Growing legislation against using cellphones while driving

| March 31, 2011

Keeping and eye on (and archiving) where one can and can’t use a cellphone while driving a car (posted in an AutoObserver). Click image for larger map Cell Phone States of Mind We’ve all been inspired to at least think, if not actually scream “Hang up and DRIVE!”, when we see a car drifting out […]

Rain and wind cause havoc at Sun n Fun in Lakeland Florida

| March 31, 2011

The annual Sun ‘n Fun air and trade show is a rite of spring for many pilots who regularly enjoy one of the premier fly-ins in the country. This year the weather in central Florida (Lakeland) did not cooperate and sent heavy ran and damaging winds through the airport ground. Early reports indicating that people […]

Snow, Snow, go away and a nice dinner out

| March 31, 2011

Isn’t it about time for this long winter to end? It was a slippery day of driving and another couple of inches of snow while making my way around northeastern Ohio on Wednesday. About the only positive was an enjoyable “Two for $20” dinner with my daughter at Applebee’s. A couple of spring 2011 snow […]

Google takes another crack at social networking with +1

| March 30, 2011

The next big Google thing? Not wanting to fall too far behind leading social sharing sites (primarily Facebook), Google is rolling out it’s new socially connected experiment they are calling “+1.”  The new “+1” button is an opt-in service and will permit socially connected users to give their stamp of approval to a search results, […]

The right steps to rebuilding a positive reputation starts with students

| March 30, 2011

Considering an excellent education and respected alma mater is critical for career opportunities, it is important that the administration, alumni and the student body work together to rehabilitate Miami’s tarnished reputation. Miami University’s student body president Heath Ingram is on the right track. Blaming just a couple sororities as many defending Miami as a whole […]

The Rockford Files redux on NetFlix

| March 30, 2011

This content is restricted.

Pondering an upgrade to my Canon DSLR … someday

| March 29, 2011

I continue to be impressed with the Canon DSLR cameras and their ability to capture some pretty impressive video. Alexandra Erickson added this to her Vimeo blog in January when northwest Oregon was experiencing flooding. Sandy River Flood from alexandra erickson on Vimeo.

Those crazy Russians – winter sailing

| March 29, 2011

Although many in our government advocates for green or sustainable transportation, something tells me that driving a sailboat on the roadways around here … with sails up … would not be applauded by our city police or state highway patrol. This nationalclass.ru YouTube video clip made me smile 🙁 Content removed

Volkswagen recalls 71,000 2011 Jetta Sedans

| March 28, 2011

Volkswagen’s new 2011 Jetta model suffers a voluntary anti-theft and horn safety recall: “to reconfigure a wiring layout.” VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL OF 71,000 2011 MODEL YEAR JETTA VEHICLES March 28, 2011 – Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc. today announced a voluntary safety recall of 71,043 2011 model year Jettas in order […]

Live cam: The Norfolk Botanical Garden Bald Eagle Cam

| March 28, 2011

A friend of mine sent a link to the Norfolk Botanical Garden’s Bald Eagle Cam … wow! Thanks Clyde. Click for live streaming site

Another reason the VW Phaeton is such an expensive car

| March 28, 2011

How much of Volkswagen’s unique ‘transparent’ Phaeton factory in Dresden, Germany will be found in their new Chattanooga, Tennessee operation? (The VW Phaeton is Volkswagen’s flagship ‘premium class’ automobile)

Proof that spring has sprung: Flowers on the Star Magnolia

| March 27, 2011

Although I’d be hard pressed to convince anyone that spring is here based on the long winter and the cold temperatures we have been having, our Star Magnolia is telling us that winter is over and that spring weather is here or suppose to be here. Let’s hope the latest cold weather will be our […]

A leading GOP presidential candidate’s resonating sound bite

| March 27, 2011

It does seem a little early, but it is nearing the time we’ll find out who is a viable and electable 2012 Republican candidate for President. As I look at the current field of previous GOP presidential candidates, a couple of them seem to be getting their names out early. One well known political hopeful […]

