RichC | July 31, 2025
After seeing a new WSJ poll, I decided to work up some new right-column commentary for TheHustings, but still wanted to archive it on MDB too (below). Yet even as my attitude is positive in mid-2025, I suspect our government will find a way to continue the bloat of government, borrow more from future […]
RichC | July 30, 2025
During the early years of World War II, few aircraft turned as many heads—or changed the tide of air power—like the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. With its distinctive twin-boom design and central nacelle cockpit, the P-38 didn’t just look different; it was different. This radical design, the brainchild of Lockheed’s legendary engineer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and […]
RichC | July 29, 2025
This past weekend was the last weekend of July 2025 (yikes!) and I tried to stay cool by jumping in and out of the pool during the 90+ degree summer heatwave that has been for the most part enjoyed for a few weeks now. I do prefer the heat of summer to the cold of […]
RichC | July 28, 2025
Some collectors go for muscle cars. Others chase rare diecasts or obscure dealership brochures. But @Car_Guy_Tom? He had a more refined ambition: cornering the global market on Cordoba keychains. It all began on a lazy Sunday morning at a suburban Chicago area garage sale. Nestled between a box of spark plugs and a velvet Elvis […]
RichC | July 28, 2025
Due to my college roommate Jerry Moody’s love for bands and brass instruments (he played the tuba and sousaphone in ONU’s marching band), we listened to plenty of Chuck Mangione on our stereo. During the 4 years we roomed together (three years in Founders Hall and then one in an off-campus apartment where we both […]
RichC | July 27, 2025
History doesn’t always repeat, but as Mark Twain supposedly said, it often rhymes. That was my lingering thought after reading Oren Kessler’s “Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict.” If you’re curious about how today’s Middle East complexities came to be, this well-researched and engaging book takes you back […]
RichC | July 26, 2025
Brenda and I enjoyed a little babysitting visit to Whitehouse, Ohio this past week and decided the ridiculously HOT weather would be great to visit my brother Ron and his wife Claire’s retirement property on Lake Erie … “where there would be a breeze” … NOT! The breeze if any was from the south and […]
RichC | July 25, 2025
Since today’s post was a little weak for Tech Friday, I’ve decided to add a second post updating my battle against DOS attacks on my server. Half the battle is fending off BOTs that originate overseas and I’ll give you one guess as to the country hammering my server the most? Since the WordPress plugin […]
RichC | July 25, 2025
Really … there’s no comment or commentary needed. Just watching this baby (and mom) laugh is enough to brighten even the dreariest day. Have a great weekend!
RichC | July 24, 2025
Are too many people still sitting on cash as yields decline? Interest rates are likely to decline further and the question is, “should people lock into rates now (ie. Bonds, CDs or short term treasuries) or shift more heavily to equities?” One of the contributing factors powering the strong stock market is likely the falling […]
RichC | July 23, 2025
If you read my blog at all, you know I’m a long time Wall Street Journal subscriber and often quote or reference their content. I’m actually embarrassed to say that I’ve been reading the newspaper version from the time before the Internet and had it delivered to my place of business for years. So … […]
RichC | July 22, 2025
If you are like me, procrastination of home maintenance items is my modus operandi. There are summer things on my list that I need to do (fence repairs), some large undertaking I want to do (remove, paint and reinstall shutters) … and then semi-maintenance things that I interested in doing. Obvious those first two get […]
RichC | July 21, 2025
It is not that I’m tired of listening to The Bridge or 70’s on 7 … but decided to change thing up and go for a little 60’s Gold. Not everything is to my liking, including the yacky-yak aging disc jockey, but I did enjoy Bob Dylan. So for today’s Music Monday, here’s “Like a […]
RichC | July 20, 2025
The different Almanac forecasts have always interested me. They always seem to be part mystical science and crafty word selection? Who knows, but I still enjoy reading whatever version of almanacs that are available … but I do miss the paper versions. 😊 Generally, Claude.AI has not been my AI choice … but this question […]
RichC | July 19, 2025
The Ohio automotive registration was delayed as long as I dared this month just in case I could convince Brenda this might be a good year to sell her 2010 Acura RDX. Unfortunately she was not convinced before the license plate renewal date inched closer. So another $56.59 has been spent and we’ll go another […]
RichC | July 18, 2025
Really this is a “to be ignored” post that is to test MarsEdit after a big update and Linux server issues. I’ve cleared out a bunch of bulk, cleaned up and hopefully secured a few more things and am trying (without all that much success) into combatting the Chinese BOT that hammer the site everyday. […]
RichC | July 18, 2025
The rise of AI in search and browsing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, AI-powered tools offer efficiency, delivering quick, synthesized answers without the need to navigate multiple websites. For users, this can feel like a leap forward—why sift through links when a chatbot can summarize the best information? However, this convenience comes at […]
RichC | July 17, 2025
I couldn’t help but remember a Memorex tape advertisement that ran in the 1970s for cassette tapes (above) … then in the 1980s for VHS tapes … when seeing the photo below: “Is it live … or is it Memorex?“ What do you think of when you see the shape of this island off the coast […]
RichC | July 16, 2025
After finishing the book “Kent State: An American Tragedy” by Brian VanDeMark last week, it occurred to me that the tensions in the U.S. aren’t all that different today than they were in the late 1960s and 1970s. Radicals on the political left today (we often see Antifa), just as some with like minds did […]
RichC | July 15, 2025
Let’s start the archive of weekend photos with our immediate family selfies. Taylor, Megan and Gigi were over to cool off in the pool (before the strong storms hit on Saturday afternoon) while KDAE were up in Michigan for a extended weekend having summer vacation-ish fun. It would be difficult to find a much more […]
RichC | July 14, 2025
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RichC | July 13, 2025
Here’s some advice you’ve probably heard before: “Purchase the best quality tools that you can afford” … and I’ll add, “when young.” I’ve found myself in this situation many times before. Likely the advice is simple, but in practice, stretching the dollar factors into our calculations. A couple weeks ago I went to my workshop […]
RichC | July 12, 2025
It might be a little concerning if I didn’t actually know my neighbors and neighborhood as well as I do … but another couple has decided the time is right to sell their home. The Groseth family has lived here for 30 years and we’ve watch our families grow up together. Both Marvin and Arlene […]
RichC | July 11, 2025
The Bombardier beetle is a remarkable insect known for its unique and powerful chemical defense system. Belonging to the family Carabidae, these beetles are found on nearly every continent and are especially famous among entomologists and naturalists for the way they defend themselves from predators. Key Characteristics: Chemical Defense:The Bombardier beetle can eject a hot, […]
RichC | July 10, 2025
It has been a “wonderfully” warm summer so far … at least in Cincinnati. I good with it since I like the heat, even if I could do without the humidity. So far though, even with the regular thunderstorms, the humidity has been okay. Our granddaughters are up north with the Barb and Randy … […]
RichC | July 9, 2025
Although I’m not a big Hershey person, I do own a few shares and continued to write CALL options on $HSY. The surprising skid in stock price has me wondering why shareholders are selling just because a new CEO has been named? That aside, my CALL option has paid off today … just not as […]
RichC | July 9, 2025
Sitting up in the pool house loft are a bunch of blue bins … leftover from a pharmacy remodel way back in the 1990s. I don’t really know the size of them, but perhaps they could be used for some pieces and parts storage if incorporated into a cabinet? The design to the right as […]
RichC | July 8, 2025
I’m not happy about having to take apart and replace the icemaker in our Samsung side-by-side refrigerator again. The refurbished model I purchase in 2021 seemed to have lasted 4 years IF I’m being generous — it really it hasn’t worked since spring. Anyway, I’ve decided to spring for the new and not refurbished replacement […]
RichC | July 7, 2025
Nothing like summertime to bring out The Beach Boys music … even though much of their music was released before my time. This week is likely a repeat of years gone by just as was last week’s end of June 2025 post, but it still fitting with last month’s passing of the legendary Brian Wilson. […]
RichC | July 6, 2025
If you want to know what Brenda and I did to celebrate the 249th birthday of our country, my answer would be … not all that much. I ended up spraying our lawn for those sod webworms that has become a recent problem (the last 5 years) and then relaxed in the pool with my […]
RichC | July 5, 2025
Testing an Apple Shortcut script that pulls formatted text from the Apple Notes app that I often type something in. I’m starting to use Notes more and more since it is simple, synchronizes between all Apple devices and works pretty well on Apple’s iCloud, the iPhone, iPad, my iMac or MacBook Air M2. The Hustings.news […]
RichC | July 4, 2025
One of the problems with monitoring user signups for a small WordPress blog is determining who should be granted access to ALL content or just public content. In the old days, I allowed whoever wanted to sign up to sign up and clean up the list later. But as time progressed, most were spammers or […]
RichC | July 3, 2025
As we head into another Independence Day tomorrow, I find myself pausing on this Throwback Thursday #TBT to reflect not just on America’s history, but also on the digital trail now spanning 20 years that I’ve been leaving here at MyDesultoryBlog. The Fourth of July has always been more than fireworks and barbecues for our […]
RichC | July 2, 2025
A Kindle book on hold at the library arrived just as I finished the last book (checked out twice), so the timing for a summer read was perfect. Likely I’ll be slow in reading “Kent State: An American Tragedy” published in 2024 and written by Brian VanDeMark, but I will do my best. First off […]
RichC | July 1, 2025
When you’ve been in a house for 30 years (how is it possible that we built in 1995?), eventually you end up remodeling, replacing and repairing nearly everything. Although I “thought” our house was well-built compared to most, eventually things wear out (replacing plumbing fixtures and valves last month with my granddaughter’s’ help – below) […]