Go get 'em.

This may be a "nobody cares but me" post, but I'm very proud of my new company. Check it out.

US. Airmall USA, the leading airport concessions company, has hit out at a report that claims private concessions developers are having a negative impact on the airport community in North America.

Airmall today released a statement to set the record straight and called the report compiled by Airport Group, the policy arm of labour union Unite Here flawed and misleading.

Last week Airport Group released the first in a series of studies that claimed the private developer model had failed. It said that the percentage rent of concessions sales paid to airports which utilise the concessions developer Airmall USA (Baltimore/Washington, Boston Logan, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airports) are lower than rents collected by peer airports.

It said it is going to release a series of analyses into the industry that will focus on the impact of private concessions developers on airports bottom lines and on other airport stakeholders such as concessions companies, the workforce, passengers and airlines.

But Airmall, which was recently purchased from BAA by Prospect Capital Corporation, slammed the findings, saying the model has proved an overwhelming success, one which has set the new standard for quality and profitability across the industry.

Mark Knight, President of Airmall USA, said: Simply stated, Airport Group and Unite Here have conducted a flawed analysis of our model, and it misrepresents the truth. Instead of telling the whole story, they are being selective about the information they present. Their tactics are both predictable and unacceptable, and their attempts to somehow undermine the validity of our business model with half truths will not go unanswered. We will pursue every avenue to be certain that the whole truth is out there about our success and the success of our airport partners in Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Airmall USA manages and develops the retail, food and beverage concessions at Pittsburgh International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport in Terminals B and E, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Founded in 1992 at Pittsburgh International Airport, the Airmall model has posted some of the highest per-passenger spends in North America over the past two decades and has won numerous awards for innovation and customer service.

Knight highlighted some important statistics about each of Airmalls projects, which the company said demonstrate that they generate greater overall sales, more sales per passenger, and higher rent revenue for the respective airports.


- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Working the Store

My poor pregger wife is feeling under the weather, so her awesome husband is filling in at the shop.

I have to throw this out there to anyone who can handle a retail sales environment for eight hours a day: "I don't know how you do it. You are better than me."

Even when things go perfectly, it is a frenetic and harrowing environment, frequented by persnickety and unpleasable people.

I pride myself on being a people guy -- pragmatic and reasonable. In my own career, I think I'm patient and a good listener. But today -- filling in at Q Chocolate and Coffee -- all of that was tested.

Fortunately, I kept it together. My wife shouldn't have to fire ne today.

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Awe Struck

This is what it looks like when "Thomas the Tank Engine" gets particularly dramatic.

Q Chocolate and Coffee

Hey, as a personal favor to me...

Please check out the QCC fan page on FB.  Check it out here.  It's just starting and it'd be great if they had some love.  Feel free to drop a post on my wife and her Q Crew.  If I haven't gotten to you with QPropaganda yet, they sell the best Coffee, Chocolate and Cupcakes around.

Thank you very much, guys!

Red Neck-lace

Anyone seen this baby in the right margin of your facebook page?
As a former Marine, I feel compelled to assure the normal population:  NO, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  THIS IS STUPID. 

If you are a Marine and you've bought this, then that's cool, but only wear it when you are with your Marine buddies.  Normal people don't see this as an uber-cool mixture of 'hard-as-nails' and sensitive.  They see this as a cheesy trinket that could have been bought either at the Howard County Fair or from a television ad for three payments of 45 cents.

There.  I just saved everyone a lot of awkward staring.

What the F&CK?

So, I guess everything looks a little strange after we gain a little perspective, but this is VEEEEERRRY creepy and sounds like a good way to get a visit from DYS.  It also makes me wonder who got the "Pepsi Diet" as a baby?  Something tells me that we should be able to recognize those poor folks.

I've put the original ad copy below.  Enjoy!

"How soon is too soon?

Not soon enough.  Laboratory tests have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formative period have a much better chance of gaining acceptance and “fitting in” during those awkward pre-teen  and teen years.  So, do yourself a favor.  Do your child a favor.  Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed happiness."



Dare to Dream!

From ESPNBoston:

Would the Red Sox have room for Albert Pujols? [David] Ortiz's contract comes off the books after the season. So does the $14 million being paid J.D. Drew, the $12 million being paid Jonathan Papelbon, the $7.5 million being paid Mike Cameron, the $5 million being paid Marco Scutaro and the $2 million being paid Jason Varitek. That's more than $52 million right there. ... The starting rotation is set for the next four years, which leaves a ton of money left over to invest in another big bat. That's where Pujols comes in. Ask yourself this: When haven't the Red Sox gotten involved in the bidding for the biggest name out there?

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Colbert for President

"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it."

— Stephen Colbert

Do we reflect on Stephen Colbert's satirical genius enough?

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Photo of the Day

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Regular Sprinkles?

Quick Survey, one-word answer.

