Thinking about veterans cemeteries on Memorial Day

| May 31, 2010

Just returning from a trip to Washington DC with Veterans and a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, remembering those who have died in service to our nation is fresh on my mind this Memorial Day. The visit was not only moving because of the hallowed grounds, but because I was privileged to be there with […]

This “Cash for Appliances” program is just great [/sarcasm]

| May 30, 2010

I “tried”’ to take advantage of the $100 Cash for Appliances rebate program back in March/April by reserving a reservation, purchasing a new dishwasher, recycling the old dishwasher and filling out the rebate paperwork, but I have been thwarted by the system. Once again our bureaucracy is too much for me to figure out. This […]

Illegals: Continued lax response by government has me frustrated

| May 29, 2010

For those at a distance discussing and “playing politics” with securing our borders and dealing with illegals crossing from Mexico, it might be a good idea to visit and talk with those “legally” living, paying taxes and owning property in Arizona. There was a short interview (below) with a rancher who talks about the situation; […]

Chuckling at the Ford Fusion hybrid dash ‘Photoshopped’ photo

| May 28, 2010

Read an article about the 2010 Ford Fusion winning the honors of being the Edmonds.com Consumers’ Top Rated award (as well as Motortrend Car of the Year) and had to chuckle noticing the dash storage compartment. Perhaps it’s just my lame sense of humor … anyway the items in the dash storage box did make […]

Honoring those … (encoded video from Palm Pre)

| May 28, 2010

When I posted the photos and comments about the trip to Washington DC with the Shelby County Ohio veterans on Monday, I didn’t include the short video segment from my Palm Pre. I’ve encoded and merged the short clips from our visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday May 22, 2010.

Gangbuster recovery for a week of down markets

| May 27, 2010

 DJI: +285 (+2.8%) | NASDAQ: +82 (3.7%) | S&P 500: +35 (3.3%) If I knew how to trade the up and down stock market I’d be a happy camper … unfortunately it is near impossible. Today’s comeback saw stocks returning the losses from Tuesday and Wednesday, but conditions on Wall Street (and in the overall […]

Extreme windsurfing

| May 27, 2010

From previous posts, some of you know that I enjoy sailing and the surf … and although I’ve practiced combining the two with windsurfing, I can’t imagine doing it like this.

Small towns have eyes and spies everywhere

| May 26, 2010

Where visiting my parents, my mother always has a pile of newspaper and magazine clipping for both my brother and me to go through. One of them (below) this past weekend happened to include a Cincinnati area friend and regular blog reader … so I figured it might be appropriate to warn him that when […]

Video: Impressive clmc.usc.com ‘LittleDog’ Robot

| May 25, 2010

via youtube.com Posted via web from richc’s posterous

Trip to Washington with Shelby Co Ohio WW2 & Korea Veterans

| May 24, 2010

Veterans from Shelby County Ohio at the World War II Memorial Saturday, May 22, 2010 I intended to blog this past weekend (May 21-23) while volunteering with the WWII and Korea veterans honor trip to Washington DC … but my hands were full from dawn until dusk … and then some! That’s not to say […]

AMP Advances to Knockout Stage of XPrize competition

| May 23, 2010

Local Cincinnati (Blue Ash), Ohio company advancing to next level of competition for Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition. The AMP electric racer has advanced to the “Knockout” Qualifying Stage of the intense multi-stage Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE competition. The competition will pit some of the world’s most fuel efficient vehicles against one another […]

Sailor Jessica Watson’s around the world Australian return

| May 22, 2010

Posting a ‘catch up’ post after taking the weekend off. Here’s a youtube video Australian’s welcoming the youngster circumnavigator home a week or so ago.

Honoring those who served their country

| May 21, 2010

By the time this posts to the blog, I should be heading to Washington DC assisting about 50 World War II and Korea veterans on a trip to visit to memorials built in their honor. The three day weekend will be a chance for me to listen to them share their thoughts on serving our […]

Seeing oil leaking in to the Gulf of Mexico is sickening

| May 20, 2010

As headlines announce that oil is arriving to the shore of Louisiana in headlines of the paper today, the leaking BP drill site continues to gush oil at unknown rates. On the low side, NOAA has estimated 210,000 gallons per day, but after looking at the Enterprise ROV camera video I’m guessing it closer to […]

The ‘LA politicians vs Arizona’ political feud – Where will it stop?

| May 20, 2010

Most agree that the Federal government isn’t doing its job when it comes to protecting the southern U.S. border or in dealing effectively with illegal immigration, yet there is disagreement as to when affected states can enforce laws associated with a person’s immigration status. Heated debate continues on both sides seeing politicians from California (and […]

Are you looking for someone new to ‘follow’ someone on Twitter?

| May 19, 2010

New to Twitter or just tired of the same ol’ same ol’ tweets? Add @richwarren to your follow list … his tweets are always thought provoking, encouraging and helpful. Besides with the quality of advice he offers he should be over 100,000 followers IMHO. (99,049 as of 5/19/2010) MATURITY:Feeling the wrong thing but doing the […]

Video: American Heart by Jon David

| May 19, 2010

After reading the article about Jon David in the WSJ the other day, I’ve been wanting to listen to the song that is played at Tea Party rallies around the country … it’s moving (video below). It has me remembering  the 1980s Reagan Revolution and  Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” (check out AmericanHeartMusic.com) Posted […]

Would legalizing drugs improve our illegals and border problem?

| May 19, 2010

Yesterday’s repost concerning illegal immigration triggered a comment from a regular reader concerning his thoughts on drugs. His contention is that the narcotic trade significantly contributes to the more serious criminal activity on the US/Mexican border and throughout the country as it relates to the illegal alien population, and that if we would “legalize the […]

Crude Oil continues to slide owing to high inventory & oversupply

| May 18, 2010

Oil is ‘cheap’ according to graphs depicting Unleaded Gasoline against the dollar this past year (right) and crude oil over the past two years (below). The crisis in Europe and lack of robust economic recovery worldwide is contributing to high inventories and the faltering Spring rally in oil. Lackluster demand aside, oil production countries remain […]

Who is to blame for soft borders and our illegal alien problem?

| May 18, 2010

Saw this posted on Greta Van Susteren’s blog … food for thought: 1.  Democrats and Republicans for 20 years plus have said we should (and even promised) to secure the borders. 2.  The borders are not secure.  The Democrats and Republicans have failed us.  They are not doing their job to solve a real problem. […]

If Tax Collections Matched Spending, 2010’s Tax Freedom Day would be May 17

| May 17, 2010

Federal Spending in 2009-10 Highest Since World War II; Deficit Reaches $13,158 Per Household Recent news reports in USA Today and elsewhere have highlighted the historically low tax collections in 2009 and 2010, confirmed by the Tax Foundation’s annual Tax Freedom Day® calculations of April 8, 2009, and April 9, 2010. “The importance of the […]

One year with Palm webOS and the Pre smartphone

| May 17, 2010

It seems much longer than a year, but the Palm based webOS smartphone has been out for almost 1 year  on the Sprint network. It has expanded to Verizon and recently to AT&T and is available through carriers in Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, Irerland, Spain and France. Still, between the recession ridden economy and stiff […]

Appreciating the flowers that beautify our home

| May 16, 2010

I enjoyed the day working in the yard and found myself appreciating Brenda’s gardening talents. As the landscaping around our yard continues to mature and the varieties of different flowers bloom one after another all spring, all the hard work to plan, plant and tend is beginning to pay off. Today’s overweight Peony blooms were […]

Jessica Watson’s solo around the world sail complete

| May 15, 2010

Sailing solo around the world in a small sailboat is an impressive feat for anyone and inspirational to those who love ocean adventure to say the least. It’s a combination of endurance, skill and luck for all who accomplish such an endeavor, but doing it when you are a 16 year old girl is indeed […]

Diesel pickup from India headed for the U.S. by end of year

| May 14, 2010

Mahindra & Mahindra to be the first company to sell a small pickup truck made in India to the U.S. market. A company spokesperson announced that they intend to sell their compact diesel pickup truck here by the end of the year. The company’s president of auto and farm equipment, Pawan Goenka, stated that the […]

The yellow metal is at a record high and climbing

| May 12, 2010

Gold, the investment that rises when risk becomes too great has reached its highest level trading up on Tuesday and continuing to push record areas on Wednesday morning. The $1240 per ounce price has investor’s worried about markets and inflationary pressures. The stock market is opening higher today renewing a bit more confidence that the […]

Need a little help with your parallel parking?

| May 11, 2010

We’ve seen the engineering students at Stanford University work with ‘self-driving’ VWs before, like in the DARPA challenge and computerized driving … but how about parallel parking the hard way. Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Big Business and the Obama Administration at War

| May 11, 2010

Who to believe … those evil capitalist insurance companies [sarcasm] trying to balance customer satisfaction while remaining competitive and profitable … or the Obama administration and congressional Democrats orchestrating leftists policies on America? Hmm … a rotten choice to be sure.- see Battle Plan below. Read Angela Braly’s letter to President Obama With the Obama […]

Dow Jumps 404.71; Nasdaq Up 4.8%

| May 10, 2010

Nice rebound for those watching the volatile stock market. Stocks posted their biggest one-day gain in more than a year, boosted by a nearly $1 trillion bailout package to stem Europe’s credit crisis. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 404.71 points, or 3.9%, to 10785.14, helped by gains in all 30 of its components. The […]

A ‘pop’ culture movie and social networking entertainment

| May 10, 2010

“Bueller… Bueller… Bueller“ Who can forget the Ben Stein line from one of the enjoyable comedy movies in the 1980s – Ferris Buellers Day Off. The movie continues to see success reaching near cult status for some and even found a following on social networking giant Twitter last week. A group of Chicago based Twitter […]

A newborn’s conversation with God

| May 9, 2010

A friend put this on his Facebook wall; I liked it and am reposting to my blog for Mother’s Day. (the mom’s in my life are angelic) A baby asked God, “They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?” God […]

Maintenance weekend on 1998 Toyota Rav4 and Taylor’s rant

| May 9, 2010

My wife’s aging 1998 Toyota Rav4 has been a great car for 215,000 miles. We’ve had minimal maintenance over the years and although it is showing signs (and has been) of heavy use, it’s still running strong. The Rav4 has offered both my kids a good platform to “learn to drive” and has seen its […]

Off the wall: Promised that one day I would post this

| May 8, 2010

I’ve enjoyed lunch with my friend Jeff nearly every week for many years and one of his quirks is to collapse his taco salad shell after finishing his meal — yes “mom” … he plays with his food. I told him that someday I would post a video of “his talents” for posterity. So today […]

Arizona Senate Bill 1070 – evil or commonsense

| May 7, 2010

How draconian is the new Arizona illegal immigration law? Read for yourself below:

Trading glitches & unrest in Europe making it tough on investors

| May 7, 2010

If the whipsaw moves in the stock market didn’t make you sick to your stomach today, then you’d make a great bluewater sailor. I’ve followed the market as an investor and occasional daytrader since the crash of 1987 and I don’t ever recall as rapid a selloff as we saw Thursday afternoon. As I was […]

Flanigan’s newest clay pigeon world record

| May 7, 2010

I can’t forget Patrick Flanigan’s 11 clay targets posted a couple years ago, but how about with one hand?(video below)

Solo sailor Abby Sunderland sails into Cape Town

| May 6, 2010

Sixteen year old solo sailor Abby Sunderland has sailed safely into Cape Town South Africa in her circumnavigation adventure. She was met by her father and brother who took the same trip last year. Although I’m an advocate for those who cruise and sail oceans (Jessica Watson and previous post), the record seeking trend to […]

Newt Gingrich on the illegal immigration problem

| May 6, 2010

Here’s Newt Gingrich in a one minute MP3 sound-bite offering clear, concise and commonsense solution for our SW border problem. His short talking points would make a great template for those in Washington DC who are suppose to be securing the borders, addressing illegal immigration and protecting the citizens of this country. The short audio […]

Sunsets in Ohio have been beautiful this Spring

| May 5, 2010

The ping.fm app failed to post a photo from my Palm Pre to the blog last night … so I’ll ‘tweak it’ and manually add it today. It could have been my fault, but with so many posting options I’m not sure I’ll spend all that much time using it.  It was a beautiful evening.

What a car is worth: $30-40 million?

| May 5, 2010

According to an article in this mornings WSJ, the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard California paid between $30-40 million for a 1936 Bugatti 57SC, making it the highest ‘known’ selling price for a car. Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Cinco de Mayo – few celebrating know why they do

| May 5, 2010

As the population of the United States continues to expand, particularly with those of Mexican ancestry, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are becoming more and more popular in all parts of the United States. Not a single American I asked knew why May 5th has become such a popular day of celebration for all Americans (me […]

BP oil disaster is affecting thousands and will cost billions

| May 4, 2010

According to an Associated Press report, the casualties are starting to show up on the Gulf of Mexico. Experts are hesitate to point to the oil spill as the cause of death for every specie, but it is easy to speculate that oil is a contributing factor for many of the fish and birds. Sea […]

American Express marketing USB gadget – Safe?

| May 3, 2010

American Express continues their rich and creative advertising using USB technology  computer technology to entice card members and ‘would be’ card members to apply for one of their credit cards. I started to ponder the safety of popping the little fold out USB plug into a waiting computer … wondering just who made the card […]

Roz Savage TED Talk and spreading oil slick off Louisiana

| May 2, 2010

Since I follow, and have posted, the rowing and progress of Roz Savage, I thought I would post her recent Tedprize MissionBlue TED Talk (Wikipedia info). Although I don’t see eye to eye with her robust embrace of the‘green political’ bureaucracy, I do recognize the impact we humans have on oceans and the marine environment. […]

American sized all-electric vehicles by AMP Electric Vehicles

| May 1, 2010

A few years ago when I posted about the opening of AMP Electric Vehicles in my backyard of Blue Ash, Ohio (Cincinnati), the company company was in the planning stages of electrifying two place vehicles like the Pontiac Solace and Saturn Sky. As technology and battery technology improved, so did their vision in building useful […]

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