Posted By RichC on December 21, 2024
Where should you work — for the government or their private counterpart?
From economist Stephen Moore:
According to @RealEJAntoni‘s recent analysis, the cost of state and local government employees is a staggering 41.7% higher than their private sector counterparts.
While wages are 24.4% higher, the real kicker is benefits—an astonishing 83.0% more!
Posted By RichC on December 20, 2024
As a “Stone Age” user of the Apple Macintosh computer, it is always surprising to stumble upon a feature or shortcut that I didn’t know about.
Command-click the files to Quick Look
I often use the Quick Look spacebar shortcut (2007) to preview a file in a folder, but until reading an iBoysoft article this month, did not know about the Command-Y shortcut for previewing multiple files at a time.
Wow! So for today’s Tech Friday I’m passing along my learning something new after all these years. 😉
Posted By RichC on December 19, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is infiltrating almost everything we do on a smartphone, tablet or computer these days. Last week, my X.com feed sent a message that “you should try generating an image of yourself” based on whatever data it collects. I suspect it relies on my profile information, but am not sure what else it “thinks about.” Obviously Grok AI does not dig too deep into my birth date or age (AI generated image below)?
The “very young” image at least didn’t offend me, but had me contemplating if I should include this in a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT or Tech Friday post? 😊
EDIT Add: And while I’m tinkering with AI, Apple Intelligence just updated their much ballyhooed AI feature including a Genmoji AI feature. For the fun of it, I used our family as test subjects. Gulp! (below)
Posted By RichC on December 18, 2024
The Federal Reserve is less sure about how much it’ll keep cutting rates after agreeing to a reduction this Wednesday afternoon. Chair Jerome Powell admitted that the decision was a close call (see WSJ and rate chart from 2000-2024 below).
The latest cut, approved by 11 out of 12 Fed voters, will lower the Fed’s benchmark federal-funds rate to a range between 4.25% and 4.5%, which is a two-year low.
Investors, traders and the stock market responded with disappointment as they love cheaper money and keeping businesses growing and consumers spending. A lower cost of borrowing sounds great until inflation reappears and debt levels rise (and don’t even get me start on our Federal government’s spending level — insane!)
Posted By RichC on December 18, 2024
I do enjoy checking the Farmer’s Almanac (above) and the Old Farmer’s Almanac for seasonal forecasts (below), but rarely go back to see how accurate they are (although have shared here before). That’s probably their assumption, although they 
claim to be 80% accurate?
As has been true in every year since 1792, the newest edition features a healthy dose of wit and wisdom, as well as the Almanac’s much-anticipated, traditionally 80 percent–accurate weather forecasts.
“This winter, temperatures will be up and snowfall down throughout most of the United States,” reports Carol Connare, the Almanac’s editor-in-chief. “While there will still be plenty of chilly temperatures and snow for most slopes, the high heating costs associated with the season shouldn’t hit so hard. We’re predicting a temperate, uneventful winter—potentially a welcome reprieve from the extremes of recent years.”
There will be exceptions, of course. Winter rainstorms will leave Florida, the Deep South, and southern California soaked. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall is expected in central and southern Appalachia, the western Ohio Valley, and the Rockies—calling all skiers and sledders!
See the General Weather Report in The 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac for more details on predicted atmospheric, solar, and climatic patterns.
Posted By RichC on December 17, 2024
It is that time of year … time for Christmas photos … 
with children and pets?
Well a “dog” in the case of Megan and Taylor, but our granddaughters in the case of Katelyn and Drew. In both cases these 2024 photos belong on in the My Desultory Blog archive.
Here’s one of Gigi with Santa and the Oostra family with the “96 year old mouse” from the unfortunately politically woke Disney corporation ☹️ — Mickey Mouse from Disney on Ice “Find Your Hero” show.
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2024
It is probably time for me to start listening to Christmas music, but I’m still stuck on SiriusXM “The Bridge” and stumbled across another great song from my high school and college years.
So for today’s Music Monday, here’s a song by the Stills-Young Band (Stephen Stills and Neil Young) from 1976 called “Long May You Run.” Enjoy!
| Stills-Young Band | “Long May You Run” | 1976 |