Testing with CloudFlare to secure and speed up blog

| December 31, 2017

After installing Cloudflare in hope of adding another layer of security to WordPress blogs, I noticed a couple issues with sluggishness compared to my own DNS. I wish it were quicker, but something isn’t right since instead all aspects seems slower after switching. Even after bypassing the caching feature things continued to run slow. Once […]

Keeping knobs on cabinet doors/drawers. Out comes the epoxy!

| December 31, 2017

Let’s end 2017 with a kitchen cabinets knob repair. One of the changes to our new kitchen were the crystal looking knobs … Brenda felt they were too small. So we added larger ones, but the adhesive they used is not as solid as it should be, so out comes the epoxy and clamped in […]

The Howards and more playtime for Gma/Gpa with Annalyn

| December 30, 2017

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Tech Friday: Wildcard Certificates coming to Let’s Encrypt

| December 29, 2017

In the world of community supported software and Internet applications, there are few better than those associated with the Linux Foundation Collaborative Projects … like Let’s Encrypt. The latter provides HTTPS certificates that are perfect for lightweight Linux OS webservers and it operates on a "donate" for certs services basis. This month Let’s Encrypt plans […]

Katelyn & Drew are rekindling my connection to Toledo, Ohio

| December 28, 2017

My daughter and son-in-law, who moved back to Ohio in 2017, send me occasional updates from my "birth" city and the surrounding area. This past week the Toledo Blade reflected on 2017 in the "glass city" with its Finding Nellie illustration and included the Promedica Promenade Park revitalization … with Drew‘s dad dancing in the […]

Archive: Corbetts and Oostras had a wonderful family Christmas

| December 27, 2017

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A great photo that gives meaning to whales being gentle giants

| December 26, 2017

California Gray Whale watching is on most ocean lovers "want to do list" but few have up close and personal opportunities like this. Part of me wants whales to "fear" humans and keep their distance (for their own protections and survival), where another part of me loves seeing the bond between mammals and knowing the […]

Christmas Music Monday: Merry old semi-nautical carol

| December 25, 2017

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Do we show enough appreciation for a well decorated home?

| December 24, 2017

My wife Brenda shows a lot of attention to decorating with memories and detail to our house each December (and my mother did too). I wish I would be more thankful, but am usually a bit Grinchy when ask to do just a few things that seem to much such a waste of time … […]

Stopping to take a house photo on my way up the driveway

| December 23, 2017

Just a beautiful sky (photos doesn’t do it justice) as the new LED Christmas spots and candle lights pop on as I head up the driveway. Good for the blog archive. After a cold start, having sunny but cool weather right before Christmas is welcomed … but should be thinking about getting the blower put […]

Tech Friday: Apple slows down older iPhones. What to do?

| December 22, 2017

The big technology news this week  if you are an iPhone user is that Apple has a "feature" that slows down older iPhones with older batteries in order to protect users from unwanted crashes. Yes … your phone older phone will actually run slower. According to CNET, the best option for owners of older iPhones […]

Another memory with friends of our 1st Christmas together #TBT

| December 21, 2017

Although my memory is a little bit foggy, Brenda and I probably saw each other a couple of Christmas’s prior our first Christmas? We were dating in 1980 and engaged in 1981 and likely celebrated with each other close to the day, but were home with our families for Christmas Day. Anyway, when scanning the […]

Last minute gift idea AND picking the right hose clamp #humor

| December 20, 2017

Just in case there are a few men looking for last minute jewelry gifts to give to their sweetheart for Christmas, here’s a ring idea that will pretty much guarantee that you’ll never need to worry again – you’ll either be alone … or dead! And since I know there is sure to be a […]

Food for thought from a pediatrician on gender identity

| December 19, 2017

Although I have the traditional conservative view that one’s gender is in our DNA and one that we are born with, I understand there are those who differ. Let’s at least try to agree as a nation that we should at least protect young kids and early teens from the irreparable damage parents and doctor […]

Closing in on a GOP Tax Plan vote – all signs point to Tuesday

| December 18, 2017

While waiting for the predicted Tuesday vote on the GOP Tax Plan that has been anticipated ALL year, it is looking like it might actually get done in 2017. It has not been easy or as simple as many of us wanted “Tax Reform,” but the corporate tax cut will make the U.S. more competitive […]

Music Monday: Some history to Jackson Browne’s “Stay”

| December 18, 2017

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Semi-humorous advice from a Roomba Vacuuming Robot user

| December 17, 2017

Before you buy a Roomba vacuuming robot "used," be sure you know what it has been cleaning. Actually I couldn’t help but smile at this well told and somewhat humorous story that might also be a useful warning to others? Credit to Jesse Newton: So, last week, something pretty tragic happened in our household. It’s […]

Student loan debt default rises in a strong labor market

| December 16, 2017

With all the buzz around Bitcoin and bubbles, the really big financial crisis being somewhat overlooked is Student Loan Debt. The number of Americans struggling to pay back the money they borrowed for their education is mindboggling. The WSJ reported that Nearly 5 Million Americans are in Default on their Student Loans … and there […]

As GOP TaxReform nears, investors drive stocks higher again

| December 15, 2017

Another record high on Wall Street as once again the financial markets believe the Republicans in congress will finally get promised tax reform across the finish line. Even if Democrats see some benefits (many agree US corporate taxes are too high) they haven’t contributed in the GOP plan; they likely will continue to oppose anything […]

