Sneaky live feed of the Keynote at Macworld Expo
Posted By RichC on January 6, 2009
Trying to “half” listen to the Macworld Expo through Chirs Pirillo’s live ustream.tv feed. Noticed MacRumorLive.com was hacked.
🙂
Fiesta Bowl: Texas Longhorns 24 – Ohio State Buckeyes 21
Posted By RichC on January 6, 2009
It was an enjoyable night of football as we watch the Ohio State Buckeyes tangle with the Texas Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl. The game was more exciting that most expected as the OSU defense held Colt McCoy and the Longhorn offense to 3 points in the first half and after falling behind early in the second half, came back to take the lead with less than 2 minutes to go.
The Texas offense then returned to their high powered passing and in a superb drive scored with only 16 seconds on the clock (photo left). Final score in an exciting game was 24-21. Congratulations Texas Longhorn fans … and the Buckeyes have every reason to look forward to next year.
Cheering on Ohio State with a Big Buckeye Fan
Posted By RichC on January 5, 2009
I saw a photo of these Buckeye fans on TwitPic (thanks for the link @1datarecovery) and had to repost in my blog as we “Buckeyes” look forward to the Fiesta Bowl tonight. Since the Jesus statue is a few miles up the road from our house at Solid Rock Church in Monroe Ohio, its always fun to see the “statue” photos make it around the web.
Hopefully with fans like these looking for a little extra help in tonight’s game, the Ohio State Buckeyes will bring home a win against the Texas Longhorns. Go Bucks!
Eye-Fi 4GB SD card for Canon EOS XSi works great
Posted By RichC on January 4, 2009
One of the interesting Christmas gifts this year was a new SD memory card to use in my Canon EOS Rebel XSi — a 4GB Anniversary edition Eye-Fi card. 
What makes this SD card unique is that it has built in WiFi. The card operates just like a 4GB memory card but utilized the camera’s battery power to upload photos to your home WiFi connection or with an optional subscription service a hotspot WiFi signal operated by Wayport. Even with the large JPG files (will not upload RAW images) produced by the 12+ megapixel Canon DSLR camera the upload to my computer is reasonable for a few photos and definitely easier than removing the card and putting it in a reader or cabling the camera. About the only weak point is that the camera needs to be within about 40 feet of your wireless access point (WAP) to begin uploading photos to your computer.
Another interesting feature is that once you’ve registered with Eye-Fi, the “manager” offers a few options as to what you want to do with the photos uploaded to your computers. One can choose to have them uploaded to a processing service or to a photo sharing service. Unfortunately if you tend to take a lot of photos, you’re computer will upload them all if you’re using this option (I suppose you can always delete them?). Nevertheless, if you are looking for a new memory card for your camera, I would highly recommend the Eye-Fi SD card (Compact Flash/SD card adapters are available and work as well).
Just another test photo — leftover bolt from VW TDI GTG on WSJ chart.
CinciTDI guys working on a couple new How To clips
Posted By RichC on January 3, 2009
A few of us from the CinciTDI group enjoyed Saturday afternoon working on our Volkswagen TDI diesel cars and filming a new Fuel Injection Pump How To video. Bruce Bowling was once again in front of the camera and demonstrated the procedure to replace leaking gaskets and in making injection quantity (IQ) adjustments — both using the Hammer Mod and final adjustments with the VAGcom software.
We hope to have it ready and uploaded to the site soon. (check back here or over at CinciTDI.com.)
My friend Eric, who had just purchased a ‘new to him’ VW Jetta TDI, was also here for an intake manifold cleaning (photos below) and a timing belt change (Bruce and Eric above). We all had an enjoyable time.
New Year thoughts for those who sacrifice
Posted By RichC on January 2, 2009
I’ve been looking for something that is a bit more meaningful than the ‘woe is me’ mood I’ve been in as 2008 ended. This morning while reading the Opinion page of the Wall Street Journal, a letter by Karl Rove hit me. If a Navy Seal who has been shot 8 times and has half his face blown off can see things positively, so can we. If a few more of us could be as devoted our country and there fellow men as our devoted military professionals, we would find our current economic slump and “at least mine personal battles” pretty small. Hopefully I’m not the only one to find inspiration from reading this letter.
Let’s Be Worthy of Their Sacrifice
‘The wounds I received I got in a job I love’
By Karl Rove
This holiday season, home in Texas and surrounded by close friends and family, I often found myself thinking about virtual strangers.
I met them this fall when I spoke at the Naval Special Warfare Foundation (NSWF) dinner. The NSWF supports naval commandoes with scholarships and assistance for families of Navy Seals killed or wounded in combat or training.
During my White House years, I came to know of the heroic actions of the Seals and other special operators in the global war on terror. These men willingly follow evil into dark and perilous places. They volunteered to be on the front edge of the conflict whose outcome will shape this century.
The highlight of the NSWF dinner was a video of “snatch and grab” operations in Afghanistan. It showed helicopters lifting off to pounding music, night footage of Seals jumping onto roofs and rappelling into dusty fields, the breathtakingly destructive power of American missiles and machine guns, and compound doors blowing open and terrorist suspects being rounded up.
The Seals who prepared the video had carefully mined President Bush’s speeches, using his voice and words as narration. I was touched by this and knew the president would be, too. So when I met the Seal who’d produced the video, we exchanged email addresses. Later, before he left for Afghanistan for his umpteenth deployment, I asked for a copy of the video to show the president.
He was happy to supply one but had a request in return. Could the wives and children of his unit’s members see the White House Christmas decorations while their husbands and fathers were deployed?
The First Lady readily agreed and with NSWF’s help, 75 Seal family members were greeted at the White House just before Christmas by the president and Laura Bush. It was one of the high points of Mr. Bush’s last holiday in Washington.
On Christmas Eve, I received an email from Afghanistan, with thanks for helping to facilitate the tour. Attached was a picture of the videographer and his team, ready for that night’s mission. Bearded and scruffy, covered with weapons and standing in a rude shelter, they were all wearing bright red Santa Claus hats. It was the best gift I received this Christmas.
I met another Seal at that NSWF dinner. He’d been shot eight times in Iraq and had undergone nearly two-dozen operations. One bullet had taken off part of his cheek and nose. He was destined for reconstructive surgery in a few days.
Yet he didn’t feel sorry for himself. He was full of charisma, confidence, cockiness and joy. After all, he confided, when you’re a wounded Seal, the world’s best doctors want to operate on you so they can brag about it. Besides, he explained, he was just showing that a Seal really could catch bullets with his teeth.
He said that after a couple more procedures, he’d “be back in the game.” I asked what he meant. He was amused and said he was going back into action. “My team needs me,” he said before letting out a laugh. But you knew he meant it, and you knew his team did need him.
He went off to get a drink for his wife. I didn’t want to pry, but I asked her how she felt about him going back into action. She said she was all for it because that’s what he was made for. I had to fight back tears.
The next day, I got an email from the retired Navy Seal buddy who’d talked me into speaking at NSWF. He shared a picture of the sign the wounded Seal put on his Baghdad hospital door.
On it, the Seal had scrawled that visitors shouldn’t “feel sorry” for him. “The wounds I received,” he wrote, “I got in a job I love, doing it for people I love, supporting the freedom of a country I deeply love. I am incredibly tough.” And on his sign he promised “a full recovery” and wrote that his hospital room was a place of “fun, optimism, and intense rapid regrowth. If you are not prepared for that, GO ELSEWHERE.” He signed it “The Management.”
I keep this picture with me so I think every day about those I met this fall. And I thought about them often during the holidays.
When I did, I felt awe that such men and women exist, and gratitude that they put themselves in harm’s way for our nation. I hope America continues to be worthy of such staggering service and sacrifice.
May the New Year bring safety to all who wear our country’s uniform, success in the missions they so passionately believe in, peace and comfort to their families, and reunion with all whom they love.
Happy New Year 2009
Posted By RichC on January 1, 2009
As we approach midnight on December 31st and my family watches the party in New York City’s Time Square, I want to wish a Happy New Year to all. For some, January 1, 2009 is no more than a change of a calendar… for others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow.
Here’s a suggestion from the English writer Sydney Smith, “Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy.”
VW Touareg V-6 TDI impresses Popular Mechanics
Posted By RichC on December 31, 2008
Popular Mechanics offers a nice review of the new VW Touareg V-6 TDI.
Our drive to Mexico and back in a Touareg V6 TDI required few fill-ups. In fact, after several hundred miles we still had nearly two-thirds of a tank of fuel left. If we maintained our 65-mph cruising speed while getting the indicated 29.3 mpg, we could have traveled nearly 800 miles on a single tank of gas—not bad for an off-road-capable 5000-plus-pound SUV.
Can I use biodiesel in my Volkswagen TDI?
Posted By RichC on December 30, 2008
In the last issue of Volkswagen’s DasAuto Magazine, the “Ask Volkswagen” segment answered one of the most common questions I hear Volkswagen TDI owners ask. This as to do with how their TDI diesel vehicles run alternatives to petroleum, be it be SVO, WVO (Straight or Waste Vegetable Oil) or biodiesel. The “Can I use biodiesel in my Volkswagen vehicle?” is a popular question. The answer has always been ‘yes’ with a but …
VW says they only recommend a 5% blend of biodiesel to petroleum diesel fuel.
Of course this is the official “company who has to stand behind the warranty” answer. A more appropriate answer has to do with just how well VW TDI engine tolerate biodiesel long term and what potential risks can be minimized. For example, there are many example of older Volkswagen TDI have used high percentage “quality” biodiesel for thousands and thousands of miles. The key word is “quality.” Biodiesel that is properly manufactured, washed and filtered has little ill effect even in higher percentage blends in all but the Pumpe Duse TDIs. (mid-2005 and newer TDIs had higher pressure PD injection systems that “could” see problems with high percentage biodiesel — this is speculative opinion) Also the new ‘clean diesel’ 2009 and newer TDIs might also have emission control issues with higher percentage biodiesel … their particulate filter exhaust system might not be able to handle biodiesel exhaust?
That said, biodiesel is still being successfully used in many VW TDIs. Here’s a list of a few items to consider as you increase your percentage blends — but for the record, Arthur Daniels Midland and VWoA is said to be testing B20 (20% Biodiesel).
- Unblended and untreated biodiesel begins to gell near freezing. Thickened fuel can starve the fuel injection pump, clog the fuel filter and atomize poorly when forced through fuel injectors.
- Poorly washed fuel can contain contaminates including corrosive methanol, water and glycerin. Not only can this damage the injection system, but can prematurely damage fuel lines and gaskets.
- Long term storage of biodiesel attracts water, so even a top quality BQ9000 fuel that is poorly handled and stored can end up with contaminates in the fuel.
- And finally, Volkswagen determines your warranty coverage — if you use high percentage blends of biodiesel and have a fuel related problem, realized that they may be resistant to offer warranty coverage. (they’ll probably point to the above statement of “B5.”)
Times are changing though and I suspect that it won’t be long before most manufacturers approve of a B10 or B20 fuel.
Daniel Tammet’s new book is available for pre-order
Posted By RichC on December 29, 2008
I should probably wait until I get a chance to read Daniel Tammet‘s new book “Embracing the Wide Sky: A Tour Across the Horizons of the Mind,” but since I commented and enjoy his previous book, “Born on a Blue Day,” will make a comment. Tammet, one of the more notable high-functioning autistic savants,and has one of the most interesting “minds” in the world.
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.