My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on June 20, 2007

Its hard to tell what the future will hold, but from the sound of things (CNBC intro below), there are is a significant number in America not preparing properly for retirement. No … I’m not talking about only the unemployed and ‘working poor’ … I’m talking about people living paycheck to paycheck picking up their morning “latte” at Starbucks, taking $10 – 20 lunch breaks and buying a new cars with the equity in their home while they carry balances on credit cards. Its a frightening thought considering as a nation we might be facing a very unprepared group of senior citizens. How are we going to handle millions of unprepared elderly Americans if they haven’t prepare now while they can? Social Security is bleeding and company pensions are non-existent … how deep with the younger generation dig in order to take care those unwilling to sacrifice a few pleasures today to secure their own retirement?

Category: Financial, Video-TV | 2 Comments »
Tags: cnbc, Poll, retirement, social security

Posted By RichC on June 19, 2007

Mark July 6 on your schedule to TIVO, DVR or in person TV watching … the ‘Jericho Nuts‘ have put the CBS program back on the air! This is good news since besides the lousy cable news shows, Jericho is/was one of only two TV show my wife and I watched or Tivo-ed. (the other is “House”)
A little history … yes I was part of the Internet petition movement too … but didn’t quite go the “Nuts” route. There was such an uproar from the rabid Jericho fans that CBS has decided to renewed for 7 more episodes beginning on July 6th this summer. (9PM Friday time slot) Those supporting the show started a campaign, a huge petition list and number of letters to CBS … AND eventually a few “nuts” were sent to CBS – just a few.
🙂

CBS actually estimated that 20 Tons of “Nuts” arrived to their NYC and LA offices from around the country. The nuts campaign was started after the show was canceled and the fans meeting online in a forum started to ‘nuke’ the CBS boards … and those of other shows. CBS threatened to take down the boards unless that kind of activity stopped. It did and a movement replicating the final episode where the neighboring town radioed Jericho for their surrender. The answer was the same as it was in WWII by pinned down US troops to the Germans expecting surrender. A single word “NUTS” was the only reply by the American commander General MacAuliffe gave in the battle of the Bulge … and the same when the town of Jericho was asked to surrender to the neighboring New Bern. So fans of the show decided to send ‘nuts’ … and they did …. and in enough quantity to get a positive answer from CBS.

“Jericho” returns to CBS lineup on July 6
Start cracking and spreading the word, all you “Jericho” nuts: You favorite series returns to the CBS lineup July 6.
The series pilot will air 9 o’clock, which becomes the drama’s summer time slot.
The next week, on July 13, CBS will air a recap of the first 11 episodes at 8 p.m. Then episode 12 will air at 9. For the rest of the summer, CBS will repeat the last 12 episodes.
CBS last week renewed the canceled series for seven episodes, which start at midseason.
A campaign by “Jericho” fans, which included sending tons of nuts to CBS executives, led the network to bring back the series.
CBS’ Friday schedule for summer, starting July 13, will be “Ghost Whisperer” at 8; “Jericho” at 9; “Numb3rs” at 10.
“Jericho” will replace “Close to Home,” which was not renewed.

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Posted By RichC on June 19, 2007

My wife has admired the Volkswagen EOS ‘retractable hardtop’ convertible ever since it appeared in 2006. She is attracted to it first because it is a convertible, second because its not a soft-top convertible and third because it drives like a sporty VW (we did test drive an EOS with the DSG and turbo 2.0L, but found the manual 6 speed better for the low torque 4 cylinder gasser). The front wheel drive (with the right tires) should help the slippery road handling over other rear drive hardtop convertibles, and the huge sunroof is perfect for letting the late fall, winter and spring sun in — unique to Volkswagen. As for summer … who doesn’t love a small top down sports car capable of 30 mpg’s on the highway selling for under $30,000? Still we’re not quite sold … we’re hoping the one debuting in the UK eventually makes it to North America. A 140 HP TDI EOS clean diesel in my opinion should top 40 mpg and be a unique car. Wow … a TDI Volkswagen with a retractable top — now that would be a TDI lover’s dream car!

There is one downside to a retractable hardtop … trunk space. If you’ve got to have room for 4 and still have trunk space… the EOS is not for you. BUT compared to two seat convertibles or the ones which pretend to have seating for four, the EOS gives you a reasonable back seat to toss in the occasional bag of groceries or overnight luggage. Besides, the EOS isn’t suppose to take the place of the family minivan or SUV.

I concur with the Motorweek gang … its the best of convertible of 2007.

Category: Misc, Volkswagen | 2 Comments »
Tags: volkswagen

Posted By RichC on June 18, 2007

Since I’m in town, I decided to pinch pennies and fill up the Honda Pilot before the 1:30 PM price increase; I was notified on my cellphone by the Meijer Gas Price Text Alert service. (also used four $1 off coupons accumulated by grocery shopping at Meijers) I’m finding the ‘warnings’ a help and a frustration depending on if I need gasoline or am in town. Nevertheless, knowing when fuel prices are going to jump does make one smile, especially filling just before the price goes up 30 cents per gallon!

