Posted By RichC on August 24, 2014
It looks like all the weather models are keeping tropical storm Cristobal offshore which is both good for Encore as well as my travel plans … although those in, or going to, Bermuda may want to be prepared for some wind and rain.
Testing the updated WordPress iPhone app for this post.
Posted By RichC on August 24, 2014
The stock market roars to new highs as the summer comes to an end, but investors continue pouring money into higher risk equities as if they have forgot what can happen. 
This is in part due to the low yield in fixed income assets and the new indice highs have more than a few economy watchers nervous. We all know that it is time for Quantitative Easing to end and the Fed to start increasing interest rates, but can we take it?
I’m not the only one wondering if markets are getting overly rich when it comes to the reality of corporate earnings and in particular small business profitability. How much of this is the devaluation of the dollar?
What changes have we made?
The job market still stinks; unemployment is still above 6%; long term joblessness is “way high” and too many abled bodied Americans are not participating in the anemic rebound … let alone are on a career path. I’d be bold enough to say that the policies coming from bureaucrats with the purpose of helping our economy have actually cost taxpayers more than they have help create job and employ Americans … particularly when it comes to the working poor. Americans who struggled with debt and paying their bills pre-recession, are still struggling with debt and are now older facing retirement without the proper saving, if they have any left. Those who were fortunate to key a steady job have seen wages stagnate have trouble believing their future is bright when they watch millions of illegal immigrants flowing into the country looking for a chance to fill a workers’ shoes. College students are still facing few jobs in their field of study and have to assume that they will be carrying student debt most of their lives. For them, having extra dollars to put into retirement savings, a house or the attention getting stock market are not seeing the same bright light at the end of this recession.
My big concern is that we as a nation have become addicted to handout and borrowed money. As debt continues to mount (nearing $17.7 Trillion in debt), I’m not seeing a clear “way forward” … where’s the balanced budget, the closing of loopholes and fixing both the corporate welfare and tax code? Where’s the reeling in of government spending, big salaries and “out of whack” benefits paid to Federal workers? I’m not entirely sure our nation is going to be able to function without the IV-drip coming from the Fed? And I haven’t even thought about social issues or world affairs! Maybe I need to read “The Way Forward: Renewing the American Idea” by Paul Ryan? Stay tuned … I need to read. 
Posted By RichC on August 23, 2014
The convenient way to replace running rigging on sailboats are to purchase lines pre-made for a particular boat at places like SailboatOwners.com. Of course that would be the “easy” way, but it does discourage upgrading shackles and thimbles or whipping and splicing your own lines. Since our Encore is strictly a cruising sailboat, the premium lines, in my opinion, would be overkill, besides just buying raw rope can save a few bucks too. Upgrading to a better grade of shackle and thimble on the other hand seems justifiable (a few bucks more for shackles vs. many more dollars for super low stretch lines). I previously decided to go with Samson’s XLS Yacht Braid for its known “handling” characteristics and reputation as a strong, low stretch rope halyard. In fact, I recall that one of my favorite non-biased publications charted (below) it attractive when looking at “stretch vs. cost” too – Practical Sailor.
Currently I have a couple simple Wichard captive pin bow shackles attaching the halyard to the sails, but am planning to upgrade my newly repaired/re-stitched mailsail’s headboard to a Wichard key pin shackle with a bar (see PDF or Full 2014 catalog). Hopefully the second-hand $18 #81434 shackle I bought on eBay will fit the headboard and 7/16” lines once I splice in the nylon thimble?
Posted By RichC on August 22, 2014
A second Tech Friday post: I’ve been looking for an excuse to try embed.ly … so here it goes with a Fox Business News Elio story … and a good PR one at that.
Posted By RichC on August 22, 2014
After almost two year of using several different wraps and “powered cases” for my iPhones, I whittled my picks down to three … or 4 if you consider “no-case” as an option. In fact, using the iPhone without a case makes it very small and lightweight; slipping the tiny iPhone 5 and 5s in a pocket is hard to beat for convenience. The build on this little full-featured smartphone is a thing of beauty … 
but that solid block of aluminum and glass is definitely a problem if when you drop it. So it is my conclusion that some kind of case is necessary.
Here are my three case choices:
A couple “wants” from both would be a little kick-stand on the back and plug that would accept the Apple lightning sync and charge cable … although there is something to be said for charging it with the universal micro USB.
Posted By RichC on August 21, 2014
Posted By RichC on August 20, 2014
There were a few articles on VJ day this past weekend marking the anniversary of Victory over Japan and focused on the relief we felt ending World War II. While glancing at the front pages, it made me realize how the dollar has lost value … or if you’re dollar biased, how much goods and services have inflated.
Click image for large and to read the numbers.
For example, an issue of the Wall Street Journal sold for 7 cents in 1946 compared to the $2 per issue we see today – that’s a more than 2800% increase! I was thinking that college tuitions were inflated? Well I guess they are too … for example a full year at the University of Michigan would have cost $1125 in state ($1260 out of state) compared to $27,440 today ($40K out of state). Yikes … that non-resident number is an over 3000% increase!
Oil was also a bit cheaper “back in the day” at $1.41/barrel compared to $95/barrel today – an over 6000% increase … and even Gold at $34.71 has increased 3700%. What about on the earning side? Well using the St. Louis Fed numbers, the “average hourly earning of production and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing” earned $1/hr in 1946, which compares to today average of $19.60/hr – a little less than a 2000% increase giving an average worker far less buying power for each hour of work when seeking an education, buying fuel, investing in gold or even reading a newspaper.
To be fair, there are a few areas where the dollar goes further. Milk was 70 cents per gallon and has increase far less than average wages (only 450%) … similar to other foods. Housing, according to Observations and Notes, remain on par with inflation, although like automobiles, it is hard to compare the average house/car in 1946 to what is considered average today. And how about technology? Radios, TVs, air conditioning and phones … perhaps not as important as food, or shelter, but most see them as “near” essentials.
But really, are things more expensive … or has the dollar been devalued … and what does the latest round of money printing suggest is in our future?
Posted By RichC on August 19, 2014
Don’t you wonder what it must have been like to be picking up a few hardware items in Portsmouth Ohio and hear this coming from a young man and an unfinished piano? Impressive. (after being told the FB was no longer working for someone, I’ll archive the video below the embed)
Posted By RichC on August 19, 2014
Last week my brother asked me to take a look at my dad’s 2001 Honda Odyssey because the power sliding rear doors had both failed. 
The dealer quoted $200 EACH to fix the door and since both had failed we figured it might not hurt to rule out a fuse or relay. I stopped and took a quick look and all was fine in the well marked under the hood fuse box.
I stop for lunch on my way to north east Ohio with this quirky issue on my mind and decided to see if there might be an issue listed on the Internet. Hmm, maybe, so I scribbled down a few notes and transcribe into an email for my brother to try (he would be the next to see my dad)?
My brother wrote back: 
Posted By RichC on August 17, 2014
Author and writer Elmore Leonard is known for his crime fiction, but 
he started out writing westerns. Leonard has written nearly two dozen novels and most of them are bestsellers (Glitz, Get Shorty, Maximum Bob and Rum Punch). Ten of his advice tips when it comes to being both a popular and respectable writer are: