Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A true Angel

Check out this video. If it does not bring a tear to your eye, you have problems.

http://msn.foxsports.com/video/FSWest?vid=bef53b8f-0cd9-402e-9199-5ef767fdae79

And, if you are a true sports nut and have some money to spend on memorabilia, go here and help. Kurt Suzuki and his wife have done a wonderful job of collecting stuff from all sorts of sports people, not just baseball players.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Mesothelioma

Post deleted by request

The Heat and Other things

No walk last night. It was such a warm and humid day and night that I just couldn't stand to move. I shall try my best to take a walk this evening though, even if it is humid.
I'm becoming a poker addict. I'm not a very good poker player though, I can lose 50 thousand in nothing flat LOL
In the meantime, in between hands, I shall listen to the Pirates play baseball. I am very glad that I paid for this package, I really enjoy listening to my hometown team :)

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Getting into a fitter shape

Most people, sorry to say, are way out of shape. They eat too much, it's as simple as that. They can try to blame it all on junk foods or the holiday season, but the truth is no one is forcing them to eat so much. What they really need is an appetite suppressant.
Eating less, along with making an attempt at eating healthier will bring their body back into the shape it should be. A leaner body will not only make you look better, you will feel better, have more stamina for daily tasks and generally your health will be better. Look at all the commercials on television where people say that when they lost a lot of weight they also got rid of high blood pressure problems or diabetes.
Rarely ever do people go on a diet that is sheer will power and succeed. They need help, and that is where an appetite suppressant will help.
Which appetite suppressant is best for you? Click on the link above and check out a variety of suppressants, one of which is bound to be great for you and your wallet. They even list suppressants that are for each gender! Gotta love that, you wouldn't want to take one that is designed for women if you are a man and vice-versa.
The site offers free shipping, secure ordering and a 90 day money back guarantee. Three things that should entice you to get started on losing those unwanted pounds now.

Walking

I went for a walk two days ago, with Shelly and her puppy. We didn't go very far, maybe a two block walk and back. Short blocks at that. But, it was something :)
Yesterday, the girls were gone shopping and I took off for a walk by myself to the liquor store down the street. It's about four tenths of a mile there. I did okay, although I needed a short rest before actually going into the store for a soft drink. I did okay on the way back as well, and was pleased that I actually went for the walk!
I noticed something important walking by myself. I still walk as fast as I did twenty years ago, which was fine and dandy then but not so good today. I need to remind myself when I am walking that I am almost sixty and my body is not in the shape it used to be.
Taking a more relaxed pace is the key here and I need to remember that.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Display Yourself

Whether you are selling inside a store or even at the local swap meet, you want to attract customers. Getting a customer to come and see what you have to offer is an important first step in getting said customers to spend their money. Isn't that the main objective in selling? Of course it is. But, how can you set yourself above the crowd of other sellers?
How about cardboard displays? They are easy to set up, and they are affordable. Not much sense in grabbing buyers attention if all your profits are going down the drain paying for the display.
For over 40 years, Creative Displays Now! has been a premier designer and manufacturer of high-quality POP Displays and Specialty Packaging. Today, no matter where your business is located, they are ready to meet your needs.
But, what if you don't need a display, you need packaging materials? They have those supplies too. Whether you need plain ordinary boxes or custom made boxes, they can help you out and they are quick about it. they realize that Time is Money.
So, for all your display and packing needs, you need to click on the link above or give them a call at 1-866-244-2214 today.
Why wait? Your customers won't wait, they're out there looking.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Getting Old

Getting old is a real pain, both literally and figuratively. Yesterday was my daughter's 18th birthday. Instead of going out to dinner, as is our custom, we ordered pizza.
We would have gone out but the old guy in the house didn't feel like going out. Hell, I didn't feel like doing anything, really. I went out shopping two days earlier, to get her gift, and that was more than enough exercise for my body. I am, to put it mildly, a shell of my former self. And, it bugs me.
I used to have tons of energy. I worked long, hard hours and still could pull overtime. These days I feel lucky to get out of bed. I have grown too tired, too lazy and too pained. I realize fully just how damned old I have become because my body lets me know it every single day.
While I feel sorry for myself, I feel sorrier for my loved ones living with me. My daughter took it very well yesterday, but it just makes me angry with myself that she should have to "take it". Shelly takes it well too, maybe because she loves me so very much, maybe because she has resigned herself to the fact that I never seem to want to go anywhere. Either way, it is sad.
I need to find a way to get out of this stay at home rut I find myself mired in. I need to start walking, even if it is just a block away from home and back. I need to do this for them, that's for sure, but I need to do it for myself even more.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Eighteen Years

It's a funny thing having children. There are times when you swear to God they will never grow up. And then they do and you wonder where the time went. Today is one of those that is the latter.
My daughter turned eighteen today. Just like when all of my sons did it, I sit and wonder how Time flew by so quickly. Of course, it is easy to do since they all act like kids. Funny age, teenage years. A cross between treat me like an adult and acting like they are six. I don't remember being that silly, but I'm sure my mother might disagree.
Now, I suppose, for my daughter, the real challenges begin. She will have to face real life head on. Only Time will tell if Life is good to her. I wish her the very best on her tedious journey :)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Well-Planned Retirement

Outside the Bristol Zoo , in England , there is a parking lot for 150
cars and 8 coaches, or buses.
It was manned by a very pleasant attendant carrying a ticket machine
charging cars £1 (about $1.40) and coaches £5 (about $7).
This parking attendant worked there solid for all of 25 years.
Then, one day, he just didn't turn up for work.
"Oh well", said Bristol Zoo Management - "we'd better phone up the City
Council and get them to send a new parking attendant..."
"Err ... no", said the Council, "that parking lot is your responsibility."
"Err ... no", said Bristol Zoo Management, "the attendant was employed
by the City Council, wasn't he?"
"Err ... NO!" insisted the Council.
Sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain, is a bloke who had
been taking the parking lot fees, estimated at £400 (about $560) per
day at Bristol Zoo for the last 25 years. Assuming 7 days a week, this
amounts to just over £3.6 million ($7 million)!
And no one even knows his name

Monday, June 22, 2009

Good-bye and Good Riddance!

This morning, as I have done every morning since they cut me off, I powered up the DSL modem just in case Verizon turned my DSL back on. I was logging into AOL through their dialer when out of the corner of my eye I saw a steady green light. Could it be? I plugged the ethernet cable back in, shut down the AOL dialer and went to my email and clicked send/receive. Lo and behold, I had DSL!! No more AOL snail speed. No more busy signals for people trying to call me (like yesterday when my son tried to call). Good-bye AOL and Good Riddance!
Is this a good day for you? Are you having fun online?

Friday, June 19, 2009

Barcodes

You'd be hard pressed these days I'm sure to find anyone that doesn't know what a bar code is. We see them everywhere we shop, from grocery stores to pharmacies. They are a vital part of a business these days.
What, exactly does a barcode scanner do? It helps a business to keep track of not only pricing of an item but also the inventory. It can enable a business, with the right software, to know that it is time to re-order a product. This is valuable since you cannot make money if you don't have the product to sell.
The amazing thing is that you do not need to be a large chain store or business to use one of these scanners. They are available for businesses large and small, perhaps yours. Imagine the man hours you can save by using a bar code system rather than the painstaking inventory count of items one by one. This alone can easily more than make up for the price you'd pay for the scanner. And, there is nothing bad about saving money, whether you are a business or a consumer.
POSmicro has the things you need to solve your inventory problems, and they have them at a decent price. So, whether you are in need of a barcode scanner, a cash drawer, or software for POS solutions, you owe it to yourself to check out their site and see what bargains they have for you and your business.
Give your employees something better to do with their time than take inventory. Give them the chance to be more productive to the real business at hand.

The Runaround Continues

I got an answer this morning from an email sent to Verizon tech support about the lack of internet DSl connection. it was a very nice email, the gentleman was sympathetic and all that, but that was just the only good part of the communications I had with them this morning.
Verizon's solution to my dilemma was to sign me up as a brand new DSL customer. While I do not care for this BS, I figure it may be the only way I shall ever get my DSL connection back so I took it. That's the good news, I will be a DSl customer again.
The bad news? They will not turn the DSL back on until June 24th, next Wednesday :( I have no idea why it will take so darned long, but, it will. So much for the world moving at a faster speed now that we all have computers. Hell, they can turn a telephone line on in a matter of hours, why can't they do the same with DSL??
In the meantime, I shall be stuck with the lovely services of AOL dial-up. Lucky me. At least I can get online to do the things I truly need to do, like work. Better than staring at a blank computer screen and daydreaming about the days I had internet access :)

