Posted By RichC on September 21, 2010
I’ve added a new WordPress plug in call Live Blogging in order to have the ability to archive an event in real time. I’m not planning for anything in the immediate future, but I did want to understand how it works.
[liveblog]
Posted By RichC on September 20, 2010
During a football follow-up discussion this morning, a client and I debated a call that penalized the Baltimore Ravens during Cincinnati’s 15-10 win yesterday. As a Bengals fan wanting to keep quarterback 
Carson Palmer healthy, I’m sensitive as to how aggressively he is driven to the ground, but can also sympathize with those believing Sunday’s 4th quarter tackle by Terrell Suggs was legitimate.
In the play in question, the Cincinnati Bengals gained a first down after Terrell Suggs ‘looked’ to the referee on the field to have lifted Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer before driving him on his back to the turf. The Cincinnati first down enabled them to score and with time running out hold the lead to win the game. In hindsight, the call could have gone either way.
Perhaps more interesting to me was the reaction of Raven’s head coach John Harbaugh – his sideline reaction has me wondering just when it is appropriate to make contact with an official? (see snippet below)
Posted By RichC on September 19, 2010
The last weekend of summer was a little muscle taxing as Brenda and I worked around the house on a few overdue yard and home projects. Along with the yard work, we also pick up a few new perennial plants that were marked down as well as a new tree. This year’s tree is a Bald Cypress which required some chiseling into soil; the ground did not yield easily, to even my sharpest shovel.
Besides the yard work I also tackle my 
long overdue dripping shower. I thought it was going to be simple to replace the worn rubber seals, but the lime build-up and corrosion turn this 45 minute project into something three times as long … of course this could have been partially due due to watching football on Sunday afternoon? The Bengals did beat the Ravens bring their record to 1-1 for the 2010 season, so all is good. I also refrained from wearing my old Houzmanzada Bengals jersey since TJ is now a Raven – too bad Cincinnati couldn’t get him back?
As Hurricane IGOR approaches Bermuda over night, I’ll be watching the news having recently visited. (Vacation posts: One, Two, Three, Four and Five)
Sunday night photo of St George near Customs Building as surge flows ashore.
Posted By RichC on September 18, 2010
Although I can’t admit to being a political supporter of Mike Huckabee last go around, I do enjoy his commentary and occasionally his television program – Huckabee. In a recent email he shared his frustration with our out of control bureaucracy — he writes that it “made my blood boil.” (and it does the same for me)
“At a time when workers’ pay and benefits have stagnated,” reported USA Today, “federal employees’ average compensation has grown to more than double what private sector workers earn.”
Did you get that? More than double. To be exact, federal employees now average $123,049 in pay and benefits, while private-sector employees make $61,051 in total compensation, according to the government’s own Bureau of Economic Analysis.
That’s a pay gap of $61,998 — up from $30,415 in 2000.
And that’s not even counting the absurdly generous retirement benefits that allow many federal employees to retire with lifetime pensions and health insurance after little more than two decades on the job.
Time was, government work involved a tradeoff between job security and pay — you got more of the former and less of the latter than in the private sector. Not anymore. Now, you get the best of everything — inflated pay, gold-plated benefits, total job security, and a cushy taxpayer-funded retirement starting as early as your mid-40s.
This is beyond scandalous. This is plunder, pure and simple. Washington is siphoning off the wealth of millions of private citizens and businesses to support a vast and growing government leisure class whose only concern, it seems, is to further augment their perks and privileges at taxpayer expense.
What can we do as citizens? Vote the bums out, for starters — beginning with the Democratic Congress in November, followed by President Obama in 2012. But we can’t stop there. We have to demand that whoever takes their place — whether it’s Republicans or third-partiers — don’t go back to big-spending politics as usual.
Posted By RichC on September 17, 2010
We are all getting older and inevitably our human bodies give way to age. Some are blessed with good health for 70 or 80 years, but eventually become dependent on others. Learning to adjust is not something most are quick to accept.
The days of our years are three score years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
— Psalm 90:10
My father-in-law has been struggling with a couple health related issues over the past few years and now at 85 is struggling with some rehabilitation after a recent fall. Unfortunately his two hip replacements, a lower back pain and Parkinson’s are making his stay at the rehabilitation center challenging. The infection and pain, which put him in the hospital a few weeks ago, are now under better control thanks to pharmaceuticals, but the muscle weakness lingers and his strength is not returning all that quickly. A pain management doctor and physical therapist, along with the no-medical experts in our family, have him on a good regiment, but progress is slow. His attitude is positive, he is eating well and learning to adjust – adjusting is probably the hardest thing to do for someone with an independent personality. The goal at this point is for him to gain his strength back enough to walk … even if he needs help. Hopefully now that pain is tolerable we’ll see improvement enough in a couple of week that he can move back home.
