they hoped that the new Acela would travel at 160 miles per hour in some places, up from 135 m.p.h. now. The trains will theoretically be able to go faster than 160 m.p.h., though that would require a huge upgrade of the track system.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., a longtime Amtrak supporter who frequently travels by train between Washington and his home in Delaware, announced the loan at the station in Wilmington that is named in his honor.
"We need these kinds of investments to keep this region — and our whole country — moving, and to create new jobs," Mr. Biden said.

Anthony R. Coscia, Amtrak’s chairman, said the railroad service was "responding to a change in the United States of people moving into the cities, of people looking for city-to-city connections."

The Acela trains have become one of the most successful parts of the Amtrak system. Over the last decade, they have helped train service displace airplanes as the most popular mode of travel in the Northeast Corridor. Acela trains carry about 3.4 million passengers a year between the three major cities.

But nearly 15 years after America’s first high-speed trains began coursing between Washington and Boston, the 20 current Acela trains are nearing the end of their usable lives.

Transportation officials said Amtrak first considered overhauling the existing Acela trains, 17 of which are operating at any given time. But that would have been disruptive and costly, the officials said.

The new trains will be manufactured in New York State by Alstom, a French company that builds high-speed trains around the globe. For Amtrak, Alstom will build a version of the Avelia Liberty, which the company’s website describes as having "an innovative compact power car and nine passenger cars, with the possibility of three more being added if demand grows." The company says the train is capable of traveling at 186 m.p.h.

Like the existing Acela trains, the new ones will have business-class cars, a cafe car, a first-class car and a quiet car, where the use of cellphones is discouraged. The new trains will also offer better accessibility for people with disabilities.

Officials said about $2 billion would be spent on the new trains. The rest of the loan will be used to upgrade several stations, including those in New York and Washington, and to improve track reliability and safety.

Amtrak expects increased revenue from the more frequent Acela service to help it pay back the loan, the biggest in the history of the Department of Transportation, officials said.

The existing Acela trains will be completely phased out by the end of 2022, they said.

"This is a serious, serious upgrade," Mr. Biden said. "You would need seven more lanes on I-95 to accommodate the traffic if Amtrak shut down."

Don’t Railroad Amtrak
Americans love trains. So should conservatives.
By William S. Lind and Glen D. Bottoms •
From: The American Conservative

At root, conservatism is about preserving good things from the past and, where they have been lost, restoring them. Conservatives know that life in the past was in many ways better than life at present; morals and manners both come to mind. So, as some of us are old enough to remember, was travel.

The word “travel” itself suggests a better time and better experiences getting from one place to another than those we now suffer. Travel, where the journey itself is part of the pleasure, has been displaced by “transportation.” Like so many bandboxes or birdcages, people too are now packages and shipped. Whether crammed into an airline seat designed for garden gnomes, your baggage thoroughly (or not) searched in case you are a terrorist, or stuck in heavy traffic behind the wheel of a car, enjoying the journey is not in the script. Your highest hope is to get through it quickly and safely and forget about it as soon as possible.

Yet strange to say, some Americans do still travel, and enjoy it. Who are these privileged souls? Not the 1 percent, but anyone who is traveling by train. Last year, they numbered just over 30 million, counting only passengers on Amtrak, not commuter trains.

Passenger trains offer comfortable travel the middle class can afford. On long-distance trains, most of which use Amtrak’s double-decker Superliner cars, a reasonable coach fare gets you a better seat than domestic flights offer in first class. You have a big window and interesting things to see from it. You can look out, read, work, or nap, all with plenty of room. You can get up and walk around, including to a lounge car with wraparound glass and, for now, to the dining car for a meal with real food. The train can be social if you want it to be; it is easy to meet people. If your trip is overnight, for a somewhat steeper fare, though usually less than first class by air, you can get a private room with a bed at night and a comfortable chair or sofa during the day.

These trains represent one of the good things from the past conservatives should work to conserve and expand: at present, passenger rail service in most of the country is a fraction of what it was 50 years ago. All of which makes it passing strange that congressional Republicans are doing their utmost to kill Amtrak. Each year, they cut its budget further. They starve it of capital funds it needs to buy new cars so it can carry more people. Last year, House Republicans forced through a measure that drove a knife in Amtrak’s back. They put a legal requirement on Amtrak to end all losses on food and beverage services.

Even in the glory days of rail travel, dining cars lost money. Railroads provided diners anyway, and took pride in the excellence of the food served on their trains, because when people are traveling for a day or more they need real meals.

The only way Amtrak can meet the new mandate is to eliminate dining cars. Passengers would have to go on journeys of a thousand miles or more with nothing but a snack bar. Coach passengers may do that, but a great many sleeping car passengers will not. Amtrak makes a lot more money from sleeping cars than from coaches: by its own calculations, sleeping car passengers account for just 15 percent of long-distance passengers but contribute 36 percent of total revenue. Amtrak’s average yield per mile for coach passengers is 14.2 cents; for sleeping car passengers, 27.2 cents. As Jim Loomison wrote in a Consumer Traveler story last year: “Here’s the unvarnished truth, put in the simplest possible terms by a respected authority on passenger rail: ‘If the dining cars go, the sleepers go. If the sleepers go, the big revenue goes. If the big revenue goes, Amtrak goes’.”

Congressional Republicans explain their hostility to Amtrak with two arguments. First, Amtrak is subsidized, and second, it runs trains no one rides.

Yes, Amtrak is subsidized. So are all competing forms of transportation. Highways cover only 51 percent of their costs from all user fees, including the gas tax. The rest is paid by subsidies of one form or another, especially from local property taxes. Airlines receive massive subsidies in the form of airports and the air traffic control system. The day after 9/11, the airlines ran to Capitol Hill and were immediately given billions of dollars in additional taxpayer money, no questions asked.

Amtrak currently covers 75 percent of its costs from passenger fares, not counting payments from states and commuter authorities. Including both ticket revenue and ancillary payments, Amtrak covered 93 percent of its expenses in 2014. And again, sleeping car patrons on long distance trains, a particular target of House Republicans, contribute over a third of Amtrak’s total long-distance revenue.

Arguments that we should keep the Northeast Corridor—which serves cities like Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston—but eliminate the rest of Amtrak’s network fail both financially and politically. Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains do make an operating profit. But because Amtrak owns most of the corridor, it bears an enormous expense for its maintenance and operation. Amtrak’s long-distance trains by contrast run on private railroads’ tracks, with little direct cost to Amtrak. Politically, if you kill everyone else’s trains, why should senators and congressmen from outside the Northeast Corridor vote money for Amtrak? If the Republicans kill Amtrak, they kill all of Amtrak, including the Northeast Corridor.

As to Amtrak’s trains running empty, the opposite is the case. Amtrak could carry more passengers than it does if it had the equipment, which Congress refuses it the money to buy. On many long-distance trains, sleeping-car space is sold out months in advance. Since Amtrak’s founding in 1971, its ridership has grown from 6 million to 30.9 million in 2014. All across the country, more and more Americans are finding the train is a better way to travel, and they want more trains to ride. Passenger rail is a growing business. Usually, Republicans want to encourage business growth. In this case, they are going to kill it.

