Posted By RichC on November 28, 2008
Here is sort of a tech Friday post today dealing with Twitter. If you are a ‘geeky’ Twitter user, check out a ‘grading’ website as a way to review ‘tweeting’ contacts before adding them as friends — see Twitter.Grader.com — or just as an ego boost. Although I don’t spend all that much time running a Twitter application or browser sidebar, I do occasionally “tweet” something like ‘gas mileage’ or ‘fuel prices’ using my Treo and have the one line comment post in my blog’s sidebar. I’ve yet to find a ‘value’ use for this micro-blogging, but continue to do it anyway — although see selective news feeds or following specific reporters as a good way to know what they are posting to their sites. (those of you with your 90+% grades don’t need to flaunt it in my face … I’ve already checked you out!)
🙂
Category: Computer |
7 Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 27, 2008
We’ve had pretty busy day and have enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner with our family (my side). We all ate plenty of food and enjoyed an excellent dinner at our house. The turkey was excellent (thanks Bren) and the pie’s excellent (thanks Claire).
Category: Misc |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 25, 2008
While I haven’t been paying attention to the Natalee Holloway story, the FoxNews “On The Record” program with Greta Van Susteren aired an hour long segment Monday night which I told a friend without cable that I would encode. Greta interviewed the twice arrested Joran van der Sloot and I found it hard to believe anything he says … nevertheless, he does reinforce the theory that Natalee was sold into “white slavery.”
Longish 43 minute .mp4
*
Category: Video-TV |
No Comments »
Tags: greta vansusteren, mp4, on the record
Posted By RichC on November 24, 2008
One of the current replacement needs in our house is the dishwasher. It still works, but is far from efficient or effective. Like many people I’ve talked too, we spend more time washing the dishes before stacking them in the dishwasher then running the crazy thing with relatively clean dishes in it? (and we’ve done that with the 3 dishwashers we have owned in our lifetime: 1st was a 1970s Kenmore, 2nd a 1990s replacement “plastic shell” Maytag and finally our current 1996 mid-line KitchenAid. There must be a “best” option?
Here’s a short CBS Sunday Morning Tivo-ed video that might offer a glimpse as to what dishwashers should do and how to use them (the one in the video is a top of the line Kenmore, if I’m not mistaken?)
Category: Misc, Video-TV |
4 Comments »
Tags: cbs, dishwasher, dishwashing, kenmore, mp4, tivo
Posted By RichC on November 23, 2008
Fuel prices everywhere are dropping to surprising lows as we near the Thanksgiving day holiday. While returning from the Moraine Airpark near Dayton, Ohio this afternoon I was able to fill up with unleaded regular for $1.56/gallon. 
That’s the lowest price I’ve seen for quite some time. Diesel is also working its way lower, although is still over a dollar higher at most stations. Although I have concerns as to what this signals about our economy (as if we don’t know), it may at least brighten the travel plans for those needing to go “over the river and through the woods this holiday season.”
My trip to the airport Sunday afternoon was to see a recent airplane purchase from an EAA friend. His “new to him” 1970 Cessna 172 looks to be in fair shape. The last electronics/radio update was in 1986, so early on the list of improvements is a new 760 channel transceiver, a couple wedges to stop the nose wheel shimmy and a seat repair (loose slides?). A bit lower on the list would be paint, although that would truly improve the first glance appearance. Long term, because it has been sitting (hangered) for a few years, he’ll have to start a piggy bank for an engine overhaul, but all in all its an excited day for pilots to own their own plane.
Category: Automotive, Aviation |
No Comments »
Tags: bob luken, cessna, eaa, gasoline, prices, speedway
Posted By RichC on November 22, 2008
Speed Channel will be broadcasting the final episode 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup documentary on Saturday November 22nd. (Cincinnati area Time Warner listing to the right) 
This hour long broadcast will focus on the entire 2008 season, the drivers and the race versions of the new clean diesel VW Jetta TDIs. These 170hp 2.0L TDI engine sedans race with six speed DSG transmissions and appropriate safety gear and change the perception that diesel cars are slow, boring and stinky. BTW, there will be a street version of the Jetta TDI Cup vehicle avaiable for about $26,995 later this year.
Category: Automotive |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 22, 2008
Well restrictive … especially the free version of Animoto.com’s website.
The web based “creative” photo slide show with music application has a short free version, or an annual charge version which permits longer videos. (the free is suppose to be 30 seconds, but the 3 I tried ran a few seconds shorter and really didn’t highlight the photos as well as most of us might want. Nevertheless, give it a try over at
Animoto.com.
Category: Computer |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 21, 2008
So what’s next for the big three domestic automakers? Their sales pitch to congress seems to have failed to convince lawmakers that the answer to Detroits’ woes is a $25 billion dollar loan; 
a loan in which was requested to bridge them “due to the current financial crisis which was no fault of theirs” (so suggests the CEOs). Without a sudden change in the U.S. economy, just how long can current “cash on hand” keep the big three afloat? (WSJ)
My business also feels the pain of the economic downturn, but unfortunately am not in an industry which has the clout (or moxie) to ask taxpayers for a bailout. Knowing what we know about the domestic automakers and the UAW, it is difficult to believe they are only in trouble “just because of the current condition.” Most in congress, and I suspect most Americans, see the problem brought on by years of mismanagement — often from the boardroom, union demands and the saddling of these bohemath companies with contracts, excessive salaries and reputation for building second rate products.
I will agree that slowly these three companies have made improvements, they have rarely shown the ability to lead the automotive industry in innovation or direction. Their quality, although improving, still follows their Asian transplant counterparts and man-hour cost is considerably higher than their competition building products that are both higher (or equal) in quality and retain significantly better resale value. How can these cash strapped companies continue to operate profitably without a major change? They can’t … unless real changes are made. Offering a loan does little to make them competitive, but only funds inefficient operations in hope that the economy makes a quick turn around. Most Americans glance at the big threes executives with their salaries and perks, ponder the generations of highly paid union workers who want to return to the ‘good old days’ and they wonder, “why should my tax dollars be used to continue this?” Even in the best of times with the best products, GM, Ford or Chrysler would have a difficult time competing when paying hourly workers an average $70 an hour (including benefits) when their Japanese competitors workers are doing the same jobs in its U.S. plants for $40 to $45 an hour. I’m not sure a $25 billion dollar taxpayer funded bridge loan is going to change this?
Category: Misc |
2 Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 20, 2008
With a relatively low starting price, excellent fuel economy and refined driving dynamics: The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI was voted Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal at the LA Autoshow.
Check out the announcement at Autoblog.
Category: Automotive, Biodiesel |
No Comments »
Tags:
Posted By RichC on November 20, 2008
Although this may not have been the “first snow” of the year in Ohio (see October post), it was the “first snow” that required some shoveling and has coated my car with salt. The photo above is at the University of Akron while the one below is traveling on I-76 not too far away. (click photos for larger images)
It’s the precipitation this time of the year that lake effect snows can dump a surprise on areas east of Cleveland. (some parts of western New York received almost 2 feet!)
Category: Misc |
No Comments »
Tags:
