They paved Paradise.

You can't say that some North American cities don't have their share of concrete as this shot of Chicago shows.

Los Angeles is also a world leader in ribbons of steel. The Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange is situated in Los Angeles, CA and is one of the most complicated interchanges in the country. It permits entry and exit in all directions between the I-105 and the I-110. It’s a stack interchange with layers of bridges making a complicated network of roads allowing smooth flow of traffic though both the interstate highways. This interchange was opened in 1993. It is a 4 level interchange with a restricted access lane that can be used by high-occupancy vehicles.
As impressive as the road system is in L.A., and how Joni Mitchell wrote in the early 70's that "L.A. is one great big freeway, put a hundred down and buy a car" and "They paved Paradise, and put up a parking lot," maybe she should come back to Toronto for a visit.

I was in Toronto on the weekend and every time I go there, even though it's my home town and only an hour and a half away, I am constantly amazed at what is happening to the place!

It's getting nuts there ladies and gentlemen!

(Maybe that's why I like London, Ontario so much! It reminds me of what Toronto was like thirty years ago when I lived there, and it was still civilized!)

One part of the 401 somewhere around Yonge St. now has the most lanes of any highway in the world. 20! Five plus five one way, and five plus five the other way. Plus turn / exit lanes etc.

That's right.

Count em!

And if you noticed the green space on either side of the highway....... that's for further expansion kids! Not only that but some of the interchanges are enough to give a person a headache!


THEN, on the other end of the scale........, Van Zyl’s Pass, or the DR3703, located in Namibia, is a classic extreme road. It is not exactly a road, just a route made over the mountain by the travelers over time. The outrageously steep pass provides a pure adrenaline rush, but the route that leads up to it is a 10-15km of tough driving where one has to dodge their way through rocks, boulders, badlands and ravines. At the end, the road descends to the ancient glacial valley called Marienfluss valley, which is one of the planet’s most beautiful sights that await only the brave-hearted.


Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E! and H E R E! And as a paperback H E R E ! and H E R E !

Early Spring?

Since my hip replacement on January 13th I have been virtually house-bound and find myself slowly getting cabin fever as the days go by.

This is not the best of times for outdoor activities in the Northern States or anywhere in Canada with the exception of British Columbia, so there are a lot of people who know how I feel.

It was therefore with great interest that I read today that those two "waskully wodents" Punxsutawney Phil, and Canada's counterpart, Wiarton Willy, are due to emerge from their winter sleep tomorrow to prognosticate on the remaining length of out northern winter.

We all know the legend, but I will give you a quick refresher!

If Phil or Willy comes out of their burrow and sees their shadow, (Meaning a sunny, cold, winters day!) that means we are doomed to six more weeks of old man winter instead of an early spring!

Now you and I know that this is just nonsense, but it does make good copy and gives us something to talk about while we wait for the advent of spring, so naturally everyone will be watching.

After this forced period of isolation I will be one of the anxious observers kids, and I have to tell ya one thing folks!

Nonsense or not, if either one of them gives me another six weeks of winter........ I'm gonna shoot the little bastard!


Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E! and H E R E! And as a paperback H E R E ! and H E R E !