How about creating a system that enables the fire department or the EMT services to hook into the traffic lights network and access the central controls? With the necessary authorizations or maybe with the right hooks to allow for an override, this system could be implemented and be very useful.

I can’t remember reading a more gripping article in a long, long time. In fact, calling this an article seems to make it less than what it is, a great story from the real world, where real people took minute-by-minute decisions to save lives. Incredible skills, incredible decisions, I could go on with endless superlatives. Whoever wrote this article, thank you for this.

On a connected note, this is a week after the terrorist-drive mayhem of killings in Mumbai, India. For a country that was able to execute a flawless mission to send a craft to the moon, I am hoping these great rocket scientists will turn their attentions to helping India come up with a security plan that will help thwart such problems in the future. And shame the politicians who are busy pointing fingers at “neighbouring countries” instead of searching their own souls.

However, for this kind of pricing to really be attractive and work for me, the price differential has to be a bit more substantial. I pay $13-$14 a month for the full set of channels from Sirius. If I were to just pick 10 or 15 of them, instead of the current 198, I would expect a significant drop in prices. What I hear is that the new offering of the combined companies might be a 50 channel package for $6 and change. That is okay but not good enough. I am not interested in listening to 15 out 50 channels. I would like greater differentiation in pricing. Perhaps I should stick with my current style of picking my channels, using the Favorites setting on my radio! That way, I know I am only going to listen to the channels I like.

What do you think?