Ok, this is a departure from my last few posts, but as my friends know, I'm a huge wine fan. In fact, as I write this, I've already consumed half a bottle of 2002 Heitz Napa Cabernet, and a half a bottle of Hess Cab. Granted, the Heitz cost about 4x the Hess, but we started with the Heitz and then decided we needed more wine.
Anyway, I'm now on a mission. To learn as much as possible about Giuseppe Quintarelli as I can. And let me tell you, it's not an easy task. If you google him, you only get so much before the information becomes redundant. Why Wine Spectator, particularly in it's most recent edition which focuses on Italian wines, doesn't spend a little time on Quintarelli, I guess we'll never know. But considering how amazing his wines are supposed to be, I would hope Wine Spectator, of all magazines, would have spent some time finding and interviewing this guy.
So, just for the reader's information, I reproduce the following tidbit:
"It is the Chateau d'Yquem of Italy, absent the grandeur. It is IWM's fastest selling wine, yet has no marketing. It is the coveted gem of the Boot, but does not bear the prestigious name Sassicaia or Gaja. It is a legendary winery, without an estate. Its bottles are identified by hand scripted labels that provide a glimpse into the heart and soul of the world’s truest artisanal winemaker. It is Quintarelli!
Known as "the Master of the Veneto," Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. From aperitifs to digestifs, his limited production Amarones, Reciotos, and Valpolicellas are the benchmark for excellence (along with Dal Forno, Veneto's other legendary producer). Their greatness stems from the inherent quality of the terroir and natural talent of this master, whose concept of vintage approval and strict grape selection rival the great Chateau of Sauternes. Giuseppe puts his wines on the market when he deems them ready, often keeping them in the cellar for decades until the right moment arrives."
How can this not be compelling?! So, yeah, I just dropped $280 on a magnum of the stuff. It's not the Amarone. I wish it were. But there was none available, and the price would have been much higher. So I got a magnum of 1997 Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico. I'm really looking forward to getting it, and will likely open it at a restaurant in town called Bacco. I'll be sure, of course, to post an analysis of the wine once it's been consumed. Oh, and it is a magnum, so it might be a good idea if another couple of people came along for dinner! I may save this for my 32nd b-day on 2/1/2009. If you're interested in joining Julie and me, let me know!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Governor Patterson Needs NYers Support
The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reports that the NYS Senate and Assembly want to wait before acting on Governor Patterson's request to cut an additional $2 billion from the State's budget. Apparently, they want to see the most accurate revenue projections before deciding on further cuts. They also refuse to talk about cuts in education funding. Now, with the Dow going under 8600 today, isn't it time to start looking for additional cuts to the state budget?
Unfortunately, we're talking about cutting education. But then again, there aren't that many areas that we can cut. Health care is generally off the table too. And, while now would seem to be the time to pull together some real structural reforms to these various systems, state government just kind of moves along as if everything is dandy. Maybe I'm just ignorant, and unaware of some very hard work to reform medicaid, the welfare system, education, and a host of other state supported functions. But my guess is they're not really tackling these issues.
And on the local level, whatever happened to the ongoing discussions around government consolidations? I'm not necessarily talking about the very politically unpopular idea of merging City and County governments, but what about those areas that are not political hot potatoes? Like lighting, water, snow plowing, and some other "low hanging fruit"? The problem with consolidation, though, is that no one is willing to give up power, and that's what consolidation is.
If I'm running Environmental Services for the City, am I willing to give up power to the County to manage things like dog licenses, dead animal removal, street sweeping, underpass cleaning, and a host of other functions? Am I willing to lay off government workers, and thus decrease my sphere of influence? If our leaders really wanted to make a difference, the conversation on government consolidation would be restarted, especially now.
The fact is that the economy may be in the doldrums for the next few years. Why not start the process of making government more efficient today, so that when the economy is growing again, the government entities that are left prosper even more? Do the City or the County really relish the annual announcements of budget deficits, cuts to essential services, and political wrangling to suggest that if only the Dem's or the Repub's were in control of things, we wouldn't be in this mess?
We have an opportunity in New York State and the Rochester region (obviously, Syracuse, Buffalo, et al do as well) to significantly improve the efficiency of government, laying the groundwork for successful government, and maybe even State, County and City budget surpluses when times are good again. Imagine if we were to improve the efficiency of City and County government by, oh, let's just pick a number... 22%. When the economy is roaring again, this more efficient government would see significant increases in tax revenues (sales tax, hotel/motel tax, property tax, etc.) that, if managed properly, could be set aside to make up for shortfalls in bad times. Granted, you'd have to legislate so that surpluses had to go into the equivalent of an endowment - as we all know government likes nothing more than to spend spend spend.
Sure, my IRA has seen it's value drop by nearly 50% over the last 6 months... but this is also an opportunity to invest more in quality stocks and mutual funds so that I can reap the benefits when the economy is strong again. Similarly, let's take this as an opportunity to increase the quality of government through enhanced efficiency. The opportunity is real, and the degree of urgency is high!
Unfortunately, we're talking about cutting education. But then again, there aren't that many areas that we can cut. Health care is generally off the table too. And, while now would seem to be the time to pull together some real structural reforms to these various systems, state government just kind of moves along as if everything is dandy. Maybe I'm just ignorant, and unaware of some very hard work to reform medicaid, the welfare system, education, and a host of other state supported functions. But my guess is they're not really tackling these issues.
And on the local level, whatever happened to the ongoing discussions around government consolidations? I'm not necessarily talking about the very politically unpopular idea of merging City and County governments, but what about those areas that are not political hot potatoes? Like lighting, water, snow plowing, and some other "low hanging fruit"? The problem with consolidation, though, is that no one is willing to give up power, and that's what consolidation is.
If I'm running Environmental Services for the City, am I willing to give up power to the County to manage things like dog licenses, dead animal removal, street sweeping, underpass cleaning, and a host of other functions? Am I willing to lay off government workers, and thus decrease my sphere of influence? If our leaders really wanted to make a difference, the conversation on government consolidation would be restarted, especially now.
The fact is that the economy may be in the doldrums for the next few years. Why not start the process of making government more efficient today, so that when the economy is growing again, the government entities that are left prosper even more? Do the City or the County really relish the annual announcements of budget deficits, cuts to essential services, and political wrangling to suggest that if only the Dem's or the Repub's were in control of things, we wouldn't be in this mess?
