Posts Tagged ‘USA Today’

Duh, Transit

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

I know, I know, making fun of USA Today is a little easy. But even this story is basic beyond belief: “City’s design, transit system can ease gas costs“.

Key quote:

Some cities in the USA are better positioned to deal with rising gas prices than others because of their design and transit systems, according to basic common sense.

Okay, okay, I changed the last line. But seriously, a whole article about how transit saves people gas money? C’mon!

Orange You Glad It’s Not Red?

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

ALERT!

ALERT!

The US Department of Homeland Security is changing the “Homeland Security Advisory System” a/k/a the Terror Alert: “Homeland Security to replace color-coded terror alerts“.

The system, as it was established in March of 2002, is “intended to create a common vocabulary, context, and structure for an ongoing national discussion about the nature of the threats that confront the homeland and the appropriate measures that should be taken in response. It seeks to inform and facilitate decisions appropriate to different levels of government and to private citizens at home and at work.”

Currently the Threat Level is “Yellow”, except for on planes, where it’s “Orange”. As in, “High Risk of Terrorist Attacks”. It has been since 2006.

That informs me that I shouldn’t travel. Shoot, I wouldn’t want to travel were the level “Yellow” – “Significant Risk of Terrorist Attacks”.

Key quote from the article:

“The old color-coded system taught Americans to be scared, not prepared,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson , D-Miss., the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee. “Each and every time the threat level was raised, very rarely did the public know the reason, how to proceed, or for how long to be on alert.”

Now that makes sense.