My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on January 24, 2014

Investors and Wall Street traders are growing nervous that 2013 gains were too much, too fast as selling dominated the last two trading days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is having its worst day since April 15th of last year and looks like it will close at the low of the day. (DJIA at 15,935 down 260 points  at 3:30PM)

Amidst the encouraging news that the economy is improving, most recognize that our house of cards is pretty fragile and built on the Fed flooding our economy with money and low interest rates. We really live in two different worlds: 1) Credit worthy borrowers using cheap money to invest in real estate and equities and 2) the rest of America trying to hang onto their jobs, pay off debt and living with stagnate or declining paychecks. If we are really in a recovery, where are the jobs?

Category: Financial | 1 Comment »
Tags: djia, equities, finance, stocks

Posted By RichC on January 24, 2014

It has been a few year since I’ve needed to scan a pile of papers and convert them to text, but a project crossed my desk this week which had me firing up and updating my free copy of ABBYY Finereader (it came with my scanner). The last real project was when I was still working out of my office in Cuyahoga Falls (a few photos) and was assisting the legal department at one of the rubber companies digitize some of their documents. Ugh what a nightmare job!

After a quick reinstall on my old Gateway notebook, I tested the OCR ability on a “doctor” article I wanted to share with my MD daughter and son-in-law (image right and PDF below). It did a great job on the single page scan … not sure how well it is going to do on a pile of pages?

Category: Computer, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: issuu.com, ocr, pdf, publishing, scanning, techfriday

Posted By RichC on January 23, 2014

Would you like to have an “aha moment” in understanding why and how we attempt to manage our economy?

Then watch this 30 minute YouTube video by Ray Dalio, founder of the largest hedge fund in the world, Bridgewater Associates. If you prefer reading, visit economicprinciples.org and download the research paper … the light bulb will come on, it is that good.

Category: Business, Financial, Productivity, Video | No Comments »
Tags: economics, economy, ray dalio

Posted By RichC on January 22, 2014

Although I’m pretty conservative when it comes to investing and stocks, I do pay attention to the occasion stock tip when it comes from business people I respect. One fellow I know who attends shareholder meetings and get to know the interworking of companies has taken a substantial position in Hyperdynamics Corporation. I’ve added a few shares, but watched the stock go south as company struggled to get their business, personnel and financials back in order (perhaps growing pains of a small company?). The questionable deal regarding the Guinea Project and DOJ probe last year made holding onto the stock difficult for most, but since my position was already money budgeted for a “long shot,” I ignored the news and excepted it as lost money. It is a high risk/high reward stock like this that I’m learning to take a position with options rather than hold the stock.

Recently though, a few more buyers have picked up shares of $HDY and no matter where I’ve looked for news, it has been scarce. Obviously something has generated interest as volume jumped 5-fold on Tuesday and continued into today. Any rumors or news from those listening? DOJ probe better than expected? News from Tullow or West Africa?

Category: Energy, Financial, News | No Comments »
Tags: $HDY, hyperdynamics, investing, stock, trading

Posted By RichC on January 22, 2014

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This past weekend was “blog cleanup” as I am in the process of optimizing WordPress on my site and updating the plugin that manages Google’s Adsense — at one time I thought they were non-intrusive, but recently have become obnoxious. Unfortunately after tweaking the size and types of ads they seem even worse that before.

I’ve started to blacklist a few (dating and adult gaming sites, toenail fungus, etc), but more continue to show up and clutter the blog. I’m tempted to eliminate Adsense altogether, but for the moment will continue the tweaking process and will remove as many as possible using the “sensitive categories” option. For those willing to put up with this clean up process, “thank you” … and for those offended, perhaps add an “ad-blocker” add-on to your browser before blacklisting MyDesultoryBlog for good.

Category: Blogs, Marketing | No Comments »
Tags: adsense, advertising, blog, google, online

Posted By RichC on January 21, 2014

It is well into car show season, but I have not been paying all that much attention. There have been a few high profile concepts (that will never get built) and smattering of diesel teases that have peaked my interests. Here’s one from Nissan reported on in the Detroit News and elsewhere regarding the introduction of their full size Titan pickup with the Cummins 5.0-liter turbocharged diesel.

Nissan Motor Co. isn’t ready to say when its V-8 diesel Titan pickup will go on sale in the United States.

Nissan announced in August it would sell a new Titan with a Cummins 5.0-liter V-8 Turbo Diesel. It announced in February it was working to upgrade the truck.

LINK for more

And if that’s not enough teasing … Nissan said they might even bring their smaller Frontier pickup to the U.S. – most likely with the  4-cylinder 187 HP diesel. Nice!

Nissan could add a diesel Frontier as well. “There’s a lot of different technologies that we’re considering for the Frontier. It may be all-gas. It may be diesel. It may be a hybrid. There’s so many things we’re looking at right now,” Diaz said.

It is hard to believe automotive manufacturers have been so slow in bring diesels engines to their smaller light pickups?

Category: Automotive, Diesel | 2 Comments »
Tags: cummins, diesel, frontier, nissan, titan

Posted By RichC on January 20, 2014

Next step … I thought … would be to plan my work day around a scheduled appointment, but instead I was advised to make the entire day available and that the service guy would call me on Monday morning. Great!  [sarcasm] Keep the entire day open! It would be nice if service companies could schedule a least a time slot demonstrating that they are sensitive to a customer’s schedule and time, but no sense bellyaching to the receptionist.

Fast forward after leaving my wife’s finely detailed piece of precision engineering (a joke) outside in the snow, I finally received the morning call at 8:45AM to let me know what time to be available … sometime between 12-4PM … just like the cable company. Come on folks, really? Companies can (and should) do better.

#end rant

Category: Business | 1 Comment »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on January 20, 2014

I haven’t heard the term for a while, but “eye candy” came to mind when clicking a recent email newsletter from Porsche. The 911 Targa 4 models are beautiful … wouldn’t mind having one in my garage someday. If you want to see a few more photos, check out the site or download the PDF.

Category: Automotive | 2 Comments »
Tags: 911 Targa, porsche

Posted By RichC on January 19, 2014

The much publicized Obamacare, Target and Neiman Marcus security issues are an in-your-face reminder (receive my email from Target last week) that individuals need to be wary and take precautions with their financial, medical and personal identity information. Having been through the nightmare of ID theft back in the 1990s, before companies or banks were paying much attention to their customers information, I can tell you that it is not an easy thing to clean up. What was frustrating to me was that I tracked down the “criminal” and gave the information to the FTC and law enforcement … yet they did not have the tools or resources to prosecute. I was “this >||< close” to driving down to Atlanta (where the person lived) and administering personal justice. Deterrent? Nope! Something should have been done.

Six steps to minimize Identity Fraud/Theft and potential financial impact?

1. Use commonsense when handling “paper documents” containing sensitive personal data and switch to electronic records when possible. Buy a shredder.
2. Secure your online ID and create a careful system of password protection in order to secure your log-ins and the electronic information you keep on your computer. Upgrade your passwords to make them longer and include CAPS, symbols and numbers … and consider changing them often. Flush your cache on your browser or use  a program like CCleaner once a week or so to clear caches and cookies.
3. Don’t use comment passwords, easy security words (mother’s maiden name) and consider using an encrypted password tools like Keepass or Lastpass. If two-step security is offered, consider using the extra step today that might save you from a big headache later.
4. Check your credit reports (Experian, Transunion, Equifax) and “try” to keep it as clean and crisp as possible. It makes it easy to monitor and far more attractive to lenders. Consider adding a fraud alert status so those issuing credit in your name are particularly careful. Also a “monitoring service” can be added ($) and alerts sent by email when things change … peace of mind** if you are concerned you might be a target.
5. Reconsider what information you keep on your “easy to misplace” smartphone, tablet or notebook computer. At minimum secure it with a secure log-in and IF available, set up a security wipe as soon as possible if the device is ever stolen.
6. Wallet and purse: Minimize what you carry and embrace the “less is better” philosophy when it come to numbers of ID cards, credit and debit banking cards and difficult to replace items … and make a copy of what you do carry so calling to cancel is simplified. I’ve never carried my Social Security card and see no reason it needs to be in my wallet. That said, I’m waiting for my new Ebay purchased BigSkinny bifold wallet to arrive so I can purge even more from my budging trifold (perhaps a future review post?).

* Consider CreditKarma.com if you are looking to see your credit score.
** I couldn’t resist linking the 1976 Boston song Peace of Mind above.

Category: Advice, Financial, News | No Comments »
Tags: credit, equifax, experian, fraud, ID Theft, identity, reports, transunion

Posted By RichC on January 18, 2014

Those who spend any amount of time listening to amateur radio hear operators closing their exchanges with a polite and concise “73” … meaning “best regards” … but where did it come from?

From what I’ve read, it goes back to a convention in 1859 where telegraph operators discussed saving “line time” by devising a code that would reduce the number of characters for standard expressions. Twenty years after the the convention, Walter Phillips, created a list of shorthand codes and it became the Phillips Code. The number portion of the codes were called “Wire Signals” and a few remain with us today.

Here’s one of the shorthand abbreviations that I found particularly interesting:

“The terms POTUS and SCOTUS originated in the code and entered common parlance when newsgathering services (in particular the Associated Press) adopted the terminology.”

The numeric code is a small part of the abbreviations outlined in the Phillips Code (developed by telegrapher Walter P. Phillips). Here are the numbers as referenced:

W I R E S I G N A L S

WIRE Preference over everything except 95

1- Wait a moment

2- Important Business

3- What time is it?

4- Where shall I go ahead?

5- Have you business for me?

6- I am ready

7- Are you ready?

8- Close your key; circuit is busy

9- Close your key for priority business (Wire chief, dispatcher, etc)

10- Keep this circuit closed

12- Do you understand?

13- I understand

14- What is the weather?

15- For you and other to copy

17- Lightning here

18- What is the trouble?

19- Form 19 train order

21- Stop for a meal

22- Wire test

23- All copy

24- Repeat this back

25- Busy on another wire

26- Put on ground wire

27- Priority, very important

28- Do you get my writing?

29- Private, deliver in sealed envelope

30- No more (end)

31- Form 31 train order

32- I understand that I am to …

33- Car report (Also, answer is paid for)

34- Message for all officers

35- You may use my signal to answer this

37- Diversion (Also, inform all interested)

39- Important, with priority on thru wire (Also, sleep-car report)

44- Answer promptly by wire

73- Best regards

88- Love and kisses

91- Superintendent’s signal

92- Deliver promptly

93- Vice President and General Manager’s signals

95- President’s signal

134- Who is at the key?

See full Phillip Code at Radions.net

– 30

Category: History | 1 Comment »
Tags: amateur, code, ham, phillips, radio