RichC | November 10, 2009
An EAA284 friend of mine sent me a YouTube link of a “near death CFIT” (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) and watching it reminds many of how we’ve become too dependent on low cost electronics. Many recreational pilots have become too GPS focused and a video clip of a close call reminds us not to use […]
RichC | November 10, 2009
Changes in the “big three” … world automakers that is: Volkswagen Toyota Ford VW overtake Toyota as the world’s largest automaker Well ahead of VW initial projection of becoming the world’s largest automaker by 2018, it has now officially surpassed Toyota Motor Corp. worldwide in unit production this year. Over the weekend, German reports put […]
RichC | November 9, 2009
Enjoyed the nice afternoon weather and headed to the airport for our monthly EAA meeting. Today we reviewed the successful first flight (very impressive) and later accident of Mark Dusenberry’s 1905 Wright Flyer replica — NTSB preliminary report. Bob Luken reviewed his video of the flight and the accident (only the FAA has a copy […]
RichC | November 8, 2009
As I watched the paramedics and emergency workers waiting for the life-flight helicopter and cutting apart the car that a young man was driving on Bethany Road behind our house on Sunday morning, I couldn’t help but feel for the boys’ parents who stood looking on helplessly. From preliminary reports, he was heading home from […]
RichC | November 7, 2009
Although I’ve tried a a couple other blog editing and posting tools, I usually go back to web based WordPress posting. This is a test of the Windows Live Writer free software, a test I did once before with a different theme. I’m also adding a photo from deer “buckrub” damage to be sure all […]
RichC | November 6, 2009
With the tragic news coming from Fort Hood (yesterday) and Orlando (today), and the unemployment numbers shocking economist nationally — now at 10.2% — I was in the mood for a bit of comedy. Jon Stewart to the rescue with a parody on the popular FoxNews celebrity Glenn Beck who is recovering from appendicitis. Enjoy! […]
RichC | November 5, 2009
If you enjoy snapping your Volkswagen around a corner or stopping fast enough launch your sunglasses into the windshield, then you might want to consider the VW TDI Cup “Street” Edition. It’s closest kin is the Jetta GLI … but with a diesel engine. Volkswagen announced that the TDI Cup Edition Jettas should be in […]
RichC | November 4, 2009
I’m a regular reader of Paul Thurott and he had a great article on the “convoluted, ridiculous and hard to understand” pricing and option packages associated with upgrading a Microsoft Windows PC to the new Windows 7 operating system. He compared it to the “Bataan Death Match … but this time, the victims are your […]
RichC | November 3, 2009
Volkswagen’s clean diesel TDI models continue to perform especially well. Jetta TDI sales accounted for 40 percent of total Jetta sedan and SportWagen sales, while sales of all TDI models accounted for 24 percent of total October sales. (LINK) HERNDON, Va., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Volkswagen of America, Inc. today reported October 2009 sales of […]
RichC | November 2, 2009
Although most of my conservative friends would be appalled I listed to National Public Radio, they produced an appreciated story reflecting on the life of Capt. David “Seth” Mitchell, 1 of 14 Marines killed on October 27th and played the story nationally (MP3 Link). It was good to hear how the community of Loveland (NE […]
RichC | November 1, 2009
Reposting — Bob Luken (EAA284 President): On October 1, 2009 Mark Dusenberry was engaging in practice flights in preparation for the 104th commemorative celebration of the Wright Brothers demonstration of the first practical aircraft, their 1095 Model III Flyer. Mark completed one successful flight in the morning. During his second flight of the day the […]
RichC | October 31, 2009
In my opinion, the American Community Survey — aka: 2010 Census — is a waste of time and money. For one, it is an oversized packet of paperwork being sent to 3 million Americans and is costly to print, mail and tabulate; wouldn’t it have been far more efficient to produce as a Scantron card. […]
RichC | October 30, 2009
My apology for the lousy Palm Pre ‘enlarged’ photo of a large coyote who has been roaming our Liberty Township Ohio neighborhood. It has been a source of concern for neighbors and pet owners that we’ve had a few more coyotes than normal … and that this particular large male has decided to make his […]
RichC | October 29, 2009
For those citizens trying to follow the political goings on in Washington DC, it is irritating to trying to figure out just what is being debated and discussed by those we elect to “do the people’s business.” The current health care debate and varies bills being proposed in the House and Senate are prime example […]
RichC | October 28, 2009
Enjoyable to watch the patience of drivers … how long do you suspect this woman took to park her car? It’s no wonder automakers are building cars with automatic parallel parking features. From comment on previous post — thanks Marielle.
