Connected

OK, let's see, Facebook for personal stuff, LinkedIn for business stuff and my Wii connects to the Internet for entertainment. Now I find out that my Blue Ray DVD player will be connected to the Internet and it will be able to download firmware upgrades as well as different content pieces as the technology matures. Of course I can also talk to my DVR from anywhere across the internet and record shows for later viewing.

I am in the technology field and not much suprises me these days but the explosion of the Internet and the variety of applications that it holds is becoming truly astounding. Quite frankly, the things I have mentioned here are perhaps some of the more visible but clearly not the most remarkable.

This weekend I get to set up my new TV and connect it with the surround sound system and the Wii and the Blue Ray just in time for the Super Bowl. Gotta love technology.

Here We Go Again

Here we go again folks. Gas prices are on the rise. Gas has gone from $1.54 to $1.99 in my area in less than two weeks. I saw it go up $.21 just today. How about we start to question the reasoning for this before it hits $4.00 again. Let's start letting the oil companies and our governmental representatives know that we do not intend to fund windfall profits again.

I am sure we will hear that instability in the middle east is the reason for this most recent uptick. Can anyone tell me when there hasn't been instability in the middle east? Maybe I missed it with all of the news about the mortgage and automotive bailouts going on but I do not recall hearing even one oil company complain about a 3rd or 4th quarter loss or even a peep about declining profits from the oil companies. I am pretty sure they all still made money when oil prices were below $40 per barrel and gas was $1.50.

I would really like to be able to turn a profit this year in my business without giving it all to the oil companies and our state government. Gas is one of those items that kills us. My employees were kind enough to help eat some of that cost this past year and I truly appreciate it. However, we have increased the mileage reimbursement rate because I can't expect my employees to bear much of that cost as it eats into there bottom line just a much as it does the companies.

So.............. let's all do what we can - as loudly as we can - to ensure that we don't see $4.00 per gallon again.