RichC | September 7, 2009
The weekend was busy as usual with the annual Red Stewart Airshow and my Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter’s (EAA284) Tail Dragger Fly In and Pancake breakfast. Set up was smooth on Saturday afternoon and most of us enjoy relaxing for the evening on the field as the temperature cooled and the airshow started. I can […]
RichC | September 5, 2009
An interesting balloon photo shoot was happening for about 30 minutes above my house as the still air of the evening settled in. I spent a few hours in the yard into the evening and watched the full moon rising in the woods. The weather and evenings have been nice.
RichC | September 4, 2009
I used an excellent free conference call product from FreeConference.com yesterday. The registration took about 3 minutes and a conference call can be scheduled in about 5 minutes. I set up my first call and had very good results while conferencing with three others … that is, right up until the end — see comment […]
RichC | September 4, 2009
Labor Day weekend promises to be a busy one in and around Cincinnati with events from political tea parties to the annual spectacular Riverfest fireworks. I’ll be prepping for the Fly In, Airshow and Pancake breakfast at Red Stewart Airfield in Waynesville Ohio (great small airshow about 6PM Saturday) while the Cincinnati Tea Party will […]
RichC | September 3, 2009
While talking with a long time client and friend Bruce Claflin about the business climate, our conversation turned from that sour subject to our families. We both have close ties to living World War II USAF veterans and have sons heading in a similar direction — AF ROTC. His son being older and finishing up […]
RichC | September 2, 2009
Stephen F. Belden (ex-teacher … just kidding), a Canton Ohio Municipal Court judge, silenced argumentative defendant Harry Brown with duct tape in his courtroom last week. After listening to the audio of the exchange between the judge and Mr. Brown, it sounded as if Belden’s patience ran short after listening to the defendant expressed displeasure […]
RichC | September 1, 2009
While have some service done on my Honda Pilot today, I went around the back of the dealership to see the rows and rows of ‘Clunkers.’ No doubt the government money — MY tax dollars — being used for this program has encouraged some new vehicle shopping, but it has also retired some nice looking […]
RichC | August 31, 2009
Watching the tropical storms and hurricane firing up this season in both Pacific and Atlantic, I noticed that my posts 4 years ago reflected on Hurricane Katrina as it first came ashore on the east coast of Florida and then returned to power its way into New Orleans (my blog posts 1, 2, 3, 4 […]
RichC | August 30, 2009
Some kind of hungry varmint has been biting through an aerator cable in the lake in front of my house. We dredged it up today and replace it with a new cable, but a second thought has me thinking we need to invest in about 200 feet of conduit? The electrician believes the damage is […]
RichC | August 28, 2009
Be sure to fly — or drive — in for breakfast on Sunday morning September 6th for our Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 284’s Annual Taildragger Fly-In Pancake Breakfast. Better yet, spend the night camping under your plane at Red Stewart Field on Saturday and enjoy the late afternoon/evening airshow. It is a good time for […]
RichC | August 28, 2009
For those of you who occasionally check My Desultory Blog, the database server for this WordPress install was is suffering significant slowdowns. I’m unsure if it was is load related or something else, but my complaint was finally heard and addressed … although ever so slowly. The discount host that I use for this personal […]
RichC | August 27, 2009
When oil prices doubled not too long ago, many along with our government saw expanding clean, renewable and domestic biofuels as one component that could help our nation become more self sufficient. Just as many pointed out that an agricultural based source would not provide real solutions to the problem in part due to the […]
RichC | August 26, 2009
Senator Ted Kennedy, the “liberal lion” of the Senate as he has been described, passed away at the age of 77 after a a battle with brain cancer in his home. He was an icon for many favoring liberal politics in the U.S. and served the state of Massachusetts for 9 terms after being elected […]
RichC | August 24, 2009
An odd article today in the Wall Street Journal that has drivers of the island nation of Samoa ordered to switch from driving on the right to the left. The prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, has pushed for the change and is refusing to back down even with a significant push from resident, including a […]
RichC | August 23, 2009
As the August recess for our congressional representatives draws to a close, the concerns of many Americans have been clearly and forcefully expressed in townhall meeting across the country. One such American expressed the growing opinion of many citizens regarding the change in government happening in our country. David William Hedrick, a USMC veteran, expressed […]
RichC | August 22, 2009
While buzzing around Liberty Township, the evening sky was pretty dramatic so I poke my Palm Pre phone out the window on Butler-Warren County road and included it. (Panoramio Location)
RichC | August 21, 2009
