Always Take Your Camera!

Always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera, always take your camera.

I learned this lesson  -again - last evening. Before leaving home for a bike ride on the Cap City Trail, I says to myself, "Self, should we take the camera with?". And, Self, the big dope, says, "Ohhhh, nooooo. What could we possibly see on the Cap City Trail that we haven't seen before?". "Quite right", quoth I. Camera remains hanging in the closet.

So, then on my way back, as I'm approaching the Lake Farm Park campground, I look up and see a gaggle of geese, large geese, really large geese. But they weren't geese, were they? Noooo! They were eleven Sandhill Cranes, followed a few hundred yards later by four more. Now that would have warranted a digitally-enhanced image or two.

But, no camera, no photos, just a dumb post.

Purty Pictures

Some photos I took of wildflowers along the Capital City Trail and of lily pads on Lake Wingra.

Bikes on Monona Drive - The Broken Part

Local biped Travis Youman sent along this comment and a link to his own blog at Stray Cat Bicycles.

Travis recently wrote a blog post about signage (particularly the "bicycles may use full lane" official MUTCD sign), and asked me whether I thought he should bring it up at the next council meeting. I said, "YES!" I did so partly because I think the signage may be a good idea and partly because I think it is worth having the discussion and partly because things have just been too damn boring around here lately.

Travis would like to do some driver (and cyclist) education, especially on Monona Drive south of Cottage Grove Road at least until the construction is completed. He says he has stirred things up at the city of Madison with Arthur Ross and Robbie Webber with regards to signage/markings/bike lanes on Monona Drive north of Cottage Grove Road.

http://www.straycatbicycles.com/blog/?p=517

Madison Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee Meeting - May 24

Local biped Travis Youman sent me this info:

The City of Madison is having a bicycle/pedestrian committee meeting on Tuesday, May 24th as they look for input on bicycle projects that they should be looking at.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/article_01f18562-8095-11e0-ba9d-001cc4c03286.html

Travis writes:

I put my thoughts into projects that *I'd* like to see them at least take a look at (http://www.straycatbicycles.com/blog/?p=447) but the main one I'd like to focus on is expanding Monona Drive/Atwood to include bike lanes between Cottage Grove Rd and Walter St. I plan on making the case that bicycle lane projects should be looked at independently of resurfacing streets, as that section of Monona Dr doesn't need to be resurfaced any time soon (it's in great shape compared to the res of Monona Dr), which could leave us with the default "lake loop" being 95% on bike lanes/bike paths/side streets and 5% on a very bike-UNfriendly Monona Drive next year once the reconstruction from Winnequah to Cottage Grove Rd is completed.

That's also the main route that most cyclists that I know in Monona take to get either downtown or the East side of the Isthmus, so it's doubly important for Monona residents.

Monona City Council Preview - December 6, 2010

The Monona City Council meets this Monday, December 6 at 7:30 PM. Here's the agenda. The packet is here.

1. Unfinished Business (Approval Requested Unless Otherwise Noted).


a. Consideration of Resolution 10-11-1740 Approving the City of Monona’s 25 x 25 Plan for Energy Independence (City Administrator).

b. Consideration or Ordinance 11-10-621 An Ordinance Amending Chapter 13 of the Code of Ordinances Concerning Billboards (Plan Commission). City Planner Paul Kachelmeier's report gives an extensive summary of the Plan Commission's discussion at their November 22 meeting.

2. New Business.

a. Convene in Closed Session under Wisconsin Statute section 19.85(1)(g) Conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is or is likely to become involved (Litigation status report, Attorney Cole).

b. Reconvene in Open Session Under Wisconsin Statute Section 19.85(2).

* c. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1731 Establishing an Ad Hoc Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Committee (Mayor Kahl). Appointments To the Ad Hoc Committee on Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety:

a. Chris Homburg
b. Branda Weix
c. Kathy Thomas
d. Alderman Mike Veserat
e. Alderman Doug Wood
f. Alderman Dennis Kugle
* d. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1742 Approving the Low Bid and Authorizing Staff to Proceed to Contract to Raze and Remove Parcels at 4505 and 4603 Monona Drive (CDA). These are the two parcels the city purchased in the past year.

