Veggie Van smashes Guinness record for longest journey on alternative fuels

| April 30, 2010

via green.autoblog.com Posted via web from richc’s posterous

Good news, bad news …

| April 30, 2010

With a new El Rancho Grande Mexican restaurant opening close to home, I won’t have to drive as far to get my chips and salsa ‘fix.’ Unfortunately being so close is going to be a real temptation.

Times have changed – what happened?

| April 30, 2010

It is interesting how different generations respond to this 1950s advertising photo from the Bradley Corporation. A pre-boomer, not as tuned into today’s political climate and mindset, commented “what’s wrong with the ad — it doesn’t show any nudity?” A boomer, a bit older than me, responded with a raised eyebrow and a  comment … […]

Less inclusive airline travel and fees for additional services

| April 29, 2010

It has become challenging to fly commercial airlines in recent year, especially since 9/11. Not only has the process of going through most airports become time consuming with all the additional security precautions, but the airlines themselves have made changes which most agree have become irritating to down right miserable for passengers, I’m thinking about […]

Obit: Anne Marguerite Holmstrom

| April 28, 2010

Anne Marguerite Holmstrom passed away on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 after 80 years of joyful, exuberant living. Her keen wit, artistic talent, strong principles, love of family, friends and country, appreciation of music, funny stories and the well-turned phrase, left a powerful and lasting impression on all who knew her. Anne started her life on […]

More sailing: Following Jessica Watson as she nears home

| April 28, 2010

In sticking with the sailing theme, the youngest non-stop solo circumnavigating sailor is nearing her starting point of Sydney, Australia. Jessica Watson, age sixteen (17 on May 18th), is in her country’s home waters and nearing Tasmania, but is experiencing rough conditions and large seas. Her spirits are good as seen on a Skype call […]

H-P Agrees to Buy Palm – WSJ.com

| April 28, 2010

Good news for Palm … I think? Hopefully HP shareholders feel the same way. Hewlett-Packard Inc. agreed to acquire Palm Inc. for nearly $1 billion in cash, ending months of speculation about the fate of the troubled wireless handset maker. H-P said it will pay $5.70 per share in cash for Palm, representing a premium […]

My daydreams: What are yours like?

| April 28, 2010

Since I spend part of my day on the road, my mind wanders from the tiring chatter of political radio talk that never ends (and focusing on driving) to daydreaming about sailing and escapism. I suspect most everyone has dreams or plans for retirement, but some are probably a bit more realistic than mine? I’ve […]

How political debate is done in the Ukraine

| April 28, 2010

Glad to know we haven’t come to this in the U.S. — yet. A few harsh words … maybe … but at least our national politics are still relatively civil. Video is no longer available, but you can still view on WSJ In a raucous session marked by fist fights, smoke bombs and a volley […]

Netflix one month trial promo runs again – until 6/15/2010

| April 27, 2010

Let me know if you are interested in movies, documentaries and TV programs from Netflix and I’ll forward the first ten names for ONE month of FREE … so as long as you are not currently a Netflix member. Netflix’s offers a solid mail delivery program and best streaming over the Internet service (in my […]

B&N Nook gets an upgrade and is selling better than Kindle

| April 26, 2010

Since my daughter left her Barnes and Noble Nook at home, I took advantage of updating to the much speedier and improved version 1.3 software. The eBook reader has substantially improved its page turning and now has a less than exciting web browser. I’m not sure I’d use it for much more than very light […]

Wimoweh, wimoweh … it makes you feel good, doesn’t it?

| April 26, 2010

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Daredevils with gliders and a chute

| April 25, 2010

  Austrian skydiver Paul Steiner reaches up to grab the tail fin of the upturned glider which he had been flying in only minutes before An EAA friend forwarded me this link … gulp … READ MORE or video after the split

Cyclox. A cleaner diesel fuel using papermill waste

| April 25, 2010

An article in AutoblogGreen highlighted some positive research on developing a greener diesel fuel.or really an additive that improves petroleum diesel fuel. According to the article, Michael Boot, a doctoral student and researcher from Technische Universiteit Eindhoven (TU/e) in the Netherlands, calls this new fuel Cyclox. It’s actually a blend of petroleum diesel and 10% […]

Mural art taken to the extreme by artist John Pugh

| April 25, 2010

A friend forwarded me an email from an airbrush artist who paints murals on the walls of buildings. I’ve seen a few beautiful photos painted on walls before, but John Pugh’s mastery of creating depth and confusing the mind is impressive. Below are a few examples from the email.   John Pugh’s – Personal Artist […]

Four foot-three inches is one big bunny

| April 24, 2010

If I saw this rodent hopping in our backyard, I’m sure I would smack myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming. Since my daughter has a pet rabbit, Pumpy Umpy, a friend of my wife shared a photo of a giant rabbit called Darius … he’s one big bunny!

Humor: “Bring a chicken to the doctor” – funny campaign ad

| April 24, 2010

This campaign ad is juvenile even for a Harry Reid, but it’ had me laughing pretty hard. Sorry Sue Lowden, even though I’d comfortably vote for your over your opponent Senator Harry Reid (if I lived in Nevada), it’s just too funny not to share. Hmm, I wonder if my daughter will be able to […]

Police questioning people they suspect of being in the country illegally

| April 23, 2010

An ongoing poll at the WSJ had some surprising early results in regard to illegal immigration, at least to me. I expected more concern for privacy and profiling, yet most respondents are more concerned over illegals crossing our southern border with costs taxpayers higher social service taxes and bringing associated drug crime. (testing posting an […]

Earth Day irony for 40th anniversary celebration

| April 23, 2010

Few of us remembering the first Earth Day back in 1970 will argue that mankind was not damaging the environment or that seeking to pollute less wasn’t worthwhile goal. Now looking back 40 years, we can’t deny the significant improvements in both personal and industrial practices — at least in the United States. Still, there […]

Bookmarking & collaborating on web research with iCyte.com

| April 23, 2010

At some point in collecting and bookmarking websites for research and the organizational complexity that comes with doing it can be daunting. My XMarks synced bookmarks have become so unwieldy that I don’t even use them anymore – same for those I’ve archived with Delicious.com. I’ve turned to use an Instapaper’s “ReadLater” bookmarklet, a PDFit […]

Think twice before you Facebook “Like”something on the web

| April 22, 2010

What are you doing when you click the Facebook “Like” button? You might want to think twice before you divulge your taste to companies who might be interested in marketing to you … especially if you prefer your privacy. The social networking giant Facebook has a potential goldmine of user information that can be marketed […]

Taxpayer funded government granted ‘rights’

| April 21, 2010

From the “you must be kidding” files: There are time when we think we’ve heard it all when it comes to how big the ‘nanny state’ can grow and oversee our lives. Take Europe for example, Americans have a love-hate relationship with our cousins across the pond. Thankfully most of us still prefer the politics […]

Time to open the pool and enjoy a fire on the back porch

| April 20, 2010

It was a pleasant spring evening on the back porch after opening the pool on Monday. We are a bit late this year in getting the cover off and I expected to see some pretty grungy water … but was pleasantly surprised; I think it’s the best it has ever looked after pulling the cover […]

Slower than expected release reinforced by Adobe’s CEO

| April 19, 2010

Delayed or no delay? In an interview with Fox Business News, Adobe‘s CEO Shantanu Narayen commented that Flash 10.1 for mobile devices would be available in the second half of 2010. Earlier this year many Palm webOS users expected to have Flash available much sooner (link) and have been disappointed in the delay. Some suggest […]

Spoof: ‘Mission Accomplished’ Reporter Mike Tobin returns to US

| April 19, 2010

Letter from Mike Tobin: “… this trip is the one that ends more than half a decade of living in Jerusalem and moves me back to the US. It is with no small amount of doubt that I packed my bags and left the Middle East. The threat of a conflict with Iran is still out […]

Already pinched taxpayers needed to fund ‘green’ jobs

| April 19, 2010

Although I’d like to see new jobs in our country, it sure would be nice if they were not on the backs of taxpayers. In a WSJ article this morning, cities looking to transform themselves into ‘green central’ are finding out that it isn’t easy and that they are pinning success on incentives from government. […]

A reminder to clean the camera lens on your phone

| April 18, 2010

After noticing the color saturation and sharpness in photos coming from my Palm Pre smartphone were not the same as the first photos I took,  I realized that just a cursory wipe of the lens wasn’t good enough. So let this post serve as a reminder to clean the lint, oils, dust, etc. out of […]