Tech Friday: Testing Apple Live Photo to downsized looping GIF

| December 15, 2017

We’ve had a colder than usual early December here in Cincinnati … and has much of the country. The freezing temperatures will likely show up in higher heating bills but I’m hoping the new LED Christmas lighting will offset that cost? We’ll see. I’ve been wanting to test the Live Photo editing feature on the […]

Our first Christmas as husband and wife #TBT

| December 14, 2017

Wow … is this really the 35th Christmas? With boxes all over the basement in search for Brenda‘s "special ornaments," I ran across the old photo albums of our first year of marriage and our first Christmas. We both remember it fondly since it was a relatively minimalist Christmas. The tree came from Brenda’s dad’s […]

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to my son-in-law

| December 13, 2017

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For Sale: 1958 Packard Hawk Convertible-auction ends 12/15/17

| December 12, 2017

This 1958 Packard Hawk is a one-off convertible created by Stanley Pridachuk, the chief engineer at Studebaker/Packard in the 1950s. Pridachuk believed that a convertible version of the Hawk would help revive the failing Packard brand and pressured the board to build one, though he was ultimately unsuccessful. Some time after his retirement in 1963, […]

Merry Christmas 2017 from our family to your family

| December 12, 2017

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Volkswagen wants incentives for diesel cars removed in Germany

| December 11, 2017

After years of leading the "clean diesel" push and getting their hand slapped for cheating on emissions testing, Volkswagen looks to be giving up on fossil fuel or at least diesel cars. In fact according the New York Times, VW wants the German government to phase out subsidies they lobbied for for years that favored […]

Music Monday: Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Christmas Canon

| December 11, 2017

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A snowy winter day, a warm fire and distractions

| December 10, 2017

The first cold snowy winter day was the perfect time to fire up the woodstove in the poolhouse garage … unfortunately the distraction of a warm fire lead to other distractions and  keeping me from the day’s list of projects. Instead of finishing the Corbett Christmas letter, updating the mailing list, decorating and working on […]

Thoughts on converting water separator to a desiccant dryer

| December 9, 2017

In a discussion on a Facebook group that I belong to regarding using compressed air tools and moisture control, I shared my budget solution. It really doesn’t do anything to "dry" the air coming from the compressor, but the simple gravity "separator" likely help a little when using shop tools. My biggest issue is that […]

What’s the Apple iPhoneX line-up going to look like in 2018

| December 8, 2017

For those planning ahead and thinking about replacing their aging (1 or 2 years old! HA!) iPhone, there are rumors already floating around as to what Apple might have up their sleeve for 2018. Perhaps the most interesting "rumor" is that the iPhoneX may come in a 6.1" TFT-LCD with 320-330 PPI  AND an aluminum […]

Remembering the Pearl Harbor attack and the 2403 killed

| December 7, 2017

We remember December 7th, 1941 to honor those who perished and as a reminder of what lead up to Japan’s 1920’s ambition to dominate the Pacific Basin believing it was their manifest destiny (see series Pearl Harbor – Then and Now on the Defense Media Network). The unprovoked surprise attack on Hawaii in the early […]

Hard to believe the gambling going on with Bitcoin

| December 6, 2017

So much for using Bitcoin as a cryptocurrency? How does one set prices for products and services "in Bitcoins" when there isn’t any stability of value? So much for using it as currency … more like gambling or speculating on artwork as these bits of invisible computer cyber bytes continue to find pyramid scheme buyers. […]

The Family Truckster before the Griswolds

| December 6, 2017

Now if I were to be true to myself, I’d be driving a station wagon like this Buick Special Estate Wagon, Model 49 mentioned in Hemmigs. As posted previously, my first car was almost a 1958 Buick Special, but after my stint with wagons in the 1980s (Volvo DL245, Chevrolet Caprice Wagon and Oldsmobile Custom […]

What do you do with the extra Epoxy after it has been mixed?

| December 5, 2017

When mixing a small batch of epoxy for a repair, I’m always looking for a secondary project that needs some adhesion. I’ve finally decided that my go-to project is to apply additional "wear bars" to the heels of my favorite Sperry Topsiders. I’ve done this before and besides the slightly annoying "clicking" sound, the epoxy […]

Christmas decorating and closing the pool in the same weekend

| December 4, 2017

It is hard to believe, but I finally winterized the pool and in the same weekend brought home a Christmas tree, put the wreathes up and modified the lighting we use on the house in December. The first years we used 150 watt incandescent floods (also had halogens at some point), then I switched to […]

Beautiful Supermoon this weekend – the largest of 2017

| December 3, 2017

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Apple fixes MacOS High Sierra and a faster Firefox browser

| December 2, 2017

After updating my iMac to the latest High Sierra MacOS, a root log in security flaw was discovered and had users scrambling for a temporary fix. I followed the advice on 9to5Mac, but Apple quickly sent out a security update. Safe again? Another install has been a major update for Mozilla and their popular Firefox […]

Tech Friday: Apple iPhone iOS 11 Flashlight brightness levels

| December 1, 2017

Most Apple iPhone users (as well as Android users) have been using a smartphone as a flashlight for years with only a few innovations. The simple swipe up and click on has been relatively straight forward until the addition of brightness levels. With iOS11, the text description has been eliminated (???) but the brightness level […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog