The other day as I was driving home on the freeway. Traffic was really bad, I could only assume there was an accident ahead. The traffic crept slowly forward, and about twenty minutes later I came upon the source of the congestion. A man was sitting on the edge of a high arching overpass, about fifty feet up from the freeway below. The police and fire departments had closed off the lanes to prevent traffic from flowing underneath him. His legs dangled over the edge and he kept a straight gaze to the concrete below, anyone could tell by looking at him he was serious. The local later got a description of the man whom they described as “distressed”. I thought to myself, “He’s either upset or did something terrible”. I was mostly upset because it multiplied my commute time by three, but it also made me think a little bit. As much as any of us get stressed, and as much as life can be complicated, I know I’ve got it pretty good.

The unidentified man swung his leg over the ledge at 7:27 p.m. and walked about 50 feet back to a line of squad cars accompanied unhandcuffed by a group of Fort Worth police officers.

So far, this is the 10th straight day of triple-digit heat for Texas. Interestingly enough, an increased draw on the power grid is predicted.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Public Utility Commission urged Texans to reduce their electricity use Tuesday during peak electricity hours from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

It is common knowledge that the city of Arlington in Texas has no public transportation. It is a large city whose streets are packed with cars, students and Dallas Coyboys fans soon enough. Befitting that it is also the only city where GM will continue to produce the SUV.

It’s no secret that a lot of industries are feeling the gas crunch. GM

- GM is losing one billion dollars every month.
- Four North American GM plants will close.
- GM is cutting health insurance for retired employees.

That last bit is really terrible in my opinion. Instead of leaving that kind of mark on your legacy, find the money somewhere else. The people who spent their lives in your service are worth more than the phrase “Times are tough”. It shows current employees that they have no future with the company.

I have to remind myself at times, this is the way the market sorts itself. I think often times we are so comfortable with institutions we’ve known our whole lives that we forget there are a dozen or more competitors who are ready to step in and offer what the market wants.

Utah goes to 4-day workweek to save energy.

In a yearlong experiment aimed at reducing the state’s energy costs and commuters’ gasoline expenses, Utah is about to become the first state to switch to a four-day workweek for thousands of government employees.

The environment and common sense seem to have won over stodgy business paradigms. In an increasingly connected world expanding telecommuting options is a good thing for both employee and employer.

This is validating some of the critics who said they were opening stores too close to one another,” said James Walsh, an analyst at Starbucks investor Coldstream Capital Management.

I enjoy an occasional starbucks, I would also enjoy seeing one only occasionally.