Rubenerd

When I want to comment on news stories but they're not worth dedicating an entire post to, I'll be collating them into a nonsensically titled Rubenerd News Network post! Today we have Brazilian cable cars, huge baby bonuses, and IT spending.

Cable cars over Rio’s Favelas

Wired 2011.11.28: There’s nowhere for public transit to go [in the slums of Rio de Janeiro]. Nowhere, that is, but up.

The government says that 152 gondolas will carry 30,000 people a day along a 2.1-mile route over the neighborhood, transforming the hour-and-a-half trudge to a nearby commuter rail station into a 16-minute sky ride.

The Wired article also explains the real impetus for construction: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics aren't all that far away. I suppose its more realistic to expect this than money being used to actually help people living in poverty stricken neighbourhoods.

Quick poll on Channel NewsAsia

Channel NewsAsia 2011.03.07: A straw poll showed more women will be convinced to have a child if given a baby-bonus carrot of $500,000 per child, said an MP. Should Singapore adopt the idea?

So far 45% voted yes, 22% said it'd be too expensive, and 33% said money can't solve Singapore's fertility problem. I'd put myself in the latter; if I were a woman I'd want societal concerns addressed rather than just being told I can be bought off. I'd also worry about pushy husbands demanding their wives have kids for cash, that's a bit icky.

IT spending up in 2010

Channel Register 2011.03.06: The IT sector turned in its best growth since 2007, according to the analysts at IDC. That's good news, and the news kept getting better as 2010 went on. Maybe 2011 won't be so bad if the world settles down a little politically.

I disagree. When people are nervous, governments hand out more lucrative defence contracts, and enterprise IT companies are there to eat the pork. "We've always been at war with Eastasia."

Not sure whether I'll keep doing these news posts, but fun for an experiment :).