Texas gets controversial, again; This time with a debate on the use of Confederate flag in license plates
(Source: KHOU via Huston Chronicle )
Seriously, how did this intersection design get approved? Utah DOT has some major explaining to do
(Source: Reddit)
After watching this, I shudder to think how an elderly driver would understand the flow of traffic and negotiate this intersection? Especially, if he she had lived in the area for a while and now had to face this new re-designed nightmare that will make for one heck of an interview.
All joking aside, I’m definitely interested in learning more about efficiency (volume, throughput, etc) and accident metrics (before vs. after) for this particular intersection. If anyone can find interesting reads/studies/publications on this issue, please share it in the comments section below.
Though it may look efficient (saving an full signal cycle) and creative on the video, I sense there is something inherently wrong with this design. Accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists seem very minimal. And the most important question above all – how did they manage to get the community’s buy-in before going forward with spending $$ on this complex mess? IF anything, I find it quite interesting to see how the average citizen react to this unique design by observing the comments posted on Reddit.
Coming To A Cinema Near You – Revenge of the Electric Car
(Source: via Real Talkies)
Just noticed this post on my favorite documentary blog – Real Talkies and couldn’t help but share. Oh, I’m planning to see it on June 25th when it gets screened at the AFI Silver Docs Documentary Festival.
Here is a snippet of what Real Talkies wrote: In “Who killed the electric Car?” they followed a group of activists. “REvenge of the Electric Car” sets out to follow Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk, GM’s vice chair – Bob Lutz, Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn and DIY expert Greg “Gadget” Abbott . Each one allowed access to their journey over three years on condition that the film will not be released until 2011.
This is one rare occasion when we want all of them to win, their cumulative success is success for the earth, for us and for a life without dependence on fossil fuel. This remarkable film is on its festival circuit. DC folks can see it at SilverDocs on June 25th. For future screenings visit their website.
Raging Debate – Houston’s Red Light Camera Issue Gets New Twist; Federal Judge Annuls City Referendum to Discontinue
(Source: HoustonChronicle; Click2houston.com)
How should this be viewed – A population’s unwillingness to see the safety benefits of continuing with a safety measure?Or, is it simply a matter of the city administration, driven by the economic gains, unwilling to execute the citizens’ collective decision? The issues surrounding the City of Houston’s red-light camera enforcement now got a bit more chaotic by the latest court ruling. Read on.
Houston city leaders are assessing their options after a federal judge invalidated the November referendum that turned off a red-light surveillance system and halted a stream of millions of dollars into strapped city coffers.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled Friday that the referendum was improperly placed on the ballot last year, and the city cannot be forced to turn off the cameras.U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said that the issue as presented on the November ballot violated Houston’s city charter covering the repeal of an ordinance.Hughes said Houston’s city charter requires that efforts to overturn ordinances by referendum must occur within 30 days of an ordinance’s passage.
Video: Houston Red Light Camera Ruling
53% percent voted against Proposition 3 in the Nov. 2 election. The measure forced the city to stop issuing tickets for those caught by the red-light cameras.
This explains why America has such high divorce rates – Swedish Researchers say 45-min commute to work is passport to divorce
(Source: Times of India)
Image Courtesy: US Census Bureau via floridamortgageblogger.com
Apart from the well-documented ill-effects of long commutes on human life, now add this one – marriage. According to a new Swedish research study says those who spend a long time on trains or stuck in cars shuttling to the office are up to 40 per cent more likely to split from their spouse.
The research team, which looked at statistical data from two million Swedish households between 1995 and 2000, concluded that the risk is highest in the first few years of marriage when the dream of life together gives way to the daily grind.
The Researchers from Umea University said, “if one partner – most likely the husband – spends 45 minutes or more commuting they would come home too tired to help around the house.”