Geraldine Ferraro succumbs to blood cancer at age 75

| March 26, 2011

After 13 years battling blood cancer, the “political trailblazer” Geraldine Ferraro past away today at age 75. She was best known for breaking the glass ceiling in presidential politics after being selected as a vice presidential running mate in 1984 by Walter Mondale. After losing to the incumbent, then President Ronald Reagan, she continued to […]

Grunions: fish that walk up the beach to spawn, well sort of …

| March 26, 2011

Interesting fish … and the people that ‘greet’ them: Grunions. I’m surprised I didn’t know about them, although suspect if I lived in southern California I would? (see Grunion.org) What is a grunion? California grunion are a species of marine fish found only along the coast of southern California and northern Baja California. They are […]

Maddening in March

| March 26, 2011

Kentucky edges Ohio State 62-60 on Knight’s jumper LINKS and Posterous photos missing

And you think your cable bill is too much …

| March 25, 2011

Although I regularly complain about my cable bill … as well as all my other semi-necessary monthly bills … I’m thankful it isn’t $16.4 million like Daniel DeVirgilio’s recent bill. BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (AP) — Try fitting this cable bill into the monthly budget. An Ohio man says Time Warner Cable told him he owed the […]

Lerner: “They have the money, we need to get it back…”

| March 25, 2011

Stephen Lerner relayed plans to intentionally damage the economy of the United States last week and suggested it would start this May. He is (was?) a politically connected SEIU official who regularly visits the Obama Whitehouse, although is said to currently be on administrative leave – his phone rings through and voice mail still takes […]

Browser and Windows 7 upgrades

| March 24, 2011

The DSL connection at the hotel was shockingly fast so I took advantage of the speed to update my Windows 7 with a Service Pack 1 update … and decided to update a couple of Internet browsers too. After installing Mozilla’s Firefox 4 and realizing that several of my add-ons needed to be disabled, I […]

A roof over your head … and one over your boat(s)

| March 23, 2011

The Winns’ residence in Charlevoix, Michigan has a “modest” boathouse and in viewing the video, they have a couple nice boats to put in it too (HGTV video below). The 10,437 square-foot Round Lake home and 8,537 square-foot boathouse of long-time Charlevoix residents John and Zita Winn is an architecturally stunning masterpiece. One of the […]

Google Voice and Sprint partnership will benefit cellphone users

| March 22, 2011

Google Voice will integrate with Sprint phones according to recent press releases from both companies. With the new partnership, Sprint customers will be able use their existing number as their Google Voice (GV) number or be able to use their GV number instead of their cell number for outgoing calls. The features of Google Voice […]

Obama: using the US military “to prevent atrocities in Libya”

| March 22, 2011

Although I’m not a big Don Imus fan, KT McFarland discussed the point that has been bothering me seeing the many uprisings in the middle east. At what point do we restrict our military involvement around the world to our security and national interest … and at what point do we commit our blood and […]

If you enjoy woodworking, you’ll like Woodgears.ca

| March 22, 2011

With hundreds of great woodworking sites on the web, it is difficult to know which ones are worth viewing whenever there is a new article. Most promote their published product or so overrun with advertising that it reminds me of going to a myspace page (mind you I haven’t gone to one in a few […]

Vacuum cleaner blues …

| March 21, 2011

One would think that since the invention of the carpet sweeper in 1860 that companies would have improved the vacuum cleaner enough in 150 years to figure out how NOT to have the beater brush get bound up with hair. Obviously not, since over the past few decades I have still ended up cleaning and […]

Archive: Libya targeted by coalition air strikes

| March 21, 2011

The  air assault on Libya on Saturday March 19th came as no surprise as the dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi continued to send his hired mercenaries into areas held by the rebels seeking freedom. The motivated, but under equipped rebels, are at a decided disadvantage when it comes to combatting Qaddafi’s military aircraft, tanks and heavy artillery; […]

A misty sky and a Cincinnati area “Supermoon” photo

| March 20, 2011

Although my ‘supermoon’ photo from Saturday night isn’t one of the better ones from across the country, I did head outside to admire the “brightest moon since 1993.” The moon appear in its full phase just 50 minutes shy of the orbit that brings it closest to the earth … perigee. According to what I’ve […]

Cleaning up the Magma grill after bring it home from the boat

| March 19, 2011

I worked on one of the many items I brought home from the boat this past week – the Magma stern rail grill.  I took the layer of greasy grime off both the inside and outside, cleaned up the burner and gave it a good warm up … so much that the wooden lid handle […]

Nationwide Children’s Hospital/OSU Pediatric residency

| March 18, 2011

  This past Thursday, March 17th, was an exciting day at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) as most in the graduating class of 2011 received their “match” for residency. Each medical school across the nation has a slightly different ceremony, but each graduating M4 senior finds out which hospital they “match” with on […]

At what point do you opt for a subcompact car?

| March 16, 2011

Joe White wrote about $4/gallon gasoline this morning in the Wall Street Journal and wondered at what price Americans switch to subcompact car? While he acknowledged that we’re not quite as bad as we were during the 2008 spike, prior to domestic carmakers shifting to more fuel efficient engines and CUVs rather than SUVS, we […]

HTC Merge Android phone makes an appearance at SXSW 2011

| March 16, 2011

While waiting for the HP Palm Pre3, I’m keeping my eyes on the QWERTY keyboard Android phones. One of the anticipated models from HTC was demoed at SXSW 2011 and it will be available on several carriers — the Merge. It has a 3.7 inch touchscreen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and Android 2.2 with HTC […]

The all important Residency “Match Day” is this week

| March 15, 2011

This week is an important one for my daughter as she anxiously awaits her residency match for next year. For those unfamiliar with a medical student’s M4 (4th year), one of the big events prior to graduation is “Match Day.” This is the day when those graduating with an MD degree find out where they […]

Amazing how quickly the tsunami flooded Japan

| March 14, 2011

As FoxNews anchor Bret Baier commented, “This is perhaps the most chilling video yet – to see how quickly the tsunami came in.” [flv:Tsunami_after_9_earthquake_in_Japan.flv 490 255]

Continued growth in Liberty Township this past decade

| March 14, 2011

The recent census numbers indicate the continuing population growth in the community where we live. Liberty Twp. had a population of 22,819 in 2000, which increased by 63.3 percent to 37,259 in 2010, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau figures. The decade before, Liberty Twp. grew by 145 percent, according to Census data from […]

Home at last – back to school and work

| March 13, 2011

It was a slow trip driving back from Florida this past weekend especially through Atlanta; it took an hour just to inch the miles it took to get through downtown (photo left). With the unrest in the middle east and recent revolt in Libya, the prices at the pump were up significantly. Besides seeing $5.29 […]

VW Big Profits, Microbus A Go – Auto Observer

| March 13, 2011

If the new 2012 Volkswagen Passat isn’t up to your family hauling duty, then perhaps a new “van” will be up to the task. VW Big Profits, Microbus A Go The Volkswagen Group is thriving in the post-recession global market and announced the largest profit and revenue in the company’s history, while a European publication […]

My son’s final day of spring break – mine too!

| March 12, 2011

Although the weather in Florida this week has been a bit temperamental, we’ve enjoyed our father/son week together. From strong winds and cold fronts to a full day of torrential rain … and yes some sunshine. We never knew what the next day was going to offer us. As for temperatures, they were mostly mild, […]

Surfing the big waves …

| March 12, 2011

Not for the novice surfer … Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

Archiving: Japan hit by an 8.9-Magnitude Earthquake

| March 11, 2011

After a day out of touch with the ‘goings on’ of the world, it was depressing to come back to the dock and read about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan – the images are sickening. It is hard to imagine what the death toll will be or how they will be able to clean […]

