Collected a couple digital magazine workshop tidbits

| 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 […]

Reading: Long-range winter weather predictions since 1792

| August 21, 2022

While I generally do not plug things on My Desultory Blog, I do enjoy reading the paper edition of a couple of publications. Barron’s Magazine is my go-to weekend reading, but their shrinking size and poor delivery has me giving up on renewing again. If they would promise Saturday delivery again, perhaps with the WSJ, […]

Archive: Toledo Area Parent magazine article – Mar/Apr 2022

| March 5, 2022

What parent doesn’t enjoy seeing their adult children respected enough in their profession to be asked to comment? Since I’m one that does keep an online scrapbook of sorts (this blog) … I’m archiving a recent article with Katelyn in Toledo Area Parent titled “Less Mealtime Stress with Responsive Feeding.” Seems like a week to […]

What a good looking car – 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel

| October 13, 2018

A friend from a Facebook group posted a 1982 Mercedes Benz advertisement with a W123 beauty – I thought it looked pretty close to my ‘82 MB 300D Turbodiesel. Nice! When the W123 went out of production in 1986 it had surpassed the Stroke Eight as the bestselling Mercedes-Benz with more than 2.5 million cars […]

The power of a photo, no matter how manipulated or misleading

| June 24, 2018

While there is no doubt the "fabricated" Time magazine cover photo has impact and tugs at everyone’s heartstrings, the deeper story represents far more than the current illegal immigration debate over separating children from those who bring them across the U.S.-Mexican border, whether with parents, relatives or traffickers. ("fabricated" in that the photo is obviously […]

Enjoyable Cruising World article by influential sailor Lin Pardey

| November 10, 2017

There is not a single "cruising" sailor my age who hasn’t been influenced one way or another by Lin and Larry Pardey. Their "go small, go simple, go now" sailing books, videos and decades of article contributions to the sailing community have been huge for generations of dreamers and sailors. I really enjoyed a recent […]

How to offend readers, followers and magazine subscribers

| June 2, 2016

Kiplinger has long been one of the many websites who’s content, along with their magazine, that I’ve enjoyed reading. I follow several contributors to their content on social networks and complained recently that I disliked their multi short page approach for reading content. I’m sure they want to generate "clicks" and therefore break and article […]

VIDEO: How to Make a Soft Shackle >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

| June 1, 2016

Soft shackles made from Dyneema are lighter and stronger than stainless steel, they are also kinder to your boat and your hands. Yachting Monthly demonstra Source: VIDEO: How to Make a Soft Shackle >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz diesels can last a long time

| May 2, 2016

From the Christian perspective, I have mixed thoughts on using the "Think eternal" line for a 1963 classic Volkswagen Beetle cover on Hagerty Classic car magazine. It is of course a Peope’s Car with a l-o-n-g and beloved history by VW enthusiasts, but the word "eternal" when it comes to "earthly material things" can be […]

Americans have a positive outlook for a rich country

| April 10, 2015

Jared Keller’s article in The Atlantic last month focused on the observation that “outside the U.S., fewer people in rich countries describe their day as a good day.”  For the most part, Americans are hopeful and optimistic as compared to their peer in other first world countries. (the graphic below is interesting on several levels) […]

Tired of playing games with media subscriptions services

| January 31, 2014

It’s depressing to be back from a few days of sun (and rain), after a long drive from Florida yesterday, but also good to be home. It has been a morning clearing a few bills and accumulated mail off my desk and a light work day before Superbowl XLVIII weekend. One piece of mail, a […]

Favorite Tablet Apps: One of them has to be Zinio

| July 25, 2013

After participating in a smartphone and tablet mobile device survey today and analyzing the apps that I regularly use, only a handful stood out. One app that has impressed me as each subscribed magazine issue arrives is Zinio. I’m not sure that I’m totally ready to give up the trip to the mailbox for the […]

Domestica and Rachel Kirkwood highlighted on WVXU

| January 26, 2013

It is great to see the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well in the niche publishing of local “paper-based” magazine, Domestica (Domestica Magazine). This venture is somewhat close to home seeing that it is local … and edited by Rachel Kirkwood, a friend of our family. She started the community oriented publication using Kickstarter last year […]

Tech Friday: Zite – a personalized magazine app for the iPad

| April 13, 2012

There are a number of news reading and article assembling type apps available for computer, phone and tablet platforms. I’ve looked at a few, but tend to shy away since they collect too many articles. Zite is a free one for the iPad (and iPhone) that I’m starting to like … probably because I’m only […]

B-E-A-UTIFUL anchorage photo from the Chagos

| August 15, 2011

Couldn’t resist dreaming of exotic ports of call and far away anchorages … this one is from the Chagos in the Indian Ocean (he archipelago has the largest expanse of undisturbed coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, as well as rare and endangered species of birds and other wildlife. There are strict conservation rules, which […]

Politically liberal Dan Baum and “Happiness is a worn gun”

| July 29, 2010

While traveling this week, I enjoy a point of view and odd story for NPR which had self-proclaimed “liberal Democrat” Dan Baum about his Happiness is a worn gun article in Harper’s Magazine on the radio. (currently a PDF version of the article here) He addresses the subject of the love of guns from the […]

Interesting. Tootsie’s breed is on the top 12 Mens’ dogs list

| July 27, 2010

Although the article is from last year, my son noticed that our Australian Cattle Dog / Blue Heeler made the top 12 mens’ dogs list in Men’s Journal magazine (Below – Sept 4, 2009 p.56). There is certainly some accuracy to the characteristics, although I’m not sure how well our dog would do on a […]

Testing: Posting a PDF via Posterous – a Pirate story

| April 15, 2010

I’ve been using Posterous to post to my blog from an email for a few months and found that the blogging platform handles video, audio and photos quite well, but wondered how it would post a PDF? I saved an online sailing story about Somalia pirates by author Fatty Goodlander for travel reading — “A […]

Spotted a Cruising World issue on season 3 NCIS episode

| December 31, 2009

I’ve mentioned my favorite sailing magazine (Cruising World) before on my blog, but a fraction of a second appearance of a December 2003 issue in one of my favorite CBS television programs, NCIS, made my night.   We’ve been working our way through the television series when during the ‘Untouchable’ episode in Season 3 of […]

Cruising World magazine celebrates 35th anniversary issue

| September 17, 2009

Since my mind in on planning our trip to Annapolis and sailing, it seem fitting to tie today’s post to Tuesday’s when I mentioned my favorite periodical Cruising World. My collection of that magazine is similar to may who have a collection of back issues of National Geographic magazine. Anyway, it’s a good time to […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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