My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on September 3, 2017

What a great story told by YouTuber Scott Manley about the early days of NASA, their Apollo 14 computing problem and a "tech support call" to a programmer (video below). The story is longish and likely only of interest for those on the geeky side who work with computer or are programmers — it would help if you have an interest in the history of space exploration too.

The video below has several great snips from the early 1970s and those who made the Apollo program successful; it was amazing how astronauts put their lives in the hands of so many brilliant thinkers and pencil-pushers working behind the scenes on earth … some even had a sense of humor when writing code (above)! 

Apollo 14 almost never made it to the lunar surface thanks to a hardware failure which caused a short circuit in the abort switch. With the computer seeing the abort switch enabled the software team back on earth had a limited amount of time to figure out how to make the computer ignore the erroneous signal while still performing the landing. This required tweaking program state in memory while the program was running, a delicate operation with dire consequences for failure. No pressure guys.

Category: Computer, History, Space, Video | No Comments »
Tags: apollo14, Computer, mission, moon, nasa, programming, space, youtube

Posted By RichC on September 2, 2017

For the fun of it, I ran a lightly responded to Twitter poll (200+ votes and nearly 40,000 views) with an idea that could generate some subscription based income for $TWTR – yes I would like to see the stock price rise too. My purpose was to see just how many users would be interested or offended if there were a FREE tier and a LOW COST subscription tier of service. The thinking would be to entice regular users to subscribe for a fee (generating a steady income flow for Twitter) with the perk of being able to tweet a few more than 140 characters.  I could see nearly every "verified" account and heavy user jumping on an inexpensive $12/year subscription and imagine quite a few others would try it as well?

But … the response to the poll either just really likes FREE … or are concerned over clutter if tweets were allowed to include more text (it is also possible that my poll was misinterpreted)?

Category: Business, Financial, Marketing, Social Media | 3 Comments »
Tags: $TWTR, Business, management, monetize, polls, social network, twitter

Posted By RichC on September 1, 2017

… although for the “real” current Friday morning Weather Channel Hurricane Irma watch report – click here

Category: Humor, Travel, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: graphic, Humor, hurricane, irma, twitter, watch, weather channel

Posted By RichC on September 1, 2017

The big day looks to be September 12, 2017 when "watchers" expect Apple to release their 10th Anniversary iPhone. I may have been slow to accept the virtual keyboard "back in the day," but have comfortably adapted to it starting with the iPhone5 in 2012.

As smartphones go (after the Palm Pilots and Handspring clones), my early-on favorite was the Samsung i500 pocketable flipphone with PalmOS followed by the 600, 700p and Centro Palm Treo series and Palm Pre devices.

As for the new iPhone, rumors have it that it will push the $1000 price and eliminate the "home" button on the screen. The likelihood is we’ll also see the move to eliminate the bezel around the outside of the display as well … barring a small opening for the FaceTime camera and earpiece phone speaker. Apple previously address the battery life anxiety issue and since the iPhone 7, there haven’t been many complaint over battery longevity (suspect companies who make cases with batteries have suffered? ie. Mophie, Lexar, etc)

Apple has received some criticism over their recent lack of innovation, so the new iPhone8 (or whatever it will be called) has a high bar. Consumers who are waiting for the next evolution in their mobile device have their expectations high, but Apple has a lot in their favor:

• Mobile web fully adopted and websites for purchases are nearly 100% onboard
• Wireless carriers have stepped up LTE networks and in populated areas offer excellent speeds and reliable connections
• Users have accepted touchscreen displays and are more comfortable with them than they are a keyboard and a mouse nowadays
• Updates and Apps (at least with Apple) are painless and reliable. Gone are the days of frequent stalls, stuck screens and reboots.
• Smaller is no longer better. Some users prefer to carry larger screen devices where others still want something that fits comfortably in their pocket. Manufacturers make several models.
• Camera/Video is top notch and use software that rarely gets in the way for those using their iPhones as a primary video and picture taking device.
• The storage complaint has disappeared and user seem happy with iCloud (or other cloud storage) for archiving content off their phone. No longer do users complain about not having an SD slot.
• Water-resistance has been enhanced with the iPhone7 models and likely will continue to improve.
• Wireless charging will be likely with the new iPhone as previous generations have eliminated all need for tethering "except" for charging.

