RichC | June 13, 2008
Tim Russert, the moderator of “Meet the Press,†and respected NBC Washington news bureau chief died Friday after a sudden heart attack. He was working at the NBC news bureau on voice-overs according to news reports and collapsed. The Russerts had just returned from a trip to Italy where the family celebrated the graduation of […]
RichC | June 12, 2008
Our EAA chapter (EAA284) had an enjoyable Sunday afternoon meeting this past weekend at the Lebanon, Ohio home of one of our members, Ivan Reznor. Our gracious host let us check out his Zenithair Zodiac 601 taildragger project taking over part of his garage and half the basement. (his wife must be one of a […]
RichC | June 11, 2008
I continue to find more uses for the FREE Jott.com cellphone to email/reminder service. Today I tinkered with the new RSS “listening” feed reader (in audio on your cellphone) while waiting for an appointment. I set up the feed in my Jott control panel to include a daily sailing blog from friends who are cruising […]
RichC | June 10, 2008
It was a nice evening to sit outside with my daughter as the breeze cooled off the 90+ degree day as we discussed the ‘goings on’ of the day. She adjusted her cushion on the Adirondack chair and off jumped a large but fuzzy spider. Yikes! 🙂 As we discussed what kind of spider it […]
RichC | June 9, 2008
I was asking a question about raccoons in my prior post and figure it might be the perfect opportunity to talk about an interesting cellphone/text messaging service — ChaCha. The FREE service requires that you register your email address and cellphone number with ChaCha and uses “human” researchers, called “guides,” to text back an answer […]
RichC | June 8, 2008
The challenge of removing raccoons from our attic continues as varmit number 5 has been trapped today. (click above ‘texturized’ image for real photo) I’ll continue to reset the trap, but wonder just how many babies are in this litter. There have been three babies so far, plus two adults. See earlier post. I’m beginning […]
RichC | June 7, 2008
Dave Vanderwerp reviewed the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI in a recent article of Car and Driver and concludes that its the “cheapest 40+mpg sedan.” His June 2008 review follows a Jared Gall “first drive” article in February of 2007 — its been a long wait for TDI lovers. Just when you thought there wasn’t a […]
RichC | June 6, 2008
Crude oil is trading up more than $11/barrel to a record high on a weak dollar do to surprising U.S. unemployment numbers. The number had the strongest rise in 2 decades and analysis at Morgan Stanley suggests prices may reach $150 within a month. Oil is “being used as a hedge by speculative buyers for […]
RichC | June 5, 2008
Although it wasn’t a close call in remembering our 26th wedding anniversary, I wasn’t exactly plotting weeks in advance either … but Brenda and I had an enjoyable time going to the movies — Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. For us the Indiana Jones movie brought back fond memories as the […]
RichC | June 4, 2008
Tuesday night we had a series of severe storms make their way through our area (north of Cincinnati) and spawn rotational winds as well as 90 mph straight-line blasts. Thankfully there was significant warning and we was able to get a few things put away at home to prevent damage … but we did head […]
RichC | June 3, 2008
U.S auto companies have been suffering and even the ‘rising sun’ of Toyota has had sales pains. Most of the pain has been felt by U.S. automakers as consumers don’t want gasoline thirsty pickups and sport utility vehicles in the face of $4.00/gallon pump prices. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler LLC have depended on […]
RichC | June 2, 2008
Prop problem for Earthrace … here’s an update from the log: “Having made a swift 3 hours 15 minutes turnaround in Palau, Earthrace encountered some sea debris, which has damaged the port prop. The boat returned to port where the prop was removed and the drive shaft tested. The shaft has been put out of […]
RichC | June 1, 2008
It has been a busy few days getting ready for a well attended open house, family for the weekend and my son’s high school graduation ceremonies. (baccalaureate and graduation) The good weather held and everything went very well, thanks to my wife’s planning … and we even have some left over food! Since I’m traveling […]
RichC | May 29, 2008
My son graduates high school on Saturday so we are busy prepping for open house and family. The raccoon is gone, one “dead” smelly baby has been dug out of the insulation in the garage and another was treed last night by Tootsie (probably will try and reenter the house again? All in all I […]
RichC | May 28, 2008
Earthrace, an attempt to round the world in record time on biodiesel fuel, is halfway across the Pacific Ocean and is now 700 or so miles west of Majuro in the Marshall Islands. They arrived on one engine and departed 4 hours later back on two. After leaving San Diego the crew and ‘unique’ boat […]