* e. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1743 Approving the Low Bid and Authorizing Staff to Proceed to Contract for Assessment Services (City Administrator).

f. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1744 Amendment to Independent Contractor Agreement with Foth Infrastructure and Environment for Engineering Services for Monona Drive Phase II (Ad Hoc Monona Drive Advisory Committee).

* g. Consideration of Resolution 10-12-1747 Calling Upon the State of Wisconsin and Dane County to Lower the Levels of Lakes Mendota, Monona, and Waubesa (Ad Hoc Flood Mitigation Committee). This is starred for immediate action, but it is not clear to me why.

***

Jen & Robb Kahl welcomed a new Monona resident to their home this week - Kennedy Hope Kahl, a beautiful baby girl. All are at home and doing well. Congratulations - again! 

New Bike Path Over the Beltline

Great news for area bikers. According to madison.com, a new bike path will extend across the Beltline and eventually connect with the Military ridge Trail.

"In Dane County, about $2.5 million will help cover costs of a 4-mile Cannonball Path, which will cross the Beltline on Madison's South Side and run on an abandoned Union Pacific rail bed through Fitchburg to the Military Ridge Trail."

This trail provides a much needed additional safe route across the Beltline for bikers.

Monona City Council Preview - August 30, 2010

The Monona City Council meets tomorrow (Monday, August 30) at 7:30 PM in the Media Room at the Library. The full agenda.

We will be getting three reports to start the information portion of the evening. Chris James of Dane County Parks Department will speak about the Capital Springs State Recreation Area (this includes the status the proposed bike trail connecting Lake Farm County Park with the Village of McFarland and associated railroad trestle widening).

Also on tap:

• Dane County Supervisor Robin Schmidt (RTA, Radio Interoperability, and Other County Issues)
• City Engineer Rich Vela and BT Squared Civil & Environmental Engineering: Belle Isle Planning/Engineering Update.

Also Consideration of Resolution 10-08-1718 Requiring a Referendum on the Levying of a Sales Tax to Fund Commuter Rail (Aldermen Kugle, Wiswell, Veserat). This referendum would ask us Monona voters if we want to use the entire half-cent sales tax increase for commuter rail. What a question! Heck, I don't think anyone would support using all of the sales tax increase just from commuter rail. I sure wouldn't (I might not support using any of it for that purpose).

As I've said before, this referendum is premature and a distraction. We ought to be focused on telling the RTA Board what Monona wants out of a planned regional transit system (like other communitiess are doing).

The Monona Transit meeting did not reach a conclusion and has scheduled another meeting for September 8 when RTA Board members and staff will attend.

I expect the council vote will be delayed until after that meeting (We can approve the referendum at our September 20 meeting and be in time for the November ballot).

See my prior posts on this topic.
http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2010/08/monona-transit-meeting-on-august-25.html

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2010/08/rtas-draft-principles-for-regional.html

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2010/08/lets-play-hypothetical-referendum.html

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2010/08/dane-county-rta-status.html

http://mononadoug.blogspot.com/2010/08/monona-city-council-preview-august-16.html


The council is also asked to approve at a first reading: Consideration of Resolution 10-08-1722 Approval of CDA Recommendations for “Renew Monona” Program Loans (CDA).


and Consideration of Resolution 10-08-1723 Award of Contract for Demolition at 608 Clear Spring Court (City Administrator). CORRECTION. This building is being razed because it is "dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary, and otherwise unfit for human habitation".  This is one of the properties the CDA acquired in the past year.

The council will have a first reading on changing the status of the Sustainability Committee [Consideration of Ordinance 8-10-616 Reconstituting the Sustainability Committee to that of a Standing Committee (Alderman Wood, Alderman Munson)].

Finally, the Mayor has knocked it out of the park with his nomination of James Pflasterer to the Monona Police and Fire Commission. He is the former General Counsel for the state's Labor and Industry Review Commission.

Comment Repeat

Some things are worth repeating. here's a comment from Travis who said...


Doug,

I am seriously worried that Monona's status as a "left-leaning, progressive, socialist utopia" might be seriously, SERIOUSLY in danger due to a lack of focus on the real issue at hand. While we've been concentrating on sustainability, renewable energy and locally grown food, other communities are forging ahead with the *real* catalyst of a workers utopia....

Bicycles.

Yes, that's right. Bicycles. Colorado is currently welcoming their new UN overlords in powder-blue planes with such things as anti-automobile "bike lanes" and freedom-hating "bicycle sharing". They are encouraging companies install showers (free showers!!) so their employees can clean off the sweet smell of Maoism before engaging in their putrid capitalist enterprises. And they're cleverly using all of this to deprive their citizens of basic rights enshrined in the Constitution (like driving a car on *any* portion of the road, etc).

They're obviously trying to hide this shift so that other progressive communities won't be able to find out about it (and steal their ideas) till it's too late, but it's been outed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes!!

http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15673894

Now, my question to you is, what can we do to reclaim the mantle of Most-Left-Leaning-Community-In-The-Country that I know that we all strive for? It's going to have to be something *good*, and not just some little "best library in the state award". Maybe "free bicycles for all paid for by the capitalist oppressors?" Or bicycle-only roads, with the houses along those roads given a bicycle trailer in addition to the free bicycle?

I'm open to suggestions, but we'd better get started on this quickly, other communities might reach the Workers Paradise before we do...

:)

Friday, August 06, 2010

Mystery Revealed

Mystery revealed? Naah, but maybe we're gonna get a bicycle lift. Umm, we could install it on Baskerville, just to try it out. Just 10,000NOK/meter (that's about $1600/meter).

Starkweather Creek Bike Trail

I discovered the Starkweather Creek Bike Trail today. It runs along - yes - Starkweather Creek. It goes over East Wash and USH 30 on the fancy bike bridges. Here are some pix. More are posted here at Photobucket.

Airing out the wings

High water flowing fast

View from the East Wash bridge

Robin Roberts Field
Who uses it??
The MATC Madison College Wolfpack

Starkweather Creek neighbors at work

Madison city bike map.

Thom Evans

Monona resident, former Madison teacher, parent, husband, and all around good guy Thom Evans took a very nasty spill off his bike recently. He went for a ride around Lake Monona and ended up with broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a blood clot in his brain. He's recovering in the UW hospital.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomevans

Keep his daughters Mara, Elena, and Jenna and wife Kim Miller in your thoughts and in your heart.

Not Stopping

I'm on record with my opinion about the Winnequah Road stop signs and they make even less sense when applied to bikers heading toward Bridge Road, but I've been appalled by my fellow bicyclists' refusal to even slow down for the stop signs.

I bike to work at least several times in good weather. I understand the concept of rolling stops. When I bike I slow down enough for stop signs so that I can stop if a vehicle is coming on the cross road. (For busy streets, like Monroe Street, I typically just come to a complete stop.) It's all about maintaining momentum. Car drivers do pretty much the same thing; it's just easier to slow down and accelerate when driving a car, so motorists tend to slow down more or stop signs than bicyclists, but they are still just slowing down enough to decide whether they need to stop completely. I get all that.

But, too many of my fellow bikers are not even hesitating in their pedaling as they blast past the Maywood/Winnequah and Frostwoods/Winnequah stop signs. Heading toward Bridge Road, the probability of a crash is not very high, but these bikers have really left themselves no room for error, so if something unexpected happens, they are screwed and tattooed. And I'm not even getting into the fact it makes bikers look like a-holes. It's not safe.

Slow down for stop signs! (Written with only slight irony.)

Thanks you very much for your kind attention.

Birds and Biking

While out for an early morning bike ride along the Capital City Trail, I came upon a family of Sandhill cranes; mom, pop and junior.

A red-winged blackbird kept buzzing the cranes and was clearly unhappy about their presence.

Click on the photos for a larger image.

I tried a different route by diverting off the state trail at South Syene Road and followed an off-road trail that skirted a subdivision and a US Fish and Wildlife fishing restoration area - or something like that.

ON my way home, I was reminded why I generally avoid the bumpouts on Winnequah Road, especially when I'm headed northbound. More on that in another post. My guess is the bumpouts will be a piece of history after the 2011 construction year.

In random news, Sunny Schubert 'friended' me on Facebook! And I friended her back. What a marvelous modern world we live in.....  

Bouncing Along

As we learned in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Just listen, bumbles bounce.or watch, Bumbles Bounce .

The Pillsbury Doughboy also bounces. He even bounced back from the dead. ( Check out the history of advertising, including Leo Burnett's creations: the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Jolly Green Giant, and the Marlboro Man.

Ahh, but they aren't the only large white sentient beings that bounce. Nope, I learned yesterday, that I bounce too! Jump off bike at high rate of speed, bounce on grass, roll, and pop up! Shazam! No broken bones, no broken bike, hardly anybody looking.

Ride Bike, Take Camera

Doh! Took a nice bike ride this evening down past the Lussier Family Heritage Center on the Capital City Trail. I saw eight deer hanging out together in one field and another standing on a ridge that would have made a great iconic photo. But, no camera!

By the way, to hear frog-o-phonia bike the path along the section between Nob Hill Road and South Towne Drive. You will get a frog serenade, especially around dusk. With any luck you might seem some deer, geese, or Sandhill cranes, too.

Cracking a Thousand

So yesterday, Friday, November 6, 2009 for the record, I passed the one-thousand mile mark in commuting by bike this year, which tops my previous year bike commuting total by about, oh, a thousand miles (I did occasionally bike to work back when my office was downtown, but that was long ago it doesn't really count. How long ago? Put it this way, Kevin Brunner was our city administrator.).

Bragging? Yeah.

But it saves money. And it saves a bunch of other stuff: True Cost of Driving. Yes, I'm saving the planet - you can thank me now by sending cash (That's a joke. Never send cash in the mail). And then there's the lost pounds and the feeling better and the staying off the Beltline.

I'm guessing there are a bunch of other folks who bicycle-commuted at least a thousand miles this year. I can think of at least three right here in Monona. But this is my first time and it's not their blog, so they shall go unnamed. Ha!

But will they ever invent a bike helmet that doesn't make you look like a doofus? Or did Mike sell me a helmet that's size too small for my melon?

***

A thousand miles? That's good, but not as good as the One Thousand Reasons web site.

"My favorite word in English is 'youneverknow.' "

"There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"

Tonight's city council action with regard to the width of the Monona Drive sidewalk put in my mind of the quote from former major league baseball pitcher Joaquin Andujar.

After hearing from a full house that was evenly split between support and opposition, the Monona city council voted to indefinitely postpone consideration of reducing the sidewalk width from the planned 8' to 6'. Alder Kugle made the motion and I seconded it. After some discussion the council voted 4-2 to indefinitely postpone the matter (Alders Wiswell and Veserat voted nay). The effect is that the matter is dead, the width stays at 8'.

(Theoretically, two alders could bring the matter back again, but it is hard to imagine anyone having the stomach for that.)

***

The council quickly and unanimously adopted the 25X25 and energy independence resolution. Resolution 09-10-1655, Supporting "25 x 25" Energy Goal

***

The proposals to consolidate the p[art-time fire chief and full-time EMS Director positions into one full-time position overseeing both departments was referred to the Public Safety Committee.

Resolution 09-10-1661, Eliminating the EMS Director and Transferring Duties to the Fire Chief and Developing Policies for the Fire Department and Ordinance 10-09-608, Relating to the Duties of the Fire Chief and the Fire Prevention/EMS Director

Monona Council Preview - October 19

Items of interest on the Monona City Council agenda for Monday, October 19.

Resolution to reduce the width of the Monona Drive sidewalk from 8 feet to 6 feet (Alderman Thomas, Alderman Kugle). This item of re-unfinished business is reduce the designed width of the sidewalk on the west side of Monona Drive from the repeatedly endorsed width of 8'. Click the link for a reasoned analysis of why we need the wider sidewalk.

I expect quite a large crowd of pro and con speakers. Here's hoping speakers will be concise, brief, and respectful to the council and persons with differing viewpoints.