The new iPhone may be just what you will want, but maybe not what you can afford!

Category: Apple, Cellphone, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: anniversary, apple, flipphone, i500, iphone, palm, samsung, smartphone, sph-i500, tech friday, techfriday, treo

Posted By RichC on August 31, 2017

As the title and Robert Burns suggest, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Here are a couple Thursday lunchtime updates.

On the upside, the Ford ($F) trades from a week ago continue to pan out and I exited half of my position on Thursday morning to book profits (for those following trades I sold at $11.20). I’m holding half since I still think sales of new trucks and cars due to Hurricane Harvey heavily impacting Texas and Louisiana area (insurance claims) could prop up auto sales — Texas is truck country and this might favor Ford?

On the downside, my morning took a turn for the worse as the issue with previous Encore boat bottom repair in early 2013 with Whiticar Boat Works in Florida. After the paint rep inspected Encore’s bottom, he believes the repairs were made "according to the manufacture’s recommended procedures" and they will "offer no assistance with the project as inspected." I’m hoping an appealing to Jim Dragseth, President of Whiticar, for a second look since the repair was done by his reputable company and exactly as recommended by management … in order prevent the exact problem I’m having again 4 years later. For those who have gone the peel and epoxy barrier approach, you know the kind of cost we are talking about $$$. Fiberglass boat owners should not have to deal with the same thing again in such a short time … and a few outside contractors who often subcontract for Whiticar voiced their opinion as well – "a step was missing and the epoxy paints did not adhere properly."

Hopefully a company in business since the late 1940s like Whiticar Boat Works will stand behind their work or an minimum not completely wipe their hands and walk away. My insurance rep believes Whiticar will make good on their work … we shall see (there is always the legal option, as ugly and painful as that seems … or worse yet, sharing my "boat woes" with my wife — "sell it!")

Encore – half blasted and half peeled drying out on Aug 16, 2017.

Category: Business, Financial, Personal, Sailing | 2 Comments »
Tags: boats, bottom, encore, ford, investing, quotes, sailboat, stock, trading, whiticar

Posted By RichC on August 31, 2017

As I reflect on this past weekend with family and as summer comes to a close, a Throwback Thursday #TBT mental image and old photo reminds me of just how idyllic my own childhood was. Brenda and I hope we replicated that for our own children and are now doing our best to be the same kind of grandparents we had for Annalyn.

In my case, I spent my summers on our own beach on Ohio’s Northcoast where my grandparents visited regularly. The memories have already been sprinkled on my blog a few times, but never enough to depict the fond memories I had growing up east of Toledo on Lake Erie. It is interesting how the good memories cloud out the bad (below) and the natural beauty and views overshadow the constant work and minimal amenities we had (our first color TV came in the late 1970s after moving … but with views like those above, who needed a television?).

The recent flooding in Texas also triggered a few negative memories … like the three major floods that force use from our home. The final flood, along with a rock dike built by the Corp of Engineers in place of our beach, was enough for my dad to consider a promotion and transfer when I was in high school. Stressful at the time, but the right move for our family … considering the view we lost, or what we could have lost.

The first of our big floods happened in 1966. Thankfully we did not lose the house.

Category: Archive, Memories, Personal, Photos, TBT | No Comments »
Tags: curtice, flood, flooding, lagoon, lake erie, memories, ohio, Photos, summer, TBT, toledo

Posted By RichC on August 30, 2017

Good news for our neck of the woods …

Amazon will open a new fulfillment center in a Monroe industrial park near Interstate 75, bringing 1,000 new jobs to the region, the state announced Wednesday.

