u/GothamCitySub

Earlier today I made a post about the best express stretches in the MTA, now I’m making one about just the best [all-day] express trains.

1. 2/3 (7 Ave). Yes it’s only one express trunk, but it’s the undisputed king of speed for sure, and it’s extremely efficient and consistent. A few timer signals but otherwise it’s the gold standard for a fast express train in NYC. Absolute rockets, this is where operators unleash their inner demons with no-speed-limit stretches approaching 72 and 50. With being super fast for the vast majority of its route not just this, the 3 is probably the fastest train in the system. Yes the A and 4 are express for longer but not as fast.

2. E/F (Queens Blvd). Again, absolute rockets. This time delivered IND style with very long express stretches and smooth, straight movement with few curves rather than ultra-high max speed like the IRT, though it’s still very fast. E is also one of the fastest trains in the system for sure, maybe even faster than the A and 3. Only one express trunk but still amazing.

3. A (CPW/8 Ave/Fulton St). Very fast and smooth, and runs express for a really long way all the way from 168 St to Euclid Ave. Like, that’s crazy. I considered putting the A even higher because it delivers fast express service such a long way (it’s really fast everywhere), but it is definitely quite a bit slower than the 2/3 and E/F and less consistent so I couldn’t put it higher (though coming into 42 is absolutely wild). Still one of the absolute best.

4. 4/5 (Lexington Ave/Eastern Parkway). A few years ago I had this above the A, but now I just can’t. It’s amazing in Manhattan and is very fast skipping a ton of stops, but in Brooklyn even though it’s express it’s very disappointing, often taking the same time as 2/3 trains. Contrast this with the A in BK which just flies. It is more frequent than the A (the 4, not the 5), but still less consistent and slow during rush hour, I just can’t put it higher, definitely not above the E/F or 2/3. Still great though.

5. B (6 Ave/Brighton). The B is quite fast especially with the new trains. The stretches from 34-W4 on 6th and Newkirk Plaza-Kings Hwy on Brighton are just amazing. It’s consistently fast and smooth. Can’t put it higher because it doesn’t run on weekends and the rest of the route is kinda slow.

6. D (CPW/6 Ave/4 Ave). Again a 2/3 and 4/5 scenario, where one is “more express” but worse. The D is good on CPW and 6 Ave, but not great in BK, Atlantic-36 can definitely be fast but it’s inconsistent and prone to delays. Even on CPW, the D is very much the little brother to the A. The A just goes consistently much faster while the D crashes the party. Maybe the new R211s will help.

7. Q (Broadway). The express train with the shortest express portion, only from 57 St-7 Ave to Canal St. It’s not terrible and can get pretty fast, but definitely not nearly as fast as other express trains. It’s been running better as of late though. It used to just crawl past Prince St and 8 St-NYU, even on weekends where there’s no N trains on the express track.

8. N (Broadway/4 Ave). Slow and disappointing. Broadway it goes significantly slower than the Q, as well as stopping at 49 St and not even running express on weekends. Luckily it’s express in BK from Atlantic Ave to 59 St, but still that’s pretty disappointing and inconsistent, though Atlantic-36 can be fast. 36-59 is just not good.

Honorable mentions to 34 St-Herald Square to West 4 St (B/D), Newkirk Plaza to Kings Highway (B), and Atlantic-Barclays to 36 St (D/N). Also I’m only counting permanent express stretches, so that’s why there’s no ♦️7 on here.

7. Euclid Ave to Broadway Junction (A). Very fast, very smooth and very consistent, especially with the new A trains. Pretty long too. Not necessarily the highest max speed, but very consistently fast the entire way through. Honestly the whole Fulton Line is like this, I just think this stretch is the best.

8. 96 St to 72 St (2/3). This one isn’t too long but MY GOODNESS is it fast. Downtown you blast off out of 96 St and are already flying past 86, especially on a 2. Then going past 79 St you can get to some of the fastest speeds in the system, especially on a 3 because there is no speed limit and the track is so straight. And flying into 72 as well. Uptown is definitely slower with timer signals coming into 96 St but still quite fast.

9. Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall to 14 St-Union Square (4/5). Definitely not as fast as 96-72, but much longer and still quite fast. Uptown trains go so incredibly fast passing Astor Place, and a good operator will already get the train moving by Canal. Downtown trains get off to a zooming start passing Astor, and once again a good operator will keep the speed passing Bleecker, Spring and sometimes even Canal St. However because of the curvy track trains have to approach both Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and 14 St-Union Square slowly, and some operators just crawl the entire route until Astor, making it inconsistent. Still, when it runs, IT RUNS.

10. Chambers St to 14 St (2/3). The counterpart on the West Side, which I think is slightly better. Uptown trains, especially 2 trains, always get off to a flying start. You’re going quite fast past Canal and a good operator will get moving by Franklin. You zoom past Houston at ungodly speeds, and then past Christopher you definitely go slower but not that slow, and a good operator can keep speed at Christopher too. Downtown you have to slow down at Franklin to very slow speeds, but you go unbelievably fast past Houston and even Canal if you get a good operator. Yes the slowdown at Franklin sucks but this stretch is very consistent, which I think makes it better than Brooklyn Bridge to Union Square.

11. 59 St-Columbus Circle to 125 St (A/D). Longest stretch in the system, and it’s awesome. It’s very smooth, and A trains just absolutely zoom, especially between 86 St and 110 St in both directions. D trains definitely aren’t as good but still fast, but A trains are something else. The only reason this isn’t higher is because D trains cause delays and because of the slowdown coming into 59 St that makes downtown trains slow down at like 81. But still, the part from 86 to 110 and even 125 is incredibly fast and smooth and very consistent. With CBTC I hope trains will eventually be able to go >75mph, this is one of the few stretches long enough and straight enough for it with the right trains. A trains>D trains for sure. The song is absolutely right, the A train is the quickest way to Harlem.

12. Forest Hills-71 Ave to Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Ave (E/F). Very long, very fast and very consistent. With CBTC, trains pretty much always fly at over 45MPH, get going quickly and brake late. Fastest part is definitely passing Woodhaven Blvd. It’s very similar in both directions, this express stretch is a CBTC masterpiece. This is exactly what the IND should have been built to be: very long, very straight express stretches where trains could just absolutely haul. That’s exactly what this is. The tracks can even support 60mph, and if the trains went this fast this would be #1 and it wouldn’t even be a debate.

13. 72 St to Times Square-42 St (2/3). The absolute best and fastest express stretch in the system. Long, and so unbelievably fast. Uptown, as is a theme with these, you’re already just flying past 50 St, and cruise past 59, but then you really pick up speed after 59 and go >50MPH passing Lincoln Center, with no speed limit. Then you’re already at 72. No slowdowns, no obstacles, just pure unchecked speed. Downtown there is a timer signal going into 42 St but still a good operator can brake very late, especially on a 3. But downtown is even faster, you’re already zooming past Lincoln Center, accelerate even more past Columbus Circle and then the downgrade from 59 to 50 creates the fastest express track in the system (60 St Tube isn’t express) with no speed limit until the curves coming into 42 so you can go north of 50-55mph. Even coming into 42 you’re still going pretty fast. This is exactly what an express stretch should be, it’s long and so ridiculously fast.

Baleen whales, of course.

I’ve heard that whales eat an insane amount of food during the summer and then just don’t during the winter and live entirely off fat reserves.

It just seems unimaginable to me that something so inconceivably big wouldn’t eat for half a year, especially considering they spend more energy giving birth and moving their large bodies around during migration when they don’t eat.

First of all, do they literally not eat at all whatsoever, or just much less? Also, why did such a big animal develop such an imbalanced feeding approach rather than just eating all the time to support itself? I’m sure there’s a clear answer to this, I’m just wondering.

Also, do newborns eat krill at all, or just milk?

I live in New York. My favorite is probably I-87. Yes the traffic in NYC and Westchester can be quite something but it's really not insane and from Albany to Plattsburgh it's just paradise. Incredibly beautiful, straight and very little traffic so you can just do 80 with no worries. Honorable mention to I-90, Buffalo to Boston, also little traffic (until Albany/Boston) and a beautiful, straight drive. Don't love that toll though.

My least favorite is definitely I-95. I hate this road with every inch of my body. The traffic is always ridiculous no matter the time of day. I was coming home at 11pm last weekend, still a 40-minute slowdown approaching the GWB. All the way from Washington to Boston, just endless traffic and crazy drivers. CBX is a nightmare, but everywhere is bad. The only good part is Maine, which is actually quite pleasant. I know there's a stretch from Bangor to Canada with speed limit 75, but I've never done it, I've only done Kittery to Portland. Still awesome to see that Speed Limit 70 sign after crawling through the rest of New England.

As I’m getting more into poker I’m discovering there’s like a whole different language that goes with it. I get some terms like fish/shark/whale to describe different skill levels, with fish being prey, sharks being predators and whales being big but weak. And terms like a set for three of a kind or quads for four of a kind are self explanatory. But some terms are pretty confusing to me, like why is A-2-3-4-5 “wheel”? Why is Pocket Aces called “bullets”?

Aaaand, are jacks called “fish hooks” because the J looks like a fish hook, or because they lure fish into a death they can’t get away from? Hmmmm

I’m just curious, it’s interesting

For me it’s a toss-up between two rides on, of course, Broadway-7th Avenue Express.

Once a 2 train got from Chambers St to 14 St in 2m21s. Operator was already flying by Franklin and Canal and it took so short to feel like we were already at max speed. And of course hauled past Houston at 50, but then just didn’t even flinch at Christopher and came into 14 St so fast I forgot for a second we were at 14 instead of Christopher.

The second time a 3 train got from 72 St to Times Square-42 St in 2m27s. Slammed on the throttle and never looked back. Hauling ass past Lincoln Center, then the curve at 59 St felt like an ant in the way of an elephant. Downgrade to 50 St got us rolling at over 55mph and the operator just kept going and going and going until WELL after 50 St, we were already basically at Times Square when he started to slow down, he slammed so hard on those brakes.

I’d say the 3 was slightly faster, but the 2 was most surprising because plenty of operators don’t slow down until well past 50 St but most of them do at Christopher St.

I was on an A and it got me from 125 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle in 5m37s. R179 absolutely hauled to 86 then barely even slowed down at 81 or 72. Absolutely barreling. Not quite the fastest express ride I’ve had (Chambers St to 14 St in 2m21s on the 2 and 72 St to Times Square-42 St in 2m27s on the 3 were probably faster) but definitely the fastest I’ve ever had outside 7th Avenue. Even the diamond 7 and E/F haven’t been this fast in my experience. I love the A. I used to not put it in the absolute “top-tier” of express trains with the 2/3, E/F, and maybe 4/5, but now I definitely do.

Here’s mine:

I had to explain to her the concept of a counterfeit, ace-low and a split pot all in one game.

For the counterfeit: I had A-K and she had T-T. The board read 3-J-J-Q-Q. At showdown, I showed my hand and started taking the chips (this was a casual game with friends so no actual dealer). She said that she won because she had a pair and all I had was Ace-high. I explained to her that my best five-card hand was Q-Q-J-J-A, and her best five-card hand was Q-Q-J-J-T, so I win because my kicker is better, and her tens don’t come into play because they’d give her a worse Two Pair than what is already on the board. Idk if she actually got it but she gave me the chips.

For Ace-low, she had A-7 and I had 6-6. The board read 2-3-4-5-K rainbow (K-3 were same suit). Once again, at showdown I showed my straight and took the chips. She stopped me again saying “I have a better straight, I win.” I told her “No you don’t, I do.” She said her straight had an ace in it so it must be better because Ace is the highest card. I had to explain that if an Ace is in a straight with 2-3-4-5, it is the lowest card in the deck, therefore her straight is Five-high, and my 2-3-4-5-6 straight is Six-high so I win.

For a split pot, the board read 2-5-7-9-T of clubs. She had Red Aces and I had Q-K of diamonds. We showed our hands and I divided up the chips, saying that we both had the exact same hand, the flush on the board. She said “well I win because I also have a pair of aces and you have nothing”. I had to say that actually a poker hand is always only five cards, and the other two outside your best five-card hand are completely irrelevant. Since the board had a flush and neither of us had a club for a possible better flush, both of our hole cards didn’t matter and we split the pot.

That’s my story, what’s y’all’s?

For anyone new to the game, in this guide I will go over betting actions, position, and blinds.

There are five basic betting actions in poker:

Check: When there is no active bet on the table but you don’t want to put any money in, you can remain in the hand but pass the turn to the next player.

Bet: When there is no active bet and you want to put money in, essentially starting the action that round.

Raise: When there is already an active bet but you want to put even more money in. You can raise an initial bet or even raise somebody else’s raise, but you must raise by at least as much as the last bet or raise.

Call: When there is an active bet on the table and you remain in the hand by putting in enough money to match the active bet.

Fold: When there is an active bet but you don’t want to put any money in, so you forfeit the hand.

Betting and raising are considered aggressive actions because they increase the size of the active bet, while checking, calling and folding are considered passive actions because they do not increase the size of the active bet. When a player makes an aggressive action, all other players must either match the active bet by calling or raising, or fold. The round ends when all players have either called or folded, or if everybody checks and there is no bet.

Note: “Matching the active bet” means putting in enough money such that your total wager is equal to the active bet. For example, if you bet $40 and someone raises to $100, you don’t need to pay $100 to stay in the hand, only $60 to make your total wager $100.

Before the flop every hand, there is something called blinds, which is a certain amount of money that two players pay before the round (the players who pay it rotates to keep fair). The big blind pays the entire blind, while the small blind pays half the blind. The blind is considered an active bet, and all players must match it. However, if no raises are made, the big blind can check because they have already wagered the active bet. Additionally, the small blind only has to pay half the blind to stay in the hand because they have already wagered half of it. However, any player including the blinds can raise, increasing the active bet.

As for position, there is always a small and big blind, with the big blind going after the small blind, and the order of play goes clockwise until it reaches the dealer right before the small blind. The player left of the BB always goes first pre-flop (with the BB going last), and the SB goes first post-flop (with the D going last). These positions rotate every round to make it fair (D is considered the best position because they don’t have to pay blinds and always act last post-flop).

Here’s my thoughts:

For nature/beauty, definitely Maine. It’s hard to argue with a state that’s almost 90% forest and also has a beautiful, magical coast. And Acadia National Park? Insane. Great lobster and blueberries too. However, Maine is very, VERY white and really has no truly large cities.

For city life/food, it’s New York. Every culture you can possibly imagine is in NYC. Over 800 languages. Amazing landmarks and parks too. The rest of the state has some great natural beauty but is much less interesting in the city regard.

I’m not much of a beach person I assume Florida would have the best but there’s other reasons I don’t like Florida (heat + humidity + right wing politics)

For a little bit of everything, I’d say Massachusetts. Great coast, interesting city life in Boston, and nice nature out in the Berkshires. It’s not the “best” at anything I mentioned (Boston is nowhere near NYC/Philly/DC for diversity/culture/city life, Berkshires is nice but no Acadia, etc), but it’s good at everything. Also the quality of life is excellent. Yes the COL is high but it has so many awesome parts.

I’m also biased towards New York because I live in NYC (and I love it).

These are just my thoughts.

Based off length, speed, consistency, etc.

5. Brooklyn Bridge—City Hall to 14 St—Union Square (4/5). This express stretch is VERY fast, especially going past Astor Place, and sometimes downtown through Canal St too. Only problem is it’s quite inconsistent and often during rush hour trains just crawl the entire way down with maybe one fast stretch through Astor.

6. Chambers St to 14 St (2/3). The mirror image on the IRT Westside Express. Not necessarily quite as fast as City Hall to USQ but much more consistent, and 2/3 trains do go extremely fast past Houston, even faster than 4/5 trains do past Astor. Yes the timer signals suck coming downtown and uptown trains aren’t that fast past Christopher, but often trains rush through Canal anyway and don’t slow down until Franklin. Same with uptown trains rushing past Christopher. And you know you’re gonna barrel past Houston in both directions.

7. 125 St to 59 St—Columbus Circle (A/D). Longest stop in the system and very fast, especially from 96 St to 110 St. If it was only A trains running this route it may easily be even higher up, sadly D trains exist too. I’ve been on plenty of A trains that go incredibly fast then have to slow down because D trains are in front of them. When there’s no D trains the A just barrels. But hey, with the new R211 D trains as well as maybe CBTC and fixing the 59 St junction so trains don’t have to crawl past 81 and 72? This is #1 by a landslide.

8. Forest Hills—71 Ave to Jackson Heights—Roosevelt Ave (E/F). Say all you want about the E being overcrowded (it is), but it’s also simply one of the fastest trains in the system. From Forest Hills to Jackson Heights it just barrels, especially past Woodhaven Blvd, in both directions. Yes sometimes it slows down a bit and that’s why it’s not #1 but it’s still really, REALLY fast. The CBTC tracks can support sixty miles per hour, I only wish the trains could actually go that fast (I think the speed limit is 45-55).

9. 72 St to Times Square—42 St (2/3). OH. MY. GOODNESS. THIS STOP IS SO FUCKING FAST. Going downtown it reaches 50-55mph passing 50 St and sometimes even Columbus Circle, and is already barreling past Lincoln Center. Uptown the raw speed isn’t as high but it still goes pretty darn fast past 50 St and Columbus Circle and absolutely races past Lincoln Center. Uptown trains also absolutely fly into 72 St, while downtown trains have to slow down coming into 42, though they’re still going quite fast. Best express stop in the system, THIS is exactly what all express trains should be. Takes as little as 2-3 minutes sometimes.

Honorable mentions: 34 St—Herald Square to West 4 St (B/D) and 96 St to 72 St (2/3). Very fast but not long enough to be considered the best of the best in my opinion.

So we all know the way the Atlantic and Pacific oceans moderate the US East and West Coasts respectively are completely different. The Atlantic Ocean moderates the East Coast but not that much, meaning cities like New York and Boston still have a fairly continental climate. In contrast, the Pacific Ocean moderates the West Coast so much it gives cities like SF and LA year round climates without traditional seasons. However, the Atlantic moderation spans further, meaning places like Upstate NY and central PA don’t have as extreme weather as a place like the Midwest. However, in California, you don’t need to get very far from the coast for the temperatures to get very extreme (Death Valley is, after all, the hottest place on Planet Earth). Why is this? Why is the Atlantic much weaker but further reaching, while the Pacific is much stronger but more localized? Like I know the Pacific is bigger and deeper but why does this happen?

Happy nearly week late Fourth of July! Here's my tier list of all 27 amendments:

https://preview.redd.it/v3dwqczciich1.png?width=803&format=png&auto=webp&s=9bef75e648bafc8a1851f85f7f05ce92f7370352

I took eight AP exams in high school. Here’s my review of all of them, including how difficult they were and my score.

AP Calc AB (10th grade): Not that difficult in my opinion. Also STEM exam curves are insane. Wasn’t too surprised when I got a 5, though I’m glad I studied.

AP English Lang (11th grade): Pretty difficult for me. We all remembered Look at Me for a few weeks after the exam. I guess my gibberish on the essays worked because I got a 5? But yea it felt hard, especially because my AP Lang teacher is a really easy grader.

AP US History (11th grade): I know a lot of people have nightmares about this exam and see the DBQ as a creation of Satan himself, but for whatever reason I saw this a breeze, and none of the exam felt difficult, especially not the writing. Got a 5 and was not surprised.

AP Chem (11th grade): Pretty gosh darn difficult. Hard, abstract calculations and impossible-looking FRQs. But not as difficult as I expected because the class at my high school is one of those GPA tankers that takes up 90% of studying time. Got a 5 because again STEM curves are ridiculous.

AP Physics 2 (12th grade): Easier, less abstract version of chem. Still difficult but once again I got a 5 because of STEM curves. Also taking chem last year made me know how to take a hard-science STEM exam.

AP Psychology (12th grade): Writing section is free points. MCQ is hard but not if you memorize a lot, but it did mean I needed to study a lot. Got a 5.

AP US Gov (12th grade): The biggest, most laughable JOKE of an exam I’ve ever taken. Some of the questions are literally like 4th grade level logic. All you need to actually know are the foundational documents. My teacher is the biggest sweetheart and I was worried the exam may be more difficult than her class. It was not. I got a 5 and would’ve been mad at myself if I didn’t. Studied for 5 hours, and 5 hours too long.

AP English Lit (12th grade): Going from easiest to hardest here. That exam made less sense than freaking hieroglyphics. Had no idea what to write on the essays and the MCQ passages were vague and strange. Got a 4 only because my teacher is amazing.

I also took Calc BC as a college class (Calc 2), and it was nightmarishly hard at points.

So, I’m an incoming college freshman at Skidmore, and my dream is law school. I have a list but it’s all reaches, I don’t really have any safeties or even targets. Here’s my list in order of preference:

1. Stanford
2. UC Berkeley
3. Harvard
4. UW Seattle
5. Columbia
6. UCLA
7. Yale

My only kind of target is UW Seattle and with a 20% acceptance rate it isn’t even really a true target.

I love progressive law, and want to live in somewhere not too hot and on the coast, as you can see by my list. Do you have any recommendations for targets and safeties, and any tips to get into top schools (ex. how much extracurriculars like mock trial actually matter va gpa/class rigor etc)

So whenever I look on this sub about Skidmore I see nothing but negativity like “it’s very cliquey”, “dorms suck”, “faculty are controlling and not top notch” and “don’t waste your money”. But I’m going there in the fall and don’t notice any of those things, in my experience people are nice and also I got a great package from them. I mean I don’t see the problem really, it has a 20% acceptance rate and high median SAT/GPA so it’s gotta be rigorous, and the campus is beautiful. Ik I’m trying to defend my own school but I don’t see all the negativity on this sub