We have an opportunity in New York State and the Rochester region (obviously, Syracuse, Buffalo, et al do as well) to significantly improve the efficiency of government, laying the groundwork for successful government, and maybe even State, County and City budget surpluses when times are good again. Imagine if we were to improve the efficiency of City and County government by, oh, let's just pick a number... 22%. When the economy is roaring again, this more efficient government would see significant increases in tax revenues (sales tax, hotel/motel tax, property tax, etc.) that, if managed properly, could be set aside to make up for shortfalls in bad times. Granted, you'd have to legislate so that surpluses had to go into the equivalent of an endowment - as we all know government likes nothing more than to spend spend spend.
Sure, my IRA has seen it's value drop by nearly 50% over the last 6 months... but this is also an opportunity to invest more in quality stocks and mutual funds so that I can reap the benefits when the economy is strong again. Similarly, let's take this as an opportunity to increase the quality of government through enhanced efficiency. The opportunity is real, and the degree of urgency is high!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Last Night's Debate
So, last night was Round 2 of the Obama/McCain debates and what have we learned? Well, we've learned that John McCain supports the Treasury buying up bad mortgages from people too stupid to not buy homes that fall within their means (potentially a $300 billion bailout), and we've learned that Barrack Obama supports nuclear energy "as one component" of an overall energy independence program. See, I had to stretch with what we learned about Obama, because there was little, if any, new information provided. I'm not saying that McCain was overflowing with answers either, but there was something about his answers that seemed better informed than Mr. Obama's.
I did think Obama did an excellent job of answering the question of how the bailout will affect the average American. He's hit a home run linking businesses (large or small) ability to survive without access to cash. According to Mr. Obama, businesses risk not making payroll and thus potentially laying people off. Now, whether or not that's a totally accurate portrayal of the bailout is kind of irrelevant to me. It was a good answer and it's an answer that most people can understand.
I'll also admit that I didn't focus 100% on the debate last night. I was also surfing the web, going on Ebay and winebid.com, and checking my Facebook account. As Drudgereport is blasting this morning, "B O R I N G," I have to agree. However, I was impressed with Mr. McCain's overall demeanor last night, and give him a B+. I wish he would stop saying "my friends." It bugs me, and it's condescending. I'm not his friend, and the average American out there is not his friend. To me it feels insincere, even if he truly is being sincere. Please, stop saying "my friends."
But otherwise, he did do a good job. I thought that he took on energy independence well - stating a need for more investment in alternative energy sources including nuclear, wind, solar, tidal, etc. I thought he was strong on the message of reining in government spending. I may personally want to see federal earmarks for projects that I support, but Mr. McCain has a track record of trying to reduce frivolous spending. He also does have a track record of working both sides of the aisle. We have to remember one fundamental thing about John McCain - he truly is this maverick that SNL has been parodying. He's a maverick in the sense that he's willing to go outside the Big R political ideology, work with Democrats, compromise when it's needed, and stick to his guns when he feels he's right. He really DID work with Senator's Feingold, Leiberman, and Kennedy on joint legislation.
I just get the sense that Mr. Obama, on the other hand, is too conciliatory and lacks the ability to make a decision when things get difficult. Where are the Obama-"Insert Republican Senator's Name Here" co-sponsored bills? I certainly haven't heard about them, though I suppose they may exist. Of course, you would think Mr. Obama would want to diffuse McCain's "maverick" label by showing that he too is a maverick, or at the very least bipartisan. But my guess is that Obama's record doesn't support a bipartisan label.
Last night may have been an exhibition of talking points, personal attacks (albeit, not very vigorous ones), and light-weight answers to difficult problems, but it was still a good illustration of the difference between the two candidates. I'm not about ready to stand from the rooftops proclaiming, "Vote for John McCain!" quite yet, but unless I see some spark out of the Obama campaign, I have to stick with my political leanings and vote R.
I did think Obama did an excellent job of answering the question of how the bailout will affect the average American. He's hit a home run linking businesses (large or small) ability to survive without access to cash. According to Mr. Obama, businesses risk not making payroll and thus potentially laying people off. Now, whether or not that's a totally accurate portrayal of the bailout is kind of irrelevant to me. It was a good answer and it's an answer that most people can understand.
I'll also admit that I didn't focus 100% on the debate last night. I was also surfing the web, going on Ebay and winebid.com, and checking my Facebook account. As Drudgereport is blasting this morning, "B O R I N G," I have to agree. However, I was impressed with Mr. McCain's overall demeanor last night, and give him a B+. I wish he would stop saying "my friends." It bugs me, and it's condescending. I'm not his friend, and the average American out there is not his friend. To me it feels insincere, even if he truly is being sincere. Please, stop saying "my friends."
But otherwise, he did do a good job. I thought that he took on energy independence well - stating a need for more investment in alternative energy sources including nuclear, wind, solar, tidal, etc. I thought he was strong on the message of reining in government spending. I may personally want to see federal earmarks for projects that I support, but Mr. McCain has a track record of trying to reduce frivolous spending. He also does have a track record of working both sides of the aisle. We have to remember one fundamental thing about John McCain - he truly is this maverick that SNL has been parodying. He's a maverick in the sense that he's willing to go outside the Big R political ideology, work with Democrats, compromise when it's needed, and stick to his guns when he feels he's right. He really DID work with Senator's Feingold, Leiberman, and Kennedy on joint legislation.
I just get the sense that Mr. Obama, on the other hand, is too conciliatory and lacks the ability to make a decision when things get difficult. Where are the Obama-"Insert Republican Senator's Name Here" co-sponsored bills? I certainly haven't heard about them, though I suppose they may exist. Of course, you would think Mr. Obama would want to diffuse McCain's "maverick" label by showing that he too is a maverick, or at the very least bipartisan. But my guess is that Obama's record doesn't support a bipartisan label.
Last night may have been an exhibition of talking points, personal attacks (albeit, not very vigorous ones), and light-weight answers to difficult problems, but it was still a good illustration of the difference between the two candidates. I'm not about ready to stand from the rooftops proclaiming, "Vote for John McCain!" quite yet, but unless I see some spark out of the Obama campaign, I have to stick with my political leanings and vote R.
Monday, September 22, 2008
McCain and his cars
I haven't written anything on this blog for a long time, and I'm amazed I'm taking a few minutes to do it, but I read an article this morning about John McCain owning 13 cars and the negative fallout from it. It's not that he just owns 13 cars, it's that he also owns 2 foreign cars - a Honda and a Volkswagen. This, according to McCain-haters, shows that he's (a) a liar because he said he only drives American cars, (b) out of touch with the average American who probably only owns one car, and (c) destroying the American auto-industry because of the two foreign-made cars. There's also outrage from the UAW because McCain may have purchased a Toyota Prius for his daughter (or, it's possible the daughter bought it herself... that's still unclear.)
What is clear, however, is that McCain's own driver is a 2004 Cadillac CTS. The other American-made cars in his fleet include a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup, a 1960 Willys Jeep, a 2008 Jeep Wrangler, a 2000 Lincoln, a 2001 GMC SUV and three 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles. But the killer is a 2005 Volkswagen convertible and a 2001 Honda sedan. So, that's 2 foreign cars to 9 American-made cars. Now, that's only 11 cars, but they're also counting the Prius that McCain's daughter drives, and a Lexus that Cindy McCain drives, but is actually owned by her beer-distributor company. So, worst case, that's 4 foreign to 9 domestic.
And, apparently you have to forget that Honda employs over 25,000 Americans, and VW will soon open a plant in Tennessee that'll employ another 2,000 people. But those employees are not UAW members, so they're both bad employers and probably bad employees too.
As the owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, let me just say one thing to the UAW and the American auto industry in response to the Prius issue. IF YOU WANT ME TO BUY AN AMERICAN-MADE HYBRID CAR, BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A LARGE SEDAN OR A SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE! I'm not interested in going from a giant gas-guzzler getting 12 mpg, to now getting 19 mpg. Nor am I interested in a sedan that goes from 22 to 29. Honda realized that people don't want that, and ended their Hybrid Accord. If I'm buying a Hybrid car, I want 40 to 60 miles-per-gallon.
I had made a decision, based on my driving requirements, that a small hybrid car made sense. That limited me to a Civic or a Prius. I personally liked the design and style of the Civic over the Prius, the cost was lower, and the government tax incentive to buy a Civic was better. That's right... the U.S. government incentivized the purchase of my foreign car in the name of global warming. So, which is it... buy green, or buy American?
I can't begrudge McCain's family for either owning 13 cars, or owning a few foreign ones in there. If anything, the McCains have done more than their fair share to support the American worker. I would bet that if you really looked at those foreign cars, you'd find they were either assembled in America, or included a lot of American-made parts. More and more, foreign car manufacturers are recognizing that they have to manufacture their cars closer to the market. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Subaru, and lots of other foreign car companies build cars right here.
In a 2007 USA Today article, How American is that car?" there's a great list showing the percentage of American and Canadian made content, plus which cars were assembled in America. A great indicator of how ridiculous this argument is is the Honda Acura TL (as an example of a Honda sedan). The 2007 Honda Acura TL was made with 70% American/Canadian parts and assembled in Ohio. This was also the case for the Honda Accord. My own Civic Hybrid is 55% American/Canadian parts.
Let's drop this one as a topic of debate. Just because a car has a foreign badge on it, does not make it un-American to own, nor is it contributing to the downfall of the American auto industry. The unions and car companies are doing a fine job of that on their own.
What is clear, however, is that McCain's own driver is a 2004 Cadillac CTS. The other American-made cars in his fleet include a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup, a 1960 Willys Jeep, a 2008 Jeep Wrangler, a 2000 Lincoln, a 2001 GMC SUV and three 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles. But the killer is a 2005 Volkswagen convertible and a 2001 Honda sedan. So, that's 2 foreign cars to 9 American-made cars. Now, that's only 11 cars, but they're also counting the Prius that McCain's daughter drives, and a Lexus that Cindy McCain drives, but is actually owned by her beer-distributor company. So, worst case, that's 4 foreign to 9 domestic.
And, apparently you have to forget that Honda employs over 25,000 Americans, and VW will soon open a plant in Tennessee that'll employ another 2,000 people. But those employees are not UAW members, so they're both bad employers and probably bad employees too.
As the owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, let me just say one thing to the UAW and the American auto industry in response to the Prius issue. IF YOU WANT ME TO BUY AN AMERICAN-MADE HYBRID CAR, BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A LARGE SEDAN OR A SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLE! I'm not interested in going from a giant gas-guzzler getting 12 mpg, to now getting 19 mpg. Nor am I interested in a sedan that goes from 22 to 29. Honda realized that people don't want that, and ended their Hybrid Accord. If I'm buying a Hybrid car, I want 40 to 60 miles-per-gallon.
I had made a decision, based on my driving requirements, that a small hybrid car made sense. That limited me to a Civic or a Prius. I personally liked the design and style of the Civic over the Prius, the cost was lower, and the government tax incentive to buy a Civic was better. That's right... the U.S. government incentivized the purchase of my foreign car in the name of global warming. So, which is it... buy green, or buy American?
I can't begrudge McCain's family for either owning 13 cars, or owning a few foreign ones in there. If anything, the McCains have done more than their fair share to support the American worker. I would bet that if you really looked at those foreign cars, you'd find they were either assembled in America, or included a lot of American-made parts. More and more, foreign car manufacturers are recognizing that they have to manufacture their cars closer to the market. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Subaru, and lots of other foreign car companies build cars right here.
In a 2007 USA Today article, How American is that car?" there's a great list showing the percentage of American and Canadian made content, plus which cars were assembled in America. A great indicator of how ridiculous this argument is is the Honda Acura TL (as an example of a Honda sedan). The 2007 Honda Acura TL was made with 70% American/Canadian parts and assembled in Ohio. This was also the case for the Honda Accord. My own Civic Hybrid is 55% American/Canadian parts.
Let's drop this one as a topic of debate. Just because a car has a foreign badge on it, does not make it un-American to own, nor is it contributing to the downfall of the American auto industry. The unions and car companies are doing a fine job of that on their own.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Lamberton Conservatory
So, this afternoon we were looking for something to do with Audrey. It was already about 2pm, and it's not exactly great outside, so that kind of limits what we can do. Also, since Audrey can't walk yet, it's not like we can go somewhere where she can play - for example, the Strong Museum of Play, which is somewhere we really would like to go.
Anyway, we ended up going to the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park. It's right off of South Avenue on Reservoir. I haven't been there for several years, so I was looking forward to it. What's really nice is, even on a cold crappy day (albeit, today was in the 40s, and not too bad out) it's fantastic inside. There's a great array of plants from tropical to dessert. For some pics, check out my facebook account - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1052074477.
What struck me is, what a great, totally underutilized space! For $2.00, I COULD go inside, find a nice spot, sit down and read a book. It's very quiet, and comfortable, and could be much more. I could soooooo see them adding a coffee cart, wireless internet connection, and maybe another wing to the place. Ok, maybe another wing is a bit much, but they could certainly add coffee and wireless. In fact, it might be a good way to raise some additional funding to build a new wing to the place!
Anyway, we ended up going to the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park. It's right off of South Avenue on Reservoir. I haven't been there for several years, so I was looking forward to it. What's really nice is, even on a cold crappy day (albeit, today was in the 40s, and not too bad out) it's fantastic inside. There's a great array of plants from tropical to dessert. For some pics, check out my facebook account - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1052074477.
What struck me is, what a great, totally underutilized space! For $2.00, I COULD go inside, find a nice spot, sit down and read a book. It's very quiet, and comfortable, and could be much more. I could soooooo see them adding a coffee cart, wireless internet connection, and maybe another wing to the place. Ok, maybe another wing is a bit much, but they could certainly add coffee and wireless. In fact, it might be a good way to raise some additional funding to build a new wing to the place!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
It's a boy!
Well, now the balance of power shifts back to the male side in the Gottfried household. We recently found out we're having a boy! Now I'll have someone to do all those father-son things with. Let's see... what father-son things did my dad and I do? Well, we regularly went booze shopping, and bought a fair amount of smoked fish, and um, yeah... let's see....
So, I'll have to figure out some stuff to do, but it shouldn't be a problem. And who knows, maybe Audrey will also be into booze and smoked fish?
Anyway, I'll be sure to update this with some of the ultrasound pics, as soon as the DVD arrives.
On another totally different topic, there have been a bunch of interesting developments going on for Downtown Rochester. A couple months ago, it was announced that Midtown Plaza would be torn down, the site remediated, and a new $100 million, 25 story (or so) tall headquarters for Paetec Communications would be built on a portion of the site. Well, two more interesting things happened over the past week. The first thing is, they broke ground on the first major residential project in High Falls where the old Kodak Visitor's Parking Lot was - across from the old Empire Brewing Company site. There's also another good sized residential development going up in the East Ave area down by The Little Theatre. And someone is converting one of the last old vacant industrial buildings inside the inner loop into more residential space. (I may go out today and take some pictures to add to a post later today). And in theory, there's another downtown residential project happening where the parking garage helix came crashing down a couple years ago.
Yesterday, it was announced that ESL Federal Credit Bureau would build a new corporate headquarters in Downtown across the street from the Strong Museum of Play. It's a $50 million project, with a six story building and a new parking garage on just over 3 acres.
After this announcement, next year the City will actually look like a growing place! There'll be at least three major construction projects going on downtown, with the possibility of 2 or 3 more. Plus, the Western Gateway project will be moving onto the next stage, which is basically resurfacing the entire chunk of I-490 from the City out towards the canal overpass.
Very cool stuff. Assuming I get the chance to take some "before" pics, I'll try to post them tonight.
So, I'll have to figure out some stuff to do, but it shouldn't be a problem. And who knows, maybe Audrey will also be into booze and smoked fish?
Anyway, I'll be sure to update this with some of the ultrasound pics, as soon as the DVD arrives.
On another totally different topic, there have been a bunch of interesting developments going on for Downtown Rochester. A couple months ago, it was announced that Midtown Plaza would be torn down, the site remediated, and a new $100 million, 25 story (or so) tall headquarters for Paetec Communications would be built on a portion of the site. Well, two more interesting things happened over the past week. The first thing is, they broke ground on the first major residential project in High Falls where the old Kodak Visitor's Parking Lot was - across from the old Empire Brewing Company site. There's also another good sized residential development going up in the East Ave area down by The Little Theatre. And someone is converting one of the last old vacant industrial buildings inside the inner loop into more residential space. (I may go out today and take some pictures to add to a post later today). And in theory, there's another downtown residential project happening where the parking garage helix came crashing down a couple years ago.
Yesterday, it was announced that ESL Federal Credit Bureau would build a new corporate headquarters in Downtown across the street from the Strong Museum of Play. It's a $50 million project, with a six story building and a new parking garage on just over 3 acres.
After this announcement, next year the City will actually look like a growing place! There'll be at least three major construction projects going on downtown, with the possibility of 2 or 3 more. Plus, the Western Gateway project will be moving onto the next stage, which is basically resurfacing the entire chunk of I-490 from the City out towards the canal overpass.
Very cool stuff. Assuming I get the chance to take some "before" pics, I'll try to post them tonight.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Another nap, another post
Well, Audrey is soundly sleeping (I hope), which gives me some time to write something. So, what's new... what's new....
Well, to start, you can start calling Audrey "Big Sister" cause there's a little one on the way! At this point, Julie is 12-weeks in, so there's still a lot of time - her due date is in late June. I'll have to scan the ultrasound pic so you can see the little guy/gal. It's obviously WAY too soon to tell what the sex of the new baby is, and once again, names are secret... so we'll be holding off on making that announcement.
So, this means that the house is about to get a lot smaller. Our spare bedroom will likely become another nursery. If it's a girl, there's a chance we'll just double up in Audrey's room, but I'm thinking regardless, we're losing the spare bedroom. This also means our plans on staying in our current home for another 5 years or so seems unlikely. So I guess it's time to at least start looking for possible future homes. Now, we haven't really discussed it too much, but I really want to more somewhere more centrally located. In a perfect world, the City schools would be the best in the world... so we could move into the City. But once you get past elementary school, the City schools kindof suck.
I'd really like to be in Brighton, Webster, Penfield, or Pittsford. I personally like Brighton because it's still nice and close to all our favorite City activities, and it's also near lots of good food, Pittsford Wegmans, both I-490 and I-590, and will be WAY more convenient for me - assuming that I'm still driving to Canandaigua for a few more years. In fact, even if I weren't, it's still more convenient.
So, what else is new? Well, business is going well. I picked up a very nice client in Pittsford who has lots of potential. And, they have space there, in case I ever needed any. I started a new business - BiSen Technologies, Inc. with a group of partners. We're commercializing a sensor technology from Infotonics that one of my partners invented while a contract scientist at Infotonics. We were developing it with some pre-seed funding from Cornell/Infotonics. The initial market-segment we're going after is the dairy industry, although there's the potential for the sensor to be used in apple juice/cider. The response from the farming community has been fantastic. In fact, if we had a working system right now, some of these guys would have bought systems right away. So, the big issue now is whether or not we can get a proof of concept, or even a working prototype. We've submitted a Phase I SBIR to the USDA, and this week we submit to another USDA program for a two-year R&D program, so hopefully one of those will pan out. What I really need is about $120K to get to a working prototype for detection of a single organism. In order to detect the array of things we want to, however, we're probably looking at a minimum of $480K and a maximum of $3 million. The $3 million would actually allow us to target two very high priority organisms - cryptosporidium and mycoplasma. If we can do that, then our technology has the potential to take off in the biomedical marketplace. In addition to BiSen, Javelin itself is doing quite well. Infotonics is really starting to pick up speed - and if the state of New York would just reimburse us on a reasonable schedule, we'd be in amazing shape.
So, otherwise, things are going pretty good. Here are some new pictures for your enjoyment... including our Christmas tree!
Well, to start, you can start calling Audrey "Big Sister" cause there's a little one on the way! At this point, Julie is 12-weeks in, so there's still a lot of time - her due date is in late June. I'll have to scan the ultrasound pic so you can see the little guy/gal. It's obviously WAY too soon to tell what the sex of the new baby is, and once again, names are secret... so we'll be holding off on making that announcement.
So, this means that the house is about to get a lot smaller. Our spare bedroom will likely become another nursery. If it's a girl, there's a chance we'll just double up in Audrey's room, but I'm thinking regardless, we're losing the spare bedroom. This also means our plans on staying in our current home for another 5 years or so seems unlikely. So I guess it's time to at least start looking for possible future homes. Now, we haven't really discussed it too much, but I really want to more somewhere more centrally located. In a perfect world, the City schools would be the best in the world... so we could move into the City. But once you get past elementary school, the City schools kindof suck.
I'd really like to be in Brighton, Webster, Penfield, or Pittsford. I personally like Brighton because it's still nice and close to all our favorite City activities, and it's also near lots of good food, Pittsford Wegmans, both I-490 and I-590, and will be WAY more convenient for me - assuming that I'm still driving to Canandaigua for a few more years. In fact, even if I weren't, it's still more convenient.
So, what else is new? Well, business is going well. I picked up a very nice client in Pittsford who has lots of potential. And, they have space there, in case I ever needed any. I started a new business - BiSen Technologies, Inc. with a group of partners. We're commercializing a sensor technology from Infotonics that one of my partners invented while a contract scientist at Infotonics. We were developing it with some pre-seed funding from Cornell/Infotonics. The initial market-segment we're going after is the dairy industry, although there's the potential for the sensor to be used in apple juice/cider. The response from the farming community has been fantastic. In fact, if we had a working system right now, some of these guys would have bought systems right away. So, the big issue now is whether or not we can get a proof of concept, or even a working prototype. We've submitted a Phase I SBIR to the USDA, and this week we submit to another USDA program for a two-year R&D program, so hopefully one of those will pan out. What I really need is about $120K to get to a working prototype for detection of a single organism. In order to detect the array of things we want to, however, we're probably looking at a minimum of $480K and a maximum of $3 million. The $3 million would actually allow us to target two very high priority organisms - cryptosporidium and mycoplasma. If we can do that, then our technology has the potential to take off in the biomedical marketplace. In addition to BiSen, Javelin itself is doing quite well. Infotonics is really starting to pick up speed - and if the state of New York would just reimburse us on a reasonable schedule, we'd be in amazing shape.
So, otherwise, things are going pretty good. Here are some new pictures for your enjoyment... including our Christmas tree!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Wow, it's been a long time!
And my brother apparently is annoyed every time he comes here and sees the same post time after time. So, here's my best attempt at updating the weblog while Audrey is sleeping and I have a few moments to myself. Julie is also home, but she had to work last night, so she's upstairs sleeping. I'm hoping she's up around 2pm, though, so that we can head over to Mary Maida's open house, and then go get a Christmas tree. I got the space all set up - it's going to be in the dining room, rather than the living room... I just hope it fits. If not, we'll just have to move things around a bit in the living room to make it work.
So, I'm going to write a little on what I've been up to recently, but before I get into that, I'm going to post what most people are probably interested in... baby pics! So, here we go...
OK... and since Blogger only lets you do 5 pics at a time... here's some more!
And last, but not least...
OK... so hopefully people will be happy with the pics.
So, what else is up? Tons of stuff! But unfortunately, uploading all those pics took up so much time that I don't have the time to really say everything. I'm going to really try to do it later tonight after our day is basically done... that way I might even be able to post a couple pics of the new tree. Cheers!
So, I'm going to write a little on what I've been up to recently, but before I get into that, I'm going to post what most people are probably interested in... baby pics! So, here we go...
OK... and since Blogger only lets you do 5 pics at a time... here's some more!
And last, but not least...
OK... so hopefully people will be happy with the pics.
So, what else is up? Tons of stuff! But unfortunately, uploading all those pics took up so much time that I don't have the time to really say everything. I'm going to really try to do it later tonight after our day is basically done... that way I might even be able to post a couple pics of the new tree. Cheers!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
FINALLY!
Well, I finally reset my password and can now post on my blog again. Why Google decided it made sense to change the way Blogger worked, I really don't know... but it sure was a pain in the ass. I'm also posting the occasional update on my javelin-group.com website blog, and from time to time, add stuff to my Myspace page.
Anyway, I've got TONS of stuff that I'd like to add to the blog - especially pictures of Audrey! It's been months, and she's a little person now! Now, God only knows if anyone still checks my blog, so please leave a comment if you did in fact visit and saw this update. As a taste, here's a pic!
Anyway, I've got TONS of stuff that I'd like to add to the blog - especially pictures of Audrey! It's been months, and she's a little person now! Now, God only knows if anyone still checks my blog, so please leave a comment if you did in fact visit and saw this update. As a taste, here's a pic!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
The Apprentice
I just watched my first episode of this season's The Apprentice. I think I'm glad I don't watch this show. The remaining contestants are supposed to be the top four prospects out of millions of applications to be the next Trump apprentice? OK, ok... I'm sure all the real successful young people are too busy making their own millions than to deal with Trump (damn, did I see Trump Vodka at Whitehouse the other day?!), so the pool of prospective candidates is already limited. But these people are such, uh, douchbags. None of them are likeable, and I wouldn't want to work with any of them.
Having only seen this one example of their collective business genious, maybe I'm missing something. I also don't know their backgrounds - nor do I care to find out. The Asian dude from Seattle is an "internet business owner," WTF does that mean? Are there really still internet businesses out there? The meat-head white guy seemed pretty good, but he's a MEAT-HEAD-WHITE-GUY. I shouldn't be able to describe one of the top business prospects in America as a MEAT HEAD. (Negative, I am a meat popsicle.)
There are two chicks left. One is really annoying, the other struck me as annoying, but quieter. Apparently, in order for women to succeed in business, they cannot just be smart, hard working tacticians. They need to be obnoxious.
So, next week, The Donald will pick one of these four remaining folks to be his ostensible apprentice. I may actually watch what will undoubtedly be a hourlong blame-fest so that the least incompetent will hang on long enough to not be fired. Add lots and lots of commercials and entertainment ensues. I wonder what really becomes of the past winners of this show. Did they get jobs that they kept? Did they go back to their own businesses? Did they love working for Trump, or hate it? Was it really an apprenticeship - where Trump took them under his wing and tought them everything he's learned from a lifetime of whatever the heck it is he's done? Have they become more successful in their business endeavors as a result? Or is this just reality television, where the contestants don't have an interest in following through with the "winning". How many reality marriages have been successful? (Flavor Flav!!)
Having only seen this one example of their collective business genious, maybe I'm missing something. I also don't know their backgrounds - nor do I care to find out. The Asian dude from Seattle is an "internet business owner," WTF does that mean? Are there really still internet businesses out there? The meat-head white guy seemed pretty good, but he's a MEAT-HEAD-WHITE-GUY. I shouldn't be able to describe one of the top business prospects in America as a MEAT HEAD. (Negative, I am a meat popsicle.)
There are two chicks left. One is really annoying, the other struck me as annoying, but quieter. Apparently, in order for women to succeed in business, they cannot just be smart, hard working tacticians. They need to be obnoxious.
So, next week, The Donald will pick one of these four remaining folks to be his ostensible apprentice. I may actually watch what will undoubtedly be a hourlong blame-fest so that the least incompetent will hang on long enough to not be fired. Add lots and lots of commercials and entertainment ensues. I wonder what really becomes of the past winners of this show. Did they get jobs that they kept? Did they go back to their own businesses? Did they love working for Trump, or hate it? Was it really an apprenticeship - where Trump took them under his wing and tought them everything he's learned from a lifetime of whatever the heck it is he's done? Have they become more successful in their business endeavors as a result? Or is this just reality television, where the contestants don't have an interest in following through with the "winning". How many reality marriages have been successful? (Flavor Flav!!)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Kodak Venture Program
I'm reading a very interesting book on business incubators, and there's a great paragraph in the early history of incubation that goes as follows:
"Kodak established a major corporate venturing program in the early 1980s and attracted over 4000 internal venture proposals. Some 300 of these received seed funding, more than 100 were commercialized as separate units or adopted internally, and only 14 became new businesses, spun into the holding company, Eastman Technologies. By 1990, only one of these was still operating independently as a Kodak subsidiary and in 1989 Kodak announced it was discontinuing new venture activity. "
That really makes me appreciate what my dad had to go through to get DISCUS Electronic Training up and running, and eventually purchased by Kodak. I did a Google search on "Eastman Technologies" and found a fantastic description of the environment that fostered this development:
"Creating the venture capital arm called Eastman Technologies in the mid-80s meant that Kodak generously funded some innovative startup companies, like the one I worked for, Edicon Systems Division. The entrepreneurial design teams for the (dozen? I think--can't remember) venture companies were made up of thinkers, hard workers, scientists, patent-holders, and really brilliant, mostly passionate people. The brainpower and spirit of innovation at Edicon and the other Ventures in the late 80s and early 90s was real. I saw it. I felt it. There was, in truth, a dot-com spirit pre-dot-com, in those days. Ventures were staffed by the brightest and best from in and (more importantly) outside of the company in the beginning. Out-of-the-box (pun intended) thinkers who thought they could make a difference in the world, or at least in the world of technology and digital imaging. If Kodak had launched Eastman Technologies ten years later, something would have popped for the old red and yellow box. I am 97-percent sure of that. "
Wow. Exactly what I'd like to see happen again in Rochester, and a big reason why I'm so eager to get the Infotonics Commercialization Center off the ground. Unfortunately, there are forces in play that have little interest in economic development, more more interest in gaining power, influence, and spending taxpayers money (which they have no feelings of responsibility to spend with care.)
"Kodak established a major corporate venturing program in the early 1980s and attracted over 4000 internal venture proposals. Some 300 of these received seed funding, more than 100 were commercialized as separate units or adopted internally, and only 14 became new businesses, spun into the holding company, Eastman Technologies. By 1990, only one of these was still operating independently as a Kodak subsidiary and in 1989 Kodak announced it was discontinuing new venture activity. "
That really makes me appreciate what my dad had to go through to get DISCUS Electronic Training up and running, and eventually purchased by Kodak. I did a Google search on "Eastman Technologies" and found a fantastic description of the environment that fostered this development:
"Creating the venture capital arm called Eastman Technologies in the mid-80s meant that Kodak generously funded some innovative startup companies, like the one I worked for, Edicon Systems Division. The entrepreneurial design teams for the (dozen? I think--can't remember) venture companies were made up of thinkers, hard workers, scientists, patent-holders, and really brilliant, mostly passionate people. The brainpower and spirit of innovation at Edicon and the other Ventures in the late 80s and early 90s was real. I saw it. I felt it. There was, in truth, a dot-com spirit pre-dot-com, in those days. Ventures were staffed by the brightest and best from in and (more importantly) outside of the company in the beginning. Out-of-the-box (pun intended) thinkers who thought they could make a difference in the world, or at least in the world of technology and digital imaging. If Kodak had launched Eastman Technologies ten years later, something would have popped for the old red and yellow box. I am 97-percent sure of that. "
Wow. Exactly what I'd like to see happen again in Rochester, and a big reason why I'm so eager to get the Infotonics Commercialization Center off the ground. Unfortunately, there are forces in play that have little interest in economic development, more more interest in gaining power, influence, and spending taxpayers money (which they have no feelings of responsibility to spend with care.)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Audrey is getting bigger
We had our 4 month checkup today... and she's still in the 95th percentile for length, weight, and head circumference. Yup, she's growing like a weed! Of course, today also meant shots... which weren't particularly appreciated. So, it was also a long day for the little one. Here's some new pics to enjoy!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Nice When Your Projects Pan Out
Well, one of the many projects I've been working on for the past year or so for Infotonics finally panned out. While I'm getting absolutely no credit, I'll at least be kindof boastful on my own weblog.
This will ultimately result in the creation of a new business incubator in the Rochester region. We're already lining up companies to fill the space, and I'm hoping if we have a dozen companies located here, we can help them grow some significant news jobs. Now if some of the other things I've been working on also pan out, Infotonics itself will have a whole lot more sound financial future.
Here's the story that ran in today's D&C:
$3M grant to expand Infotonics Center
Matched by state, it's expected to result in as many as 200 jobs.
Daniel Wallace
Staff writer
(March 22, 2007) — A number of high-paying jobs could be on the way to the Rochester area, thanks to a $3 million federal grant awarded Wednesday to the Infotonics Center in Canandaigua.
The grant, which was provided by the Economic Development Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, will help the Canandaigua high-tech center expand its operations by 10 percent.
President and Chief Executive Officer David R. Smith said the expansion could generate as much as $130 million in private investments in the greater Rochester region.
"This expansion is important to our mission of creating high-tech jobs in western New York ... and is a significant investment for us," said the CEO.
According to Smith, the money will be matched by New York state, giving the technology company $6 million to enlarge its 120,000 square-foot facility.
"This grant is a huge boost to the Infotonics Center and Canandaigua," said Rep. Randy Kuhl, R-Hammondsport, who helped secure the grant.
Kuhl said the research efforts in microsystems, photonics, optics and information technology "are things that we only dreamed about a few years ago, and now that research is spinning off into job and revenue-creating businesses right here in our area."
According to a news release from Kuhl's office, the $3 million investment would help renovate the incubator space for startup photonics, information systems and optics businesses. It would also help in the construction of the Infotonics Commercialization Center and in the process could create about 200 jobs for region.
Infotonics helps smaller companies and entrepreneurs explore emerging technologies and new applications.
The Infotonics Center specializes in semiconductor microsystems, which are used to support televisions, inkjet printers and airbag censors.
In addition to the new funding, the Infotonics Center was the recipient of $1 million in defense research funding in the 2007 Defense Appropriations bill and $2 million in the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill.
"This investment will help Canandaigua generate a commercial environment that will attract entrepreneurs, business and capital," U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said in a statement supporting the project.
DJWALLAC@DemocratandChronicle.com
This will ultimately result in the creation of a new business incubator in the Rochester region. We're already lining up companies to fill the space, and I'm hoping if we have a dozen companies located here, we can help them grow some significant news jobs. Now if some of the other things I've been working on also pan out, Infotonics itself will have a whole lot more sound financial future.
Here's the story that ran in today's D&C:
$3M grant to expand Infotonics Center
Matched by state, it's expected to result in as many as 200 jobs.
Daniel Wallace
Staff writer
(March 22, 2007) — A number of high-paying jobs could be on the way to the Rochester area, thanks to a $3 million federal grant awarded Wednesday to the Infotonics Center in Canandaigua.
The grant, which was provided by the Economic Development Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, will help the Canandaigua high-tech center expand its operations by 10 percent.
President and Chief Executive Officer David R. Smith said the expansion could generate as much as $130 million in private investments in the greater Rochester region.
"This expansion is important to our mission of creating high-tech jobs in western New York ... and is a significant investment for us," said the CEO.
According to Smith, the money will be matched by New York state, giving the technology company $6 million to enlarge its 120,000 square-foot facility.
"This grant is a huge boost to the Infotonics Center and Canandaigua," said Rep. Randy Kuhl, R-Hammondsport, who helped secure the grant.
Kuhl said the research efforts in microsystems, photonics, optics and information technology "are things that we only dreamed about a few years ago, and now that research is spinning off into job and revenue-creating businesses right here in our area."
According to a news release from Kuhl's office, the $3 million investment would help renovate the incubator space for startup photonics, information systems and optics businesses. It would also help in the construction of the Infotonics Commercialization Center and in the process could create about 200 jobs for region.
Infotonics helps smaller companies and entrepreneurs explore emerging technologies and new applications.
The Infotonics Center specializes in semiconductor microsystems, which are used to support televisions, inkjet printers and airbag censors.
In addition to the new funding, the Infotonics Center was the recipient of $1 million in defense research funding in the 2007 Defense Appropriations bill and $2 million in the 2006 Defense Appropriations bill.
"This investment will help Canandaigua generate a commercial environment that will attract entrepreneurs, business and capital," U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez said in a statement supporting the project.
DJWALLAC@DemocratandChronicle.com
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Yay! More Baby Pics!
Here's some new baby pics from earlier today. Does she look like she's up for a fight in that one pic?
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Simon Cowell is Lost
I'm sitting here watching American Idol, and the first male contestant of the night just finished. I thought he was pretty darn good. He joined the military after September 11th, and seems like a really likable guy. Plus his voice was really good. It kindof had a Sting-like quality. Randy and Paula gave their typically banal reaction, though they were positive responses, and then Simon described him as a good karaoke singer. Hmmm... if this guy's karaoke, I'm going to start going to karaoke concerts, cause he was pretty damn good. But I think Simon has lost touch with what it's going to take to win. Apparently he hasn't been watching his own show, cause it has little to do with the best talent, and more to do with who connects with the audience, or who has something "freakish" about them that voters can exploit and force the general public to see week after week.
Simon is apparently under the impression that talent has something to do with winning. This can't be the case. Other than Kelly Clarkson (who is talented - but also a pretty hot chick who undoubtedly won on her looks too), the others are all kindof freakish. Rueben Studdard is the incredibly fat black guy (or incredibly black fat guy?), Fantasia is freakishly, uh freakish, and Taylor Hicks has GREY HAIR and is also really weird. Oh yeah, I forgot about Carrie Underwood, who won in a particularly un-exciting fashion, and is pretty darn forgetable. She also won on her looks. Who was she up against? Some ugly dude? I don't even remember!
So Simon, get a grip. This contest has nothing to do with who is most likely to be a pop star. Or a rock star. Or any kind of star, other than perhaps freak show. None of the current contestants is outwardly freakish - maybe something will show up over the next few weeks. Perhaps "Beatbox dude" will wow us week after week with his beatboxing... which might be weird enough to keep him around forever - getting rid of better singers. I think Simon believes he's still on Pop Idol - but American's like to support weirdos, and I almost guarantee that another weirdo will win this year.
Simon is apparently under the impression that talent has something to do with winning. This can't be the case. Other than Kelly Clarkson (who is talented - but also a pretty hot chick who undoubtedly won on her looks too), the others are all kindof freakish. Rueben Studdard is the incredibly fat black guy (or incredibly black fat guy?), Fantasia is freakishly, uh freakish, and Taylor Hicks has GREY HAIR and is also really weird. Oh yeah, I forgot about Carrie Underwood, who won in a particularly un-exciting fashion, and is pretty darn forgetable. She also won on her looks. Who was she up against? Some ugly dude? I don't even remember!
So Simon, get a grip. This contest has nothing to do with who is most likely to be a pop star. Or a rock star. Or any kind of star, other than perhaps freak show. None of the current contestants is outwardly freakish - maybe something will show up over the next few weeks. Perhaps "Beatbox dude" will wow us week after week with his beatboxing... which might be weird enough to keep him around forever - getting rid of better singers. I think Simon believes he's still on Pop Idol - but American's like to support weirdos, and I almost guarantee that another weirdo will win this year.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Downtown Housing Developments
There've been a few stories in the local media recently about the boom in downtown housing developments. This is in the wake of such projects as the $15 million Sagamore on East project, the new condos built between Scio Street and The Little Theatre, and a ton of loft apartment projects going on within the inner loop. All really good stuff. And the new projects being planned are also fantastic - the new apartments to be added behind the project around The Little on Charlotte Street, two residential projects in High Falls - one a redo of the last old building down there, and the other a partnership with the Urban League and Kodak. Plus, my personal favorite, re-doing the old bath house building component into housing. In fact, I looked at that property a couple years ago too as a possible office building for a mix of small companies. Capron Place still needs a new buyer, as the original developer apparently went broke, but that will also be a great project across the street from the bath house.
So, I get a little disoriented when I start reading my New York Times Sunday Magazine and I see ads for new apartment buildings down there, with condos STARTING at anywhere from $1,500,000 or $1,950,000 up to $7,000,000. Wow. It makes you realize the nature of the real estate business! Here the debate has been over spending $7,000,000 on buying the Midtown complex from a NYC firm and managing redevelopment locally, which in NYC, $7 million gets you a nice place to live! For examples, check out here and here.
Not to mention, these new apartment buildings are AMAZING. They're basically giant glass towers with amazing views all around. Waterfront locations too. Now, the City of Rochester did this charette thing a few months ago - with one of the more interesting components being a 15 story residential building located on the site of the old parking garage helix. I think it's a fantastic idea - though the design sketch was kindof lame. It was very traditional and old fashioned. I wish we could be a little more forward thinking when it comes to architectural designs in the City - like the Strong Museum - but apparently design risks are one of the risks the community isn't willing to take.
So, I get a little disoriented when I start reading my New York Times Sunday Magazine and I see ads for new apartment buildings down there, with condos STARTING at anywhere from $1,500,000 or $1,950,000 up to $7,000,000. Wow. It makes you realize the nature of the real estate business! Here the debate has been over spending $7,000,000 on buying the Midtown complex from a NYC firm and managing redevelopment locally, which in NYC, $7 million gets you a nice place to live! For examples, check out here and here.
Not to mention, these new apartment buildings are AMAZING. They're basically giant glass towers with amazing views all around. Waterfront locations too. Now, the City of Rochester did this charette thing a few months ago - with one of the more interesting components being a 15 story residential building located on the site of the old parking garage helix. I think it's a fantastic idea - though the design sketch was kindof lame. It was very traditional and old fashioned. I wish we could be a little more forward thinking when it comes to architectural designs in the City - like the Strong Museum - but apparently design risks are one of the risks the community isn't willing to take.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Trader Joe's Too Good for Rochester?
The Rochester D&C did an article recently on the difficulty of locating a grocery store in downtown Rochester. One company they interviewed was Trader Joe's. Apparently, Rochester is not on their radar. Really? I wonder if the success of Wegman's could possibly be our own worst enemy? I'm sure Trader Joe's is aware of Wegman's. And I'm also betting that like almost every other grocery store chain in the nation, they fear Wegman's tremendously. The basic reaction of the crappy grocery store chains is, "Oh shit... Wegman's... we're in trouble." From what I can see, this is because Wegman's is really, really, really good. They don't look at it like they're doing us a favor by providing groceries. They recognize the importance of the customer and treat them extremely well.
But this doesn't address the Trader Joe's (or any other niche grocery chain) not coming to Rochester. Clearly, there is a need for a downtown grocery store. And The Sagamore on East *might* be a good place for it, but god only knows. It would seem, however, that the East End would be a great location for a Grocery in the City. It's strategically located in one of the fastest growing areas of the City - and it's continuing to grow. There's going to be another great development on Charlotte street which will further boost residential numbers in the City. Given all the other new residential in the area, that screams "market opportunity" to me. Especially for a small format, Trader Joe's style grocery chain. Sure, Green Grocer just opened up on South Avenue, but they're not open really long hours, and they're closed entirely on Sundays. If the trend continues, I'm sure something will pop up. I'd love it to be Trader Joe's, but I won't hold my breath.
But this doesn't address the Trader Joe's (or any other niche grocery chain) not coming to Rochester. Clearly, there is a need for a downtown grocery store. And The Sagamore on East *might* be a good place for it, but god only knows. It would seem, however, that the East End would be a great location for a Grocery in the City. It's strategically located in one of the fastest growing areas of the City - and it's continuing to grow. There's going to be another great development on Charlotte street which will further boost residential numbers in the City. Given all the other new residential in the area, that screams "market opportunity" to me. Especially for a small format, Trader Joe's style grocery chain. Sure, Green Grocer just opened up on South Avenue, but they're not open really long hours, and they're closed entirely on Sundays. If the trend continues, I'm sure something will pop up. I'd love it to be Trader Joe's, but I won't hold my breath.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
BUMBO!
Let me repeat.... BUMBO! This is a big pink plastic chair that kind of molds to Audrey's shape to keep her sitting upright. This kiddo LOVES to be upright. In fact, when she goes from being held over mommy or daddy's shoulder to being held in our arms, her face slowly transforms from happy baby, to concerned baby, to angry baby and eventually to magenta rageful baby.
Anyway, here are some pics of her in her new Bumbo. She'll probably enjoy it more later, cause it was just before bedtime when we tried this out. Enjoy!
Anyway, here are some pics of her in her new Bumbo. She'll probably enjoy it more later, cause it was just before bedtime when we tried this out. Enjoy!
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