Life Is But A Dream

A Few Rambling Observations

So this post won't contain any pertinent information about Houston, my job, or anything else. I just had a few observations about maintaining friendships, long-distance communication, and other random stuff.

First, Instant Messanger is a blessing. How did people communicate before computers? At any given time, I can hope online and find out what my friends are doing. On top of that, I can talk to friends a country away and stay in touch and in tune with the goings-on at any of their locales.

Second, e-mail works even better. A quick message to keep in touch or keep friends informed is invaluable. To be able to, at any time, send someone at message they can read and respond to at their convenience is awesome. Without e-mail, all we would have is the United States Postal Service. While they are a reliable service with a 200 year service record, there is no debate as to the relative ease of e-mail. No postage, no delivery time, and no reception problems.

Third, any big city in America contains everything someone would want: Speciality stores, sports, travel options, and dining to name a few examples. However, not all big cities posses options for mass transit. Not unlike Detroit, Houston is a city driven by an industry. In Detroit, it's cars. In Houston, it's oil. Both cities understandably have lobbies deterring mass transit to further their product. It's a shame because that monopoly limits the development and growth of any city. Both current and potential residents have to be turned off by the limiting easy of transportation. To get to the outskirts of the city, one must drive. While this proves not to be a challenge for those fortunate enough to have a reliable car and the means to fund its operation. I believe this to be a major developmental problem for any city looking to grow and flourish. Houston needs a subway, rail system, or reliable bus system. You can see here that the bus system in place lacks the hours, routes, and staff to move people to the places they need to go on a daily (business day and weekend day)basis.

Summary: Friends are important and it's easy to stay in touch no matter where you are in the world. Also, the US should take a page out of the worlds book and implement mass transportation everywhere. That's all.

posted by brent @ 8:59 PM