Great White Sharks are pretty intimidating
RichC | March 31, 2015
A large great white shark photographed by Greg Skomal off the Cape Islands on the Massachusetts coast. Hard to imagine a more intimidating killing machine.
The Treasure Coast was a popular place this weekend
RichC | March 30, 2015
After the rain on Friday (above), the weather improve for a weekend finishing up a long drawn out engine work (plus a few other repairs) to Encore at the marina in Florida. The weather improved and was high 70s on Saturday and Sunday but with the north wind felt cooler in the shade. I wasn't […]
The Color of Pee — Cleveland Clinic
RichC | March 29, 2015
It has long been known that the color of urine can give doctors a insight into a patients health. For most in our day to day lives, it is a good way to monitor IF we are drinking enough water. Check out the info graphic below or the Cleveland Clinic Health Hub.
Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring
RichC | March 28, 2015
One of my favorite sailing authors Fatty Goodlander has a new book, Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring, and it is now available. With some travel ahead I opted to purchase and download the ebook to my iPad for $9.99 at Amazon. Fatty's writing style is always entertaining be it a magazine article, sailing […]
TechFriday: Playing with Periscope from Twitter
RichC | March 27, 2015
I wasted a couple hours on Thursday morning while “working” (cough, cough) from home and downloaded the Periscope app for iOS on the iPhone. To the novice “tech geek,” these live broadcasting social networking apps will soon have the Internet filled with video streams. Currently I’m seeing broadcasters like CBNC’s Julia Boorstin (above) jumping on the […]
NYTimes says one of the pilots was locked out of the cockpit
RichC | March 26, 2015
News is slowly trickling or leaking out as to what may have happened to Germanwings Flight 9525 with 150 people on board in the mountain region of southern France. The lastest indication from a New York Times report is that one of the pilots left the cockpit after having a “very smooth, very cool” conversation […]
How much do babysitters get paid in 2015?
RichC | March 25, 2015
Nationally the pay for babysitters is up in 2015 according to care.com as reported on CNBC this morning. When the reports indicate that wage growth is stagnent and inflation is at bay, they obviously don't have kids to take care of …
How long will paper magazines like Cruising World survive?
RichC | March 25, 2015
My magazine reading has slipped in recent years and after 35 years of nary a missed issue of Cruising World magazine, I’m considering canceling my paper issue. Actually with all the information available on the Internet I may not even want a digital copy? I’ve posted numerous tips and comments associated with the publication, but […]
The Germanwings Flight 9525 debris field is gutwrenching
RichC | March 24, 2015
Early in the day I wondered why French President François Hollande was so quick to say that he expected no survivors in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 … after seeing the debris field photos in the afternoon, I understand why (below). Sure seems like a suspicious crash considering the reliability of this Airbus A320 […]
Rust is starting to take a toll on the 1998 Toyota Rav4
RichC | March 24, 2015
While doing a little garage work this past weekend (removed snowblower from the John Deere) I crawled under Brenda’s dented and bruised 270,000 mile 1998 Toyota Rav 4 (Links 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). Besides repairing an exhaust hanger and heat shield, I spotted a leak in the power steering and inspected a […]
Shuffling widgets and adding a WordPress tag cloud
RichC | March 23, 2015
I spent a few minutes updating and cleaning up some of the tags on MyDesultoryBlog this past weekend … more of a maintenance thing than anything essential. Part of the reason was that I am still learning about Blogsy as a blog writing and editing tool, but also just to clean things up. I realized […]
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry
RichC | March 22, 2015
Last year about this time I had mentally decided that Brenda and I would be cruising the Bahamas aboard our sailboaat Encore in March 2015, but as “life happens” those dreams were not meant to be. As the year progressed, both of our surviving parents had health concerns requiring more of our attention, Encore started […]
Ever dream about taking an expedition up the Amazon River?
RichC | March 21, 2015
If you do plan a trip on the Amazon River, you’ve probably though about the wildlife … especially the ferocious insects, dangerous reptiles and famous fish … like the Piranha. They inhabit the neotropical freshwater rivers of northern South America, including the countries of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. […]
No swimming in the pool yet as there is still snow in the forecast
RichC | March 20, 2015
One of our resident and noisy Mallard ducks woke me up early this morning. He thinks it is time for us to uncover the pool so he can take his partner for a swim as in years past (Link one and two). It’s still early since snow is still being seen across our latitude.
TechFriday: iCloud apps are not just for Apple users
RichC | March 20, 2015
Although cloud based apps aren’t for everyone, they have made inroads over the past few years. Googles’ online Docs, Sheets and Slides have been slowly improving and many other players have entered the foray including Microsoft with their Office Online. Apple has improve their iWorks online apps and offers their Pages, Numbers and Keynote […]
Another battery for my high-mileage 2006 Honda Pilot
RichC | March 19, 2015
It has been 6 years and 200,000+ miles (time has zipped by) since I made an emergency battery replacement in my 2006 Honda Pilot while driving to Cleveland … and it happened again. I pulled off the highway and when I tried to start the car all that I heard was a “click, click, click.” […]
New theme and pages for my EAA Chapter 284’s website
RichC | March 19, 2015
I received a few long overdue updates items from our EAA chapter’s president for the interior pages of the EAA284 chapter website on Wednesday and so before forgetting I jumped right on it. We are continuing to keep the EAA284.org domain, but opt to use WordPress.com to host because it is free. Still there are […]
Goodyear has an impressive concept tire – the BHO3
RichC | March 18, 2015
The future of transportation will likely include electric power even if automotive purist cringe at the thought of their beloved internal combustion engines losing ground. I’m as old school as the next car-lover, but can’t deny hybrid vehicles and EVs have come a long way in the past decade; the future will no doubt see […]
Is the old Palm Pre destined to be a collectible cellphone?
RichC | March 17, 2015
Ran across and old story about cellphones that are Doomed to be Collectables … then I wondered, “Where is my Palm Pre?” Back before the smartphone market was narrowed down to two choices — Apple or Android — there was a phone company that sold a very compelling device beloved by professionals and consumers alike. […]
The Head and the Heart – Let’s Be Still and Another Story
RichC | March 16, 2015
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Busy dealing with health concerns for our parents
RichC | March 15, 2015
The past couple of months have been filled with caring for our parents as both my wife’s mom and my dad are facing common issues associated with aging. No matter how you deal with it, having health issues in your eighties is neither easy for elderly parent or the family struggling to care for them. […]
Tropical Cyclone Pam devastates the Vanuatu
RichC | March 14, 2015
The official death toll for Cyclone Pam stands at eight – but up to 44 are thought to be dead after the super storm ripped through several South Pacific island nations. The category 5 storm struck Vanuatu and has caused damage in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and New Caledonia. Aid officials say the storm is […]
Did you know? The ONLINE Ohio DMV is #1 in the country
RichC | March 13, 2015
It is the time of year I need to pay the $54.88 (ST $31 + Local $20 + service fee) to renew my Ohio registration fee for each vehicle and affix the tiny stickers to my aging metal license plate. The process in recent years is far easier with the online registration (so long as […]
Get What’s Yours: The secrets to maxing out your Social Security
RichC | March 12, 2015
In discussing FICA taxes the other day, I discovered just how much I didn’t know about one of the biggest taxes we pay throughout our entire working lives. I’m guessing most Americans are in my shoes? Now “let me be clear,” as President Obama has been known to say, I’m NOT “that” close to retirement […]
Impulse buy from Apple – refurbished AppleTV for $59
RichC | March 11, 2015
The Apple event earlier this week had be jumping to pick up an AppleTV with the price drop to $69 (opted for refurb)… if for nothing else, a device to plug into the TV on the boat and play video from my iPhone or iPad. Also, it is possible I’ve was bitten by the “want […]
Gasoline varnish and alcohol in a carburetor
RichC | March 10, 2015
When regular leaded gasoline gets old, a thin layer of varnish coats the inside of fuel lines and the jets of the carburetor. This can plug or narrow jets that meter fuel into the carburetor and with cause the engine to either run lean or not run (start) at all. For fuel efficient and environment […]
Apple announces new MacBook and more on the AppleWatch
RichC | March 9, 2015
I ate a late lunch today and watched the live Apple product announcement events. The stock price moved up $3/sh to $129ish as the events were mentioned. Before the “main event Apple Watch” comments, Tim Cook and his team announced an HBONow ($14.99) exclusive tie to their devices as well as a lower price on […]
Stop the Spocking says the Canadian Central Bank
RichC | March 8, 2015
Canada’s central bank is urging citizens to stop defacing their $5 notes in a tribute to deceased actor Leonard Nimoy (3/26/1931-2/27/2015). In a trend dubbed “Spocking,” Canadians have taken to drawing pointy ears and tiled brows on top of Canada’s seventh prime minister, Sir. Wilfrid Laurier, to make him look like Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan, […]
Ice fishing for Northern Pike in North Dakota
RichC | March 7, 2015
It’s great to see your kids making the most of their situation. In the case of Taylor who often feels “stuck” in North Dakota … especially in the winter … he continues to fine interesting and new things to do. This early March weekend he went ice fishing with his northern buddies not far from […]
March marched in like a lion with weather and health concerns
RichC | March 7, 2015
A catch up post since hear in Cincinnati we have had a much snowier February and early March than usual … although a change is coming, so I hear? Sharing a few medical concerns: Activities this first week of March have revolved around medical care for a few in my family. Most pressing concerns are […]
TechFriday: My favorite new iPad app — Blogsy
RichC | March 6, 2015
One of the reasons for adding the @Blogsyapp to my iPad is so I have an easy way to write and include the media items that I often post. So far, it is almost as easy as using my notebook computer and the “no longer supported” Microsoft Livewriter software. I say “almost as easy” since […]
How is Ting doing since our switch from Sprint?
RichC | March 5, 2015
This months bill should be a interesting test for our Ting cellphone service. I will eventually add billing information to this post (below). With two iPhones on our account and a little more travel this past 4 week invoice, we used a few more minutes and megabytes than usual on our phones, but no matter, […]
Functional bolt-on gadget from Mantus to secure an anchor
RichC | March 4, 2015
Elegant, but simple solution to fitting and securing one of the new Mantus anchors or other modern anchor on the bow roller. Eventually I’d like to upsize our Bruce claw anchor (photo below) and will be looking at the Mantus or Rocna.
More work than expected on the Volvo diesel
RichC | March 3, 2015
“Nothing that's worthwhile is ever easy” wrote Nicholas Sparks; that must be true since getting Encore's Volvo diesel back in shape is testing my patience and finances (but then we're talking about a boat, so that second part is a given). Thankfully I have a very experience diesel mechanic who keeps one boat here in […]
Rain, leaks and cold showers
RichC | March 2, 2015
Just as it was in the French Revolution, I’m back and forth telling A Tale of Two Cities and “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” so to speak. I spent the weekend taking care of a condo rental issue in Delray Beach, Florida and of course was staying on […]
First post with the new iPad app Blogsy
RichC | March 2, 2015
Really, I’m just looking to make a test post and include a photo to see how a new app called Blogsy does from the iPad. The feature-rich app offer an excellent platform to post to a variety of blogs and has nearly every familiar feature from Microsoft’s dead or dying LiveWriter. Besides not having to […]
How to Use Blogsy
RichC | March 1, 2015
Welcome to Blogsy! Let's get started. Set up your blog by going to the Settings Menu → Service Settings. Then choose your blog platform and fill in your information. Tap on the Post Info. button to get to all post information. Tap on the Plus button to start a new post or open a local […]
Will ElioMotors hit the price, efficiency and production targets?
RichC | March 1, 2015
Really just love the above camera angle of the Elio … a new micro-car company making its public relation rounds and aggressively taking pre-orders. I’ve mentioned Elio previously and am anxious to see, drive and OWN the little commuter car. There are plenty of details to be concerned about since their targets are aggressive for […]
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.