***

Resolution 09-10-1655 Supporting the Office of Energy Independence “25 x 25” Goal and Declaring Monona a Wisconsin Energy Independent Community partner (Alderman Wood). Alderman Kugle has made some good revisions (i.e., acceptable to me) in the language that I had drafted: Resolution 09-10-1655, Supporting "25 x 25" Energy Goal (This is technically a substitute resolution.) Prior resolution: Resolution 09-10-1655: Supporting the "25 x 25" Goal and Declaring Monona a Wisconsin Energy Independent Community

***

New Business

Resolution 09-10-1661 Eliminating the Director of Fire Prevention/EMS Director and Transferring the Duties to the Fire Chief; and Developing a Full, Complete and Comprehensive Set of Standards, Operating Policies, Procedures, and Practices for the Department (Alderman Wiswell, Alderman Veserat). Resolution 09-10-1661, Eliminating the EMS Director and Transferring Duties to the Fire Chief and Developing Policies for the Fire Department This item from alders Wiswell and Veserat has not been to Public Safety yet. It also seems to bite off two rather large mouthfuls that should be considered separately.

Consideration of Ordinance 10-09-608 Amending Section 2-3-8 Relating to the Duties of the Fire Chief in the City of Monona, and Eliminating Section 2-3-9 Relating to the Director of Fire Prevention / EMS Director (Alderman Wiswell, Alderman Veserat). This amendment would codify the changes above. Ordinance 10-09-608, Relating to the Duties of the Fire Chief and the Fire Prevention/EMS Director

***

Resolution 09-10-1653 Establishing a Policy for the Naming of Parks and Park Facilities (Park and Recreation Director) Resolution 09-10-1653, Establishing a Policy for Naming Parks & Park Facilities

***

Status Update on Bourbon Street Grille Litigation (City Attorney). All briefs have been filed with the judge and a decision is expected within 30-45 days. Memo: Status of Bourbon Street Grille Litigation

Why We Need a Wider Monona Drive Sidewalk

Monona resident Travis Youman passed along these thoughts on the Monona Drive sidewalk controversy. Emphasis added by me.

As a passionate cyclist as well as someone who works directly in bicycle safety, the cycling aspect of the Monona Drive project is a huge concern to me. As I stated last night it has been proven that competent, adult cyclists should almost always ride in the street, with traffic, obeying all traffic laws. This does, however, preclude children, families with children, and those adult riders who are not competent cyclists (and obviously, "competent" is relatively broad). Many states/municipalities with laws prohibiting riding on the sidewalk will leave an exemption for either children, bicycles with wheels smaller than 26" (the adult standard) or both. As you heard at the meeting last night, the majority of the people who were standing up and noting that they will continue to ride on the sidewalk are those with children, and we should in no way insist or even encourage them to ride in the street due to the inherent danger.

What we need to come to grips with is that after the reconstruction, there are going to be two types of bike riders along this route:

1) Those (like myself) who are competent adult cyclists and will relish the opportunity to ride on smooth new pavement and well-marked bike lanes. This group includes commuters, "speed-freaks," people out for exercise, people on racing bicycles, etc. Some of these people do already ride on Monona Drive, but others are currently on the sidewalk since Monona Drive is in such deplorable condition. These riders won't use the sidewalk no matter how nice or wide it is.

2) People with small children, families, or those adults who, for whatever reason, aren't comfortable riding in traffic. Some of these people should be on the sidewalk (families), and some should be in the road (adults who are competent riders but just nervous about riding a 30lb bicycle amongst 4,000lb cars and SUVs), *but* the reality is that they will be on the sidewalk. It won't depend on whether the sidewalk is 6' or 8', it's that they feel that riding in the road is too dangerous. You could make the sidewalk 4' wide, and these people would still choose to ride it since they perceive that it is dangerous to ride in the street. I respectfully disagree with the woman who spoke in front of the Council in favor of the 6' sidewalks, as she was incorrect in her assumption that reducing the width of the sidewalk would discourage people from riding on it. For any of the people that I've spoken with, the width of the sidewalk is not a factor when choosing where to ride. The people who are deathly afraid of traffic are riding on the sidewalk now, even though it is 5' wide, cracked, broken and as of a couple weeks ago was under construction with a section removed and large parking cones in the middle of it. They are certainly not going to be discouraged from riding on a smooth, new, 6' wide sidewalk.

To this end, we need to ensure that *both* groups are accommodated for. We need to make the bike lanes as wide and as brightly marked as possible, and examine adding a physical barrier between the traffic and the bike lane at some point in the future. This link shows a great example as to how to properly build a bike lane that all age groups and user levels can enjoy: http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/moved/buffered_bike_lane6.jpg As you can see, it is separated from traffic with a raised curb and the additional safety will encourage more people to use it, instead of the sidewalk. Until that happens, though, I would ask that you keep in mind the second group of riders noted above and realize that as the the roadway is designed, there are always going to be people that will continue to use this as a multi-use path. A 6' wide sidewalk will be *marginally* safer than it is now. An 8' sidewalk will allow for people to pass safely, will improve sight lines, and reduce conflicts. It will give drivers that are trying to cross it a better view of pedestrians and more time to react to the occasional recreational bike rider or family that is using it.

Some links on this subject:

NHTSA's position:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/kidsandbikesafetyweb/

NYC's law for cyclists - legal to ride on the sidewalk as long as the child is less than 12 years old and the bike has smaller than 26" wheels:

http://bicyclehabitat.com/page.cfm?PageID=213

One of the few studies actually done on bicycle accidents:

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/riskfactors.htm

Lastly, one of the Council members spoke of voting against it due to the fact that all of these wide sidewalks and bike lanes ended abruptly at the Monona/Madison city line. I think that this is a reason *for* creating a wide and pedestrian-friendly atmosphere for the following reasons:

1) If we don't take the initiative and plan for the future, Madison won't either. Atwood will have to be redesigned at some point, and if there are bike lanes and wide sidewalks on the Monona side of Cottage Grove Rd, Madison will be encouraged to do the same. If we keep the same narrow, pedestrian-unfriendly sidewalks when in 2011, Madison can use the exact same argument (that the wide sidewalks would just "end" at Monona, so why bother doing them) in the future.

2) This would allow us to show that Monona is the pedestrian-friendly and bike-friendly community, not Madison. Since I've moved here, all I've heard is how pedestrian-friendly Madison is, and how pedestrian-unfriendly Monona is. However, once Monona Drive is rebuilt, anyone entering Madison from the Monona Drive/Atwood corridor will see wide sidewalks, great bike lanes, and gorgeous landscaping on the Monona side, and narrow, rutted streets, narrow, broken sidewalks, and no bike lanes as soon as they cross into Madison. This would be a huge boost for our community, and definitely a draw for people who are looking to move to the area.

Travis Youman

Monona City Council Report

It was a long frustrating meeting, so here's the quick scoop of....news.

We meet again in one week, October 19.


The council approved:

Resolution 09-09-1650 Approval to Initiate Monona Drive Façade Improvement Program; and

Resolution 09-10-1656 Directing Staff to Prepare Grant Applications for Energy Efficient Equipment; and

Resolution 09-10-1658 Providing for the Sale of $3,400,000 General Obligation Promissory Notes (for the Monona Drive project); and

Resolution 09-10-1659 Providing for the Sale of $1,325,000 Taxable Note Anticipation Notes (TIF Payment to MSP for the Owen Road development).

Discussed without acting on the Resolution 09-10-1655 Supporting the Office of Energy Independence “25 x 25” Goal and Declaring Monona a Wisconsin Energy Independent Community. I think it is entirely possible that this resolution will pass with some minor adjustments in language. Passage of this resolutionor something very much like it will greatly improve our chances of getting the energy block grants.

Discussed ad infinitum the resolution to reduce the planned width of the Monona Drive sidewalk from 8 feet to 6 feet (Alderman Thomas, Alderman Kugle). Stay tuned for yet another discussion next Monday. In my frustration at having to spend time (and a lot of time) reconsidering this issue, I was not very articulate about the merits of the proposal. Others did a much better job and I hope to post their thoughts later.