The specific location of Amazon’s latest investment in Ohio was not disclosed, but it will be the closest location for the e-commerce giant’s network of warehouses to Dayton and marks the fourth fulfillment center announced in the state in two years. The project will add to thousands of jobs already created and billions of dollars in ongoing investment by Amazon in Ohio and northern Kentucky.

The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved Wednesday a 1.39 percent, 10-year tax credit for the Amazon facility that is expected to create $26.7 million in new payroll and be a $30 million fixed-asset investment. The tax credit starts in January.

Pulse-Journal Article

Category: Business, Local, News | No Comments »
Tags: $AMZN, amazon, jobs, monroe, ohio, pulse journal

Posted By RichC on August 30, 2017

Every once in a while I strike up a conversation with a lessor known author about their writing and want to read their work. Philip C. Elrod is one such author and after exchanging a few messages, I decided I should at least give the first book of his series about events atop Sand Mountain in Alabama (fiction). I’ll attempt to fill in a little detail below after reading and will likely purchase the second book in the series if I like the plot. Stay tuned.

Category: Books | No Comments »
Tags: book, ebook, elrod, fiction, kindle, sand mountain, series

Posted By RichC on August 29, 2017

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Automotive, Personal, Photos, Volkswagen | 1 Comment »
Tags: annalyn, drew, family, home, katelyn, Photos, swimming, taylor, tiguan, uhaul, vacation, volkswagen

Posted By RichC on August 28, 2017

Having been away from my computer this past weekend has left me way delayed on posting the landfall of Hurricane Harvey as it piled into southeastern Texas with enough category 4 wind to pummel the coastline and an unprecedented amount of rain causing catastrophic flooding.

The residents of the fourth largest populated city of Houston are continuing to suffer as the now tropical storms movement is to the north and east. This slow progression adds to the already devastating rainfall and flooding. As if that wasn’t enough, some forecasters have Harvey scooping up more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and threatening to flood well into Louisiana and even further east. Preliminary losses due to this storm are already making this killer hurricane (at least 8 deaths) an insurance nightmare as JPMorgan sees them as high as $20 Billion.

In the Greater Houston/Southeast Texas region, an estimated 9 trillion gallons (34 km3) of rain had fallen by the afternoon of August 27, more than any documented tropical system in U.S. history. 

An additional 5 to 10 trillion gallons (19 to 38 km3) are expected before the storm dissipates. Many locations in the metro area observed at least 20 in (510 mm) of precipitation, with a maximum of 39.72 in (1,009 mm) near Dayton. The local National Weather Service office in Houston observed consecutive all-time daily rainfall accumulations on August 26 and 27, measured at 14.4 in (370 mm) and 16.08 in (408 mm) respectively. Locally, some areas may receive as much as 50 in (1,300 mm) of rain.  During the storm, more than 800 Houston area flights were canceled, including 704 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and 123 at William P. Hobby Airport. Both airports eventually closed. Several tornadoes were spawned in the area, one of which damaged or destroyed the roofs of dozens of homes in Sienna Plantation.  As of August 27, six fatalities have been confirmed from flooding in the Houston area.  Late on August 27, a mandatory evacuation was issued for all of Bay City as model projections indicated the downtown area would be inundated by 10 ft (3.0 m) of water. Flooding was anticipated to cut off access to the city around 1:00 p.m. CDT on August 28.  On August 28, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began controlled water releases from Addicks and Barker Reservoirs in the Buffalo Bayou watershed in an attempt to manage flood levels in the immediate area. According to the local Corps commander, “It’s going to be better to release the water through the gates directly into Buffalo Bayou as opposed to letting it go around the end and through additional neighborhoods and ultimately into the bayou.” At the time the releases started, the reservoirs had been rising at more than 6 inches (15 cm) per hour.  Throughout Texas, more than 300,000 people were left without electricity and billions of dollars of property damage was sustained. The refinery industry capacity was reduced, and oil and gas production was affected in the Gulf of Mexico and inland Texas.

Category: News, Weather | 1 Comment »
Tags: harvey, houston, hurricane, storm, texas