Today I topped off with 3/4 of a tank of unleaded regular for $2.82 and filled up my 5 gallon lawn mower ‘jerry jug.’ If the price increases are what they have been … it will have justified the lunchtime fill up. Now if I can only get them to bring B-20 biodiesel to their Ohio locations!

Category: Energy, Misc | No Comments »
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Posted By RichC on June 17, 2007

First let me wish all the dads a Happy Father’s Day. Let’s just hope that all dads get the special gift I did from their pets. My pooch, Tootsie, decided to bring me another unique specie. She has brought home and rolled in most of the normal dead animals: rabbits, dead cats, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, about every kind of bird and even a fox a couple months ago. Today’s “gift” looks more like a feret or a weasel of some type. Any guesses? (click for larger images)

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Posted By RichC on June 16, 2007

Volkswagen’s Driver Magazine published a listing of ‘authorized’ VW Club gatherings for the summer of 2007 for those interested in all things VW. More information on becoming an ‘authorized’ VW Club can be found on the VW website. (CinciTDI and the TDIClub are not ‘authorized club.’ The 2007 TDIFest will be in Montreal, Canada … August 31-Sept. 2)

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Posted By RichC on June 15, 2007

As a amateur photographer and someone who enjoys improving technology, a new development coming from Eastman Kodak could provide a huge leap forward for low light photography (article link). Imagine being able to take clear and sharp photos without having to resort to flash units? Although I’d love to have it on my ‘big lens’ digital SLR, they would make even more sense on a cell phone or PDA camera. One of these Kodak filters would have been great for these photos I took last night. They were around a bonfire my son and his Young Life group had in our backyard … I should have at least brought out my tripod!

Filter pledges crisp photos in low light
Digital technology boasts 2-to-4-times improvement in light sensitivity

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A year from now, capturing a crisp, clear image of a candlelit birthday party could be a piece of cake — even with a camera phone.

Eastman Kodak Co. said Thursday it has developed a color-filter technology that at least doubles the sensitivity to light of the image sensor in every digital camera, enabling shutterbugs to take better pictures in poor light.

“Low light can mean trying to get a good image indoors of your kid blowing out the birthday candles. It can mean you want to take a photograph on a street corner in Paris at midnight,” said Chris McNiffe, general manager of the photography company’s image sensor business. “We’re talking about a 2-to-4-times improvement in (light) sensitivity.”

Continue article at MSNBC

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Posted By RichC on June 14, 2007

I took a quick couple cellphone photos of a damaged 2000 Volkswagen TDI 5 speed at Mason Auto Sales. (used car lot) It doesn’t look all that bad, has 145,000 miles and might make someone a good college car. Great for biodiesel and its hard to beat 45+ mpg! (full post over at CinciTDI’s classified section)

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Posted By RichC on June 13, 2007

Quick post to update renewable fuels pricing as high nationwide fuel prices inch back down from their highs. I paid $2.84/gallon for B-20 biodiesel; petroleum diesel at the truckstop across Interstate 71 was at $2.68. Unleaded regular was selling under $3.00/gallon at most stations from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Ohio this week.

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Posted By RichC on June 13, 2007

Imagine every cell phone in the United States with built in environmental threat detectors (radiation, chemical, etc) combined with GPS and the ability to send this data to the US Department of Homeland Security. According to the two companies (Gentag, Inc. and eV PRODUCTS) working on this technology, cell phone-detector system could save millions of lives by identifying major threats very quickly, even before they occur. Surprisingly, deployment of sensors is already taking place in many areas besides PDA and cell phones, and the plan to include individual cell phones will close the loop.

Dr. John Peeters, founder of Gentag, claims that his companies “patented technology provides the components to address the US Department of Homeland Security’s recently announced vision of creating a low- cost, nationwide, wireless, sensor-network blanket based on cell phones.”

Rick Smith at eV PRODUCTS states that “Our line of miniature, mobile sensors is enabling the mass deployment of ubiquitous, smart, radiation-sensor systems in devices like cell phones.”

Gentag, Inc. is a technology-development company focusing on innovative, low-cost, wireless sensor technologies. The company owns unique intellectual property relating to cell-phone sensor combinations and wireless sensor networks, including patent 7,109,859.

eV PRODUCTS, a division of II-VI Incorporated (NASDAQ: IIVI) , is a premier manufacturer and supplier of solid-state radiation sensor technologies used in security, industrial, and medical applications. eV PRODUCTS maintains the largest Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) crystal growth facility in the world dedicated exclusively to enable next generation ionizing radiation sensing markets.

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