The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell in May to a recent low, causing some to fear that we may be on the cusp of the dreaded “double-dip” or “W” recession. Economists expressed surprise at the news. The only thing surprising about this news item is that some economists are still expressing surprise that American [...]
Archive for May, 2011
The Stubborn Problem Of Consumer Confidence
Posted in America, The Economy, tagged America, Consumer confidence, consumers, Economists, economy, Gasoline Prices, House prices, recession, Unemployment, Unemployment statistics on May 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Game Of Thrones
Posted in TV, tagged Game of Thrones, HBO, Peter Dinklage, Sean Bean, TV on May 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday Kish and I decided to take a chance on HBO’s new dramatic series, Game of Thrones. We watched the first episode with some trepidation, because neither of us particularly cares for the sword and sorcery genre. I’m happy to report that our trepidation was totally unwarranted. We have now watched and very much enjoyed [...]
It was Inevitable
Posted in sports, tagged coach tressel, Gene Smith, Gordon Gee, NCAA, Ohio State University, Terrelle Pryor on May 30, 2011 | 2 Comments »
What happened earlier today with the Tressel resignation is really no surprise to me, except that it took as long as it did for him to resign. As I mentioned in a previous post back in March, Coach lost my support when he signed the NCAA document on December 8th saying that he knew nothing [...]
Disaster iN COLumBus
Posted in Columbus, Ohio, sports, tagged Buckeye football, Coach Jim Tressel, Columbus, Jim Tressel, NCAA, Ohio, Ohio State, Ohio State Buckeyes, sports on May 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »
tornadoes in oklahoma, alabama and missouri. hundreds dead. Flooding all along the mississippi…Louisiana handed another RAW deal… and on this beautiful monday in Ohio, another implausible disaster…. TRESSEL RESIGNS! no one will die, no one will have to live in shelters, or wait in line for potable water, BUT for Ohio State fans this latest [...]
Goodbye, Coach Tressel, And Good Luck
Posted in Columbus, Ohio, sports, tagged Buckeye football, Coach Jim Tressel, Columbus, Jim Tressel, Ohio, Ohio State, Ohio State Buckeyes, sports on May 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Shocking news on this Memorial Day — the Ohio State University announced this morning that it has accepted the resignation of head football coach Jim Tressel. This news is immensely sad. Coach Tressel not only has been a highly successful coach, but also seems to be a good person who has done a lot for [...]
Happy Memorial Day!
Posted in America, Food, tagged America, Chicken, Food, Grilling, Memorial Day, Veterans, Weber Grills on May 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It’s Memorial Day, when every red-blooded American male’s thoughts turn to grilling. Last night I broke out the ancient Weber grill, filled it with the remnants of last year’s charcoal, doused it liberally with fluid, lit the ceremonial fire ablaze for the first time of the summer, and engaged in the crucial grill scraping ritual. [...]
Brick Walkway Blues
Posted in Columbus, Family, tagged Aging, Brick patios, Brick walkways, Columbus, Family, Grass, house and grounds, Weeding, Weeds on May 29, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Our house has two brick walkways and a brick patio. I prefer the look of brick to the look of cement. I like the darker appearance and the more old-fashioned feel that you get from brick. These positive attributes come at a cost, of course. When spring rolls around, you just have to reconcile yourself [...]
Eurotrip 2011: Lisbon and Porto
Posted in Breakfast Cereal, Family, Travel, tagged Breakfast Cereal, Eurotrip 2011, Family, Gustav Eiffel, Lisbon, Lisbon Chillout hostel, Porto, Portugal, Richard Webner, Sintra, Yellow House hostel on May 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I had a feeling that I would like Portugal. Like Istanbul and Athens, my two favorite cities from the first half of my trip, Portugal seemed like it would be “on the edge” of Europe, so it would have a less touristy, more intimate vibe, inside and outside the hostels. My intuition proved to be [...]
Playing the Penny Slots
Posted in Entertainment, tagged Greenbrier, penny slots on May 29, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Back in March Bob and Kish went to the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia for a brief getaway. I remember seeing a post card from Kish on mom’s kitchen table saying how she thought mom would love the place so thanks to the suggestive post card and the mention of somewhere for mom to spend [...]
The Right Way To Eat Skyline Chili
Posted in Columbus, Food, Humor, Ohio, tagged Columbus, Fast Food, Food, Humor, Ohio, Skyline Chili, Three-Way Chili, York Peppermint Patty on May 28, 2011 | 5 Comments »
Today I had a tremendous hankering for Skyline Chili. I drove over to the nearest Skyline and got a regular three-way, two cheese coneys with everything, a large water, and extra crackers. As I prepared to dig in I realized that not everyone may understand that there is one, and only one, correct way to [...]
Help Needed In Showcasing Columbus
Posted in Columbus, Ohio, tagged Columbus, Columbus Arena District, Columbus Park of Roses, Easton Town Center, German Village, midwest, Ohio, Ohio Statehouse, Short North, Tourism, Wexner Center For The Arts on May 28, 2011 | 1 Comment »
We’re being visited for the weekend by a friend who is new to Columbus. They are from an urban, East Coast location and have never been to the Midwest, so they already are enjoying the charms of backyards, green grass, white fences, and rolling countryside. But what distinguishes Columbus from other Midwestern towns that have [...]
In The Days Of Hai Karate
Posted in Growing Up, TV, tagged Aftershave, Commercial, Growing Up, Hai Karate, The Beverly Hillbillies, TV, TV Commercials on May 27, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Why do you remember TV commercials from 40 years ago, but not the name of somebody you met five minutes ago? Who knows? But for some reason this stupid Hai Karate commercial, featuring the dorky glasses-wearing guy fending off an excited young woman, is engrained on my neural synapses as surely and inexorably as, say, [...]
The Penny Chronicles
Posted in Dogs, Humor, Penny, tagged clothing, Dogs, Fashion, Humor, Penny, The Penny Chronicles on May 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
My name is Penny. Sometimes, the rest of the pack goes away and I spend a few days with a bunch of other dogs. This happened just a few days ago. It’s not that bad, really. In fact, there is one thing about it that I really like: they give me a little neckerchief to [...]
2000th Post
Posted in Blogging, Family, tagged Blogging, Family on May 26, 2011 | 3 Comments »
The Webner House blog has been around for a little over two years, and this is our 2,000th post. It’s a milestone that deserves a brief mention. In those 2,000 posts we’ve talked about travel, politics, TV shows, music, Ohio State sports, food, and whatever else strikes our fancy. Along the way, our little family [...]
Soap Stack
Posted in Family, Humor, tagged Cheapskates, Consumer Spending, Consumeri, Consumerism, Family, Frugality, Household Goods, Humor, Possessions, Soap on May 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
If you want to enjoy the small pleasures inherent in using things up — or, alternatively phrased, if you are a cheap bastard who wants to avoid spending any unnecessary buck — it takes some work. Consider the humble bar of soap. You use it, and at some point it becomes a thin shard of [...]
