4.8.08
Nickels and Dimes
A couple of years ago, Southwest Airlines introduced a commercial that made fun of those little fees the other airlines had begun charging their passengers. I always thought it was a funny and I'm sure did a great job for Southwest. I thought of this commercial again today upon hearing the news that both JetBlue and USAirways will begin charging their passengers $7 to use a pillow and blanket on a flight.
The continuing nickle and diming of airline passengers continues as the airlines continue looking for ways to bolster their revenue. Hard to see an end in sight...shame that all these fees continue to build up. The large majority of these fees seem targeted at the everyday traveler...not the business traveler - making air travel more and more difficult.
The continuing nickle and diming of airline passengers continues as the airlines continue looking for ways to bolster their revenue. Hard to see an end in sight...shame that all these fees continue to build up. The large majority of these fees seem targeted at the everyday traveler...not the business traveler - making air travel more and more difficult.
1.8.08
Virginia Wine Tasting
Virginia Wine Country - Trip ReportJuly 31, 2008
Picked up my car at DCA and made it down to the Horton Vineyard around noon. This place was recommended as a starting point by wine afficiando Gary Vaynerchuk. He circled this vineyard as exhibiting the most promise of any in the state of Virginia and with its proximity to Keswick & Barboursville it would be easy to see all three.The first thing that jumped out to me when I got into their tasting room was the 40+ wines they offered. I’ve been wine tasting all around the world and had never encountered a place (outside of a wine expo) with this many choices. Jumped right in with a couple of their white wines and enjoyed their estate Viognier the most. Horton was the first Virginia vineyard to plant Viognier grapes and after a couple years of struggling with it, it’s finally starting to take on some of the classic characteristics that are now being seen from Paso and the Rhone Valley. Amongst their reds, the Horton Norton was the most interesting to me. The Norton grape is native to Virginia, and a varietal I’d never heard of before. VERY dark, with flashes of inkiness – this was a seriously heavy wine! I learned that the Norton Vineyard sells a TON of fruit/desert wine – both of which are not too interesting to me…so I stayed away from them. Overall, I liked Norton and after having some awful Viognier’s from Virginia over the past 2-3 months, was pleasantly surprised at their effort.
We drove 1 mile down the street to Barboursville Vineyard. Adjacent to a nice restaurant, this tasting cost $4/person (but we got to keep our snazzy tasting glasses). We were offered 16 wines, and I really enjoyed their Riesling and Cab (both were, 89+ points in my book0. I was very happy however, with the overall selection of wines being offered at Barboursville. They produced un-oaked Chardonnay which I really enjoyed and a Cab Franc Reserve that was drinking very well. Their signature wine, Octogon ( a proprietary blend driven by Merlot, with elements of Reserve Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) was tasting quite young, but is showing nice structure on the backend. We were told this would drink best after 2012. Overall, a more solid selection of wine than Horton…very enjoyable.
Last was Keswick. I’d never heard of this place before, but before heading back to DCA I searched wineries on our Neverlost console and it popped up just down the road. This boutique vineyard was set off the road on a gorgeous estate. Cost was $8 for a tasting that included their reserve wines. This vineyard was a bit disappointing as only two of their wines I found to be enjoyable. First was their reserve Viognier and next was their reserve Merlot. Both were just fantastic, and were tasting very well at this time. I ended up buying a bottle of the Viognier reserve to bring home…so I will try it again tonight.
I got a sense from speaking with a couple of winemakers that the Central region of Virginia is about to come into its own. For so long they were forcing grapes that just weren’t suitable for their environment. It sounded like over the past 3-5 years the winemakers have begun to discover the wines that will really do well and are running with those. I think we’re just a couple years away from Parker or Wine Spectator giving some big scores to one or two Virginia wines. The price is still an issue, but we were able to find a fair amount of decent wine under the $17-$20 price range which was good.
It was a great day of tasting for the two of us. My girlfriend had never been tasting before, so this was a fun learning experience for her. The drive back to DCA was miserably, and after we got home the only thing we were complaining about was the amount of time we needed to spend in the car getting down there.
10.7.08
We're Back
After many months of not tending this blog, I've carved time out of my daily grind to begin writing again. This space will become a place for me to talk about things that are happening in my day-to-day - hopefully, some of which, will be of interest to you.
