RichC | July 31, 2026
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro lineup is already generating serious buzz. While the exterior might look familiar at a glance, early leaks point to some major upgrades under the hood. Here is a quick breakdown of the top five rumored features and what to expect. A Staggered Release ScheduleIn an unusual move to maximize revenue, […]
RichC | July 30, 2026
Some of my fondest memories as newlyweds come from looking at these photos from 1982. The little red brick farmhouse was our first starter home in Aurora, Ohio ($54,900). It was unique in more ways that one: A one-lung pump (clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk) and heavy iron well-water that turned Brenda hair red (eventually we […]
RichC | July 29, 2026
What’s a person to do with old OBD reader that no longer does what I need it to do? I have a Carly for BMW WiFi Adapter that was great for diagnosing, resetting codes, modifying options and replacing batteries. Unfortunately it is no longer supported and the scanner is subscription based and a bit more […]
RichC | July 28, 2026
Back row: Chris, Dad H, Mom H, Ann, Jerry, Middle row: Mark, Brenda, Lynda, Aaron, Front row: Ben, Justin, David and Rich (1985??? click for larger) Brenda and I are anxiously awaiting getting together with our extended Howard family after a long stretch of not really seeing everybody. There was a time we were together […]
RichC | July 27, 2026
As promised last week, here’s another unusual pick for Music Monday: 3EB’s “Never Let You Go” from the year 2000 (non-music listening years for me — hint: Menieres). Also, Third Eye Blind isn’t a band I would generally pay much attention to … but accidentally flipping to the PopRocks channel over the 4th of July […]
RichC | July 26, 2026
This year’s midterm November’s election will slate candidates about as diametrically opposed as we have ever seen in the United States. If the news is to be believed, Democrats have candidates that aren’t just flirting with Marxism, Socialism and Communism … they are advocating for it!
RichC | July 25, 2026
It has been a raucous week to say the least. First, it was a week of an up and down recovery for me after Monday’s robotic inguinal hernia repair surgery. Second, the energy/oil and financial markets that we all watch were in turmoil due to the events in the Strait of Hormuz (Friday’s Dow and Nasdaq […]
RichC | July 24, 2026
Interestingly, I haven’t really given all that much thought until pondering the wave of new socialist politicians making inroads in today’s Democratic Party. There is a clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1, Clause 5) that states “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the […]
RichC | July 23, 2026
After putting things off for awhile now, it was good to finally get a robotic inguinal hernia repair on Monday . I have been laying low since the procedure and can’t say I’m feeling like doing much. Which is a good things since I’m not suppose to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. […]
RichC | July 22, 2026
Likely I’ve added way too much on knots and knot tying in previous posts, but because “who knows how I’ll be feeling,” I’m pre-posting another knot tying video. “NOT” (groan) bad, if I can only remember them when they are needed. 😉
RichC | July 21, 2026
Thankfully we are south far enough to escape most of the smoke and hazardous air that extends from Dayton, Ohio north from the 2026 Canadian wildfires. The farther north, the worse it is … and it was pretty bad in the Toledo area where the Oostras live (neighborhood photo below). So on our weekly Thursday […]
RichC | July 20, 2026
An oddity for this week’s Music Monday, but not quite what next week’s post will be (a teaser). 😉 David Cassidy and his music or The Partridge Family acting was never my “cup of tea” back in the 1970s, but he was a teenage idol/heartthrob (primarily girls) … just as was his younger half-brother actor/singer […]
RichC | July 19, 2026
Having to wear glasses or readers is just another curse of growing older … although a minor inconvenience compared to an other medical problems. For me, wearing glasses is nothing new, but as the years go by, they are now a necessity rather than an aid when reading or working on something close up. I’ve […]
RichC | July 18, 2026
While currently contemplating the idea of tackling replacing the front struts and suspension components on my 2010 BMW X5 35d, the idea crossed my mind that maybe I should replace my beloved diesel SUV instead? Hm, almost always a bad idea. If it were to happen, I would probably still want the long range ability […]
RichC | July 17, 2026
With all that is happening in engineering and technology … the “sky is the limit” … or the seas depths as the case may be?
RichC | July 16, 2026
For generations, Americans have been told that saving, investing wisely and planning for retirement embody the virtues of self-reliance and prudence. Yet today, many on fixed or semi-fixed incomes — pensions, annuities and even Social Security — are watching those plans quietly unravel. The culprit? The steady devaluation of the U.S. dollar driven by chronic […]
RichC | July 15, 2026
A few days ago, the social networked car guys that I follow, commented back and forth about the “hidden gas cap” locations that were part of cars and trucks years ago. I remember the occasional stumper when I was 16 years old working at a Sidney, Ohio Shell station. Full service gas stations were still […]
RichC | July 14, 2026
The additional parts for the Kubota Zero-Turn mower (correct sized SS spacers) and replacement solid wheel (broken zerk) arrived last week, so decided to spend part of my weekend taking things apart and putting them together again. The new spacers fit much better but I did add a couple copper washer shims, which was probably […]
RichC | July 13, 2026
Stumbled on a Tonight Show interview in 1989 with Jimmy Buffett. It was by the King of Late-Night Television, Johnny Carson where Buffett and the Coral Reefers also performed a new release, “Take Another Road” from the album Off To See The Lizard. Jimmy Buffett – “Take Another Road” | 1989 After making […]
RichC | July 12, 2026
Senator Lindsey Graham, a steadfast friend to the US military, cherished his family and his beloved state, South Carolina. He dedicated his entire life to serving his country. His career spanned as a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force, a US Congressman, and a US Senator. Graham’s life exemplifies the exceptional opportunities and values […]
RichC | July 12, 2026
Each year when our granddaughters come to visit for a week, I try to do something in the woodworking workshop that keeps them interested in working with tools (and with their Bompa, although now that they are older, suspect that name will disappear). 😉 Katelyn gave me the idea of a “squirrel picnic table” […]
RichC | July 11, 2026
Who hasn’t noticed that a number of Democratic Socialist candidates elected or on the ballots in several American blue cities and states? It seemed like a good topic for the three column points-of-view on the TheHustings political discussion site, so I sent in an editorial (commentary) last month and sort of forgot about it. The […]
RichC | July 10, 2026
Front lawn cut before the rain starts. MyDesultoryBlog backed up. Linux server updated and installed WordPress 7.0.1 … and all is still working! 😉
RichC | July 10, 2026
Besides admiring the new 2027 Tesla Model Y L with truly functional 3-row … and space behind it … this past week, I began contemplating what might be an eventual replacement for our 2019 Tesla Model 3. Currently it’s a bit pricey in my opinion, but might trigger better selling prices on lightly used 2023-25 […]
RichC | July 9, 2026
It is not a “for sure” For Sale, but I did clean up the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel last weekend and added a sign to the window. Now I’m not going out of my way to sell it, but we do need to thin down the automotive stable. We’ll see … I’m not truly […]
RichC | July 8, 2026
While EV sales have cooled considerably, hybrid powertrains are seeing strong growth and are projected to capture a significantly larger share of the market in the coming years. “Hybrids are the breakout star of the U.S. car market as EV demand fades” Marketwatch – July 2, 2026 A chart from Murphy Automotive Partners (shared via […]
RichC | July 7, 2026
I wish I could say that Brenda and I did more than hang out around home and watch fireworks for the 4th of July (the lawn is cut), but at least our family was doing the right thing in marking memories for our nation’s Semiquincentenial. Besides the Oostra family checking out the fireworks and in-town […]
RichC | July 6, 2026
Besides being a Music Monday (Pink Floyd and “Obscured by Clouds” from 1972 below), it was time to get an early handle on my cloud storage and backup accounts. I was planning on holding off in making the “cloud storage” switch until my Microsoft OneDrive was up for a yearly renewal in August, but the […]
RichC | July 5, 2026
With our nation’s 250th birthday plus one, here’s an Ohio oriented aviation story that was pretty cool. I’m not sure what kind of planning it took for the pilot to take his Cessna Skyline 182 RG to fly this kind of six hour “map drawing flight,” but it did take a few gallons of fuel […]
RichC | July 4, 2026
As we celebrate another Independence Day, America stands at a pivotal moment. Our nation, forged by the courage and sacrifice of patriots who risked everything for liberty, continues to shine as a beacon of freedom and opportunity. As a conservative who deeply loves this country, I remain profoundly optimistic about our future. Recent polls underscore […]
RichC | July 3, 2026
How many years have I been using a Mac and saving Shift-Cmd+4 screenshots to the desktop (although MacOS has changed over the years)? That said, there’a simple solution for those running newer Apple Macintosh operating systems. Personally I’ve never really given it much thought until consolidating my cloud storage this summer … although more on […]
RichC | July 2, 2026
Since I follow our local Cincinnati WKRC-TV weather guru John Gumm on X.com, I’ll share his post on what to expect this July in Cincinnati based on our weather history: Welcome to July in #Cincinnati! Our average high is 86 and stays there all month long. We average just under 4 inches of rain and […]
RichC | July 1, 2026
Some time ago, I check out too many ebooks from the library and as hopeful as I was at the time, never got around to reading “The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World” by Daniel Yergin. Newer books by Yergin have been published, but this one from 2011 still triggered an […]