Interesting … and true when I first looked at it. How about you?
RichC | March 14, 2024
RichC | March 14, 2024
RichC | March 9, 2024
Language usage is not one of my particular strengths … therefore I’m with the thought that “when in doubt reach for whom over who, just to be safe. Then get the ‘overcorrected’ mistakes …” — LINK A trick to figure it out, which we’ve mentioned before, is to substitute he or she in your sentence—and […]
RichC | February 22, 2024
As an Apple eater, I’ve personally always wanted a simple way to know which and why I enjoy certain Apples. After seeing this chart, I thought it was worth sharing.
RichC | February 20, 2024
As a non-lawyer and someone who rarely finds a reason (or interest) in learning about our legal system, discussions arise and certain terms batted around that require more understanding. Last week it was the term “Amicus Brief” so figured it was worth adding to MyDesultoryBlog.com as a “tidbit“… not that anybody reading really wants to […]
RichC | February 17, 2024
As an entrepreneur who has owned a business that sells in several Ohio counties and collects sales taxes (all counties are different), I do monitor the steady sales tax percentage increase over the decades of doing business. It is also interesting to know how managing a business in Ohio compares to other states (click map […]
RichC | January 28, 2024
An email newsletter from the Tax Foundation offered up a few interesting tax oriented tidbits. Lady Godiva As the story goes, Lady Godiva famously rode a horse through Coventry, Warwickshire . . . in the nude. But why did this 11th-century noblewoman choose to do such a thing? Taxes. Lady Godiva pleaded with her husband, […]
RichC | January 26, 2024
This will probably excite my geeky readers on a Tech Friday … but am trying to decide if old 3-1/2” disks should be trashed or used at “disposable” drink coasters. BTW, who remembers Apple Computer’s Hypercard? EDIT: Thought … perhaps making thin wooden bases and inlay a disk to make a more creative coaster.
RichC | January 25, 2024
A post from over a decade ago highlighted a beach find that was rather unique for the east coast of Florida … a BIG eye … so figure for this ThrowBack Thursday #TBT it would be a way to then comment on a Portuguese Man O’ War spawn this week along Delray Beach. Although there […]
RichC | January 17, 2024
What parent hasn’t made that Great White Shark face and an excellent sailboat name.
RichC | January 11, 2024
All woodworkers making projects tinker with making joints and deciding on which ones are best for their drawers, frames and boxes. I’ve experimented with a variety usually based on traditional construction and visual appeal. BUT I also assumed certain joints were stronger an provided both glue and mechanical strength necessary (ie. drawers getting closed and […]
RichC | December 29, 2023
The IRS has set the new tax brackets to adjust for inflation beginning in January 2024. The update is to shift higher by 5.4%, but for 2023 taxes that most of us will be filing before April 15 and saw even more “bracket creep” due to the previously year’s inflation. Here are the changes […]
RichC | December 6, 2023
Read the full article in Phys.org Ok … so it is not “manned,” but check out these physics facts from Discover Magazine anyway 😉 Q: Why does the moon always present the same face to us? I find it impossible to believe that this could happen by chance. — Michael Connelly, Toronto A: Nope, not […]
RichC | December 2, 2023
Loved this @Rainmaker1973 X.com post about digital storage and in particular USB flash drives (also enjoyed the photo): Nope. Paradoxically (and theoretically), the more you save on a flash drive, the lighter it gets. USB drives use Flash memory, which means the the ones and zeros of the data are stored on transistors. When you […]
RichC | November 21, 2023
RichC | November 15, 2023
After one year of Costco Executive membership it was time to ask the “is it worth it” question. Thankfully for us, after one year, it did pay for itself for the first year. For us, at least for the first year, being an Executive Member vs Gold Star Member at Costco did pay off, but […]
RichC | November 12, 2023
While looking thorough my library borrowed e-version copy of Woodworker’s Journal magazine (Oct/Nov 2023), I scanned an interesting tip. Since the paraffin wax that I usually apply to a heated wood screw take a little more effort (butane torch the screw threads and stick it in the wax), I thought I might try this great […]
RichC | November 5, 2023
So here’s a piece of advice that I really should have clearly known before my age. Old Spice High Endurance deodorant is significantly better than Classic deodorant (said to be discontinued … and now I know why). Don’t ever think you are going to save a buck buying the steeply-discounted 3-pack of Classic deodorant when […]
RichC | October 4, 2023
As the leaves begin to fall, it is a reminder that winter is around the corner. Will it be a harsh one or mild? Check with the Woolly Bear. Canadian and U.S. folklore holds that the relative amounts of brown and black hair on a larva indicate the severity of the coming winter. It is […]
RichC | October 3, 2023
Let’s just call this a PSA since I’ve been busy rethinking My Desultory Blog themes after updating to PHP 8.2 and how at least use the thousands of old blog entries for reference … or more precisely, remembering things! Anyway, the monthly “Archives” section is the same (select a previous month), but the “Calendar” was […]
RichC | September 25, 2023
How to hang a picture on a nail with a fork social media household tip (short video below).
RichC | September 23, 2023
I had to laugh at myself the while reading one of the World War II Pacific Island campaign history books then looking up at my cork wall and trying to “pinch-to-zoom” the paper map for more details. Oh, the tech habits we adopt! And since this is a random kind of filler humor post, below […]
RichC | September 5, 2023
There was an interesting tidbit shared on X.com (formerly Twitter) that highlighted in graphical color where a states population was born. It highlights movements from different areas of the country to other areas, populations who were not transient … as well as what state people born outside the US made home.
RichC | August 26, 2023
Since I now have a few more featherboards to use with my table saw and router table, it seemed like a good idea to add a couple T-Tracks. Most modern woodworking workshops now seem to use these anodized aluminum tracks for a variety of purposes … they will be helpful for hold downs on my […]
RichC | August 24, 2023
While visiting with my extended family at my Uncle Sonny’s Celebration of Life earlier this month, a few of us exchanged phone numbers so we could better stay in touch. My cousin Dan forwarded a paper that highlighted my Grandfather Corbett’s Sinclair gas station and Earl’s Auto Service in South Toledo. It was interesting to […]
RichC | August 18, 2023
Proton Mail offers a free email service with limitations … as expected. There is a paid version which over time I’ve contemplated switching to for both the enhanced privacy and ability to use my old original business email domain: whatevername@cppnet.com. The monthly (yearly) subscription price is reasonable, but since I already run several Linux servers […]
RichC | August 2, 2023
RichC | July 31, 2023
Today’s Music Monday song by Looking Glass is one nearly every generation that enjoys pop music would find difficult not to like. Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) is about as popular as a song can get in the early 1970s. It rose to #1 in the charts in 1972. Interesting tidbit: Following the song’s release […]
RichC | July 26, 2023
Katelyn and Drew brought us back some Rowdy barbecue sauce when they took a trip to Tennessee in the spring. I didn’t get a chance to use it until last week — chicken wings in the toaster oven (better than Buffalo sauce?) Anyway, a belated thanks; it is delicious. A chart/graph in the WSJ last […]
RichC | July 18, 2023
Nothing earth shattering from the working around the house projects, but archiving a couple photos from staining a section of last years repaired fence … to more repairing of fences as well as using TiteBond 3 glue as before (this could be a forever project — our fences are deteriorating A LOT). I was going […]
RichC | July 8, 2023
Once you learn something and then hear it used incorrectly, it makes me cringe. I wanted to correct someone on the news last week using the phrase “handle with kid gloves” … knowing the original was to “handle with kit gloves.” Oh well … Origin The origin of the term ‘kit gloves’ can be tracked […]
RichC | July 7, 2023
One of the TWO reasons that I’ve opted for the Ridgid brand of cordless power tools is their LSA … which I’ve used once before on a couple of early batteries. Besides the minor hassle in registering and filing a claim, it seems to be the right way to go considering the problems with tools […]
RichC | July 2, 2023
While contemplating a previous idea for a router guide (photo) … and waiting for paint to dry (it was raining on Saturday), I made a push sled for my router table. I’m not sure the hold down will really do much, but added it with a couple spare parts from my drill press table. Edit: […]
RichC | July 1, 2023
Before I archive clipped workshop tips and ideas to a computer folder (saved in a place I will never look again => #humor), ideas that I’ve snipped from a variety of library borrowed woodworking magazines, I’m going to save them to my blog. If I were sharing and posting correctly, I would footnote or at […]
RichC | June 24, 2023
Most of us know from Geography class that the country of Chile in South America is a narrrow but l-o-n-g country … but may not have a perspective as to it’s entire length. A “map website,” BrilliantMaps, that I follow on Twitter posted a couple photos illustrating just how long (or tall) it is. It […]
RichC | June 21, 2023
Who doesn’t enjoy mind benders … especially when it comes to well know art such as Vincent Gogh‘s “Starry Night“ … mentioned in a previous Meniere’s post. Look at the center dot in the top image and press play until the short video ends. Then look at the Vincent van Gogh artwork below it. Mind […]
RichC | May 30, 2023
The next time the LED chip malfunctions or “burns out,” I may try this hack … although instead of taping on a piece of foil … I think I’ll use solder.
RichC | May 10, 2023
My library borrowing and Kindle game caught up with me this week as the book I borrowed, “Metathreats,” (and was in the middle of reading) expired … but because I have been keeping my Kindle in “Airplane Mode,” I continued reading. Generally I can’t finish a book without renewing so will often put my Kindle […]
RichC | May 9, 2023
Although few of us getting older really want to spend too much time highlighting “yet another” birthday, last weekend was mine … so I celebrated by hauling 68 pounds of aluminum cans to the recycler (above). Since we were with KDAE the previous weekend … and Taylor stops in regularly (twice this past week) and […]
RichC | May 3, 2023
Taxes are often on my mind … especially when reminded by an email update from the Tax Foundation. This week was both a depressing one (Ohio #41) and an interesting one due to the number of states and cities trying hard to reduce the burden of bloated government on their residents. I would nice if […]
RichC | April 21, 2023
Although my first computer was a Compaq Portable (I still have it and I think it still boots up) … my second computer was a Macintosh SE with a giant 20MB HD … the more successful and lower price version of the Lisa. Did you know that the Apple Lisa turned 40 this year? How […]
RichC | April 8, 2023
I’m not really sure where the data for this map came from or if it is accurate (??) … but it is something to think about.
RichC | April 5, 2023
Have you ever wondered why we use paste and powder (old school) to brush out teeth? Probably not … since I never gave it much thought until seeing Bite Toothpaste Bits. Brilliant idea … although the price point is keeping me from giving them a try. It is great to see ingenutiy still works and […]
RichC | March 12, 2023
This past week my son Taylor and I had a father-son dinner together at Chili’s and enjoyed some “desultory” conversation … from the Ukraine-Russia war to ChatGPT. Eventually he commented, “Dad, you should let the AI system write or rewrite your blog posts.” Hm … how about I just ask the Chatbot to write […]
RichC | March 3, 2023
Snipped a couple of social media shared images this past week that may not be completely truthful … but they do trigger thinking about one’s “personal growth” and how easily we are manipulated by “fear.” So .. open your mind, be thoughtful and willing to entertain different views with polite debate and discussion. Most of […]
RichC | January 22, 2023
Reading periodicals from the library on the computer is not really something I do … but last week while checking out a couple of ebooks (one avaiilable the other on a long hold), I looked at the latest issue of the Woodworkers Journal magazine and realized just how much the iPad app for reading digital […]
RichC | January 17, 2023
You would think that after 60+ years that I would comfortably remember which spelling of for the past tense of ‘cancel’ was the common American English version and which was British English version. When it comes to a few words that I stumble over, I still need to check with Merriam-Webster. British vs. American English […]
RichC | January 13, 2023
Although I’m not sure what kind of art this is … it will be included as a Filler Friday video. It does appeal to me since it the artist or craftsman uses tools and nails to create a pixel or stippling. This is some pretty impressive work below.
RichC | January 3, 2023
The Lake Superior State University list of banished words from 2022 for 2023 is out! It has been fun to regularly include their words and a link on MyDesultoryBlog … it has become a January tradition! Check out their full archive by year from when it started in 1976. This year, nominations came from […]
RichC | December 30, 2022
Prior to 2022, I managed phone numbers and contacts on my iPhone poorly – perhaps “the wrong way.” Every year I created a new A/SPAM list of callers and emailers and self-managed these lists. Of course this didn’t stop callers or text messages from new unknown phone numbers. So I tried a couple of different […]
RichC | December 28, 2022
Here’s a tool tip that isn’t widely known: If you need a little more screwdriver leverage … or your hands are slippery … check to see if a hex socket or wrench will fit on the handle of your screwdriver to give you a little additional torque (a 1” socket works for my standard Craftsman […]
RichC | December 22, 2022
Tis the season, to reflect a bit … at least for me. I posted a few old photos last week, so when my brother sent me one of Earl Daniel Corbett, our grandfather, it seemed appropriate for Throwback Thursday #TBT. He mentioned that he came across it at a Corbett family reunion and said it […]
RichC | December 18, 2022
It took a little research, but the thought of the 10th President of the United States still having a living grandson alive today seemed … well, unbelievable. Mentally, I worked the numbers … and then had to do a little Internet sleuthing … but low and behold it was true. President John Tyler was born […]
RichC | December 13, 2022
My daughter is great at sending links to items she thinks would be great for the blog. The other day Katelyn sent an “Ohio Turnpike Name-A-Snowplow Contest” story that had some pretty creative names — well actually, like her mom, she had her husband send it 😀 (BTW, Happy Birthday Drew!). Here are the winners: Ctrl-Salt-Delete, Nicole […]
RichC | November 23, 2022
RichC | November 2, 2022
If you like maps and watching the borders of countries, here’s a small, quick video of the changing borders in Europe over the centuries. Pretty wild.