If congressional Republicans would replace their irrational loathing for passenger trains with an approach based on facts and reason, they could help both the taxpayer and the people who want to ride trains. Amtrak, like most businesses that have monopolies, could use some competition. The railroads will fight bitterly against letting other passenger-train operators besides Amtrak run over their tracks because they fear that would lead to “open access” for competing freight-train operators as well. But a few years ago, when an old colleague of ours, the late Paul Weyrich, served on a high-level commission examining the future of transportation, several railroad presidents told him privately that if they could bid for part of Amtrak’s subsidy, they would consider again running their own passenger trains. Were Congress to pass legislation opening the door to this possibility, we might get, on at least some long-distance routes, trains that were run well and on time for less cost.

In fact, in Florida a railroad, the Florida East Coast (FEC), is planning to introduce its own passenger trains between Miami, Palm Beach, and Orlando, trains it expects will make money. FEC has pioneered new practices in railroading for many decades, usually with success. If this one works, the return of passenger trains operated by private railroads would receive a major boost.

Another private company that owns a number of short-line railroads, Iowa Pacific Holdings, is bringing back one of the glories of the railway age, the Pullman Company. Once a week, restored Pullman cars run between Chicago and New Orleans, attached to Amtrak’s “City of New Orleans” route. Trains magazine reports:

It could almost be an evening in 1956. Streamlined passenger cars, handsomely attired in the chocolate and orange livery of the Illinois Central Railroad, their windows glowing invitingly, stand beside a platform at a great Chicago terminal. White-jacketed men wait at lowered vestibule steps, ready to direct passengers to their assigned space and to lift their luggage aboard.

Sound a bit different from what you go through trying to get on an airplane?

Again we come face-to-face with what conservatism is all about: conserving and restoring good things from our shared past. As Trains notes, “At its 1920s peak, Pullman carried 39 million people per year to every corner of the country. Its hallmark was quality comfort for the traveling public, delivered consistently, at reasonable prices. It was not about opulent luxury for a wealthy, junketing few.”

What is the Republican Party in Congress about? Whom do the Republicans represent and serve? The middle class, who enjoy traveling by train and can afford to do so—or just the 1 percent, people who travel by private jet and write large checks as campaign contributions?

Ultimately, the Republican Party’s efforts in Congress to deny Americans the choice of travel by rail come down to two different visions of America. The first is a vision of the America we once had and conservatives still want, an overwhelmingly middle-class country with lots of nice things available at prices the middle class can afford. The other is an America where the 1 percent lounge in Neronian splendor while the middle class sinks into poverty, where everything they can afford is unpleasant. With its efforts to destroy Amtrak, the Republican Congress casts a vote for the latter.

William S. Lind is director of the American Conservative Center for Public Transportation. Glen Bottoms is the center’s executive director.

NOTE: This bill is only the AUTHORIZATION - which permits Amtrak to receive that amount of money and exist for another 5 years. The hardest part to come is the APPROPRIATION - which is the actual $$$ given to Amtrak on a year-by-year basis. Also still to come is the Senate's version. Once both houses approve their respective bills, they go to a joint House/Senate conference committee to iron out the differences.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a rare burst of bipartisanship, the House moved Wednesday to boost Amtrak's popular service between Boston and Washington while giving states a greater say in the local routes they help subsidize.

The bill, approved by a vote of 316 to 101, authorizes $7.2 billion in federal subsidies for passenger rail, including about $1.4 billion a year over four years in subsidies for Amtrak. That's nearly the same as current spending levels, disappointing Amtrak supporters who had urged a significant increase to help the railroad address its deteriorating infrastructure and aging equipment.

But in a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, the bill separates Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service between Boston and Washington from its long-distance routes. That would allow Amtrak to use profits from the money-making corridor for improvements that could speed up trains and enhance service on the route. Amtrak officials have long complained that they've had to use Northeast Corridor profits to subsidize 15 unprofitable long-distance routes around the country.

The bill would also give officials in 19 states "a seat at the table" with Amtrak when deciding changes and budgets for service in their states, said Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. And it directs Amtrak to make changes in the financial information it provides state and local governments and the public so that the information is more "transparent," he said.

The bill also includes a provision by Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., that would permit Amtrak passengers to bring pets with them.

The White House said in a statement earlier in the week that it supports passage of the bill because it would improve Amtrak service, but complained that the measure doesn't provide enough money and lacks provisions to improve safety.

In a nod to conservatives, the bill permits "streamlining" of environmental and other regulations to speed up the time involved in approving construction projects. And the bill directs Amtrak to take certain steps to eliminate operating losses for food service aboard trains.

Despite those concessions, the conservative pressure groups Heritage Action and Club for Growth sent messages to lawmakers before the vote opposing the bill and warning that it will be considered a "key vote" in judging their performance in office.

"Most Republicans claim they want to end or greatly reform Amtrak," the Club for Growth said. "But this bill doesn't do that, even though it was drafted and supported by House GOP leaders."

Acknowledging the conservative opposition, Shuster said: "I know some of my colleagues are skeptical of Amtrak and passenger rail in general ... but it is a good, strong reform bill. Neither side got everything they want." He said the bill "sets Amtrak on a course to improve itself" so that someday federal subsidies will no longer be needed.

One hundred and one Republicans voted against the bill despite their leadership's support for the measure. In favor of the bill were 132 of their GOP colleagues and all 184 Democrats who cast votes. A similar Amtrak bill passed the House with overwhelming GOP support last year, although it died in the Senate.

Despite their overwhelming vote in favor, Democrats were also lukewarm on the measure. "It's an OK bill," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., the measure's co-sponsor along with Shuster.

Just before the bill passed, a GOP amendment to eliminate all federal subsidies for Amtrak was defeated by a vote of 147 to 272.

Ed Wytkind, head of the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department, which represents Amtrak workers, said the amendment would have "hollowed out our only national passenger railroad, and destroyed thousands of middle-class jobs."

Senate action is also required, but key senators have so far expressed no urgency to take up the matter.

WHY AMERICA NEEDS TRAINS By Vice President Joseph Biden - January 6, 2010

One of the Capitol Hill newspapers estimated that I've taken more than 7,000 round trips on Amtrak over the course of my career. But the one I made on Jan. 17, 2009 was a bit different. When I got there, there were 8,000 people standing in the freezing cold. And I wasn't racing to reach the 7:46 a.m. Metroliner (later, the Acela) that I had taken thousands of times before.
I was meeting up with the train that would carry President Obama and me to our inauguration.

That day, Gregg Weaver, a conductor who started riding Amtrak the same year I did--1972--introduced me to the crowd. As Gregg spoke, it struck me that over the years, Amtrak provided me with more than a way to get to Washington to serve the people of Delaware every morning and a way to get home to my family each night. It has provided me another family entirely--a community of dedicated professionals who have shared the milestones in my life, and who have allowed me to share the milestones in theirs.

And it has provided me with one thing more, an understanding of--and a respect for--the role of rail travel in our society and our economy.

Though I don't get to ride the train nearly as much anymore, those were the lessons I brought with me on that final trip to Washington as a United States Senator.

I began making the 110-mile commute shortly after I was sworn in as a Senator. It was the only way that I could have been a Senator at all. I had to be able to get home to spend evenings with my two sons after we lost their mother and sister in an auto accident a month earlier.

Since then, on those many trips down to Washington, I got into a routine. From Wilmington to Baltimore I'd read the papers and make phone calls. At Baltimore, I'd start preparing for that day's hearings, amending my opening statement or going through the list of witnesses. And by the time I arrived in D.C., I'd be ready to jump right in.

Getting home was sometimes a sprint, too. One year, on my birthday, my daughter had planned a party for me. She really wanted to give me a gift and blow out candles. Senator Bob Dole was the Majority Leader at the time, and we were voting that night. I told him that I really had to be home for my daughter, which meant that I needed to catch the 5:54 p.m. train. Senator Dole backed up the votes until 9 p.m. I boarded the train and, in Wilmington, my daughter was standing there on the middle platform. She and my wife sang "Happy Birthday," I blew out the candle, took a piece of cake, opened her gift, gave her a kiss, and caught the 7:23 p.m. going south--and managed to be there for the 9 p.m. vote.

Amtrak doesn't just carry us from one place to another--it makes things possible that otherwise wouldn't be. For 36 years, I was able to make most of those birthday parties, to get home to read bedtime stories, to cheer for my children at their soccer games. Simply put, Amtrak gave me--and countless other Americans--more time with my family. That's worth immeasurably more to me than the fare printed on the ticket.

When I took the train every night--and I still do whenever possible--I always noticed the lights on in the houses flickering in the passing neighborhoods, dotting the landscape speeding by my window. Moms and dads were at their kitchen table, talking after they put their kids to bed. Like Americans everywhere, they were asking questions as profound as they are ordinary: Should Mom move in with us now that Dad is gone? How are we going to pay the heating bills? Did you hear the company may be cutting our health care? Now that we owe more on the house than it's worth, how are we going to send the kids to college? How are we going be able to retire?
I would look out the window and hear their questions, feel their pain. And every time I made that trip, it would inspire me to get up the next day, head back down to Washington, and give them the answers they're looking for. Those moments looking out the window and seeing the lights on, they told me things that the briefing folders in front of me never could. They gave color and meaning to the problems I've spent my career trying to solve. They reminded me why I made that trip back and forth 7,000 times.

But my support for rail travel goes beyond the emotional connection. With delays at our airports and congestion on our roads becoming increasingly ubiquitous, volatile fuel prices, increased environmental awareness, and a need for transportation links between growing communities, rail travel is more important to America than ever before.

Support for Amtrak must be strong--not because it is a cherished American institution, which it is--but because it is a powerful and indispensable way to carry us all into a leaner, cleaner, greener 21st century.
Consider that if you shut down Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, it is estimated that to compensate for the loss, you'd have to add seven new lanes of highway to Interstate 95. When you consider that it costs an average of $30 million for one linear mile of one lane of highway, you see what a sound investment rail travel is. And that's before you factor in the environmental benefits of keeping millions and millions of cars off the road.

In 1830, the first steam-engine locomotive, the Tom Thumb, graced America's railways. Its first run was a rickety 13-mile trek from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills, Md., but it became much more than that. It marked the beginning of a new journey, heading straight into a better, more imaginative American future.

We are on a similar journey now. We are at the dawn of a new age, where the very best ideas of today will shape our tomorrow, where renewable clean energy and new transportation systems and more efficient technology will revolutionize American life the way the Tom Thumb did some 180 years ago.

On Jan. 20, 2009, pulling out of the Wilmington train station, embarking on that same short trip I made thousands of times before, I thought again about the journey America was about to take as a nation. And I saw our future the same way I always did: looking out Amtrak's windows.

Study shows that Amtrak loses $38 per passenger. How much do highways cost?

by Bruce Watson, Oct 29th 2009

"On Tuesday, Subsidy Scope, a subsidiary of the Pew Charitable Trust, reported that Amtrak, America's passenger rail company, "lost" an average of $38 per passenger. Citing a new metric for train depreciation, the report suggested that the train line has been less than transparent in its estimation of its own profitability.

"While it is interesting that the government spends an average of $38 on each Amtrak passenger, this isn't really news. Over a year ago, in fact, Amtrak president Alex Kummant stated that each passenger on the train line represents a public capital expenditure of approximately $40, and similar figures have been bandied about for years. In fact, the only truly surprising thing is that some conservative think tanks and advocacy organizations continue to criticize the corporation for its failure to turn a profit. The underlying message seems to be that Amtrak is a financial failure, and that if rail travel were privatized, it would somehow be able to make a profit.

"The truth is that Amtrak is not designed to make money; rather, it is designed to provide a public service. The same could be said of the rest of America's transportation network: none of the country's transportation systems generate profit or pay for themselves. The airlines, for example, rely on a patchwork of municipal, state, and federal funding to finance the cost of airports. Meanwhile, federal funds pay for airport security and taxes pay for the FAA. Many pilots are trained by the military, and much of the avionics used in private aircraft is developed under military contract. If these costs were transferred to airline passengers, the price of a plane ticket would be prohibitive.

"And what about America's roads? The highway trust fund, which is ostensibly funded by gas taxes, still receives money from Congress, while the various agencies that oversee its administration and police its passengers are all funded by taxes. Again, if these costs were transferred to individual travelers, few people could afford to drive.

"Taken on a passenger-by-passenger basis, trains cost taxpayers far less than cars, planes, motorcycles or rickshaws. The big difference, as National Corridor Initiative president and CEO James P. RePass noted in a recent interview, is that "Subsidies for airlines and highways are far less obvious than Amtrak's single line item."

"The Subsidy Scope study also pointed out that some portions of the Amtrak infrastructure are more profitable than others. For example, the Northeast Corridor's Acela Express makes an average profit of $41 per customer, while the Northeast Regional, which is more heavily traveled, costs $5 per passenger. In Subsidy Scope's estimation, the biggest loser in the land is the Sunset Limited, which runs from New Orleans to Los Angeles at an average cost of $462 per customer.

"The Sunset Limited has long been plagued with problems and Amtrak is still working to increase its performance. However, the idea that one can parse a railway system into profitable and unprofitable lines is probably shortsighted. As Kummant noted, "it's an entire network that matters. And if you don't have an entire network, you end up with a ridiculous patchwork of short little lanes of things that make no sense from a national system." To put it another way, while certain portions of an interstate highway may be more popular than others, closing off several less-traveled miles would vastly reduce the overall effectiveness of the system, as some regions would be cut off from the grid and others would face longer, more costly routes.

"RePass addressed this point, stating: "The benefit of a transportation system doesn't accrue to the system itself, but rather to the economy and to the cities and citizens it services. Pew, by looking at the cost of tickets, reinforces the notion that transportation systems have to pay for themselves." As policymakers, pundits and politicians assess the value of America's passenger rail, they need to get past the idea that it must pay for itself. The measure of a rail line's profit is the energy and vitality that it brings to an area and the commerce that it supports."

In a recent article in "The Baltimore Sun" Michael Dresser says that it came as no surprise "that the United States is far behind Japan or Germany or France in high-speed rail. We've known for years that visitors from these highly developed industrial nations have been laughing behind our backs at our woefully antiquated rail system." But Dresser sounds a wake up call when he notes "But it came as a shock to be confronted with the reality of how far behind we are in high-speed intercity rail compared with such countries as China, Turkey, South Korea and Brazil. Even Iran is planning a line from Tehran to Qom that will reach 200 mph - a speed that will make Amtrak's Acela (maximum 135 mph) look as if it were being pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine." And in Spain, "the service is so reliable that the operator will refund a passenger's full fare if the train is more than five minutes late. Riders also get their money back if the air conditioning or toilet malfunctions."

