iPhone Me

I’ve had my iPhone for approximately 6 months and I’m addicted. I’ve had various smart phones for close to 7 years, which have included Blackberry’s and Motorola Q’s, all of which I have enjoyed and appreciated, but the iPhone rocks (and rolls).

From apps like Facebook, TweetDeck, LinkedIn, and Skype to WebMD, WSJ, Google, and Wikipanion I’m hooked. Integrated to Exchange for synchronization with my corporate contacts, calendar, and mail I’m connected in every way to everyone I want and need. The usability of the touch screen was what I was most concerned about when I moved away from a physical keyboard, but I have to say it has been more than a pleasant transition.

From the palm of my hand in the Bloomberg app I just checked the AAPL ticker: 52 week low was 78.2, with a high of 208.71 and it closed today down 5.11 at 197.37. I’m not one to buy high, but you have to wonder where Apple is headed in the next 52 weeks. What’s in their R&D pipeline? Another iPod/iPhone grand slam or the next Apple Newton blunder? (Google it if you don’t remember that device)

Email, phone, and data with music, movies, and pictures; business and pleasure are truly at one.

Until tomorrow… -bag

Economic Recovery in 2010?

We’ve all felt the effects of the economic downturn in some capacity. We’ve read the despairing articles of the housing market, questioned the integrity of the banking industry, debated government bailouts, and compared this crash to the very worst in recorded history. A world economy has been shattered and certainly none of us know for sure if, when, and how it will be repaired.

As we look towards closing the door on 2009, with great anxiety of what retail markets might or might not experience on a quickly approaching black Friday, should we buy or should we short sell in the next year? Many economists have argued that recoveries usually begin prior to anyone noticing and only in retrospect are we able to see the initial trends ticking upward. Are we currently riding an artificial bubble with a correction looming yet again prior to year end?

I say not. Foolishly optimistic am I? Actually, I’m concerned not about the next few years, but rather an artificial bubble that lasts three to four years, and as those freshly printed bailout dollars begin to crinkle we will fall again into economic woes. Enjoy the roller coaster ride; it’s going to be a big hill. The experts preach, don’t try to time a market. I say don’t be greedy and you’ll find excellent guidance in making market decisions.

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Location, location, relocation

I received an exciting phone call from one of my best friends this past week announcing that he was going to be relocating to Chicago for employment. This is the same friend that had a four day bachelor party earlier this year in Chicago – yes, we’re fans of this great American city! Excited that I now had another very affordable housing option in the city (free) I asked how soon he’d know where he and his new bride would choose an exact location; I lobbied for downtown to Lincoln Park. This is also the same friend that has harassed me for living in Marysville my entire life, so he exerted a few more jabs about that before our conversation and my congratulations were finished.

After we hung up the phone I replayed many conversations I’ve had in the past 10 years with friends and colleagues regarding the location of ones home and work. The relationship that the decision of location has on career advancement, work/life balance, educational opportunities, etc. are something that modern society has studied and reported on countless times.

I’ve had numerous conversations with my wife about relocating for a job opportunity, but at this point the right opportunity has never presented itself. We both enjoy our lifestyle, jobs, and family; so we stay. I wouldn’t call myself a townie. We’ve left the borders of Union County, the state of Ohio, and even the bounds of the United States quite a few times, but the question still eerily haunts me; “should we relocate, or are we better off right here”? What do you think? Comments are quite welcome and encouraged every day on this blog.

For now we’ll keep living the dream right here in good ol’ Marysville, Ohio. And we’ll watch the grass grow, too.

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Where the Grass Is Greener

It was one of those rare Sundays in late October in Marysville, Ohio when the temperature was in the 60’s and the sunshine was full go, which caused my mind to drift as I drove through town and aimlessly pulled back into our driveway. Glancing at the partially leaf covered yard I thought how green the grass looked and that’s when that random thought popped into my head, “where does grass seed come from?” Here I am, a long-time resident of Marysville: Where the Grass is Greener and home to The Scotts Miracle Gro Company, and I have no idea where you grow or harvest grass seed.

First step; ask my wife, she works for Scotts. Followed by, “I don’t know”. Second step, call my Dad. My father is a horticulturalist, and sure enough, with only slight hesitation, he told me that there was a lot of it grown in Oregon and that it was harvested similar to grain, with a combine. He wasn’t sure if there was a specific type of combine, but informed me that if we let our grass grow it would eventually go to seed and drop on its own.

Full of more questions now, I went to the Internet for more information and to my surprise there weren’t a lot of great sources readily available. Here is one of the better ones I found: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex134.

It did leave me wondering why Mr. Scott, in 1868, was so successful with his grass seed company. Still with many questions about this subject and little real factual evidence I’m not much more informed about the grass seed growing and harvesting process, so there might be a sequel to this blog if and when I learn more (feel free to comment or direct me to other resources if you know about this subject).

But for now, I was satisfied with being thankful for a green lawn in October, a rich history for that town where the grass is greener, and an awesome community partner, business, and employer in the Scotts Miracle Gro Company.

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Now or Later? The Kindle

Always enthralled by the latest technology, but unwilling to be on the bleeding edge, solely as a function of cost and future features (bound to be better in the next version), I’ve asked myself; “Is it time to buy a Kindle?” The original hype of the device had my attention, but based on the successes of electronic book readers in the past, I said no thanks. Today the Kindle appears to be around to stay, but I still question if the next version will be substantially improved. Maybe a color screen? Improved text to audio capabilities?

