How should law enforcement handle a loud mouth?

| August 31, 2010

What would you do if you were security or police and asked to escort someone from the Alaska State Fair (private property) who was “loudly” exercising his constitutionally protected right to Freedom of Speech? Some say security used excessive force … others express concern that the “provoked and angry Palmer Alaska resident, Sidney Hill was […]

A buck-forty-three for the new Neato! Palm Pre app today

| August 30, 2010

Every once in a while, the point of sale technique works on me … and today was the day. I coughed up $1.43 for a Palm Pre app called Neato! It’s a simple little application that runs on the webOS smartphone and receives webpage links, copied text and maps from a computer browser using a […]

Hurricane watching and playing with GRIB files

| August 30, 2010

As the tropical activity heats up in the Atlantic, I wanted to play a little more with raw data to see exactly what kind of projections are concluded. For those not in the bluewater sailing  or weather watching world, the data is downloaded and run in GRIB file readers. I’m using UGRIB and imported the […]

Stick with VW: A review of the pricey 2010 Audi A3 TDI

| August 30, 2010

After reading the Winding Road review of the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, there isn’t a good reason to envy those forking over additional dollars to own the Audi (over $30K). Comments from the review: We relished the torquiness of the 2.0-liter TDI, with its 236 pound-feet of torque on tap for passing maneuvers. Strangely, this […]

Solo sailor Donna Lange wakes up on the beach in NC

| August 29, 2010

A few years ago Donna Lange sailed alone around the world on her small well built Southern Cross 28 sailboat (see PDF Brochure). I enjoyed staying in touch with her and posting on my blog. Brenda and I also enjoyed catching up with her as well last year in Annapolis for a boatshow and get […]

For those wondering what Airventure was all about

| August 28, 2010

Sharing a video from EAA Airventure 2010 … not mine. Thanks for the link Steve. (for another good video from the previous 2009 Airventure click here)

Lack of time and weak Internet connectivity

| August 27, 2010

My father-in-law was taken to the hospital on Wednesday this week and since I was conveniently working in NE Ohio, I opted to head to Jamestown NY in order to lend a hand. Getting him to the hospital ended up being the right move and he is resting far more comfortably under doctor and nursing […]

Something ain’t right and needs to change

| August 26, 2010

USA Today reported last week that civil servants received average pay and benefits of $123,049 last year, while private workers made $61,051 in total compensation. The report, using data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, also said the federal compensation advantage had grown from $30,415 in 2000 to $62,000 last year … when did […]

Police camera captures crash on I-675 near Dayton

| August 25, 2010

[flv:Cops_had_arrested.flv 490 370] Drugs, teens, alcohol and driving … not good combinations. Eden arrested and released before crash BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN) – Brennan Eden, the driver of the car that went airborne and crashed on I-675 in Beavercreek, Ohio Aug. 23 had been arrested and released by Beavercreek Police approximately an hour before the crash […]

Finally getting around to the Palm Pre’s webOS 1.4.5 update

| August 25, 2010

A couple day’s before our vacation, Sprint pushed out the webOS 1.4.5 update to Palm webOS phones. I resisted the urge to update prior to leaving (thankfully), as I had some concern that the Pre Backup Utility wouldn’t be sufficient to restore the ‘homebrew’ apps, patches and tweaks I installed over the past year, an […]

First diesel-electric hybrid has some interesting features

| August 24, 2010

Posting from a LeftLaneNews blog post … a few mechanical items make this European Peugeot unique: Fairly large 2.0L 163 HP diesel, crossover CUV design, a six-speed electronically controlled manual transmission and even an all electric zero-emissions mode with all-wheel-drive capability. With the launch of the 3008 HYbrid 4, Peugeot becomes the first automaker to […]

Day 7 and 8: Bermuda to NYC aboard the NCL Dawn

| August 23, 2010

I’m wrapping up a final post from a fantastic family summer vacation. The trip to Bermuda and back has me wondering where the week went? The time was both relaxing and exciting … and especially nice considering the four of us enjoyed it together – I probably should “thank” Brenda for pushing the trip even […]

Day 6: Offshore to Bermuda’s barrier reef

| August 22, 2010

Being an atoll, Bermuda is surrounded and protected by an outer barrier reef system which would be more appropriately named a “great barrier reef” since it rings the entire chain of islands. The distance to the outer reef varieties from 1 to 9 miles offshore. Today we “sailed” (powered due to light wind) several miles […]

Day 5: Looking under water in Bermuda

| August 20, 2010

No we’re not the next Tucker family (Teddy Tucker) of Bermuda and even though we were looking at one of the 200+ shipwrecks around the “Devil’s Islands,” we did not find gold. Another day of water sports and fun in the sun, today was spent kayaking over the coral colonies, looking at fish and an […]

Day 2 & 3 sea passage and day 4: King’s Wharf Bermuda

| August 19, 2010

Day 2 of our family vacation was spent on a southeast leisurely passage at about 8 knots cruising toward Bermuda from New York City aboard the NCL Dawn. We enjoyed a sunny day at sea relaxing on one of the aft decks … a surprisingly private spot. Although the sun was tropical, the breeze over […]

Day 1: Cruising to Bermuda and departing NYC

| August 18, 2010

On Sunday we arrived at NYC and boarded the NCL Dawn for Bermuda. Sprint 3G bandwidth is nearly non-existent with MyTether on the Palm Pre at the docks.   🙁 On the other hand, not much to say about our Delta flight from Cincinnati to NYC and traffic heavy but quick transfer through the city. […]

I have a bone to pick with Avast antivirus software

| August 15, 2010

I’ve used the same antivirus software on my PC for over a decade and have been pleased with how the company has supported updates and discreet reminder in both the free version and low priced home protection. Unfortunately things have changed for me, after struggling with an upgrade to the 5.0 update, I shifted back […]

Training Chinese prostitutes how to drink responsibly

| August 13, 2010

“This week in 1861, the first federal income tax was instituted to pay for the Civil War. These days, we don’t worry about that kind of stuff. Our wars are paid for by our grandchildren.” — Jay Leno I’m not sure if we should laugh or cry when it comes to how government spends millions […]

How do airlines stack up when it comes to fuel efficiency?

| August 12, 2010

For personal transportation miles-per-gallon watchers, like many VW TDI drivers I know, an article in Thursday’s WSJ that translated US based airlines fuel efficiency into automotive MPG standards, might be of interest. In the past, frugal flyers may have looked at the numbers in order to save a buck, but now more and more travelers […]

The Dell Streak tablet/smartphone ‘tweener’ device

| August 12, 2010

Walt Mossberg from the Wall Street Journal (mp4) calls the Dell Streak a “tweener” device … with a lot of glitches. Download now or watch on posterous 081110ptech_1500k.mp4 (57428 KB)  Operating System Android 1.6   Processors QSD 8250   Bands : UMTS 2100 / 1900 / 850 MHz GSM / EDGE 1900 / 1800 / 900 / […]

How low will a political candidate go to attack Sarah Palin?

| August 11, 2010

According to a friend who lives in New Hampshire, at least one political candidate seems willing to go pretty low – link. In a Facebook post (below) which referenced the airplane crash in Alaska which took the life of long time Senator Ted Stevens, New Hampshire Democratic candidate Keith David Halloran posted, "Just wish Sarah […]

SMS celebrates 25 years of text messaging this month

| August 11, 2010

According to Sherri Wells, a leading expert on SMS messaging, the “SMS (Short Message Service) was developed in 1985 by a collaborated effort between Germany and France and was created by Friedhelm Hillebrand, Bernard Ghillebaert, and Oculy Silaban .” Ms. Wells also states that the first practical message was “Happy Christmas” and was sent in […]

NetTalk offers new videophone software for PC

| August 10, 2010

The VOIP service called NetTalk now has a videophone software application for both it’s new DUO and TK6000 device. To used the videophone, the device must be plugged into the USB port rather than functioning as a stand alone box that plugs directly into the router (one of it’s most compelling features). I have not […]

