You probably remember hearing the news about these two fatal accidents. On June 28, 2007 four teenage girls died in a head-on collision with a tractor/trailer rig in western New York state when their SUV crossed the line into oncoming traffic. On September 12, 2008 25 were killed and 135 injured when a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train operator drove through a red light and collided with a freight train. You probably also remember another detail about these accidents: both drivers had been sending text messages up to the moment they died. A Virginia Tech study now pinpoints the risks of texting while driving. The bottom line: if you want to live and don't want to kill anyone else, you should never text while in control of a vehicle.
In the VT study, cabs of long haul trucks were fitted with video equipment and the drivers were monitored over an 18-month period. Text messaging while driving is currently illegal in only 14 states. In the other 36, drivers can text all they want. The truckers were tracked for a total of 3 million miles. The results? The collision risk was 23 times greater when the drivers were texting than when they were not. By comparison, other studies estimate the risk of a collision is four times higher than normal when a driver is drunk or talking on a cell phone.
The AAA has polling data that shows "87% of people consider drivers texting or e-mailing a 'very serious' safety threat (roughly equal to the 90% who consider drunken drivers a threat.)" Yet though 2,501 drivers surveyed this spring said "that texting was unacceptable behavior" 21% said they had texted or e-mailed behind the wheel recently themselves. The behavior is disproportionally common among the young. Nearly half the drivers 16 to 24 years old said they had done so, while only 22% of the 35-44 age group had.
It is obvious that reading or composing copy is a huge distraction for someone trying to operate a motor vehicle, with all the split-second judgments and reactions that activity entails. Now you know just how hazardous it is. For all our sakes, be smart and don't do it. If you just can't wait until the end of your trip to read a message or write one, pull over. The few seconds you spend may literally save your life.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Trip to Austria
It's been nearly three weeks since my last post. The reason is my wife and I have been on vacation in Austria. Austria is the low key and Alpine part of the German-speaking world, most definitely not to be confused with Australia, as we were told some Americans are embarrasingly wont to do. Locals told us some have been known to ask, "When will we see some kangaroos," when a more appropriate question might be, "When will we hear some yodeling?"
At any rate, I'll pass along some ruminations gathered along the way as we toured fabulous palaces, churches and public buildings from Austria's glory days as seat of the Holy Roman and then Austro-Hungarian empires, heard magnificent concerts from its musical virtuosos such as Haydn and Mozart, went on the "Sound of Music" Tour around Salzburg and to Hitler's mountain "Eagle's Nest" just across the border, sailed the Danube, ate schnitzel, strudel and other wunderbar desserts and hiked to mountaintop glaciers and ice caves. Some things they do better than we do and we ought to emulate them. In other things we have the better way.
The first remarkable item is their outstanding public transportation system. We never needed to rent a car, and hired taxis only twice, to get us from the train station to our hotel in Salzburg and to take us to the Vienna airport at 4:00 A.M. on our way out. For 5.70 Euros, about $8, you can buy a daily ticket allowing you to hop on any bus, subway, tram or train in Vienna for 24 hours. For $40 you can ride the train from one end of the country to the other. For sure, their country is a lot smaller than ours, but it's still economical and efficient. You even get private compartments for about six people on the inter-city trains.
Practically everyone speaks some English. We learned it was taught in school beginning at age 10. We noticed the people in the hospitality industry all spoke English and were well trained. Unlike here, where working at a small hotel desk or serving at a restaurant is often considered a rather lowly or temporary job for people who are looking for something better, they actually train and prepare for such positions at college and treat the position as a real profession.
They are very green. Big wind turbines are common in the farmlands, generating electricity. The rail system is almost all electric. They recycle. Most cars are about two-thirds the size of the cars here. Despite the many centuries of civilization there is still a lot of wooded land left. They keep their logging and fishing sustainable. Cities are densely populated, so there is less suburban sprawl around them. This leaves more land available for agriculture.
Things are usually designed in a people friendly way. There are pedestrian only areas of cities. They foster the cafe culture ambiance Europe is famous for. Consequently very little urban territory has to be given over to parking lots. In Vienna, traffic congestion is remarkably low for a city of 1.2 million. They're mostly on the subway or busses, and many ride bicycles. More common things have an aesthetic component to them, rather than being merely functional.
People were very happy about the change in American political leadership. From conversations on trains and the two days I wore my "Obama '08" shirt, people frequently brought up Obama and said he was not only good for America but for the world. Time and again they likened him to John Kennedy. It was positive to see the country's image improving.
There were some negatives, too. Amazingly, a very high percentage of Austrians still smoke. It's not allowed on the transit system, but can be annoying in the cafe or restaurant. They don't apparently have anything like our concern for providing access for the handicapped. Thus, long flights of stairs are still the norm for getting into many buildings. The elevators they do have are usually too small and too slow. Graffiti has arrived, though I never saw any on churches, monuments, or private residences. Finally, and this can be either good or bad, a lot of places accept payment only in cash. If you go to countries off the main tourist beat be prepared to encounter this.
At any rate, I'll pass along some ruminations gathered along the way as we toured fabulous palaces, churches and public buildings from Austria's glory days as seat of the Holy Roman and then Austro-Hungarian empires, heard magnificent concerts from its musical virtuosos such as Haydn and Mozart, went on the "Sound of Music" Tour around Salzburg and to Hitler's mountain "Eagle's Nest" just across the border, sailed the Danube, ate schnitzel, strudel and other wunderbar desserts and hiked to mountaintop glaciers and ice caves. Some things they do better than we do and we ought to emulate them. In other things we have the better way.
The first remarkable item is their outstanding public transportation system. We never needed to rent a car, and hired taxis only twice, to get us from the train station to our hotel in Salzburg and to take us to the Vienna airport at 4:00 A.M. on our way out. For 5.70 Euros, about $8, you can buy a daily ticket allowing you to hop on any bus, subway, tram or train in Vienna for 24 hours. For $40 you can ride the train from one end of the country to the other. For sure, their country is a lot smaller than ours, but it's still economical and efficient. You even get private compartments for about six people on the inter-city trains.
Practically everyone speaks some English. We learned it was taught in school beginning at age 10. We noticed the people in the hospitality industry all spoke English and were well trained. Unlike here, where working at a small hotel desk or serving at a restaurant is often considered a rather lowly or temporary job for people who are looking for something better, they actually train and prepare for such positions at college and treat the position as a real profession.
They are very green. Big wind turbines are common in the farmlands, generating electricity. The rail system is almost all electric. They recycle. Most cars are about two-thirds the size of the cars here. Despite the many centuries of civilization there is still a lot of wooded land left. They keep their logging and fishing sustainable. Cities are densely populated, so there is less suburban sprawl around them. This leaves more land available for agriculture.
Things are usually designed in a people friendly way. There are pedestrian only areas of cities. They foster the cafe culture ambiance Europe is famous for. Consequently very little urban territory has to be given over to parking lots. In Vienna, traffic congestion is remarkably low for a city of 1.2 million. They're mostly on the subway or busses, and many ride bicycles. More common things have an aesthetic component to them, rather than being merely functional.
People were very happy about the change in American political leadership. From conversations on trains and the two days I wore my "Obama '08" shirt, people frequently brought up Obama and said he was not only good for America but for the world. Time and again they likened him to John Kennedy. It was positive to see the country's image improving.
There were some negatives, too. Amazingly, a very high percentage of Austrians still smoke. It's not allowed on the transit system, but can be annoying in the cafe or restaurant. They don't apparently have anything like our concern for providing access for the handicapped. Thus, long flights of stairs are still the norm for getting into many buildings. The elevators they do have are usually too small and too slow. Graffiti has arrived, though I never saw any on churches, monuments, or private residences. Finally, and this can be either good or bad, a lot of places accept payment only in cash. If you go to countries off the main tourist beat be prepared to encounter this.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
What is Palin Up To?
Sarah Palin's latest turn really caught everyone by surprise. The Alaska Governor, 2008 McCain running mate and social conservative darling shocked us all on the third by announcing she would resign as Governor by the end of the month. Her rambling, disjointed and often self-contradictory statement of explanation left most observers scratching their heads. You can watch a video of her statement here.
So what is she up to this time? I don't think she's setting up a run for 2012. How could she convince voters she is serious about governing when she quits a little more than halfway through a stint as governor of a state? Does anyone think the presidency is a less onerous position? Even Karl Rove feels this disqualifies her for national office. Palin's bizarre words that she is serving the state of Alaska in an unconventional way like a basketball point guard passing off to a teammate is true but laughable as a justification of her own worth. Why is passing off to the lieutenant governor better for the state? The obvious answer is that she is not up to the job. And why does she decry those who "take the quitter's way out" and then quit, herself? To think that this half-wit would have been a 72-year-old's heartbeat away from the leadership of the free world is pretty chilling stuff.
Neither does it seem she is getting out of national politics. Palin said in her resignation annnouncement that she will be serving the conservative cause in a new way, freed from the restrictions she's lately been under. She pointed a finger at the standard "liberal media elite" as the scapegoat for her problems and has said since it's "really sad" the national media doesn't get that her latest move is "all about country," along with other threadbare cliches and non sequitors of the type her vice presidential campaign speeches were full of.
Instead, it appears she is getting ready to cash in on her notoriety financially. Palin's appeal to the hard right is all about her image; it was never about any accomplishments, much less a command of the issues. She is a hockey mom with a Down's Syndrome child who "knows how to field dress a moose." Exactly what that has to do with fixing the financial industry or stemming nuclear proliferation is anybody's guess. But that was never the point. Right wing identity politics is about a personal narrative, not about administrative competence or cogent thinking. A sense of victimization is often an important component of that identity, and Palin now wraps herself in that mantle. Those meanies drove her from office.
Look to the example of Rush Limbaugh. The man is seen as an extremist or a buffoon by most. He will never get elected to national office. But his hard core of 20 million "ditto head" listeners make him a wealthy and influential person on the American scene. So it can be for Sarah Palin. She is reputed to have a book deal in the works. She will be able to command $40,000 an appearance on the speaking circuit. She will be in demand to help far-right candidates in the Deep South and extremely conservative districts across the country. She wants to cash in while she is still a hot commodity and before the realities of the problems of governance or the many ethical probes launched against her possibly start finding paydirt. The people of Alaska are the farthest thing from her mind. They'll probably be a lot better off with Sean Parnell in the Governor's chair anyway. The guy is a politician with 16 years of state government experience, much of it dealing with budget issues. That's got to be an improvement over the circus sideshow they've had in Juneau lately.
So what is she up to this time? I don't think she's setting up a run for 2012. How could she convince voters she is serious about governing when she quits a little more than halfway through a stint as governor of a state? Does anyone think the presidency is a less onerous position? Even Karl Rove feels this disqualifies her for national office. Palin's bizarre words that she is serving the state of Alaska in an unconventional way like a basketball point guard passing off to a teammate is true but laughable as a justification of her own worth. Why is passing off to the lieutenant governor better for the state? The obvious answer is that she is not up to the job. And why does she decry those who "take the quitter's way out" and then quit, herself? To think that this half-wit would have been a 72-year-old's heartbeat away from the leadership of the free world is pretty chilling stuff.
Neither does it seem she is getting out of national politics. Palin said in her resignation annnouncement that she will be serving the conservative cause in a new way, freed from the restrictions she's lately been under. She pointed a finger at the standard "liberal media elite" as the scapegoat for her problems and has said since it's "really sad" the national media doesn't get that her latest move is "all about country," along with other threadbare cliches and non sequitors of the type her vice presidential campaign speeches were full of.
Instead, it appears she is getting ready to cash in on her notoriety financially. Palin's appeal to the hard right is all about her image; it was never about any accomplishments, much less a command of the issues. She is a hockey mom with a Down's Syndrome child who "knows how to field dress a moose." Exactly what that has to do with fixing the financial industry or stemming nuclear proliferation is anybody's guess. But that was never the point. Right wing identity politics is about a personal narrative, not about administrative competence or cogent thinking. A sense of victimization is often an important component of that identity, and Palin now wraps herself in that mantle. Those meanies drove her from office.
Look to the example of Rush Limbaugh. The man is seen as an extremist or a buffoon by most. He will never get elected to national office. But his hard core of 20 million "ditto head" listeners make him a wealthy and influential person on the American scene. So it can be for Sarah Palin. She is reputed to have a book deal in the works. She will be able to command $40,000 an appearance on the speaking circuit. She will be in demand to help far-right candidates in the Deep South and extremely conservative districts across the country. She wants to cash in while she is still a hot commodity and before the realities of the problems of governance or the many ethical probes launched against her possibly start finding paydirt. The people of Alaska are the farthest thing from her mind. They'll probably be a lot better off with Sean Parnell in the Governor's chair anyway. The guy is a politician with 16 years of state government experience, much of it dealing with budget issues. That's got to be an improvement over the circus sideshow they've had in Juneau lately.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Paying the Price for Myopia
Reader Tom sent me an article from the New York Times that's topical right about now. You can read "Facing Deficits, Some States Cut Summer School" by Sam Dillon by clicking here. In it, Dillon describes how many hard-pressed states, facing declining revenue in the recession, are drastically cutting summer school programs despite strong evidence that it helps eliminate the "achievement gap" between rich and poor students and greatly improves the retention of academic skills. While America's competitors, particularly in Asia, spare no expense when it comes to education, we shortchange the future to save some money in the present.
The practice is highly characteristic of us. It illustrates the mindset that's primarily responsible for most of the problems we face today, one we see over and over again. In a host of ways it cripples us, affecting business, finance, politics, defense, the environment, health care, education -- you name it.
Tom calls the mindset evidenced in the article "myopia," and I agree. In ophthalmology myopia is nearsightedness, the ability to see things close up but not far away. The American Heritage Dictionary includes a second definition that characterizes the thinking conveyed in the article, a "lack of discernment or perspective in long range planning." It is that perspective that defines how we have gotten into virtually every problem we currently confront.
