Posted By RichC on June 2, 2023
It seems like a shorter than usual week (it was with Memorial Day), so I’m tossing in a Friday Filler video and a #DDJ below the break that is sure to make most of us smile.
Posted By RichC on 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 and social media.
Posted By RichC on June 1, 2023
The previous “refined” Cornhole game project for my granddaughters worked out so well that I decided to make a modified set for Taylor’s birthday in June this year. Thankfully I started it early 
since I’m modifying the project just a little bit to work on mortise and tenon jointery … and have been busy outside (now I’m under time constraints).
A couple of years ago on different woodworking project, the handcut mortise tenon joints for an oak Bitty Baby doll crib project were impressively strong, but I really haven’t mastered them using a square-chisel mortiser and router table with a coping sled (was going to make one) for the tenons. After getting the hang of it on a few practice pieces (photo right), the repetitive process was much quicker and accurate; I can see why they are preferred in furniture construction. So far, so good as the lightweight folding leg glue-up is curing overnight.
The mortising part is relatively straightforward as once the depth stop is set, the center drill is lined up in the center punch location and each “square hole” is relatively easy to repeat. There is some bottom cleanup for each mortise with a 1/4” chisel, but the clear pine was easy to cut. Same for the router table cut tenons … a little clean up using a utility knife made quick work of them (photo). I am wondering if the clean up would have been less with a spiral router bit rather than straight?
Posted By RichC on May 31, 2023
One would think after twenty some years of pool ownership, I would have invested in a cement sidewalk (pool decking) edger. Nope … it was not something familiar to me since we have never lived on a city lot or had sidewalks. Now after 40 years of homeownership, I’ve finally broken down and spent $79.20 at Amazon for a Worx 12AMP electric edger (now priced $123.53) … for the sole purpose of cleaning up the overgrown edge of our pool decking. So far, it is a great product.
A “most used” gadget for me is the Ember Coffee Mug that was a gift last year for Father’s Day. I use it twice each day … morning and evening … and it has been one of those premium gifts that is worth its expensive price. Thanks family!
But, last month the “coaster” malfunctioned and I tried to fix it (the little spring contacts no longer “springs”). Eventually I contacted the company and they promised to replace the coaster. A few weeks went by and so I followed up with an email and received an apology back. Good company!
Thanks for checking in! It looks like there was a processing error which has since been corrected. Your order will be on its way shortly. My sincere apologies for the delay. Thanks again for your patience and have a great one!
Stay Warm,
Ember
Posted By RichC on May 29, 2023
For Music Monday and for Memorial Day this week I’m letting ChatGPT write the post for the 1971 song “Here” by the British–American (cough, cough) rock band America (formed in London in 1970 by Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley [wrote this song] — at least they are all Americans). 🙃
| America – “Here” | 1971 |
“Here” is a song by the American rock band America, released in 1979 as a single from their album “Silent Letter”. The song was written by band member Dan Peek, who had left the band shortly after the album’s release.
“Here” is a ballad that speaks to the theme of introspection and self-discovery. The lyrics of the song talk about the struggle of finding oneself and the importance of being present in the moment. The song opens with the lyrics, “I’ve been gone for so many years / I lost count / Now I’m back, my tattered soul / Is still searching for the pieces.”
The melody of “Here” is simple and serene, with acoustic guitar and piano serving as the primary instruments. The lead vocals by Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell are soothing, adding to the peacefulness of the song. The harmony between the two singers is especially striking, reflecting the unity and balance that the lyrics are calling for.
Posted By RichC on May 28, 2023
The “hold” for the ebook by Yeonmi Park titled “While Time Remains” became available this past weekend and even though I haven’t finished the last book I started; I guess I’m going to “start” another anyway (it is a “forever problem” — start a book, but never finish it).
From all the interviews of her that I’ve watched and read, her insight from the perspective of someone growing up and living under the brutal Communist regime in North Korea, and now on what she is currently seeing in America is disturbing. Those of us who are watching the weaponization of government by power-seekers from the political left need to push back a little harder … especially at the ballot box. But more than that, we need to stop the brainwashing and leftist indoctrination by our education system and stop this growing dependence on government. I suspect I’m in agreement with Ms. Park, but her book should be an interesting read.
The North Korean defector, human rights advocate, and bestselling author of “In Order to Live” sounds the alarm on the culture wars, identity politics, and authoritarian tendencies tearing America apart.
After defecting from North Korea, Yeonmi Park found liberty and freedom in America. But she also found a chilling crackdown on self-expression and thought that reminded her of the brutal regime she risked her life to escape. When she spoke out about the mass political indoctrination she saw around her in the United States, Park faced censorship and even death threats.
In “While Time Remains”, Park sounds the alarm for Americans by highlighting the dangerous hypocrisies, mob tactics, and authoritarian tendencies that speak in the name of wokeness and social justice. No one is spared in her eye-opening account, including the elites who claim to care for the poor and working classes but turn their backs on anyone who dares to think independently.
Park arrived in America eight years ago with no preconceptions, no political aims, and no partisan agenda. With urgency and unique insight, the bestselling author and human rights activist reminds us of the fragility of freedom, and what we must do to preserve it.