My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on June 22, 2026

Generally, classical music is not why I drift to the SiriusXM 60s Gold station. Other stations start to sound “the same” and so beside listening to the BBC or NPR for newsy segments and story pieces, I’ll try songs from the 1960s … for the good memories. 😉

“Classical Gas” from 1968 came on, and truth be told, I didn’t recall Mason Williams until I read his name and connected it to the song. This is a drawn-out way to say that it triggered me to include it in Music Monday. So enjoy something different.

Speaking of different, Williams also performed Stand-up comedy. According to Wikipedia, “he set most of his comic ideas to music and sang or recited the jokes in lyric form with guitar accompaniment. Williams recorded an album where he entertains a live audience with ‘them poems about them people.’ The album covered such varied topics as ‘Them Moose Goosers,’ ‘Them Sand Pickers,’ and ‘Them Surf Serfs.’ Several other ‘them’ poems, along with many ditties, song lyrics, odd and amusing photographs from around the country, and assorted bits of visual and verbal silliness are collected in The Mason Williams Reading Matter (Doubleday, 1969).”  

Category: Entertainment, Idioms, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 60s gold, classical gas, mason williams, music monday, musicmonday, orchestra, siriiusxm, wikipedia, youtube

Posted By RichC on June 21, 2026

In Ohio at least, it is that time of the year … Mosquito season. Yikes!

Thanks to modern science, we are learning more and more about them and what we can do to try to make us less attractive to them. Clothing choices, yard and neighborhood treatment and of course repellants. Personally I’m a Deep Woods Off user (available and fair priced), but assume some of the other “high Deet” concentrations are better if you are planning to go into the backwoods or into true mosquito country. Check out this Science Alert article:

So what can you do to avoid getting bitten?

Try loose-fitting clothing that covers your skin, mosquito nets and repellent, Simard advised.

“Try to eat light meals – and go easy on the alcohol.”

LINK

Category: Environment, Nature, Science, Video | No Comments »
Tags: bites, bugs, deep woods off, deet, mosquito, mosquitoes, outdoors, sciencealert, youtube

Posted By RichC on June 20, 2026

This could have been two separate posts, but since I don’t know that much about either to make a single post, I’m combining them into one.

Right-Click the image to open/download a much larger version of the map

First, BrilliantMaps reposted a Map Of The Longest Possible Train Journey In The World on X.com and since I love looking at maps, thought this train ride would be a long and wild one. The map above shows the longest theoretical train journey in the world today, from Lagos in Portugal all the way to Singapore. 

Second, my brother’s Lake Erie house is coming along. He sent me a photo that I’ll archive with the previous along with a couple memories on Lagoon Drive – Howard Farms property (our childhood home). I can’t wait to see it in person … as we did in 2017 before it was up for sale.

By the way, the “from the lake” view photo below is from one of our childhood friends, Vern Meinke … as my brother commented, “while trespassing with his wife.” 😊

Category: Archive, Human Interest, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: brilliantmaps.com, building, claire corbett, house, lake erie, maps, ronc, trains, vern meinke

Posted By RichC on June 19, 2026

The editor of TheHustings requested the regular contributors to comment on what we expect from the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be formally released today.
My short comment below was included:

Markets are cheering the US-Iran MOU and promised reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after being close for the last 100 days. Oil is down ~5% to March lows, the Nasdaq is up 3% and the DJIA is hitting all time highs. Lower energy costs and eased inflation fears are welcome, but history suggests skepticism is warranted when making deals with Iran. Who really believes that when the ink dries on Friday’s formal signing that this will be a permanent peace? Cautious optimism here, but at least de-escalation will deliver relief for American families and our economy … that is if Iran follows through.

Category: News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: commentary, iran, mou, opinion, thehustings, trump, united states

Posted By RichC on June 18, 2026

I question the results of this American Fast Food “satisfaction poll.” Number TWO should still be number ONE, in my opinion. 😉

Category: Human Interest | No Comments »
Tags: chick-fil-a, fast food, jersey mikes, Poll, usatoday

Posted By RichC on June 17, 2026

For the most part, living with wildlife is mostly enjoyed, but the deer are often destructive. Still when seeing the spotted fawns trailing their mom, or the dad watching things from over the fence, it does make me smile.

Living with nature aside, the last couple of days for me have been dealing with doctors, appointments, scheduling and health insurance. There must be a better … and simpler … way to manage our medical care? I wonder what AI thinks?

If I Were Designing U.S. Healthcare from Scratch

My goal would be better health outcomes, lower total costs, less bureaucracy, and more patient choice. The current U.S. system spends far more per person than other developed nations while producing mixed results. The core problem is that incentives are fragmented: providers are often paid for volume, insurers for managing risk, employers for limiting premiums, and patients for navigating complexity.

(more…)

Category: AI, Health, Medical, Nature, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: appointments, backyard, buck, deer, fawn, frontyard, healthcare, insurance, medical, wildlife

Posted By RichC on June 16, 2026

Yesterday’s announcement of a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran marks a significant step toward de-escalation after months of conflict. The interim agreement, which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, has already delivered tangible relief to global markets. President Trump stated that the strait “will be completely opened” by Friday, promising toll-free transit in the long term. This critical waterway, through which roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil passes, had been heavily disrupted, contributing to elevated energy prices and broader economic strain. While I don’t want to be negative regarding forward movement towards peace, I’m skeptical that this will be a lasting peace or a good deal for the US or provide a lasting Middle East peace.

Market Reaction:

Stocks rallied sharply on the news. The tech-heavy Nasdaq surged more than 3%, leading the major indexes higher. The S&P 500 climbed around 1.6-1.75%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added over 450 points to close at a fresh record, as reported non-stop by CNBC and Fox Business. Tech and chip stocks gained heavily, with SpaceX shares jumping notably post-IPO momentum.

More importantly for lower and middle income Americans, oil prices dropped sharply, easing inflation concerns. Brent crude fell about 4.8-5% to around $83.17 per barrel—its lowest close since early March. WTI crude declined similarly to roughly $80.75. European natural gas prices also tumbled, and bond yields retreated as rate hike expectations moderated.
This positive market response reflects hope for restored energy flows, lower input costs for businesses and consumers, and reduced geopolitical risk. While challenges remain (including nuclear concerns and regional dynamics), today’s developments offer a welcome breath of stability. Here’s to diplomacy yielding practical results that benefit American families and the global economy.

Category: Energy, Financial, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: cnbc, economy, energy, foxbusiness, inflation, investing, iran, mou, oil, wsj