According to The United Health Foundation:
America’s Health Rankings™ – 2007 Edition shows Vermont at the top of the list of healthiest states. This is the first year Vermont has been ranked number one. The state has had a steady climb in the rankings for the last seven years from an initial position of eighth in 2001. Minnesota is ranked second this year; it was first in the 2006 Edition. Minnesota has been first for the last four years and for 11 of the 18 Editions of this report. Hawaii is number three, followed by New Hampshire, Connecticut and Utah. Mississippi is 50th and the least healthy state, while Louisiana is 49th. Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee complete the bottom five states.
Yeah VT!
Here are the top 20:
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November 6th, 2007
If you are interested in honing your debate skills, I think I have found an effective method:
Join Verizon Wireless and call customer service, they will debate/argue with you regarding any issue. You are considered wrong until you prove your case. Truly an effective teaching method.
“Verizon’s new debate program improved my skills as an orator by 47%*. Thank you VZW!”
*results may vary
Or, if it is more convenient, just drop by a Verizon retail store. In fact, I think they recently launched a competition to see who can provide the most inferior customer service. Retail stores are in the lead by 1 point! Keep a close eye on that race folks, it is going to be close one.
/sarcasm
Verizon is lame. But, then again, so are Vermont’s mobile phone provider options.
[Update] This frustration stems from spending over one pleasant hour on the phone with Verizon customer service this morning on still unresolved issues. The Verizon rep promised she would find a supervisor and call me back within two hours. Well, it is four hours later…and still nothing. Should I have expected anything else?
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November 1st, 2007
Being the day of the autumnal equinox, fall has officially begun in Vermont, as it has everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. But, it seems more fun here than a lot of other places. So it is time again for this foliage guide. I am off for a bike ride.
This Flash map is borrowed from www.foliage-vermont.com
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September 23rd, 2007
…and for all others not willing to be chained to AT&T in order to use the Apple iPhone.
On the downside, why does the iPod touch not include Mail.app or Google Maps, as the iPhone does? It would also be great to see the 16GB of flash memory boosted to 32GB soon.
Oh, and the other small thing that is missing from the “Vermonter’s iPhone”? The phone.
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September 5th, 2007
It’s really starting to feel like summer here in Burlington, VT. While running tonight and thinking about my day, I saw a group of kids with nothing on their minds but catching the passing ice cream truck. A good reminder that life should not be taken so seriously.
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May 29th, 2007
So, as you probably have heard (or know), Colorado just got pummeled with the perfect (or not so perfect) storm. Up to 20″ have fallen in Boulder County over the past few days.
This is great for all of those who get a snow-day from school or work, and horrible for those stuck in airports or stranded from their families. As for me, I am sad to be missing this after recently moving from Boulder to Vermont with hopes of a VT white Christmas being a “sure thing”.
This evening, I received an email from one of my favorite Boulder restaurants, The Kitchen, after never removing myself from their email list.
Here is how it read:
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…
Everyone here at The Kitchen and [Upstairs] hopes that you have remained safe in this new ‘winter wonderland’.
The Kitchen’s downstairs dining room will unfortunately will be closed this evening, December 21st, due to blizzard conditions…
Many of our staff however, live quite close to the restaurant and it was their decision to open the [Upstairs] tonight! Chef Hugo Matheson will be cooking and the view of snow-capped Boulder from the [Upstairs] windows is breathtaking.
Come join us tonight if you can travel safely. The Kitchen and [Upstairs] will both be open for their regular hours starting tomorrow, December 22nd, 2006.
Now, many restaurants and businesses have email newsletters, specials, etc. that are sent out monthly, but I was thoroughly impressed that a restaurant (or business in general) was reacting quickly and taking advantage of the real-time power of email and the list of clients they have been building. Not only did they make a smart business decision by taking advantage of the current weather situation, they also further developed their brand, by showing patrons that it was the staff’s decision to open the [upstairs] portion of their restaurant. This shows that the employees are dedicated, happy working there and ready to interact with and welcome customers. Plus, reading the email made me feel welcome and part of something - as any invite should.
As reading email becomes more widely available in real-time (mobile devices, phones, etc.), this authentic marketing technique, becomes even more powerful. Imagine, just stepping out of the office, or on your drive home and getting a targeted, relevant email like this on your BlackBerry. It just might change your evening plans.
How I wish I was there tonight with a glass of red wine, by the fire, looking out on snowy Pearl Street.
p.s. - our 50 degree, sunny, blue-skied, Vermont day, was not half-bad either 
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December 21st, 2006
Here is a nice little Flash map of the Vermont foliage season. Looking forward to seeing my first year of its beauty!
This Flash map is borrowed from www.foliage-vermont.com Check out their site for more info on Vermont foliage.
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September 6th, 2006