You walk into an ice cream shop and ask for a scoop of chocolate with sprinkles.

"Regular sprinkles?" the clerk says.

"Yes," you say.

What kind of sprinkles do you get? What type of sprinkles are "regular?"

[Editor's Note: if you write the word "sprinkles" enough, you really start to feel silly.]

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.


- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Elton Johnny

Some of you may not know that I go back in time to drive a young Elton John to daycare each day.

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

New Position

I'm very happy to tell my friends I've accepted a position with Airmall USA to run their program at BWI.

Airmall executes airport retail very much like a traditional mall. Typically, they compete with the "Master Concessionaire" model, in which a single company runs every shop and restaurant -- kind of like a baseball stadium. This model has historically led to higher prices (with no natural competition) and sporadic operations (when no matter how bad the service is, the money all goes to the same bank bag).

They've got several other airports, including Boston Logan, Pittsburg and Cleveland's Hopkins.

My official title will be Vice President, Airmall Maryland.

I'm very excited!

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Rest in Peace

Our dog, Buddy, died tonight. We was very old, and never understood why the heck we'd bring home a miniature person with grabby fingers. But he was a good dog and will be missed.

He was special enough that my wife and I immortalized him in cartoon form.



Sleep tight, good boy. All dogs go to heaven.

- Posted to my readerless blog using my networkless iPhone.

Welcome to the Retail World

Quick video of the kiosk on day one.

A brand is set loose in the world.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spray-On Solar Glass

I love the brief time period where "new and innovative" seems "insane and crackpot".

From EarthTechling:
We've seen New Energy Technologies announce a series of advances in its attempt to turn windows into solar panels, and now the company says it has a working, 1-square-foot see-through glass prototype that can generate electricity. An earlier version of this solar window was just 4 inches by 4 inches, and New Energy says the boost in size takes it a big step closer to bringing a product to market.

"We continue to pursue an aggressive product development program, working to improve, among other things, solar cell efficiency, power output, durability, manufacturability and further scale-up," says company president and CEO John Conklin.


image via New Energy Technologies

New Energy's process involves "spraying" electricity-generating, nano-sized solar cells directly onto glass, "eliminating expensive and often cumbersome or high-vacuum production methods typically used by current solar manufacturers," it says.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Q Chocolate and Coffee

Happy to report that we are on the verge of opening. Stay tuned!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What a job.

Today we finalized our cupcake selections for QCC. Very good stuff.

So good you want to make a face print in each one.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Deluxe?

I think that this devalues the word "deluxe".

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Come crab on TV!

Is begging for rebuttal witnesses proof that more people actually believe in climate change than do not?

Fox News ran what amounts to a Craig's List personal ad on ProfNet asking for climate change deniers for Billy O'Reilly's fun little cartoon show.

See below.

1. ENVIRONMENT/TODAY: Global Warming Causing More Snow? Come Again? -- FoxNews.com Deadline: Feb 01, 2011 11:00 PM EST
Former Vice President Al Gore told Bill O'Reilly that: "A rise in global temperature can create all sorts of havoc, ranging from hotter dry spells to colder winters, along with increasingly violent storms, flooding, forest fires and loss of endangered species." We need comments from someone who can point out the ridiculousness of his argument, even if you accept the somewhat-implausible argument. I've been assigned this story just now by Fox News in New York for the science and technology desk. I'm looking for comments. Please send comments via e-mail. Please send your name, title and company you represent. Please send comments by 10 p.m. CST. Contact: Gene Koprowski, [redacted]


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Toy Cars of the Future!

I can't help but wonder if my great grandchildren will be playing with cars that look plenty different.



Matchbox's Solar Cars! Right off the streets of Taiwan. This beauty hits about 22mph, and can carry one person and no cargo. Feels like a departure from the AMC Pacer in Finn's collection.




Not to be undone, Hot Wheels rolls out it's hydrogen cell model. With no government subsidies -- even though any fifth-grader can tell you how smart it would be to produce this technology -- this model is still only a concept and the Hot Wheels version, in keeping with the spirit, costs $12.50 vs $1.00 for a regular car.



Or there's this baby! It's a Matchbox nuclear powered car that can run for years, but because we never figured out how to deal with the waste and not destroy the earth, if you get into an accident with your Canyon Road track, you give everyone on the block Lymphoma.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oyster'in up trouble.

If you love oysters like me, this'll make you sad.

A recently published study in BioScience asserts that oysters are "functionally extinct".

"Oyster reefs are at less than 10 percent of their prior abundance in most bays (70 percent) and ecoregions (63 percent)," said the study.
"They are functionally extinct -- in that they lack any significant ecosystem role and remain at less than one percent of prior abundances in many bays (37 percent) and ecoregions (28 percent) -- particularly in North America, Australia and Europe."

I love oysters, buy my kinda love -- the cracker/horseradish kind -- probably isn't helping.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone