The Daily Blend

The Poor (not ugly) Americans

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:00:00 +0000

A sign of the times in Europe. Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy is offering American tourists a 20% discount on food and drink to help us Americans with the poor health of the dollar and our credit cruch woes. Cheers!

Pending labor problems with NFL (from insiders perspective)

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:37:00 +0000

Great post by Chris Cooley (Pro Bowl Tight End for Redskins)on possible upcoming labor troubles in the NFL by 2011. It seems that many small market owners are unhappy with the current revenue sharing plan and that enough owners may not be happy as to demand consessions from the players unions and other large market owners to get a larger piece of the pie.

Cooley points out that fans and players make the owners their money. Fans go to the games and pay outrageous sums for beer and food (and parking, and tickets, and gear...). Players actually perform and compete to put a good product on the field.

But maybe the NFL should actually make a player perform at the NFL level before rewarding him with a huge contract. I think a rookie salary cap should be put in place to stop the crazy escalations each year for the top picks. Let them prove themselves first, then make the money, just like in the real world.

http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/2008/05/will-owners-opt-out.html

Hops = $$, Get ready to pay more for your favorite IPA.

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Either that or put up with less hoppy beers. For those of us who love hoppy, bitter IPA's, the cost of hops by the pound has sky-rocketed, and now brewers are forced to raise prices or change their recipies. Say it isnt so.....

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2008/05/beer?currentPage=2

Apple helps find stolen stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Funny story here about a stolen laptop that was recovered when the proper owner logged in remotely to her computer, and activated the web camera built into it. She saw that her "friends" had stolen it. Similar stories about iPods being stolen and recovered when the theifs try to download music to it. Apple rocks!

Some people don't get it

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:24:00 +0000

This story from Greendaily.com about a Starbucks employee who to their training a bit too literal and nullified an attempt to save cups. Didnt all Starbucks stores close the other week for a few hours nationwide for employee training? If they are going to be a "green" company, they should know that a customer bringing a mug from home should mean that they can save a cup!

Also makes me think if the classic "plastic or paper" scenario at the grocery store. A while back the save the trees campaign made it a social crime to ask for paper bags. Plastic bags were all the rage. Now, the plastic seems more of an environmental problem than the paper. When I ask for paper bags at the store, they look at me like I have 2 heads.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22786052/

Put down the newspaper and go online!?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:59:00 +0000

Even though I work in the Internet business, and like gadgets and the like, I still do enjoy my morning Washington Post. Call me old fashioned, but I do like getting the paper in the AM, and reading (sports, business, then news) instead of logging into my computer and reading in the office, or take the laptop to the kitchen. On weekends, I find it very relaxing to read most of the paper and not have the ADD effect of looking at other sites or checking email. So I hope that newspapers continue (at least the ones in "NFL cities". But I am sure one day soon, the next gerneration of RSS readers will come out with much more mass user friendly features that will allow a easy daily automatic feed sent right to the printer or maybe to your networked TV so you can still feel like you are not tied to reading it at the computer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-blodget/death-of-newspapers-puts_b_99423.html

Redskins' Chris Cooley writing for Yahoo Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:41:00 +0000

I have been keeping track of Cooley's personal blog http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/ and now there is word that he will also be writing for Yahoo Sports. Cooley is a minor celebrity around the DC area since his on-field play is very inspiring, and his off-field personality shines with the local media. Fans love him, and he has been a staple on my fantasy football teams the past couple of years.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-Cooley-Zone-My-draft-day-experience?urn=nfl,78511

Google's Free food is expensive!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:46:00 +0000

In my job, I have the pleasure of interfacing with Google and a couple of months ago, had the fine dining pleasure of eating at their cafeteria in NYC. It was a great gourmet meal of grilled red snapper over rice and veggies.

Much is written about Google's perks, and the free gourmet cafeteria is definately one of them, and one reason they were voted again as the best place to work by Forbes http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2008/snapshots/1.html

And now Silicon Alley Insider estimates that it costs them around $73MM a year to feed their employees their gourmet meals. Nice Perk indeed!

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/4/googles_ginormous_food_budget_7530_per_googler

Today's Earth Day, but tomorrow is important to. And the next day, and the next day.....

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Earth Day is a good day to reflect and decide to act on environmental issues, but the real key is to keep it going all year, every year. My company today gave all employees (a couple thousand of us) compact flourecent bulbs as a way to give back. But we need to give back all year. Each day is just as important as Earth Day.

http://www.greendaily.com/2008/04/22/tomorrow-is-important-too/

Don't skimp on web site hosting if you want to be President

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Story from the Daily Kos about Joe Lieberman's website problems in November, and his subsequent accusations and demand for investigations into his challengers, only shows that his web site was down because it was done on the cheap, and not for intentional hacking. Looks like us taxpayers fit the bill for the investigation...

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/22/114534/253/613/500770

Political spats intensify as PA vote nears

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:06:00 +0000

The Obama vs. Clinton battle of words, sound bytes and media clips continues, and this article from Gawker shows a Bitter-gate poll tracking the comments made by each candidate and their poll numbers going up and down. Looks like Obama may be inching ahead just at the right time before tomorrow's PA primary....

http://gawker.com/382060/bittergates-toll

Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:54:00 +0000

Gilbert Arenas had plenty to say about the Wizards upcoming playoff series with Cleveland on his blog. I think he is sturring a hornets nest (or Cavaliers nest) with the talk about LaBron and company. Charles Barkley http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/04/charles_barkley_says_washingto.html thinks its a very stupid move, and now predicts the Cavs will win the series.

Games start this weekend...must TV.

"I'm Bram Wienstein"...on ESPN News

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:57:00 +0000

I just heard on Redskins Lunch on the radio that Bram Weinstein is going to ESPN News. Congrats Bram! I have always liked your reporting on the Redskins, and you will be a good local addition to the ESPN news team. Now, who will replace him??

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/04/bram_weinstein_to_espn.html

Brews at the Ballpark

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:55:00 +0000

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post outlines the beers available at the new Nationals ballpark in DC, and the prices. Other posts by Stenberg says that Miller Brewing Co (a major financial sponsor of the Nationals and MLB) would not allow local brewer Capitol City Brewery to sell its beers at the stadium. Oh well, the beers on this list sound pretty good, then after the game, its a short cab ride over to RFD's or Brickskeller for more quality suds.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/03/nats_park_beer_options.html

Wow, Obama really winning the web 2.0 vote

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:30:00 +0000

We've been hearing for a while now about the demographics for Obama and Hilary, but look at these numbers from Compete.com and TechCrunch. Really shows how much of an advantage that Obama has with the younger, tech savy, web 2.0 crowd. This will go down in history as the campaign that joined the web. From here out, candidates will need to stay on top of technology, even a step ahead to remain fresh through campaigns, in order to win. As the years go by, todays youth get older, new, younger voters come of age, and candidates are going to have to be very web savy in 2012 and beyond...

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/11/stats-obama-still-winning-on-the-web/

Playoffs?!??!!?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:44:00 +0000

Caps open the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight at the Phone Booth vs. the Flyers. Great link here for a violent and storied history between the Caps and Flyers. Here's to a great first round series....C.A.P.S. Caps, Caps, Caps

Maybe finally Americans will drive less

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:22:00 +0000

As gas prices have continued to rise over the past couple of years, the question has always been where is the tipping point? When will consumers drive less because the additional gas cost is too high to bear? When gas was consistently at $2.50 a gallon a couple of years ago, everyone asked what will happen when it hits $3.00? Answer: Nothing. Its been above $3 for a while now and it has now become "normal". But I think $4 is the tipping point. Its about time that we start driving less if for no other reason but to each do our part to reduce our demand.

I for one, have stopped driving my SUV and am saving $15 per week on gas. I still have to drive same amount to get to work, but my fuel consumption has decreased. I have already started to combine trips to run errands, etc...and have been taking mass transit more where I can.

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/34320/print

Find out who those annoying telemarketers are

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:03:00 +0000

Telemarketers are still trying to get around the do not call lists and national registry lists. They work the system to hide numbers and names from caller ID and various other tricks to get through to you. Well, I found this site yesterday after I got a voice mail message at work from someone from some company I never heard of. He left a phone number for me to call him back, and I Googled the phone number.

The top ranking site for that phone number was http://whocallsme.com/ and going there showed a whole history of reports on this phone number, detailing who the company is and what type of telemarketing pitch they make.

Very handy if caller ID does not identify them. They surely want you to call back, but next time before you do, enter their number in whocallsme and see what they want.

Lights Out

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:58:00 +0000

Last week when I heard about Earth Hour and the following darkness, I thought it was a great idea, but then I realized that I had missed it. I try to keep up with the news and times, and usually do a good job of it, but somehow missed this event. Then I heard that my hometown, Arlington, Virginia was a participant, I was very disapointed that I had not heard of it from my local government. After all, Arlington prides itself on being the "greenest" county in Northen Virginia.

I definately would have participated had I known about it.

Beijing Olympics to be censored???

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Wonder what will happen when Western traditional media and new media (bloggers, camera phone photographers, etc) hit the ground in China for the Summer Olympics?

http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=1625

LETS GO CAPS!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Suddenly, I'm a hockey fan! Run to the playoffs very exciting. Hope they can keep it going.

http://comcastsportsnet.tv/pages/capitals

Political Blog Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:20:00 +0000

Since I do live inside the beltway, it would be a crime for me not to write about some politics on my inaugaral blog listing. So here's a cool link to many of the er top political blogs out there today.

http://buzz.botw.org/news/willis/

Hooked On Wii

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Hickernell) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:10:00 +0000

As my first of many posts to this blog, I wanted to show my new found love for the Wii. I am a late Wii bloomer, and thought that it would be no problem to get one just after the Christmas rush, but boy was I mistaken. I scoured the Northern Virginia retail outlets but no Wii.

I subscribed to www.Wiitracker.com RSS feed, and even signed up for automatic text alerts, which was useless so I am not going to give them a link (text came 3 hours after Wii was in stock, and by the time I got the text, they were sold out again).

On a tip from my wife, I waited outside of Target at 7 AM on a rainy cold Sunday and finally got one, and I now love it!! Only have the Sports game and a Winter Sports game but fully addicted to it now, playing with a friend until 4 AM last weekend.

Anyway, heres a link to a great Wii blog.....
www.nintendowiifanboy.com