Lt Dan Band to be at EAA Airventure 2010 in Oshkosh WI

| April 17, 2010

It’s hard not to appreciate Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band and what they do for veterans as they travel around the country (and world) supporting causes that benefit our troops … and the children our soldiers find themselves protecting: Operation Iraqi Children both in Iraq and Afghanistan. For aviation advocates, and in particular […]

Yard and dishwasher projects and a little reading

| April 16, 2010

Checking my list for the weekend and it looks as if there is a bit of work in the yard … yes the grass is growing, as are the weeds. But higher on the priority list is installing our new “cash for appliances” energy efficient dishwasher. Unfortunately the delivery was not without an issue … […]

Palm shares rise after RBC runs buyout numbers – BusinessWeek

| April 16, 2010

Shares of Palm Inc. rose Friday after an analyst said the cell phone maker might be worth more then generally thought if it is bought out. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company’s stock has dwindled from January’s high of $14.17, with even Palm’s latest phones selling poorly. It brought out a completely new operating system, and phones […]

Idol like talent Lin Yu Chun generates millions of YouTube views

| April 16, 2010

Although I’m not a fan of the “idol” television program(s), I archived the impressive performance by UK’s Susan Boyle who shocked the world about this time last year – by the way the online web video of that has generated over 90 million views. As shocking as it was to hear Susan Boyle, a similar […]

Didn’t think I’d go without an April 15 TAX day post, did ya?

| April 15, 2010

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Testing: Posting a PDF via Posterous – a Pirate story

| April 15, 2010

I’ve been using Posterous to post to my blog from an email for a few months and found that the blogging platform handles video, audio and photos quite well, but wondered how it would post a PDF? I saved an online sailing story about Somalia pirates by author Fatty Goodlander for travel reading — “A […]

Ford, Volkswagen and Audi are ready for the recession to end

| April 15, 2010

I was reading a column in SmartMoney magazine by James Stewart after he attended the New York Auto Show about the return of profits to the automotive industry, at least some of them. It may be in part due to a cycle of replacing their aging cars and in part due to a renewed focus […]

Customer (friend) announcing retirement and a training webinar

| April 14, 2010

It was a melancholy day in that a friend who has been a loyal customer for over 20 years announced his retirement. Of course I’m happy for him in that he’s leaving work with his sanity and will have more time to enjoy life at his own pace. I asked him what his intentions were: […]

Reid Stowe on his ‘Mars Ocean Odyssey’ Day 1088

| April 13, 2010

As I continue following Reid Stowe (previous) and his sailing “Mars Ocean Odyssey,” I wanted to post a short video of him and Soanya shortly after setting sail 3 years ago (below). They began their “odyssey” as a couple in April of 2007, but Reid has continued on alone after Soanya left the schooner as […]

Live Eagle Cam on uStream.tv

| April 13, 2010

Pretty cool uStream.tv video that gives a live look into a bald eagles nest … REMOVED

Does the Microsoft Kin resemble the Palm Pre

| April 13, 2010

Although they are late to the party, Microsoft is targeting the younger demographic with a social networking smartphone made by Sharp called the Kin 1 and Kin 2. The one with the slightly larger screen sure looks like the Palm Pre to me? Microsoft Corp. introduced a family of cellphones tailored to young consumers, seeking […]

Fresh squeezed OJ – the best way to start a tax preparation day

| April 12, 2010

As a morning routine, I’m a coffee and anti-oxidant grape juice drinking kind of guy, but since we had a few extra oranges left over I’ve been fresh squeezing them for a morning citrus treat. Mmm … sunshine and fresh squeezed OJ … breakfast doesn’t get much better than this! Speaking of ‘the day’ – […]

Subaru still considering diesel boxer engine for U.S. if fuel price drops

| April 11, 2010

Although the cost to bring a diesel Subaru to the US is high (new model, service training and parts inventory, etc) but knowing how Volkswagen diesel buyers love their little diesels, the fit for Subaru and their loyal following seems perfect. Who driving a Subaru doesn’t want 40 mpg in a solidly build 4 wheel […]

Which takeover would be better for Palm and webOS users?

| April 11, 2010

After the stock bouncing on Friday, Palm Inc shareholders and smartphone users continue to speculate just was will happen to their financially troubled company. Rumors continue to be battered around (article below) as having interest in Palm – the latest being HTC Corp. On a personal note, I am beginning to embrace my Palm Pre […]

