Powering up a Yaesu FT-2900 on a dark and dreary night

| October 31, 2013

This Halloween evening is indeed dark and dreary as the wind is whistling and blowing rain nearly sideways. The garage door was left open (by me) and has puddled to the point Tootsie’s cushions (bed) is damp … which makes the entire garage smell like wet dog. But that’s not the point of this evening […]

Can Sprint pull off the gigahertz strategy in the U.S?

| October 31, 2013

Because I’m in the midst of studying the next level of amateur radio theory and hoping to gain access to more HF Ham radio frequencies (ARRL PDF chart), a recent WSJ article regarding Sprint’s gigahertz frequencies made complete sense to me. The gist of the article is that Sprint has a “giant trove of high-frequency […]

Getting the right flight at the right price is proving illusive

| October 30, 2013

So much for my air travel shopping tips as the holiday airfares have already risen. I’m seeing $700 to $900 for the flights I’ve been pricing and the ones leaving mid-day are gone. I think I’ve waited too long to confirm my son’s trip home because at one point a few weeks ago I had […]

Time Warner Cable and Internet woes

| October 29, 2013

Between being locked out of my WordPress site and having my admin password compromised and dealing with Time Warner cable and Internet issues at home, I’m ready to cut the cord and do away with technology today. Since I was talking with TW customer service about a billing issue and complaining about my home Internet […]

Sprint LTE connected Freedompop hotspot active at my house

| October 28, 2013

I arrived home Monday afternoon and realized my Freedompop 4G LTE hotspot was still turned on in the car (device I use to connect my computer and iPad to the Internet while traveling). When I picked it up, the “LTE connected” light was still on and I thought, "hmm, that can’t be LTE 4G in […]

Clamps on a wall

| October 27, 2013

After teasing my sister-in-law about her wanting “just one” of the clamps her dad willed to me so she could hang it on her wall … I ended up hanging the rest on the wall too (although in my workshop).😉

Before selling equities, consider buying put options

| October 26, 2013

After writing the Liquidity addict post for Friday and speculating that our “irrational exuberance” for stocks has bold investors buying with reckless abandon (CNBC on Friday said margin buying is near all time highs). Concerned? Hmm, yup.  I also received a couple of emails from readers who said they were happy, but also worried about […]

What a way to take a freshwater shower on a sailboat!

| October 25, 2013

Bernanke-care is creating liquidity addicts

| October 25, 2013

As a student of economics, a business manager and as a hesitant investor, I’m concern about what is going to happen when the Federal Reserve finally pulls the stimulus intravenous therapy? It is likely that Fed Chairman Bernanke is worried about weaning the stimulus too, by the fact he hasn’t started to taper. It is […]

Announcement from Apple on a variety of devices

| October 23, 2013

Yesterday’s Apple product event came on the heels of last months lackluster iPhone 5c and 5s announcement (I watched on and off on my iPad – Jony Ive in photo on right) . First off, there wasn’t anything earthshattering just as with the new iPhones, but the updates and upgrades will be “want to have” items. […]

New shoes! Woohoo, another pair of Sperry sailing shoes

| October 22, 2013

  With a $25 coupon about to expire, I decided to buy a new pair of grippy Sperry SeaRacer Sneakers. These boat shoes were not exactly what I expected as they were much lighter in weight and lighter in construction than any “sneaker” I’ve ever had. In fact, they were almost wimpy.  But … after wearing […]

The movie Gravity and an ISS demonstration from space

| October 21, 2013

If you are looking forward to seeing the new Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. space oriented movie Gravity, here’s an interesting real life International Space Station demonstration showing just how much (or little) effort it takes to move in zero gravity. While thinking about it … check out the Gravity Trailer.

Obamacare – Dave Ramsey suggests doing the math

| October 20, 2013

Last week Dave Ramsey attempted to simplify the Affordable Care Act on his financial advice radio program for his listeners. He asked listeners to take off the political blinders – be they those of the supporters of Obamacare or those who want the law overturned. In a “tough love” Dave Ramsey kind of way, he […]

The layout and columns on my blog in 15 points

| October 19, 2013

After offering a little tech help to a computer novice setting up email and an a few bookmarks, my friend asked me why some web pages are so “busy and confusing.” He was refering to the columns and underlined words in of all places … MY BLOG. Hmm … is it that confusing I wondered? Maybe because […]

Cincinnati style chili: “diarrhea sludge, garbage-gravy”

| October 18, 2013

Deadspin‘s Albert Burneko is not fond of Cincinnati style chili … be it on a hotdog or on pasta … and isn’t shy about dissing it. Something tells me if he ever visit Cincinnati again that he’ll be wearing chili. A word of advice if you ever come to town Mr. Burneko … don’t wear a […]

A few Mercedes Benz photos from 1965 – 1972

| October 18, 2013

While watching Kent Bergsma’s latest video on a smooth shifting W108 280SEL Mercedes Benz, I stumbled on a video clip of old Mercedes photos set to The 5th Dimension’s  Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In music. Although the era was slightly before my time (and a decade before my MB 300D Turbodiesel), I admired and […]

The shutdown is over and the FCC issued my Call Sign – KD8VSB

| October 17, 2013

The good news from my end is that the FCC is back in business and processed some of their backlog today. One of those items was my new amateur radio call sign … KD8VSB. I’m legal to be on the air. Woohoo!