Imagine that in the USA?

Dresser goes on to say that "Much of the opposition to high-speed rail in this country stems from an ideological opposition to a government role in just about anything but fighting wars. But history shows that there has never been a significant advance in U.S. transportation without federal involvement on some level. Many of the same arguments made against high-speed rail could be made about the Erie Canal, transcontinental rail and the interstate highway system."

"This is all information gleaned at the inaugural conference of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association in Washington last week," writes Dresser. The association has a definite point of view. "It's advocating construction of a 17,000-mile high-speed rail network in the United States and parts of Canada - carrying trains at speeds up to 220 mph - by 2030."

How do we fund such a system?

Dresser turns to one authority for a possible answer. "Norman Anderson, chief executive of CG/LA Infrastructure LLC, suggested a way to fund such big projects. He supports the creation of a National Infrastructure Bank - a concept President Barack Obama has embraced and for which he proposed $5 billion in the budget. Anderson said that such a bank could be financed through the sale of federally backed bonds to private citizens, pension funds and other investors. The bank would finance the construction of rail lines - and other capital projects - that would be leased to operating companies. Without the burden of maintaining obsolete infrastructure like Amtrak's, he said, the operating companies could make a decent profit."

So there you have it, folks. Even Iran is surpassing us on creating a first class rail transportation network.

New York Times - Some Interesting Reading

A New York Times article of December 22, 2006 by Matthew L. Wald and Don Phillips providing some very interesting reading. Here are some highlights from this piece:

" Amtrak could see a ridership growth spurt of 50 percent in the next five to 10 years, but it would require billions of state and federal dollars invested in the tracks of other railroads, and millions more of private investment in passenger rail cars, the new president of the railroad said Thursday in an interview.

" ...Mr. Kummant indicated that Amtrak was backing away from some ideas that had upset Amtrak supporters, including putting the Washington-to-Boston corridor under separate ownership. He also said he did not intend to slash the long-distance network because it was a national asset that, once lost, would probably never be recovered.

" ...Mr. Kummant, a former freight rail executive, said that the rail network nationally was overloaded, but that strong growth in freight traffic, and the interest in rail as a solution to congestion and
energy problems, opened the possibility for government investment in private freight railroad lines that Amtrak used."

Regarding our own concerns about frequent threats to cutback on our nation's long distance trains, Kummant said: "We're not going to do anything radical there."

" ...The cost of cross-country trains comes to about a dollar and a half per American per year, he said, and they are irreplaceable. He compared trains like the Empire Builder and the City of New Orleans to assets like national parks. ?I haven?t had the opportunity to go to Glacier National Park since 1976, but I pay taxes every year in the hope that I have the option to go back," Mr. Kummant said.

AMTRAK SLEEPING CAR PLANS AVAILABLE ON FRIENDS OF AMTRAK WEBSITE, August 24, 2000. Friends of Amtrak now has a page that shows in JPG format the layout of Amtrak's sleeping cars. Amtravelers take note! I don't believe that I've seen such a plan anywhere on the net.

Myth #1 - Amtrak can be profitable. No national rail passenger system in the world is profitable. Without public subsidy, there will be no passenger rail transportation systems in the United States.

Myth #2 - The private sector is dying to take over our services. Remember why we were formed. We are what is left of a once privately run enterprise.

Myth #3 - Long-distance trains are the problem. This is perhaps one of the biggest myths. If you eliminate every long-distance train, your avoidable costs would decrease about $70 million a year-after about a year and a half of making labor protection costs. On a fully allocated basis, after five years, you might save annually about $300 million. Focusing on this problem is not going to save Amtrak. This approach is a red herring.

Myth #4 - Amtrak is a featherbed for labor. Our wage rates are about 90% of the freight industry and are even lower when compared to transit. Wages are not the problem; generating a higher level of productivity, that is the challenge. It is management's duty to seek such improvement.

Myth #5 - The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is profitable. The NEC may cover most of its above-the-rail costs, but it is an extremely costly piece of railroad to maintain. The NEC is not profitable and never will be. Sure, private groups might be interested in having it, but they would take it only with the promise of massive capital infusions.

Myth #6 - There is a quick fix - reform. The word reform is like catnip to those interested in a quick fix to Amtrak. If the answer were quick and easy, we would have solved the problem long ago. What needs to be done is to tightly manage the company and its finances and begin to make incremental but critical improvements to plant and equipment.

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Tag - Delhi By Cycle

Long Weekend : Things to do if you are not travelling

You had already done a small vacation on the long weekend that just passed by, not planning to travel again then here are some ideas of what you could do in your own city: Be a tourist: Put your camera in your light bagpack, lace up some comfy shoes, and wear your sunglasses as you are about to embark on a tourist’s adventure. Create your own excursion plan or if you need some help then you could do something nice [...]


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Tag - The Top 5 Things to Do

22- 24 April: Top 5 weekend events

This for sure is going to be an action packed weekend. Right from workshops for kids to IPL match in Delhi, there's lot of excitement that awaits. Check out the top picks and decide what you want to do: Theater Festival - Alliance '16 : Prism Theater Society and Harfkaar Foundation presents a three days long theater festival. Enjoy these six amazing plays right through this weekend. When: 22 – 24 April 2016 Where: Little Theatre Group (LTG) Auditorium, A - 94, Mandi House, Copernicus Marg, Opposite [...]


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Now in: Galicia, Spain
Next: London, UK
Galicia+ Why set base in Vigo when you travel to Rias Baixas
Why visit Vig

For me, Vigo has always been the perfect choice for traveling to the Rias Baixas region in the North of Spain. Probably that’s the reason why I chose to tell you about the best beaches in Vigo before I told you what you shouldn’t miss or why you shouldn’t skip Vigo when traveling to Galicia.

But many of our friends out there have been asking us a lot of questions about how it is to visit Vigo or why live here. So here you have our:

A powerful Live Music scene

As far as I remember, Vigo has been a city of music lovers and entrepreneurs. In the 80’s Vigo was home to the Movida movement and in the 90’s it was Hard Techno destination (one of the few stops of the Bakalao route outside Valencia); but, even back in the XIII Century, it was the destination for Martim Codax and his Cantigas de Amigo.

Today, many clubs have live music concerts with indie groups from around the world. It’s even one of the few cities in Spain to keep a Radio Show to promote locally produced music and artists. It’s called Maketón, and it’s been live for over 25 years now. (Also a great spot to know what’s going on in Vigo and other places nearby.)

Some of the most famous concert / music spots in Vigo are “La Iguana Club” (Rock-Indy), “Fábrica de Chocolate” (Rock-Indy), “El Contrabajo”(Jazz), “La Pecera”(different styles), “El Ensanche” (Jazz), “Transylvania Metal Pub” (Heavy – Rock).

Yes. You can also listen to canned music and electrolatino in Vigo, there’s an amazing night life!

Music scene Vigo Galicia La iguana
cisit vigo cathedral casco vello

Location perfect for all sorts of travelers

When thinking of a place to stay in RiasBaixas, there are plenty of options to choose from. But Vigo has something that has won us over the years: it has the goods of big cities (night life, shopping, culture & arts, infrastructure) and is close to everything by public transport.

Vigo is an strategic point at the Ria de Vigo: the perfect spot to enjoy the landscapes and the sunsets behind Cies Islands, but it doesn’t require you to rent a car if you don’t want to.

Cíes, Cangas and Moaña beaches are connected by ship to Vigo. Pontevedra, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Ourense, by train. Smaller towns like Baiona and the beaches of Nigrán, by bus… Or you can use the roads and highways that start here to explore more.

City of legends and spies

Being one of the major harbours in the north of Spain, Vigo has been the destination of many and more travelers. No wonder why history here has also been full of pirates, spies and legends.

Take a look at the Ria and imagine the big pirate vessels that sacked the town on the times of Sir. Francis Drake. Now look again and imaging Captain Nemo and Jules Verne below the waters, looking for the lost treasure that sunk at the battle of Rande.

Walk through Montero Ríos and the old Hotel Continental (now AC Hotel) and imagine Mata Hari, the most beautiful and enigmatic spy of the XIX Century, having coffee by your side.

Jules Verne visit Vigo Galicia Rias Baixas

New and traditional food

You might not be a disco dancer, but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy hoping from one bar to another to taste the flavours of the Galician Cuisine. Try informal dinner at Casco Vello and its tascas and tabernas, like Taberna A Mina with its caramuxos (sea snails) and mussels.

Another great gastro point can be visiting the Fish Market and the harbour. But if you don’t want to get up too early or don’t have time enough to get access granted, step into O Progreso market for street food and fresh products. Or go directly to the huge offer of traditional galician food like Esperanza, Timón or Mosquito at the old quarter (Casco Vello.)

But if you feel like finding out more about what new cooks are doing here: go to Maruja Limón (1 star Michelin),  Ruxe Ruxe, La Trastienda del Cuatro or Othilio Gastro Bar.

Urban culture

Galicia is a land of green nature, blue seas and amazing traditions. And Vigo has a bit of that too, but also it’s a great place for culture. Here you will find the Laxeiro collection, the museum at Pazo Quiñones de León and many more museums and art galleries with some of the best exhibits in Galician and Spanish art.

But it is also a landmark for urban culture, with the most important street sports festival in Europe: O Marisquiño. The festival takes place in August, welcoming over 120.000 people from around the world, who come here to see the competitions. There are all sorts of urban sports, including skate, BMX and dirt Jump, some of which have their World Cup series here.

You will also find urban art all around Vigo. Just a couple of years ago, the town hall, artists and building owners got together to paint the city with murals of many different styles. From graphic designers  to graffiti writers and more “traditional” painters, they are adding new designs each year.

Vigo murals and street art Galicia
Some extra info

Vigo is on a steep slope but you can connect many of these spots by bus (with the exception of El Castro Mountain). The other option is to use a car, which will also be helpful to explore the small villages and interesting sites nearby (Cangas, Baiona, Mondariz…) or to visit Pontevedra.

There are several private parkings available around town and many public parking areas (pay, but weekends are free.)

How to get there

By train: Renfe operates direct trains from A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and even Madrid and Barcelona on a daily basis. Connecting trains with Portugal (via Porto) are also available

By plane: Vigo has its own airport (VGO), next are: Santiago de Compostela (SCQ 101km) and Porto (OPO 150km)

Camino de Santiago: via the Portuguese Way.

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Get Paid For Surveys – Easy Legit Work at Home Income Tops Secrets

Making income at home is not an improvement unless it’s fairly easy to do for most people. When you get paid for surveys, you have met both requirements with this type of legit work at home job. You earn income without having to leave your home and you can do it easily. Completing surveys allows you to control the income that you earn. You can do so without needing a college degree and without paying out a huge investment for franchise fees or membership fees. You can actually get started and it won’t cost you any money at all. If you want to help companies by providing your opinion on products, completing surveys is the job for you.

What it is

When you get paid for doing surveys, you are earning an easy and convenient income by obtaining and completing questionnaires or surveys from companies who need and value your opinions. You may choose to do a few surveys at higher rates, or many surveys at lesser price, but the decision is always yours. You can choose the times you work, the types of surveys that you complete and how many of them you want to complete during any particular time period. This makes the work easy and profitable for you. It’s easy to get started and you are certain to get paid good money for your efforts.

What it isn’t

In order to get paid for surveys, you must also recognize that it is not a something for nothing scheme. You must find and complete the surveys in order to get paid for them. Completing surveys for income is also not one of the get rich schemes that are so prevalent on the internet today. You can earn a decent income if you choose to focus your attention and complete surveys over time. On the positive side, survey completion is not difficult to do, and doesn’t require that you have advanced schooling or that you make a sizable financial outlay in order to get started.

In addition to the expected financial benefit with this type of legit work at home job, when you get paid for surveys, you get plenty of other benefits that make it a good career choice for many people. Some of the benefits are tangible, such as the reduction of cost to travel to and from to your outside job. When you are no longer purchasing fuel to put in your vehicle, higher insurance rates to pay for more miles traveled higher repair and maintenance costs on your vehicle. You won’t need to replace a vehicle as often. In fact, you may be able to get rid of one vehicle from your household.

Getting Started

Getting started in the field of survey completion is relatively easy. You need to identify the best company or business where you can pick out surveys to complete. Find surveys that suit your experience, age and geographical location. In order to get paid for surveys, you must complete the surveys according to your opinions, honestly. If you already own a computer with internet access and you can understand and follow instructions, you can soon be earning income for with this legit work at home survey job.

Acid Reflux and Sore Throat – Top Secret Natural Remedies Revealed For the First Time

Are you getting up with a sore throat in the morning and feeling your voice changed? Although you might not recognize the link, morning sore throat is caused by the acidic stomach acid that rises into your esophagus during the night and damages the throat. It is one of the very common symptoms of acid reflux disease.

Acid reflux sore throat occurs when the acidic gastric juices from the stomach constantly flow up into the esophagus. Generally gastric acid wouldn’t move upwards to the throat. But caused by the weak lower esophageal sphincter, it will allow partially digested foods having traces of gastric acid travels back into the mouth via the alimentary canal therefore causing sore throat.

Although it is vital to consult with a physician when it comes to healing acid reflux sore throat, there are several natural remedies that can be used at home to alleviate the throat irritation and pain. Some of these remedies are listed below.

1. Gargling is the best home remedy for treating acid reflux sore throat. Add enough table salt in a glass of warm water, then gargle right to the back of your throat for a few seconds and spit out. Gargle about 4-5 times daily to relieve the pain.

2. Another remedy for treating painful throat is to limit your intake of foods that cause reflux include spicy foods, fried foods, citrus fruits, chocolates, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppermint, alcohol and drinks containing caffeine.

3. Drinking lots of water is another natural remedy that is believed to be very effective in treating the condition. Water is known to have several healing properties which flush out the acid from the throat, thus reducing the irritation and pain caused by acid reflux sore throat.

4. Changing your sleeping position is also an excellent way to alleviate throat pain. Try sleeping on your back with upper half of your body elevated either with a wedged pillow, reflux board or extra pillows. Sleeping in this position will prevent stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus.

5. Another good remedy that you can use to soothe your irritated throat is to drink tea mixed with some honey. Another excellent drink that helps alleviate throat irritation is herbal tea that contains lavender and anise. It also helps in digestion, soothe painful swallowing and help to reduce stomach acid, curing acid reflux.

6. Eating five or six small meals rather than three larger ones is better. Furthermore, one must follow the habit of eating dinner at least 2-3 hours before bedtime as this will keep acid levels low, thus also preventing acid reflux sore throat.

7 Top Secrets of Messing Up Your Medical Care Overseas

Ever heard of botched cosmetic jobs in Brazil or crappy dental work in Mexico? Such situations are very real. Here are the 007 top secrets of messing up your medical care overseas.

Top Secret # 001: Not doing research

Don’t do any research and you will successfully fail in your quest to achieving safe and healthy medical treatment overseas. However, if you do want to go abroad and get quality health care while saving some bucks then consider doing thorough homework and collecting enough information. Some sources of information are: websites offering medical tourism services like Healthbase, news, blogs, articles, videos, testimonials, forums, etc. Satisfied medical tourists claim proper research to be a sure-fire way of happy and healthy medical tourism.

Top Secret # 002: Going abroad for a wrong procedure

Your ambulance will not drive you to India during an emergency (or even otherwise). Reasonably, only non-emergency treatments can be considered for medical tourism but not all such treatments fit the criterion as sometimes the travel costs can outweigh the possible savings achievable by going abroad.

Top Secret # 003: Choosing the wrong place

How about going to Thailand for your half-yearly dental cleaning? Superb idea? Not exactly. How about going there for dental implants? Maybe. And for full mouth restoration? Definitely. Choose a wrong place and you will waste your money on medical tourism instead of saving some. Wise medical tourists consider travel cost, lodging cost and number of visits required for full treatment when calculating potential savings.

Top Secret # 004: Choosing an unqualified doctor

Thanks to the power of the Internet, it’s very easy to choose a doctor qualified at accomplishing botched jobs. If you wish to not fall prey to them, better do your homework properly. Check your doctor’s credentials, ask people around and get recommendations from reliable sources to avoid scheduling an appointment with “Dr. Quack”.

Top Secret # 005: Not doing proper planning and preparation

Allowing time for surgery but not for recovery and recuperation? That will require you to modify your itinerary. As a medical tourist you should prepare yourself to stay longer/shorter than expected. If you have travel or tourism on mind, allow time for that as well. A word on arranging your essential documents: Put together your medical records and financial records, acquire passport and visa, and have the information of your important contacts handy. Also, book your travel tickets and hotel rooms well in advance.

Top Secret # 006: Working with a substandard medical tourism agency

There are new agencies cropping up each day. Some of them are there to genuinely help you while others are affiliated with “Dr. Quack”. A good medical tourism agency will have partners that are certified by international or domestic accrediting organizations. It will offer a variety of medical travel services, it will offer numerous medical procedures in many countries, it will have patient testimonials on its website, it will have been covered by media, and much more. Your research will help you identify the good ones.

Top Secret # 007: Failing to follow the right aftercare

Planning to play football the day after your total knee replacement surgery? Ouch, that will hurt! Physical therapy, rest, diet, medication, etc. are all as important as the surgery. Your local doctor might be able to help you with your aftercare so always keep him informed. You might also need his help, for example, for removing sutures or for taking X-Rays.

Remember to avoid the above 7 mistakes and your medical tourism or dental tourism abroad will be happy, healthy and successful.


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Research: Sawmill Database

Alpha-Numeric Key: HO-102
Corporate Name: M. S. Spence
Local Name:
Owner Name: M. S. Spence
Location: Grapeland, about ten miles north of Crockett
County: Houston
Years in Operation: 1 year
Start Year: 1906
End Year: 1906
Decades: 1900-1909
Period of Operation: 1906
Town: Grapeland
Company Town: 2
Peak Town Size: 750 in 1905
Mill Pond:
Type of Mill: Lumber
Sawmill Pine Sawmill Hardwood Sawmill Cypress Sawmill
Planer Planer Only Shingle Paper
Plywood Cotton Grist Unknown
Power Source: Unknown
Horse Mule Oxen Water
Water Overshot Water Turbine Diesel Unknown
Pit Steam Steam Circular Steam Band
Gas Electricity Other
Maximum Capacity: 7000: 1906
Capacity Comments: 7,000 feet daily
Rough Lumber Planed Lumber Crossties Timbers
Lathe Ceiling Unknown Beading
Flooring Paper Plywood Particle Board
Treated Other
Equipment: Sawmill
Company Tram:
Associated Railroads: International & Great Northern (Missouri Pacific)
Historicial Development: This plant was producing 7,000 feet daily in 1906.
Research Date: MCJ 02-20-96
Prepared By: M. Johnson


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An electronic scale is very important to measure the components of RTV silicone rubber for example. You should buy one with a gradation of one gram or less to increase precision. Another important feature is the “tare” function to zero the device thus being able to easily add or remove material.

Modulor direct link: Postage scale (#194687)

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Spain's construction industry first to feel chill of political void

Source: Reuters - Fri 9th Sep 2016
Spain's construction industry first to feel chill of political void

Spain's convalescing construction sector was hoping to move on from a national economic crisis which at its height saw abandoned building sites and bankrupt infrastructure projects littering the landscape.

But a political paralysis that has left the country without a settled government for all this year could stall a return to better times.

Industry figures from builders and designers to material suppliers are expressing concern that no administration is now able to sign off on new projects, compounding years of cuts in public spending.

"It's difficult to distinguish whether the fall in activity comes from the lack of government or because we still haven't pulled out of crisis," said Jose Maria Carbajo, manager at Acento Ingeneria.

His small Madrid-based company had a good run in recent months, winning contracts to repair a Metro line in Madrid and reinforce a bridge in the central region of Castilla-Leon.

,p>But like others in the sector, Carbajo expects the ripple effects from the political paralysis will become clearer in the weeks ahead.

Following two inconclusive national elections, Spaniards could be heading to the ballot box for the 3rd time in a year after acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy last week lost a parliamentary vote of confidence for a second term.

The industry is one of the most vulnerable to the lack of leadership which appears to have done little until now to hinder a 3-year rebound from recession. Spain posted growth nearly three times the euro zone average in Q2.

While a flood of foreign funds has jolted the housing sector back to life, public works spending has slumped by more than three-quarters in the past 6 years as the state slashes costs to trim its public deficit, industry figures show.

Cement consumption has fallen to its lowest levels since 1965, according to building materials lobby group Oficemen.

Rajoy's acting government called an end to new spending on all but essential items such as pensions in July, four months ahead of schedule, in a bid to try and keep the deficit in check, and industry players expect the situation to worsen as plans to draw up next year's national budget stall.

"The impact from the budget will be felt from now on," said Eduardo Sanchez, head of projects at Sistema Ingenieria, a Canary Islands-based designer of large-scale projects like roads, bridges and ports.

"Everything that hasn't been signed off so far won't go ahead - that's between a third and a quarter of what they were going to do this year," he said.

Though half of the designer's business came from Spain last year, revenues are holding up thanks to expansion abroad to countries like Senegal and Panama, he added.

Low oil prices and inflation, robust exports and a turnaround in Spain's ailing job market, thanks in part to a record tourism season, have put the economy on course to expand by close to 3 percent in 2016.

Yet with a fully-functioning government, Spain might have posted even higher growth rates, economists say, while it will not be best-placed to ride out the slowdown expected as of 2017 when the recovery moves into a lower gear, closer to 2%.