A 2009 Intellichoice survey compared the cost of ownership beyond the sticker price by factoring in depreciation, financing, fuel, Insurance, maintenance, repairs and state fees. By doing this, consumers should have a better idea of what a vehicle’s long-term ownership costs might be and better be able to decide which vehicle is a better overall […]
RichC | August 20, 2009
One has to think twice before grimacing when seeing those tiny Smart ForTwo car(t)s rolling down the highway … especially if you’re in a bow-tied import like the Chevrolet Aveo (Daewoo Korean built Chevrolet). A recent report issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that the Smart ForTwo performed the best in […]
RichC | August 19, 2009
August must be the month for reminiscing, as I recently posted on what I remember 40 years ago (Woodstock festival) and I also just clicked a ‘Years ago on this date’ link from 2006. I had a good smile remembering what it was like to be at 13,796 feet on Mt. Mauna Kea in Hawaii; […]
RichC | August 18, 2009
Not only has the Cincinnati been a pioneer in using biodiesel in their city buses (PDF), but the Great American Ballpark is being praised as one of the greenest Major League Baseball facilities in the nation. The ballpark composts its grass clippings and convert all the cooking oil in the consession stands to biodiesel fuel […]
RichC | August 17, 2009
While visiting Spain last month I was surprised that even in the 21th century that there were towns along the Mediterranean coast (tourist area) who still enjoy a mid-day ‘siesta’ and have little problem with the loss of business For American who have grown accustomed to workplace praise for productivity or have been cultured in […]
RichC | August 15, 2009
Just in case you’re enjoying a weekend at the pool, here’s something to think about … video removed
RichC | August 14, 2009
The word — the place — the music — the festival called Woodstock still evokes passion either ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ and the music, politics and lifestyle branded the generation who came of age in the 1960s. The 40th anniversary of the three day concert in Bethel, New York takes place this weekend marking the event […]
RichC | August 13, 2009
As U.S. Congressional representatives sweat over whether to have townhall meetings in their states to talk healthcare during the August recess, I sweat over how to plan financial security for my family’s future, of which health insurance is a part. Years ago it seemed logical to just keep plunking away a few dollars into a […]
RichC | August 11, 2009
After reading and commenting on an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning regarding the upcoming Chevrolet Volt boasting 230 mpg, about all I can say is we (the EPA) needs to create a new system of calculating fuel economy. It’s a bit misleading for a family sized sedan to be able to claim […]
RichC | August 10, 2009
Although I’m not going to refer to myself as a “Rozling” (followers of Roz Savage’s adventure), I do check on her progress and follow the blog of the ocean rowing British adventurer Roz Savage. She is currently 78 days into the second of three legs of a Pacific Ocean crossing after completing the first leg […]
RichC | August 9, 2009
Last week while trekking through Ohio I detoured off of I-75 in Troy, Ohio to swing by Waco Field (1WF) and the Waco Museum (pronounced “wah-co”). Fortunately the museum wasn’t open or my detour off the interstate would have been significantly longer. It was a nice day though to take a few minutes to walk […]
RichC | August 8, 2009
I’ve spent the morning finally getting around to tinkering beyond the norm with my Palm Pre. I’ve installed a couple functional ‘homebrew’ apps that really improves my ‘like’ for the smartphone device. First, I learned how to root and use developer mode on the Pre and installed a great little app that improves screen and […]
RichC | August 6, 2009
I’ve been thinking about buying a new USB ThumbDrive/FlashDrive for some time now, primarily for backups, transfer and storage when a Buy.com email hit my inbox and triggered my impulse purchase — 64GB Kingston DataTraveler. A few years ago when I was traveling more often, I purchase my first and only ThumbDrive which has served […]
RichC | August 5, 2009
In the business world, dominating a market has long been the practice of corporations. Some of it is justifiable since research, development and marketing cost companies a significant amount of money, but eventually most large corporations flirt with anti-trust laws. In the early 20th century and with hindsight it is easy to spot (ie. Standard […]
RichC | August 4, 2009
Once again another incremental upgrade of WordPress moving my install to the 2.8.3 release … and thanks to Keith Dsouza‘s open source plug-in — WordPress incremental backup, it’s a painless and pretty easy step by step process (perhaps 5 minutes with database backups and all). Speaking of open source, one of the other projects that […]
RichC | August 3, 2009
I have a new found respect for Michelle Malkin as I watched her handle “The View” ladies and audience; she was better than most while promoting her book, in my opinion. (EDIT: thanks Scott) For those into heavy political reading (right wing oriented), Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and […]
RichC | August 3, 2009
A friend … and regular reader of my blog … sent me a message mentioning that the “Word of the Day” over at Dictionary.com was none other than desultory. Thanks Scott.
RichC | August 2, 2009
I was traveling to western NY this weekend and “had” planned to use the Sprint Navigation app with GPS on my Palm Pre, but the GPS on the apps wouldn’t load correctly. I tried a reboot and switching the GPS on and off, along with multiple app reloads of both Sprint Navigation and Google Maps […]
RichC | August 1, 2009
While updating my blog for yet another day from our recent vacation, I noticed that backdating vacation posts was more the norm than an exception. I glanced at the “Years ago on this date” right sidebar and re-enjoyed my blog archive about summer of 2005 trip to Calgary, Alberta, which was posted in August after […]
RichC | July 31, 2009
Whew! I’m finally up to date with our European vacation archive … and a bunch of photos didn’t make it into my14 days of blog posts. Oh well, there are plenty to enjoy … except just this one loner photo and it will get its own post. It’s my daughter’s 23 year old “Big Bear” […]
RichC | July 31, 2009
While on vacation ( updated blog posts here) I happened to meet a UK ‘tech writer’ who was up-to-date on the current smartphones. He has several phones and was comparing both the Palm Pre and iPhone 3Gs ( no UK GSM phone service for Pre yet). I found his comparison interesting and was very impressed […]
RichC | July 30, 2009
I’ve been noticing that the significant advertising campaign Palm has spent their capital on (as well as Sprint) hasn’t seemed to slow all that much since it received free-press “pre-release” remarks and articles. From full page ads, to billboards, the sharp looking smartphone has certainly seen the “Apple” treatment in the ad spaces. Even the […]
RichC | July 26, 2009
The final flight crosses the Ohio River and lands at CVG We arrived home safely after a long day of traveling. Up at 4:45 AM in Southampton UK (5 hrs ahead of home EST) and grabbed a quick breakfast on the NCL Jade before ‘debarking’ and recovering our luggage. The trip to London Heathrow was […]
RichC | July 25, 2009
Passing close enough to a container ship in the Atlantic to read containers The blog is missing a few days in posting due to a shortage of Internet minutes while on the cruise ship ($$$) and although there have been a few connections (very few public ‘free’) along the voyage, I’ve spent more time enjoying […]
RichC | July 24, 2009
It seems like a long time ago, but as I write this post it has only been about a week since we were in Spain. Our last port of call was the city of Vigo, Spain. The west coast city and metro area is home to a half a million people with historic Kingdom of […]
RichC | July 23, 2009
Lisboa or Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and the wealthiest of the country. It has remained the capital city since its conquest from the Moors in 1147. The architectural style is a combination of old and new, European and Middle Eastern … especially in historic areas and in the Sintra region – both a […]
RichC | July 22, 2009
We spent day eleven visiting the Rock of Gibraltar and I particularly liked learning about the history of this fortress. The huge fortified hunk of rock guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean has seen it share of conquest and struggle. Over the years, a series of 32 kilometers of tunnels […]
RichC | July 21, 2009
Today, we mark our return sail back toward the west steaming east in the Mediterranean on this near perfect day. The sky is blue, the water bluer and there is just enough breeze for a lone sailboat to make way well out in the clear horizon (digitally enlarged 300mm telephoto above). It’s now day 10 […]
RichC | July 20, 2009
We debarked in Chivitavecchia, Italy on Monday and headed by bus to the ancient city of Rome (Roma) and a visit to the Vatican. The thoughts that I had prior to visiting Rome were of just another old and somewhat dirty city, but the impression I left with was one of awe … and a […]
RichC | July 19, 2009
What a wonderful day in Italy! We enjoyed a near perfect day in the Tuscany region of Italy heading from the port city of Livorno to Pisa in order to visit the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa, cathedral and baptistery. The crowds were relatively heavy, but flowed easily in and out of the key stops […]
RichC | July 18, 2009
It is hard to believe that I can actually lose track of time while less than a week into a vacation, but knowing I’m posting a day or two behind has me looking at the calendar for perspective. We are having a great time and enjoying our vacation … both the rest and relaxation of […]
RichC | July 18, 2009
After our day in Barcelona, we sailed for Cannes in France. The evening started to get interesting when deck chairs began flying off the deck and doors were quickly battened down. Most passengers realized that we were rolling a bit more than usual, but the seas were not all that much larger than we have […]
RichC | July 17, 2009
As usual, I’m behind in jotting down a few notes in which to archive our trip and thoughts after a couple of days in Spain. We toured the old part of the city of Barcelona (only wide enough streets to walk) and thankfully had our English speaking guide in which to mention several relevant spots […]
RichC | July 16, 2009
After a long day in Malaga, Spain we set sail at 6PM on Wednesday evening. We were all tired out from our day and turned in with a movie on our cabin (Benjamin Button) after a celebration Japanese dinner. Celebration since the scores for my daughter’s Step One medical boards were passing (taken after year […]
RichC | July 14, 2009
We spent day two and now three of our vacation at sea and are enjoying the day’s relaxing … as well as eating (too much food). The weather was cooler on Monday, but much warmer today. The winds the first day out were near gale force as we traveled south from the English Channel through […]
RichC | July 12, 2009
View of the Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 in the berth once home to the Titanic The first day of vacation proved to be an excellent 8 hour through the night flight direct from CVG (Cincinnati) to London. Thankfully we processed through customs relatively painlessly after gathering our luggage and taking a motor coach (bus) to […]
RichC | July 11, 2009
Exchanging a few US dollars for Eurodollars this week has me thinking about the struggling economy as I prepare for vacation. I noticed that stocks struggled again on Friday, and crude oil closed below $60 a barrel as everyone continued to worry about the economy. Reflective of the economy, the Dow Jones industrials closed down another […]
RichC | July 10, 2009
Sometimes the best laid plans can go awry when you’ll not reading the details. My Achilles’s heel is ‘a good buy’ when it comes to tools and technology gear and the Hammer N1200 empty’ myshare’ NAS (Network Attached Storage) unit seemed to be fitting into my planned purchase since I had two spare 250GB 3.5 […]
RichC | July 9, 2009
Interesting CNET “Prizefight” pitting the Palm Pre against the Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone 3Gs … the Pre was slow to boot, but did a pretty good job of real world web browsing and emailing a photo. I don’t mind the Sprint 3G speeds, but after a month of using the Palm Pre have been […]
RichC | July 7, 2009
In continuing with comparison strengths and weaknesses of the Palm Pre smartphone, one of the concerns I have is over cellphone signal reception strength. The currently Sprint only Pre doesn’t have the same solid reception strength as my Palm Treo 700p (or Centro for that matter), according to the signal meter and personal observations. The […]
RichC | July 5, 2009
As we talked about the 4th of July and celebrated with family and time together this weekend, I mentioned to my World War II history buff son, that American ‘hero’ Darrell “Shifty” Powers (March 13, 1923 – June 17, 2009) recently passed away. For those that don’t know him, he was foremost a dedicated husband […]
RichC | July 3, 2009
I’ve been grumbling about battery life since moving from the Palm Treo to the Sprint Palm Pre for the past couple weeks, but it seems Apple iPhone users, besides having a high heat problem, are grumbling too. There are a few software items on my ‘disappointed’ list, but top on my software and hardware list […]
RichC | July 2, 2009
Sales for the “clean diesel” Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI were impressive in the month of June for Volkswagen of America. SportWagen sales accounted for 81% of all SportWagens sold. The TDI version of the Jetta and Touareg were impressive as well, accounting for 40% of Jetta sales and 29% of the Touareg SUV sales. American […]
RichC | July 1, 2009
According to Palm Beach Post reporter Susan Salisbury, the biofuel company Ag-Oil is planning to build a biodiesel production facility in the Agricultrual Reserve west of Delray Beach Florida. (MP3 Audio — really just testing for my Palm Pre) The facility has the potential to produce 15 million gallons of biodiesel each year from jatropha, […]