I have to say, the U.S. Postal Service tore it up this year. That was my experience, at least.
I put my holiday cards in the mail Wednesday afternoon and by the next day(!), most of them had arrived at their Memphis destinations.
And I really wasn't expecting them to make it places outside of Memphis before Christmas, but seems like they did. And not a moment too soon, either.
Totally worth the $.40 stamps ... maybe.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Quick Note
Looks like the MPD's inclement weather policy is currently in effect.
If you have a traffic accident without injuries and the vehicles involved are drivable, the MPD asks that you exchange license information with the other driver and report the accident to the local police precinct after the weather has passed.
If there are injuries or you need a wrecker, call MPD at 545-2677.
UPDATE: MPD has lifted the inclement weather policy. If you have a wreck, and I hope you don't, but if you do, go ahead and call MPD at 545-2677.
If you have a traffic accident without injuries and the vehicles involved are drivable, the MPD asks that you exchange license information with the other driver and report the accident to the local police precinct after the weather has passed.
If there are injuries or you need a wrecker, call MPD at 545-2677.
UPDATE: MPD has lifted the inclement weather policy. If you have a wreck, and I hope you don't, but if you do, go ahead and call MPD at 545-2677.
States in Budget Troubs
BusinessWeek has a slideshow of the 20 States in the Worst Budget Trouble.
Tennessee comes in at a respectable, tho not disastarous, 13th.
Topping the list is Arizona, with a $3.1 billion budget gap. Coming in second is California, with a 30.6 billion budget gap (I think the ranking is done by the percentage gap of the total budget, not the actual dollars of the budget deficit).
About Cali:
"The Golden State is looking a lot less golden these days as it is being forced to hold off on $3.8 billion in financing for road, prisons, school, and other projects because of the current budget shortfall. California, which has been battered by foreclosures, needs the money to pay for immediate needs, including health care and public safety. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been unable to agree on a compromise. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supports new spending cuts and tax increases in addition to previously enacted cuts to the state's health insurance program for the poor and other social service programs."
Tennessee budget gap is $1.2 billion. BusinessWeek notes that the state depends heavily on sales tax and has been hit hard by the drop in consumer spending. So far, the state as cut between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs and reduced funding for higher education.
ps. Happy Birthday, Dad!
Tennessee comes in at a respectable, tho not disastarous, 13th.
Topping the list is Arizona, with a $3.1 billion budget gap. Coming in second is California, with a 30.6 billion budget gap (I think the ranking is done by the percentage gap of the total budget, not the actual dollars of the budget deficit).
About Cali:
"The Golden State is looking a lot less golden these days as it is being forced to hold off on $3.8 billion in financing for road, prisons, school, and other projects because of the current budget shortfall. California, which has been battered by foreclosures, needs the money to pay for immediate needs, including health care and public safety. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been unable to agree on a compromise. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supports new spending cuts and tax increases in addition to previously enacted cuts to the state's health insurance program for the poor and other social service programs."
Tennessee budget gap is $1.2 billion. BusinessWeek notes that the state depends heavily on sales tax and has been hit hard by the drop in consumer spending. So far, the state as cut between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs and reduced funding for higher education.
ps. Happy Birthday, Dad!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Retail, Robotic Pets, Revamping the Work Week
Sorry, internets, I know I've neglected you today. Over here at the Flyer, we've been working like little elves to get our various year ends/year begins issues out and ready to go before the office closes for the holidays.
It is exhausting.
At any rate, here are some interesting stories that you've probably already read, but if you didn't, here you go:
— The NYT had a story about Emeryville, California, yesterday, a town across the bay from San Fran that built its economy on being a retail mecca:
"It is also one of many American cities that hitched its wagon over the last several decades to what seemed like the limitless ability of American shoppers to spend money. Now that faith in the retail engine is being sorely tested. Consumer spending dropped 7.8 percent in November, according to the federal government, and many economists think it will fall further as consumers are buffeted by losses in the stock market, declines in home values and the unsettling fear that they may lose their jobs."
The town was once steel mills and factories and reinvented itself with retail after those industries left for other countries. The town banded together with a redevelopment agency, tax incentives, and a plan that basically gave land to developers. It was successful until this latest downturn, which has seen area businesses post declines and the city thinking of raising taxes.
— Slate has a story about the best robotic pet for Christmas. Now, to be honest, I don't really see the point in having a virtual pet when you could have a real pet, but between mountains of dog hair, crazyloud barking at anything more than dust, and, oh, crazyloud barking, I am beginning to come around to the idea of taking the batteries out of your pet when you're tired.