Don’t run your VW TDI diesel engine without coolant

| October 17, 2013

A sad, sad day for this little Volkswagen TDI diesel engine transplanted in a VW bus. VWWestyman posted a couple photos of his “toasted” engine on TheSamba.com forum and explained that this is what happens when the engine loses all the coolant but keeps chugging along … well, until it doesn’t. VW TDI toasted engine […]

Cleaning out the family farmhouse and barn in New York

| October 16, 2013

  EDIT: I’ve added a small recording “app” to the iMac called eXtra Voice Recorder. In the old Mac days we would call these small apps “DAs”(Desk Accessories). If you’re a pre-X Mac user, do you remember them? Below is the audio test.   Reading Cleaning out the family farmhouse and barn in New York […]

The Freedompop MiFi500 4G LTE hotspot finally arrived

| October 15, 2013

I don’t have time to play with a new gadget just yet, but did I received the new Freedompop MiFi 500 hotspot today — it was ordered on August 22. From a quick wireless connection I think it is going to be a reasonable replacement in order to connect to the Internet while traveling. When I switch […]

How not to overpay for airfare — 4 tips

| October 14, 2013

Since I’m looking to bring my son home from North Dakota over Christmas, I figured it might be time to archive a list of shopping tips I copied and saved in a document a few years ago … can’t remember where I found them? I can’t vouch for the current accuracy, but I’m using the […]

Pediatric Medicine: Buzzy for pain free shots

| October 11, 2013

When information on Buzzy came to my inbox, I had to forward the URL to my daughter just in case she wasn’t aware of it as won’t be long before she’ll be finished with her residency. She is currently in her third year at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and will soon be joining or […]

Obituary: Aviation friend Kenneth Miracle passed peacefully

| October 10, 2013

A long time friend and fellow EAA284 chapter member Ken Miracle passed away last week and his family will be holding a gathering and a memorial service this Friday evening  (10/11) and Saturday morning (10/12). I regret being unable to attend. Ken was one of the first EAA guys to befriend me when I joined […]

We’re paying taxes just for laughs now

| October 9, 2013

This jaw-dropping Milky Way galaxy pano is now on my iMac

| October 9, 2013

The U.K.’s Royal Observatory Greenwich and National Maritime Museum awarded Mark Gee’s photos showing the Milky Way galaxy as it lights the sky at Cape Palliser, New Zealand lighthouse this year. The photo (click for VERY large) was made by stitching together 20 individual images to create this panoramic photo which as the Space.com article […]

Archive: A Packard documentary from the History Channel

| October 8, 2013

I ran across a “Packard: An American Classic Car” documentary on You Tube the other day and know it is something my dad will enjoy watching. I downloaded a copy to my iPad (using McTube Pro) and am archiving the 44 minute clip to my blog — might purchase the DVD as it would make […]

Tis the season to watch for scary pranks

| October 7, 2013

More on what the Obama administration chooses to shutdown

| October 6, 2013

In a previous post, I commented on the Obama administration choosing to shutdown U.S. memorials and parks in what many perceived as unnecessary. It is obviously that it is purely politics when it requires more federal workers and costs more to close sites like the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial (never closed […]

Ordered a discounted copy of “Killing Jesus”

| October 5, 2013

Don Imus had an excellent interview with commentator and bestselling author Bill O’Reilly a few days ago and the exchange has me even more interested in reading O’Reilly’s Killing Jesus. The book is presented as a “history” rather than a religious book but as a Catholic, O’Reilly believes inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit and thinks he […]

Tech Friday: umano read-it-to-me iPhone app

| October 4, 2013

One of my favorite apps on my iPhone is the NPR podcast app and I particularly enjoy listening to the in-depth stories on my time, rather than trying to tune in when they are live or reading the stories later. I also download other podcasts using iTunes or Stitcher, but in some cases have found either […]

Citizens unnecessarily annoyed during government shutdown

| October 3, 2013

Although I’m not a big fan of the “goings on” in Washington DC, particularly the current government shutdown … but I’m really frustrated to see political elements doing their darnedest to make it even more uncomfortable for everyone. Most news watchers are aware of the brouhaha over the WW2 Memorial this past Wednesday, where World […]

One of my favorite novelists, Tom Clancy, dies at age 66

| October 2, 2013

I was sad to hear of the passing of one of my favorite authors Tom Clancy (Apr 12, 1947 – Oct 1, 2013) as his early cold-war novels were a staple of my fictional reading. His military novels and well developed characters like Jack Ryan held my interest for many years after losing John D. […]

Keeping up with my doom and gloom reading

| October 2, 2013

In my pile of books, I’m reading one co-authored by Robert Wiedemer called “Aftershock Investor” and he is anticipating, after he accurately pinpointed the housing bubble, that we are nearing two additional bubbles. First, he highlights the dollar bubble as the Fed’s “quantitative easing” continues … followed by the government debt bubble as at the […]

The government shuts down and they are not even talking

| October 1, 2013

Once again our dysfunctional federal government reared its ugly head and made many of us wonder why we continue to send money to Washington DC?  The taxpayer continues to be squeezed by our bloated bureaucrats who can’t seem live on the nearly trillion dollars we send them each year — it’s ridiculous!   From my […]

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