During my evening and morning visits this past week, dad’s spirit was good, his mind sharp and soul is ready for whatever tomorrow brings … I don’t think I would be as congenial?
For me, I was glad to be able to travel to western New York while in NE Ohio for work. It feels good to be able to visit and help out a little around the farmhouse. I recall all they did for us in years past and know my visits are appreciate even if they are short.
The odds and ends list’ of chores may seem trivial when people are dealing with health issues, yet having some sense of normalcy helps to keeps my mother-in-law calm (as she can be) and hopefully healthy. Years ago I remembered a series of messages on “What is your love language” … most in our family would recognized mom’s as doing household chores. So … I put a second coat of paint on some newly repaired trim outside on their back porch, sanded and painted the interior door frame of their new laundry room/bathroom and made a garbage run in the old truck (they take their garbage to the dump). Then we cleaned the barn, removed 4 dead mice from her old Mustang convertible (Mmm, smelled so good), moved the outdoor furniture in for winter and made room to park another car inside. While sweeping the dark corner, I also irritated a ‘friend’ just getting comfortable (below).
All in all it was a positive visit … and a lot better than the hospital.
Posted By RichC on September 16, 2010
Let me know if you are interested in movies, documentaries and TV programs from Netflix and I’ll forward the first ten names for ONE month of FREE … so as long as you are not currently a Netflix member.
Netflix’s offers a decent mail delivery program and movie/archived TV shows streaming over the Internet to a variety of devices.
Usually the promo is for 2 weeks free (previous post), but the one month promotion is running again – send me an email.
Info from NetFlix:
Who wouldn’t like a free month of movies? Forward this email to your friends & family, and they’ll get 1 FREE month of Netflix. They can watch instantly right on their TV via a Wii™ console, PS3™ system, Xbox 360 or other devices that stream instantly from Netflix or online on their PC or Mac.
This special offer for your friends & family expires 10/31/2010, so forward this email today!
–Your friends at NetflixFree Trial Offer: Expires 10/31/2010. Trial offer is available to first time and certain former members of the Netflix service and cannot be combined with other offers. Internet access and valid payment method required to redeem offer. One month free trial offer is only for the 1 DVD out at-a-time (Unlimited) plan, which is $8.99 a month plus applicable tax. Netflix will begin to bill your payment method for the Netflix plan selected at sign-up at the completion of the free trial unless you cancel prior to the end of the free trial. Netflix Membership: Your Netflix membership is a month-to-month subscription that you can cancel at any time. Click the "Your Account" button for cancellation instructions. No refunds or credits for partial monthly subscription periods. Watching Instantly: Certain titles are available to watch instantly. Members may watch instantly only within the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. A device that streams from Netflix (manufactured and sold separately) and a broadband Internet connection are required to watch instantly. Blu-ray: An additional monthly fee applies for Blu-ray access. Delivery: One business day delivery based on more than 97% of our members being within one-day postal delivery zones.
Posted By RichC on September 15, 2010
When I drove my Volkswagen diesel, I regularly filled at this renewable fuel Sunoco station on I-71 in mid-Ohio. I haven’t stopped for a while and opted to fill my Honda Pilot (regular unleaded) there today and checked biodiesel pricing. Although diesel is a few cents more than other stations around the state, biodiesel has remained fairly close even for the B20 blend – $3.09/gal vs $3.15/gal.
Posted By RichC on September 15, 2010
Earlier this month, the folks at TFLcar ran a non-scientific test where they compared three different fueling options in three different cars. All three vehicles are known to offer good fuel economy … but only one is fun to drive.
🙂
Unfortunately, the test doesn’t offer any high degree of accuracy due to the small fuel sampling size (ie. about a gallon of fuel) and I’m doubtful a short loop of 38.3 miles is all that fair for non-hybrid vehicles – unless the hybrid starts 
without a charge in its batteries?
Never the less, the challenge looked like a fun comparison pitting somewhat real world drivers on a realistic mixed loop in and around Boulder, Colorado. (click photo thumbnail to left to cheat or just watch video below)
Posted By RichC on September 14, 2010
Why don’t politicians understand that uncertainty is a primary deterrent to planning for the future, for an individual or a business … but especially for businesses. 
In order for small business owners and managers to reinvest and expand … and hire new employees … the political environment needs to be one where the prospect for success is good, after all profits are the motive in our capitalist system – we do all still believe in the power of free markets, right???
Those of us who have owned and managed “for profit” companies make decisions and take calculated risks in order to expand when conditions are likely to be positive for the bottom line. Who can comfortably say that that the current environment and policies (last few years) coming from the federal government are conducive for small business? I doubt an economics degree is required to answer the question as commonsense tells us that continuing to expand the size of government, add public taxpayer supported jobs with their step increases exceeding inflation and a benefit package far superior to most small business employees is not a good business climate. At the same time government expansion is happening, the congress and Obama administration then hits the business sector new regulations from health care to banking which has one wondering who will be paying these costs? Why stop there Mr. President, how about a tax increase? Is it any wonder the job creation is low; this is not what government does to create a good environment for business.
Why would a company add additional employees while facing higher government mandated health care and banking costs? Why would we want to add to our liabilities when Obama, Pelosi and Reed are telling us that taxes need to go higher in order to pay for spending. Even the most optimistic business with and in-demand product or service (might be a few) knows that bigger government with more debt is not going to be helpful in growing the overall economy or recovering from a recession.
Let’s elect better leadership this November. Find leaders who believe in smaller government and will legislate policies that create certainty for business. Give us a 10 year tax code, not an “extend for one year” or selectively targeted one time incentives which prevents long range business plans for growth. I disagree with a stimulus rebate here and tax credit there approach; business owners and managers need to be more confident where their cost will be before they invest and expand.
My West Chester Ohio neighbor and current house minority leader John Boehner was interviewed on
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer this past weekend and for all his candor tried to express the need to keep taxes unchanged for all Americans. He clarified to all that he sincerely desires to work with the current administration and was honest enough to say he’d vote not to raise taxes on the middle class if it were impossible to keep them unchanged for all. Unfortunately all he received back from the Whitehouse was the same ol’ personal attacks from the President and his press secretary Robert Gibbs. (sparring over tax policy)
Let’s not fiddle with tax rates and in fact, give Americans ‘planning’ confidence that rates will remain unchanged. I believe we have a good chance of this happening if the GOP majority is returned to congress (although I know many Republicans lost their way). Focus on electing free-market supporters that know businesses which grow will need to hire employees … and that the better and harder working the employee, the better pay and opportunity. Support fiscally conservative candidates who will reduce federal spending, shrink the size and the intrusion of government into the lives of individuals and return our nation toward the core principles of our country’s founding. We still have a great democracy and great citizens … it is time to wake up and realize that Obama’s “change” and desire for more government control or European style socialism is not the answer.
House Republicans are calling on Congress to take the following two actions this month:
- Pass a bill that cuts non-security related government spending for the next year back to FY 2008 levels – before all of the bailouts, government takeovers, and ‘stimulus’ spending sprees began. On Monday, President Obama proposed another round of the same failed ‘stimulus’ spending that has led to fewer jobs and more debt. The legislation House Republicans are proposing would provide the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to promote private-sector job creation and prevent a lame-duck Congress from writing another bloated omnibus spending bill after the November elections. Exceptions should be made for programs affecting seniors, veterans, and national security.
- Enact a two-year freeze on all current tax rates to stop job-killing tax hikes on families and small businesses. This would help ease the uncertainty employers and entrepreneurs are facing so they can get back to creating jobs. While President Obama intends to move forward with his plan to raise taxes on half of small business income in America, House Republicans will continue to fight to permanently stop job-killing tax hikes.
“The American people are asking the question, ‘where are the jobs?,’ and yet here’s the White House worrying about what I’ve got to say instead of working together to get our economy going again and to get jobs back in America,” Boehner said during the interview. “If we’re able to do this together, I think we’ll show the American people that we understand what’s going on in the country and we’ll be able to get our economy moving again and get jobs growing in America.”
Posted By RichC on September 13, 2010
The American Airlines video brought back the memory of our “bus” Honor trip to Washington DC earlier this year. Great to know they support our heroes in this way. Thank to AA as well for their appearance at EAA Airventure and getting Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band to and from his tribute shows this year.