RichC | August 24, 2005
Audi/Palm Pressrelease: We are pleased to announce the Audi / Palm partnership in providing integrated capabilities with the palm Treo 650 and our 2006 models equipped with Bluetooth phone technology. This announcement is the culmination of over a year’s worth of work of teams on both sides of the partnership. The Audi team was comprised […]
RichC | August 22, 2005
“The morning after” the great CinciTDI “Intake Cleaning” GTG, or party depending on your perspective, sort of left me melancholy. The August GTG day is now gone after a long time in coming, and was even more successful than I envisioned. The real THANK YOU goes to Bruce for the mechanical aptitude and ‘nuts and […]
RichC | August 16, 2005
In keeping with ‘desultory‘ in my blog, I ran across some useful advice from a specialty produce distributor in regard to storing and ripening fruit. Karen Caplan of Frieda’s Inc. suggests that you rinse peaches, nectarines and plums and place in a shallow wire basket for ventilation after purchasing, rather than putting them in the […]
RichC | August 15, 2005
Another excellent ‘educational’ EAA284 meeting yesterday at our chapter hanger. We enjoy a brief time of socialization and chatting about the brochures and photos collected at Airventure 2005 over burger and brats fixed by Bob Luken. I know everyone enjoyed the food … as usual. After the meeting was casually called to order we had […]
RichC | August 13, 2005
A friend of mine pointed me to a great site from a journalist pertaining to all things automotive. Frank Giovinazzi is the publisher of Car Buyer’s Notebook and a companion Podcast site. He is easy to listen to in his short daily podcasts and works hard to write intriguing articles. His podcasts on biodiesel caught […]
RichC | August 10, 2005
With oil prices on the rise again what can we surmise? A couple of days ago, U.S. light, sweet crude for September delivery rose to a record of $64 a barrel. What is interesting is to dig into the ‘crack spread’ between the different grades of refined light oils. Those in the energy business observe […]
RichC | August 6, 2005
Wow … what an Airventure. According to EAA records, about 700,000 people made their way to the Greatest Aviation Celebration in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this year. That number is well above 2004 and is also reflected in the participants as well. More than 10,000 aircraft visited the Oshkosh area including showplanes over the seven-day convention of […]
RichC | August 2, 2005
I had planned on updating our trip to the Canadian Rockies daily, but as with most vacations, the time went by way too fast, besides that, the days were long and tiring. My son and I flew into Calgary, Alberta the last week in July and were picked up by Jeff, a long time friend […]
RichC | July 24, 2005
I continually am grateful for those voluteering to fight terrorism abroad, assisting people trapped under brutal murdering dictators or extremist fanatics and exemplifying the decency Americans stand for. There isn’t much doubt that serving our country in the armed forces is a high risk business. One such capture enemy video clip opens ones eyes to […]
RichC | July 22, 2005
I’m probably not the only one, but I’m addicted to tech ‘gadgets,’ no … let me correct that … any ‘gadget.’ I have this insane weakness for interesting new toys. They are most definitely ‘wants,’ but not necessarily ‘needs;’ a lecture my kids hear far too often. Is it a ‘need’ or a ‘want?’ The […]
RichC | July 20, 2005
David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell University claims there is no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel. “The United States desperately needs a liquid fuel replacement for oil in the near future but producing ethanol or biodiesel from plant biomass is going down the wrong road, because you use […]
RichC | July 11, 2005
EAA Chapter 284 had another great meeting on Sunday afternoon. The weather was warm and atomsphere at Red Stewart field enjoyable. As always, I enjoy the feeling of stepping back in time surrounded by flying antique aircraft and the the rustic grass field (40I) that many taildraggers call home. Long live Red Stewart Field. 🙂 […]
RichC | July 8, 2005
* Year to Date figures for VW in the Americas Painfully for VW, its a continual release of news from reporters covering the VW scandel and lousy business performance. Just today another article was in published in (July 8, 2005) Wallstreet Journal. In summary (and opinion) of the many articles I’ve read over the last […]
RichC | July 7, 2005
The comment from a shaky Abigail Milner (15 meters from a London blast) asked the question poised by many: “Why?” It is difficult to understand the desire terrorist choosing to kill civilians in exposing their hate for our way of life. It only proves to continually show their cold blooded murdering ways throughout the world. […]
RichC | July 5, 2005
About a week ago my daughter and I took a weekend trip to Chicago primarily to take in the Nextfest. We had a great time and some steamy hot summer weather. Prior to the doors opening on the Navy Pier we had a breakfast downtown and walk down the 3100 foot structure that makes its […]
RichC | July 1, 2005
I’ll get a jump on the weekend with a couple of Independence Day suggestions: If you’ve never owned a US flag make this year the year to show your pride and appreciation for our country. It is a good way to reflect and remember those that founded, fought and continue to protect this great nation […]
RichC | June 30, 2005
National Public Radio’s Morning Edition ran an interview with Mike Pelly (Olympia Green Fuels) on biodiesel on June 29th. It was a well done short 4 minute PR interview (right click/save-as for MP3 Audio)that was balanced politically. Mike Pelly tells Steve Inskeep about biodiesel in this short interview. Pelly is a well know biodiesel advocate […]
RichC | June 29, 2005
The President of the United States addressed the nation on Tuesday night (June 28, 2005) and outlined the continuing War on Terror. (right-click and save-as this MP3 audio to listen) The polite and respectful Airbourne Army troops at Fort Bragg, NC hosted their commander in chief and listened intently to the accurate review and complementary […]
RichC | June 28, 2005
Matthew R Simmons, a Harvard educated Texas investment banker’s recent book leaves more questions than it does answers to the accuracy of Saudi oil reserves. Mr. Simmons through the 422 pages of his current book claims that the secrecy and mystery behind the regularly stated claims that the Saudis’ proven reserves are 25% of the […]
RichC | June 27, 2005
I read and interesting article this weekend that detailed the events and price points of oil adjusted for inflation. Without including the Subscription copywritten Data, I found it interesting to note that during the years 1979 – 1985 we actually sustained prices higher than our current $60/barrel. (peaked at $90/barrel* adjusted for inflation according to […]
RichC | June 23, 2005
As the trade and economic battle between China and the US escalates, the questions begin to arise at the best way to handle the situation. The recent battle over the company Unocal between Chevron and Communist China’s government controlled CNOOC has brought the situation to the forefront. (WSJ Article) The rise cost of oil (today […]
RichC | June 20, 2005
I was listening to Wesley Clark on the subject of our stretched military, Gitmo and Iraq yesterday and found his insight very interesting, considering that he is NOT a lover of the current administrations policies. At the same time he doesn’t represent the leftist views that we remove and disengage the militarily from the the […]
RichC | June 15, 2005
One of the first of its kind, a fuelcell motorcyle, was introduced to the press today. Its an impressively designed motorbike that at its core has an Intelligent-energy fuel cell. Unlike many electric or hybrid style motorcycles, this one used a removable fuel cell that can also be used as a power source. (see WMV […]
RichC | June 14, 2005
Our EAA chapter was hosted by Jack and Kate Tiffany in their Spring Valley, Ohio shop last Sunday afternoon. (June 12, 2005) Jack and his two talented partners, Don Siefer and Herman Leffew, have been rebuilting an extremely rare Picairn PA-18 Autogiro from the 1930’s. If I were ‘twitcher‘ this ‘bird’ would be considered a […]
RichC | June 13, 2005
Biodiesel was the topic on Trucks! (SpikeTV) this past weekend. The host, Stacey David is an addictive guy to watch, although can probably only be tolerated in small doses. 🙂 He did a nice job of explaining the ‘homebrew’ biodiesel processes and kept it simple; he also does a great job of ‘convincing’ his audience […]
RichC | June 10, 2005
Reading a post this morning in a forum I visit regularly and daughter reading a tribute article about a figure skater got me thinking about ‘today.’ Am I making the most of each day? To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, Lady, were no crime We […]
RichC | June 9, 2005
Monday and Tuesday night of this past week, I watched pieces of the two part interview that Greta Van Susteren had with President Clinton. It was pretty much a ‘fluff’ interview, yet I appreciate the respect some reporters give to our presidents. All in all it was a lesson that Howard Dean and many democrats […]
RichC | June 8, 2005
* The photo above is a VW Golf TDI Rally car raced by Jon Hamilton of Marysville, Ohio. See team RallyVW. I saw a forwarded email post to the CinciTDI.com group yesterday and want to share it … unfortunately only ‘rabid’ VW TDI owners and drivers will understand it. 1. When you meet a stranger […]
RichC | June 7, 2005
Domestic automakers have had a tough slog this past year, of that there is no doubt. Poor planning on the part of executives at GM and Ford deserve the majority of the blame, although internal costs be they union (Europeon or domestic), the US economy and the high cost of oil are understandable excuses. Chart […]
RichC | June 6, 2005
With crude oil once again closing above $55.00/barrel and the potential for gasoline to rise closers to $3.00/ gallon, the pressure is being felt by congress to actually get an energy bill passed and sent to President Bush. An article in today’s WSJ (subscription required) details some fo the components that have derailed the the […]
RichC | June 1, 2005
I’ve experienced my share of idenity theft and ‘thought’ I was savy to what information I was going to share again. Unfortunately when doing practically anything online, there is very little privacy. Most people believe that the first step is to only do business with established and reputable companies, but are surprised at what is […]
RichC | May 31, 2005
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS – Posted Date: 5/31/05 Volkswagen AG may introduce a hybrid-powered Jetta in the United States in two years according to a VW spokesman. They confirmed that VW is considering a so-called mild hybrid vehicle similar to the Honda Civic Hybrid. VW did not forecast sales volumes or discuss the costs. The company said […]
RichC | May 26, 2005
I’ve been a proponent of the Steve Forbes style “flat tax” since it was introduced durning his run for the presidency. Although I’m not comfortable with an over the board Flat Tax, I would like to see serious reform. On a CNBC ‘unscientific’ poll of people watching Squawkbox or reading their website, other were of […]
RichC | May 25, 2005
Above ground portable B20 pumps and tanks – BioWillie [clickable link] In the US, the mom and pop gas station is steadily being replaced by conglomerate ‘fast food’ stations, grocery/superstore fuel pumps or oil company owned convenient gas stations. Often times the old private stations are franchised or leased, and the renewals are no longer […]
RichC | May 24, 2005
The information below is from Deb Shinder, MCSE, MVP (Security). She is a technology consultant that we have used to secure our servers and email. I found her information worthy of inclusion on my blog and hope it will help others. Does spam threaten your network’s security? Certainly if dozens of salespeople came to your […]
RichC | May 24, 2005
In keeping with “Desultory” … I’m posting something out of the blue. This weekend I had a couple guys over working on my daughters VW Jetta TDI. We had the intake manifold off and realized after installing that one of the ‘non-essential’ bolt holes was oversize or stripped. (just holds the plastic noise cover in […]
RichC | May 23, 2005
Statistically, we all expect the price of diesel fuel to drop and the price of gasoline to rise in the summer. It is usually stated that the summer driving season puts a demand on gas, whereas the winter heating season puts the demand on heating oil. This is probably to simplistic of an answer, but […]
RichC | May 20, 2005
I’ve been thinking about getting back to work on my Sonex project and have been ‘re-intrigued’ with the thought of diesel power. I came across a company, Advanced Propulsion Technologies, that is building extremely lightweight, high powered diesels, especially the 325HP engine. This one clutched to a second is being proposed and tested on light […]
RichC | May 19, 2005
The answer for most elected to serve us is that “you don’t want to know.” Polls are a way of life in the political beltway of Washington DC and our Amreican media. Its also one way in which we get feedback on how our elected officials are performing. I’m not so sure the results of […]
RichC | May 17, 2005
The new Popemobile??? I hope this is not what VW is counting on. Is there any question as to how Volkswagen has been managed in recent years? Their strategy to up scale their image and move from the “people’s car†mentality has surely made even the most loyal shareholders doubt. One writer sums up that […]
RichC | May 16, 2005
Today was an headline grabbing day for biodiesel advocates as President Bush made a visit to a Virgina Biodiesel Refinery. The public visit was in part a promotion of his stalled energy bill and an incentive to continue our national move toward less dependance on foriegn petroleum. President Bush exclaims, “Our dependence on foreign oil […]
RichC | May 16, 2005
A Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) technology demonstration is scheduled for June 5 – 7, 2005 and will showcase some of the operating capabilities developed to make small aircraft and airports more accessible to more people. This is the information technology that is needed to open the door to personal air transportation along with the […]
RichC | May 15, 2005
RichC | May 13, 2005
I enjoy reading and posting in several forums that usually pertain to an area of mutual interest. Over time it is easy to make friends (and occasional nemeses … hmm is that a word?) that move off topic for discussion of divisive issues such as religion and politics. One such issue is on how we […]
RichC | May 10, 2005
Next month I’ll have a chance to personally check out the AMV Aircraft. (well not ‘be’ checked out. 🙂 ) Actually it has been seen as the personal aircraft of the future by some and just another prototype design by others. No matter … I like it. What is unique is that this small two […]
RichC | May 9, 2005
Most of us in the US ‘love’ cheap energy … unfortunately what we like isn’t always good for us. I’ve enjoyed regular forum debates with Mike Briggs, from UNH, on many issues. A recent issue has me rethinking my positions on a ‘new tax.’ Yes … a TAX … shame on me. Mike presented his […]
RichC | May 5, 2005
The current book that I’m finishing up is an ‘eye-opening’ look into the writings of prominent neoconservative thinkers. I am finding this political science collection of essays to be extrodinarily helpful in understanding American neoconservative political influence of the Bush administration. As a more traditional conservative, much of the thought is quite radical. The revitalization […]
RichC | May 5, 2005
I’ve often talked about sharing what I’ve learned through mistakes and success in a book. I’ve got a pile of notes that I’ve continued to add to over the years in this regard and thought I would segment them into a collection of thoughts or essays with the hopes of creating the book project I’ve […]
RichC | May 4, 2005
I’m always looking to build a better mousetrap … like replacing our petroleum diesel fuel with biodiesel. With oil prices over $50/barrel, biodiesel is in the news almost everyday. Obviously some big dollars from American soybean growers have boosted the farm lobbies and politicians are finding out that supporting renewable homegrow alternatives to foriegn oil […]
RichC | May 3, 2005
I thought I would start the Misc section today and start with the ‘click’ of the day post. 🙂 Today’s interesting link is a semi-reference site that usually provides more humor than information: “What is” lookup. It is interesting what pops up by plugging in different words. Example: Since I’ve been following the Ivory Billed […]
RichC | May 1, 2005
I spent Saturday, April 30 at with a bunch of TDI owners at Jon Hamilton’s tuning session, driver for team rallyvw.com. The event was scheduled as a fundraiser for the race team around chip tunning by Jeff (Rocketchip) and injector nozzles from Charlie (KermaTDI). It was a busy day as there were 9 sets of […]
RichC | April 29, 2005
Since my digital Canon S50 comes with a limited ‘video’ mode I thought I would try it out and include a short video clip without audio below. What is noticable is that the trunk opens slowly when one triggers the trunk release and that the capacity is huge. Over 16 cu. ft. which is larger […]
RichC | April 28, 2005
I had a chance to test drive a new 2005 Volkswagen Black on Black Jetta V TDI today. This was the first opportunity to see the new reskinned TDI Jetta and I was very impressed. This new Jetta is not just sporting a new skin; its most definitely a totally new car with a bunch […]
RichC | April 1, 2005
Graydon Blair’s excellent FAQs and links: Introduction: Vegetable Oil can be used in some diesel engines in three main ways: 1 – Directly at 100% concentration in a heated two tank system. 2 – Blended in various percents with other fuels in heated or unheated systems depending on the percent of veggie-oil blended and the […]