Sunday, April 25, 2010

EYIAFJALLAJOKULL HALTS AIR TRAVEL

SKWOOSH Travel Gel cushion works on the ground as well as in the air

As the ash (read silica and other highly abrasive forms of lava) from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano managed to keep European airspace shut down, affecting millions of travelers around the world, government agencies and airlines clashed over the flight bans. Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed as airlines push for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward although at a slightly diminished rate. As the dispersing ash plume drops closer to the ground the World Health Organization is issuing health warnings to Europeans with respiratory conditions while frustrated, stranded passengers are slowly finding their way onto rescheduled planes that hopefully will take them on to their pre volcanic destinations. It is hard to imagine the discomfort that was experienced by many thousands of stranded travelers. At Skwoosh we are very sensitive to comfort, especially the lack of comfort. Discomfort to travelers stranded in airports, stranded on the tarmac or stranded in a cramped airline seat is the purpose of our commercial being. Hence, the Skwoosh travel gel cushion or the upgraded Pro Traveler gel cushion. Travelers who are prepared for all types of unimaginable situations always carry the Travel cushion in their hand luggage, briefcase or shoulder bag. It is so convenient ( approximately 8” W X 11” L x ½” H when folded) and handy to have with you that most Skwoosh travel cushions find a permanent home in frequent traveler’s hand luggage. The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull and the subsequent cancellation of thousands of flights came as a real surprise to many folks around the world. Before Eyjafjallajokull very few people in the world ever considered an erupting volcano to be a hazard to air traffic. In fact, the only vision many have of airplanes and volcanoes, is of a small plane circling an erupting volcano, taking pictures or performing some sort of scientific experiment. Not since Roman History class and the story of Pompeii, have most of us even given any thought to “volcanic ash”. Well one US airline has been and continues to prepare its pilots and flight crews for the dangerous pollution of air space by volcanic ash. Since the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, Alaskan Airlines decided to develop procedures that would minimize volcano disruptions to its flight schedules. Resources were added in 1989 with the establishment of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, a collaboration of aviation and weather experts. These collaborations lead to the creation of computer models that predict the trajectory for volcanic ash in Alaska and elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest. One thing is for sure, even with a great Skwoosh travel cushion, or a super comfortable Skwoosh Office gel cushion no traveler or airplane wants to get any closer than 35 miles from an ash plume.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

TAX DAY AND WE ALL SHOULD PAY

The stretch relating Skwoosh to taxes

This humble, self promoting blogger has been trying to find a way to promote Skwoosh light weight pressure relieving gel cushions and pads by writing a blog about taxes and Tea Party rallies. How can one relate a gel travel cushion or a high performance Kayak gel seat to federal taxes or the Tea Party movement? People complain about how many days they have to work just to pay their taxes (anywhere between 110 and 120 days and climbing), and how long they can paddle their ocean or touring kayaks before the discomfort and pain set in. We know how many days the average US citizen has to work to pay his or her taxes but how long can one paddle before the stress, pain and discomfort set in? That’s another story. Take the case of Freya Hoffmeister. This amazing lady from Germany recently completed a solo circumnavigation around Australia. Freya maintained the comfort of her shapely bottom by reducing discomfort and stress on the same by using a pair or Skwoosh light weight gel performance cushions. Freya used the Skwoosh Extreme gel cushion and the Skwoosh kayak gel seat paddling cushion. This duo of light weight, waterproof Skwoosh kayak seat gel cushions helped Freya reduce lower back pain and relieve spinal pressure. In the interest of full disclosure Skwoosh had to provide Freya with a replacement pair of cushion about half way through her adventure.

Relating a Skwoosh Travel cushion or motorcycle gel pad to the Tea Party movement is an even greater stretch. Maybe we should poll Tea Party attendees around the country and find out if any of them use the Skwoosh Stadium Gel Seat or the Bleacher gel seat when they attend roadside demonstrations? There is also the possibility that tea partiers who travel to conventions will be using one of the great gel travel cushions offered by Skwoosh.

So what has all this bloviating about Skwoosh got to do with taxes or tea parties? Well you caught me. Other than relating the pain of sending hard earned money to Washington and the pain of prolonged sitting and demonstrating there is no relationship. So as you sit at your desk or kitchen table collating and organizing a year’s worth of bills, receipts, 1099's and K-1's be sure to sit on a Skwoosh office gel cushion or the new, super comfortable EZ Swivel. Like the certainty of death and taxes Skwoosh gel cushions will provide great comfort and posture improvement for lower back pain and discomfort caused by prolonged sitting.

Friday, April 16, 2010

THE GREAT TRAIN ADVENTURE

Skwoosh readies for massive Travel Gel Cushion business

Today Chinese rail passengers zip between cities on trains traveling three times faster than the average train in the USA and a 217-mph line linking Wuhan and Guangzhou (the old Canton) will soon be the fastest train on Earth. Known for our shameless self promotion, Skwoosh would like to sell our travel gel cushion for the Wuhan to Guangzhou line. Not content with fast trains linking cities within its borders, China now plans to extend its high-speed network all the way to London with a rail line through 17 countries. What a market for the Skwoosh Therapy gel cushion. Can you imagine training that distance and sitting in one seat for 48 plus hours. That’s two whole days with only hot pot wanton soup and potty breaks. This is exactly what the Therapy gel cushion was designed and built for – relief from the stress of sitting. Of course Skwoosh has to thank Dr Brad from Backbenimble.com for his help in the development of this great therapeutic gel cushion.
The Chinese high speed train project calls for the construction of three lines. Hopefully by 2020 the first will link London's King's Cross Station to Beijing and take approximately two days to for the trip (it will then continue on down to Singapore). A second line will connect China with Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. The third line will link Germany and Russia, crossing Siberia to terminate, of course, in China.
Ambitious- you bet! Wait till you read how they plan to get 17 nations on board such an ambitious and expensive project. For starters, they're offering to pick up the tab. China will build the infrastructure in exchange for rights to natural resources in the nations that benefit from the high-speed links. So China gets timber, minerals, oil, gas, etc. as well as a fast, efficient means to pipe them to cities within its borders. Smaller, sometimes isolated nations (here's looking at you, Burma), get a high tech, high speed connection to the greater global economy. Meanwhile, in the U.S., we have the comfort of Skwoosh but we can't get federal, state and local bureaucracies to agree on funding for a mere three hour trip between Chicago and St. Louis, and San Francisco to L.A. Maybe if we tell Washington the trip will take two days and serve Chinese food we could get their attention. Dream on train lovers.