Freedompop LTE hotspot is better than Time Warner at home
Posted By RichC on March 14, 2014
Just another plug for Freedompop’s LTE wireless access; it is providing better wifi access than public hotspots and even Time Warner Cable at home.
Hanging out with Encore and messing with electrical projects
Posted By RichC on March 14, 2014
Although I know spring is around the corner, the Florida sunshine is nice, although I can’t say I felt much of it today as the temps were mid-60s
and I spend the afternoon with my head buried below decks working on electrical gremlins – with some success I might add.
Tomorrow the plan is to address the depth and transducer issues with the goal of not having to pull the boat out of the water just to pop out two of my three transducers. I’m hoping that the used Raymarine ST60+ displays I purchased will talk to my Navman items and that I can figure out how to rewire the depth transducer.
I had the electric panel out today and as you can see there has been a few changed made over the years … and yes I also added another circuit for a soon to talk about project. One of these days I’m going to have to address the questionable panel.
The Keystone Pipeline and the Political Theater of the Absurd
Posted By RichC on March 12, 2014
I keep thinking that something has got to give in Washington DC when it comes to the how the Obama administration and many in congress bog down the greatness of our country. The lack of an economic recovery is hurting the middle class and there isn’t a commonsense reason for it. Take the debate over energy. We drive cars, heat our homes and generate electricity for everything from light to industry, yet regulations, red tape and politics hamstring the companies which explore, extract, transport and refine our nation’s natural resources. It is costing every American in higher prices and decent jobs … not just in the energy sector, but the economic expansion that occurs when companies expand here rather than overseas. We don’t need to borrow trillions of dollars for additional impotent government stimulus packages.
Events in the Ukraine and an all-night “hot-air” talkathon by Democrats in congress have brought energy back to the front burner again. Europe is so reliant on natural gas exported through the Ukraine that they find it 
difficult to unite with economic sanctions against Russia’s annexation of Crimea … while in the U.S. we sit on an abundance of extraordinarily clean burning natural gas which face constant roadblocks based on political alliances.
The Keystone Pipeline is another ridiculous argument. I’ve been to Alberta where shale oil is being extracted (yes it is ugly) and to North Dakota where the landscape is dotted mile after mile with new oil and gas well. This energy will be used, whether today or tomorrow, and by us or someone else. It needs to be moved and what better way to do it than a pipeline? If the environmentalist goal is to protect the world in which we live, the pipeline is by far the safer and more efficient method to do this. Last year, I witness – truck after truck lining the roads heading south from Williston, ND. Train tankcar after tankcar is being being loaded and unloaded. In my opinion, doing it this way is just an environmental accident just waiting to happen.
Do people really think the world is going to stop using fossil fuels today … or in the next decade? Transporting by this method is so inefficient that Canada may just as well ship it across the Rockies and put it on tanker ship to China – do you think they are environmentally conscientious? If you’re really an environmentalist, support the pipeline and continue the good fight in developing alternatives that can sensibly and economically replace fossil fuels.
T. Boone Pickens was short and to the point Tuesday morning on CNBC’s Squawkbox (video below).
Mother Nature has turned up the thermostat this afternoon
Posted By RichC on March 11, 2014
With today’s temperatures in the 70’s, I can help but start thinking about longer days and warmer evening. Ah … it will be nice to put this winter behind us. Tuesday afternoon is sunny and down right warm.
Unfortunately the weatherman says not so fast Ke-mo sah-bee (remembering The Lone Ranger). Maybe it is spelled Kemosabe or Kee-Mo Sah-Bee according to a quick Internet search?Interesting, the Ojibwe Native American word is “giimoozaabi” which in English translates to “scout.”
What is the best way to keep a load secure on top of your car?
Posted By RichC on March 11, 2014
While I was uploading a short knot tying video for a blog post the last week, it occurred to me that very few people know how to tie a proper Trucker’s Hitch as a way to secure a load to the top of their car or in a trailer (great for securing a tent to a stake too!)
The ability to gain a little mechanical advantage simulating a crude block and tackle in order to cinch the load down is the key, but so is being able to tie the final hitch to lock the load in place. So … I figured another short video tip wouldn’t hurt (below).
Jobs for America: Ideas that made America great
Posted By RichC on March 10, 2014
For a country that should have a robust economy, we’re not showing it when looking at the employment numbers or the average family’s purchasing power (link Gallup).
The U.S. Payroll to Population employment rate (P2P), as measured by Gallup, continued its recent decline in January, dropping to 42.0% from 42.9% in December. This is the lowest level for P2P since March 2011, when it was 41.9%.
