Where Are My Keys?

Life is what you make of it..

Think your job is tough?  Try doing it blind:

McCoy writes for FoxSportsOhio.com, appears on Fox TV, writes stories for the Daily News, writes his blog, "The Real McCoy," and even covers road games from his garage. He's as popular as many of the players.

But he couldn't do it without Snedegar. "The last time I drove a car, I wrecked it," McCoy says. Snedegar survived a wreck himself -- a plane leaving Saigon in 1975 that killed 138 people as part of Operation Babylift. A doubleheader in August wasn't going to scare him.

Snedegar answers occasional questions from McCoy like: "What just happened?" and "Who's that talking?" He takes his elbow when McCoy gets in heavy foot traffic.

"The worst part is people think I'm ignoring them," McCoy says. "I have to get up on a guy to two feet before I know who it is. So people will say hello to me and I won't say anything. They probably think I'm an arrogant jerk."

One day, he was interviewing Reds pitcher Mat Latos in the clubhouse. Latos, barefoot, finally stopped the interview and barked, "Dude, how many times are you going to step on my toes?"

Latos didn't know, and neither did McCoy.

Today, McCoy is interviewing Reds superstar first baseman Joey Votto. Afterward, I ask Votto if he knew.

"I've known for a few years now," Votto says. "Hal's got a very nice air about him, classy. So I'm glad to talk to him. But can I ask you a question? Is it true he can't see a fastball or a line drive?"

Sort of. Between the big screen and the cloud forest in his eyes he can just make out the ball -- until it's hit hard or leaves the outfield. But then he just watches which way the batter's head turns. That's how he knows where it was hit.

"Cool," says Votto.

McCoy can tell where a home run lands by watching the fuzzy scramble of people in the bleachers. Or when a pitcher drops his head in shame. He knows where a line drive went by watching the relay line. In the clubhouse, he's memorized each player's walk and voice. And with his glasses and 20-point bold font, he can read his laptop.

"If the third baseman stays where he is, this guy is going to bunt," McCoy says to nobody in particular as the Reds are playing the Colorado Rockies.

Sure enough, Reds outfielder Derrick Robinson bunts.

What a joke this Administration is..

First, they outsource implementation of Obamacare to a British compnay.  Second, Obamacare is such a mess, it gets delayed for a year.  Now we learn the firm they outsourced to is under investigation:

That contract, announced in late June, is among the largest Affordable Care Act grants made so far, expected to cover the hiring of 1,500 workers who will process a wave of health coverage applications.

In the United Kingdom, Serco Group reportedly overbilled the government by “tens of millions of pounds” under a contract to monitor offenders on parole and individuals released on bail, according to an audit conducted by the country’s Justice Ministry.

The British government plans to review all of its contracts with the U.K.-based firm and put on hold a separate contract Serco had secured with the country’s prison system.

“They do not believe that anything dishonest has taken place,” Chris Grayling, the British justice minister, told Parliament regarding Serco. “But we have agreed that if the audit does show dishonest action, we will jointly call in the relevant authorities to address it.”

I'm sure there is nothing there.

If this were a Republican administration, we would be hearing about fraud, cronyism, kickbacks, failed leadership, and more.

A Democrat in office changes all that.

Weekly IUC jumps significantly..

Jumps this week to 360,000:

After a few weeks of nice drops, the uptick comes back in a rush.  Will be interesting to see what happens next week..

When did Mitt Romney take office?

I was told that if Mitt Romney was elected President, Big Bird would get fired. Today we learn Sesame Street is laying off 10% of its workforce.

Once again Sesame Workshop is handing out pink slips. Around 30 employees at the producers of Sesame Street were let go today. This comes just more than a year after a dozen employees were shown the door at the non-profit last May. “We at Sesame Workshop are not immune to the challenges of today’s economic environment. After careful review, we have concluded that we must operate, and achieve our strategic priorities with fewer resources. Therefore, we have reluctantly determined that we must reduce our workforce by approximately 10%,” said CEO H. Melvin Ming in a note sent to staff this afternoon.

How could this have happened with Obama as President??

This will certainly help the economy..

Not.

President Barack Obama declared that limiting carbon emissions is in the national interest, setting a standard that will affect almost every sector of the economy, from power plants to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The package of initiatives announced in an address in Washington today mark the president’s first detailed plan for confronting what he’s called a central global challenge of the 21st century.

Saying that science had put to rest the question about whether the planet was warming, Obama vowed to use his executive powers to act, arguing that limiting emissions would spur technological advancement and new jobs.

“I don’t have much patience for anyone that denies that this challenge is real,” Obama said in the speech at Georgetown University. “Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm.”

The president briefly addressed TransCanada Corp (TRP).’s Keystone XL pipeline, which is opposed by environmentalists who have been among his biggest political backers. The activists have made the pipeline decision, due from the State Department later this year, a litmus test for Obama on environmental issues.

“Our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution,” the president said. “The net effect of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward.”

...

Obama administration officials wouldn’t put a price on the package.

Of course they wouldn't.

Remember all those long-lasting jobs created at Solyndra?

Who knew?

Obamacare hurting hiring:

"We were startled because we know that employers were concerned about the Affordable Care Act and the effects it would have on their business, but we didn't realize the extent they were concerned, or that the businesses were being proactive to make sure the effects of the ACA actually were minimized," said attorney Steven Friedman of Littler Mendelson. His firm, which specializes in employment law, commissioned the Gallup poll.

"If the small businesses' fears are reasonable, then it could mean that the small business sector grows slower than what economic conditions otherwise would indicate. And small businesses have been a growth engine in the economy," Friedman told CNBC.

Forty-one percent of the businesses surveyed have frozen hiring because of the health-care law known as Obamacare. And almost one-fifth—19 percent— answered "yes" when asked if they had "reduced the number of employees you have in your business as a specific result of the Affordable Care Act."

The poll was taken by 603 owners whose businesses have under $20 million in annual sales.

Another 38 percent of the small business owners said they "have pulled back on their plans to grow their business" because of Obamacare.

Those are "some pretty startling answers," Friedman said.

"To think that [nearly] 20 percent of small businesses have already reduced the numbers they have in their business because they're concerned about the medical coverage is significant, and a bit troubling," Friedman said.

No shit, Sherlock.

If only a group of folks had warned us about this happening before it was Rahmed through Congress..

I feel sorry for the production staff at Turner Sports..

Looks like Keith Olbermann may have a new job:

After a messy public breakup with his last employer resulted in a $50 million lawsuit, Keith Olbermann will return to television in October as a studio host for Turner’s coverage of the Major League Baseball postseason.

The deal will have Olbermann leading TBS' Atlanta-based studio show with Dennis Eckersley and possibly a second analyst. TBS this season has both Wild Card Playoff games, 18 of the 20 League Division Series games and exclusive rights to the National League Championship Series. Sources say the deal has an option for the 2014 postseason as well.

“It’s well known that Keith is a fan of the game and when you combine that with his studio experience, keen insight and passion for baseball and its history, he’ll add a new dimension to our MLB postseason studio shows," David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports at Turner Broadcasting, said in a statement. "We're excited to have him join Dennis in studio, and look forward to Keith sharing his in-depth knowledge of the game, MLB teams and players with our viewers for three great weeks in October."

Weekly IUC bumps up..

This week the roller coaster goes up:

Consensus was for 340,000, so it is somewhat of a significant "miss".

Good work, if you can get it..

It's an important job, right?

“He eats lunch when he arrives at work at 2 p.m. Then, like clockwork, he goes to sleep with a cup of soda on the table and the straw in it,” said Marvin Robbins, a union vice president.

“Then he wakes up, looks at his watch and says, ‘I have to get out before the traffic gets bad.’ He’s usually out by 4 p.m. after being at the office two hours.”

Rosenthal is a former Parks Department employee who rose to power campaigning to rid the union of corruption in the late 1990s.

He last made embarrassing headlines in 2009, when he inspired a City Council bill requiring jumbo-size ambulances for morbidly obese patients after he had a stroke at City Hall.

Since then, he hasn’t been making much of an effort to give the city’s ambulances a break and slim down. Union officials say he racks up $1,400 in monthly food bills on the union dime.

Much of the 5-foot-7, 400-plus-pound Rosenthal’s food tabs are for catered union events and meals he writes off as “union business,” board members claim.

They say he significantly overorders at eateries like Dallas BBQ, the Stage Door Deli and Pine Restaurant in The Bronx, a hangout for local politicians, and takes the extra food back to his Bronxdale apartment.

“He’s always walking off with a doggie bag or extra boxes of food,” said another executive board member.

Rosenthal, who earns $156,000 annually, yesterday denied being a free spender— and insisted he works “12-to-14-hour days.”

He says the allegations are “part of a smear campaign” by a faction trying to get another Local 983 vice president, Joseph Puleo, elected president in a June 5 showdown.

He said it’s normal for executives to take “power naps.”

He also blamed his meetings with the sandman on the effects of pain medication he takes for backaches he has suffered since he fell through a chair at a McDonald’s last year.

“The chair broke because I’m big,” Rosenthal said.

Wow..

They say a picture is worth a thousand words: