My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on August 26, 2011

 
Clouds from Hurricane Irene off the South Carolina beaches on Friday (click for larger)

While most living near the east coast of the U.S. prepare for Irene, the rest of us watch and hope early warnings are being heeded and that preparations are/have been made for the wind, rain and surge heading north. It’s going to be a tense weekend for many on the coast … let’s hope that its not anything like The Great Hurricane of 1938 (video below).

Category: Weather | 1 Comment »
Tags: hurricane, irene

Posted By RichC on August 26, 2011

As the east coast waits for hurricane Irene to unleash its torrent of wind, rain and surge, the financial markets are analyzing the cost to insurance companies, taxpayers and eventually insurers (in higher premiums). Some suggest that Irene could make it into the top five list due to the forecasted impact of heavily populated east coast (and high priced) real estate and the long impact path.

Projections as of today are that the cost will be between $5 and $10 Billion dollars. The high end has estimates as high as $20 Billion.

Whether Irene wreaks the $15 billion damage mark that can turn the market depends to a great degree on where it hits.

LINK

Category: Financial, Weather | 1 Comment »
Tags: hurricane, insurance, irene

Posted By RichC on August 25, 2011

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Posted By RichC on August 25, 2011

My kind of diesel … well except for the 47,000 EUROs and “no word on U.S. availability or pricing” part.

Mercedes’ newest SLK roadster combines thrilling performance, classic sportscar proportions, and (most relevant from our purposes) incredible fuel economy figures:  try 47 miles for each gallon of diesel!

The SLK250 CDI is powered by Mercedes’ latest turbocharged, 4-cyl. diesel, which puts 204 hp and nearly 370 lb-ft of torque to the ground through a 7-speed automatic transmission.  That engine/transmission combination hurls the sporty roadster from a standstill to 60 mph in under 6.7 seconds, en route to a top speed of more than 150 mph – not bad, in other words, for a car that nearly matches the legendary Geo Metro‘s fuel economy!

Mercedes’ SLK250 CDI marks the first time the German carmaker has put one of its diesel engines to work in one of its roadsters.  Considering Mercedes’ history of building super-fast, diesel-powered prototypes and project cars, however, it may not be the last.

In addition to the high-mpg diesel, the new SLK250 CDI is available with Mercedes’ panoramic Magic Sky Control roof, as well as an available “Dynamic Handling Package” that includes the the company’s Direct-Steer system and Torque Vectoring Brakes, developed “for particularly agile and predictable handling characteristics.”

European pricing is set at just under 42,000 Euros.  No word yet on US availability and pricing.

Source: Gas 2.0 (http://s.tt/137e9)

Category: Automotive | No Comments »
Tags: CDI, diesel, mercedes

Posted By RichC on August 25, 2011

"I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it, and I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.”

— Steve Jobs (56), resigning CEO continuing Chairman of the Board

Although for the most part, my Apple loving days are probably in the past, I’m saddened to see one of America’s brightest and most innovative leaders handing over the reigns.

Apple said Mr. Jobs submitted his resignation to the board of directors on Wednesday and "strongly recommended" that the board name Mr. Cook as his successor. Mr. Jobs, 56 years old, has been elected chairman of the board and Mr. Cook will join the board, effective immediately, the company said.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Mr. Jobs said in his resignation letter. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

LINK

My history with Apple stems back to the early 1980s when the only graphical personal computer at the time was the Apple Macintosh computer. It was “the only” fit for a start up printing and publishing company and it created an inroad for me and my new enterprise. No only was I able to set type without a dedicated “galley typesetting machine,” but the Macintosh enabled a user to actually set in position pages of text utilizing software. Soon we were setting type and graphics on a single paste-up sheet which could be quickly put to film, stripped with film halftones and burned to plate. What an innovation and leg up on the competition!

Of course it didn’t stop there … eventually the Mac enabled skilled graphic artists the ability to convert scanned sketches to refined press ready art in less than an hour … assemble catalogs in days not months … and eventually paginate and assemble full projects with color separations all on disk.

The Apple Macintosh eventually faced competition from Windows PC and has shared my industry with machines once again dedicated to prepress … but the revolution started with Apple and their “Xerox inspired” graphical interface. What a ride … thanks for dreaming and thinking out of the box Steve.

Category: Archive, Computer, Financial, History, News | No Comments »
Tags: apple, macintosh, steve jobs

Posted By RichC on August 24, 2011

I sure would like it if I could accurately predict the volatile markets.

After opening down on the opening bell, the equity indices were up by the end of the day. This news is good for most long term investors and retirement plans, but not so good for those who have moved to precious metals in the last few days. For example, gold plunged below $1,800 and “gold futures ended the regular session down by $104, or 5.6%, at $1,757.30 an ounce for the most-active contract.”  According to WSJ reporting, the “rising stock market and sudden doubts about whether the Federal Reserve would signal any fresh stimulus measures on Friday were the principal drivers behind Wednesday’s selloff.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 143.95 points, or 1.29%, to 11320.71. All but one of the Dow’s 30 components closed higher. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index gained 15.25 points, or 1.31%, to 1177.60. Financial and utility stocks registered the biggest gains in a broad rally. All 10 of the S&P 500’s sectors rose. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 21.63 points, or 0.88%, to 2467.69.

The recent gains comes as investors hope Mr. Bernanke’s much-awaited speech on Friday will offer clues on how the central bank prepares to combat the slowing economy. That optimism may be fleeting, however, as the Fed hasn’t given signs that it’s ready to enact additional stimulative measures.

LINK

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Posted By RichC on August 24, 2011

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Posted By RichC on August 24, 2011

EDIT: The new audio system in the Toyota is a step forward tho…

Category: Automotive, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: camry, diesel, hybrid, passat, tdi, toyota, vw

Posted By RichC on August 23, 2011

Hopefully this will be the last year we’ll be paying for college expenses. This may make me a bit more in-tune to the high cost of college. Unfortunately for many students planning or going to college, the continual rise in tuition and living expenses has made it impossible without taking on significant debt. Some financial experts, including Dave Ramsey, recommend working and attending college locally as a way to decrease the cost of a higher education (Ramsey goes so far as to dissuade borrowing at all to go to college … classifying it as a Stupid Tax).

Project on Student Debt estimates the average debt for 2009 bachelor’s degree recipients at $24,000.

Still the majority going to college choose the debt route even when presented with the cost of borrowing. Who’s right … well in my opinion that depends on the demand and salary for the degree and effort put into an education. Those with a 4-year degrees seeing a high income shortly after graduation have a far easier path to pay back loans than those with majors which either pay little or require further education.

One would think that having experienced the 2008 mortgage meltdown, that “smart” college students, parents, the universities themselves and agencies who loan for an education could predict what is coming. A glance at  the chart above demonstrated just how indebted students are becoming compared to the housing crisis. If we borrowed too much for homes until the collapse in 2008 (drop off on the blue line), imagine what is going to happen as the hyper borrowing for college (red line) can no longer continue to rise? For students, the monthly payments will be so larger that defaults will be the only answer. Unlike the home loan crisis where one defaults and loses their home or in hardship cases files bankruptcy … there isn’t collateral for lenders to liquidate. Garnishing wages for life may be what some college grads are facing.

Many students take on $100,000 or more in debt to finance their education. U.S. student loan debt has reached $900 billion, more than what Americans owe on credit cards. Those struggling with repayment can’t default on student loans in bankruptcy, and the problem continues to get worse as states cut funding for higher education and schools raise tuition.

There are some who are waving the red flag, but with all the debt and deficit battles in Washington DC, the powers that be probably aren’t going to panic until it is too late.

Category: Education, Financial | 3 Comments »
Tags: college, debt, Education, financing, loans

Posted By RichC on August 22, 2011

The U.S east coast and Bahamas look to be in the crosshairs of a strengthening hurricane Irene. The storm finished with Puerto Rico leaving more than half the island without electricity and a quarter of the population without running water. No deaths or injuries have been reported at this time.

Hurricane Irene’s winds remained at 80 mph but the National Hurricane Center expects Irene to continue strengthening over the next few days as it moves through the southeastern and central Bahamas. By Thursday, forecasters say it could be a major Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 115 mph. The storm remains a threat to the Atlantic coast, from South Florida to the Carolinas.

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Tags: hurricane, irene