nVerse

AC Transit Bus Throwdown - Bus Fight!!!

Apparently, riding public transit in the Bay Area is perhaps the most dangerous way to spend your time.  I’m referring to the string of totally random stabbings on the muni light rail last year, and the various fights caught on videophones over the past 12 months (hooray for consumer accessible technology!) like the infamous bart-cop shooting incident and the crazy chinatown bus ride fight.  This one, the latest to become a youtube populario, is post-worthy - primarily for two reasons:

1) a dude in his 70s unleashes with a vicious beat down

2) towards the end, the camerawoman nicely frames blood on the seat - poetic! nice composition! way to capture the moment! Brava!

Too Large For the Airplane - Do The Obese Need to Buy Two Tickets?

so the extra-large indie film director, kevin smith, got booted from a Southwest Airlines flight because he was too fat too fit in a single seat and apparently there was no second seat available.  Yes, yes.  This does indeed make for a very interesting dinner time conversation - perhaps over a box of Twinkies and a gallon of chocolate milk?

I usually ignore the “new” airline policies that seem to enrage the typical traveler.  Because really, i dont care.

See, if i have to pay an extra $25 for a second checkin bag, ok.  No biggie…i’m not happy about it, but i figure that this policy has more to do with the bottom line of the airlines (and staying in business) than it is about trying to gyp more profits from captive passengers.

But in this case, though i feel it singles out the obese and makes for very un-PC headlines, this policy is more about customer satisfaction than it is about money.  Making the obese folk out there pay for two seats if they are too chubby seems a bit expensive - and awkward for a flight attendant to enforce - but is it really an unreasonable requirement?  (Though a very large person may be able to squeeze into an assigned seat, spilling over into the next seat over makes for a very very unpleasant flight for the other passenger.)

Verily, there is a silent mass of people out there that are rather happy with this policy.  Whether it is fair or not, is a different question all together.

People Work Harder in Times Of Recession…BUT

The alliteratively titled article “Painful Productivity Pickup Promises Payoff” in the WSJ yesterday, forecasts that the Labor Department will report an annualized 7% gain in business productivity for the 4th quarter and yet a rise in the unemployment rate to over 10% in December.
ooooook.

See, this number is almost triple the average 2.5% growth from 2000 to 2008 AND last year the 2nd and 3rd quarters saw a 6.9% gain and a 8.1% gain, respectively.  So we see here some form of a productivity paradox - where despite the workforce level declining, output is increasing - in times of recession where people are freaked out about losing their jobs and companies are squeezing as much productivity as they can out of their workforce (to protect their bottom lines), people apparently become more efficient workers.

Ok, this is not that new.

But what does this mean in real terms?  Are people lazier in good times?  Is there a natural propensity to slack off at the job when getting canned isn’t a risk?  Will this lead to burn out?  Will this have a permanent impact on wage-to-expected output?

Methinks a likely outcome is that when prosperity is restored and the unemployment rate declines, the folks on the front line that are squeezing out this extra bit of output today may expect higher wages or look for greener pastures.  The smart money is on Monster.com or CareerBuilder … then again, this paradox may continue for a while…perhaps it is best to invest in a stamp or comic book collection.

[wsj article]

Lion Versus 42 Midgets…28 Dead, the others Mutiliated

First of all, note that there is such a thing as the Cambodian Midget Fighting League (aka the CMFL).

mmmkay.

Back in 2005, a fan of the CMFL was apparently very disappointed about the midgets’ recent performance and challenged Mr. Yang Sihamoni, the guy who runs the CMFL, that a single lion could beat his entire cadre of 42 smaller-sized fighters.

Not one to backdown from such a challenge, Mr Sihamoni  accepted.  As he likes to say, his midgets will “… take on anything; man, beast, or machine.”

So a sold-out fight was on!  And with the blessing of the Camboidan government which received 50% of the ticket sales.  A Panthera Leo, otherwise known as an African Lion, was brought into Kâmpóng Chhnãng where it all went down.

After just 12 minutes, 28 of the midgets were dead and the rest were horribly mutilated with “broken bones and lost limbs.”

[CORRECTION] SO it has been brought to my attention that the original news story that this post was based on is actually a hoax- .. an excellent example of good internet forgery made to look like the real-deal thing from BBC - Sooooo - hats off to the guy that came up with it!  it’s truly entertaining and was well executed.  And now, for something even better: jolly little folk!]

[original source: Deet]

[correcting source:  Stevun McCipro]

Big Az Meatloaf

And while the topic is still fresh about Big Az products, I would like to bring another pre-packaged Big Az Meat product to your attention - Ladies and gentlemen, may i present to you, the Big Az Meatloaf Sandwich!

The best part?

is that this deliciousness is served WITH catsup!   not ketchup, but catsup!  mmm!