Category Archives: Business

Signage

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Had to hunt for an automatic car wash. The gas stations in Arkansas and Oklahoma don’t seem to do car washes like they do in Tennessee and Georgia. Don’t know if they think their car aren’t dirty or if it doesn’t matter that they are dirty. Back East, a clean car is an important personal statement and I like a clean car.

Anyways, found a self service car wash and they had one bay that was an automatic wash for $7. While sitting in the car while the equipment did all the work, I found it interesting that some of the local businesses were enterprising enough to put up signs on the fence.

If you have to sit for a few minutes and be a captive audience, then reading their signs gives you something to do and I think it was pretty smart to put up the signs. I bet they got the idea from the signs along the outfield at the baseball fields.

Put it in a Box

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The first time I confronted the very idea of Shipping Containers was when I went to Bermuda and the taxi driver was telling me about how everything has to be shipped to the island in containers, therefore all supplies had to be ordered in advance and scheduled for shipping to maximize the efficiency of the cost and logistics involved in container shipping.

I had never thought of that, but of course it makes perfect sense. Such a different way of life for us spoiled Americans who can just run out to the mall or pick up the phone and have anything we want within minutes, hours, or at the most, a day of our first desire.

Once my curiosity was raised, I learned quite a bit about shipping containers and I’ve noticed them in my other travels when I’m in a port city. There are several different types, included refrigerated, insulated, open tops, and more. And then there are specialty containers, like the ones made specially for use in the Antarctic where the University of Wales is building an observatory. These specially insulated containers were custom made in Australia and then it still took over two months to get them delivered to the Antarctic site. Interesting project!

Clever Brews

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For a while the buzz on the street was all about microbreweries and the thousands of local beers that were popping up all over the country. I never really thought much about how beers are a regional thing until I moved out of state the first time. Suddenly, several of the beer brands that I was used to seeing on the grocery shelves were no longer available. I especially noticed and missed the little green bottles that had Rolling Rock beer in them.

I just read an interesting story in the San Francisco Chronicle about a local brewery that is breaking all the rules and putting their beers into cans instead of bottles. They say that the cans offer several advantages that bottles don’t, such as cans being allowed in a lot of public places where glass containers are not allowed. Cans are better for the environment. Also, cans keep out the light, the number one enemy of beer flavor.

I also like the names of the beers they make and think they are really clever brewers: “Hell or High Watermelon Wheat” and “Brew Free! or Die IPA.” I just hope the beer tastes as good as I’m coming to expect.

Bye Bye Jay Leno

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Wow – the news has been all abuzz about people leaving their TV shows in the dust. The latest casualty is Jay Leno leaving NBC, with his official last day now planned for May 29, 2009 as announced yesterday by NBC officials. Of course, we’ve known for a while that this year is Jay’s last per his original contract when he replaced Johnny Carson.

In their announcement, NBC says that Conan O’Brien will take the helm of the Tonight Show immediately following Jay Leno’s last show. And with the dominoes falling for late night hosts, the vacancy left by Conan O’Brien will be filled by Jimmy Fallon.

Even with all this movement at NBC, I have to say that I’m staying loyal to David Letterman and Craig Ferguson on CBS.

Bye Bye Ebert

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So there won’t be any more “Thumbs Up” or “Thumbs Down” for TV reviews on the now changing “At the Movies With Ebert and Roeper.”

Evidently, both Ebert and Roeper have not come to agreement with Disney on their new contract terms and they have both decided to leave the show. Since Ebert and the wife of his former partner, Siskel, own the rights to the “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” trademarked catchphrase, that won’t be on whatever show Disney tries to salvage from the wreckage.

Ebert has hinted at developing a new show at a different network. “Stay tuned” for further developments!