Rick Schummer

@psherwood Thanks for wearing your helmet. I never ride my bike without one.

This helmet saved my life. A few days ago I was finishing a bike ride with a friend. We had ridden 26 miles and were 4 miles from finishing. It had been a great ride and I was feeling good. It was the first ride after a long winter. We were going down a hill around 25 mph when I looked back over my shoulder to check for traffic. That small movement put me closer to the edge of the pavement than I realized. My tire dropped into a 6-inch rut and in a split second I was airborne and then sliding across the road. My friend said the crash sounded like a car had hit me. My first thoughts were not heroic. I was embarrassed. Then I felt the pain. Then I had regret. This week I was supposed to fly my granddaughter and daughter to two different cities for college visits. We were supposed to take the Cessna 182 to Harrisonburg, VA and then the next day to Wilmington, NC. We had told our grandkids that when they turn 16 we would take them on a trip of their choice. Emi had chosen NYC. So later in the week my wife and I were taking her to New York City to see two Broadway shows. Those experiences will happen without me. I realized how serious the accident was when my wife arrived to pick me up and I couldn’t walk to the truck. Later I saw the helmet. It was cracked from the front to the back. The ER visit confirmed the rest. Three fractured ribs. A fractured pelvis. Two nights in the hospital. Now I’m home and moving around with a walker and a handful of pain pills. But I’ve had time to think. Here are a few things this accident reminded me. 1. Things happen fast. Life can change in seconds. Don’t live only in the future. Don’t stay stuck in the past. Be present for the moment you are in. 2. Setbacks are part of living. The goal isn’t to avoid every risk. The goal is to experience life fully while you can. I will get back on the bike again. 3. Don’t end life with regrets. When I realized what could have happened, I looked back on my life and and asked myself if I was happy about how it has been lived. Did I love? I can answer that one with a yes. My immediate family and extended family all love each other. There are no hurt feelings, squabbles, or family members not talking to each other. We love being together. Towona and I will celebrate 44 years of marriage in a couple months. Life has been good. So today I’m grateful. Grateful for the helmet. Grateful for a friend who stopped immediately and also happens to be a retired pediatrician who could do an initial eval on me. Grateful for a wife who came to get me. Grateful for my family. Grateful that my granddaughter agreed to a "Poppy" trip where we'll fly somewhere fun for a weekend together. Grateful that I’ll recover. Life slowed me down this week whether I wanted it to or not. Maybe that’s the reminder I needed. Be present. Enjoy the time you're in. Don't be worrying about the future. You're not even guaranteed today. Make sure to live a life with no regrets. Because everything can change in a second.

@Marty_Cantwell Talk about saving expenses: it would be real cool if T-Mobile fiber would find its way to our town. I could save a lot and get close to 10x speed improvement over the molasses in January performance I get with current carrier.

@rschummer I love it Rick! A good business man is always keeping a balanced eye on where expenditures help the most. While it will be yet another year without any clever fox adverts, the Budweiser Clydesdales will be back again. No animal drought this year! 😂

For the 22nd consecutive year, the stockholders of White Light Computing have decided to not run a Super Bowl commercial saving the company millions of dollars.

@paulmrozowski Two words: Rice Maker. There is no going back.

Perfect rice my ass.

How to find free or cheap RV campsites in National Parks ? If it’s your first time boondocking, heading to a National Park campground is a great way to dip your toes in the water. Make sure to get reservations as early as possible. #How_to_find_free_or_cheap_RV_campsites_in_National_Parks" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">rvlifestyle.com/free-cheap-rv-…

Not to jinx anything, but everything is coming together nicely for Virtual Fox Fest 2025 (May) this Wednesday. Looking forward to the conference and learning (and possibly re-learning) some new things. One of my favorite days in May each year.

Calvin and Hobbes are ready for the weekend! 🎉 Today is a Happy Friday—TGIF, let’s have a GREAT day!!! #CalvinAndHobbes #TGIF #FridayVibes

You probably know that Virtual Fox Fest 2025 (May) is on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, but maybe you haven't had a chance to take a look at our great set of sessions. virtualfoxfest.com/sessions.aspx.

Registration is US$119 before April 23rd, so save yourself US$20 by registering today. This cost includes admission to all live sessions, all session materials, immediate access to all recorded videos, and access to online social events. Register here: geekgatherings.com/Registration.

The Geek Gatherings YouTube Channel has over 65 videos with session content from past Virtual Fox Fest and Southwest Fox conferences over the last five years. That is over 80 hours of viewing. @geekgatherings" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@geekgatherings.

It is World Backup Day today, do yourself and your customers a favor and take a look at CleverFox Backup from @FwdThinkingSoft . Scheduled offsite backups for #VisualFoxPro and SQL Server data. CleverFoxBackup.com.

Registration for Virtual Fox Fest 2025 (May) is open. The event is Wednesday, May 7 and we have great speakers delivering great sessions (some classic, some new). Details at virtualfoxfest.com. Register at geekgatherings.com/Registration. You can also follow conference on Bluesky.

I never publicly comment on political matters because they are usually irrelevant to my work of providing hurricane data and forecasts to people in my personal capacity. Today though, it is highly relevant, and as a member of the meteorological community, I am angry. Planned or ongoing bulk workforce cuts would irreparably harm the National Weather Service, NOAA, and their scientists who save innumerable lives by warning people in advance of tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, tsunamis, blizzards, and other life-threatening hazards. Many of you reading this may knowingly or unknowingly be alive today because of their work, or know someone who is. As a direct consequence of wounding the NWS and NOAA, the public would be less safe. My personal mission to bring hurricane science, data, and forecasts to the public would not be possible without the weather observations, doppler radar stations, computer models, hurricane hunter aircraft, and weather satellites provided by NOAA and the NWS. Your favorite weather apps, TV meteorologists, and private weather companies would also be unable to function without this data or the civil servants who live and breathe it to synthesize it into public safety information. All of these benefits cost each taxpayer the equivalent of a few cups of coffee per year, and surveys show most would be willing to pay much more. The American weather enterprise saves many, many times more money than it costs to run, making it one of the biggest bangs for your buck in the government. The impact of quality weather forecasts and infrastructure on society is multiplied many-fold by preventing economic disruptions, keeping public transportation efficient, and providing lead time to prepare for and mitigate disasters. Most importantly, it saves priceless lives. Careful, long-term plans to streamline or reorient the weather enterprise in an evolving world are not bad, but *this plan* is insane. A feverish rush to take a cleaver to this workforce is self-destructive and dangerous to Americans who rely on the services they provide. It also cuts off the legs of young, passionate scientists who represent the future of meteorology in the new age of AI and other emerging technologies -- the very people we need in the field right now. As a part of this community since the age of 8 when I began analyzing hurricanes with dial-up internet, I am heartbroken and concerned by what appears to be planned or already in motion. It also directly impacts my friends and family. I cannot be silent, despite knowing I do myself no favors by speaking out. I ask you to join me in advocating for @NWS and @NOAA if you value their work or the work that I am able to do because of them. There are many ways to make your voice heard. That's all for now, thanks for reading.

Personal insults, ad homenim attacks, and knocks on someone’s character are a dime a dozen these days. It costs nothing to be kind, even to someone you really disagree with. Why is it so much to ask—of prominent voices especially—to treat others with civility and respect?🤦‍♂️

We're breaking down all the legislative changes to the #EarnedSickTimeAct in this new FAQ based on legislation passed last night. Check it out and join us at one of our upcoming webinars. bit.ly/4kcMuX1

At the moment, mansion-sized Asteroid 2024-YR4 has a one-in-fifty chance of hitting Earth in the next eight years. Now might be a bad time to reduce spending on Science. Just sayin’.

this is what it's like to log onto social media or check the news lately:

"Benefits are not a one-size-fits-all proposition," says Ginny Sherrow. The new Earned Sick Time Act forces small businesses into a rigid system that hurts both owners & employees. SBAM is pushing for reforms. #EarnedSickTimeAct youtu.be/Qkb84FZsvKo

Michigan's business community shares disappointment about the unemployment tax increase on job providers. Learn how this decision impacts small businesses. Read more - bit.ly/3ORd5KY #SmallBusiness #MichiganEconomy

Could I request, no matter which side wins, that political fundraising text messages be outlawed?