THE REGULATORY MIX AND BLOG ARTICLES

Each year in May, I meet up with a group of friends and set sail to Dog Island. The island is only 6.8 miles in length. It is located in the Gulf of Mexico just off the panhandle of Florida and is accessible only by boat, ferry or airplane. It is mostly owned by the Nature Conservancy, while the remainder is privately owned residential properties.

OK. So, I never really thought I’d be one of “those people” that get so wrapped up in a television show. I mean it’s TV for crying out loud.  Sure, I enjoy TV and look forward to an upcoming episode or two. Who doesn’t?

Well, I wave my white flag. Here I sit waiting for the latest installment of HBO’s Game of Thrones (GoT). I’m looking forward to watching the great clockwork map spin by and hearing the timber of the cello as the introduction begins and leads me into Westeros. I let myself get caught up in all the drama, passion, political intrigue, and wonder that goes on in #GoT.  

After a long day of exhibits and sessions at the Energy Marketing Conference in New York, see our Blog “TMI attends the Energy Marketing Conference,”dated 3/6/14 my co-attendee, Tom Forte, and I left for JFK Airport on the afternoon of February 27th feeling tired, but thoroughly enthused by our participation in the Energy Marketing Conference. Our cab ride to the airport was filled with conversations about the innovative companies we had learned about and the entrepreneurial spirit we had witnessed among the Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in attendance.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by technology. I never realized how rewarding it could be. I’m not referring to receiving trophies or certificates “rewarding,” but rewarding to my soul. I grew up wanting the latest and greatest when it comes to cell phones, computers, tablets, etc (still have that issue actually). So what better way to express my interest and passion for all things technology based, than to get into the wonderful world of wireless phone sales?

In December of 2013, the FCC’s Technology Transitions Policy Task Force said that its immediate goal is to understand the impact of technology transitions, including the transition to an all-IP Network, on consumers through diverse experiments and open-data initiatives. Commissioner Wheeler has his hands full as consumers, service providers, politicians, and the press push for ever faster migration to the better technology and how regulation will or will not be applied. See TMI’s Blog dated 12/13/13.

 

My family currently owns two Nissan Leaf electric vehicles (EVs) and we absolutely love them!  They are just great for in-town commuting and run on 100% battery, no gas tank at all.  We have found  that the driving experience offers an extremely smooth ride, you don’t even know when the car is on.  A lot of people have expressed concerns that electric cars have no "pick up", but we have not found that to be true.  You can have your foot on the accelerator and be flying in just a few seconds without even realizing it.  (At least I can, LOL).  Our "Leaves" save money on gas, and appear to impact our electric bill by approximately $30 a month, if we use our cars every day. A big plus for us is that we feel we are contributing to the sustainability of our environment big time by driving an EV!  I have a charging station installed in my garage so every day, after using the car, I just charge it - -  something akin to charging a phone, tablet,  or other electronic devices.  The number of public charging stations is on the rise and there are quite a few in Central Florida. Some are free and others charge a low fee that averages between $1.25 - $1.50 per hour.

The most significant challenge to driving EVs is a mileage issue. The car can only go about 100 miles on one full charge, depending on your driving behavior, so a lot of people tend to have mileage anxiety (fear of not enough battery to get to where they need to go). We find that if a long trip out of town is what you have planned, you probably need a gas engine or hybrid car unless you get a Tesla EV. That car achieves the same mileage as a regular gas car, but many find the price tag too high. The other drawback that some people find impossible to overcome is that it takes a long time to charge.  For my EV, it takes about 4 hrs to charge a full battery.

Did you wake up Wednesday morning (New Year's Day)  with a light in your eyes and dreams of a healthier, happier new you? I know I did.

I woke up with the intention of doing everything starting right then! I got up, went over to my Mother’s house and ate black-eyed peas (made with a luscious ham bone leftover from the Christmas ham); collard greens (made with saltilicious bacon); corn bread (slathered with butter); and apple pie for dessert (just because it was there).

For reasons too convoluted to explain, my husband and I have found ourselves to be the proud owners of 3.5 horses – two Quarter Horses, a gaited pony and a mini horse. We have had to learn to ride and care for these very large pets over the past two years.  If we had undertaken this 25 years ago, we would have learned some tips that might have saved some trial and error in child rearing, business practices, personnel management and mental health:

 

From: Everyone at TMI to bring in the New Year.

These days, it seems there just isn’t enough time, which is why I embrace every moment with family and friends especially during the Holidays. Fond childhood memories spark nostalgic feelings of how simple life was as a child, reminiscent of how magical Christmas was. My family and I take great pleasure in sharing those childhood stories and memorable events of Christmas past.