RichC | May 27, 2008
Another year … and another family has figured out how to get into our house — an animal family that is. We’ve had birds in the attic and raccoons once before, but this guy has been a bit more challenging to trap. I’ve moved my live trap in different places around the roof line (where […]
RichC | May 26, 2008
Although I’m not rewriting my Memorial Day post (frustrated that it has been lost after I posted Sunday night — grrr), I will include the 11 minute clip from CBS telling the history of Arlington Memorial Cemetery. On Monday, President Bush paid tribute to America’s service personnel who died in service to their country at […]
RichC | May 24, 2008
The son of the legendary Evil Knievel, age 46 successfully jumped 200 feet on his Honda motorcycle, but didn’t break his own record of 228 feet. If he had jumped 199 feet, he might have landed dangerously on the safety deck and bounced off the bike according to reporters at the event. About 40,000 spectators […]
RichC | May 23, 2008
Human innovation never ceases to amaze me …
RichC | May 23, 2008
This past weekend my son and I went to freshman orientation at the University of Akron in preparation for his fall semester. The The full day started at 7:45 and ended at 4:30, but the time was well spent in that he’s registered for fall classes and nearly ready to start … and high school […]
RichC | May 22, 2008
The price of oil hit a record high above $135 a barrel this Thursday morning which is more than twice what it cost a year ago. According to press reports, latest surge was driven by data showing that supplies of crude in the US had fallen by 5.4 million barrels. “US light, sweet crude for […]
RichC | May 21, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy‘s FuelEconomy website has updated numbers posted for the ‘soon to be released’ (summer 2008) Volkswagen Jetta and Sportswagen TDI clean diesels. The new fuel use numbers show miles per gallon economy for the six-speed manual version at 30 city, 41 highway and at 34 combined. The DSG automatic transmission are […]
RichC | May 21, 2008
Its not working all that well for me just yet, but I like the simplicity of the “mashing” with Twitter and FuelFrog. Three guys who call themselves SecondPixel, David Rasch, Brandon Milford and Alan Cox founded the company to create, yet powerful web applications. Fuelfrog is one which helps track and graph fuel usage with […]
RichC | May 20, 2008
In a Turin, Italy press conference, Volkswagen’s powertrain research director, Wolfgang Steiger, stated that “roughly 30% of VW’s total U.S. sales will likely be derived from its diesel models by 2018.” Compared to its prior 15% percent of vehicles and near monopoly on affordable diesel cars, that percentage will nearly double their sales in ten […]
RichC | May 19, 2008
This past weekend was full of May oriented ‘goings-on.’ From attending a couple important graduation open houses to working at getting our yard in order for my son’s high school graduation open house, to the culmination of the best rugby season we’ve had. It was a perfect time to have been a senior as Taylor’s […]
RichC | May 18, 2008
Update on Earthrace since they made short stops in Panama, Mexico and San Diego for fuel. They have been running well with the experienced crew who are remaining alert and handling several smallish issues well. The second round the world record attempt is well ahead of schedule. The biggest problem since crossing the Atlantic has […]
RichC | May 17, 2008
The fuel price discussions continue as I made small talk with clients throughout the week; Friday was no exception. Petroleum traded at an all time high to almost $127 per barrel in the morning on strong demand and there is very little evidence that we’ll see an additional supply come online this summer … or […]
RichC | May 16, 2008
As someone who started with a Palm Pilot many years ago and who has been wondering what will replace my business oriented Palm Treo, I am disappointed at seeing the new Palm Treo 800w (at least displayed side by side with the new Blackberry Bold). I can’t imagine many new smartphone shoppers will select this […]
RichC | May 16, 2008
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, U.S. refineries are trying to maximize output of the “more-profitable” diesel fuel even as the summer driving season kicks off. The article mentions that the “global hunger for diesel, coupled with tight refining capacity” offers better profits than gasoline. Last week diesel prices were up […]
RichC | May 14, 2008
One of the advantages of being on the road for business during the week is that I get a chance to see my daughter. Today was no exception … and the highlight was that it was her Birthday! She has been studying for a Neurology test tomorrow and brought along a stack of index cards […]
RichC | May 13, 2008
How far will you go?
RichC | May 13, 2008
Search technology is improving daily and its a good thing considering the amount of information expanding on the web. A company called Powerset has recently launched their their first product which improves Wikipedia searching. Current search uses keywords to return results, but this isn’t always the easiest way to narrow and find answers. What Powerset […]
RichC | May 12, 2008
Palm better get their act together with a new high end Treo because Research In Motion introduced their new Blackberry Bold today. They seem to be catching up with Apple’s iPhone although some say Apple is prepping for the gen-2 iPhone … still they suffer from not having a dedicated tactual keyboard. There might still […]
RichC | May 12, 2008
Water cooler conversations around the country have been discussing fuel prices and what they (and our nation) can do to get a handle on the rapid change in fuel costs. Experts suggest that the reason for the run up have been four fold: a) increased worldwide demand, b) flat production of new crude and refined […]
RichC | May 12, 2008
In a recent PBS Motorweek program, a selection of clean and efficient vehicles were compared to each other. They certainly were not equal for usability or price, but the comparison offered potential buyers insight on how the different ‘green’ technologies and most common fueling options compared to each other. The smaller Honda Civics were ideal […]
RichC | May 11, 2008
This might seem odd, but a new Royal Star Magnolia (Stellata Magnolia) is a gift that made my wife happy on Mother’s Day — photo and post from Palm Treo. (EDIT: tweaked post Sunday afternoon) Happy Mother’s Day Brenda … and to all mothers reading this. (in fact I think I’ll give ‘my’ mother a […]
RichC | May 10, 2008
Here’s an interesting search engine designed for images from TinEye.com. The unique search actually searches by “pixel” and not words or keyword and will find similar photos and graphical files located on other website on the Internet. Although the site is currently no where close to archiving the billions of images on webpages, it does […]
RichC | May 9, 2008
We’ve been waiting for our Economic Stimulus Check to arrive and “plunk” in was electronically transferred into our checking account May 9, 2008. So the next step is to be patriotic and “simulate” the American economy. My wife and I have discussed this and are in agreement that we will replace our kitchen dishwasher … […]
RichC | May 7, 2008
The Earthrace crew is almost to the Panama as of the evening of May 7th (MAP) after a bad fuel stop in Puerto Rico. The ship carrying the biodiesel fuel for Earthrace had mechanical problems and was able to make it to port. The talented groundcrew scrambled to find a new source of biodiesel on […]
RichC | May 6, 2008
Although I suspect Senator McCain might be persuaded to pick a more established Republican running mate, I’ve been monitoring the ‘chatter’ and am starting to think positively about Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. With Jindal, McCain would bring a generation of new blood into the campaign and be able to win over the Ronald Reagan voters […]
RichC | May 6, 2008
Wow … almost 60 kids tonight! It was a nice night for the Young Life gang as they were finally able to have part of their evening meeting outside. The college age leaders do a good job of corralling such a high energy group. The most enjoyable part for me is hearing them all sing […]
RichC | May 5, 2008
Earthrace has crossed the Atlantic (May 5) and has had a great run (see previous posts). They are 800+ nautical miles ahead of record time although they spent several days bashing through seas (literally through the waves). Yesterday the seas moderated and were following which made for more comfortable travel. Perhaps the latest pains have […]
RichC | May 5, 2008
Back in 2006 I had a chance to test drive an all-electric “high performance” 3 wheel vehicle manufactured by Myers Motors in Tallmadge Ohio. I drove it on the public roads without a special endorsement, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that the Ohio DMV currently has a problem licensing them for Ohio road […]
RichC | May 4, 2008
Its been a busy weekend as my son Taylor’s Lakota East High School prom was Saturday night at the Cincinnati Convention Center, followed by early morning after prom back at the high school. (I’m tired and I didn’t even chaperon!) During an early morning conversation with the gang, who departed from our house by a […]
RichC | May 3, 2008
Microsoft released a letter from Chief Executive Steve Ballmer on Saturday that he sent to Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang saying that Microsoft was willing to raise its offer to $33 a share for Yahoo, but Yahoo demanded at least $4 per share more; $37/share. (the Monday share price for Yahoo will be interesting) “Despite our […]
