Left Coast Lifter Debuts at Tappan Zee

I Lift New York...

 

Left Coast Lifter at the Tappan Zee Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

The Left Coast Lifter, one of the world's largest floating cranes, made its debut at its destination yesterday: the Tappan Zee Bridge, which many of us have often used over the years.

 

Among those on hand to greet the giant crane was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who made the decision to build a $3.9 billion, twin-span replacement for the aging three-mile-long Tappan Zee after more than a decade of delays and studies by former governors and other public officials, the New York Times reported.

 

Nicknamed I Lift NY, the super crane is an important factor in New York's most ambitious infrastructure project of the 21st Century. 

 

It will be used to install large sections of the new bridge, some weighing up to 1,000 tons.

 

The huge crane traveled from its home on San Francisco Bay, through the Panama Canal and then up the East coast.

 

For more from the New York Times, including an interesting video history of New York and its bridges and the Tappan Zee project:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/nyregion/giant-floating-crane-reaches-tappan-zee-site.html

 

 

 

Now, About Organizing That Refrigerator

A place for everything...

 

Midnight Fridge Raid

 

 

 

 

Stop putting milk in your refrigerator door, and stop putting bread on the top of the fridge, businessinsider.com advises.

 

Seemingly harmless mistakes like these can make a difference in the freshness of your food and drink, the website recently reported.

 

For short video with tips on how to organize your refrigerator:  http://www.businessinsider.com/placing-food-fridge-science-2014-10

 

 

 

 

 

The Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Beautiful prelude...

Claude Debussy

 The Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun is one of Claude Debussy's most famous works.

 Prelude was considered revolutionary when it was first performed in 1894.

  It was used as the score for the ballet Afternoon of a Faun, which was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and first performed in Paris in 1912. 

 Debussy was one of the best known figures associated with Impressionist music, though he disliked the term when applied to his compositions.

He was one of the most gifted composers of the late 19th and 20th century, and his use of non-traditional scales influenced many who followed, including Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and George Gershwin.

He also influenced many prominent jazz figures, including Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Bix Beiderbeck, George Shearing and Thelonious Monk.

 He was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour in 1903.

Source: Wikipedia 

 Debussy's memorable Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YazhxBA7oo

Closings Lead Latest Darien Real Estate Results

Latest weekly update...

 

A Touch of Autumn, Donald Demers

 

 

 

 

Closings Lead Latest Darien Real Estate Results

 

 

Thirteen closings led Darien residential real estate results for the week ending today.

 

Results in other categories, according to the Darien MLS, were:

 

-- Seven new listings of property for sale;

-- Seven price changes;

-- Four accepted offers, and

-- Four properties going under contract.

 

For more: 

 

 

 

Darien, Rowayton Home Sale Prices Up

Latest year-to-date stats...

 

Rowayton across Five Mile River as seen from Darien

 

 

 

 

Darien, Rowayton Home Sale Prices Up

 

The average home sale price in Darien and Rowayton rose in the latest year-to-date report for the towns released today.

 

The average sale price in Darien rose 1.3 percent; in Rowayton, it went up 5.3 percent.

 

Results in other categories for the January through end of September period comparing 2013 and 2014 were:

 

-- Sales in Darien down 6 percent; in Rowayton, sales were off 1.8 percent, and

 

-- Sales volume in Darien declined 4.7 percent; in Rowayton it was down 3.4 percent.

 

The figures were released by the Darien MLS.

 

For more: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gate Crashing at the White House

How did you get in here?

The White House

Gate Crashing at the White House

  

Long before the latest fence jumper captured international attention by getting as far as the East Room, the history of White House security breaches was vast and varied, the New York Times reported earlier this week.

In its early years, the People's House -- as several presidents liked to refer to the White House -- was often a place where many could freely come and go.

In the early 20th century, more security was enforced at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Yet over the years, a surprising number of uninvited people have made their way in.

For more on the Times report:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/us/white-house-security-breach-omar-gonzalez.html?_r=0

For a history of the White House, including several of breaches by gate crashers:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House

And for a short, interesting video history of the White House:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf6r8Zcj7Sc

Intriguing White House 3D Tour

Fascinating tour...

 

Marine One on final approach over the South Lawn

 

 

 

 

Intriguing White House 3D Tour

 

 

With the White House in the news, a tour of the executive mansion and its grounds is timely.

 

A few years ago, WhiteHouseMuseum.org presented an intriguing, computer-generated model of the presidential complex that puts in context many of its features that we often read and hear about.

 

The White House and its grounds are larger than you might imagine, and as the video shows, they include some other interesting items rarely mentioned in the news.

 

For the fascinating video tour:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktqgtlFjWRw