My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on September 25, 2015

If you are a regular online shopper and use Amazon, you may have contemplated purchasing their annual membership. Unfortunately each year it seems to go up in price and unless you “shop on Amazon or stream their video content” A LOT, it is hard to justify $99 per year. On the other hand, $67 (the sale price for ONLY today – 9/25/2015) is easier to justify. I have been piggybacking on my daughter’s Prime membership for a year or so now with a “free trial” to take advantage of free shipping on some items I order (FYI … it’s not stealing as sharing is a feature Amazon offer to existing members).

Free trial or paid Amazon Prime members can share certain Amazon Prime benefits with one other adult by forming an Amazon Household. (LINK)

In my calculations, the shipping savings based on my prior year will almost justify the $67 annual fee … so I will take advantage of and sigh up today because … full members will also be able to stream Amazon’s video content and use a few other services. The moving list is not as impressive at Netflix, in my opinion, but worth having for a year.

Other than free 2-day shipping here are six lesser known perks of Prime:

– Free Access To Amazon Music: The music service features over a million songs with unlimited playlists that can be downloaded to devices, just as though you’d purchased the song from iTunes or a competing platform.

– Free Prime radio stations: Similar to a membership that would otherwise cost you $10 per month from Spotify Premium or a paid version of Pandora, this ad-free assortment of stations is a nice perk.

– Free Unlimited Photo Storage: Prime members get free access to Amazon Cloud Drive to store an unlimited number of photos.

– Special Sale Access: Members get 30 minute early bird access to special Amazon sales, lightning deals and additional designer sales from MyHabit.com

– More Than 800,000 Free E-books: Subscribers get access to this huge assortment of books as well as the option to borrow one book per month on many titles from the New York Times best-seller list.

– Unlimited movies and tv shows now with offline viewing: Amazon just announced you can download many Prime-eligible movies and TV shows for playback without an internet connection. This option is currently absent from its competitor Netflix. While Amazon’s collection boasts thousands of movies and TV shows, as well as original content, it is not as impressive as Netflix (in my opinion) but growing every day.

If you’ve been thinking about Amazon Prime, today is the day … but you’ll need to purchase it from their full website and not the mobile site or Amazon app (below).

Category: Movies, Shopping | No Comments »
Tags: discount, Movies, online, prime, sale, shipping, Shopping, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on September 25, 2015

Those who are social networking gurus know that each network establishes limits to reduce abuse and spam. It is also a way to manage an excessive number of unbalanced following. New users may not realize the limits until they bump up against them. A common limit on Twitter is the number of people being followed without having followers. It is common to use Twitter as a “news feed” and easy to get carried away with following others. That’s all good until you cap out a the 2000 Follow Limit on Twitter without a reciprocating return.

What’s that all about?

Twitter has a policy that you can freely follow up to 2000 people but once you reach that threshold, you’re capped out until you have at least 1800 followers. They don’t necessarily have to be people following you back… you just need at least a 90% ratio of followers-to-following in order to keep following new people. This ratio exists even for people with very large networks. (Those following 200,000 people need to have at least 180,000 followers to keep following more people.)

Twitter does this to prevent spam accounts and others from simply following thousands and thousands of people. They assume that the ratio somehow proves legitimacy… that if you’re follow-worthy, you must be contributing in some way to the Twitterverse. Up to 2000, it doesn’t matter how many followers you have. It’s after that point that it becomes an issue.

So how can you get over the hump?

See Stacey Donovan Zapar’s article …

Category: Productivity, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: followers, limit, network, social, twitter

Posted By RichC on September 24, 2015

Just in case you are the type of responsible credit card user who pays off the balance each month and has excellent FICO scores, you might want to consider using the Citi Double Cash Card. It is a no annual fee credit card and pays a total of 2% on purchases … I think that is one of the best I’ve seen.

Discover Card offers their 1% plus the quarter sign up for certain items receiving a bonus of 4%, but this sign up and remembering what is a bonus is a hassle for many busy people.

Bank of America (my current) offers a 1%on purchase plus 2% on groceries and 3% on gas all the time … with a limit of $1500/quarter.

TDBank Card Services offer a Client Rewards card which pays 1.5% and and additional 10% bonus to your rewards for depositing the cash rewards into a TDAmeritrade account.

Finally I felt guilty leaving out Chase Freedom Cash Back Card which is similar to Discover in that to get the 5% cash back. Currently the bonus is for online shopping … Amazon.com could earn a lot of cashback. Personally where Chase cards (business and personal) really shine is with their low 2% balance transfer/cash advance fees for borrowing over a year at 0% interest. That’s an unsecured loan at less than 2% for a year … pretty cheap borrowing if you can be responsible. 

Category: Advice, Financial | 1 Comment »
Tags: america, bank, chase, citi, credit cards, discover, tdameritrade, tdbank

Posted By RichC on September 23, 2015

As a long time advocate for long running and efficient diesel engines, I’m appalled to hear Volkswagen purposely cheated on emissions testing. I’ve been someone who has taken pride in the huge advancements diesel engine manufacturers and fuel refineries have made in the past decade (kicking and screaming) and have regularly posted stories in this regard. This scandal is indeed a major setback, not only for VW and all who’s livelihood stems from the company, but also for those of us who herald the diesel engine for passenger vehicles and light trucks/SUVs here in the U.S. One can only conclude in seeing the obvious, “what were they thinking?”

What happened?

Allegedly Volkswagen created software for their TDI diesel engines used in their Beetle, Golf, Jetta and Passat models (and used in Audi’s A3) that circumvented the “rolling road” (dynamometer) testing set-ups and helped the smaller diesel engines pass ICCT and EPA CARB tests permitting them to be sold in the U.S. Volkswagen even ran ad campaign touting their “clean diesels.” All was right with the diesel world since these highly efficient (40-50 mpg) vehicles were selling well and helping to make Volkswagen the number one vehicle manufacturer in the world.

In the meantime back in 2014, West Virginia University uncovered a discrepancy in NOx emissions between their dynamometer testing and real world driving. The “road test” was producing 15 to 35 times the legal limit on their Jetta TDI test vehicle. Similar for the Passat TDI; it was producing 5 to 20 times the legal limit. In December 2014, Volkswagen duplicated the flaws and “claimed it discovered the reason” and recalled 500,000 vehicles in order to fix them with a software update. After this recall “fix” … CARB still found the vehicles were not in compliance.  In May of 2015, the EPA and CARB opened an inquiry and demanded proof from VW that they solved these real-world emission issues before they would certify the new 2016 TDI models. VW gave excuses until they finally admitted that they installed a “defeat device” which “reduces the effectiveness of the emission control system.” (EPA description)  

Where are thing now?

So let’s be clear about this: our company was dishonest with the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, and with all of you. [I]n my German words, we’ve totally screwed up. We must fix those cars, and prevent this from ever happening again, and we have to make things right—with the government, the public, our customers, our employees, and also very importantly our dealers.

You can be sure that we will continue not only to correct this TDI issue, and to straighten things out, and to pay what we have to pay, and we will continue to work very hard to make our story in the US for the customers and dealers and employees successful. (link)

Currently, Volkswagen’s CEO, Martin Winterkorn, has apologized publically and wants to correct the problem. Many have called for his head and suspect most expect him to resign, something he said he will not do (link) UPDATE: Resigning 4/23/2015. Shareholders, employees and the many affiliated industries (1 in 9 Europeans who jobs are tied to Volkswagen) are all on pins and needles. Currently Volkswagen is setting aside $7.3 BILLION dollars to resolve the issue. Who knows what the penalties for cheating will eventually cost – with 500,000 up to 11 million vehicles seeing fines up to $40,000/car (unrealistic) and class action liability suits already gathering steam … the sky (or perhaps space?) seems to be the limit.

What does this mean for current VW TDIs and their future?

It all depends on the fix. If software alone is enough to satisfy, then the cost may be enough for Volkswagen to move forward. If every vehicle needs additional hardware, the cost will be much higher. Car owners most likely will be impacted to some degree, most likely fuel economy if it is software alone and additional maintenance if there is hardware involved – perhaps even an ongoing Diesel Exhaust Fluild (DEF or “Ad-Blue”)?

The long term impact for Volkswagen will most likely be felt for years, although we do tend to quickly forget scandals, mismanagement and bankruptcies others automakers have faced. Of bigger concern for diesel engine advocates, is that this will set back advancement of what we see as the most efficient internal combustion engine option for vehicles. Cheating aside, the emission standards in the U.S. in my opinion have been biased toward EV, hybrid and gasoline engines. The many measured pollutants determined by the EPA as acceptable based on what is realistically achievable by a gasoline powered vehicle (traditionally and the majority of U.S. cars) are not going t be the same for different fuel types. Matching gasoline number for number with a diesel, since the standards themselves were based on a gasoline internal combustion engine, is setting the curve again alternatives. Having the standards that take into account that each fuel source has pluses and minus might make for a better way to innovate.

Need information on Volkswagen TDIs? Check out the forums of the TDIClub.

This is sad … http://www.vw.com/features/clean-diesel/

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Volkswagen | 3 Comments »
Tags: cheating, dieselgate, epa, scandal, tdi, volkswagen, vw

Posted By RichC on September 23, 2015

No doubt the American Dream is slipping away from the middle class, but a quick look a few graphs below depicts an even more dismal image of a nation in decline.

Is it too late to turn our country around? Let’s hope not!

Unfortunately too many regulations, thousands of laws, taxes on taxes and “gimmes”  for every special interest group has turn our 200-plus year old nation of hard working immigrates into citizens (and illegals) who seem all to happy to accept an entitlement. The federal government now infringes at every level of our life – from birth to death (and beyond!) — and that is bloat is weighing us down. It zaps motivation, ambition and send our largest corporations somewhere else to build a business.

Let’s start with downsizing Washington DC. Give them only enough of a payroll so they can only focus on their #1 job: Protect us Against All Enemies; foreign and domestic. Let the local and state government run entitlements as they see fit in their own communities.  It plain to see what big government (both D and R!) progressive policies have done in making our citizens more dependent and less competitive with others around the world … perhaps go back to what worked for the United States in the first place!

Category: Politics | No Comments »
Tags: economy, government, graphs, Politics

Posted By RichC on September 22, 2015

It may not be politically correct for Ben Carson or any other American candidate running for political office to say “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation” … yet the reasons are more rational than most Americans who are NOT religiously or ethnically prejudicial think. After hearing Dr. Carson’s sound bite, don’t draw a quick conclusion until you understands the Islamic teachings and practice of  “taqiyya.”  It is prudent to at least contemplate knowing Carson’s reasoning; his intelligence and intellect at least deserve a second look … unlike those candidates purposely being inflammatory and insensitive (see bottom of post).

"Taqiyya is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it. We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream … Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era."

In the U.S. alone we have enough recent history (e.g. 9/11, Fort Hood, etc) to know that some radical Muslims have infiltrated and blend into the western secular world, only to use it as cover to carry out “their” extreme beliefs. Unfortunately “their beliefs” are not all that rare, and these extreme views are taught and accepted in greater numbers in the Muslim world than most Americans want to believe. Perhaps Americans would be wise to be cautious when electing a followers of Muhammad to positions of power, particularly President of the United States. (that noted, I personally believe there are many U.S. Muslims that would put America first even though that is not what Islam in most of the world teaches)

Of course the same could always be true for those believers of any other religion or non-religion? Still it is understandable (albeit not politically correct) to see the need for additional scrutiny and a better understanding of Islamic teaching before considering the beliefs and practice of a person who desires to be the President of the United States. In my opinion, if someone is devoted to a religion that teaches it is acceptable to deceive non-believers (taqiyya) in order to pursue the greater and lesser jihad —“inner spiritual struggle and outer physical struggle against the enemies of Islam” – then they may not be a wise choice.

…according to this Islamic principle, if under pressure or threatened with force, not only may Muslims deceive non-believers, it is even legitimate for Muslims to behave in ways normally completely contrary to their faith. For instance, given such circumstances, a Muslim may drink alcohol, skip prayers and fasting during Ramadan, renounce belief in Allah and even pretend homage to a deity other than Allah, and utter insincere oaths. It is important to understand the concept of taqiyya …

LINK

Speaking of “not a wise choice” … the GOP field of candidates has a flamethrower among them. Donald Trump continues his loose lipped comments in order to keep the attention on him … and it has been effective so far. I keep hoping the rhetoric will grow old and Republican voters will rally around someone with well thought out views and sensible solutions to complex problems. Sooner or later reasonable heads have to prevail and a conservative principled Republican needs to be able to unite the majority … don’ t they??? I don’t see juvenile comments (physical appearance, pitter patter, etc) from Donald Trump pertaining to Carly Fiorina as helpful.

Sound Bite from Donald Trump — “Pitter Patter” (MP3) September 20, 2015

Category: Audio, Faith, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: carson, election, fiorina, gop, islam, mp3, muslim, opinion, political, potus, trump

Posted By RichC on September 21, 2015

It was a beautiful late summer (barely) weekend to hang out around home. Brenda continued her rehab exercises while planning a mid-October return to work, while I enjoyed working around the yard. We both took one more swim in the pool for 2015, watched the Bengals win and enjoyed a gorgeous Sunday evening with a fire on the back porch (photo above). Who could ask for more?

Category: Personal, Photos, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: cincinnati, fireplace, home, photo, pool, porch, sunset

Posted By RichC on September 19, 2015

It’s probably being marveled by all things engineering that has me gravitating daily to the Interesting Engineering website and I probably browse longer than I should through the educational and “interesting” posts.
Image Courtesy of Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

Architecture, skyscrapers and buildings around the world are a monumental undertakings and amazing engineering feats. The desire to build grandiose structures go far back as as the Egyptian pyramids and has continued to this day all around the world. Check out Top Ten Tallest Buildings.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai – 828 meters (2691 feet)

As remarkably tall buildings proliferate, the engineering challenges mount as well. Early on, the primary issue engineers faced was the materials themselves. Stone can only be stacked so high, even if it’s done to amazing effect, as with the Chartre Cathedral in France. The breakthrough came in the late 19th century, at the hands of the American engineer/architect William La Baron Jenney. Born in the U.S., Jenney went to France for his formal engineering and architectural education, graduating from the prestigious l’École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris; he was classmates with Gustave Eiffel, the designer of his namesake tower. Perhaps that association had something to do with the innovation Jenney devised in 1884 when he conceived and built the 10 story Home Insurance Building in Chicago, Illinois – The world’s first skyscraper.

That iconic structure was the first building framed with metal columns and beams, overcoming previous limitations in one elegant stroke, and producing a structure some 65% lighter than an equivalent made of stone or brick. That weight savings was the key to ever taller structures to come, as colleagues grasped the magnitude of Jenney’s revelation and advanced upon his work. He expanded on his work through the end of the century, and passed away in 1907.

The curtain wall, a direct descendant of Jenney’s innovation, is a ubiquitous feature in skyscrapers. Rather than employing load bearing walls as conventional construction does, curtain walls are born by or suspended from the load bearing framework, allowing a wide variety of exterior shapes and surfaces – The glass walled skyscraper is a direct result of such innovation. The load bearing frameworks of the tallest buildings are all derivations of a tubular core, allowing the building not only its height, but the ability to resist lateral loads from wind and seismic forces.

While common key elements of design and construction allow soaring towers to proliferate, each project presents myriad complex issues that are simple considerations in lesser structures. Everything from HVAC to moving people between floors require highly detailed modeling prior to hard design and construction. High powered computers and software have clearly become must-have tools of the trade.

Full post

Category: History, Innovation, Misc, Science | No Comments »
Tags: buildings, engineering, websites

Posted By RichC on September 18, 2015

Twitter is an untapped monster. When $TWTR management (ie. new CEO and team) decides to market to "viewers" of tweets (not just the user base).

Category: Financial, Marketing, Social Media | No Comments »
Tags: $TWTR, investing, Marketing, stock, trading, twitter

Posted By RichC on September 18, 2015

As someone who has sold a handful of domain names over the past 20 years, it is interesting to see what prices are being generated (my highest sale was $10,000).

In 2015 there are a few less impressive high dollar dot-com transfers (overseas) … due to them being “two-letters” I assume… yet they still garnering over a half-million dollars each.

1. NL.com = March 4th at $575,000
2. SX.com = August 14th at $ 550,050
3. QE.com = July 22nd at $554,000

Add a third or forth letter (number) and they can sell for substantial sums too:

1. 345.com = January 7th at $800,000
2. GIVE.com = July 29th at $500,000
3. QUA.com = May 6th at $459,000

… BUT nothing compares to the sale of PORNO.com on February 4th at $8,888,888. (Note: the link for this one does not take you to the porn site)

Category: Business, Marketing, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: cpp, domain, internet, names, reselling, selling, tech friday, techfriday, web