RichC | May 2, 2008
I’ve been waiting to watch the movie Charlie Wilson’s War based on the true story of Congressman Charlie Wilson and his campaign to help defeat the USSR in Afghanistan, and although it was an excellent history lesson, the movie offered little to keep ones focus. (my wife fell asleep) That said, its offers a satirical […]
RichC | May 1, 2008
I’ll first say that I’m not voting for Senator Clinton IF she is the Democratic candidate, but I found her answers and straight talk with Bill O’Reilly very refreshing. Her ability to handle a tough interview and candid answers are something to respect. Surprisingly, I found myself thinking, “Hmm, I can see her as our […]
RichC | April 30, 2008
The Federal reserve is expected to make a 1/4 point move lower today … many believe this will be the last and that this indication will be mentions. Anything but an expected move will certainly make markets swing wildly so it could be time to hold on. Inflation is a growing problem as we try […]
RichC | April 30, 2008
What’s better than a home library of original EAA (Experimental Aviation Association) newsletters and magazines for checking out past articles and tidbits for homebuilders? All the past issues available online with a browse and search feature. Wow! Now that’s a great way to put technology to use and a really nice bonus for EAA members […]
RichC | April 29, 2008
Earthrace, the biodiesel powered circumnavigating spacecraft speedboat is off and running ahead of world record time as they beginning their second attempt around the world. The unique boat left Spain and is crossing the Atlantic Ocean traveling on “beautiful and flat” seas at 24 knots. This is pretty good time for a fully fueled boat […]
RichC | April 28, 2008
My back is sore and my muscles ach as this past weekend was spent working in the yard … well really in just part of the yard. I’ve been reworking the landscaping as the ‘new porch’ is slowly coming together — this past weekend was the small pond and opening up the pool. (too many […]
RichC | April 27, 2008
I’ve been focused on multiple home repair and improvement projects this spring and am always looking for a quick way to make a repair and keep the mess to a minimum. I generally use the “empty box” under the repair technique when cutting or drilling drywall, but Dean Johnson from PBS’s Hometime suggested a sheet […]
RichC | April 25, 2008
A shocking day for those who love the oceans and beaches along the U.S. coasts as the first fatal shark attack in 3 years happened in an area rarely seeing sharks. Dave Martin, a 66 year old tri-athlete training veterinarian from San Diego, was swimming with a group of 9 at 7:30 AM about 150 […]
RichC | April 25, 2008
Who is to blame … Costco, Sam’sClub/Walmart, the media or just crazy Americans thinking they’ll be left ‘rice-less.’ (as if rice is a daily necessity for most American?) While their may be a worldwide concern that the primary source of nutrition for many is in short supply, that is not true in the United States. […]
RichC | April 24, 2008
First … Volkswagen Group of America announced that they would be shortening their bumper to bumper warranty to 3 years or 36,000 miles for all 2009 models. 🙁 Second … they will be offering free maintenance for VW models for three years or 36,000 miles. 🙂 Third … the much ballyhooed and timely Golf TDI […]
RichC | April 23, 2008
Groan … with a bunch more miles to drive yet this week, gasoline made the usual Tuesday move up again. This time it went about 25 cents at most retail stations in Ohio — on average about $3.59/gallon for unleaded regular gasoline after the move. No doubt price increases have something to do with U.S. […]
RichC | April 22, 2008
Its interesting to see what Google comes up with for their logo designs … today’s is for Earth Day, but it looks more like an ad for the History Channel’s “Life after People” documentary. How the First Earth Day Came About By Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day What was the purpose of Earth […]
RichC | April 21, 2008
The USAF officially retires the F-117 Nighthawk on April 22, 2008 with the final 4 planes making their last flights. The stealth fighter began its service in 1981 as a first of its kind aircraft that could eliminate several targets on one mission. It night flying stealthiness proved its worth in operation “Just Cause” in […]
RichC | April 20, 2008
Adobe has introduced their new online photo editing and sharing tool called Adobe Photoshop Express. Its is not even close to the full version of Photoshop, but it is not a bad first attempt at a online photo site with pretty good editing control. I’ve used Preloadr for Flickr photos a few times and appreciate […]
RichC | April 19, 2008
I’m not sure its effective … but its one of the first Volkswagen ‘clean diesel’ marketing ads I’ve seen on TV this year.