This Bud's for You

Some e-mails have been going around saying that now that Budweiser has been sold, the beloved Clydesdales will be phased out.

My friend (and horse lover/aficionado) Judy Lococo wrote to Budweiser and here's part of the reply.

Hello Judy,

Steve here with Budweiser. From one fan of the Budweiser Clydesdales to another, I am honored to hear that you rank the gentle giants up there with the symbol of our country.

I’m also glad that you wrote to us to get to the bottom of any rumors you may have heard. I can tell you first that in November we did merge with a global company. Here in the U.S. we’re still Anheuser-Busch, and the core elements of our business will remain the same. Some examples:

Anheuser-Busch beers will continue to be brewed by American workers at our 12 local breweries.

Budweiser will continue to be brewed according to the recipe laid down by our founder in 1876.

The World Famous Budweiser Clydesdales will continue to represent the Budweiser brand, and will be a key element in helping grow the Great American Lager in new markets all over the globe.

The ancestral home of our company’s founding Busch family, Grant’s Farm, will remain open, and continue to provide enjoyment for St. Louisans and visitors to our city as it has for the past 50 years.

Not only will we continue to support the Clydesdales, but we ran three new spots featuring the horses in the 2009 Super Bowl (you can see them on Budweiser.com), and we also just built them a new home and breeding facility.

Glad to hear it!

Business Networking event draws 1000

People are hungry. Why else would almost 1000 people venture out on a Tuesday night in July and pay $5 to mix with other people in their situation.

Drew Grdina used LinkedIn to organize the event at the Shaker Hts Country Club. It seemed that most of the crowd was looking for work and a large percentage had IT skills and/or background.

I don't know what the results of the meet-up will be. Lots of business cards were exchanged and people were aggressive in their introductions. This was not a shy, wallflower, hang-with-your-friends event.

See a video and/or listen to a podcast of event organizer Drew Grdina at the event.

If you were there, please comment with your impressions.

Is LeBron James a rat?

Well, if he doesn't re-sign with the Cavs he will be. But I mean an actual rat.




Near the new Ox sculpture at the Ohio Technical College on East 51st street was a rat sculpture that I had missed before. Yes, it was the Chosen One - LeBron James.

See more pictures of NBA MVP LeBron James rat

Not happy with laptop direction

I have a problem with the trend toward sealed batteries in laptops and other devices. Instead of the removable and replaceable batteries that we have seen, some are moving to sealed in batteries that you can't replace or carry a spare.

Dell has a new high-end laptop with sealed in batteries and of course the iPhone, iPod, etc. are sealed in. Apple seems to be converting its entire line to sealed in batteries. The new 13" and 15" MacBook Pro laptops have sealed in batteries.

They have a longer life and Apple claims they can be recharged up to 1000 times. That would last about 5 years for the average user which they say is all you need.

If the battery dies you are in trouble. You'd have to go to the Apple store for repair.

And forget about carrying a spare battery for a long trip or 'just in case.' That may be a moot point though as Walt Mossberg said less than 5% of consumer laptop owners have bought a spare battery. I have spares though and think that number is low.

My biggest problem with the sealed in battery is the planned obsolescence of the laptop. What do you do in 5 years when the battery is dead, dispose of it? Buy a new one? Many will want to buy a new device and can afford to. But many cannot.

At Computers Assisting People we get old laptops donated that are perfectly useful for the schools and non-profits that we help out. Usually the battery is dead or dying and we scour eBay and other websites for replacements to make them useful again. This could not happen with sealed in battery devices.

The people on the wrong side of the Digital Divide will again suffer.

Please let us know (vote at GreatLakesGeek.com) if you have ever bought a spare battery for a laptop or other device. Also, please leave comments about the prospect of sealed-in batteries either there or on this blog.

Cleveland's sister city in France

Did you know that Cleveland has a bunch of Sister Cities around the world? The idea is to boost trade and tourism but I'm not sure how active the relationships have been.

Mayor Frank Jackson visited one of the sister cities, Rouen France, last year and a delegation from Rouen visited Cleveland the week of the 4th of July.

The delegation met with peers at Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Lubrizol, CWRU and more.

See more including a video of Mayor Fourneyron's spech

Statue at Browns Stadium

The Bob Feller statue at the Cleveland Indians ballpark is a popular meeting place and photo op. It's hard to argue with the choice of Rapid Robert as having this honor. His skills and character made him an easy choice.

It's not so easy with the Cleveland Browns. Jim Brown is probably the greatest running back in the history of the game. But some people are concerned with his brushes with the law.

Otto Graham was a revolutionary quarterback and deserving of his place in the NFL Hall of Fame. But he played so long ago (as did other worthy candidates such as Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, etc) that generations of fans don't know him.

Paul Brown revolutionized the game but it may be hard to honor someone who started a rival franchise in Cincinnati.

Lou 'the Toe' Groza merits consideration but a kicker/lineman isn't as vital to a team usually as a QB or running back.

Younger people may vote for Bernie Kosar, Brian Sipe, Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield and others from the Kardiac Kids days through the present.

I'm not 100% sure yet but I think my vote would go to Jim Brown. And my choice to never be honored? Art Modell of course.

Who do you think should be honored. Vote here

#1 Milestone Document in US History

OK. This one is predictable. Its the Declaration of Independence, followed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as #3.

The People's Vote, co-sponsored by the National Archives and Records Administration, National History Day, and U.S. News & World Report, invited Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds to vote for 10 of 100 milestone documents drawn mainly from the holdings of the National Archives.

The rest of the Top 100 are interesting.

Hot enough to melt gold?

To keep the little kids happy and safe, parents often hand them a sparkler on the 4th of July. It seems like a safe way to give them the thrill of firecrackers.

I just learned from Prevent Blindness Ohio that sparklers actually burn at 1800 degrees which is hot enough to melt gold!

Sparklers also cause one half of fireworks injuries in children five years old and younger.

So let's be careful out there this weekend.

Some more interesting fireworks facts and advice