My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 7, 2007

July 7, 2007 = 07/07/07 = 7.7.07: There are 38,000 wedding in the U.S. today; its the biggest day for wedding we’ve ever seen in the U.S. — let’s hope all those getting married will be “lucky.” (or preferably “blessed”) This number is well over double the popular June wedding days and is probably taxing for the floral industry and all the people associated with putting together weddings, their ceremonies and receptions. Yikes, now that I think about it, we have two wedding to go to yet this month.

Also an interesting piece of mail arrived in our mailbox, and I think its the first time we’ve ever received a “message in a bottle.” What a better way to get mail from someone on vacation in Hawaii? (well technically not “we” … it was addressed to my daughter) Although I still don’t know the contents of this “message in a bottle,” it costs me 48 cents in “postage due” … and since I suspect the person sticking me with this extra expense is probably reading this, I’m putting her on notice. BTW … thanks for the interesting piece of mail in an otherwise ‘ad’ and ‘bills’ filled box. (you are such and artist — I noticed the ‘stick figure’)
😉

Category: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on July 6, 2007

Friends that know me might wonder if I’m still building an airplane in my garage — the answer is ‘yes’ (I’m still working s-l-o-w-l-y) and ‘no.’ (haven’t complete anything on the Sonex this summer, but have been working on the MGB) The plans that I’ve purchased to build from are produced by Sonex Aircraft out of Oshkosh Wisconsin. The family company will be displaying a new experimental ‘green powerplant’ later this month at AirVenture, so if you attend, be sure to say hello from me … “reserved N number” N43SX builder. (write-up after my last visit in 2005)

Sonex To Unveil Green Powerplant At AirVenture
Sonex Aircraft says it will unveil a new proof-of-concept aircraft at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., later this month that’s propelled by a “revolutionary” environmentally friendly powerplant. Sonex and AeroConversions Products will reveal their E-Flight project at a press conference on Tuesday, July 24, at AeroShell Square, the center of the show at Oshkosh, the company said on Tuesday. The project is a research and development initiative to explore viable alternative energies for powering the sport aircraft of tomorrow, Sonex said. The aim of E-Flight is to reduce the environmental impact of sport flying, while keeping recreational aviation affordable. Sonex and AeroConversions will also host a forum on Wednesday, July 25, at 11:30 a.m. in forum building 11 (REMOS Aircraft Pavilion).

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on July 5, 2007

I know my TDI will ‘zoom-zoom-zoom’ (sorry Mazda), but I didn’t know that a hybrid Toyota Prius was capable of 100 miles per hour? Now I do, thanks to the 24-year-old son of former Vice President Al Gore, who was arrested for drug possession on Wednesday after he was stopped traveling about 100 mph in his hybrid Toyota Prius at 2:15 a.m. south of Los Angeles. Sadly, the drug store found inside his car shows a young man headed for trouble. (is a Prius still considered ‘green’ if the driver is smoking pot and driving 100?)

The deputy smelled marijuana and searched the car, said sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino. The search turned up a small amount of marijuana, along with prescription drugs including Valium, Xanax, Vicodin, Adderall and Soma. There were no prescriptions found, he said.

Gore was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and booked into the Inmate Reception Center in Santa Ana, about 34 miles south of Los Angeles, on $20,000 bail. Although he quickly identified himself as the son of the former vice president, Amormino said Gore received no special privileges.

Gore made bail and was released at 2 p.m., Amormino said. He will receive notice of a court date within 30 days.

LINK

Category: Mazda | 2 Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on July 4, 2007

David Johnson’s short piece does a pretty good job of filling in some missing details pertaining to America’s Independence Day. I needed a refresher.

America celebrates July 4 as Independence Day because it was on July 4, 1776, that members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

Spontaneous Celebrations
Following its adoption, the Declaration was read to the public in various American cities. Whenever they heard it, patriots erupted in cheers and celebrations.

In 1777, Philadelphians remembered the 4th of July. Bells were rung, guns fired, candles lighted, and firecrackers set off. However, while the War of Independence dragged on, July 4 celebrations were modest at best.

When the war ended in 1783, July 4 became a holiday in some places. In Boston, it replaced the date of the Boston Massacre, March 5, as the major patriotic holiday. Speeches, military events, parades, and fireworks marked the day. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal holiday.

Picnics and Games
Over time, various other summertime activities also came to be associated with the Fourth of July, including historical pageants, picnics, baseball games, watermelon-eating contests, and trips to the beach. Common foods include hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, apple pie, cole slaw, and sometimes clam bakes.

Colonial Attractions
While the Fourth is celebrated across the country, historic cities like Boston and Philadelphia draw huge crowds to their festivities.

In Boston, the USS John F. Kennedy often sails into the harbor, while the Boston Pops Orchestra holds a televised concert on the banks of the Charles River, featuring American music and ending with the 1812 Overture.

Philadelphia holds its celebrations at Independence Hall, where historic scenes are reenacted and the Declaration of Independence is read.

Rodeos and Candles
Other interesting parties include the American Indian rodeo and three-day pow-wow in Flagstaff, Arizona, and the Lititz, Pennsylvania, candle festival, where hundred of candles are floated in water and a “Queen of Candles” is chosen.

John Adams Urged Recognition
The second president, John Adams, would have approved. “I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival,” he wrote his wife, Abigail. “It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other…”

John Hancock Was First
John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration. With its ornate capitals, Hancock’s sprawling signature is prominent on the document. Since then, when people are asked for their “John Hancock,” they are being asked to sign their names.

All 56 men who ultimately signed the Declaration showed great courage. Announcing independence from Great Britain was an act of treason, punishable by death.

A Marvelous Document
The Declaration of Independence itself has become one of the most admired and copied political documents of all time. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Jefferson.

The Declaration of Independence is a justification of the American Revolution, citing grievances against King George III. It is also a landmark philosophical statement, drawing on the writings of philosophers John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It affirms that since all people are creatures of God, or nature, they have certain natural rights, or liberties, that cannot be violated.

The Declaration and the American Revolution have since inspired freedom-seekers the around the world.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on July 3, 2007

Oh I know there are plenty of great photographers and gorgeous portfolio sites available on the Internet, but Moe Witschard’s work impressed me enough to mention him. I’m planning on in including a print in my office someday … but which one?

Donna Lange sent me a few photos of her sons Keel and Cooper kayaking out in Montana and I was intrigued to check out the photographer. I’ve always enjoyed outdoor adventure photos and so besides included a couple below thought I’d mention Moe Witschard’s site. Besides being interesting to me, my friend Jeff regularly heads west to ski, hike, fly fish or to capture some natural beauty might enjoy some inspiration. If you’re interested in some great den photos, a few of Mr. Witschards’ photos are available as fine art prints.

Category: Photography | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on July 2, 2007

A bit of immaturity to start off the month of July and the lazy couple of days preceding the 4th of July Wednesday holiday. (Its really a week I should have scheduled a vacation, but then again about half of America will probably be doing that?)
Remember the television series the A-Team? Here’s a little modern day clip from the folks across the pond doing a bit of dieseling with a Volkwagen ‘family or business‘ vehicle. Its funny, but effective, in showing the advancements in both diesel technology and suspension/handling characteristics that have improved in modern vehicles. Above all … its an enjoyable YouTube clip that a friend over at the TDIClub brought to my attention.

Category: Entertainment, Misc, Video, Volkswagen | 4 Comments »
Tags: a-team, volkswagen, youtube

Posted By RichC on July 1, 2007

This means little unless you find yourself regularly reading blogs or posting on them for yourself … in addition to adding content on other blogs. I thought I would include this quiz link just for fun. Check out the “quiz” at Mingle2: How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By RichC on June 29, 2007

People must be out of their minds lining up at the AT&T/Cingular stores to be the first to spend $700 for the an Apple iPhone? What mania … it sounds sort of “cabbage patch” crazy to me? 😀

Since I’m attracted to technology gadgets, I understand the want of the latest and greatest, but I’m not quite so willing to go out on a limb for this new cell phone and media device (personally I still think my Palm Treo 700p has the ‘edge’ over the much more pricey iPhone). I’m uncomfortable with all the hype leading up to the iPhone release and sense that it will have a difficult time in meeting its build-up. No doubt its got sex appeal, but underneath its gotta work well too. We’ll see?

Part of my concern is “the network” as the Verizon folks like to say, and as Sprint’s ads point out, with data … its all about the speed. Cingular’s EDGE technology isn’t nearly fast enough for the amount of data that Internet users wanting to play with their phones are going to want. I sense that as the newness wears off that there will be some complaining about the high priced monthly contracts and slow data rates (this will eventually improve I suspect). Nevertheless, the iPhone will also operate on WiFi networks, but if you’re sitting at an airport, in a coffee shop, at a desk in own home of office it hardly makes sense to ‘surf the net’ on a phone (take that from someone who watches TV on a tiny Treo screen!)

As for the music player, the lack of SD or mini-SD cards is going to have a few unhappy ‘podders’ … the iPhone needs expandable memory. To the iPhone’s credit, they have one upped the camera and gone with 2 megapixels, of which photos have yet to be seen by your’s truly (but its not going to take much to beat the existing cellphone cameras). The input device has me wondering. Early on I was skeptical that a smooth glass keyboard on the iPhone was going to match the time tested Treo and Blackberry tactual feel, but I’m pulling back until I try one. Same for the dial pad and pitch/twist tricks that look so cool on the Apple ads.

For now, I’m going to sit back and let the dust settle. It will be interesting to hear praise where it is not deserved and criticism coming most likely out of jealousy.

Click for the iPhone Intro Video – from Apple.com

Category: Apple, Cellphone, Technology | 2 Comments »
Tags: iphone

Posted By RichC on June 27, 2007

I’m getting ahead of myself by mentioning a book that I haven’t finished reading yet, but “Lone Survivor” is perhaps the best read of the year. The incredible true account of the author Marcus Luttrell helps one appreciate what incredible men serve in the United States special forces — particularly those included in Operation Redwing. Mr. Luttrell details his “call of duty” (with the help of best selling U.S. Navy novelist Patrick Robinson) and offers a first hand account of current events in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is an emotionally gripping and an incredible peek at our nation’s finest patriots.

I’ve read my share of military history books, but this timely book is written from the heart. The story blends Marcus Luttrell’s life story, his path in becoming a Navy SEAL with the men he served with in the Middle East. His 400 easy to read pages are an excellent account of the War on Terror and the men called to carry out those duties. Luttrell’s patriotism is surpassed only by his dedication to SEAL teammates (click for photo), his incredible will to survive and by those who fought and died to rescue him in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. This is a true story of heroism and the ultimate sacrifice of America’s finest men — I am thankful to the “lone survivor,” Marcus Luttrell, for sharing their character, bravery and patriotism.

EDIT: Added Matt Lauer video since previous was removed and post remains active.

Category: Books, Millitary, Video-TV | 8 Comments »
Tags: Books, luttrell, navy, seals

Posted By RichC on June 26, 2007

No big deal … but this weekend’s graduation trip took me to western New York in my little diesel Volkswagen and my TDI turned the odometer over to the sixth digit … 100,000 miles. As far as modern cars go, the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI has treated me very well. It has operated pretty much flawlessly with only scheduled maintenance. The biggest gripe I have had is with poor winter traction, odd tire wear creating noise but most is due to my tire choice AND lack of rotation. I bought a nice set of Kumho “Z” oversized higher performance tires from Jon Hamilton of RallyVW racing along with 16″ rims and although the slick weather performance is poor, the dry pavement grip is great (wear has been good too). That said, this autumn will have me looking for an all-weather performance tire.

As for the recent trip, the weather was beautiful and I took a few photos. Here are a couple of photos exiting off route 86 in western New York near Lake Chautauqua. The beautiful rest area in Bemus Point is worth a stop … especially if the weather is nice.

(click for larger photos)

Category: Archive, Automotive, Diesel, Photography, Photos, Travel, Volkswagen | 10 Comments »
Tags: biodiesel, biodzl, chautauqua, driving, jetta, new york, richc, tdi, Travel, volkswagen, western