The 68th reunion of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders

| April 10, 2010

The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders will hold their 68th Reunion at the National Museum of the Air Force, located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base April 15-19, 2010 For Additonal Information check the Greater Dayton EAA’s (GDEAA) Aviation Events page. Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Wikileaks video generates controversy in biased reporting

| April 10, 2010

Wikileaks.org, a news-ish organization organization that publishes anonymous submissions and leaks of sensitive documents operating under the moniker of the “Sunshine Press",” is in the hot seat again with recent Internet based journalism (info from Wikipedia). Their story selection or submission (depending on point of view) shows little attention toward responsible journalism or concern as […]

Patched Palm Pre to run at 800mhz; so far so good

| April 9, 2010

The weekend has arrived none too soon and I’m securely at home and safe to patch my Palm Pre. I’ve been anxious to see how well it runs with the processor clock speed boosted to 800mhz. I know I’ll need to be careful when overtaxing the processor, but knowing Scott Bilik reads this once in […]

Audi A3 TDI luxury hatchback has high mileage but high price

| April 9, 2010

Mark Phelan, a columnist at the Detroit Free Press, offered a balanced article on the small A3 TDI by Audi. I’ve been ogling the luxury hatchback as an eventual daily driver for my long jaunts. Disappointingly the lack of the excellent Audi Quattro feature and high price for a small car has shying away. Still, […]

Humor from a “What pets write in their diaries” email forward

| April 7, 2010

Day 983 of my captivity… My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to […]

Government waste: Getting paid $2,200 for 5 minutes work

| April 6, 2010

If you are looking for work in New York State, how about Michael Cunningham’s job with the Department of Labor (article below)? Good pay with a government pension and benefits … so as long as citizens can be taxed to pay his $115,000 per year salary … or so long as politicians can find someone […]

Will the iPad blend?

| April 5, 2010

This Will it Blend video will probably will get a few snickers from those who love their ‘old fashion’ eReaders or just can’t handle all the hype Apple generates from introducing new devices. Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Busy Easter Sunday with family

| April 5, 2010

We had a nice gathering and Easter Dinner at our house with my side of the family on Sunday. A good time of animated talk was enjoyed by all. My dad brought along an album never seen by most of us from his time in Korea during the war — interesting commentary by him from […]

Apple iPad is made available to the public today

| April 3, 2010

Once more Apple has inspired their devoted advocates into waiting in long lines for the chance to get a limited number of “first” iPad tablet computing devices — link. Many believe that the new product will usher in a new wave of computing, one that is slotted between the smartphone led by the Apple iPhone […]

Ohio Northern University’s Pharmacy program profiled

| April 2, 2010

When a small school like Ohio Northern University, located in an even smaller town of Ada, Ohio, has one of its colleges profiled on the Discovery Channel, it seemed worthwhile to archive the video. Although I wasn’t part of the profiled program, the Raabe College of Pharmacy was where my wife received her degree. The […]

VW’s 2011 midsize replacement to be available as TDI

| April 1, 2010

I’m looking forward to the new Volkswagen TDI diesel Passat replacement in 2011 … built in America I might add. VW’s North American CEO, Stefan Jacoby, let slip that the yet-to-be-named Passat replacement – currently known as the “New Mid-Size Sedan” (NMS) – will be available with a diesel in both the U.S. and Canada […]

Time Warner cable upgrade and associated rat’s nest

| April 1, 2010

Time Warner notified me that they needed to upgrade the existing cable cards in my Series 3 Tivo box with a multi-stream card AND install another piece of hardware in order to continue receiving their content (some sort of 2-way frequency sharing box or something). After they added some new wires and stacked the odd […]

Public pensions and retirement double dipping

| April 1, 2010

How can federal and state government save nearly $400 Billion in tax dollars each year? Modify the public union retirement and pension benefits to mirror what is in private sector. John Fund, a columnist for the WSJ,  talked about the political class vs. private class this morning. If politicians have the will (or are forced […]

Palm Pre/Pixi webOS 1.4.1 update is available for Sprint users

| April 1, 2010

A new webOS 1.4.1 update is available for the Palm Pre and Pixi … at least for Sprint users here in the U.S. The feature improvements (listed below) are welcomed fixes to the 1.4 release, but what I’m really looking forward to is tethering with the the new 4G access that is now available to […]

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