In business and finance, we languish in the most serious downturn since the Great Depression, mainly because it was decided to get rid of common sense regulations that promoted long-term stability but restricted the mortgage industry from running up incredibly risky but lucrative short term profits. GM persisted in relying on gas-guzzling SUVs and heavy trucks when the long-term price of gasoline could only go up. Corporate CEO's reap multimillion dollar bonuses even when their companies lose money, a perspective reflective of a buccaneer spirit rather than the long-term health of the organization. Employee pensions rather than such bonuses and two million dollar office redecorations are, famously, what have been pared.
Environmentally, because it is initially cheaper to dig coal or drill oil and burn them than it is to build and install solar panels and wind turbines we have neglected clean power for over thirty years. Now we are seeing the true costs of this short-term savings, including hundreds of billions subtracted from our economy and lavished on petroextortionists as hurricanes grow more powerful, drought spreads, sea levels rise, fisheries plummet and the formerly cheap oil inexorably grows more expensive.
In world affairs, it is easy to see the trouble we have created for ourselves by supporting odious friends for temporary convenience. The CIA's complicity in the 1953 coup against Iran's freely elected leader Mohammed Mossadegh and subsequent support for the monarchy of the Shah was followed by assistance to Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran in the 1980s. It should cause little wonder that Iran has been largely hostile ever since. The effects of our support for any anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1987, no matter who they were, are well-known by now, of course. Osama bin Laden is the most prominent of these.
We have "saved money" by not enacting universal health care and depending on the "efficiency" of the HMO and Insurance Company system. Now we spend 17% of our GDP on health care and have 16% of the populace uncovered while the rest of the developed world spends an average of 11% and leaves no one uncovered. See some stats on that here.
For over thirty years we have reduced real per pupil spending on education to save money. We have watched as our children's standardized scores have fallen in rank against the world. Now we are saving additional money by eliminating summer school and aid to young adults who want to go to college. We do this at the same time we are becoming increasingly uncompetitive in the kinds of manual and old-style manufacturing jobs where such undereducated people would formerly have found employment. Where will they go in the knowledge and tech-based economy of the future?
With all the money we are saving we are on the way to saving ourselves right into the poor house.
The practice is highly characteristic of us. It illustrates the mindset that's primarily responsible for most of the problems we face today, one we see over and over again. In a host of ways it cripples us, affecting business, finance, politics, defense, the environment, health care, education -- you name it.
Tom calls the mindset evidenced in the article "myopia," and I agree. In ophthalmology myopia is nearsightedness, the ability to see things close up but not far away. The American Heritage Dictionary includes a second definition that characterizes the thinking conveyed in the article, a "lack of discernment or perspective in long range planning." It is that perspective that defines how we have gotten into virtually every problem we currently confront.
In business and finance, we languish in the most serious downturn since the Great Depression, mainly because it was decided to get rid of common sense regulations that promoted long-term stability but restricted the mortgage industry from running up incredibly risky but lucrative short term profits. GM persisted in relying on gas-guzzling SUVs and heavy trucks when the long-term price of gasoline could only go up. Corporate CEO's reap multimillion dollar bonuses even when their companies lose money, a perspective reflective of a buccaneer spirit rather than the long-term health of the organization. Employee pensions rather than such bonuses and two million dollar office redecorations are, famously, what have been pared.
Environmentally, because it is initially cheaper to dig coal or drill oil and burn them than it is to build and install solar panels and wind turbines we have neglected clean power for over thirty years. Now we are seeing the true costs of this short-term savings, including hundreds of billions subtracted from our economy and lavished on petroextortionists as hurricanes grow more powerful, drought spreads, sea levels rise, fisheries plummet and the formerly cheap oil inexorably grows more expensive.
In world affairs, it is easy to see the trouble we have created for ourselves by supporting odious friends for temporary convenience. The CIA's complicity in the 1953 coup against Iran's freely elected leader Mohammed Mossadegh and subsequent support for the monarchy of the Shah was followed by assistance to Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran in the 1980s. It should cause little wonder that Iran has been largely hostile ever since. The effects of our support for any anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1987, no matter who they were, are well-known by now, of course. Osama bin Laden is the most prominent of these.
We have "saved money" by not enacting universal health care and depending on the "efficiency" of the HMO and Insurance Company system. Now we spend 17% of our GDP on health care and have 16% of the populace uncovered while the rest of the developed world spends an average of 11% and leaves no one uncovered. See some stats on that here.
For over thirty years we have reduced real per pupil spending on education to save money. We have watched as our children's standardized scores have fallen in rank against the world. Now we are saving additional money by eliminating summer school and aid to young adults who want to go to college. We do this at the same time we are becoming increasingly uncompetitive in the kinds of manual and old-style manufacturing jobs where such undereducated people would formerly have found employment. Where will they go in the knowledge and tech-based economy of the future?
With all the money we are saving we are on the way to saving ourselves right into the poor house.
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