Posted By RichC on January 7, 2026
While this is not exactly a new map (1980-2014), the “Average Length of Winter in Days” in North America likely doesn’t change all that much. Still, the BrilliantMaps repost of it in December makes it interesting, at least to me, as we hibernate this January 2026.
Posted By RichC on January 6, 2026
I think about my granddaughters every morning when I go through a Seinfeld-like routine (“about nothing”) when I pick one of the three Kellogg’s cereal bowls out of the dishwasher or cupboard. It’s only a silent mental routine by me in “hoping” I pick “Tony the Tiger” bowl, the kids favorite bowl..jpg)
The morning or snack time routine with the girls goes like this:
The bowls out on the table/counter upside down and then I mix them around and around. Depending on whose turn it is, they pick a bowl hoping it is not the “chicken” or the “toucan” birds … they both prefer “Tony the Tiger.” Who knows why, but it has become an enjoyable ritual each morning (or their nighttime snack). I wonder how long this will last … as they are both growing up so fast (spoken like a grandparent).
Another desultory thought: Don’t even get me thinking about their counting the “green clover” marshmallows in the Lucky Charms cereal. I’m still shocked their pediatrician mother lets them have it … wisely only as a special treat at Oma and Bompa’s house! 😊
Interesting: Too bad we don’t have the full set in better condition? (Esty selling)
Posted By RichC on January 5, 2026
While listening to Charles Payne on Fox Business, he referenced The Mamas and The Papas when commenting on a stock pick for 2026 by a guest: Monday.com LTD (ticker $MNDY).
The comment referenced the song Monday, Monday (previous post) as being a 1966 hit and number 1 song.
A second reference is today’s Music Monday song, California Dreamin’ … which he commented only rose to #4. That was surprise to him as well as to me, but that’s enough to have me remember it. Here’s a YouTube live version.
Posted By RichC on January 4, 2026
As someone who has spent most of their career dealing with “graphic design” in one way or another after 40 years working at Consolidated Printing and Publishing Co, this sign on the door struck me as humorous. We can only hope it isn’t real?
On a non-humorous note, I found my K4RDC (amateur radio) U.S. Geological Survey GeoLocator marker. I haven’t found the perfect place for it yet (like the one on Mauna Kea in Hawaii photographed in 2006 – 20 years ago!) … but I’m going to make this my 2026 New Year’s Resolution — mount it this year!
Posted By RichC on January 3, 2026
As we bid farewell to 2025 and step into 2026, America stands at a crossroads amid ongoing political tempests. The past year has seen continued clashes between those championing a return to foundational freedoms and forces pushing for ever-expanding government control. Drawing from timeless wisdom, 
it’s time for conservatives to resolve anew: let’s reclaim the principles of the Declaration of Independence as our guiding light, especially as we approach its 250th anniversary. This document, born in 1776, isn’t just history—it’s a blueprint for countering today’s chaos with reason, reality, and restrained governance.
Consider the firestorms we’ve endured. The Trump administration has focused on slashing regulations, boosting economic growth, securing borders and trimming federal bloat, while the Biden administration ballooned bureaucracy with hundreds of thousands of new government jobs and mounting debt. These battles aren’t mere policy disputes … they stem from a deeper rift. On one side, a vision of America where natural laws and inherent rights prevail; on the other, ideologies that elevate subjective human will above objective truth, leading to societal unraveling. We’ve witnessed education systems sidelining history and classics, science twisted to deny basic realities like biology or mathematics … and cultural shifts that mock traditional family structures. Reproduction rates plummet below replacement levels, streets go untended and law enforcement faces unprecedented hostility — all symptoms of a nation drifting from its roots.
At the heart of this decay is government overreach, a progressive hallmark that has swollen the federal apparatus far beyond the Founders’ intent. Today, unelected agencies churn out tens of thousands of pages of regulations annually, dwarfing Congress’s output and wielding what amounts to kingly powers. This violates the core of our founding: government derives from the “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God,” exists solely to secure unalienable rights like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through work, learning and conscience. These rights aren’t granted by bureaucrats but inherent to our humanity. As historical thinkers like John Locke emphasized, legislative authority can’t be delegated to the unaccountable — yet that’s precisely what’s happened, centralizing power and eroding local control.
Conservatives know this isn’t sustainable. The Declaration reminds us that equality means shared human dignity, not enforced sameness or outcomes. It calls for a government that’s representative, limited and divided — legislative, executive and judicial branches mirroring a balanced order. In 2026, as we mark this seminal document’s milestone, let’s make it our New Year’s resolution to celebrate and apply it vigorously. Teach the young that truth is real: two plus two equals four, biological distinctions matter and freedom thrives when power is decentralized. Reject the malleable “truths” of radical movements, whether Marxist or otherwise, that war against nature and each other.
Looking ahead, this means advocating for policies that shrink the administrative state, protect borders and foster self-reliance. It means honoring those who embody these values — educators, leaders and everyday Americans who serve with strength and look upward for guidance. By rediscovering the Declaration, we can douse the firestorms of division and rebuild a nation where individuals flourish under just laws, not imposed wills.
In this New Year, conservatives have a clear path: embrace the Declaration’s enduring truths to save our republic. It’s not just a celebration — it’s to save our nation.
Posted By RichC on January 2, 2026
The years sure do start to melt together and numbers in the thousands of daily posts doesn’t seem possible? But the stats don’t lie and neither do the years. So as I did last year, I’m archiving MDB numbers.
Personal blogging for most has given way to social media and podcasting and video “shorts” these days, but I continue to plug away at typing something each day. If for nothing else, it gives me a place to reference thoughts, happenings, events and dates that more and more I use to remember something or find a photo or video. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly more difficult to search as way too many “keywords” are linked to odds and ends (just as I was back in 2013). I’m hoping that AI might help me improve on this in the future?
Here’s a the short list of what topics are often included and what has interested me:
Posted By RichC on January 1, 2026
J.K. Rowling, born Joanne Kathleen Rowling on July 31, 1965, in Yate, England, is the acclaimed British author of the Harry Potter series, which has sold over 600 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 85 languages.
Inspired to write the series during a delayed train journey in 1990, she completed the first book while living as a single mother in Edinburgh, facing financial hardship. The novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997 and launched a global phenomenon, followed by six sequels, film adaptations, and spin-offs like the Fantastic Beasts series and the Cormoran Strike crime novels written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
A philanthropist, Rowling supports causes related to children’s welfare and multiple sclerosis through her charities Lumos and Volant, and she remains a prominent literary and cultural figure.
… and since I saw this interesting graphic, I’m including it with this post – food for thought.
