My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on March 1, 2010

While watching an aviation video online highlighting the P51 Mustang (30 min video below) and thinking about the ever dwindling number of WW II heroes from the greatest generation, I gave a bit more thought about an upcoming trip with my son. We’ll be spending a week with a World War II aviator from that era, my father-in-law … and Taylor’s grandfather.

As an Air Force lieutenant, Frederick A. Howard flew nearly 40 missions as navigator in a Martin B-26 Marauder over Europe. His stories have always been of interest to me and knowing that time is running short, want to trigger as many memories as possible for him to share with Taylor. Several years ago we were amazed the the emotion that was triggered in seeing a B-26 at the National Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, so to we planned a trip with him to the restoration area of MAPS Museum in Akron, Ohio. It was a chance for him to see (touch and climb though) one of the very few Martin B-26 Marauders, during a restoration. We then gave him a book that reviewed the history of  this fast medium sized bomber during WW II and asked him to make notes in the margin detailing his memory of the missions — something he seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Besides reviewing the book, I’m planning to archive the pages of  B-26.com with Pagenest on my thumbdrive (questionable Internet) in order to share in with him via computer during our visit … and perhaps someday “soon” take him to the B-26 Marauder archives.

Watching this video has reminded me that time is short and the opportunities are disappearing for a grandfather to talk with his grandson about what he was doing at age 20. Simply amazing ‘young’ men.

Category: Aviation, History, Personal, Video | No Comments »
Tags: air force, aviation, History, howard, military, ww II

Posted By RichC on February 28, 2010

I spent the afternoon and most of the evening struggling with upgrading to Windows 7, in between watching the USA lose 3-2 to Canada in OT in Olympic hockey. It wasn’t easy to switch from Windows 7 RC to Profession on a couple of computers, which by the way have been running flawlessly on both the Beta and Release Candidate operating systems.

I thought I had the entire upgrade figure out, but the “bitlocker” partition I installed caused me to overlook some the the automated C drive defaults after an email client update a few months ago. Thankfully I only lost 2 weeks of email due to my automated NAS drive back up. I’m glad to be running legal, although I still have a bunch of odds and ends software to re-install.

Category: Computer, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: hockey, olympics, windows 7

Posted By RichC on February 27, 2010

After tuning into the news early on Saturday following the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake which struck the coast of Chile, I checked back in this afternoon after 4PM as Hawaii waited to feel the effects from the earthquake after a tsunami warning. The large earthquake has taken the lives of over 800 people (edit: 3/4) and expectations are that the low number of deaths is due to a  country and population that was well prepared.

This earthquake, one of the biggest ever measured, struck just after 3:30 in the morning, toppling buildings, collapsing roads, and cutting off power and telecommunications services throughout much of the southern half of Chile. The epicenter was pinpointed offshore, 70 miles northeast of Concepción, Chile’s second-biggest city. Aftershocks are expected to continue for several weeks and tsunami warning extend across the Pacific Ocean.

I spent the afternoon like many people watching live television and web streams from Hawaii. UStream.tv had pretty good coverage, but not much in the way of surf or rising water. About the only noticeable sign was a reef that had significantly more exposed area than a normal low tide. Let’s hope that the lack of significant flooding or damage doesn’t discourage people from preparing the next go around.

Category: News, Video-TV, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: chile, disaster, earthquake, hawaii

Posted By RichC on February 27, 2010

Download now or watch on posterous

CIMG0362.mp4 (7005 KB)

Posting to Posterous from Palm Pre by email updated to webOS 1.4. (raw clip)

Posted via email from richc’s posterous

Category: Misc | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on February 27, 2010

The Palm webOS 1.4 update finally arrived and we’re still in February. It has been an anticipated update that includes new video and camcorder like features. While waiting for the substantial download and nearly 30 minute upgrade process, I ended up fiddling with a new piping or cording foot that arrived for my wife’s sewing machine. The Palm Pre came to life about the time I was installing the foot on her Singer and figured I’d test both the recording ability and how well it uploaded it to YouTube (embedded below).  So far so good.