Note: Looking at the map above, I can’t help but wonder how are the divorce rates in these American states where people have significant commute times. Scouring the web, I landed on this chart, which if laid out on a GIS map, would help us compare a bit more easily.. But it still helps to understand the dynamics between marital discord and heavy commutes.
Image Courtesy: Maritalmediation.com via Google Images
Of course, there are many other contributing factors that lead to a couple’s separation/divorce. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see someone quantify the impact of long commutes on a relationship.
In-Flight Commerce – What will $5 buy you on a flight?
(Source: Houston Chronicle)
I came across this piece by Houston Chronicle’s contributor, Amanda L. Grossman and felt compelled to share with you all. Quite a bit of research has gone into answer this simple question – How much can you buy with $5 inside a plane? Below is a snap shot of Mr. Grossman’s analysis from her blog – Frugal Confessions – A Guide to Thrifty Living.
The chart below is based on flying economy class on a domestic flight (typically including Hawaii and Caribbean). My research shows that most airlines (excluding Southwest) offer an array of expensive and ‘inexpensive’ food offerings (remember you are thousands of feet in the air), and that American Airlines and Continental/United offer more expensive options than others. Wine and cocktails are most expensive on Delta, American Airlines, and Continental, while AirTran even charges for water, milk and premium juices (these are offered as complimentary on other airlines).
| Airline | Cost of Snacks or Meals | Cost of Non-Complimentary Beverages |
| Delta | $2.00-$8.50 | $5.00 Beer, $7.00 wine/cocktails |
| American Airlines | $3.29-$10.00 | $6.00 Beer, $7.00 wine/cocktails |
| Southwest | No food offered for purchase | $3.00 energy drinks, $5.00 beer, liquor and wine |
| Continental/United | $2.99-$9.49 | $6.00-$9.00 |
| AirTran (recently acquired by Southwest) | $1.00-$6.00 | $2.00 water, milk, premium juices, $5.00, $6.00 wine/cocktails |
| jetBlue | $6.00 | $6.00 cocktails |
In order to compare the airline pricing further, I decided to see which airline would give me the most value for my $5 (please note that the products listed below are only offered on certain flights and at certain times of the day). What I found is that I certainly will not get full from any of the airline’s menus if I only want to spend $5. Also, for $5 there are very few healthy snack options (other than nuts, cheese, and dried fruit).
| Airline | Food $5 Will Buy |
| Delta | 1 package of M&Ms ($2.00) or Bentley’s Popcorn ($2.00) and Pringles ($3.00), a Breakfast on the Fly ($3.50 for a granola bar and yogurt for Caribbean and Latin American flights only) or a kids PB&J Plate ($4.50) |
| American Airlines | 1 chocolate chip cookie ($3.29), Lay’s potato crisps ($3.29), a cheese and cracker tray ($4.49), a fruit and nut blend ($4.49), Fisher’s nuts ($4.00) or trail mix ($4.00) |
| Continental/United | 6 oz. can of Blue Diamond almonds $4.99, 2.6 oz. can of Pringles ($2.99), 4 oz. box of strawberry twizzlers ($2.99) or two-bite cinnamon rolls ($2.99) |
| Airtran | “Sky Bites(SM) offers a la carte items, which range from $1 to $4, or combo packages ranging from $4 to $6 in price. A la carte selections include Kraft Foods snacks, such as Oreo Cakesters, Chips Ahoy! cookies, Nilla Wafers, Cheese Nips crackers” (could not find menu and pricing) |
Note: Barring transatlantic-flights, my two top favorite American airlines are Virgin America and Southwest. That said, I hate flying the American carriers during the transatlantic flights. Many European, Middle Eastern and Asian carriers are far better in their service and connectivity than the American carriers, some of them are well known for their appalling service (the worst I have experienced is United, which got me stranded in Dubai for almost 24hrs). What are your favorite domestic & international carriers?
Uncle Sam 1 : Cowboys 0 — Fed Threat Shuts Down TSA “Groping” Bill in Texas
(Source: The Texas Tribune)
Image Courtesy: Theatlanticright.com via Google Images
A threat from the federal government to shut down Texas airports or cancel flights may have killed legislation, House Bill 1937, pushed by Tea Party conservatives in the Texas Capitol to prohibit federal Transportation Security Agents from conducting “invasive searches.”
The Texas Tribune has the scoop: The bill passed by the House earlier this month, would make it a misdemeanor offense for a federal security agent to “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly [touch] the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of the other person, including touching through clothing, or touching the other person in a manner that would be offensive to a reasonable person.”
Two TSA officials visited Patrick at the Capitol earlier today to discuss the legislation. They warned him that the legislation “could close down all the airports in Texas,” he said. After their departure, U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy sent a letter to Speaker of the House Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst saying the bill would “conflict directly with federal law” and that if it became law, “TSA would likely be required to cancel any flight or series of flights for which it could not ensure the safety of passengers and crew” until the agency could seek a court order stopping the measure from being carried out.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Note: This is not the first time or the first issue the Texas legislature has butted heads with the Federal government. There is the legendary EPA vs Texas reg. the federal takeover of lax pollution standards in the state. And now a new issue looks to threaten the already fractured relationship and this one involves a brown, beady-eyed, two-and-a-half-inch animal – the sagebrush lizard. The Texas House this morning approved a resolutioncalling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind its proposal to bring the lizard under the Endangered Species Act. For the West Texas lawmakers, this federal proposal to protect the dunes sagebrush lizard could halt the production of millions of barrels of oil and gas. Is this another classic Texas story where greed reigns supreme or a genuine concern for the people who depend on the oil & gas revenue?
Cartooning the Pay Day in Washington, DC! Chrysler Repays Bailout Debt
(Source: Detroit Free Press)
Mike Thompson of Detroit Free Press (Freep.com) has nicely captured the sentiments of the American public (at least, the sensible ones) about Chrysler repaying the $5.9 billion bailout money. God knows how much bickering will happen when the political leadership decides to spend it on other programs.
Image courtesy: Free.com - Mike Thompson: Taxpayers get their money back from Chrysler
Note: For what it is worth, I’d also add this: It is nice to see the taxpayer $$ safely return to the government’s coffers, unlike what happened with some of the Wall Street beneficiaries. This timely intervention from the U.S. Government not only prevented an American icon from vanishing without a trace, but it also saved thousands of jobs in a city that is already reeling from some really bad economic decisions.
Revving up the sales – How Tata Nano, the world’s smallest car, got a marketing makeover
(Source: The Economic Times)
Image Courtesy: ET.com
Just a few months ago, sales of Tata’s revolutionary Nano was caught stuck in a rut with a less than enthusiastic response from the consumers – a mere 509 units last November. For a product that was born from an out-of-the-box thinking, Tata Motors badly needed a similar stream of innovative genius on the marketing side to help enliven the sales of the Rs1-lakh car after posting some dismal sales figures.
Like any successful business house on this planet, a crack team at Tata Motors reworked the execution strategy and put in place a new and unconventional distribution system, which helped Nano sales drive past the 10,000 units mark in April. According to the ET.com article, this is the highest monthly sales since the car hit the roads in July 2009.
The sales strategy, which includes the formation of crack team, is to take the product close to the consumer on the street:
- Launched 210 ‘F Class showrooms’, each only about 500 sq ft in size and stocking just one car in smaller towns, and hired 1,200 people to man them.
- A tie up with value retailer Big Bazaar, a chain that has 70 outlets in smaller cities and town, to gain traction among the 150 million footfalls the retailer gets every year.
The results are remarkable – Tata is now planning to ramp up the production from 500o units to 10,000 units in the next three months to meet the demand. I bet some MBA grad out of an IIM really made Ratan Tata proud for making the decision to hire him/her. Click here to read the ET.com article.
