Posted By RichC on January 26, 2012
Ghost boat found after three-year, 3,500-mile journey
– After wandering the sea for more than three years, the Queen Bee out of Nantucket was found 20 miles off the northern coast of Spain.
(US Coast Guard photo)
Posted By RichC on January 25, 2012
I was going to comment on the “more of the same” State of the Union address from President Obama last night and Gov. Mitch Daniels response, but the reality is that I’m getting tired of hearing the same thing again and again. More divisive rhetoric that splits the country and very little hope that we’ll see less government; OR that those in Washington DC will address the deficit, debt and the long term entitlement issues looming on the horizon. I did think that Gov. Daniels delivered one of the better responses that I can remember … and that his inclusion of Republicans as “part of the problem” was big of him (sort of which he were campaigning for the GOP nomination).
But instead of detailing the SOTU, I’m going to mention the coffee creamer and sweetener Coffeemate product that my sister-in-law introduced me to over the holidays (Thanks Claire). If you add a little cream or sugar (or their substitutes) to your coffee as I do, try the all in one creamer. I’m fond of the liquid but am planning to try the powder when on the boat.
Speaking of “the boat,” I’ve been working on the outboard motor teak mount for the stern rail on Encore. I’m not sure it was good idea, but used a little coating of epoxy before finishing to protect the end grain from splitting and the area where the outboard slides on and off. We’ll see if this holds up to the sun and wear.
Posted By RichC on January 24, 2012
…all new inventions in the U.S. are assigned a political party. In the transportation and energy sectors, anything to do with petroleum, natural gas, biofuels, clean diesel, hydrogen and any means of producing electricity other than wind turbines or solar panels is Republican.
Hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles are Democrat technologies, in addition to anything related to solar or wind energy.
Drew Winter from WardsAuto wrote an insightful article earlier this month, although I had a little bit of an opinion too. I agreed with Mr. Winter’s assessment that innovation is assigned a political label … such as "Govt Motor’s Volt" (as it is referenced by some) being targeted as dangerous (not appropriate), 
but I will also point out that non-innovation gets targeted too – the Keystone XL Pipeline Project comes to mind.
I welcome better energy innovation for our country, be it solar, wind or even the electric cars (perfect for some drivers), but as believe the development need to be privately advanced. The computer and electronics innovation Winter mentioned was "privately advanced;" it proves that capitalism works without government’s heavy hand or funding. I cringe when I see government nosing into capital ventures and business … be it by one party or the other. The recent bankrupt Solyndra solar company loans (D), agri-lobby biofuel mandates and tax credits (R), Wall Streets banks and automotive company bailouts (both R & D) and the senseless roadblocks targeting natural gas, shale and sand oils or big oil’s offshore drilling are not helping our nation’s energy or automotive industry policies. What we need is less government involvement creating a level playing field, even if it seems skewed toward the establishment players (enforce the laws are already in place when innovation is squelched.)
Innovation needs to stand on its own merit … let investors fund and consumers choose what makes the most sense without manipulation by either party. If our governments debt and deficit is not a good enough reason for a smaller federal government, their heavy handed involvement in competitive businesses is a pretty good reason to support shrinking Washington DC (bigger government and more regulations is not the answer).
Why Innovation is dying in America
Unlike most countries, all new inventions in the U.S. are assigned a political party. Then partisans destroy each other’s innovations for political gain.
Despite the lip service we as a nation pay to the importance of creating new ideas, most Americans won’t pay extra for new technology unless it’s a new smartphone or big-screen television.
The kind of innovation that builds new industries and creates tens of thousands of good jobs here in the U.S. is dying.
Actually, dying is too kind a word. Innovation is being murdered in America.
Elected officials fund new technologies and then defund them, depending on political winds. U.S. trial lawyers demonize inventions from airbags to electronic throttle controls in an effort to make a buck; environmentalists mandate innovation in cars and trucks, but think buying electric cars is someone else’s responsibility.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the case of the Chevy Volt. It is the most innovative vehicle to come out of Detroit in a generation, yet Republicans are trying to kill it and Democrats and environmentalists are not digging into their own pockets to show it the support they say it deserves.
Unlike most countries, all new inventions in the U.S. are assigned a political party. In the transportation and energy sectors, anything to do with petroleum, natural gas, biofuels, clean diesel, hydrogen and any means of producing electricity other than wind turbines or solar panels is Republican.
Hybrids, plug-ins and battery-electric vehicles are Democrat technologies, in addition to anything related to solar or wind energy.
It would be fine if each party merely championed their respective interests for the common good, but partisans are determined to destroy each other’s innovations for political gain.
Heading into an election year, Republicans are doing everything they can to make President Obama look bad, and attacking General Motors and the Chevy Volt fall into that category.
In their latest nakedly political assault, House Republicans are suggesting the Volt is dangerous because one caught fire three weeks after a government crash test where technicians apparently did not follow proper procedures. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which usually does tougher tests than the government, crashed the Volt and gives it a “Top Safety Pick” rating.
Yet now both the government and GM are doing all sorts of ridiculous things such as crash testing batteries without the car’s body shell. There are more than 200,000 car fires every year in the U.S. where gasoline ignites in seconds. Is a battery that takes three weeks to catch fire reason to panic?
But Democrats are just as guilty of stifling innovation. Consider the liberal war on combustion. Democrats are busy attacking, obstructing or undermining biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen. The left-leaning California Air Resources Board, which has undue influence on the Obama Administration, is trying to regulate clean diesels out of existence, mainly because it wants everyone to drive electric vehicles.
But Greenies are notorious for not dipping into their own pockets to support their beliefs. At $32,500 after a $7,500 federal incentive, the Volt costs $2,500 more than the average car sold in 2011, an extra $42.00 per month for a 60-month loan. Yet, GM sold 7,671 Volts in 2011, far less than its 10,000-unit target.
Like many bold automotive advances, the Volt is not selling as well as hoped. The Toyota Prius, one of Japan’s greatest engineering marvels, had a slow sales start in the U.S., too.
But it did not have the kind of opposition the Volt is facing. The Prius eventually became a phenomenon because the Japanese government nurtured Toyota’s efforts, and the U.S. federal government and state of California worked together on tax incentives and perks such as special access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes and premium parking spots.
A diverse group of constituencies saw it was in their self interest to help the Prius succeed.
Ultimately, the Prius not only made Toyota look like the greenest, most-advanced auto maker on Earth, it enhanced Japan’s reputation as a nation that fostered innovation.
If Republicans stop beating up on the Volt and Democrats started putting their money where their mouth is and buy a few cars, the Chevy Volt could become America’s Prius.
But if we continue on this path, Republicans will be bragging about destroying one of Detroit’s greatest achievements and Democrats will fund a whiny movie called “Who Killed the Volt?” that blames everyone but the liberal hypocrites who did not buy one.
With China vowing to be a leader in electric cars and Japan and Europe coming on strong, America can’t afford to look that stupid.
Posted By RichC on January 23, 2012
David Walker is an idea man that speaks as clearly as any in stating our country’s issues and would be a great advisor to any administration lucky enough to add him. His ideas, that “I believe” the majority will agree on, could be a reasonable approach for most of America who elect moderate Democrats or reasonable Republicans. We’ve gone off the fiscal path over the past 10 years (if not more) and need leaders willing to address problems head on. Mr. Walker’s interview on CNBC’s Squawkbox this morning was excellent.
Walker: “…frankly i get tired of people trying to put one class against another. Why don’t we go back to the values under which the country was founded that it should apply to everybody.
- Limited but effective government.
- Individual liberty and opportunity.
- Personal responsibility and accountability.
- Rule of law and equal justice under the law.
- Fiscal responsibility and intergenerational equity.
The truth is we’re violating all five of those to differing degrees and we need the president, the current president as well as whoever the next president will be, whether he gets reelected or Romney or somebody else gets elected to tell us the truth and to talk to us about the tough choices that are going to be necessary in order to restore fiscal sanity.”
David Walker – CNBC Squawkbox on January 23, 2011
CNBC video below … and my previous comments about his book “Comback America.”
Posted By RichC on January 23, 2012
After watching the TIVO-ed Journal Editorial Report this weekend, I pointed to a couple of photos I snapped with my Palm Pre and asked Brenda who they were. She commented that they were both of the WSJ’s Dan Henninger, just one when he was younger. I chuckled thinking something similar, but in actuality the younger was from a currently running TV commercial which ran during the broadcast. I still wonder if the commercial model is related to Daniel Henninger … ehh???