Spain is unlikely to be able to present a new budget for 2017 by a mid-October deadline set by the European Commission, and the economy ministry has said it would instead file an extended version of this year's plan.

Builders are the ones most likely to feel the pinch as a result going into next year.

"It does not allow you to plan new infrastructure projects, so it means construction companies will feel the paralysis a little longer," said Juan Jose Toribio, professor of economics at the IESE business school.

The sector makes up some 5% of GDP, versus over 10% before a construction crash that began in 2008.

Firms linked to construction, from glass providers to cement suppliers, are clinging on to contracts awarded months ago and overseas markets they branched into after demand at home collapsed during a long recession.

Some builders, including larger ACS, have warned that even with a new budget, deficit constraints mean state-funded infrastructure projects will remain scarce, with maintenance contracts providing the bulk of activity.

But even these need to be signed off.

"The sooner a government is in place, the sooner we'll get some activity," ACS's director general Angel Garcia Altozano told analysts in July, when it reported a 15% drop in Spanish construction revenues for the first half. More than 80% of its sales now come from overseas.

Recommended Reading :

* Public works contracts fall by 20% due to political impasse and deficit reduction

* Spain's housing market continues to show steady signs of recovery

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Sanctity of (Some) Human Life Day

Via Feministing, I see that George Bush has declared January 18 Sanctity of Human Life Day, on which: “Our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world.”

Our country recognizes no such thing, and never has, and the person who presided over the last eight years has a lot of nerve saying so.

The only appropriate response I can think of that doesn’t involve swearing is to renew my membership in Consistent Life.

2 thoughts on “Sanctity of (Some) Human Life Day

  1. Yep, you said it.
    But I wish the Feministing crowd would realize, finally, that some of us really *do* mean it when we say “prolife.”

  2. Sure, but when “vote pro-life”, as we are exhorted to do by the millions, means “vote pro-war, pro-torture, and pro-death-penalty,” and voices like ours are quiet, scattered, and have relatively little effect … I understand why they don’t.

    We need to get louder and more organized.

Comments are closed.


text:
An hour maintenance between 2018/12/06 10:00 and 16:00 will be held.
During this time, TV Friends won’t be able to use.
Tnak you for your understanding.

  • Updating machines of servers at hosting vender.

Updated on 2018/12/04:
This maintenance is postponed because of a host server’s issue.

From 2018/07/19 10:00 (JST) for 1 hours, a maintenance will be held. Tnak you for your understanding.

  • Updating Database
    Bangladesh was the No. 1 country/country who downloaded TV Friends during FIFA 2018 World Cup event. To thank Bangladesh, TV Friends will start supporting Bangladeshi TV stations, although only English language is supported.

Updated to version 3.3.2

Here’s release note of version 3.3.2.
[iOS]：For iPhone version only
[Android]：For Android version only
No Mark：For both version

  • [iOS] Voice setting menu is added.
    You can find the menu from “Config” > “Voice.”

    Voice Name: You can set Voice’s language and gender.
    Voice Speed: You can set how fast to read.
    Voice Pitch: You can set Voice’s pitch.
    Note: When you set a voice, a text in the language you selected for TV Friends, “This is a voice of speaking,” will be pronounced. However, there is a case the voice cannot pronounc if the voice cannot speech the application settings’ language (e.g. the case you set Japanese for the application language, but selected English voice). The voice setting itself is still valid, and the voice will speak chat comments if it’s readable for the voice.
  • A first boot dialog will be shown to introduce TV Friends on Title Screen.
  • A dialog which ask you if you want to set your avatar randomly will be shown if you press OK without selecting any avatar on Avatar Selection Screen.
  • An error dialog will be shown if you press OK without selecting all of Country/Region, Area, Channel, and Room.
  • Notification Function is added.
    When a match of 2018 FIFA World Cup start soon, a notification will be sent to you.

Bug Fixes

  • A bar position of Voice Volume setting in “Text-To Speech” config is fixed.
  • In Japanese version, a problem that a button text, “Apply and Quit,” wasn’t translated is fixed.
  • A problem that there was a possibility that the application may crush during Twitter authentication.
  • A probrem that users could add a space after their handle name is fixed.

Updated to version 3.3.1

Here’s release note of version 3.3.1 including TV Friends iPhone version.
[iPhone]：For iPhone version only
[Android]：For Android version only
No Mark：For both version

  • Changed timing of displaying and Agreeing the End User License Agreement. A check box to agree the EULA is placed on the Title screen. You can read the EULA by tapping “Read End User License Agreement.”
  • Deleted birth date input from the Avatar Selection Screen.
  • Display setting option is added. Now you can choose “16:9” screen mode or “Full Screen” mode. The default setting for iOS is “Full Screen,” and the one for Android is “16:9.”

    To apply the setting, please press “Apply and Quit” button, and then reboot TV Friends. From the next boot, the setting will be applied.
  • Added “Speak Names,” option to Text-To Speech dialog. You can set if you want the system to read user names when it speaks user comments.

Updated to version 3.3.0

Here’s release note of version 3.3.0 including TV Friends iPhone version.
[iPhone]：For iPhone version only
[Android]：For Android version only
No Mark：For both version

  • Text-To Speech (TTS) function is added. Now you can “listen” to comments without watching a device screen. Chat comments, Twitter comments, and Voting will be speeched (user names for votes won’t be speeched). While speaking comments, the next coment won’t be displayed.On Android, TV Friends uses a voice (language) and speech speed which is set in “Settings > Language & input > Text-to-speech output.” Menu names might be slightly different OS’s version by version.On iOS, OS’s language and the language’s default voice will be used in normal speech speed. Please be noted that a voice in “Settings > Accessibility > Speech” is not used in TV Friends.
  • Setting for Text-To Speech is added
    Please refer help to know how to set TTS.
  • The following four sound effects are added.
    Crap Cheering
    Let’s go Team!
    Ha Ha Ha Ha!
  • [iOS] Apple Inc. did not permit 16:9 screen mode on iPad, so full screen mode is applied again to iOS. Because of this change, Title screen’s layout is adjusted.

Bug Fixes

  • The problem you will be asked to authorize Twitter again and again everytime you enter a chat room if you cancel Twitter authentication, is fixed.
  • The problem a long Twitter user name isn’t fit in a chat dialog is fixed.
  • The problem that users cannot authorize Twitter after 2018/06/12 because of Twitter’s security poricy change is fixed.
  • [iOS] On iPhone, the problem that an Ad will be overrapped to fotter buttons right after Twitter authentication is fixed.
  • [iOS] The problem that text size while inputting was too small is fixed.

Updated to version 3.2.0

Here’s release note of version 3.2.0 including TV Friends iPhone version.
[iPhone]：For iPhone version only
[Android]：For Android version only
No Mark：For both version

  • Supported OS is changed as the followings.
    Android：4.4 and later
    iOS：9.0 and later
  • Rooms for FIFA World Cup 2018 are available.
    “2018 FIFA World Cup” is listed in “Country/Region” section on Chat Room Selection screen. You can enter spesific match’s chat room by selecting “Match Group” in “Area,” “Match” in “Channel,” and “Room for the match” in “Room.” (Fans for the opponent team will enter the same chat room.)

