Besides costly higher education and health care … buying and owning a home is now unaffordable for many in America

| March 17, 2024

Going to college after high school has always seemed expensive, but by working, borrowing and getting help from parents … it was do-able, and by today’s standards, seemed affordable. I can’t help but smile noticing that when I finally paid off my student loan that I could start saving to put my kids through college. […]

Music Monday: Kids, Families, Bands and Social Media Fun

| February 5, 2024

Call today’s Music Monday post from X.com a lazy one … but I still like it (what a great dad)! Doesn't look like a lot of money here, not a lot of 'stuff'. There's one thing present that's far more valuable, can you see? pic.twitter.com/wOU6U9ak0F — Dane (@UltraDane) February 4, 2024

A classic Firebird reminded me of my 1974 Mercury Capri #TBT

| February 1, 2024

Contemplating classic cars after seeing a good looking late 1960’s Pontiac Firebird 400 while filling up at Costco. I posted a comment on X.com and it gave me a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT excuse to repost a couple old black and while of photos of my first junkyard rebuildable … my 1974 Capri (it was pea […]

Music Monday: Gin Blossoms – “Follow You Down”

| January 29, 2024

Often the bumper music on business television shows catches my ear and triggers a Music Monday idea. That was the case with the 1996 song “Follow You Down” by Gin Blossoms on The Big Money Show with hosts Jackie DeAngelis, Taylor Riggs and a personal favorite personality, Brian Brenberg. Here’s a YouTube Official Video of […]

Beware of dogs … when disposing of Christmas trees #humor

| January 7, 2024

Just a bit of Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday cleaning up humor found on X.com.

The sound of the Red-Tail Hawk vs Bald Eagle

| December 12, 2023

As someone who enjoys birds and birdwatching, I found this Red-Tail Hawk (left) vs Bald Eagle (right) X.com video worth sharing. Did you know? The iconic sound of the bald eagle you always hear in movies and TV shows is the one of a red-tailed hawk. Why? This is the red-tailed hawk's vocalization vs a […]

Does a USB drive get heavier as you store more files on it? 

| 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 […]

The Tesla Cybertruck deliveries begin today

| November 30, 2023

An automotive filler for this afternoon: Pretty impressive. #automotive #Cybertruck $TSLA https://t.co/0agJNMn2Or — Rich Corbett (@RichC) November 30, 2023

Percentage of a country’s population that speaks fluent English

| November 16, 2023

Of course this was found on social media: X.com … so take it with a grain of salt 😊 (also tinkering with columns for WordPress)

Remember our Veterans this weekend and HB to the USMC

| November 11, 2023

Yesterday was the 248th birthday for the USMC (my X or tweet below). They have an amazing history and those who serve or served (once a Marine always a Marine) have a good reason to be proud. Their bravery and sacrifice was cemented for me earlier this year after listening to the audiobook by Eugene […]

Tech Friday 2: Testing X.com API after new updates

| November 3, 2023

Simple test for my automated MyDesultoryBlog’s X.com account after an API update. This WordPress plug-in using a newly updated service should start to work again. This post will probably be deleted although since I like the Elon Musk ani-gif, I might just keep it. Will this feature work again? 

A how to hang a picture on a nail with a fork #video tip

| September 25, 2023

How to hang a picture on a nail with a fork social media household tip (short video below).

Tech Friday: Really just testing a WP theme and Bing AI Chat

| September 22, 2023

It is time to start cleaning up my older WordPress blog install and preparing for an eventual update … once again. I’m beginning to realize that part of the problem is that I hang onto old themes that are no longer updated and I continue to tweak them myself. As the components that run WordPress […]

Physics teacher demonstrates Bernoulli’s principle #science

| September 20, 2023

What do you remember from Physics class? How about Bernoulli’s principle (something mentioned before). Physics teacher shows Bernoulli's principle pic.twitter.com/AUKpechMKA — Mind Blowing (@blowingfactz) September 17, 2023

Automotive, but with a beachy Throwback Thursday twist #TBT

| September 14, 2023

A week or so ago, a tweet (or is it X?) appeared on an automotive publication’s social media account … and it caught my eye (see below). It triggered a memory of a well loved plastic 1957 Ford Ranchero that my brother and I had in our large collection of toy cars and trucks; some […]

Where are Americans Born?

| 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. 

Tech Friday: Update to WordPress, theme and plug-in failures

| August 11, 2023

As My Desultory Blog approaches 8000 posts, it has become increasingly clear that tags and categories are becoming worthless. Besides having too many, they are all too full and do little for me to find anything (or anyone else). The search feature has always been a problem and makes it difficult for even me to […]

Would you feel comfortable flying on this plane?

| August 2, 2023

Not my photo, but I’m not sure how comfortable the average passenger flying this “budget” airline (???) are when seeing the tape on the wing? Also while sitting on the back porch a little Praying Mantis came to visit (video below).

Tech Friday: Elon Musk announces Twitter’s bird is now X

| July 28, 2023

Things continue to change over at Twitter, at least as the old is removed and the new is implemented. I’m not sure the switch from the Twitter “bird” to the symbol “X” is all that big of a deal, but it does at least keep people in the tech world talking. Who knows if Elon […]

This is a Twitter API Test post

| July 25, 2023

The API is not accepting updates to MyDesultoryBlog Twitter account. Reset new “keys and tokens” to see if it updates? This will be deleted as it is only a test.

A collection of graphs and charts used on Twitter last week

| July 22, 2023

The week was abnormally filled with charts and graphs while chiming in to news stories and posts on Twitter this past week, but I’ll start with an animated GIF graphic and link to a story regarding offshore wind farm leases opening up in the Gulf of Mexico. As for the graphs and charts, here’s one […]

Filler: Be careful what you “thumbs-up” via text message!

| July 19, 2023

Especially in Canada—> LINK

Generation “DOOMED.” #humor

| June 28, 2023

Saw this image on Twitter with the tagline “Humanity is Doomed” the other day … and although I smiled … it is unfortunately the appropriate comment.

Just how long is the South American country of Chile?

| 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 […]

A Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” that moves

| 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 […]

Repairing broken WP to Twitter API (plus #video)

| June 1, 2023

This is a lunchtime test post after the WP to Twitter API broken in mid-May 2023 (last @mydesultoryblog to Twitter was on May 19th). If all goes well, this will automate a tweet when a new post is generated as before.  For the fun of it, here is the latest trending video on the news […]

An ebook is great … but it is not the same thing as reading an ink on paper book shelved at home in ones personal library

| May 20, 2023

An opinion article by Faith Bottum in the Wall Street Journal about ink on paper books, ebook readers and bookshelves spoke to me last week … so I tweeted about it in agreement; I love having books in the home. Perhaps being in printing and publishing established my love for ink on paper, but for […]

Tech Friday: A new female CEO is coming to Twitter

| May 12, 2023

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has announced that he will be handing over the reins of Twitter to a new female CEO. The move comes after Musk acquired the social media platform for $44 billion in April 2022. In a tweet on Thursday, Musk said:  Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO […]

Filler Post: How fast is fast when it comes to #aviation

| April 20, 2023

When it comes to fast aircraft, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is the one most of us know about. In a social media Twitter mention last week, Massimo posted this photo and link. The SR-71 Blackbird was so fast that, if attacked by surface-to-air missiles, it simply flew higher, faster, and in a slightly different direction […]

How many different electrical outlets to we need?

| April 19, 2023

On Twitter this past week, Elon Musk retweeted an image of a bunch of different outlets around the world. Wow, do we really need that many different electrical outlets and plugs?

NPR’s Twitter account gets an appropriate label

| April 13, 2023

There is part of me that can’t help but smile when seeing the new label that Elon Musk’s Twitter put on NPR’s feed. The left-leaning taxpayer-funded media title is partially accurate since tax dollars are used to support public radio and television. At this point with the variety of media news and programming available in […]

Books: “Three Days In January: Dwight Eisenhower’s final mission” by Bret Baier

| March 29, 2023

My daily routine, at least when I’m in town, is to DVR the evening news, “Special Report” at 6PM. I generally watch it and skip the commercials while eating … when it is permitted by Brenda. HA! The daily new wrap-up is probably not edifying since it includes a good dose of disfunctional national politics […]

Music Monday: Roger Miller singing “King of the Road”

| January 9, 2023

Perhaps the first song that I can remember hearing on the radio and remembering I liked was Roger Miller‘s “King of the Road.” I was probably too young to remember it clearly, but my mom and dad commented that I definitely liked it when I was just 4 or 5.  I do know that … […]

Tech Friday: Installed Wyze Doorbell and temp probe grilling

| January 6, 2023

It is hard to resist loving gadget gifts and this past year for Christmas I was excited to receive a Wyze Doorbell from Drew (and Katelyn – Thx!) Although the previous year in 2021, I will admit that I was intimidated … and still am … by the fancy double temperature Bluetooth and WiFi Weber […]

A Tesla $TSLA mistake: “Don’t try to catch a falling knife”

| December 27, 2022

How many of us who have been trading stocks and investing for decades have ignored the wise advice about buying a stock as it drops? Chart watchers, and maybe investors who have favorite companies, often listen to the conflicting thought from brokers, financial advisors and TV talking heads. We ignore the lessons from our past […]

Music Monday: “Hey Jude” (or Julian) – The Beatles

| November 21, 2022

Surprisingly Music Monday has only highlighted a little bit from The Beatles. Perhaps it was because they were for the most part “before my time” … or maybe it’s just not the kind of music that I’m attracted too? Nevertheless, the British group made a big splash in the 1960s and had an enormous influence […]

Learning the phonetic alphabet at a young age

| November 16, 2022

While talking with an aviation (and space) acquaintance on Twitter earlier this week, I mentioned that while playing “old-school” Battleship with my granddaughter, that I was teaching her the phonetic alphabet (military, aviation, nautical, amateur radio, etc). Thankfully while playing the game, we only made it to “K” since the grid on the game only […]

Remembering Lt. Frederick Howard on this Veterans Day

| November 11, 2022

Although there are many who serve or served our country we can think about on this Veterans Day, I’ve opted to reflect on my late father-in-law, Frederick Howard, who navigated B-26 bombers over Europe in World War II. He was definitely part of the “Greatest Generation” and volunteered immediately when he came of age and […]

Music Monday: An aviation photo triggered a memory of a funky boombox McDonalds commercial from years ago

| October 31, 2022

It doesn’t get any odder than seeing a “very low” fly-by photo from a fellow aviation enthusiast Ron Eisele on Twitter and having it trigger a “how low can you go” McDonalds commercial from way back when??? It’s probably not an appropriate Music Monday, but the music well is dry today … so I’m using […]

Music Monday: A recovery message from Jimmy Buffett

| October 10, 2022

pic.twitter.com/zzZyRZDG38 — Jimmy Buffett (@jimmybuffett) October 6, 2022

Music Monday: “I Don’t Want To Know” – Fleetwood Mac

| October 3, 2022

Several years ago in 2018, Fleetwood Mac was at the top of my music listening as was evident by the number of posts regarding a Rumours of Fleetwood Mac concert Brenda and I enjoyed in Cincinnati. It doesn’t seem possible that was 4 years ago? Since I personally have rated their “Rumours” album the best […]

Who knew? Prairie dogs used the Bernoulli principle

| September 24, 2022

In order to ensure sufficient oxygen within their burrow, prairie dogs use the Bernoulli’s principle. One of the entrances is built with a raised mound of dirt, while the other is not. This determines different wind velocities and different pressures. (Massimo – @Rainmaker1973) Bernoulli flow and viscous entrainment were identified by the researchers as the […]

When hammerhead sharks feed, stay on the beach #video

| August 18, 2022

It is summer vacation season … and shark video time … so here’s one from Twitter of a LARGE Hammerhead Shark chasing a stingray in Orange Beach, Alabama. Whoa … it’s better to stay out of the water when this is happening. I’ll stick with just looking at the little Sand Tiger Sharks.

Astrophotography and The Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104)

| July 12, 2022

For the good and the bad, Twitter’s AI algorithms do feed my astrophotography and amateur astronomy interests. Here’s a space photo of galaxy Messier 104 or better known as The Sombrero Galaxy. For a max sized download from NASA.gov of the Sombrero Galaxy, click this LINK

A neighbor playing practical joke with a plastic armadillo

| June 22, 2022

I’m sure what I think about this, but when I heard about it on Twitter from someone in Texas, it did make me laugh. As the story goes, it seems a couple of neighbors enjoy joking with each other as they attempt to “outdo” each other with practical jokes. One neighbor was out of town […]

Astrophotography is an interesting but expensive hobby #TBT

| June 16, 2022

As the warm evening and nights of summer arrive, I catch myself looking up at the sky again. It may have started with a purpose back when Charlie (Kamikaze) and I were locally sailing the “Fiberpile” and studying celestial navigation before there was much more than radio directional finders (LoranC was too costly and wasn’t […]

Buttercups photo and reflecting on another school shooting

| May 28, 2022

We are enjoying my late mother-in-law’s transplanted Buttercups (Ranunculus) that we brought home from the Jamestown, NY farmhouse (winter pics). Initially, Brenda’s sister Chris asked me to bring her some home for her since I was the one driving back and forth to western New York to clean out, take care of the property and […]

Big news: Twitter accepted buyout offer from Elon Musk

| April 26, 2022

The financial markets have been following the Federal Reserves messaging regarding tightening their easy money policies and has been selling off the last few days. The more aggressive, but late stance to slow inflation is one needed piece of the puzzle … although also heights concerns over slow growth or even a recession. That news […]

My son Taylor will like a tweet/photo in my Twitter feed

| April 24, 2022

For a better reference to the subject line, see this post! (tweet below) 😊

Music Monday: “Early Morning Rain” – Gordon Lightfoot (image) … Can you see it?

| April 4, 2022

This content is restricted.

Freedom, bravery and sacrifice represented in 1, ok 2, photos

| February 26, 2022

(click photo for actual Flag of Ukraine) Zelensky refuses US offer to evacuate, saying ‘I need ammunition, not a ride’ (CNN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has turned down an offer from the United States of evacuation from the capital city Kyiv, the Ukraine embassy in Britain said Saturday on Twitter. "The fight is here; I […]

Tech Friday: Testing Twitter labels for automated bots

| February 18, 2022

Over the years of playing (learning) Linux, setting up APIs and running webservers on a few Raspberry Pi computers, I’ve set up a Twitter “bot” in order to track them and keep them running. Last September 2021 Twitter launched an experiment of labels for these kinds of accounts that was voluntary. I run a “bot” […]

The Bengals going to Super Bowl LVI meant a lot to Cincinnati

| February 15, 2022

This post is going to be “a day late (or so) and a dollar short” post … just as the Cincinnati Bengals were in Sunday night’s Super Bowl LVI. Our young Bengals put up a valiant fight, but came away with a disappointing loss: Rams 23, Bengals 20. As so many have said, 2022 for […]

Something a bit more amateur for this week’s Music Monday

| December 27, 2021

Social media is filled with nastiness and ugly news … but it is also a place for upbeat positive news, scripture, prayer requests and a shared love of song and some heartwarming father-daughter bonding.  I’m not sure who these “smiling” amateur singers are that appeared on my Twitter feed, but it made my day and […]

Not the Christ you want, but the Christ you need

| December 24, 2021

It is not easy to follow Christ, but His teachings, AND gift of salvation, are what we sinners need. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  – Matthew 4:19 While mailing out our Christmas cards, decorating our Christmas tree and reflecting on this past year, I listened […]

Happy Winter Solstice; it is the shortest day of the year.

| December 21, 2021

The planetary astronomer and science guru, Dr. James O’Donoghue, that I follow on Twitter posted a great video illustration that explains today, December 21st … or more appropriately a couple of days that occur as the seasons change. Today is the winter solstice and it marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. On December […]

Following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover as it explores

| December 17, 2021

It has been interesting following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover “virtually” since the launch on July 30, 2020 and landing on Mars February 18, 2021. Since that time, Perseverancehas sent back hundreds of photos from the surface, collected (core samples) rocks and spent time “off-roading” on the surface. The terrain photo above (click it for larger) […]

The “fuel surcharge model” for TV cable content delivery?

| December 11, 2021

It is a sneaky way to increase what I thought was a customer to Cincinnati Bell “contracted-each-year” cable TV and Internet monthly bill? Nope, according to @CincyBell … after being mislead by customer service that the below increases were “government related fees” and “out of their control” … the increases are negotiated contracts with content […]

A practical lesson for students who insist that socialism works

| November 27, 2021

How much control are you willing to give to the government?

| November 24, 2021

America has split down the middle on a lot of things that many of us took for granted just a few years ago. Our individual liberty is being eroded away with the help of progressives using propaganda and the heavy hand of the “we know better” bureaucrats to seize more power every day. The mainstream […]

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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