My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on August 30, 2007

Another summer over … thankfully for mom and dad ... and its back to the school grind for my kids. Katelyn in particular had an interesting summer helping open a new restaurant near our home; she enjoyed every minute working and playing with the family and fellow employees at the Greek Isles Restaurant. The unique restaurant, for our area anyway, was an instant success in our community and has been doing a steady business from an 11 A.M. lunch to a 9 P.M close. Who knew Liberty Township was ‘starving’ for authentic Greek food?

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Here are a couple photos of the ‘A-Team’ after Katelyn’s last day at the Greek Isles. (and is another test Google’s Picasa2‘s upload and embed feature.)

I’d be remiss not to include a word of thanks to Kosta and Maria for treating Katelyn like “family” and giving her a great summer job. I know she enjoyed her summer … and particularly the chance to observer and open heart surgery. Thanks again.

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Posted By RichC on August 29, 2007

Speedway in Brimfield Ohio is still selling 500ppm LSD

In a previous post I commented to the effect that maybe my 2003 VW Jetta TDI’s fuel economy might go down after purchasing new tires with a more aggressive all-weather tread. After two tanks of fuel, one B-20 (20% biodiesel and 80% Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel), and one approximately B-70 (70% biodiesel and 30% ‘old’ Low Sulfur Diesel) …nothing has changed. Hmm … a solid 44.5 mpg on both tanks of primarily 70-ish highway travel. This number might be slightly lower by 1 mpg, but then the weather these past couple of weeks has been exceptionally hot; I may have used the air conditioning a bit more and even idled between stops more often? My early conclusion is that 1) there is little change in fuel efficiency after installing new tires, and 2) both the biodiesel blends have returned excellent fuel efficiency. (NOTE: It might be me, but my little diesel seems smoother and quieter running the higher biodiesel percentage … this is something which has been noted by others. Lubricity perhaps ??? see link)

Category: Automotive, Biodiesel, Diesel, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: 2003, diesel, mpg, tdi, tires, vw

Posted By RichC on August 28, 2007

As Wi-Fi becomes a way of life for many Internet connected notebook computer, PDAs and Smartphones users, there is a tendency to become too comfortable in ‘making the connection.’ I find it almost a necessity in my travel, but nevertheless, I do rethink the places I connect. Coffee shops, restaurants and hotels are pretty regular connections for me, but a conversation the other day with someone who mentioned that the Better Business Bureau is sending a clear warning to watch out for those free airport connections. The trend for hackers is to set up ‘fake Wi-Fi’ connections that emulate the many popular and heavily used hotspots.

When searching for connections, our computers see open network connections that are available and usually (depending on one your settings) require human intervention to initiate the connection. While one might be thinking it’s the free connection offered by the establishment, naive users may just accept the hackers fake connection and log on. Unfortunately, the network may actually be an “ad-hoc” network or a peer-to-peer connection. The user will still be able to surf the Internet, but they’re doing it through the hacker’s computer. According to an article by Steve Bernas of the BBB, “the hacker is stealing information such as passwords, credit card and bank account numbers and Social Security numbers. Beyond simply stealing keystroke information as the user enters various types of data, if the PC is set to share files, the hacker could even steal whole documents from the computer.” Mr. Bernas goes on to say that in a security review, “Chicago O’Hare had 20 ad-hoc networks present that were potentially designed with the intent of hacking into unsuspecting user’s computers and networks.”

The BBB offers the following advice

• Never connect to an unfamiliar ad-hoc network — even if the name sounds genuine. A hacker can change the name of his network to anything he wants, including the name of the legitimate Internet connection offered by the airport. Just because it has the same name as the Wi-Fi advertised in the airport, don’t believe it. For more information on how to distinguish between an ad-hoc network and a normal Wi-Fi network with Windows Vista or XP visit http://support.microsoft.com.
• Make sure that your computer is not set up to automatically connect to non-preferred networks. Otherwise your computer could automatically connect to the hacker’s network without your knowledge.
• Turn off file-sharing when you’re on the road to prevent hackers from stealing entire documents, files and unencrypted e-mail from your computer.
• Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for your business. A VPN establishes a private network across the public network by creating a tunnel between the two endpoints so that nobody in between can intercept the data. Many companies allow remote users to connect to corporate networks so long as they use VPN. This keeps the users’ communications just as secure as if they were sitting at a desk in the building.

Category: Cellphone, Computer, Tablet, Technology | 2 Comments »
Tags: bbb, internet, security, vpn, wifi

Posted By RichC on August 27, 2007

Have you changed your brake fluid lately? On most if not all TDIs, VW recommends that you change your brake fluid every 2 year regardless of mileage. So with that in mind, how about getting together on Saturday, September 22, 2007 with your fellow TDI owners and helping each other with a brake bleeding? (9AM until ???)
We’ve worked out a Saturday that will include a couple of our dedicated GTG ‘wrenchers’ so that they can be available with powerbleeders; if you have one please bring it. Our group will be using our CinciTDI “How-To” video clip ‘donations’ to purchase the brake fluid for all who are signed up in the comment section of the CinciTDI GTG section. (HINT: Listing in the comment section over at CinciTDI as an excuse to get members to register on our CinciTDI website — it is separate from the Yahoo group. Again, we would like to have enough brake fluid on hand for everyone — so be sure to sign up early)

This GTG will be of the family/picnic/grill-out variety so feel free to bring your family, extra chairs, bathing suits and towels as the pool will be open. If you would like to bring something to add to the potluck lunch … that would be great. Please list what you will bring in the comments section so others can avoid too many duplicates. We would like to have a head count for both ‘brake fluid’ and the meats for the grill.

Our good friend and rally racer Jon Hamilton is also planning to be here with his RallyVW, posters, etc along with his Pike’s Peak climbing TDI. This is a great chance to talk to him about power enhancements or learn just how durable our little diesels are … or perhaps donate a few dollars to keep his TDI competitive.

Directions: there is a ‘front’ driveway which can be found plugging in 8025 Green Lake Drive, West Chester OH into Google Maps (for cars not needing service) OR a rear gravel drive with tons more parking for those needing to work on their cars (besides it keeps me on better terms with my neighbors). The map below details the directions from either Dayton or Cincinnati (north or south bound on I-75) to the rear entrance. If its dry feel free to turn off the gravel and park on the grass. If the weather is lousy, we’ll either do what we can or reschedule. (check back here if it looks questionable)

You can find this map by putting CinciTDI and GTG in Google Maps search box.
From I-75 take Rt 129 (Butler County Regional Hwy) to the West to first exit. Turn North (right) on Cincinnati-Dayton Road through 3 traffic light and turn East (right) on Bethany Road. Cross over I-75 and look for rear entrance to our house through green gate. I’ll post CinciTDI sign.

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Posted By RichC on August 24, 2007

Raj Mosali of Jatrodiesel, headquartered in Mason Ohio announced that their Miamisburg biodiesel facility up and running. (see post from last year) The new facility has a current capacity of 10,000 gallons and will eventually be able to produce 15,000 gallons per day. The newly opened production facility is looking for buyers and is willing to sell biodiesel to individuals in smaller quantities, even as low as 100 gallons. Perhaps the biodiesel advocates in the Dayton and Cincinnati area will be able to negotiate a group purchase price — contact me if you are interested.

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Posted By RichC on August 23, 2007

Traveling around the state of Ohio this week, it is amazing the difference a few hundred miles can make. In my home of Cincinnati, its relatively dry with rainfall for the month almost 3 inches below normal. In Cleveland the recent heavy rains have put them 6+inches over the monthly averages. The recent heavy rains passing through the state have even put entire towns under water like Findlay, Ohio in the northwestern part of Ohio. In fact, today the busy north – south Interstate 75 was even underwater and impassable north of Lima. Several other small towns and communities have suffered significant rain and flooding including an area I was near today. (Mansfield and Shelby) Gauges have measure up to 9 inches in a 24 hour period.

I-75 Closed Today – Toledo Blade Photos

As I debate my trip across route 30 on Thursday afternoon, I’m hoping the roads will be passable. but there are still thunderstorms even at this time although at this writing the rain is light and spotty.

I also filled up at the I-71 exit 151 Mt. Gilead Sunoco Biofuels station today and will test the mileage hit my new tires will be costing me. I’m concerned that the aggressive treaded all weather Dunlop Sport A60s will negatively affect mileage of my Volkswagen TDI. (I’ve averaged lifetime about 44.5 to date)

Finally … I’ll post an audio snip-it from a Volkswagen song (click for MP3) I heard in case someone recognizes the artist … not that I really need to know, but thought it would be interesting to place the entire song in the CinciTDI archives?

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Posted By RichC on August 22, 2007

I’m not sure how many reading this use the communication tool called Skype, but after an outage last week there has been question as to “just how secure” Skype services are from hackers, traffic problems or malicious attacks. (see Dark Reading PDF) At any rate, Skype has issued a weeks extension to existing customers and sent a polite email. It has to be challenging keeping the gremlins at bay and preventing intrusions that can take down an entire communications network.

Email from Skype:

You may or may not know but last week Skype wasn’t available for a couple of days. There were a number of reasons for this and I am delighted to say that the problem is now well and truly sorted and everything is back to normal. For those of you who tried to use Skype during that time but couldn’t, we’re very sorry. For those of you who didn’t try to use Skype – well thankfully you were not affected but we want to reassure everyone that Skype is now working happily and the problem is fixed.

We know we have many faithful users out there who give us feedback (good and bad) on what we’re doing as a company. The Skype community makes us what we are. Without you, our users, we simply wouldn’t exist. We’ve helped people stay in touch with their friends and family over the past four years without any massive hitch and we want it to stay that way.

When the unexpected happens, it’s important to remember the people who stuck behind us and whose loyalty humbled us. I want to thank everyone for their support, patience and being part of the Skype community. And for those of you who missed out on using Skype last week – I want to especially thank you as well.

As a goodwill gesture to all you faithful Skype Pro, Skype Unlimited, SkypeIn or Skype Voicemail customers, we’re adding an additional seven days to your current subscription, free of charge. And even if you didn’t miss out on using Skype last week – you can still have a week free on Skype, on the house!

So please enjoy it, call your loved ones, friends, family and colleagues and thanks again.

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Posted By RichC on August 21, 2007

The crew of STS-118 and Space Shuttle Endeavour (see launch post) are back on the ground after a 13 day mission to the International Space Station this Tuesday afternoon. The skies were clear and the landing was picture perfect executed by Commander Scott Kelly at 12:32 p.m. EDT. The mission was filled with work and included ‘teaching from space’ by teacher/astronaut Barbara Morgan. Morgan and the rest of the seven-member crew spent nine days at the space station to deliver new components and prepare the $100 billion complex for additional laboratory modules.

One glitch early on was that Endeavour was slightly damaged by a piece of foam that broke off during launch but after evaluation by NASA was not mission threatening. The scheduled mission was for 14 days but because of Hurricane Dean (previous post) the mission was shortened to 13 days. Houston, Texas was thought early on to be threaten by Dean, but has now stayed well south, but doling out quite a wallop.

Be prepared for increasing prices at the pump, as ‘real or not,’ speculation will breed fear … and oil prices may rise. (at least at the pump) Mexico’s state oil company has closed and evacuated 407 oil and gas wells, meaning lost production of 2.65 million barrels of crude per day. It is hard to imagine that this will be an issue, considering projections are for winds to be below 100mph by the time Dean passes over the Yucatan peninsula. (see projected winds below … mouse over icons)

Update from MSN 8/21/2007:

Crude oil fell under $70 a barrel today for the first time since late June, offering consumers the happy prospect that the price they pay for gas at the pump may be headed lower.

But although rising crude prices often dampen enthusiasm for stocks, today the crude drop was one reason the stock market went essentially nowhere.

Crude closed at $69.47, down 2.3% from Monday, as speculators sold positions after it was clear Hurricane Dean wouldn’t be hitting oil and gas production facilities off the Texas and Louisiana coasts.

Crude is down 11% for August so far. And gasoline futures are down 18.6%, closing in New York at $1.868 a gallon in New York.

Motorists have getting some benefit already — and may get more. AAA said the national average of regular unleaded gasoline was $2.777 a gallon, up slightly from Monday but down 20 cents a gallon from a month ago. Gasoline peaked at $3.17 a gallon in mid-May.

