My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on May 21, 2026

My brother Ron and I generally celebrated our birthdays together since they were only a couple of weeks apart. It is our family’s birthday month, as it always has been.

Then came my daughter Katelyn’s birthday in May … as well as Ron’s son Jaben. Before that, it was MomC’s father, my Grandpa Bluhm, on May 18th … so it just seems like we go from one birthday to the other in the month of May: Happy Birthday Ron! 

The two of us had a little back and forth already this week with photos of more excavation (1960’s bomb shelter steel used for our dock and seawall) and the forms going up for the walls of his new house on Lake Erie … on the exact same lot we grew up on, by the way. It still seems surreal. Besides being excited for him, I do still find myself a little bit envious. Likely only the two of us … and our childhood neighbor friends who still have a cottage there … feel this way as our childhood there was idyllic. I hope he can unwind and rekindle those moments and build some new memories there.

For now though, I’m focused on wishing him a great day and I let him know that I am excited to see the progress.

On a related side note, I read the comments below and thought it would be an excellent birthday addition.

The best gift you can give your child isn’t more toys.

Not a bigger house.

Not even the best school.

 

It’s a sibling.

 

Someone who comes from the same place you do.

Someone who remembers the same kitchen smells, the same family stories, the same hard days when things weren’t easy.

 

One day, when parents are no longer around, siblings are still there.

They carry the memories.

They remember your childhood with you.

They know who you were before the world got to you.

 

A sibling teaches things no book ever will.

How to share without being asked.

How to forgive and move on.

How to stand up for someone just because they’re yours.

 

In a world that pushes people to be “independent” and alone, siblings quietly save children from loneliness.

They fight. They compete. They drift apart at times.

But when life hits hard, they almost always find their way back to each other.

 

Money comes and goes.

Status fades.

Friends change with time.

 

But a sibling stays.

Messy. Imperfect. Real.

And deeply precious.

 

Give your child a brother or a sister.

You’re not splitting love.

You’re giving them more of it.

Category: Archive, Human Interest, Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: birthday, bomb shelter, building, dock, homebuilding, lake erie, ron corbett, ronc, seawall, steel

Posted By RichC on May 20, 2026

As the subject line reads … “this is becoming a habit” … that of posting video clips of knot tying. There are a couple quick and easy knots here.

Category: Advice, Tidbits, Video | No Comments »
Tags: cable tie, How-To, knot, knots, mp4, rope, tips, tying, zip tie

Posted By RichC on May 19, 2026

Once again, commentary slated to run in TheHustings this week has triggered me to write a response. I suspect the editor will post my follow up in the right-column later this week, since there aren’t all that many commenters from those of us on the political right. Nevertheless, if it doesn’t get included, I don’t mind just archiving my thoughts on MDB.

Temporary Sacrifice, Enduring Security

I respect Macaulay for highlighting the burden on American taxpayers and the real pocketbook pressures families face every day – from gas prices to grocery bills to the rising cost of living – because those realities matter. No one wants to see hardworking people stretched thin, but ignoring a nuclear-armed Iran that vows death to America and its allies shouldn’t be ignored.

The nuclear evidence is not speculation. The IAEA has repeatedly documented Iran’s enrichment to near-weapons-grade levels, its concealment of military dimensions … and its rapid reconstitution efforts repeatedly after 47 years of failed deterrents. The U.S. and allied intelligence confirmed that Iran was racing toward breakout capacity, even after Operation Midnight Hammer (Reuters). President Trump’s clear, consistent message isn’t the lackadaisical jibber-jabber of politicians past, it is recognizing that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat to our and the world’s security. Allowing it to happen is not an option.

Yes, the short-term economic pain is real. Conflicts disrupt markets, oil prices rise and the risks inherent to curtailing Iran’s ambitions are real. History shows these pressures ease once stability returns. What history also shows is that the long-term cost of a nuclear Iran – higher defense spending, regional chaos, oil shocks far worse than anything we’re seeing now – and the risk of far deadlier conflict would dwarf today’s discomfort. Decisive action now is the responsible path to lower prices and safety in the months and years ahead.

On the War Powers Resolution of 1973: that law was written for sustained, open-ended wars, not short-term defensive operations to eliminate an imminent nuclear threat. The Trump administration’s targeted strikes were precisely the kind of limited, time-sensitive action a President must take as Commander-in-Chief to avoid a full-scaled war. Congress was briefed, the mission was narrow and strikes successful; the 60-day clock was never intended to handcuff a President from stopping a potential nuclear 9/11 before it starts. This is not nation-building or endless war – it is a swift, necessary defense in order to prevent “death to America” in our homeland.

Strength isn’t cheap, but weakness is far more expensive. President Trump chose the harder right over the easier wrong being proposed by his shortsighted, or more likely midterm ambitious, political adversaries. I’m convinced history will show that protecting America from a nuclear Iran is a decision that will ultimately make life more affordable – and keep America safe.

Category: Archive, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: commentary, editorial, iran, response, thehustings, trump

Posted By RichC on May 18, 2026

For today’s Music Monday, I’m combining getting the SiriusXM app working via my iPhone 16 Max to “Brenda’s” 2019 Tesla Model 3 … and the 2001 song “Young” by Kenny Chesney (his music has been mentioned a few times). 

First off, I enjoy the No Shoes Radio music channel 59, but only received it from the subscribed car radio in the BMW X5 35d or on my phone app. I subscribe at a discount each year, but can’t add a second car without significantly increasing my negotiated monthly charge. ☹️ 

So since I’ve recently mounted the iPhone next to the Tesla display and have been running the ABRP app for planning trips, it only made sense to stream SiriusXM channels via Bluetooth to the Tesla. It works well and even permits some limited control on the Tesla controls. Streaming will do the trick until I can “inexpensively” add a second car (failed again and again at the 3 years for $99). 

For now, here’s the YouTube version of “Young.” 

(more…)

Category: Music, Tesla, Video | No Comments »
Tags: bluetooth, iphone, kenny chesney, model 3, music monday, musicmonday, reddit, siriusxm, tesla, wikipedia, young, youtube

Posted By RichC on May 17, 2026

Tool tips share on social media always get my attention. I’m not sure this wire splicing tidbit will come in handy for me, but it is still impressive. 

Category: How-To, Social Media, Tidbits, Tools, Video | No Comments »
Tags: electrical, filler, mp4, splicing, tip, tips, wire, workshop

Posted By RichC on May 16, 2026

It is time to schedule my wellness visit for 2026 and I’m afraid to mention anything … although in my case it has more to do with having to make another appointment or additional billing by my PCP. If not that, I’m sure he’ll request additional labs or refer me to a specialist! $$$

Doctor: “Your LDL is still high. I’m adding a second statin.”
Patient: “I’m already on one. My legs ache.”
Doctor: “That’s a known side effect. I’ll add CoQ10.”
Patient: “And I’m tired all the time.”
Doctor: “Fatigue is common. I’ll add modafinil.”
Patient: “My memory is foggy.”
Doctor: “Cognitive effects can occur. Donepezil should help.”
Patient: “I have a cough now.”
Doctor: “That’ll be the ACE inhibitor I prescribed last visit.
        We’ll swap it for an ARB.”
Patient: “I’m not sleeping.”
Doctor: “Zopiclone.”
Patient: “Heard that’s addictive.”
Doctor: “We’ll taper you with mirtazapine when the time comes.”
Patient: “My blood sugar has gone up.”
Doctor: “Statins can do that. Metformin.”
Patient: “I get diarrhoea on metformin.”
Doctor: “Loperamide.”
Patient: “I’ve gained weight.”
Doctor: “Ozempic.”
Patient: “I feel nauseous.”
Doctor: “Ondansetron.”
Patient: “I don’t want to be on twelve medications.”
Doctor: “Anxiety is common at this stage. I’ll add sertraline.”
Patient: “What if I just stopped the statin?”
Doctor: “Absolutely not.”

Via X.com 

Category: Humor, Medical, Social Media | No Comments »
Tags: doctors, medical, prescriptions, wellness, x.com

Posted By RichC on May 15, 2026

Our 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+ is not really the best vehicle for road trips, but eventually we’ll learn feel comfortable stretching its limited range (realistically we’re currently only comfortable in calculating about 120 miles between stops). That said, the EV works well for our 380 mile round trip to Katelyn and Drew’s house in Whitehouse, Ohio with an 85% charge on both ends … and a 30 minute stop both ways in Lima, Ohio.

• Original EPA Rating: The 2019 SR+ was rated at 240 miles of combined range.
• Real-World Expectations: Due to battery degradation (typically 8–15% by 2026) and driving conditions, actual range often falls between 190 and 210 miles on a full charge.
• Highway Driving: At steady speeds of 70 mph in mild weather, real-world range typically drops to 170–190 miles.
• Winter Driving: In cold conditions, range can decrease by 30–40%, resulting in approximately 120–150 miles on the highway.

The financial part of owning and driving an EV is also making far more sense than originally thought, at least by me. Since we normally drive my BMW X5 35d “diesel” on most road trips, which achieves about  22-24 mpg, the $100 trip price (diesel currently at $5-6/gal) is significantly more than in years past. This means charging the Tesla while using the actual variables from our last trip to Toledo saved us about $60. The total estimated cost of electricity to charge at our home, at Katelyn and Drew’s and at a DC Fast-charger is about $40 (although electricity costs are going up, so as they say, “your mileage may vary” or the YMMV acronym for the idiom – also see my EV Cost Calculator for another one of my coding attempts). 😉

Category: Automotive, Coding, Energy, Financial, Idioms, Photos, Tesla | No Comments »
Tags: calculator, charging, cost benefit, diesel, efficiency, ev, html, idiom, model 3, tesla