Writer Daniel Engber got the chance to petsit and realizes his membership "in a sad demographic that includes shiftless magazine editors, small children and senior citizens. We're the sorry lot that adores animals but is too lazy, uncoordinated, or inform to take care of them."
Engber surveyed a wide spectrum of robot/pets and had this to say:
"As much as I enjoyed the exercise, it soon became clear that at every price point, a robot pet can be described by its signature combination of essential robot qualities: It's annoying, disturbing, offensive, pathetic, or scary — or some mixture thereof. In the end, though, one fake animal whirred and purred his way into my heart."
It was the Pleo, which is an 8-inch-high, automated Camarasaurus. (Just to cut to the chase.)
(If you're looking for more of a robot doll — the kind for kids! — than a robot pet, click here.)
— More employers are looking to the four-day work week to cut costs. From BusinessWeek:
"Like many companies, Pella is looking to cut expenses because of the economic downturn. But instead of laying off more workers, the Iowa manufacturer of windows and doors is instituting a four-day workweek for about a third of its 3,900 employees. Chris Simpson, a senior vice-president at the company, acknowledges it's an unconventional move. But Pella believes the economy could turn around faster than most people expect, and it doesn't want to be caught short of experienced workers. "Our contention is, consumer confidence will rebound," says Simpson. "If there's a [government] stimulus package of some kind, we think people are going to respond."
It is exhausting.
At any rate, here are some interesting stories that you've probably already read, but if you didn't, here you go:
— The NYT had a story about Emeryville, California, yesterday, a town across the bay from San Fran that built its economy on being a retail mecca:
"It is also one of many American cities that hitched its wagon over the last several decades to what seemed like the limitless ability of American shoppers to spend money. Now that faith in the retail engine is being sorely tested. Consumer spending dropped 7.8 percent in November, according to the federal government, and many economists think it will fall further as consumers are buffeted by losses in the stock market, declines in home values and the unsettling fear that they may lose their jobs."
The town was once steel mills and factories and reinvented itself with retail after those industries left for other countries. The town banded together with a redevelopment agency, tax incentives, and a plan that basically gave land to developers. It was successful until this latest downturn, which has seen area businesses post declines and the city thinking of raising taxes.
— Slate has a story about the best robotic pet for Christmas. Now, to be honest, I don't really see the point in having a virtual pet when you could have a real pet, but between mountains of dog hair, crazyloud barking at anything more than dust, and, oh, crazyloud barking, I am beginning to come around to the idea of taking the batteries out of your pet when you're tired.
Writer Daniel Engber got the chance to petsit and realizes his membership "in a sad demographic that includes shiftless magazine editors, small children and senior citizens. We're the sorry lot that adores animals but is too lazy, uncoordinated, or inform to take care of them."
Engber surveyed a wide spectrum of robot/pets and had this to say:
"As much as I enjoyed the exercise, it soon became clear that at every price point, a robot pet can be described by its signature combination of essential robot qualities: It's annoying, disturbing, offensive, pathetic, or scary — or some mixture thereof. In the end, though, one fake animal whirred and purred his way into my heart."
It was the Pleo, which is an 8-inch-high, automated Camarasaurus. (Just to cut to the chase.)
(If you're looking for more of a robot doll — the kind for kids! — than a robot pet, click here.)
— More employers are looking to the four-day work week to cut costs. From BusinessWeek:
"Like many companies, Pella is looking to cut expenses because of the economic downturn. But instead of laying off more workers, the Iowa manufacturer of windows and doors is instituting a four-day workweek for about a third of its 3,900 employees. Chris Simpson, a senior vice-president at the company, acknowledges it's an unconventional move. But Pella believes the economy could turn around faster than most people expect, and it doesn't want to be caught short of experienced workers. "Our contention is, consumer confidence will rebound," says Simpson. "If there's a [government] stimulus package of some kind, we think people are going to respond."
Friday, December 19, 2008
Catching a Ride
Memphians have longed used Google for finding information, images, and maps. Now, through a collaboration between MATA and Google Transit, they can use it to find local bus routes.
"Google Transit is a trip planning program that Google provides that integrates with their Google map program," says Tim Moreland, a member of the Sustainable Shelby initiative and a planner with the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). "Anytime you get directions on Google maps, you can click to get directions by car, by transit, or by walking, and you can see how long it will take to get there by each way."
MATA had an existing trip planner, but Moreland had heard about Google Transit — which is available in places such as Denver, Miami, Chicago, Austin, and New York — and thought it would be good for the city.
"I had used the MATA trip planner, but I really liked the interface of Google Transit. It's much slicker; it's more intuitive," Moreland says.
MATA just had to provide Google with their data and routing information. The service is free and currently online.
"Since it's Google, you get to use their database. When you create your own trip planner, you don't have an index of where different businesses are," Moreland says. "With Google, you can do simple searches like 'I want to go from the FedExForum to the Flying Saucer."
Google Transit can also be used on smart phones, so that people already out and about can use it to find their transit options. Both the MPO and MATA say they are interested in increasing ridership on public transit.
"This is really simple," Moreland says. "The hope is that this will make it easier for existing riders to use MATA, but also make it easier for visitors and choice riders. They can get online and see what's available."
For a quick tutorial from Moreland, click here.
(Hat tip to Smart City!)
"Google Transit is a trip planning program that Google provides that integrates with their Google map program," says Tim Moreland, a member of the Sustainable Shelby initiative and a planner with the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). "Anytime you get directions on Google maps, you can click to get directions by car, by transit, or by walking, and you can see how long it will take to get there by each way."
MATA had an existing trip planner, but Moreland had heard about Google Transit — which is available in places such as Denver, Miami, Chicago, Austin, and New York — and thought it would be good for the city.
"I had used the MATA trip planner, but I really liked the interface of Google Transit. It's much slicker; it's more intuitive," Moreland says.
MATA just had to provide Google with their data and routing information. The service is free and currently online.
"Since it's Google, you get to use their database. When you create your own trip planner, you don't have an index of where different businesses are," Moreland says. "With Google, you can do simple searches like 'I want to go from the FedExForum to the Flying Saucer."
Google Transit can also be used on smart phones, so that people already out and about can use it to find their transit options. Both the MPO and MATA say they are interested in increasing ridership on public transit.
"This is really simple," Moreland says. "The hope is that this will make it easier for existing riders to use MATA, but also make it easier for visitors and choice riders. They can get online and see what's available."
For a quick tutorial from Moreland, click here.
(Hat tip to Smart City!)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Winter Wonderland
I think this is hilarious: A town in Iowa has been using garlic salt to de-ice its roads.
The salt, which is being used in a suburb of Des Moines, was donated by a local spice producer.
Also, totally unrelated, I went to the post office today and boy, howdy, was it crazy. Drivers were acting like it was demolition derby time in their attempts to get to the drop boxes, the line inside was out of control, and the lobby do-it-yourself stamp machine was being commandeered by a woman with several packages.
Which is, you know, part of what it's there for. But it's definitely Christmas crunch time, that magical time before the holiday when everyone goes insane.
The salt, which is being used in a suburb of Des Moines, was donated by a local spice producer.
Also, totally unrelated, I went to the post office today and boy, howdy, was it crazy. Drivers were acting like it was demolition derby time in their attempts to get to the drop boxes, the line inside was out of control, and the lobby do-it-yourself stamp machine was being commandeered by a woman with several packages.
Which is, you know, part of what it's there for. But it's definitely Christmas crunch time, that magical time before the holiday when everyone goes insane.
Gut Check
This will interest all my old pals — Viper, I'm talking to you — the NYT has a story today about the man — yes, the man — behind the modern revival of roller derby.
The story seems like it almost strives to be an investigative gotcha piece, like, 'you thought this was about female empowerment? Well, surprise, it was started by a man.'
But if you've ever seen the roller derby documentary Hell on Wheels, you will know that his vision of roller derby is not exactly the one that took off. His vision involved bears on unicycles. And frankly, the version most known in the mainstream — banked track, popularized most recently by A&E's Rollergirls, and used back in derby's former incarnation — is not the version most modern derby skaters play. The most widely played version now is flat-track (see photo above).
But if derby progenitor Dan Policarpo wanted "women with tattoos, Bettie Page haircuts and guts," well, that he definitely got.
(Hat tip to PD!)
But if you've ever seen the roller derby documentary Hell on Wheels, you will know that his vision of roller derby is not exactly the one that took off. His vision involved bears on unicycles. And frankly, the version most known in the mainstream — banked track, popularized most recently by A&E's Rollergirls, and used back in derby's former incarnation — is not the version most modern derby skaters play. The most widely played version now is flat-track (see photo above).
But if derby progenitor Dan Policarpo wanted "women with tattoos, Bettie Page haircuts and guts," well, that he definitely got.
(Hat tip to PD!)
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