news: Sea World San Antonio Welcomes New Killer Whale! - 01/08/10 07:23 AM

photo courtesy of jeku arce
Sea World San Antonio has a new Shamu.
Look out Shamu, you've got competition!  Sea World San Antonio announced the birth of a new killer whale calf by Takara, an 18 year old Orca.  My wife can't get enough of Sea World (map), but I have yet to visit (for some reason, I've been out of town every time we've had visitors that she went there with), but with an announcement like this, I feel a certain pride in San Antonio and the Sea World staff.  Breeding any large animal in captivity is typically not … (9 comments)

news: In search of: Information on the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit - 11/02/09 10:02 PM

image courtesy of Bramus!
Numbers don't lie.
At the end of last week, I was a bit upset about the information going out about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit through Twitter and various blogs, both real estate and news media related.  Two of the blog posts I wrote in reaction to the situation, both at RErockstar.com, garnered a bit of attention and created a bit of discussion, but I wanted to see just how much they mattered in a world full of real estate blogs and internet chatter.
"First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit NOT Extended Depsite What … (14 comments)

news: Market Report for San Antonio 78245 - 10/21/09 05:20 AM
San Antonio 78245
Throwing supply and demand out the window, 78245 bucks the trends of inventory and price being inversely related and continues a steady decline in both categories.  Because of it's proximity to Lackland Air Force Base, this area saw a lot of new construction growth and as the market slowed, so did the builders.  With the builders looking to continue their developments in the area, they often were willing to slash prices, bringing overall values down.  As well, they stopped building new homes for awhile - so as people bought the now-discounted homes, the inventory levels continued to decline.  … (0 comments)

news: BlogWorld 2009: The secrets of Las Vegas are not so secret anymore. - 10/19/09 07:44 AM

photo courtesy of ChicagoGeek
It already feels like it was weeks ago.
I landed in San Antonio late last night from my trip to BlogWorld 2009.  This morning it already feels like it was a long time ago.  So much fun had in such a short space of time always seems to make it feel like the distant past a lot quicker.  To say it was a blast would be to lie.  It was more than a blast.  Seeing friends, meeting new ones, listening to some of the best and brightest, and toying with new products for a few days … (36 comments)

news: Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf - Do the right thing (Or Do Something....and QUICK) - 09/11/09 06:54 AM
 

photo courtesy of Tony Webster
It is spreading fast.  I heard it on Twitter this morning.
Most of you have probably seen the various news articles online today.  It's pretty shocking.  I was going to write a bit about my feelings on this, but when I saw Bob's post, I thought that I wouldn't be able to say it much better, so I'm just going to re-blog it.  Go to Bob's post or re-blog it.  If you're not a member of ActiveRain, write about it on your personal blog, Twitter about it, talk about it on Facebook - whatever, … (1 comments)

news: San Antonio finally getting what it deserves. - 03/11/09 05:01 AM

 
Two days ago, I captured this photo.
I was out getting my haircut (long overdue) and it had been cloudy all day.  When I came out of the shop with my shiny new haircut, the clouds had turned dark and gave off that ominous, foreboding look as if it were about to erupt into a thunderstorm.  It never did.  The forecast wasn't calling for rain, just a build in of humidity from the Gulf of Mexico and a perfect match of jet stream conditions and a cold front from Canada to make the recipe for rain.  Its about time.  … (17 comments)

news: Using Twitter To Your Advantage When Writing Blogs - 02/26/09 08:58 AM

photo courtesy of EraPhernaliaVintage
We all have heard about Twitter's usefulness in building local relationships for business, but what about for blogging?
The other day, I was driving through a neighborhood near my house (Village In The Woods, between Mainland Rd. and Guilbeau Rd.) and I noticed something strange.  There on the corner of Olde Village and Mainland road sat a bunch of construction vehicles, a camera crew, and Councilman Justin Rodriguez.  Of course, I passed by it kind of quickly, so I wasn't 100% sure I had just seen the District 7 Councilman, but I was pretty sure it … (12 comments)

news: Dear George Bush Intercontinental Airport. - 12/23/08 11:42 AM

photo courtesy of Invisible Hour
As if flying wasn't traumatizing enough.
I've flown a lot in my 36 years.  By my last count, I have logged over 300,000 miles.  I forgot how many miles I've spent over the years on trips, so the estimate may even be a bit low - 300,000 are the miles I know I've flown.  Over all those flights, everything from puddle jumpers, to long haul commercial flights, even to a few private jets; I've come to realize something.  Flying is not fun.  When I was a kid, I loved the idea of getting on an … (5 comments)

news: Animal Defense League of San Antonio, TX. - 12/22/08 04:08 AM

photo courtesy of ittybittiesforyou
Animal Defense League of San Antonio, Texas.
In light of my recent posting about the stray cat living under my deck and the response to it, I thought I'd write a little about my favorite place in San Antonio for pets and the care for the animals that get left behind.  I'm speaking of the Animal Defense League.  I had never heard of the ADL when I moved to San Antonio, but thanks to Mike Osterhage and KSAT12 News, I quickly became familiar with them.  Every Thursday morning on "Good Morning San Antonio" at around 6:15AM, … (6 comments)

news: Who said the economy's in trouble? - 11/28/08 08:33 AM

 
If the economy is faltering, the shoppers lined up at Kohl's certainly don't show it.
I'm not trying to be an economist here, I was just making a bit of a joke really.  Sure the economy is having its problems right now, but as my wife and I went to do a bit of shopping today, I snapped this photo while waiting in line at Kohl's at Bandera Pointe.  The line continues forward, then around the corner and well down another aisle.  It was pretty long.  (I apologize for the quality, but I hadn't eaten all day and was … (5 comments)