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Tags: nasa, shuttle, space

Posted By RichC on August 20, 2007

Although clean diesel technology is my primarily preference for our spread out interstate nation, I’m interested in seeing advancements in most other alternatives too. Ford Motor Company has produced a performance oriented Ford Fusion fuel cell speedster which brags ‘zero emissions’ at the tailpipe. (what does it take to produce the fuel cell?) In a Geraldo at Large segment on Sunday night, Geraldo talked with a couple members of the Ford project group who built and tested a record setting 207.297 mph Ford Fusion model which ran a hydrogen fuel cell and technology from the Ohio State Buckeye Bullet team. (interview clip below)

Press Release:

WENDOVER, Utah, August 16 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] today became the world’s first automaker to set a land speed record for a production-based fuel cell powered car. The Ford Fusion Hydrogren 999 fuel cell car raced to 207.297 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah to set the record.

The Ford “999” is the world’s first and only production vehicle-based fuel cell race car. It was built in collaboration with Ballard Power Systems, Roush and Ohio State University and is one of two vehicles demonstrating the potential of fuel cell technology. Ford researchers also are supporting student engineers from Ohio State University on its Buckeye Bullet 2, a streamliner-type fuel cell-powered racer attempting 300+ mph.

“What we’ve accomplished is nothing short of an industry first,” said Gerhard Schmidt, vice president, Research & Advanced Engineering for Ford Motor Company. “No other automaker in the world has come close. We are excited to have accomplished something never before done. We established this project to advance fuel-cell-powered vehicles and to do what has never been done before; and we did it.”

Schmidt said Ford’s historic run at Bonneville will further expand the company’s technological horizons with fuel cell-powered vehicles, because the use of hydrogen as a fuel could someday play a key role in meeting the energy needs of the transportation sector. The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 is Ford’s latest environmental innovation and is another step on the road toward commercially viable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The speed was reached during a run at the Bonneville Nationals, which are being held from Aug. 10-17.

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 land speed record vehicle was designed by Ford engineers and built by Roush in Allen Park, Mich. Ford engineers leveraged the 2004 Buckeye Bullet’s electric motor, while Ballard Power Systems supplied the 400 kW hydrogen fuel cells. Ford retiree Rick Byrnes, a veteran Bonneville racer, piloted the Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 on its record breaking run.

Ohio State students have designed their streamliner, dubbed Buckeye Bullet 2, from the ground up. Ballard donated the hydrogen fuel cells for Ohio State’s car, Roush its engineering services and Ford has provided overall project coordination and expertise in fuel cell drivetrains.

In 2004, Ohio State students set the unlimited land speed record for an electric vehicle by running 314 mph in the first Buckeye Bullet, dubbed BB1.

Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 Part of a Broader Effort

The Ford Fusion Hydrogen 999 shows one of the ways Ford is advancing environmental innovation with the goal of offering vehicles with zero impact on the environment. Multiple technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, hybrids, E85 ethanol, clean diesels, bio-diesels, advanced engine and transmission technologies allow a flexible approach that balances customer needs, environmental impact and shareholder interests.

Ford Motor Company currently has a fleet of 30 hydrogen-powered Focus fuel cell vehicles on the road as part of a worldwide, seven-city program to conduct real world testing of fuel cell technology. The 30-car fleet has accumulated nearly 580,000 miles since its inception in 2005.

Ford also is conducting tests with the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Ford Edge with HySeries Drive. The Ford Edge with HySeries Drive uses a series electric drivetrain with an onboard hydrogen fuel cell generator to give the vehicle a range of 225 miles with zero emissions.

Ford currently offers gasoline-electric hybrids including the Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. The company will also offer hybrid versions of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in 2008.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

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Posted By RichC on August 19, 2007

My wife is on a stair climbing mission in her desire to get in shape for a mini-triathlon so I tagged along and made a few trips gingerly up and down the ‘stairs of Hamilton’ in hopes my hip problem wouldn’t flair up. (it didn’t) The evening was balmy and we both worked up a good sweat. Week one of my wife’s training is now under her belt and I think she is doing great. It is too bad I can’t run to train with her, but then again I’m not the swimmer so couldn’t ever make it in such a race. As for the “unwilling part” … she was not fond of me pulling out my cellphone to snap a photo overlooking the Hamilton, Ohio and her as the subject. The evening landscape over looking the city is a nice view.

Intersection of High St and N. Fair Ave. in Hamilton, Ohio

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