The Soapbox

Happy New Year

May the new year bring you all the success you want and more happiness than you want.

New Lights Coming to Boathouse Row

On Thursday January 6th, the lights will go out on Philadelphia's famed Boathouse Row. The lights are being turned out to make way for a new light-emitting diode (LED) system. PECO energy estimates the new system will result in annual savings of $50,000 to the city's Fairmount Park Commission.

The savings will come from a more efficient light source as well as the elimination of pesky light-bulb replacement. The new system will also allow the lights to change colors for special occassions such as pink for breast cancer awareness month in October.

PECO is contributing half of the $300,000 cost with the rest being paid for by donations. Donate at www.relight-boathouserow.org or by calling the Fairmount Park Conservancy at (215) 790-3653.

VoIP Wins Again

As a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) user, yesterday's decision by the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding a ban on regulating VoIP providers as phone companies is very welcome.

One of the greatest days in my consumer life was when I subscribed to Vonage and fired Verizon. Since then, I've pocketed about $50 a month in savings on my phone service with no appreciable degradation in quality.

Lack of Animal Tsunami Casualties Stun Officials

Sometimes, we humans need to be reminded that, in some regards, we are not the superior beings we like to believe we are. Sure, we have opposable thumbs which allow us to manipulate tools, but how useful was that this past weekend in Sri Lanka?

Compare being able to use a hammer to an animal's sense that something isn't quite right. MSNBC is reporting on the remarkable lack of casualties among our four-legged friends in the tsunami zone.

“No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit,” said H.D. Ratnayake, deputy director of the national Wildlife Department. “I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening.”

Amazon Contributions Top $1 Million

Amazon.com is collecting donations for disaster relief relating to the East Africa and Southeast Asia tsunami. So far, and this number changes with each refresh, 21,517 people have donated $1,106,301.00.

This despite the U.N. calling us stingy. Oh, and by the way, according to Jeff Jarvis, this is way more than the French have pledged.

UPDATE: Contributions are now in excess of $4 million.

Travel Agents Steering Clients Away from US Airways

It seems I'm not alone in predicting the end for US Airways. Monday, I posted this about last weekend's "sick-out." Now, this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer has this story about travel agents steering their customers away from US Airways because they think the end is near.

Mona Stevens, a travel consultant at GTI Corporate Travel in Philadelphia, said none of her customers "want to travel on US Airways, and I don't blame them." She added, "I'm telling people to use anything but US Airways."

AP Duped Again

Fox news is reporting that the guy in Colorado that let web surfers contol his Christmas lights on his web site was pulling a fast one on everybody, including the Associated Press.

Alek Komarnitsky, a computer specialist, says he was just doing his part in spreading holiday cheer.

The Wall Street Journal quotes Ellen Hale, a spokeswoman for the AP, who said the wire service's item was picked up from the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo. She added that the AP verified the Web site to make sure it "looked legitimate," but did not visit the house. "We are increasingly concentrating on high-impact journalism but still do pickups from local newspapers," Ms. Hale said. The Daily Camera's reporter said the site and house appeared genuine.

Now, if you were the Daily Camera's reporter or the AP, wouldn't you check out the house . . . like the Wall Street Journal did.

". . . [A] visitor acting at the request of The Wall Street Journal visited the house without Mr. Komarnitsky knowing it and ambled up to the lighted soldier between the bays of Mr. Komarnitsky's garage. The Web cam, supposedly trained on that spot, showed not a creature in sight."

I wouldn't necessarily call this bad reporting. I would, however, call it lazy and therefore, bad journalism.

A Salty Piece of Land: Stretched Escapism

Last night, I finished Jimmy Buffett's latest book, A Salty Piece of Land. The book is currently Amazon's 47th best selling book. At the risk of offending my parrot head brethren, I was a little disappointed with the book.

The book is a 400+ page ramble through the tropics, which, because the temperature here in Philadelphia this morning was 10, was appreciated. However, ramble is the operative word. Most of the time the book followed the journeys of Tully Mars, Buffett's Montana cowboy from Tales from Margaritaville. The rest of the time we follow the journeys of Willie Singer, Buffett's alter ego in the book, across the Pacific. Both ostensibly looking for a fresnel lens for an old lighthouse. Although, it may fairly be said that the ramble is the point.

US Airways' Death Rattle

This weekend's purported union action at US Airways is a great example with what is wrong with unionized labor. I understand that the baggage handlers are upset about their corporate officers seeking wage concessions from them. However, when you're working for a bankrupt airline at this time in history, I don't think it is the smartest negotiating tactic to annoy your paying customers.

Time and time again, passengers said they would never fly US Airways again. Not a good way to promote your company's future.

"Let us not forget who pays our salaries - our customers. And this weekend did nothing to earn their confidence and future business," said US Airways chief executive officer Bruce R. Lakefield.

I think this weekend's job action,  if indeed that is what it was, was US Airways' death rattle. As a result, baggage handlers, instead of a 21 percent pay cut, are looking at a 100 percent pay cut.

Will More People Look to Flying Themselves?

With all the traveling troubles this weekend caused by Comair and USAir, I can't help but wonder as commercial aviation gets more and more frustrating, if general aviation will see a rise in popularity.

To be sure, some of the headaches were caused by weather which would disqualify a lot of private pilots from being able to fly. However, at least you'd have your luggage with you and be able to drive if you had to with your pajamas stowed safely in you bags in your trunk instead of being sent all over the east coast by disgruntled baggage handlers.