RichC | October 28, 2009
A quick thanks to Lee for expediting my Google Wave beta request, although I still feel a bit late to the game in getting a chance to play with this new Google app. Although I’ve talked to a few people about how they foresee using this new web based communications tool, I’m still struggling to […]
RichC | October 27, 2009
Some of us have built some interesting things in our garages … but Anthony Toth in Redondo Beach California tops most of us — he’s built a vintage Pan Am World Airways 747 cabin from the 1970s and 80s. His cabin replica comes complete with Pan Am logo swizzle sticks, napkins and salted almonds sealed […]
RichC | October 26, 2009
Color has indeed made it to the trees and leaves here in southwestern Ohio. The autumn sunshine and second Indian Summer has really brought out some spectacular color. I should be clicking away with my Canon Digital SLR, but a Palm Pre photo of the burning bush will have to suffice. Did you know: The […]
RichC | October 25, 2009
I’ve been happy with the overall cost of ownership of my 2006 Honda Pilot SUV … including the fuel efficiency. Besides oil and fluid changes, the only other expense of ownership over the past 87,000 miles to date has been a battery and of course gasoline. Click for larger image After posting my latest fill-up […]
RichC | October 24, 2009
Although the Science Channel program “How It’s Made” isn’t one of the most exciting television programs, it does offer a glimpse as to what it takes to manufacture complex items. I happened to watch an episode on how Audi builds its 6-cylinder TDI diesel engine the other day and found it interesting (video clip below). […]
RichC | October 23, 2009
The copies of Microsoft’s new computer OS Windows 7 arrived today! I’m not planning to update anytime soon as I’m currently running Win 7 RC on both of my PCs. (they should operate until 2010) I’m certainly not planning to ruin this weekend by stripping the computer and re-installing all my software (the scheduled colonoscopy […]
RichC | October 21, 2009
Since my balance and stability are no longer functional enough even for a longboard, my only wave riding is going to come from the bodyboard or sponge. Here’s an encouraging — and well done — video demonstrating spongeboard surfing can still be quite the adrenaline rush! 😀
RichC | October 20, 2009
An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal highlighted algae based biodiesel as one of the “Five Technologies That Change Everything” recognizing that a new generation of biofuel made from nonfood crops is one of the more promising sources of energy. Snippet from WSJ Article: Researchers are devising ways to turn lumber and crop wastes, garbage […]
RichC | October 19, 2009
Of all the boats we looked at … this was the only one in my price range! I don’t have an excuse for not posting to my blog last week except for being on vacation. I had the best of intentions to post a few times while I was dreaming of new sailboats in Annapolis […]
RichC | October 10, 2009
In a previous post I mentioned that the Blackberry slipcase protected the Palm Pre nicely when used as a pocket case. It has worked very well, well enough that I’ve given up on the screen protectors. Unfortunately the good eating on a cruise this summer has added a few ‘too many’ pounds and I’ve been […]
RichC | October 9, 2009
From EAA.org news — archiving so I can more easily share. Revised “51 Percent” Policy Good News for Builders, Kit Makers October 7, 2009 — For the past four years, EAA and the amateur-built aircraft community have been facing perhaps the most significant threat ever faced by the homebuilt movement. But today, we’re confident in […]
RichC | October 8, 2009
As a long time Sprint (and previously Nextel) customer, I was the first to complain to friends about poor service and even poorer customer service, but the past year or so there has been a significant and noticeable improvement. After having a few issue with my Palm Pre, I was reluctant contacted Sprint customer service […]
RichC | October 7, 2009
The new podcast listening app available for the Palm Pre has just improved the sophisticated smartphone ten-fold when in comes to listening to audio. On the heels of the iTunes sync webOS 1.2.1 release/repair/update, the App Catalog new arrival of Stitcher now makes listening to podcasts a cinch. After a quick download and install (providing […]
RichC | October 6, 2009
I have been satisfied with my well used first generation Jawbone bluetooth earpiece and have found its noise canceling technology to work exceptionally well (old MP3 test). It is a bit cumbersome to wear regularly, especially in public, but has been a real help while in a car. I’ve taken to leaving in the earpiece […]
RichC | October 5, 2009
Unfortunately Adobe Flash is not available ‘just yet,’ bu t one can see from the demo that it is getting closer and looks to be yet another reason to patiently wait for the webOS upgrades. As I’ve mentioned previously, the webOS 1.2 upgrade has been a great improvement on my Palm Pre and as a […]
RichC | October 4, 2009
We are continuing to plant trees of variety in hopes one day a mature woods will be part of our way-backyard. Thankfully I have a brother who is particularly astute as to varieties that grow in our area and enjoys a hobby business of growing trees from seedling — his current catalog. His love of […]
RichC | October 2, 2009
Volkswagen diesel fans have been waiting a few years for the return of the Golf (Rabbit) TDI. It’s due arrive to North American shores as a 2010 model. Shockingly the four door 2010 Golf TDI will be priced $150 cheaper than the four door gasoline powered Rabbit: base price $19,890. See Motor Trend’s Wide Open […]
RichC | September 30, 2009
While traveling a couple hundred miles from home today the battery in my 2006 Honda Pilot just died. No warning, no instrument panel lights, no discolored “eye” (still green) and NO juice. Fortunately I live in “middle America” where people are still friendly and motorist even stop to help each other out. Although I had […]
RichC | September 29, 2009
I waited until I arrived home today before risking the update to webOS 1.2 on my Palm Pre. It’s not that I’m overly paranoid, but I’m no longer comfortable taking that chance, having to swap phones last week — thank you Sprint. The download took about 5 minutes though the broadband connection and installation another […]
RichC | September 29, 2009
Here’s a safety tip that came from a “Dear Heloise” clipping set to me by none other than my mom; no matter how old I am she never stops being a mom. Actually I don’t think she was really thinking about me, but most likely my son and daughter … so I’ll forward them the […]
RichC | September 28, 2009
You just gotta love a biodiesel powered car like Jay Leno’s “more money than brains ” (his words) EcoJet (previous post). I’ll be anxious to get the full performance reports (with economy figures) and look forward to solutions to keep the EcoJet quiet — here’s a thought?
RichC | September 28, 2009
It has been frustrating for wannabe Volkswagen TDI buyers planning to purchase a new 2009 diesel late this summer or fall. Most have discovered that there are none to be had and that MSRP and sometimes above is required to get on a dealer list for a 2010 first off the boat (happening this week!) […]
RichC | September 27, 2009
The second part of the this post’s subject line makes very little sense unless you’ve been paying attention to the weather in much of Ohio in recent days. We’ve had so much dampness and rain that we might as well be living in Seattle … evidence by my daughter’s cellphone at the OSU/Illinois game on […]
RichC | September 26, 2009
After a few days of autumn rain, the yard was heavy with moisture and air was think with a hazy fog this Saturday morning. I headed out to pick up the paper and decided to take the camera along. Fifteen minutes later I had a few photos (click any photo for larger images). Since we […]
RichC | September 25, 2009
Since I’m becoming more and more anti-YouTube (partially my own doing), I’ve been tinkering with a couple other online video sharing sites. Vidly.com (or the shortened Vid.ly) is easy to use and has both a simple Twitter interface for phones, and an easy uploader tool while using the computer. Editing and organizing (tags, notes, etc) […]
RichC | September 24, 2009
Wired Magazine‘s Streeter Seidell offered a bit of tech humor with the 10 Best Things We’ll say to Our Grandkids, with an illustration by Nishant Choksi (well I probably won’t say it … but perhaps my kids will). 😕 1. Back in my day, we only needed 140 characters. 2. There used to be so […]
RichC | September 23, 2009
Although I’m not one to read books (especially 728 pages) on a web browser, I did notice that Ghost Wars by Steve Coll is available as a scanned and imaged book on Google. So far I’m finding the history lesson intriguing and fitting with one of my favorite movies, Charlie Wilson’s War. If you’re interested […]
RichC | September 22, 2009
No offense Glenn, but I’m more comfortable remembering our nations’ wigged fathers! (see Time magazine cover photo & articles) Americans with moderate to conservative political views have flocked to right leaning talk radio and FoxNews television this past year (cable news ratings), as the United States congress and President Obama seek to follow through on […]
RichC | September 21, 2009
Volkwagen TDI friend Eric R. and I filmed a new CinciTDI “How-To” video on Sunday afternoon and as installed his new Dieselgeek Panzer skidplate and ‘Full Metal Jacket‘ side skirts (great kit Jim). The installation was easy and although we were puzzled by a couple of the tabs on the side skirts — but it […]
RichC | September 20, 2009
What happens when you leave a wired Palm Pre headset in the pocket of you pants as they head for the washing machine? Yikes!
RichC | September 19, 2009
We stopped over at the Cincinnati area Homearoma this year in Mason, Ohio even though it was smaller … five homes between $550K to 850K as I recall, compared to the 18 homes mostly over a million or so dollars in previous years. Brenda and I still had a good time and enjoyed check on […]
RichC | September 18, 2009
I’ve used the cellphone screen protection from Smartphone Experts on the displays of my Palm Treo and Centro PDA phones for years and have always been please with how they have performed. The same company makes full face coverings the Palm Pre, but the Smartphone Experts product I ordered (and had replaced at no charge) […]
RichC | September 17, 2009
The 2009 X5 35d and 2009 335d The Frankfurt Automotive show is one of the biggest in the world and is a good place for diesel vehicle makers to show their new ideas. BMW is no exception, having debuted a couple new and very impressive twin-turbo diesel in the U.S. this year — my comments. […]
RichC | September 17, 2009
Since my mind in on planning our trip to Annapolis and sailing, it seem fitting to tie today’s post to Tuesday’s when I mentioned my favorite periodical Cruising World. My collection of that magazine is similar to may who have a collection of back issues of National Geographic magazine. Anyway, it’s a good time to […]
RichC | September 16, 2009
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Volkswagen debuted its ultra-efficient L1 Concept, which follows in the footstep of the One-Liter Concept from 2002. The L1 derives its name from the fact it takes around one liter of diesel fuel to propel the car 100 kilometers (62 miles). According to press reports, the car is said to […]
RichC | September 16, 2009
After attempting to delete photos from the Sugarsync gallery on my own and finding I could not recover several of my paid for and lost gigabytes, I contacted tech support — and have lodged a complaint to no avail. I’m eliminating my use of the backup software and switching to Dropbox.— Tech Support response below: […]
RichC | September 15, 2009
I realize that the post title could be a bit misleading as I’m not “preparing as a presenter” at the 40th Annual Annapolis Sailboat Show, but “visiting” the show. Traditionally my wife and I would take a yearly trip to Annapolis toward end sailing season and enjoy the ambiance of the old city. We’ve detoured […]
RichC | September 14, 2009
I have found that the Palm Pre works well for email and both MMS and SMS messaging on Sprint, but I’ve run into a glitch where my incoming messages will not show up in the messaging app unless I search for them, see screen capture (usually the conversations list unless I delete them). So here’s […]
RichC | September 13, 2009
I learned a new historical aviation tidbit on the origination of the word “squawk” this weekend in a recent EAA magazine article. During World War II, we, the allies, used an electronic device called IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) which would transmit a secret code if hit by a radar signal. This code would tell […]
RichC | September 12, 2009
I enjoyed listening and watching Space Shuttle Discovery land at Edwards Air Force Base last night (9/11) and see Mission STS-128 conclude. A perfect landing and successful 14 days in space as the NASA Shuttle program is one step closer to retirement. click for larger images (NASA TV)
RichC | September 11, 2009
Our country has seen some tough times — times that have united and times that divided our nation and its people. In recalling old history lessons, its seems there’s usually an event or a trigger which brings about one or the other. Today, on the eighth anniversary of 9/11 … our nation is once again […]
RichC | September 10, 2009
The conclusion many might make from a recent Popular Mechanic article is that diesel vehicles might be a good solution when fuel prices are high, but they don’t want to spend more for them when fuel prices are low. According to JD Power’s Omotoso, hybrids are projected to become 9.5 percent of the passenger-car market […]
RichC | September 9, 2009
Inventories for diesel vehicles in the U.S. are near ‘zero’ — it’s a frustrating time for a guy who has been waiting for his next Volkswagen TDI … or BMW diesel. Thankfully I can wait and am not in absolute need of a new car, but having to pay MSRP and above, “IF” one can […]
RichC | September 8, 2009
This update slipped through the cracks this busy weekend, but Roz Savage made landfall in Tarawa an island in the Pacific Ocean completing her second leg of rowing from California to Australia. The arrival at this tiny island marked 104 at sea since leaving Hawaii (see previous post). From Roz Savage’s blog: I stepped ashore, […]