This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Nov
29
2023
At the very end of Thanksgiving break, we got our first real snow of this winter. To celebrate that (or commiserate, your choice), here are some photos.
He showers snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes.
Psalm 147:16
Nov
22
2023
I’m not posting anything today – I’m too busy doing Thanksgivingy stuff.
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Nov
15
2023
Twice this last week, I noticed people signalling right-turn as they entered a roundabout that I also was approaching. Then they didn’t turn right but rather went straight through the roundabout (following the lane, of course).
That is one of the things that bugs me. Apparently some people are being taught to signal right when you’re entering a roundabout, and then signal again when you’re exiting a roundabout.
I don’t mind the signalling when exiting a roundabout, but it’s the “signal right when entering a roundabout” that’s the problem. These people are considering the road meeting the roundabout as an intersection. I consider the whole roundabout the intersection.
Here’s how I see it.
First up, a generic intersection :
This one doesn’t have any controls, so it’s at a high risk of people crashing. We need some way to coordinate who has the right of way. So we could make it a 4-way stop :
That’s better. Now if you were approaching this intersection and wanted to turn left, you would signal left and you approach it, and the car would cancel the signal after the turn was completed.
Everyone agree? Ok, now we’re going to change the traffic control method from stop signs to a traffic light :
Does that change anything if you want to turn left? I hope not. You would activate your left turn signal as you approached the intersection, and the car would cancel the signal after the turn was completed.
In each case, the control method inside the dashed box doesn’t matter. You have options for the intersection, so you signal as you approach the box to let people know which leg of the intersection you’ll be taking.
Now let’s replace the stop light with a roundabout :
I’m stating that it doesn’t change anything – you should signal left and you approach the intersection, and the car would cancel the signal after the turn was completed.
The problem with signalling right to enter the intersection is that people on the other legs of roundabout can’t tell the difference between that and signalling to take the first roundabout exit. It’s a bad idea.
It doesn’t add any information to the situation. The reason for signalling at intersections is to add information to the situation so that other drivers can make better decisions.
When entering a roundabout, everyone has to do the same thing – a slight right curve. Turn signals are to inform other people that you’re going to deviate from the current path, or to let them know which option you’re choosing when there are multiple options. When entering a roundabout, there are no multiple options (that’s one of the benefits of roundabouts) and you’re not deviating from a path. The path deviation should come when you exit, not enter a roundabout.
So the turn signal doesn’t add any information that’s needed. But it’s worse than that – it adds bad information. It causes confusion and delay, and that’s the worst thing that could happen, both here and on Sodor.
One caveat is that this is for roundabouts, not traffic circles. And it seems to me that whoever is teaching the signal right whenever entering a roundabout is someone who grew up with a traffic circle. Because those aren’t one intersection – they are big and are individual intersections around a circle.
Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers
Proverbs 6:13
Nov
8
2023
I was driving yesterday on a freeway that I’m familiar with but haven’t driven in a while. The traffic report said there was a slowdown, so I knew to be ready for that.
Sure enough, there were some brake lights and both lanes slowed. The orange construction sign said “Left lane closed ahead – 2 miles”. I was in the left lane, so I decided to stay in the left lane and see if I could promote the zipper merge.
I stayed in the left lane. The next sign said “Left lane closed ahead – 1 mile”. Stayed in the left lane still. “Left lane closed ahead – 1/2 mile”. Still stayed.
Then the next sign (about T minus 1/4 mile) said to merge. It had no text, so I can’t type what it said, but it was the two lines getting closer picture. So I merged at that point, because that’s when the people setting up the construction zone said to merge.
There were people who merged into the right lane back when the first sign said “left lane closed ahead”. And people merged after that too.
And then there were people who didn’t merge when I did – they kept going in the left lane. And I wondered when they were going to merge. The 1/4 mile came and went, and there was no lane closure. Both lanes stayed open – there weren’t even any barrels set out on the side of the road.
Then I realized one of the benefits of waiting until the merge point to zipper merge, rather than merging at the first sign of an upcoming lane closure: if the lane isn’t actually closed, then you don’t cause unnecessary traffic slowdowns by filling up only one lane.
I wish I could have seen around the larger vehicle in front of me to see the lane never closed, before I merged right.
Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard; we will not even drink water from a well. We will go along the king’s road, not turning to the right or left, until we pass through your territory.
Numbers 20:17
Nov
3
2023
Here is a guest post I wrote for SCL back in the day (2011 in case you’re wondering). It wasn’t run because I didn’t actually write a full blog post for Jon, I just sent him an outline of ideas. But I decided to fill it out and present it to you today.
Back when I was a Sunday School student, a visitor to the class would have a song sung to him (“There’s a welcome here…”) and get to pick out a prize, like a pencil or a sticker.
Now, as adults, if we get a visitor to the church we just let them know there’s a card they can fill out with their information.
What fun is that? Let’s have prizes for the adult visitors too!
Our church is small enough that it would work for them to come to the front and pick a prize from a box, but those of you in larger churches might have to come up with different ideas.
But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and He welcomed them and began speaking to them about the kingdom of God, and curing those who had need of healing.
Luke 9:11
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