Lonestar and ‘CallRec’ Software Test
Posted By RichC on May 29, 2007
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Donna Lange at the 2007 Bristol, RI Boat Show
Posted By RichC on May 28, 2007
Donna Lange and her boat “Inspired Insanity” will be at the Bristol Boat Show in Rhode Island on June 2nd and 3rd for those interested; perhaps this will be a final update until Donna’s book is published? She will be at the Boat show and will greet all who are interested, as well as entertaining passersby with her music. It will be an enjoyable time for anyone in the area who enjoys the waterfront, boats or following Donna’s voyage online. If you attend, be sure to say hello to Donna and give her a ‘hug’ from Rich.
Note from Donna:
We are getting ready for the Bristol Boatshow coming next weekend June 2&3. Inspired Insanity will be placed right along Independence Park’s stone wall as long as the weather isn’t tempestuous, giving all who come to the fair a look and feel for the living conditions that added to my experience. I’ll be playing music alongside friends and the bands scheduled to play from 11-3pm. To all the local followers, Please come by and enjoy the days!!
Memorial Day 2007 and a Birthday Bash Video
Posted By RichC on May 27, 2007
In remembrance of those who gave their lives for our country, I paused for a moment to retire our tattered flag and hoisted a new one. As a nation and a people we have so much … I thank God for our nation and for those who gave their lives to found, secure and protect her. Thank you also to all those who have served in this role … past and present.
This long holiday weekend was also Taylor and his good friend Katie’s end of year Birthday Bash. A couple local high school bands played some gentle melodious music, which I’m sure was enjoyed by our neighbors. [/sarcasm] Interesting after thought … we’ve had many larger parties at our house, but most of the time parents dropped off their kids; now that most are driving, the logistics of so many cars and finding a place to park kicked in.
At about 10 PM, I counted over 200 kids in our backyard and who knows how many more milling around the lake and still arriving? Cars were parked on both sides of the street, our yard (front and back) … some latecomers probably walked 1/4 mile. The early ‘daylight’ photos don’t do the crowd justice. Thankfully for us, most of Taylor and Katie’s friends are outstanding kids and very respectful toward each other, property and parents. Yes we had a few incidents along with ‘word of mouth party’ crashers, but even those kids were reasonably respectful. A quick word of ‘thanks’ to Katie’s parents for bravely helping to chaperone. What a way to kick off summer.
Here’s a video clip from the party …
Bought a new Troy-Bilt 4 cycle string trimmer
Posted By RichC on May 26, 2007
Oh … I bought a new toy this week; and I came on it by accident. After stopping in at several hardware stores, and shops that handle John Deere equipment, in an attempt to find a new spool head for my 2-cycle John Deere string trimmer — vintage 1980s — I ended up purchasing a semi-new one from the clearance area at my local Lowe’s. Not only did the difficultly in finding the proper replacement spool bother me, but I’ve never really liked the 2-cycle noisemaker style trimmers anyway. I’ve been using my trimmer for the past couple of decades in hopes it would wear out, but never really contemplate what there was to replace it. (FYI … I live on some acreage with a long fence line to trim — its a two tank job) Its been a great trimmer and is obviously very well made, but my options was to wait around while the John Deere dealer ordered the overpriced part or replace the whole feeder mechanism for about 30 dollars or so? I was about to do the later, when I spotted a returned and never used Troy-Bilt 4-cycle model selling for half-price. (new one’s were at $164 and the un-used model was $84) I couldn’t resist.
Nevertheless, when I returned home, there were a couple glitches. First, the ‘kill switch’ was wrapped with a large stiff plastic protector which was split to slip over the wires and plastic tied in place. It was poorly designed so I removed it and retaped the wires and fitted them so as not to get snagged. Second, and more annoying, the string spins clockwise … my old one was counter clockwise. Grrr. Third … there is no clutch. The 4-cycle has enough torque to spin the line all the time. Something that takes a little getting use too. Other than those three things, the new trimmer is a no-mix gas sipper and can trim almost everything at an idle. It\’s quiet and has no smoke mixed oil-gas smoke or smell — nice. I\’m not sure I like the no bump cast aluminum string holder yet, but with tougher line and a quick load system, it seems like it might be an improvement over the old wind-up and bump feed that I use to have. On a scale of 1 to 10 I\’ll rate it a 6 if you pay full price but an 8 if you can find it under $100. (noting the plastic parts, I doubt it will out last my old John Deere trimmer … I might just fix it anyway?)
Here\’s the ‘business end’ of the Troy-Bilt 4-cycle String Trimmer
Sprint Rev A expansion and biodiesel price update
Posted By RichC on May 25, 2007
After stopping at exit 151 on Interstate 71 this week, I noticed an improvement in the Sprint Power Vision data service while checking email. The higher speed data connection known as EV-DO Revision A, improves cellphone and data card connections to the Internet; this expansion is part of a nationwide improvement announced in October of 2006. I’ve been impressed at how quickly new areas, particularly rural, are coming online in Ohio. Coverage is almost solid from Cincinnati to Columbus and now much of I-71 from Columbus to Cleveland is coming online.
As I stopped to fill my Volkswagen Jetta TDI at the Mt. Gilead exit 151 renewable fuels Sunoco station, my normal stop. Biodiesel (B-20) was $2.80/gal today, while I’ve noticed that unleaded regular gasoline was regularly seen at $3.49/gal after the 30 cent increase earlier this week. (did see a $3.09 gasoline in Lodi, Ohio earlier on Thursday)
Wal-Mart to begin selling Dell computers
Posted By RichC on May 24, 2007
Hewlett-Packard has been growing their market for HP personal computers (especially notebooks) through retailers in contrast to the direct sales approach of Dell Computer. As reflected in recent stock performance, HP in a sluggish market is up nearly 100% in two years vs. Dell’s decline of nearly 30% over the same period. Profitably selling computers in recent years has been challenging for Dell using their traditional direct sales model and have announced that they have worked a deal to use retail giant Wal-Mart to begin selling two of their desktop models. Wal-Mart will sell both Dell models below $700 at over 3,500 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada beginning June 10.
click for larger view comparing Dell to HP stock over 2 years
Pandora: Music for “some” Sprint phones
Posted By RichC on May 24, 2007
“Pandora on the Go” is a new service partnering the excellent Pandora Music service with Sprint mobile phones. The outstanding “music genome project” allows users to create personalized music listening criteria for your computer or now your Sprint cellphone. A good set of earbuds or headphones is a ‘must’ — unless you like listening to music from a cellphone speaker … I didn’t think so.
🙂
The ability to take streamed Pandora music where ever you go instead of XM or Sirius satellite radio (or even MP3 players) might be worth it for music lovers, but considering it requires the Sprint Power Vision data service and will probably zap your cellphone battery, it might not be the best use of your cellphone?
Nevertheless, I was going to give the music service a try on my Sprint based Palm Treo 700p, but at this moment the Treos are not supported — bummer. Pandora is available on these Sprint phones as of May 2007: Samsung A900, Samsung A920, LG Fusic, Sanyo 7500 and Sanyo 8400. The service is free for 30 days, but after that it comes at a $2.99 monthly fee plus Sprint data plan. (If you are an existing Pandora subscriber –$36 annually — you do not have to pay an additional subscription fee but still need the Sprint Power Vision data plan.)
New Cincinnati based company to build EVs
Posted By RichC on May 23, 2007
Jack Kuntz the president and CEO opened the doors of a new company in Blue Ash, Ohio call AMP. Mr. Kuntz, along with co-founder and engineer Steve Burns, welcomed the press and interested parties to a lunch where they unveiled their first project car, a new Saturn Sky which will be stripped and converted into an all-electric model.
According to Mr. Burns, the cars built by AMP will achieve the equivalent of 125 mpg, run for 150 miles per charge and will plug into a 110 volt outlet of the owners garage. He brags that it will also be quick, claiming 0 t0 60 speeds of 6 seconds and be affordable. Personally I’m not sure how they intend to do this quite yet, considering they “will use the best in technology from battery and electric motor manufacturers all controlled with AMP’s proprietary software,” … Hmm??? Not only will they be stripping new internal combustion vehicles that they intend on converting … $$$, but they intend to build 300 ‘like’ vehicles. Kuntz and Burns believe the market and the people of Cincinnati are ready for clean, efficient, 100% electric ‘second or third’ cars … I have my doubts that they can do this and keep it affordable? (perhaps it all depends on ones definition of affordable?)
EDIT: Notice a Cincinnati Enquirer article mentioning that the cars were estimated to sell for under $50,000.
A crowd of about 50 were on hand for the announcement and were treated to a motivational speech by well known Moeller High School football coach (as well as University of Notre Dame and University of Akron coach) Gerry Faust.
Photo: Gerry Faust (L) and Jack Kuntz (R)
Gasoline jumps 30 cent in SW Ohio today
Posted By RichC on May 22, 2007
Today in Cincinnati (5/22) the price of gasoline is starting to “faze” folks. The spike in gas prices is the talk at nearly every stop I’ve made today. By afternoon, most stations boosted prices 30 cents for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline. It was averaging about $3.18 and is now easily $3.49. (some stations are higher)
I’ve recently registered for a pre-price change message to cell phone service that is offered by Meijer Supercenter They are a combination big box retail and grocery store based out of Michigan that also sells fuel. In fact they are currently testing B20 in Ann Arbor and our CinciTDI group is petitioning to get it in Ohio. The new text message service will notify cellphones a few hours before increasing prices. Today’s came in about 4 hours before the 1:30 price change. Since I’m not driving the ‘gas’ car today it doesn’t matter too much, but it was still nice to get the morning warning that by 1:30PM the price would go up 30 cents. Problem … when I drove by at noon the lines were long since they were still priced low … too many participants perhaps?
Driving, cellphones and extravagant perks
Posted By RichC on May 21, 2007
At first read, the story in the San Francisco Chronicle is interesting because California State Senator Carole Migden voted for a bill that fined people for using their cellphone while driving, yet she ends up driving with a cellphone and rearends a Honda sending a person to the hospital. How ironic. At a second read, I noticed that California supplies their state senators with “state issued” cars that are quiet extravagant. Her current damaged car was a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV which replace “her previous tax-payer funded 2005 Cadillac STS.” The question comes to my mind is Why do elected congressmen and women need such extravagant vehicles; wouldn’t a normal 4 door Ford or Chevy suffice?
State Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, was involved in an auto accident on Highway 12 in Solano County this morning that left one person with minor injuries, California Highway Patrol said.
The senator rear-ended a 2005 Honda sedan, which was slowing to a stop behind a van that had already stopped at a red signal light at the intersection of Beck Avenue and Highway 12, said CHP spokesman Marvin Williford. Migden told CHP officers that she had gotten lost while driving to Marin County for a noon meeting when the accident occurred. Migden’s office released a statement saying that her cell phone rang and in reaching for the phone, she took her eyes off the road.
The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. No one else was hurt, Williford said.
The senator was given a breathalyzer test, which showed she wasn’t under the influence of alcohol. No citation were issued, which is typical for minor accidents like this that have no other independent eyewitnesses, Williford said.
She was driving her new state-issued 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV, which replaced her previous tax-payer funded 2005 Cadillac STS.
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.