That is the theme of this site. We all benefit by helping one another. I had the pleasure of receiving assistance from another fishing guide. Charlie Foster of NW Sturgeon Adventures took me out fishing yesterday. Charlie is a very gracious man and an excellent fishing guide. We did ok yesterday with catching about 15 Sturgeon. A 38″ and 43″ fish were both keepers. Since I am not accepting Sturgeon trips until July, I would recommend Charlie if you are looking for a Sturgeon trip now. Thanks again Charlie!

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

I will be an exhibitor in the Pacific Northwest Sportsman’s Show Feb 4-8 at the Expo center, Portland, Oregon. I haven’t worked a trade show since the early 1980′s. I am so glad I was able to work with Ed Bajarana of Zenith Exhibits. He was able to help me with the display design. His banner stands worked out great! So come see me at the show. I will be in space 463, which is over by the Trout Pond and across from the concessions stand.

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC

Did you know that President Obama has a brand new car?  The economy is a bit slow but there seems to be enough in the budget for the new Presidential Cadillac that the Secret Service calls “The Beast”.   To learn and see more pictures please click here

The Beast

This was posted by José Pinomesa who is the President of the Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Association in Salem and the owner of José Mesa Auto Wholesale, LLC in Portland.

It is that time of year again to plan on going to the Portland Auto Show. It will run from February 5-8 at the Convention Center in Downtown Portland. There is not a better place to go and see that many cars all in one place. From Acura to Volvo and everything in between. I have been in the auto business for 25 years and I cannot think of another time where the deals were this good. You may not want a car but if you need one then now is the time! For more information on the 2009 show you can go to www.portlandautoshow.com

This was posted by José Pinomesa who is the President of the Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Association in Salem and the owner of José Mesa Auto Wholesale, LLC in Portland.

Did you know the average income per senior house hold is over $33,000 in the State of Oregon and with seniors who read newspapers and magazines?

This is a vital issue in the current downdraft economy.  Local stores show sales at a steady pace with seniors who still dine out 3 – 5 times a week, and who are still buying 25% of all the toys purchased.

Seniors control 70% of the disposable incomes in the USA and over 72% among seniors in the State of Oregon.

This can aid business folk who are eager to adjust marketing plans and balance for reach, pull and direct customer response in upcoming quarters of 2009.  It is imperative to be direct, put value price points and basically tell folks what you will do for them, and how they can get it. 

It is also highly recommended that all print ads be in larger than 5 pt type.

Seniors will come if you make it easy!!

Frank Ryan

Northwest Senior & Boomer News

No matter what the business, an obvious influence in the workplace environment is employee health.  Consequently, an economical way to responded is by taking a pro-active interest as one monitors the bottom line related to production loss and sick-pay benefits.  These are the obvious problems.  More insidious are the underlying attitudes of employees whose health challenges grind away at moral and work ethic due to absenteeism, increased loss of interest, and frustration as a result of escalated stress in the work place.

Health, vitality, and higher quality productivity are all desirable goals of the employer for their employee.  An employer, when considering the investment dollars spent in education, training, employee advancement, for insurance benefits and in self-funded insurance programs, or the cost of lost time on the job, should look to how they can improve outcome in their investment dollar.

The employer’s attention in the area of health issues indicates an expectation that if you care, the employee certainly should as well. Furthermore, it may serve to cultivate a mutual attitude of respect between the employer and employee.

The symptoms are endless that affect the employee and productivity outcome. Symptoms of fatigue, headaches, sleep disorder, mood swings, depression, confusion, body pain –and employees often cannot motivate themselves to search for answers on their own. Here is one way many employers help employees get started with what they need.  They do health fairs.  Sometimes they host them for their company only or they get a group of employers together to hire a service to pull it together.

There are several companies in the Portland area who provide this service.  It can be very simple or it can be a real party.  It depends on how much you wish to invest.  I owned one of these screening businesses and felt then as I do now, it helps to get an employees attention onto the important matter of health.

These screening businesses use simple easy to do tests such as cholesterol, glucose or A1c test for diabetes, body mass index (BMI) and others.  Additionally, some labs now offer flu injections, billable to insurance.  I offered a bone density screening test which helped identify serious conditions of osteoporosis on many of my clients.  Some of the fairs I participated in included a variety of vendors who would come in to raise employee awareness on matters of health.  If any of these ideas appeal to you, I can give you more information.

John Wade
Health Watch Central
healthwatchcentral.com

Extended drain intervals involve changing the frequency of oil changes from the what the manufacturer recommends to a longer interval. The first thing most people ask is if it is safe. Depending on the oil you use it can be safe and as long as the oil conforms to the American Petroleum Institute (API) standards required by the manufacturer and is providing that level of protection, manufacturers cannot deny warranty claims.

FTC regulations state: (c) No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if (1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and (2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest. (15 U.S.C.2302(C))

When choosing a motor oil for extended drain intervals, you need to look at how they perform in industry standard tests that demonstrate how well they perform. Synthetic oils typically provide better protection because they are made with a base stock of uniformly size molecules that have a higher lubricity than conventional petroleum where base stocks contain various size molecules. The four ball wear test (ASTM D-4172) is one such example where three metal balls are strapped together with a coating of the lubricant then a fourth ball is rotated over the others for an hour using 40 kg of force at a temperature of 150 C. The resulting scar is measured and the narrower the scar, the better protection. Another factor to consider is the Total Base Number (TBN) test which measures the alkalinity of an oil. This is important, especially in extended drain scenarios, because it measures the oil ability to counteract the acidity that builds up in the crankcase and corrodes engine parts.

Filters are also an important consideration and you need to make sure that you are using a filter designed to provide service for the extended drain interval. Alternatively, you could change the filter between oil changes following the filter manufacturer’s recommendation.

Extended drain intervals save you money by consuming less oil and filters and time in maintenance of the equipment. It’s also better for the environment by producing less waste of containers and consuming less resources. And if you use a quality product, you can give your equipment better protection at the same time.

There are other tests and if you are interested in learning more please contact me, Steve Schoeneman, at alube.us@gmail.com or 866-430-4236. I’ve been using AMSOIL and 25,000 mile drain intervals for over 7 years with over 166,000 miles on my 1997 Jeep Wrangler with no problems.

Ed- Here’s a timely bit of info I think most potential car buyers are not aware of.

Money is readily available for new and used cars to most buyers. NO the days of the subprime loans have not returned. However, there is a gap in the reporting of available funds by the mainstream media.

Most people will be able to buy the car or truck of their choice…and get the financing they need to complete the deal! There are millions of dollars available…right now for auto loans.  And the lowest rate as of yesterday is On-Point Credit Union @ 4.74% on new and used 2008 and 2009 cars, trucks and vans. Yes you must have excellent credit to qualify at this rate. But you can still get a loan even if your beacon is down around 621.

At the lower credit scores, your interest rate will go up, but you will qualify for a loan. Your entire credit history will be reviewed. But in most cases you will get approved. You then get a new or used car, truck or van. Now this get’s America rolling again!

America needs car buyers…right now. Consumer confidence needs to be raised. The money is out there waiting for you. Call Bob Bonnell @ 503-643-4585 or click on BestCarDealinTown.com to get moving on the best deal on any vehicle.

Best regards,
Bob Bonnell
Syd Dorn’s
Vehicle Buyer’s Service

You have heard your friends talk about Business Blogging and Social Marketing; you know it has something to do with writing articles on the internet, but what should you say AND why?

As a diligent business owner, you have spent a great deal of time identifying your target customer, designing graphics to appeal to your audience and creating copyright to building business relationships.  Have you spent enough time planning for the “other” web site audience?

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With difficult times like these, some are considering carrying or buying a gun for protection. You may want to read this first.

Let me start of saying that I am not, anti-guns. I just don’t understand the reasoning for having a handgun. Most people, who own a handgun, do not carry it with then at all times. If it is in a home, it will likely be in a safe or bed stand. So if someone breaks into your home, you won’t be able to get to the gun to defend yourself. If your home is burglarized when you are gone; the thieves tend to look for guns, because they are easy to sell.

My next question is how often do you fire the weapon? To become a good shot you need to shoot the gun on a regular basis. I am told that it is much easier to shoot at a paper target, then fire upon a human; especially with your heart pounding out of your chest. A friend of mine is a very good shot, but he shoots three times per week. The guards at FDIC depositories are required to shoot 1,000 rounds per month to maintain their positions. They fire handguns, shotguns and various automatic weapons monthly.

I often wonder if gun owners have considered the ramifications of firing a gun in public. I understand that the law makes you responsible for everything the bullet hits: cars, buildings animals and people. The liability can be monumental and I don’t think your home owner’s insurance policy covers owner gunfire.

One night I fired a shotgun round of #8 bird shot to ward off a thief who was trying to break into my work truck. An hour later, I was speaking to police officers. I was told that if I had hit the thief, he could have sued me for medical costs and emotional trauma. I told the officers that I was just trying to protect my livelihood. But I was told that the law was not on my side.

I doubt that few gun owners understand the legal and emotional problems, which accompany shooting or killing someone. Most will relive the event for years, causing sleep disturbances and nightmares. Most will spend time in jail for the event. Yes, you may be innocent, but you will need a good attorney to prove it. Looks like the retirement fund just got smaller. You may also jeopardize your job, because of the publicity of the shooting, or the time lost with being in jail awaiting trial.

No, I don’t own a gun. I do have a dog, which barks at strange noises and wakes us up at times. I am told that burglars hate little yappy dogs. Because of cleaning fish, a knife is often in my truck and always on my boat. I have a number of motion sensor lights at my home, but no gun.

I have a friend and former customer, whom became deeply depressed because of cancer and unemployment. He decided to go off and kill himself with a gun. He never shot himself, thought he did fire 5 rounds into the ground on the bank of a river. But he is in prison for the next 5-10 years. I doubt that is helping his depression. I don’t want this to happen to any of my other friends. So, please consider these writings and make your own decision.

Ken Bear Cole
Fishing with Bear LLC