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hotsy

If you have a big mess to clean up on a regular basis, you should really look into pressure washers. They can make a large clean up job quicker and use a lot less water than just a garden hose.
And, Hotsy pressure washers are not only a quality product, the company wants to ensure that you get the right washer for the job. They even offer a free copy of the guide, Nine Things You Must Know Before Buying A Pressure Washer. Reading this guide will show you just which washer is best for you, or even if you truly need a pressure washer. I like companies that try to help the buyer before you are paying out your money. No one likes to spend good money on something they cannot use or do not need.
And, once you have decided that you really do need a pressure washer, then you can find a Hotsy dealer that is near you or you have the option of having a Hotsy dealer contact you directly. Either way you go you are off in the right direction.
Already have a pressure washer? Hotsy also offers automatic parts washers, cleaning detergents and factory-direct pressure washer replacement parts and accessories. So, you can repair or refurbish the pressure washer you already have and save yourself some money. In these days of economic tough times, who can afford not to save whenever possible?
Hotsy products are available exclusively through their network of over 130 authorized dealers throughout North America. Hotsy dealers are high-pressure cleaning equipment experts—they're factory trained and authorized to not only sell Hotsy pressure washers, but provide on-site service as well.
So, get that dirty job cleaned up the easy way, the Hotsy way.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Isn't It Ironic?

Roughly a week after getting the folks at Netzero to cancel my account, which should have been canceled in January, I need it.
I have lost my DSL from Verizon because someone, somehow, put in a request saying that my phone line was moving to Los Angeles somewhere. What?? I just moved into this house in January and have an agreement with the landlord for one year. Why would I move? More importantly, why would I move to L.A.? Hell, I rarely ever even visit Los Angeles LOL
So, without my DSL I am forced to use this dial up service from the lovely folks at AOL. Yee Haw. It took me over four hours just to download three days worth of emails, most of which were simple spam. I see that AOL has not improved their speed through the years :(
I am thankful that I can at least get online though, as I have work to do. In the meantime, I sit and wait for the folks at Verizon to get their act together and give me back my DSL.
Joni Mitchell was right when she said you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone :(

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Week Of Injuries

Not talking sports here, but I wish I was. Looks like it's been a bad week around this house, with both myself and my wife hurting.
Somehow, and she has no clue as to what she did, Shelly has managed to hurt a muscle in her lower back/buttocks area. If she wasn't constantly saying "ow" I might laugh. But, I value my life a little too much to laugh at that.
As for me, my lower back has been hurting for a few days now. Not sympathy pains either. My back is not the best on a good day, but the past few have been driving me nuts. I reach a point where I actually have to leave the computer and go sit in my overstuffed chair in the living room. I hate leaving the computer LOL
I hope tomorrow is a better day for both of us :) I have a package arriving (I hope) in the morning and I want to be able to pick it up and carry it inside.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Hack Away!

Hackers can be a strange breed of human. Sometimes they are malicious, in that they want to bring either companies or average users like you and I to suffer by wreaking havoc on our computers. Sometimes they just want a website to suffer, either because they have a beef with the website company owner or they just do it for fun. Maybe they are doing it for practice.
Yesterday I went to a website for a moving company, to do some research so that I could write a decent blog article for this company. Imagine my surprise to see that the site had been hacked and the hackers had left behind what they perceived to be a message of peace. I say perceived because, quite frankly, the message was not very good English and was difficult to comprehend.
Being bored, I followed some links that they had left behind on the page by Googling the websites. I did not go directly to the links they left behind because I rather like having my computer work and I don't trust any hackers that leave a trail to follow.
In the Google links I found another site they claimed to have hacked so I went there. Sure enough, there was the exact same "peace" message. I guess these hackers have way too much time on their hands, or they simply need a lot of practice.
The other site that they hacked? A website that specializes in fancily priced woman's clothing. What the heck? A moving company? A woman's clothing site? I guess I am just too dense to see the connection between these two things.
I hope the hackers enjoyed themselves. I have to wonder though how long it will be before the proper authorities catch up to them since they insist on leaving their email addresses on the page.
Whatever their reasoning for hacking, I hope they have fun. I also hope they don't hack my blog. After all, I am all for peace :)

Go East!

It seems like I've spent a lot of time lately talking about jobs. Perhaps it's because employment seems to be on everyone's minds these days, those that have one are wondering for how long and those that don't have one are wondering how to get one. In a previous post I talked about a website that has a lot of sales management jobs that are ripe for the taking. But, what if you found a job and you were in, say, Los Angeles and the job you found was in New York or someplace back East? What to do about moving all your stuff?
Nobody I've ever met likes the hassle of moving, especially long distances. Yes, they may be happier once they are there and settled into the new place, but the getting there is a hassle they try to avoid. This is where great long distance movers come in handy. Clicking on the link will take you to a place where they understand the hassles of moving, they've been Long Distance Moving Specialists Since 1995. And, they offer a price guarantee, stating that: "Our estimators go to great lengths to ensure that you, the customer, know exactly what kind of services and pricing to expect. Our paperwork is designed to be thorough, easy to understand and unambiguous. You are encouraged to compare the level of detail and clarity of our moving quote with those of other long distance movers."
I like companies that are so sure of themselves that they suggest you get a second opinion, instead of just giving you the hype of "we are the best". Price comparisons are the way to go these days, where money is tight enough already. But, what about this company's background?
Here is their history, according to their website: "Originally founded in 1995 as a Los Angeles Moving Company. In 1997 we merged with San Francisco Moving Companies and New York Moving Companies to create California New York Express long distance Movers. Today we are a mid-sized moving company, privately owned and operated, with offices and storage facilities in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles California."
So, as you can see, they've been around a long time and they know what they are doing. So, if you are considering a long distance move, to get a better job or simply to move to a new location, it behooves you to give these folks a chance. You can get a free online quote from their website or you can give them a call at (888)680-7200.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Honesty Is A Good Thing

My daughter, a recent high school graduate, is taking on the job market and real life. She tries to look her best, even when she is just trying to pick up applications, something that makes me smile. Years ago, as a manager of a convenience store, I was often embarrassed by some of the people that came into my store looking for an application. They were not dressed to impress anyone, they were dressed to hang out with their friends and maybe have a few beers. Not a good way to get a job! So, it pleases me that my daughter, on her own, has decided that the best way to go about this job hunting is to always try to impress.
Last evening, after bathing, she came out into the living room and immediately I noticed that she was wearing some green eye shadow. I said nothing, as she and I have not had the most pleasant of words in the past when she wore make-up. My problem is that she often wears too much, and it is not a pleasant look.
Imagine my surprise when, a few minutes later, she came back into the living room, knelt down in front of the chair I was sitting in and asked for my opinion of the eye shadow. Her reasoning being that "you won't lie to me".
It actually looked very lovely on her, it went well with her natural skin color and all and I told her so. She showed me the sampler that she had bought with blues and greens and a purplish eye shadow. I told her, honestly, that I think they should all look good on her. This, of course, made her pretty happy knowing that she had made a good choice, all on her own without any help from Mom or a salesperson.
Looks like my child is growing up :)

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Jobs Are Available

In these tougher than usual economic times it seems like everywhere you turn there is doom and gloom about the job market and opportunities available. But, there are jobs out there, one just has to know where to look.
If you are looking for sales manager jobs, all you have to do is click on that link. There are companies looking for people. When I clicked on the link just now, in order to find out more about the site I saw that there are 44,290 Available Jobs, 26,037 of these postings came from the past two weeks. That's a lot of job opportunities, folks!
From California to Florida to New Jersey, companies are searching for people to fill their positions. So, if you are a sales manager type person, or maybe you used to be but now are unemployed for whatever reason, you really need to check out this website. There may be something there that is just perfect for you.
Which would you perfer, being unemployed and hungry, maybe even close to foreclosure, or employed with a great income and stability in your life? You owe it to yourself, to your family, to check out this website and see what they have to offer you!

Wanna Buy A Duck?

Here is the reasoning of the Pirates GM on the recent trade:
June 6, 2009

Dear Pirates Fan,

On the heels of this Wednesday's trade with the Atlanta Braves, I felt it was important that you hear directly from me as to why this move brings us closer to our goal of building a consistent championship organization and providing you a team of which you will be proud.
Neal Huntington

Obviously this was a very difficult decision as Nate is a quality player and person. We knew this move was not going to be popular in the clubhouse with our players or among our fan base who have suffered through a long stretch of losing seasons. Despite recognizing the probable unpopularity of this trade, we believed it to be the right step for our organization and made a sound baseball decision.

The quality and quantity of the players we received in this trade was the crucial component to this trade. We are excited about the three young players we received. We have been interested in and closely monitored all three of these players for some time as they are highly regarded by us and by most within the industry.

Charlie Morton is a power right-handed starting pitcher with upside, who should be ready to help us this year in Pittsburgh. In fact, in his first outing for our Triple-A affiliate, he tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up only four hits while striking out seven. Jeff Locke is an intriguing young left handed starter with the frame, athleticism and stuff to become a quality major league starting pitcher. Gorkys Hernandez is a dynamic athlete who has the speed and potential to become an above average everyday major league outfielder. It is worth noting that these three players were rumored to be sought by the Padres when they were talking to the Braves about trading former Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy.

Additionally, Andrew McCutchen has proven that he is ready to take the next step and begin his career at the Major League level. Andrew has done what we have asked of him in Triple-A and showed he was ready for the challenges of the Major League level. Andrew is an intelligent, hard working player that has shown the present ability to play impact defense in centerfield. While we do not expect Andrew to replace Nate's power production immediately, Andrew is an exciting top-of-the-order player who proved this spring that he can be an exciting part of a productive offense.

Ultimately, to become a championship team we need more championship caliber players at all levels. As difficult as these types of trades are to make, they are an important part of the talent acquisition and development process that will position us to be a consistent championship caliber organization sooner rather than later.

I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole. Furthermore, I am appreciative that he continues to provide us with the resources necessary to build a championship caliber organization. Whether we sought to build our new facilities in Bradenton and the Dominican Republic, sign our young major league players to long-term deals, triple our amateur signing bonus budget in order to be aggressive in acquiring talent both domestically and internationally or significantly increase our scouting and development budgets, Bob was willing to provide the resources necessary to make these fundamental changes.

We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal.

Your understanding of the situation is greatly appreciated by all of us in the organization. Your passion for this team is the driving force behind our motivation to bring winning baseball back to you, the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sincerely,

Neal Huntington
Senior Vice President and General Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Screwed the fans again, did ya?

Pirates trade McLouth to Braves
Deal for center fielder nets three players for Pittsburgh
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

06/03/09 7:31 PM ET

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have traded center fielder Nate McLouth to the Braves in exchange for three players -- outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Charlie Morton.

McLouth left PNC Park earlier in the evening after the Pirates' game was postponed due to rain.

The trade sends two of Atlanta's top eight prospects, as ranked by Baseball America, to the Pirates. Hernandez, a center fielder with the Braves' Double-A affiliate, was ranked No. 4 heading into the season. Hernandez has hit .316 through his first 52 games this season.

Locke, Atlanta's seventh-best prospect, was a second-round Draft pick in 2006 and has pitched for the Braves' high Class A affiliate this season. He is 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 10 starts.

Morton, who went 4-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts (16 appearances) for the Braves last season, was 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA at Triple-A Gwinnett this season.

McLouth, a first-time All-Star in 2008, was in his second season as the Pirates' everyday center fielder. He had signed a multi-year contract with the Pirates this offseason.

The trade clears the way for the promotion of center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is batting .303 with four home runs and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
MLB.com Comments


Ya know, it can really difficult at times to be a Pirates fan. I wish they'd hire someone for the front office that really gave a damn about THIS season, you know the one we are playing now? The one where, if we have a losing season we'll set the record for the most losing seasons in a row? I wonder how these folks sleep at night, knowing how they consistently screw things up? Maybe it would be better if the people in charge knew absolutely nothing about baseball or sports, then when they made bonehead moves like this one it would make sense. THIS SUCKS BIG TIME!!!!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Things That Make Me Wonder

Why do pitchers still throw a pitch in the dirt when, normally, no batter is going to swing at it (Vlad Guerrero excepted) and the damn pitch often gets by the catcher, advancing the runners that you didn't want to advance?
What is CBS thinking, moving The Mentalist to Thursdays when it did so well on Tuesdays. And worse, why are they putting it up against what will most likely be the Jay Leno show? Seems like a bad programming move to me.
Wonder if someone would get punished for slowly torturing the idiot who invented that stupid box that says "Are you sure you want to navigate away from this page?". Of course I want to, idiot, that is why I tried to close the window in the first place!
I wonder if all software developers would be better at their jobs if they actually (a) had a life, (b) had any real sense or (c) even had a clue or (d) actually were forced to use the crap they develop without the benefit of a server?
Why do people get so huffy whenever there is a nomination made to the Supreme Court? No matter who they are, these people are not going to please every special interest group out there, nor would I want them to. They are judges, for crying out loud. I don't want them to please anyone, I want them to judge each and every case by its merits and nothing else. Isn't that what judges are supposed to do??
Okay, enough wondering. I am off... and no, not in the head, thank you very much!