Toyota Prius v looks like an impressive family hybrid vehicle

| March 11, 2011

Truth be told, I could see myself driving the 2012 Toyota Prius v (Versatility) … but don’t tell any of my Volkswagen TDI diesel friends!   42 MPG City, 38 MPG Highway, 40 MPG Combined Second row seats slide, fold flat, and recline 45 degrees for comfort 34.3 cubic feet of cargo volume First-ever resin […]

A rainy day is a good time to work on “inside” boat projects

| March 10, 2011

With a front moving through bringing rain all day on Thursday, it was a good day to tackle some non-essential ‘interior’ boat projects. After replacing the autopilot a month ago and waiting to see if all was good, I finally replaced the ceiling access panels — not as easy of a task as it sounds. […]

Nice! More blue sky, warm breezes, sunshine and sailing

| March 9, 2011

The week of great weather and a good time sailing with my son continued today; we’ve been blessed with sunny skies and warm weather for our week together. After our day out sailing on Tuesday we both took naps after returning to port – obviously we’re not use to the fresh air and sunshine.    […]

Additional Audi TDI Clean Diesel Versions for U.S. Market

| March 8, 2011

During a press conference today, Audi of America boss Johan de Nysschen confirmed that along with the current A3 and Q7 clean diesel models, the U.S. will get diesel versions of the A6 and A8 luxury sedans, as well as a diesel version of the Q5. The expansion of Audi’s TDI portfolio will take place […]

Enjoying the warm days, cool nights and sunshine on Encore

| March 7, 2011

So far so good with enjoying our time together on Encore. Taylor has taken to the ‘boat-life’ although commented that the after hours activities near the marina are non-existent (they are … the streets roll up by 10PM). Of course that didn’t matter tonight since the fresh air and sun has zapped the energy out […]

Father & Son both survived the first day of spring break together

| March 6, 2011

After a late night, early morning drive to pick up my son from the airport in Orlando for his Miami of Ohio spring break, we hit our ‘berths’ without planning an overly ambitious Sunday. One of the more interesting time-killing photos I ‘tweeted’ while waiting for Taylor’s plane to arrive was of some fuel price […]

Watching my son’s flight before heading to the airport

| March 5, 2011

My son Taylor is spending his spring break with his dad … moi … and I’m anxiously waiting for his flight to make its connection in Washington DC before heading to the airport to pick him up. I know he is looking forward to coming down to Florida and getting out of rainy Ohio. The […]

Inflating the Zodiac inflatable dinghy for the first time

| March 4, 2011

I spent the day working on boat projects … and enjoying the sunny 70 degree temperature of Florida. The winds have been blowing and gusting and making the forecast less than attractive for sailing as my son is coming down over his spring college break (the reason I’m here). Still, there is plenty of work […]

Checking in on Encore and enjoying dinner with new friends

| March 3, 2011

I appreciated and enjoyed the excellent kabobs and great company as sailing friends Mark and Darlene Jones had me over for dinner last night. They sure seemed to be enjoying their time aboard their sailboat Zola traveling leisurely up and down the intercoastal waterway. Thanks for inviting me to dinner; what great slip mates – […]

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says US will have iPad2 on March 11th

| March 2, 2011

The big tech announcement today came as Steve Jobs introduced a follow up iPad 2 to Apple’s previous tablet success. Apple has pretty much been the only game in town since the introduction of the iPad. This year’s model isn’t necessarily full of surprises, but does hold the price point while adding a camera, some […]

Rapidly rising fuel prices renew double dip recession concerns

| March 1, 2011

The pain at the pump over high fuel prices will most likely slow the pace of our tepid economic recovery. For Americans fortunate enough to be fully employed, that means spending more dollars on fuel and less in other areas that might have hired a new workers. For businesses that mean a higher cost of […]

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