    In addition, special background image will be shown in Chat Rooms for the World Cup 2018.
    The above functions will be disactivated as soon as the World Cup 2018 finishes.
    Please refer the special page for the World Cup 2018.
    This event is finished on 2018/07/16 JST.
  • When you enter a chat room first time, a tutorial dialog will be shown. The dialog will be shown only once.
  • On devices whose screen’s resolution ratio are not 16:9, TV Friends will be shown in 16:9 format using black area at the right and the left side of the screen.
  • Now you can reset Twitter account connected to TV Friends. If you open “Config” > “Twitter Cooperation” after you set up your Twitter account, “Reset” button will be appear on the Twitter Cooperation dialog. After you reset Twitter account, It is possible to set up other Twitter account.
  • [iOS] To adopt iOS11.0, in which Twitter account management manu is deleted, new Twitter account authorization flow, which is the same flow as Android version, is implemented. A Web browser will open to authenticate your Twitter account.

    (The screen is Japanese version of Twitter’s authentication screen.)
  • [Android] On Android 6.0 and later, Twitter comments’ profile icons will be shown.  On less than Android 6.0, the icons won’t be shown as same as before.

Bug Fixes

  • A parcial graphic issue is fixed.

Download pages for TV Friends

From 2018/06/07 10:00 (JST) for 3 hours, a maintenance will be held. Tnak you for your understanding.

  • Version Up

Version Up Info will be announced later.

Updated to version 3.1.0

Now TV Friends iPhone version is available!

Here’s release note of version 3.1.0 including TV Friends iPhone version.
[iPhone]：For iPhone version only
[Android]：For Android version only
No Mark：For both version

  • [iPhone] iPhone version is released.
    Features are same as Android version. From now on, the same feature as Android version will be released for iPhone version at the same timing.
    Download page is here.
  • Sticker and Shop menus are deleted.
  • Now you can access Help anytime even if you are on the Chat Room screen.
  • Help is updated to match to the version 3.1.0.
  • On Avatar Selection screen, the birth date field became optional.
  • On Avatar Selection screen, gender field is moved to avatar image field.
  • Added Black List and Grief Report features.
    By tapping a Ticker Comment or a Chat Comment, a dialog to add a user to your black list and to report  the user to LUXALA will open.
    If you report a chat comment, it will be reported to LUXALA, and the report will be investigated.
    If you report a Twitter comment, it will be reported to Twitter.
  • In Config menu, “Edit Black List” is added.
    You can delete users from your Black List.
  • In Config menu, “Contact Us” is added.
    You can report bugs from here.
    If you want to report abusive users, please use a Grief Report system rather than “Contact Us” as the system will collect evidences automatically.

Bug Fixes

  • A bug that auto scrolling may stop is fixed.

Known Issues

  • [Android] As the application may crash if the application loads and shows Twitter profile icon, the icon won’t be loaded and default Twitter logo will be shown until the crash will be fixed.

  • About rating difference between iPhone and Android version.
    TV Friends is rated as +17 on iPhone, and 3+ on Android. This difference is caused by rating policy defference between Apple and Google company. On both platform, all aplication must answer questionaries (like “Does the application contain violent contents?”) to rate properly. As a result of answering the questionaries, TV Friends is rated as 4+ on iPhone and 3+ on Android. However, Apple reviews all applications before their release, and they required to rate TV Friends 17+ as it allows users post comments anonimously. Google’s questionaries excludes User Generated Contents, and TV Friends itself doesn’t contain any problematic contants, the application is rated 3+. To avoid lying to the questionaries, TV Friends remains as 3+ rating on Android platform.
    Please be noted that although ratings on 2 platforms are different as mentioned above, you must be 18 and older to use TV Friends as its End User License Agreement sayas.

Updated to version 3.0.0

After failed to gather budget at INDIEGOGO, development of TV Friends has been freezed. However, TV Friends had a chance to exibit at Contents Tokyo 2016, The 4th Production EXPO (2016/June/29th ~ July/1st).

Official Web Site of Contents Tokyo 2016

The 4th Production Expo
LUXALA’s booth is West 1 hall, Web and Application Zone, Booth No 8-19.

For this EXPO, TV Friends programs are all recreated.
By doing so, TV Friends obtained the following merits:

  • Easier to use
  • Easier to understand
  • Faster on move
  • Easier to add more features
  • Easier to develop iOS version

For most of you who can not come to Contents Tokyo 2016, you can start using the new TV Friends from today. Please invite your friends and enjoy watching TV together.

Recreating everything means that it is hard to compare with ver. 2.4, but the following are Release Notes.

  • Android 4.0 or higher is required from this version.
  • User Interfaces are all replaced. Because of this, a save data for ver 2.4 is no longer usable, and you have to rechoose an avatar, etc.
  • On Avatar Screen, “Birth Date” and “Nick Name” are added. “Birth Date” will not be send to other users, and also will not be saved at a server. The information is used only for statistical purpose without specifying you in the future.
  • Now selecting Country/Region, Area, Channel, and Room are laced in one screen.
  • “Ticker” is deleted from the fotter menu, and “Sticker” and “Shop” menus are added, although these two are disabled in ver. 3.0.0. “Ticker” is moved into “Settings” menu.
  • Now you can select if you want to post to Twitter, too, when you input a chat text for TV Friends.
  • Paging system for comments is no longer exists, and long text in a dialog is supported.
  • As Twitter start supporting longer texts than 140 letters, once TV Friends cut off Twitter comments at 140 length, and asure TV Friends works fine with Twitter’s long texts. Currently, TV Friends supports 44 letters/line x 9 lines = 396 letters, so, we could support longer Twitter comments in the future.
  • Scrolling back comments is now supported. If you scroll even a bit, “Back to the Bottom” button will lit. If you want to receive more comments after scrolling,  either you press this button, or scroll to the bottom manually. If your scrolling setting is set to “Manual,” you always have to scroll to the bottom to receive more comments.
    Currently, 50 comments can be seen by scrolling back.
  • Unread comments and number of users in the room are moved from ticker comments to the Header UI. In addition, unred TV Friends comment and Twitter ones are now separeted.
  • Vote Result Bar Grapg is move to a separated tab. In addition, “7” and “8” are replaced with “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” preset buttons.
  • Sound setting is replaced from On and Off menu to Volume slider.
  • Now you cannot see Twitter comment until you login to Twitter with your account. Until version 2.4, TV Friends had been using its own account, but this was causing Twitter API Access Limitation, and as a result, frequently TV Friends could not read Twitter comments. By using indivisual user’s account, it will be rare to be hit the limitation.
  • Took out SE for “Decide” and “Cancel.” Now only “New Comment” and “New Ticker Comment” will have SEs.

Known Issues

  • Help page is still for ver. 2.4. the page will be updated later. End User License Agreement has not been updated.
  • Auto scrolling could be stopped wrongly, and messages could be stacked and woun’t shown. In this case, please scroll down a little bit, or reenter the room.

Although server programs and Database are not changeddrastically, this time, I had to recreate the application in 3 months where it took a year last time. It was very challenging project as I had other one man-month task!

I hope more people know about and start using TV Friends by Contents Tokyo 2016.

About Current Maintenance Status

Currently, we stopped TV Friends server to update the application.

However Google Play doesn’t refrect our changes for almost 24 hours, and cannot reopen the server.  The time seems to become very long compared to the past (2-3 hours).

Please wait for the server reopen and new version of TV Friends.
Thanks for your understanding.