My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on October 4, 2006

Windows Users be warned: think twice before running bootleg copies of new Microsoft software … as not only will the software giant refuse updates, but according to an Associated Press article they will begin to “curtail functionality.” The software piracy intervention is just another step toward fending off the multi-billion dollar illegal software business … I mean ‘criminal activity.’

Most Microsoft users have been aware of the ‘call home’ features/snooping that happens with current versions of the Windows XP operating system, but for the most part its done in a gentle way and hasn’t restricted useage if Microsoft software found not to be licensed for that particular machine. This is about to change with the launch of Windows Vista as according to Thomas Lindeman, Microsofts senior product manager, the system will “curtail functionality much further by restricting users to just the Web browser for an hour at a time.” The company is also taking an even more agressive step since hackers have learned to just prevent the OS from ‘calling home’ — so the system will now be able to perform some piracy checks internally, without contacting Microsoft over the internet.

According to the article, Microsoft has the right to curtail illegal distribution of its software, but that these new agressive anti-piracy tactics will keep some people from upgrading to Vista. I suspect that many, even legitimate software users, will slow their purchase of Vista and instead continue to run XP. Vista is expected to be released to businesses first, possibly in November 2006 and then to the public in January of 2007.

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Posted By RichC on October 3, 2006

Let’s talk about the new 2007 Honda CR-V … even though its not a diesel although a diesel will be coming [see link1 and 2]. They will also have a unique self-contained catalyst system that will help meet new stringent US emission standards. That aside, Honda has made significant investments near my home town and western Ohio; they continue to expand production facilities in western Ohio. (Indiana too) They have been a well received employer in the rural areas and have retained their Japanese reputation of quality in the U.S. facilities. It is a shame domestically owned companies continue to play catch-up both in perception and reality.
🙁
Honda of America History:
The US corporation was established in 1979 to build motorcycles and added car production in 1982. It’s comprised of four Ohio manufacturing plants – the Marysville Auto Plant, the East Liberty Auto Plant, the Anna Engine Plant and the original facility, the Marysville Motorcycle Plant. Honda employment in Ohio totals about 16,000. Major operations include Honda R&D Americas Inc. in Raymond; Honda Transmission Mfg. Inc. in Russells Point; Honda Engineering North America Inc. in Marysville and Anna; and the American Honda Motor Co. Inc. service parts and procurement center in Troy. (my first Honda was an imported ‘primer-gray’ 1977 Civic two-door Sedan – photo above – and it served me well.)

The cross-over Honda CR-V:
The Honda CR-V has been heavily redesigned and is being produced in the East Liberty Ohio Plant, which is the same facility that builds the Honda Civic Sedan and Honda Element; it began producing cars in 2002. The plant runs two shifts each day and as shift one did the majority of the work including the painting on the first American built
CR-V, the second shift did the final assembly and rolled the Nighthawk Black Pearl CR-V off the line at 7:17 p.m. on Monday. I can’t say I “CRaVe” the small SUV, but it does look like a nice all-wheel drive vehicle. (bias? … we own a Honda Pilot?)
Although the CR-V is built in the East Liberty Ohio plant, it receives many of the components from other local facilities, including the engine in the Anna, Ohio engine plant only 40 miles away. The new ‘crossover’ 2007 CR-V is expected to go on sale later this week and includes safely improvements as well as aerodynamic styling. The six airbags, antilock brakes, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) are all standard in the new CR-V. Here is a brief flash video review of the CR-V by Motorweek. (aired 9/30/2006)

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Posted By RichC on October 3, 2006

For Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006, the Dow Jones Industrial Average close at its highest level ever at 11,727.74 after spiking at 11,758.95. The surge in stocks was credited to oil slumping to a 14-month low. The thinking is that lower energy costs will boost consumer spending and prevent a slowdown in the U.S. economy.

One Year Chart of DJI – Oct 2005 – Oct 2006

Intraday chart of DJI for 10/3/2006

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Posted By RichC on October 2, 2006

Some of you might have remembered reading my comments on Sling Media and the very cool Slingbox. The device hooks up to your home or office broadband network AND to a cable tv signal and transmits television (or even DVR recordings) over the Internet through proprietary software where ever you decide to connect. (the faster connection the better) Interestingly, with the advent of high speed data plans and video capable phones offered by cellphone companies, it possible to start ‘slinging’ to a phone.

About 6 months ago Sling Media offered their software for Window Mobile devices like the Motorola Q, Palm Treo 700w and others. Palm OS and Symbian devices heard very little about ‘slinging’ on devices running their operating systems … until now. It looks as if Sling might be working on something as we speak. The folks over at Engadget just posted an ‘update’ after talking to Sling and they indeed confirmed that their will be a Symbian and a Palm OS player for the Slingbox. What they have concluded is that the the Mac client will come first, followed by the Symbian client within 30 days and finally a Palm client in the fourth quarter. I will anxiously await this new client for my Palm Treo 700p and post as so as I get the beta running. (I’ve been on the beta list at Sling Media since May!)

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Posted By RichC on October 1, 2006

Since the Cincinnati Bengals game is at 4:30pm today, I had a chance to cut the backyard grass (with the help of my son) and finish adding a stone drainage area behind the garage. (Treo 700p cell phone photo) Really this is just an excuse to see if my phone to blog is still up and running.
🙂
EDIT: Used Preloadr to tweak my Flickr photo.

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Tags: backyard, poolhouse, project, rock, stone, wheelbarrow

Posted By RichC on October 1, 2006

The interior of Virgin Galactic’s Space Ship Two was unveiled at the New York Wired Nextfext by Sir Richard Branson this past week. The notable enterpreneur announced that “It won’t be much different than this.” He comments that “It’s strange to think that in 12 months we’ll be unveiling the actual plane, and then test flights will commence right after that.”
The “spaceliners” will be built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, California by the company well know for pioneering many aviation ventures. Two or the most famous projects were Virgin Atlantics Global Flyer and the $10-million dollar X-prize winning Space Ship One designed by veteran aerospace designer Burt Rutan. (see Airventure photos and comments from 2005) The new Space Ship Two will be belly launched much like the smaller Space Ship One on from a much larger plane being built especially for the job call White Knight Two, after the first hauler White Knight One. According to Virgin Galatic president Will Whitehorn, the ‘spaceliner’ is designed to seat eight people – two pilot and six paying passengers – and pay they will considering the initial ticket price is $200,000. The flight will be about 2-1/2 hours and rocket to a maximum of 68 miles above the earth after being release at 60,000 feet by White Knight Two.

Test flights are scheduled to begin in early 2008 and eventually take passengers up from a ‘spaceport’ being built in New Mexico call Spaceport America. An interesting understated challenge is that of building the massive White Knight Two. It will be the size of a Boeing 757 and double as a training platform for passenger prior to space flight. According to Space.com, there have been 4447 astronauts to date; Virgin Galactic should change that considering they will eventually be scheduling 2 flight per week.

If you are short dollars for a Space Ship Two ticket, you could do what Alan Watts from England has done. He has cashed in his two million frequent flyer miles earned in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club which are valid with new sister company Virgin Galactic. At aged 51, his space flight has been scheduled for 2009.

Sir Richard Branson

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Posted By RichC on September 30, 2006

I’m generally not attracted to poetry, or classical prose for that matter, but I do have a couple of favorites. One such poet is Robert Frost who’s recently discovered poem is being published in the Virginia Quarterly Review. The poem entitled “War Thoughts at Home” was discovered 88 years after it was handwritten in the front of close friend’s book by graduate student Robert Stilling. Frost, who died in 1963, wrote the poem in distress after loosing a friend in 1918 during World War I according to scholars. Although this is not the first Frost poem to be discovered this way, it might be the last.

The somber 35 line poem was uncovered as Stilling was cataloging the papers of Frost’s friend Frederic Melcher, who in 1947 wrote a letter which referred to an unpublished handwritten poem in a copy of Frost’s book “North of Boston”. For an indepth read of Frost’s original notetaking, Harvard University Press has an 848 page transcription the details the thoughts of this “loved and misunderstood writer.”

Since I can’t leave you with the new poem, I’ll offer up one of my two favorites, maybe I’ll use the other one another time?
🙂
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost -1915

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

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Posted By RichC on September 29, 2006

The rain and cold front passed, the sky cleared and the sun melted behind a scenic Ohio farm setting as I made my usual 4 hour drive home from Cleveland to Cincinnati last night. The soothing autumn sun set made for a relaxing trip as it disappeared behind fields of future renewable fuel.
😉
Fuel prices were down again this week which should be good news for consumers and our pocketbooks; this is particularly helpful since heating season is right around the corner. I noticed Flying J was selling diesel for $2.37/gallon along Interstate 71 and that some independent stations even posted gasoline under $2.00/gallon. I talked with someone yesterday who even filled up with unleaded gasoline for $1.94/gallon!

I’ve made my regular fueling stop the new renewable fuel Sunoco at exit 151 off of Interstate 71. Since its opening my Volkswagen Jetta TDI has been sipping (45.5mpg) from their biodiesel pump. This week I topped off with 14.57 gallons of B20 at $2.53.

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Tags: alternative, biodiesel, fuel, ohio, renewable, sunset

Posted By RichC on September 28, 2006

***Click for larger version of this chart***

The chief measuring stick for the stock market, the Dow Jones Industrials, closed at 11,718.45 and briefly traded at record levels today. Shortly after the 9:30 market open, the index was trading above its record high close of 11,722.98 set back on January 14th, 2000. For some this milestone seems to pale in comparison to the crazy euphoria day after day record highs of the 90’s stock market boom; to others today’s high was a thankful relief, a relief to have weathered terrorism, corporate scandals and a recession. Many believe we are now seeing the effects of better management, tax relief and a carefully managed federal reserve — all crucial for steady growth. Although the market has been rising since its low in 2002, it has not been without its doubters. The years end and possible political change could prove to be the ‘pin’ if our recent high is indeed a ‘bubble?’ As we approach that ‘investor dreaded’ month of October, some are preparing their portfolios for a possible correction while others continue to bully the market forward working to make up for the weaker investment returns that were notable in the first half of this decade. I have to admit, from an investors standpoint, the recent trading above 11,000 and the uncertainly of this November’s mid-term election sends a chill down my spine.

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Posted By RichC on September 27, 2006

Venezuelan-controlled Citgo Petroleum Corporation is being dumped as gasoline supplier for the convenience store operator 7-Eleven according to a statement released by the company. This is a major chance for 7-Eleven since the two companies have had close relationship considering Citgo has supplied 7-Eleven’s 2,100 locations for 20 years. The action comes only a week afterw derogatory comments were made by President Hugo Chavez toward the President of the United States. In a speech delivered to the United Nations Chavez went so far as to refer to President Bush as “the devil.”

Earlier this year, the conservative American Family Association pushed boycott action against Citgo due to it being a Venezuelan government controlled company who’s President openly chastised American and its President. The attention and ongoing feud between countries, and more accurately ‘leaders,’ generated some comments on this blog back in March of 2006.

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