Merry Christmas 2017 from our family to your family
Posted By RichC on December 12, 2017
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Volkswagen wants incentives for diesel cars removed in Germany
Posted By RichC on December 11, 2017
After years of leading the "clean diesel" push and getting their hand slapped for cheating on emissions testing, Volkswagen looks to be giving up on fossil fuel or at least diesel cars. In fact according the New York Times, VW wants the German government to phase out 
subsidies they lobbied for for years that favored diesel cars. Looks pretty transparent to me?
“We should question the logic and purpose of diesel subsidies,” Matthias Müller, the chief executive of Volkswagen, said in an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt. “The money can be invested more sensibly to promote more environmentally friendly technologies.”
Mr. Müller is the first German auto boss to publicly suggest that the government should stop subsidizing diesel, a step that would certainly hasten the technology’s demise. Though cautiously formulated, his comments represented a major turnaround.
Diesel was practically sacred to German carmakers until recently, but sales have been plummeting since Volkswagen confessed in 2015 to widespread cheating on emissions tests, a scandal that drew attention to the health hazards of diesel exhaust.
According to Jalopnik, The New York Times also reported that Müller also said he’s in favor of banning older diesels from city centers … unless they are the newer diesel cars that meet emissions targets.
The more I see big government dictating life in Europe, the more I’m thankful to be living in the United States where individual freedom is respected and somewhat protected (so thankful not to have liberals running the Federal government or my state of Ohio).
Music Monday: Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Canon
Posted By RichC on December 11, 2017
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A snowy winter day, a warm fire and distractions
Posted By RichC on December 10, 2017
The first cold snowy winter day was the perfect time to fire up the woodstove in the poolhouse garage … unfortunately the distraction of a warm fire lead to other distractions and keeping me from the day’s list of projects. Instead of finishing the Corbett Christmas letter, updating the mailing list, decorating and working on a couple handmade presents, I ended up resealing the workbench tops.
The finish is well worn and moisture is swelling the surface in spots … and it just so happened a leftover jar of Zip-Guard Wood Finish was leaking and needed to be resealed. So instead of trying to store it longer, I used it up on the workbench in the garage and the balance in the basement
Thoughts on converting water separator to a desiccant dryer
Posted By RichC on December 9, 2017
In a discussion on a Facebook group that I belong to regarding using compressed air tools and moisture control, I shared my budget solution. It really doesn’t do anything to "dry" the air coming from the compressor, but the simple gravity "separator" likely help a little when using shop tools. My biggest issue is that when using oil-based paints, a little moisture can get through and will ruin a paint job and that having a dryer in-line might be helpful.
I wonder what could be done inexpensively to dry the air before getting to the paint gun like the inline desiccant dryers? Maybe I could just add desiccant to my existing separator???
What’s the Apple iPhoneX line-up going to look like in 2018
Posted By RichC on December 8, 2017
For those planning ahead and thinking about replacing their aging (1 or 2 years old! HA!) iPhone, there are rumors already floating around as to what Apple might have up their sleeve for 2018. Perhaps the most interesting "rumor" is that the iPhoneX may come in a 6.1" TFT-LCD with 320-330 PPI AND an aluminum or stainless steel frame (NIKKEI Asian Review).
The other bit of rumor news is that it is possible that ALL iPhones will completely abandon Touch ID in favor of Face ID. Hm?
Remembering the Pearl Harbor attack and the 2403 killed
Posted By RichC on December 7, 2017
We remember December 7th, 1941 to honor those who perished and as a reminder of what lead up to Japan’s 1920’s ambition to dominate the Pacific Basin believing it was their manifest destiny (see series Pearl Harbor – Then and Now on the Defense Media Network).
The unprovoked surprise attack on Hawaii in the early Sunday morning, crippled the US Navy’s battleship fleet and prevented the United States from quickly responding or intervening against Japanese occupation in the Pacific. The attack remains the most decisive air strike against the US, but failed in strategic long term military planning by "waking the sleeping giant" and uniting the American people against Japan.
Never Again, Again! The Legacy of Pearl Harbor
Seven decades and a Cold War away, Pearl Harbor likely seems little more than a movie event to young people whose parents were not even born when the Japanese attacked. However, the multiple terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are a reminder of the real legacy of the attack on Hawaii, and what was the end of a six-decade hiatus of significant attacks on American soil. Today the nation lives in a time of new dangers and threats, and unlike 1941, the metrics are more difficult to understand and quantify. For many Americans, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor may seem to offer few connections for today. First and foremost, the attack on Pearl Harbor was an attack by military forces against military forces, while the Sept. 11 victims of terrorist attacks were overwhelmingly civilian. In many ways, however, Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001, share a mutual place in American history, along with common causes.
Hard to believe the gambling going on with Bitcoin
Posted By RichC on December 6, 2017
So much for using Bitcoin as a cryptocurrency? How does one set prices for products and services "in Bitcoins" when there isn’t any stability of value? So much for using it as currency … more like gambling or speculating on artwork as these bits of invisible computer cyber bytes continue to find pyramid scheme buyers.
On Wednesday, bitcoin rocketed higher crossing the $14,000 mark on at least one exchange less than 24 hours after topping $12,000.
The landmark happened on the Coinbase exchange just before 6 p.m. ET, and it traded as high as $14,344.22 on that platform. That said, there are often significant price differentials on different bitcoin exchanges. CoinDesk, a widely regarded industry site, said as of 6:16 p.m. ET that its average of prices across leading exchanges showed a high point of $13,810.72 for the cryptocurrency.
More at CNBC
The Family Truckster before the Griswolds
Posted By RichC on December 6, 2017
Now if I were to be true to myself, I’d be driving a station wagon like this Buick Special Estate Wagon, Model 49 mentioned in Hemmigs. As posted previously, my first car was almost a 1958 Buick Special, but after my stint with wagons in the 1980s (Volvo DL245, Chevrolet Caprice Wagon and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser), I have a soft spot for one that puts them all into one classy (classic) vehicle.
Just FYI, that "soft spot" isn’t really soft enough for me to give up my BMW X5 35d diesel SUV … and "yes I know" the Griswold Family Truckster was a 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire based station wagon (below).
What do you do with the extra Epoxy after it has been mixed?
Posted By RichC on December 5, 2017
When mixing a small batch of epoxy for a repair, I’m always looking for a secondary project that needs some adhesion. I’ve finally decided that my go-to project is to apply additional "wear bars" to the heels of my favorite Sperry Topsiders.
I’ve done this before and besides the slightly annoying "clicking" sound, the epoxy wears well and hasn’t failed. I’m sure dedicated shoe glue would be a more appropriate product, but leftover epoxy works great too!
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.