Vacation book choice: Talking Right

| July 31, 2006

I’m looking for a light reading book for my upcoming vacation. Geoffrey Nunberg’s book, Talking Right, might just be the ticket. It looks humorous enough to keep the reading light, but topical enough to hold my interest. I’m open for opinions and will offer a few tidbits if they are worthy after our family vacation. […]

Is middle east peace even possible?

| July 30, 2006

Its about as tense as it has been since the start of this conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Sunday was a most brutal day for people still in Qana, a city in southern Lebanon, as a building was struck by Israeli air forces which was suspected of being a launch or storage area for Hezbollah […]

Motorweek confirms Jeep Liberty CRD demise

| July 30, 2006

As mentioned in previous posts (a, b, c), the diesel powered Jeep Liberty CRD will not be offered in 2007 and according to the PBS program Motorweek, production at the Toledo, Ohio plant as already ceased. For those of us that are ‘pro-diesel’ (and biodiesel) this development has bee disappointing. On the plus side, Jeep […]

Larger ‘Car Sized’ Lithium batteries

| July 29, 2006

I read several articles today highlighting a Texas company called Valence Technology who has come up with a way to “throttle the explosive properties” of charging and discharging batteries. This technology makes the lithium ion batteries that are used in notebook computers and cellphone available in larger sizes. My first thought is to use bigger […]

Mozilla Firefox Critical update

| July 28, 2006

For those of you using Mozilla Firefox, you will want to check your browser version and be sure to update it to the latest 1.5.0.5 version. There have been a couple of security issues with previous versions and those running the Firefox browser would be advised to update as soon as possible. According to HD […]

Cummins to produce light-duty diesel engine

| July 27, 2006

Cummins has indicated that they will begin producing a light-duty diesel engine in a press release today. They will be working with “a major automotive manufacturer serving the North American market.” They will not announce the partner, but indicated that the high performance light-duty diesel will be used in vehicles under 8,500 pounds. Most assume […]

CinciTDI DieselGeek Panzer Skidplate

| July 26, 2006

I’m posting this particular Volkswagen TDI “How To” video clip here before I send it to Jim at DieselGeek or post to the CinciTDI website in hopes to have a couple extra eyeballs checking it out. I’m not all that concerned about filmmaking criticism (my ego can’t take that), but I want to make sure […]

Oxymoron: Biodiesel powered Hummer

| July 25, 2006

ox·y·mo·ron n. pl. ox·y·mo·ra or ox·y·mo·rons A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined. Ok so its a stretch to call this and ‘oxymoron, nevertheless I saw this photo that AutoblogGreen posted from Flickr images and chucked as I thought of the internal conflict some environmental groups might have when supporting biodiesel, […]

AirVenture: World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration

| July 24, 2006

I’ve considered a protest pout today in refusing to write a post announcing the first day of AirVenture 2006 since I am not able to join the gang from my EAA Chapter 284 … but that would be childish. Monday July 24 kicks off the aviation week as the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) marks the […]

eFlybook at AirVenture 2006

| July 23, 2006

eFlybook is on sale for pilots at myairplane.com for $899.00 which includes a 6 month update subscription to charts and data. It is one of the first ‘electronic paper’ products out this year. The much ballyhooed Sony Reader has made its way around trade shows, but is not available to the public just yet. ARINC […]

Honda: Civic, Accord or CR-V?

| July 23, 2006

Don’t get too worried that I’m switching automotive brand loyalty just yet, but with Honda eventually entering the US diesel game I’m going to be taking a close look. (within 3 years we’ve been told) A recent article in the Atlanta Constitution discussed three models most likely to receive the oil burner — starting with […]

2006 HybridFest in Madison Wisconsin

| July 22, 2006

Although I am a VW TDI ‘diesel‘ owner, I do keep my eye on the hybrid world too. This weekend in Madison Wisconsin the 2006 Hybridfest is being held. It is an event where vendors and owners show off their products and cars in what is called “the nation’s largest hybrid car festival.” Bill Robbins, […]

Addicted to Oil

| July 22, 2006

Dylan Ratigan of CNBC hosted a special last week that I recorded

New Zealand driver to push VW TDI to limits

| July 21, 2006

Correction: On September July 29th New Zealand’s car owner and driver Maurice O’Reilly is going to attempt to show just what is possible with a diesel tuned for perfomance. He will attempt to break a speed record for a 1.9 liter turbocharged diesel in a 2001 Volkwagen Jetta TDI. The car is coupled to a […]

Dr Z and Jeep diesel ad

| July 20, 2006

DaimlerChrysler’s new pitchman, Dieter (Dr. Z) Zelsche has been promoting the Jeep diesels even as the Liberty CRD is being discontinued. I found the ads remenicent of what Lee Iacocca did for Chrysler some years ago. Zelsche is obviously the new face for the company and about every television advertisement, public display (see racecar above) […]

Replaced the Goobermobile

| July 19, 2006

A couple of days ago I commented that after donating our minivan to a family in need of a car and that we were need to replace it with something? I was not happy with my options since there were no commonsense ‘efficient’ diesels in vehicles with extra room; both my wife and I have […]

President Bush croons “Bloody Sunday”

| July 19, 2006

Quite the busy day today and I knew that there wasn’t going to be much time to post … so I’m posting this simple video clip from YouTube in advance. I found the mixing of video and song to be quite impressive while including a relevant message through song. (sad state of the world we’re […]

Turmoil in the Holy Land

| July 18, 2006

I’ve been saddened by the destruction and killing taking place in Israel and Lebanon while slowly coming to the conclusion that a negotiated peace is not possible. It is interesting to compare what is happening in the middle east to what is proposed by those in the US with a more ‘liberal’ point of view […]

Shuttle Discovery safely returns

| July 17, 2006

The space shuttle Discovery landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:14 AM after a successful 13-day mission and hopeful return to future flights. NASA has been overly cautious since the 2003 Columbia disaster. The mission demostrated the success of the new ‘arm’ that can reach all parts of the shuttle while […]

Biodiesel Plant accident explained

| July 16, 2006

Although I didn’t comment about the explosion and death at a Biodiesel Production Facility in Idaho, I’ve been following this accident on the Biodieselnow forum. The investigation that followed determined that the cause was the use of a torch in attaching a vent pipe onto a tank. The tank contained about “30 to 40 gallons […]

Server and WordPress blogging software update

| July 15, 2006

That was painful. I upgraded both my server and my version of WordPress blog software this weekend. Hopefully there will be a slight speed improvement as well as some added functionality. I’m maintaining the same ‘theme’ for simplicity and my ease of use. For those attempting to access this weekend … my apology.

Just looking: The Mercedes Bluetec Diesel

| July 13, 2006

We’re semi in the market for a new vehicle to replace the family Goobermobile (Chrysler Town & Country Minivan) that we’re donating to a family in need of a car. Although I’m struggling to get a grip on new car prices, I realized that anything replacing my all-wheel drive Limited Edition van is going to […]

What my son did over his summer vacation

| July 12, 2006

Here’s a “what I did over my summer vacation” summer camp type story … only it wasn’t me. (my life is a bit dull in comparison to my teenage son) 🙂 My high school son was privileged to go on a military oriented leadership camp this summer up in the Green Mountains of Vermont. This […]

2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee synopsis

| July 11, 2006

Diesel car lovers in the US are going to have a lean year in 2007 before several manufacturers have their North American ready diesels figured out. Volkswagen, the number one diesel car manufacturer announced that it will not be producing a TDI for 2007. The new common rail diesel will replace it and will not […]

BloggingOhio Biofuel comments

| July 10, 2006

Tobia Bucknell of BloggingOhio posted on biofuels in Ohio and how they fit in with our agricultural heritage. Considering Ohio is one of the top ten states in both corn and soybean production, we have much to gain in “growing” (pun intended) the biodiesel and ethanol markets. Mr. Bucknell highlighted several articles from Ohio farming […]

Webster includes “biodiesel” for 2006

| July 10, 2006

Frank Giovinazzi pointed out in CarBuyersNotebook, an automotive website I read regularly, that the term “biodiesel” has made it into the 2006 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the 11th edition. I’m not sure if ‘making Webster’s dictionary’ is the definition of success, but at least everyone will know how to spell it correctly. 🙂 As for Webster’s […]

Desultory thinking: Storm Drainage Solution

| July 9, 2006

I’ve been battling a storm water problem since we built our house and every year tweak my existing water routing plan contemplating new ways to deal with it. I spotted a “This Old House” video clip that offered a solution … a few more dollars than I want to spend, but I appreciated the engineering […]

U of Minnesota Solar Car heading to Taiwan

| July 8, 2006

I’m cheering for a group of students from University of Minnesota who will be racing their entry, Borealis III on September 17th in the World Solar Rally. Last year they took 2nd place in a 2005 race from Austin Texas to Calgary, Canada and have rebuilt and modified their vehicle in order to compete in […]

VW: “Drivers NOT Wanted”

| July 7, 2006

As a boy, the first movie I ever saw was “The Love Bug” at the Skyline drive-in theater in the back seat of my dad’s Chevrolet Corvair. (actually I think it was it “Born Free” not that it matters.) In an article sent to me by a VW TDI driving friend, German engineers at Volkswagen […]

Affordable Single Family Wind Power

| July 6, 2006

Southwest Windpower has introduced a new residential small wind generator called the Skystream 3.7â„¢ that can produce 4,800 to 6,600 kWh of energy to the average home. The unit is designed to be affordable costing around $10,000 and is intended for ‘on the grid’ power users. In average installations the residential unit should pay for […]

Field testing Biodiesel Fuel

| July 5, 2006

Biodiesel Magazine published an article their April 2006 issue titled “Simple, effective B100 quick field test available.” CytoCulture International has developed “a practical tool for use throughout the entire biodiesel supply chain.” It is a handy field test, available now (see below), that according to the author is “effective and simple.” The test, called the […]

STS-121 successfully launches today

| July 4, 2006

Happy Birthday America! What an outstanding way to celebrate Independence day. STS-121 and the Shuttle Discovery made a near picture perfect launch today at 2:35PM lifting a heavy weight from anyone associated with the Space Program. The crew of seven are now in space and during this 12-day mission will continue evaluating new safety procedures […]

Happy Fourth of July

| July 4, 2006

While our country and its citizens have enjoyed “Independence” for 230 years now, let’s be sure to stop and thank those who earned it, maintained it and fight to keep it. Thank you America, and those who have fought and continue to fight, to keep it free and secure. On a personal note, I’ve made […]

Sen. Lieberman announces his strategy

| July 3, 2006

Senator Joseph Lieberman dropped a bombshell today as he made a calculated move to ensure his name will be on the ballot either as a Democrat or and Independent this fall. Under Connecticut law, one can be put on the ballot if he has 7,500 signatures by August 9th — so just in case Lieberman […]

STS-121: Will it launch on July 4th?

| July 3, 2006

Nasa’s Space Shuttle program waits once again as the experts analyse new photos taken overnight of foam damage possibly due to rain water leaking near the fueling/defueling connection. If water was able to seep in and freeze to be warmed later by the daytime heat, that could be the reason for this small fracture. STS-121 […]

JatroDiesel has equipment in place

| July 2, 2006

Biodiesel Magazine had an update on JatroDiesel, a Mason Ohio based company, in its June 2006 issue. The facility under construction in Miamisburg Ohio, just outside of Dayton, is nearly completed and has some biodiesel buyers already in place according to Rajesh Mosali, chief executive officer of JatroDiesel. JatroDiesel’s process is somewhat unique as their […]

Are NASA employees running on empty?

| July 1, 2006

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