Old but good “one-liner” on criticism

| August 9, 2010

“Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way you are a mile away, and you have their shoes.” Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Twitter Email to Twitpic photo posting problem

| August 9, 2010

I’ve been having problems emailing photos from my Palm Pre (or computer) to Twitpic since last week, which is photo sharing service tied to my Twitter account … not that it’s all that important … but the digging turn up just how rapid the growth has been. Pretty rapid: In the couple of years since […]

Bermuda gets wind & surf from Colin, now a tropical depression

| August 8, 2010

As a follow up to a post mentioning tropical storm Colin as it passed just off to the the west but close to Bermuda. Colin  was downloaded to a tropical depression and has dumped rain, strong wind and large waves onto the south shore reefs and beaches of the island. According to meteorologists pinpointing Colin’s […]

Stewart’s airshow & our Chapter’s Taildragger Fly-In

| August 7, 2010

With Airventure in Oshkosh Wisconsin recently ending and preparations for our EAA chapter’s Labor Day weekend Taildragger Fly-In/Pancake breakfast underway, this might be a good time to mention that Saturday, September 4th is also the Stewart’s annual airshow at 40I. If camping under the wing of your plane and pancakes on Sunday morning aren’t enough […]

Video: Technical specs for the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta detailed

| August 6, 2010

Probably not the most enjoyable 16 minute video clip to watch or listen to (below), but VW Product Manager Mark Jo does offer an overview of what will be included in the new ‘lower price for 2011’  Volkswagen Jetta. Hmm, the “diesel coming out later this year” comment which mean the TDI will probably not […]

Here we go again: 14 yr old girl “ready” to sail around the world

| August 6, 2010

Far be in from me to discourage sailing, cruising and voyaging around the world … but at some point a parent will go too far in supporting a parent’s a child’s dream. Personally speaking my childhood hero was Robin Lee Graham who set sail at 16 for his around the world voyage – and there […]

MyTether and Sprint for WiFi access saves the day again

| August 5, 2010

Although I’m finding myself using a 3G cellphone connection for my computer less and less as free wifi spots are opening up everywhere I tend to travel, I do find myself thankful to keep MyTether on my Palm Pre for those moments I need a wireless hotspot. While stopping for lunch today, the normal wireless […]

Thoughts and frustrations on managing personal finances

| August 5, 2010

Once upon a time I thought I had our family’s banking and credit card use figured out … but between the bureaucrats sticking their noses into banking and the greedy bankers themselves wanting to make money hand over fist off the backs of the financially irresponsible like they did a few years ago, a wrench […]

Hot weather, thunderstorms and dramatic skies

| August 4, 2010

There are times that a photo doesn’t do the brilliance and vibrant color of the sky justice; Wednesday afternoon was one of those days. While we experienced some overly hot weather that saw the “heat index” rise to 112 degrees (below), the clouds, after a cleansing rain, created a beautiful view.  

Wind turbine photos from Indiana

| August 3, 2010

While driving north and south on I-65 through Indiana the past couple of days I was amazed to see the change in landscape … wind turbines everywhere. We (my daughter) took a few photos while we were driving by and figured I would try posting them on Posterous and see how they display when forwarded […]

Arthur Laffer: The Soak-the-Rich Catch-22

| August 2, 2010

Arthur Laffer wrote another piece in the WSJ that again draws attention to the focus some in congress are promoting — “tax the rich.” America would be wise to pay attention to previous administrations and history before once again heading down the path of high taxes and even higher taxes on the rich. Our country […]

Enjoying time with my daughter before her USMLE Step 2 test

| August 1, 2010

My daughter Katelyn and I are checked in at the Marriott in Chicago for her USMLE Step 2 testing on Monday and enjoyed an evening together. We took advantage of the 35 minute pizza baking time for the award winning stuffed pizza at Giordano’s Restaurant inorder to practice a bit more. I’m the acting patient […]

Humor: Just thought this was funny

| August 1, 2010

Grabbed a few frame in slow motion from the TV screen with my Palm Pre this weekend; maybe it is just me, but found it funny seeing a squirrel dart out while Motorweek was filming a road test on a car. No harm … [flv:mw_squirrel.flv 480 355]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog