RichC | January 31, 2015
The inexpensive miracle cleaner and kitchen staple known as vinegar has hundreds if not thousands of uses … but few of those uses are as helpful as cleaning and dissolving hard water calcium build up. I use a vinegar mix regularly for window washing, as a way to keep the shower and shower head free […]
RichC | January 30, 2015
Besides splicing a shackle to a halyard on a sailboat, I’ve used the mighty bowline tied directly to a sail grommet or to a shackle. Here’s a knot I haven’t tried — the Halyard Knot — and considering that it is most likely a permanent knot, perhaps whipping the end to the standing line would […]
RichC | January 29, 2015
I’m the prime example of a “hardware-aholic” because I needed to replace a couple stainless steel hose clamps and ended up buying over 3 pounds of used clamps. I know grocery and clothes shoppers do it, but my weakness is hardware … and perhaps tools. My recent eBay buy was a perfect example of single […]
RichC | January 28, 2015
After 6-years of saving $2,500 each year on our “unchanged plan” or greatly improved “21st century” Obamacare health care plan, Democrats in congress and President Obama have made it possible for average Americans to have now amassed $15,000 (6 yrs x $2500) … no thanks to those Republicans voting against it (#sarcasm). And since getting […]
RichC | January 27, 2015
Our mouse and rodent catcher made an appearance on Monday afternoon just after the snow had finished up for the day. The bright afternoon sunshine came out and must have brought out both the hunter and his prey? Normally our previous Hawks will sit back on the fence or spend time circling looking for varmints. […]
RichC | January 26, 2015
It’s really not a laughing matter, but a drone flying around the White House is unfortunately a sign of the times. Technology has advanced to the point that a person who wants a quadcopter or UAV can probably buy/build and fly them … some more successfully than others, sorry Vice President Biden. WASHINGTON – A […]
RichC | January 26, 2015
We celebrated my dad’s birthday this past weekend with pizza and conversation at my brother and sister-in-law’s in home. While it is difficult to see my dad getting older and more feeble, I’m still thankful he is able to enjoy time with his family. His spirit is good, although for the first time in my […]
RichC | January 25, 2015
I picked up a book, The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II, published in 1997 and written by the late Iris Chang. I decided to read it after a bit of Twitter sparring with CBJapan1 and his/her “allegation of lying” about the book and movie Unbroken, as well as how America […]
RichC | January 24, 2015
The auto shows across North America are in full swing for the winter of 2015 and while keeping an eye to what is coming is always interesting, there are a few quiet stand outs that have peaked my interest. The capable and respected (AND fairly expensive) Land Rovers have always been interesting, but in the […]
RichC | January 23, 2015
If you are an Apple Macintosh user and have been living with a cluttered desktop, give the free program Hocus Focus a try … if you like it, make a donation. The purpose of the small program is to automatically hide unused but opened applications and windows so it is easier to focus on the […]
RichC | January 22, 2015
My wife has been busy cleaning out our closets and getting rid of “old stuff.” One the the items dates back in 2003 and brought back memories of my “space girl.” My daughter Katelyn was inspired by science and particularly by an adventurous NASA, space exploration and astronomy. In part, her interest could have been […]
RichC | January 21, 2015
After taking notes during the State of the Union address I went to bed disgusted rather than hopeful … even though I knew in advance the direction President Obama would be saying in his address. Call me sentimental or just hopeful, but I really thought that after the mid-term elections where, “make no mistake, his […]
RichC | January 20, 2015
The Twitter updates last night kept me up late than usual as I contemplated how this would impact traffic on I-75. The heavy construction north of Cincinnati has been challenging the last year or so and having the old Hopple Street overpass pancake collapse on the southbound heavily traveled interstate highway is going to be […]
RichC | January 20, 2015
Once I priced a rebuilt brake caliper the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel, I knew I would be rebuilding the the caliper this past weekend, especially since the seal kit was only $9.00 on eBay. The project was pretty straight forward, but removing the old “baked” on seals was not as easy at one might […]
RichC | January 19, 2015
One can’t help but smile watching the Dover Delaware Police cam video with one of their officers lip syncing to “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift. That said, one of my videos infringed on an Oprah Winfrey segment years ago and YouTube takes down my account and deletes over 100 of my personal videos spanning […]
RichC | January 19, 2015
Football was on call for Sunday afternoon and evening with the final two NFL playoff games. First was perhaps the most exciting game I’ve watched in a long time seeing the conservative play-calling of the Green Bay Packers dominate the first 3 quarters of football. Then last years Superbowl champs lead by Russell Wilson came […]
RichC | January 18, 2015
I’m sure this idea has been around for a while since I’ve even tried my hand at welding with a car battery … but did you know you can create fire by cutting gum foil and using a small 1/1/2 volt battery?
RichC | January 17, 2015
While visiting my dad in Sidney, Ohio this week I could help but catch the headlines in the local paper – Honda invests $340M in AEP (Anna Engine Plant). The area has certainly changed since I was in high school … and Honda’s manufacturing investment and jobs starting in 1985 has been a real boost […]
RichC | January 16, 2015
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RichC | January 16, 2015
It has been a few years since my wife and I have gone to the movie theatre, but when Katelyn and Drew were visiting they convinced us to go with them to the movie Unbroken. Besides being a history oriented true story based on the book by Lauren Hillenbrand, the WWII timelined story put to […]
RichC | January 15, 2015
While watching the stock market decline and gold prices rise this week (Swiss franc against the euro decoupling) and listening to economists suggest deflation is likely, it is becoming clear that the slowdown overseas will be impacting earning for large cap companies and international funds. The U.S. economy seems to be holding up, but pension […]
RichC | January 15, 2015
While posting a few bits on Facebook this weekend, I ran across a January “sale” for Cubic Mini Woodstove sized for RVs and boats. I’ve entertained the idea before and concluded that a small propane fired bulkhead stove aboard Encore would be the best way to warm up the cabin, but there is something attractive […]
RichC | January 14, 2015
Imagine the Elio if it also came with wings? It might look something like the Aeromobil 3.0 prototype. I have to admit that I’m one of those dreamers who envisioned a flying car in my lifetime. Perhaps it is just a pipe dream, but I do envy those fortunate enough to be working on projects […]
RichC | January 13, 2015
When looking at the U.S. financial indices for the first half of January 2015, one would be hard pressed to believe the optimistic opinions from most financial analysts and those talking about the domestic economy. Most cite the low interest environment and low energy prices as a reason to be optimistic, but day to day […]
RichC | January 13, 2015
The first ever College Football Playoff Championship game will determine this season’s best college team as the National Championship game starts in about and hour. The game with see the Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks against “our” Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Odds makers favor the Ducks by 7. Both teams have have had an […]
RichC | January 12, 2015
As a conservative … politically, I probably don’t give enough credit to the Old Gray Lady for their often excellent articles covering content outside of politics. This weekend was no exception and I wanted to archive an article which has personal interest … and is something I’d like to look in to as an investor […]
RichC | January 11, 2015
This past week’s killings at the Charlie Hebdo offices needs to be a real eye-opener for those we elect to protect our citizens and nation. What many fear most is that this “radical Islamic terror attack” will be lost into the same hole as many of the previous terror attacks (or “workplace violence” if you […]
RichC | January 10, 2015
One would think that a “rising tide lifts all boats” when it comes to gains for financial markets, but that is not the case for conservatively managed U.S. pension funds. The strong stock market returns during 2013 and 2014 have helped most individual investors recover from the 2008 financial collapse, so as long as they […]
RichC | January 9, 2015
After tinkering a little bit with my “climbing board” idea mentioned last month, I decided to spend a few more dollars and rig a Mast Mate climbing ladder with sail slugs to fit Encore’s mast. My liveaboard buddy Mark measured my Selden slugs and sent me a drawing so I ordered enough slugs to fit […]
RichC | January 8, 2015
The answer is YES if ProMedica’s President and CEO Randy Oostra has anything to say about it (video below). The company plans to move their corporate headquarters to the abandoned historic Toledo Edison Steam Plant property on the Maumee riverfront in a bold move which will play a significant role in boosting the local Toledo […]
RichC | January 7, 2015
My daughter Katelyn and her husband Drew were in town to visit this week and we pretended it was still the week of Christmas and exchanged a couple gifts. Brenda had already shipped a box of presents to them, but saved back a frame and print for them. It was an artistic photo taken down […]
RichC | January 6, 2015
Back in November I mentioned that I was “backpedaling” before buying a new refrigerator for our kitchen. We decided not to do anything before the holidays and so I figured rather than live with our ugly looking broken refrigerator that I could at least touch up the paint and put in a new light bulb. […]
RichC | January 5, 2015
Posting both a test post to update MyDesultoryBlog in order to set up the 2015 photo directories and because this is a cute yoga “bunny” photo for my daughter (and because of her rabbit Pumpy Umpy). Katelyn enjoys Yoga and during our Christmas exchange and visit with them we talked about her new “hot Yoga” […]
RichC | January 4, 2015
This story hits home on two accounts … 1) Oregon, Ohio is a suburb of Toledo, Ohio where I went to school until moving to Sidney, Ohio in high school. 2) As an Ohio State fan and resident of Ohio my entire life, I’m excited to see my Buckeyes play the College Football National Championship […]
RichC | January 3, 2015
In keeping with tradition this time of year, Lake Superior State University (LSSU) has released their “banished words” for the 40th year. The nominees totals “tens of thousands” but were narrowed down to 800 of the most annoying words and phrases in 2014 before giving them to the committee. Yes a few were appropriate for […]
RichC | January 2, 2015
The slower work days between Christmas and New Years has given me a little time to clean up my files and office, both paper and digital. One productivity app that I’ve been using on my iPad for over 2 years is Notability and I’ve collected a bunch of “notes” and PDFs that have been semi-organized […]
RichC | January 1, 2015
The year 2014 ended on a rather positive note thanks to lower oil prices, low inflation and higher stock prices. Considering the economic malaise most Americans have endured most of the past 7 years, a little optimism feels good. Consumer confidence climbed to 92.6 in December as measured by The Conference Board’s private survey and […]