Category: Cellphone, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on February 27, 2010

Starting February 27th, Volkswagen will be implementing a "Think Blue" marketing campaign stressing the company’s focus on "sustainable mobility" which to CinciTDI and TDIClub members highlights the fuel efficiency of VW TDI diesel vehicles and the environmental awareness of new "clean diesel" TDIs and biodiesel fuel options. Volkswagen is building on the "BlueMotion" label and bringing back the successful 1960’s "Think Small" slogan which with the diminutive VW Beetle put Volkswagen on the map here in North America.

PRESS RELEASE

"Think Blue.": a signal for the environment
Environmental protection is the top priority for Volkswagen

New campaign for efficient driving and environmental awareness
Wolfsburg, 26 February 2010 – Protecting the environment is simple and everyone can help in their everyday lives. This is the message of the new image and marketing campaign called "Think Blue." which the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is launching on February 27, 2010. Building on one of the best-known environmental labels in the automobile industry, "BlueMotion", Volkswagen is sending out a new signal for sustainable mobility.

This corporate mindset is underscored by the use of blue as the predominant color in the campaign. The color is already established on the market in the Volkswagen brand logo and through the "BlueMotion" environmental label. Volkswagen is now systematically continuing this tradition in combination with innovative elements.

"Our goal is to establish ‘Think Blue.’ as an expression of our corporate mindset and a firm feature of the Volkswagen brand’s ecologically sustainable activities," Luca de Meo, Head of Marketing at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, explained. "We have deliberately chosen an international slogan because environmental protection knows no national boundaries. The campaign is in line with the Volkswagen brand values: innovative, valuable and responsible," de Meo added.

The new advertising campaign builds a bridge from the past to the future. It takes up the thread of the "Think small" campaign that accompanied the triumphant international success of the Beetle as the people’s car in the 1960s. "The ‘Think small’ slogan symbolizes the Volkswagen brand’s achievement in democratizing mobility the world over. The challenge of the future lies in achieving efficient and sustainable mobility for everyone. Volkswagen intends to lead the way. This is expressed by the campaign: ‘Think Small’ has become ‘Think Blue.’" de Meo stated.

The "Think Blue." campaign debuts on February 27, 2010 with print ads. These will be followed by TV spots, brochures, web specials and an e-game for iPhone and iPod Touch. All the measures focus on potential savings, sustainability and environmental awareness.

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: biodiesel, clean, diesel, green, think blue, volkswagen, vw

Posted By RichC on February 27, 2010

The older I get, the less embarrassed I seem to be about publicly posting an old photo or two … or even sharing juvenile nicknames. So for posterity, figured I would archive a couple items … and leave the door open to teasing from my kids.

Moi, Charlie (Kamakaze), Rob (Oxford) and Greg (Wheels) in 1980

I was contacted this past week by a friend from high school who wanted me to update my profile on Classmates.com; she wondered if I had attended any of our high school reunions – the answer being an obvious no. I never felt all that connected to Sidney High School since my family moved to town during the last couple years of high school and then I was off to college. Several decades later, my parents are now ‘locals’ and consider Sidney ‘home.’  Although I return to visit regularly, my fondest memories are from the 16 years of growing up in rural northwestern Ohio. Don’t get me wrong, I had a positive experience, but moving is tough when in high school and the friends I made in high school went our separate ways after graduation. Still, there are times I enjoy reminiscing and remembering friends and the good times we had challenging the rules together.

The four hoodlums in the the photos were known as called ourselves “the Fearsome Foursome,” and they were my closest high school friends. We were similar in that we didn’t grow up in close knit town of 18,000 and moved there during our high school years. For a while after graduation, we stayed in touch, but as happens to most of the people I know, we drifted apart as military, school, career, relationships and children begin to fill up one’s life.

Charlie Matthews, affectionately nicknamed “Kamikaze” due to his crazy smirk/smile  and growing up in Japan was the one I stayed the closest with on through college and my first decade of marriage (our trip to Florida in  1977 below). The long legged and fast Greg VanMatre, gained his nickname “Wheels” during football games. Greg eventually moved back to Sidney, married a SHS grad and had a family; he still lives there today to my knowledge (my mother occasionally sends a clipping from the local paper). Rob Goforth, or “Oxford” – long for “Ox” – deservingly was awarded his nickname for plowing headfirst and head down aggressively into people … generally football related — but this hardheaded behavior happened even off the field too. In any case, if one of you should run across this post, thanks for the memories! (I should have probably put more effort into staying in touch with at least a few friends from high school?)

Since I had to dig for a couple of the above photos, I figured I would also include my first ‘real’ sailboat … again it had a nickname, although less affectionately: Fiberpile … no further explanation need for those who have sail such a vessel in light winds.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos | 1 Comment »
Tags: archive, friends, high school, ohio, sidney

Posted By RichC on February 26, 2010

I tuned the XMRadio into bits and pieces of President Obama’s 7 hour Health Care Summit with congressional leaders at the Blair House yesterday and came away tired of hearing the same thing I’ve heard all year. It was carried live on CSPAN and picked up in whole or part by many of the cable news outlets for the best part of the day. I expected a dog and pony show and from reviews most of the talking heads, there was little to change my thoughts. On the other hand, I would like to think that there was a modicum of sincere dialog that could be interpreted as caring about doing what is best for the electorate, but in the end, I detected more self, or perhaps political party, bloviating.

What I did see was a true philosophical difference between how the Democrats would like to grow government and gain more centralized control over another segment of our country. The Republicans fro their part, were clear to express there desire to be a bit more hands-off. For their part in today’s meeting, the GOP worked to derail the existing legislation and would like to start reform fresh and piece by piece.

Conclusion: We’re no closer to health care reform or to secure the financial well being of our nation than before the summit … but it made for an interesting civics lesson.

Category: Financial, Health, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: health care, opinion, Washington DC

Posted By RichC on February 25, 2010

While waiting for the expected Palm webOS 1.4 anticipated update, I’ve been thankful not to have invested in PALM stock after last years new products. As more and more competitors jump into the smartphone market and take the limelight off the Pre and Pixi phones, the concern is over the profitability (and survival) of the company … and resonates with investors selling off their shares.

Palm Chief Executive Officer Jon Rubinstein now really has his work cut out for him after the releasing news that Palm is slashing fiscal third quarter and full year revenue targets (article below). At the stock market open this morning, Palm stock was down to $6.50/share continuing a month long slide. Month long PALM investors have lost nearly half their share values and with the recent targets from management, the balance of 2010 doesn’t look to be offering much hope.

EDIT: WSJ 2/26/2010 update article on Palm.

Thursday February 25, 2010, 9:39 am

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Palm Inc (NasdaqGS:PALM – News) slashed its fiscal third-quarter and full-year revenue target due to slow consumer demand for its products, dashing hopes its webOS software would help it fend off bigger rivals for now.

Palm shares fell 18 percent on Thursday after it said it expected quarterly revenue of $300 million to $320 million on a non-GAAP basis, well below the analysts’ average estimate of $424.7 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

It blamed slower-than-expected consumer adoption of its products, leading to weaker-than-expected orders from operators and the deferral of orders to future periods.

As a result, it said full-year results would be “well below” its own target range of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion. Wall Street was expecting full-year revenue of $1.6 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The warning followed downgrades earlier this week from at least two brokerages on concerns about sales of Palm phones at Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. mobile operator and a venture of Verizon Communications(NYSE:VZ – News) and Vodafone Group Plc (LSE:VOD.L – News).

Palm is betting on its new webOS software to help its phones compete more effectively against rivals such as Apple Inc’s (NasdaqGS:AAPL – News) iPhone and BlackBerry from Research in Motion (Toronto:RIM.TO – News).

However, after a very high-profile launch last summer of Pre, the company’s first webOS phone, the device was hurt by supply constraints and stiff competition.

Earlier this year, Verizon Wireless became the second U.S. provider to sell the Palm phones, which were exclusive to customer-losing provider Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S – News) last year.

Palm Chief Executive Officer Jon Rubinstein said the company was working closely with carrier partners to increase awareness of its products and drive sales.

“However, driving broad consumer adoption of Palm products is taking longer than we anticipated,” the executive said in a statement announcing the revenue outlook.

Palm shares fell 18 percent to $6.63 in early Nasdaq trading.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Category: Cellphone, Financial | 4 Comments »
Tags: palm, pixi, stock, webos

Posted By RichC on February 24, 2010

Category: Education, Entertainment, Environment | No Comments »
Tags: killer whale, orca, seaworld