After a significant amount of research I’m convinced that if I do go for it I’ll be acquiring the KindleDX, a larger screen and PDF reading capabilities. I’m not convinced that newspaper subscriptions and other subscriptions are priced competitively, and not being able to touch and play with the device in advance of flopping down nearly $500 makes it difficult to pull the purchase trigger.

In the process of my research I did determine that the device could be a perfect fit for an ongoing issue of connecting some Internet adverse (elderly board members without a PC) to much needed corporate information. How are you using your Kindle?

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Union County Entrepreneurial Incubator

After taking a pretty big swing at baseball yesterday I thought I’d let everyone know that the Union County commissioners hit a home run earlier this week when they hosted an open house at the newly remodeled uptown Marysville Heilig Meyers building. The aesthetics of the building turned out superb, but, more importantly, a section of the building slated as the Small Business Entrepreneurial Incubator has the potential for new business in our community to thrive.

Recognizing the need to help and not hinder the entrepreneurial spirit of brilliant ideas that need a springboard, this space is designed with those hopefuls in mind. Office space, conference room space, and other shared resources are avaiable to help make your business dreams a reality. If you have an avid passion to grow your own firm you should consider starting right here, right now.

The literature distributed at the event stated to contact the Incubator Manager at 937.642.6279 to schedule an appointment. Oh, and by the way — if your business takes off I’d really like an equity stake.

Until Monday; have a great weekend…     -bag

Peanuts! Cracker Jacks! Who Cares?!

After discussing the Monday night football game in great detail the following morning, my wife casually asked me about the results of the baseball game that past evening. I quite frankly replied, “who cares?” The statement came very freely and with little regret, until I thought about it more today.

I grew up playing and loving the game of baseball. Always number 14 in little league and wanting to mimic Charlie Hustle I was passionate about the game. I was also passionate about baseball cards, but fortunately that financial addiction didn’t lead me to Vegas with Pete. I know that there are many avid baseball fans left in America and I even went to a game this summer in the holy grail of baseball stadiums, Wrigley Field. The experience was incredible, but it did little to stimulate my desire to watch any games on television or even follow the chase for the pennant.

I’m not sure if it is me that has changed and my love for the sport has moved on, as have many of my other tastes, or if baseball is slipping as America’s past-time sport.

Until tomorrow…     -bag

If Henry Hadn’t

I can’t help but ponder the idea, “what if Henry Ford hadn’t perfected the assembly line?” There are currently more discussions than I can ever remember around energy, foreign oil dependence, green power, and the electric car. Looking back on history, Henry Ford had an amazing impact on more than an efficient assembly line process; the results of his success impact a vast infrastructure we have in the United States.

When Henry Ford was able to provide affordable automobiles for the common man, it was a tipping point for combustion engine vehicles to dominate the market place. Other technologies existed at the time, including electric cars, but they were shuffled to the side. It is hard to say what would have happened if Henry Ford had failed. Someone else would have perfected the assembly line and there might be a lot more antique blue cars, but who knows if we would be guzzling oil by the barrel or fretting over where to get the next kilowatt for our car.

It makes me contemplate the pivotal points in the past that shaped our today and it makes me reflect on the decisions being made today and how it will affect generations to come. Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law states, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Current day society translates this physical law into a social law with the modification that for every action there is an opposite and compounding chain reaction.

 Until tomorrow…     -bag

Social Media, What’s Next?

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the slums of MySpace account for the majority of today’s social media connoisseurs. The dynamic shift that these virtual worlds are draping upon our lifestyles is monumental. Only a few short years ago my DVR seemed like the best solution for avoiding unwanted advertising, but today Hulu and YouTube make TiVo look archaic. I do wonder, though, did the DVR send the signal to advertisers to “please get it right”?

In today’s social media world and Google search dominated environment I get more advertising than I ever did with traditional television ads. The difference; I like it now (well, most of the time). There are still some kinks in the process, but the majority of the time the advertising I get is related to something I want and sometimes I might even need.

How monumental is this shift? I think President Obama would argue that it was monumental enough to help him get elected as the 44th President of the United States. Does it get bigger than that? I think yes!

Businesses and organizations large and small have an opportunity to share a message, create content, and drive business like never before. The combination of social media, sophisticated search engines, e-commerce solutions, and communication technologies that can harness the power of entire cultures are converging the user experience into something completely new and empowering the consumer to make radical shifts in their buying habits.

Check out the following YouTube video; it makes you think: http://tinyurl.com/ykgonnt.

Until tomorrow…     -bag

Energy Policy – A Hidden Tax

Working for a distribution electric and gas utility, energy policy is near and dear to my heart. For those of you that haven’t heard, an energy policy bill has already passed the U.S. House and is now in the U.S. Senate. The version that has passed the House contains Cap and Trade language that will have a significant impact on the rates customers pay for energy; especially those of us that consume power generated at a coal burning power plant. That would be many of us living in the Midwestern states.

Some form of energy policy is inevitable; however, the legislation that is being discussed now concerns me because the revenue related to the Cap and Trade is really nothing more than a tax that can be used to fund other government programs. Wouldn’t you think if there was really concern over global warming that all of those billions of dollars raised would be allocated to projects like carbon sequestration and other technologies that fuel our economy towards less emissions and more jobs?

If you’re concerned about this subject I urge you to contact your elected officials, they will listen. For those of you not as comfortable picking up the phone or drafting a letter on your own, I’d recommend going to www.ourenergy.coop, which will guide you through the process and put you in touch with the correct members of Congress. Join the conversation.

Until tomorrow…     -bag