Posted By RichC on January 22, 2012
Miss Dekker, who is 16 years and four months old, has cut six months off the unofficial record set in 2010 by Australian teenager Jessica Watson, who was days away from her 17th birthday when she completed her own non-stop voyage.
Dozens of people jumped and cheered as Miss Dekker stepped aboard a dock in St. Maarten and waved.
“There were moments where I was like, ‘What the hell am I doing out here?,’ but I never wanted to stop,” she told reporters.
“It’s a dream, and I wanted to do it.”
Posted By RichC on January 22, 2012
It’s disappointing to be commenting on the demise of a free standing Picnik.com, but the premium features will now be available for free until April 19th when the tools will become part of Google’s empire as a complement to Google+.
While traveling and away from my computer, or even as an alternative to Photoshop, I’ve occasionally used this free online image service to resize, crop and correct photos. It isn’t the only free online option, but has been the easiest to use and offers most of the tools needed to prep an image for a blog or email.
Posted By RichC on January 22, 2012
Our first boat “Brenich” in Huron Ohio back around 1984???
I’ve been hankering to find a reason to include another old photo from the 1980s after sifting through the pile in my desk for the archive post the other day – there isn’t a good reason so this will be a “desultory” post. About the only reason I can come up with is that my mother has been on my mind and she is in this photo (dark blue top). Unfortunately for those of middle age that are still fortunate enough to have living parents, health issues are often front and center. That has been the case for me the last couple of months.
Her problem started in May of 2011 when working out in the garden she felt something in her back hurt when bending over. The assumption was a pulled muscle or small irritation, but about 3 months later it was determined to be a herniated disc. The doctor decided to treat with a series of Prednisone injections and pain medicines before opting for surgery. Unfortunately it did not solve the problem and she was schedule for surgery in early December of 2011. By the date of the surgery mom was losing muscle tone and weight (she was already thin) and in constant pain. Surgery seemed to be the only option so we were satisfied that it was the right choice. Unfortunately on admission to the hospital it was determine that things had drastically changed from the previous scans and a new doctor and tests were ordered. The holidays interrupted schedules and she was given more medication to make it through the pain.
By the beginning of the January she needed to use a walker and was unable to walk for much more than the length of the house at one time. Steps were becoming difficult and by the time of her vertebrae reconstruction consultation she was deteriorating to the point I was concerned that they would not even consider surgery. Her overall health ended up not being the concern as new scans showed deterioration of the bone to the point that several vertebrae had crumbled and collapsed – according to the surgeon there wasn’t anything he could do to rebuilt, cement or fasten anything to such weaken and brittle bones. Not good … although mom was actually relieved not to have to undergo surgery.
Last week my brother and I built a ramp into their house so that dad could wheel her back and forth from the car in a wheel chair but she continues to have severe pain and is not eating well. The emergency squad took her to the hospital this past week and I was up again when she was release and helped her home. After doing a few more chores and shopping I was comfortable knowing that the new pain patches were working better than the oral meds. I’m not sure what the future holds, but just getting her to eat, preventing any sitting and bed sore and finding an effective pain management Rx is about the best we can hope for … I feel for my dad saddled with caring 24/7 for mom. Something has to change.
Hope readers don’t mind my posting this today … and requesting prayers for my mom.
Posted By RichC on January 21, 2012
I’m archiving the comments of guest Doug Dechille (First Principles Capital Management LLC) on CNBC’s Squawkbox this week. It gave me pause as our politicians and media debate the capital system which helped grow our country. Dechille brought light to the problems financial institutions have with government involvement and the heavy hand of the Federal Reserve … and the telegraphing of their actions. I’m not sure how much of this is understood by those outside of the finance world, but it could add to the pile of things slowing our economic recovery.
Doug Dechille – CNBC Squawkbox on January 19, 2011
Doug Dachille, CEO of First Principles Capital Management, offers his analysis on how difficult it is for financial institutions to operate in the current environment, and how it has been made even more difficult by Federal Reserve policy.