1.3.08
The Countdown of the Best Philadelphia Sports Athletes (of my lifetime)
Another list - this time devoted to Philadelphia sports. The list below serves as my rundown of the greatest Philadelphia pro athletes I've seen in my 27 years.
10. Wes Hopkins/Andre Waters - these guys are the reason that I love the Eagles like I do. Never afraid of contact or confrontation, they were the most intimidating safeties of their era (imho) and again, in my opinon, easily trumped the all-pro combo of Brian Dawkins and Michael Lewis on the early 2000s.
9. Jameer Nelson - such an incredible talent at St. Joeseph's University. I'm not a huge SJU fan, but much found myself pulling for them because of the leadership and play that Nelson exhibited during their incredible run in 2003-2004.
8. Eric Lindros - overhyped? overpaid? loved getting concussions? perhaps. but what i do know about #88 was that during his Hart Trophy Award year, I'd never seen anyone play hockey like he did. My mother (a rabid Flyers fan) remarked one time, that if he'd been on the '87 Finals team, they would have beaten the Oilers (that had Gretzky, Messier & Kuri at the time). Lindros did something to the NHL that's still felt today - an electric player, with "off the charts skills" that is also incredibly physical....that was new to the NHL at the time...you have to remember that.
7. Jimmy Rollins - my favorite baseball player of all-time. he's got the talent and guts to be a MVP threat for the next 5 years. Amazing glove, speed, power, and leadership - there was no one happier than me when it was announced that he had won the MVP...totally deserved it.
6. Mark Macon - back in 1988 I didn't root for a particular college basketball team. i remember watching march madness for the first time with my dad that year, and with Temple University dominating with Macon - I naturally fell in love with the team. To this day, I am a HUGE Temple fan, and Macon is the cause of that. Back to Mark - he was ABSURD that year. Since I was only 7 at the time, I've looked back (thanks YouTube) at his highlights, and it's only reinforced my feelings surrounding him. For me, he's the greatest college player I've seen in the Philadelphia area during my life (both Jameer Nelson and Lionel Simmons are close behind).
5. Reggie White - most consider him the best DL of all time. he played his best years in Philadelphia....does anyone out there remember the 1989 team? just thinking about the starting lineup on defense makes me laugh! Reggie was the leader of that team (perhaps the greatest defensive team in the history of football), and on most occasions, disrupted the quarterback/running back on every down.
4. Allen Iverson - the most controversial member of the list, but certainly will go down as one of the best. in terms of pure scorers, AI is hard to top in the NBA. A friend of mine from Massachusetts said to me one time, "do you realize how lucky you are to have Iverson on your team? Every night he's bound to score at least 30 points, most of which are acrobatic shots. Fans of other teams dream about watching a player like that." Well put. He never got us a championship, but when he stepped over Tyron Lue, I was sold!
3. Julius Erving - Julius.....The Doctor.....EEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRVVVVVVVVING. Probably the 2nd best SF in NBA history (behind Larry Bird). He retired in April of 1986, so my experience with him was limited. I attended his last game at the Spectrum and saw all of the other NBA players saying things about him. The one that stood out to me was a young Michael Jordan saying, "people compare me to Dr. J, and......and, that's the biggest compliment I've ever been paid." (you can look that quote up too).
2. Michael Jack Schmidt - the greatest third basemen of all time played before me when i was under 13 years old. the perfect time for it all to sink in. when i went to Phillies games, i usually saw them lose, but at the same time i saw MJS hit deep home runs & throw across the diamond with the ease of a royal assassin.
1. Brian Dawkins - I don't even feel like writing anything in his defense here. If you don't get why he's my #1 then you'll never get it. Leadership, intimidation, & "physicality". He'll be my favorite Eagle the rest of my life.
25.2.08
Car Review
Since beginning my heavy business travel in November, I’ve rented countless cars – all being from Hertz. On a typical week, I will rent three different cars (I’ve rented so often that I’m in the Hertz President’s Circle of customers) – almost like a continuous test drive, except my car doubles as my office and I have no intention of ever buying it. I wanted to put together a review of my favorites as well as the ones I didn’t enjoy.
2007 Chevy Impala LS – This is the car I get the most often. Hertz classifies it as an “intermediate” car, and I’m almost always happy with them. I’ve gotten so comfortable with these cars that I can behave like I would in a car I own; can program the radio without looking, can adjust the temperature easily, know how to pop the hood or trunk when necessary. The engine has always done the trick for me, it’s got enough power to respond when necessary, so no complaints there. Overall, I’m always happy to find the Impala in my spot – it gets a score of 89 points.
2008 Chevy Impala SS – This is the big brother of the LS, a much bigger, meaner, version. I loved driving it. I’ve only had it once, in Tennessee, and luckily, put about 350 miles on it over two days. It’s engine is strong, with over 300 horsepower – and it’s really fun to put it to the test. There was an on ramp just outside of Knoxville…I was going 30 mph or so, and decided to floor it. The horses kicked in, and the power actually made the tires spin (something that the LS can only really do when you’re at a stop). The interior is much like the LS except there are some nice “SS” logos throughout and the one I drove had leather seats which is always a good thing. The SS gets a score of 95 points.
2006 Mazda 3 – I hate getting this car. There’s nothing really BAD about it, but its engine feels weak and when I need to pass a car, it struggles to respond. The interior is supposed to be sporty, but I hate the red illuminated dashboard…I find it hard to see the speed, rev’s, etc. at night. If there was a way for me to never get this car I’d make sure that would happen. It gets a score of 71 points.
2006 Mazda 6 – Better than the Mazda 3, but still not like my Impala LS. Certainly larger, with a more robust engine, but I am just not a fan of the dashboard…until that changes, my irrational hatred of the Mazda cars will continue. Scores a 78.
2008 Volvo S80 – The car I rented had 13 miles on it; so I was most likely the first renter. Renting these cars on paper is such a great idea, but when you only have them for a day or so, you really don’t have enough time to actually figure out how to use some of its more complicated features…satellite radio, navigation system, etc. I shouldn’t complain though, this was an exciting car to drive. Very well appointed interior with an almost white leather throughout…very 1982. Stereo system was great too, as I drove around Philadelphia and Northern Jersey in it, I was able to pick up all my old radio stations in crisp HD radio…so that was cool. Scores a 93.
2008 Audi Q7 – When the attendant at the LAX Hertz asked if I wanted the new Audi SUV crossover, it didn’t take me long to answer, “yes”. The first thing that stands out about this car is the massive moon roof. Maybe it’s not even considered a moon roof…just the roof, but it’s all glass and driving on the PCH with the glass roof retracted and the windows down is something everyone should try. Engine is quite strong and the stereo system is obnoxiously robust. Scored a 96.
2007 Ford Windstar – I was in Ft. Smith, AR and I got a minivan. It wasn’t very fun to drive, the interior was nice enough, and luckily I only had it for roughly 18 hours. I did take a nice picture of it too, it’s what you see above. Scored a 79 pointer in my book
2007 Nissan Altima GLE – The attendant in Reno told me this car was “supercharged”, and while I knew she had no idea what she was talking about, I’ve always loved driving Nissan’s so I looked forward to getting it. This car had a pretty sweet interior, with a push-button ignition which I always find peculiar. The stereo was legit on this car too, and on my drive from Reno up to Lake Tahoe I played the music nice and loud. This is certainly a fun car to drive, and out of all the cars I’ve rented is probably the most realistic purchase option for me in the near future. Scored a 90 for me.
2008 Ford Freestyle - Not only was this the first time I’d driven the Freestyle, but it was the first time I’d ever heard of it. I was actually impressed. The interior was laid out very well, and everything was easy to use while driving. The satellite radio wasn’t working in the car, so that wasn’t good, but overall, a fun, sleek car by Ford that probably won’t catch on in the US car market. I give it 89 points.
2008 Ford Taurus – Wow. I hadn’t been in a Taurus for a number of years. A friend of mine had owned one in college that remember quite well, and it’s incredible to see where these cars have come. Now, this is no 1995 Ford Taurus SHO (my all-time favorite pure American sports car…BJ, I bet you’re laughing right now), but this wasn’t the same car I remembered from college. I cannot remember which model I was in, but I was impressed by the engine. The interior worked for me, and I thought the new body design was fresh too. Scored a 87 with me.
2008 Pontiac Grand Am – Along with the Chevy Impala LS, I enjoy when I get these cars. They kinda remind me of my father’s Chrysler Concorde from back in college – a pretty inconspicuous car that has a sneaky fast engine. I rented one of these the other day in Oakland, and when I wasn’t stuck in traffic enjoyed how it drives, really like the power of it, and the handling is probably only topped by the S80 and SS. This is certainly not a classic sports car like the Ford Taurus SHO, but they’re fun, and that’s good. It gets a score of 90 points.
2007 Chevy Malibu – I’m not going to write a lot about this car. It’s a classic example of how boring American cars can be these days. Typical interior, typical engine, typical handling….all I wanted to do was equip some nitrous tanks, put on some super-soft racing tires, lower the suspension to only a couple inches off the ground, throw a supercharger uner the hood (probably lifting the HP to 250 or 275), and put a massive fin on the back (to increase downforce so I can corner more effectively). Then we would have had a fun car. Oh well. The one I drove scored a 81.
So here’s the ranking of the cars I’ve driven.
Audi Q7 - 96
Chevy Impala SS – 95
Volvo S80 – 93
Nissan Altima – 90
Pontiac Grand Am – 90
Chevy Impala – 89
Ford Freestyle - 89
Ford Taurus – 87
Chevy Malibu – 81
Ford Windstar – 79
Mazda 6 – 78
Mazda 3 – 71
Some cars on my wishlist to drive include:
Audi A6
Hummer H2
Ford Shelby Mustang
Audi A4 Cabriolet
Chevy Corvette (there are rumors that Hertz will be acquiring some of the new Chevy Corvette Z06)
2007 Chevy Impala LS – This is the car I get the most often. Hertz classifies it as an “intermediate” car, and I’m almost always happy with them. I’ve gotten so comfortable with these cars that I can behave like I would in a car I own; can program the radio without looking, can adjust the temperature easily, know how to pop the hood or trunk when necessary. The engine has always done the trick for me, it’s got enough power to respond when necessary, so no complaints there. Overall, I’m always happy to find the Impala in my spot – it gets a score of 89 points.
2008 Chevy Impala SS – This is the big brother of the LS, a much bigger, meaner, version. I loved driving it. I’ve only had it once, in Tennessee, and luckily, put about 350 miles on it over two days. It’s engine is strong, with over 300 horsepower – and it’s really fun to put it to the test. There was an on ramp just outside of Knoxville…I was going 30 mph or so, and decided to floor it. The horses kicked in, and the power actually made the tires spin (something that the LS can only really do when you’re at a stop). The interior is much like the LS except there are some nice “SS” logos throughout and the one I drove had leather seats which is always a good thing. The SS gets a score of 95 points.
2006 Mazda 3 – I hate getting this car. There’s nothing really BAD about it, but its engine feels weak and when I need to pass a car, it struggles to respond. The interior is supposed to be sporty, but I hate the red illuminated dashboard…I find it hard to see the speed, rev’s, etc. at night. If there was a way for me to never get this car I’d make sure that would happen. It gets a score of 71 points.
2006 Mazda 6 – Better than the Mazda 3, but still not like my Impala LS. Certainly larger, with a more robust engine, but I am just not a fan of the dashboard…until that changes, my irrational hatred of the Mazda cars will continue. Scores a 78.
2008 Volvo S80 – The car I rented had 13 miles on it; so I was most likely the first renter. Renting these cars on paper is such a great idea, but when you only have them for a day or so, you really don’t have enough time to actually figure out how to use some of its more complicated features…satellite radio, navigation system, etc. I shouldn’t complain though, this was an exciting car to drive. Very well appointed interior with an almost white leather throughout…very 1982. Stereo system was great too, as I drove around Philadelphia and Northern Jersey in it, I was able to pick up all my old radio stations in crisp HD radio…so that was cool. Scores a 93.
2008 Audi Q7 – When the attendant at the LAX Hertz asked if I wanted the new Audi SUV crossover, it didn’t take me long to answer, “yes”. The first thing that stands out about this car is the massive moon roof. Maybe it’s not even considered a moon roof…just the roof, but it’s all glass and driving on the PCH with the glass roof retracted and the windows down is something everyone should try. Engine is quite strong and the stereo system is obnoxiously robust. Scored a 96.
2007 Ford Windstar – I was in Ft. Smith, AR and I got a minivan. It wasn’t very fun to drive, the interior was nice enough, and luckily I only had it for roughly 18 hours. I did take a nice picture of it too, it’s what you see above. Scored a 79 pointer in my book
2007 Nissan Altima GLE – The attendant in Reno told me this car was “supercharged”, and while I knew she had no idea what she was talking about, I’ve always loved driving Nissan’s so I looked forward to getting it. This car had a pretty sweet interior, with a push-button ignition which I always find peculiar. The stereo was legit on this car too, and on my drive from Reno up to Lake Tahoe I played the music nice and loud. This is certainly a fun car to drive, and out of all the cars I’ve rented is probably the most realistic purchase option for me in the near future. Scored a 90 for me.
2008 Ford Freestyle - Not only was this the first time I’d driven the Freestyle, but it was the first time I’d ever heard of it. I was actually impressed. The interior was laid out very well, and everything was easy to use while driving. The satellite radio wasn’t working in the car, so that wasn’t good, but overall, a fun, sleek car by Ford that probably won’t catch on in the US car market. I give it 89 points.
2008 Ford Taurus – Wow. I hadn’t been in a Taurus for a number of years. A friend of mine had owned one in college that remember quite well, and it’s incredible to see where these cars have come. Now, this is no 1995 Ford Taurus SHO (my all-time favorite pure American sports car…BJ, I bet you’re laughing right now), but this wasn’t the same car I remembered from college. I cannot remember which model I was in, but I was impressed by the engine. The interior worked for me, and I thought the new body design was fresh too. Scored a 87 with me.
2008 Pontiac Grand Am – Along with the Chevy Impala LS, I enjoy when I get these cars. They kinda remind me of my father’s Chrysler Concorde from back in college – a pretty inconspicuous car that has a sneaky fast engine. I rented one of these the other day in Oakland, and when I wasn’t stuck in traffic enjoyed how it drives, really like the power of it, and the handling is probably only topped by the S80 and SS. This is certainly not a classic sports car like the Ford Taurus SHO, but they’re fun, and that’s good. It gets a score of 90 points.
2007 Chevy Malibu – I’m not going to write a lot about this car. It’s a classic example of how boring American cars can be these days. Typical interior, typical engine, typical handling….all I wanted to do was equip some nitrous tanks, put on some super-soft racing tires, lower the suspension to only a couple inches off the ground, throw a supercharger uner the hood (probably lifting the HP to 250 or 275), and put a massive fin on the back (to increase downforce so I can corner more effectively). Then we would have had a fun car. Oh well. The one I drove scored a 81.
So here’s the ranking of the cars I’ve driven.
Audi Q7 - 96
Chevy Impala SS – 95
Volvo S80 – 93
Nissan Altima – 90
Pontiac Grand Am – 90
Chevy Impala – 89
Ford Freestyle - 89
Ford Taurus – 87
Chevy Malibu – 81
Ford Windstar – 79
Mazda 6 – 78
Mazda 3 – 71
Some cars on my wishlist to drive include:
Audi A6
Hummer H2
Ford Shelby Mustang
Audi A4 Cabriolet
Chevy Corvette (there are rumors that Hertz will be acquiring some of the new Chevy Corvette Z06)
16.2.08
My L.A. Story
I haven’t been to too many places in LA yet, but I think the scariest part of town is the Hertz rental car lot at LAX. If you’ve been there, you’ll probably know what I mean. If not, here are the quick details. Most planes that land at LAX fly in from the East – directly over the Hertz lot. Usually the planes are only a couple hundred feet in the air at this point, and depending on what time of day you’re there you can have A LOT of larger, wide-bodied planes right overhead.
The sound of these planes is excruciating! Not to mention the exhaust that’s deposited directly onto you from above – but this isn’t a gently sprinkling of exhaust, nope. The wind that hits you, by my estimation, is usually approaching 50-70 mph, nearly hurricane force. So after a long flight to LAX, you get hit by these jet blasts as you struggle to find you car. Always a nice way to begin your trip!
The sound of these planes is excruciating! Not to mention the exhaust that’s deposited directly onto you from above – but this isn’t a gently sprinkling of exhaust, nope. The wind that hits you, by my estimation, is usually approaching 50-70 mph, nearly hurricane force. So after a long flight to LAX, you get hit by these jet blasts as you struggle to find you car. Always a nice way to begin your trip!
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