Eventually voters are going to realize that President Obama’s “hope and change” ideas of more borrowing, spending, monstrous national debt, higher taxes, heavy regulations, reduced liberty and bigger government isn’t what made America great. Rather that dividing the country on multiple issues as the Obama administration resorts to, why not take a page from John F. Kennedy playbook? Presidential candidate Kennedy said in 1960, “a rising tide lifts all boats” while talking about the economy to blue collar Canton, Ohio.
Here’s a start … how about listening to a few ideas being discussed by moderate and sensible Ohio Senator Rob Portman? He shared 7 ideas in a GOP address which has bipartisan support and WILL make a difference. We need jobs and clearly what the liberal Democrats and Obama administration have tried is failing to bring prosperity to our country. Let’s apply some commonsense America.
Unmanned school project sails the Atlantic … sort of
Posted By RichC on March 10, 2014
I love these kinds of school projects …
An English fisherman got an unexpected greeting from a Morristown [New Jersey] school this week, when a five-foot unmanned sailboat — at sea for a year and a half — made its way down the English Channel and caught his eye.
The Crimson Tide, a sailboat launched off the coast of South Carolina in December 2012 by Morristown Beard teacher Lisa Swanson’s sixth-grade class, was recovered Sunday by fisherman Paris Broe-Bougourd off Guernsey, an island in the English Channel near the French coast of Normandy.
Teaching and spreading the Gospel — GroupBibleStudy.com
Posted By RichC on March 9, 2014
Keith Thomas, writer, pastor and good friend of mine, has been using his “small group” expertise to help teach others how to lead Bible studies and to be more effective disciples of Christ. His writings and excellent Bible teaching materials are available at groupbiblestudy.com for all who are interested … share the Good News!
I’ve been helping Keith with hosting and building his WordPress based website for a few years now and have been encouraging him to try a little video on his site … starting with a few lectures from an evening series he is currently teaching on the Parables of Jesus. Let’s hope these first few videos are well received.
Keith is originally from England and is currently living in Cincinnati, but by utilizing the reach of the Internet his “small group” study materials can be easily shared worldwide, and the interest is amazing. It is rewarding to see the Gospel and Christian leadership training making it into unwelcomed and more oppressed areas of the world. Originally we expected most visits and downloads to come from English speaking countries in North America and the United Kingdom, but by far the most interest has come from China, southeast Asia and the Arab countries in the middle east and Africa (working on translations).
So if you are interested in supporting a small but worthy Christian ministry outreach, consider Keith Thomas Ministries or enrich yourself by reading, watching or downloading a series from groupbiblestudy.com.
Don’t forget to “spring forward” for DST this weekend
Posted By RichC on March 8, 2014
We’ve changed the Federal DST law quite a few time (surprised me) and I learned a few more things about Daylight Saving time this week … starting with that there isn’t an “s” on the end of “Saving” … duh!
Daylight Saving time, or its abbreviation "DST" was an idea first proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1784.
Through his research overseas, he discovered that the United States may be able to cut back on the number of candles being used for light, simply by adjusting our clocks.
The idea of DST never went without controversy, because although many people liked it, many people did not!!
There were many attempts to create a uniform use of Daylight Saving Time here in the U.S., but it wasn’t until World War 1 that any real significant action was taken. During the final year of World War 1, DST became a federal law… but it was repealed right after the war and became optional.
The same thing happened during World War 2!!
After that, the whole thing was a mess of different states (and even different cities and towns) choosing to, or not to participate in Daylight Saving Time.
Finally in 1966 the Uniform Time Act was established wherein DST would begin at the end of April and end at the end of October. States could opt out of DST as long as the entire state went along with it.
In 1986 DST was changed to begin on the first Sunday in April, but in 2007 that was changed to the 2nd Sunday in March. The end of DST was also changed to the 1st Sunday in November.
Today Daylight Saving Time is observed by every state in the U.S except for Arizona and Hawaii.
Spending more time looking for things that doing things
Posted By RichC on March 7, 2014
It seems as if I’m spending more time looking for parts and pieces that actually getting repairs done these last few days. Besides testing Raymarine components for Encore, I’m spinning my wheels looking for a shut-off solenoid for the propane locker, liquid silicone and port visors to seal a couple challenging water leaks (hatches and ports), marine grade wire for new 110v outlets, new gaskets, sheet Lexan as port light replacements, an adhesive to repair a weathered plastic engine control panel and some marine plywood for the lazerette shelve/step … but at least I have an excuse to go to the hardware store. 
Over my lunch break today I’m going to see if I can find something similar to this:
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.