Peek A Choo Choo

The title to this post references a book that I read, ahem, many, many times to the the adorable & super-intelligent Twins. However, I agree with this post. I have bemoaned the lack of real train service many times in my life. I used to ride the train from one northern Wisco town to another, to see my grandparents. I once rode a train to Chicago while I was still in my teens. An adventure I'll never forget, bless the bars on North Clark Street. We, in this country, really are falling behind technologically. I hope it's not too late to bring back the trains. National treasures, at least now, need enhanced shareholder value, so I'm not going to hold my breath. Or believe anymore.

From cell phones to Internet connectivity to high speed rail, we kind of suck as compared to much of the world. We like to talk about how we live in the bestest country on earth, but I've an increasing sense that we're falling behind in far too many ways while all that our politicians give us is pablum.

Trenches?

This* is the result of Rumsfeld's of a new military?

"Current arrangements pretty much designed for the Cold War must give way to the new demands of war against extremists and other evolving 21st-century challenges," Rumsfeld said.**

....

Iraq's interior ministry has announced plans to increase security in Baghdad by digging trenches around the city, and surrounding it with checkpoints.*

Apparently, Iraqis need to learn from Rumsfeld. Eh, not so much.**

But one clear winner in this first major war of the 21st century is likely to be Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
(April 11, 2003, ed.)

Digital Decline

This is no surprise, particularly to those of us who live in the woods. It took Mrs. coldH2O & I until earlier this year to get DSL. It's better than nothing, although it's the slowest speed possible. But that's what happens when growing profits trumps growing the culture, the society, the educational system, etc., etc., etc., etc. I am very appreciative of how technology has & is helping my life. From the MRI scans on the computer screen in the doc's office (very cool & I was able to see what the problem was, & it, in fact, helped both the doc & I come to an agreement on treatment.) to the cell phone on my dashboard to the computer in my lap right now. But why the lag time? Why the crazy prices? Why the lousy service? Growing profits. That's all these people are interested in. They aren't concerned about growing customer service or customer loyalty or customer satisfaction. How 20th century. As my four loyal readers know, I'm old enough to remember ATT's monopoly on phone service. You know what? I was happy with it. When I picked up my phone it worked, yes, yes, occasionally thunderstorms would cause some problems. But it worked. & I didn't have to waste time deciding which phone package or company to chose. Life is too full of choices & the fewer the better, at least in my case. Anyway, another DUH! moment for Bu$hCo & America.

The U.S continues to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to affordable and accessible broadband service according to a new report [Download pdf] by the media activist group Free Press, the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union. The report also finds that contrary to the picture painted by the government, there is no sign that the digital divide in this country is closing.

The author of the report, S. Derek Turner said yesterday that, "President Bush set a goal of bringing universal, affordable high-speed Internet access to every household by 2007, We're nowhere close to reaching that goal. Yet the Federal Communications Commission seems content to ignore the problem, manipulate the data, and pretend we're moving forward."