Music Monday Obituary: Eric Carmen (1949-2024)

Posted By on March 18, 2024

Five years ago for Music Monday I posted on Eric Carmen and a memory … well Brenda’s memory really, as he used her pharmacy in a NE Ohio decades ago. This past month his wife Amy Carmen shared that he passed away at the age of 74. ☹️ 

Eric Carmen (1949 - 2024)

From MDB March 2019 (also shared an EricCarmen.com addition as a comment):

Brenda and I were talking about my blog and the fact that I include music with the occasional memory that it triggers. Hungry_EyesShe wondered if I included Eric Carmen, a singer/songwriter (and original Raspberries lead) that was a customer at her pharmacy in Shaker Heights, Ohio when we lived in east side suburbs for Cleveland, Ohio (University Heights, Aurora and then Hudson)?

“Nope I did not” … but even if the music wasn’t exactly my taste, it does make for a good excuse to include the above video and the below, Hungry Eyes from the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing. By the way, it was recorded in Beachwood Studios (Beachwood, OH).

  Eric Carmen – Hungry Eyes | 1987
  Raspberries – Go All The Way | 1972

Besides costly higher education and health care … buying and owning a home is now unaffordable for many in America

Posted By on March 17, 2024

Paying off my student loan in 1993Going to college after high school has always seemed expensive, but by working, borrowing and getting help from parents … it was do-able, and by today’s standards, seemed affordable. I can’t help but smile noticing that when I finally paid off my student loan that I could start saving to put my kids through college. Sadly, today the debt many college graduates carry is overwhelming and they aren’t even thinking about having children.

If new grads are fortunate enough to have earned a degree that opens doors and starts a career, they still face a much higher cost of living across the board.

For those who took the vocational route, they may not be saddled with heavy debt, but the road is still not smooth. Everything from health care, to childcare, to the price of a vehicles,  insurance, food, etc are way too high after inflation hit these past few years; it has impacted everyone in America.

One of the big desires for many is “homeownership” … The American Dream … is it really within reach these days? ☹️ 

Warren Davidson Tweet

Our Congressional Rep Warren Davidson posted a comment on X.com and a graphic that I thought was eyeopening. Ugh!

The Housing Gap

A movie recommendation: “The Catcher Was A Spy” (2018)

Posted By on March 16, 2024

The Catcher Was A Spy (2018)During our final days in Florida this winter, Brenda and I watch a movie that we both enjoyed called “The Catcher Was A Spy.” I recommended it to Taylor who also enjoys World War II history and am looking forward to his comments. 

Moe Berg Boston Red SoxThe movie is based on a book by Nicholas Dawidoff about Morris “Moe” Berg, a professional baseball player turned OSS spy. The story itself was intriguing after recently watching the movie “Oppenheimer,” considering the themes tie together well (physicists and the atomic bomb). The story regarding Berg’s impressive intelligence and language skills makes the story (perhaps embellished) all the more interesting. His mission after getting close to scientists at a Switzerland conference was to kill Werner Heisenberg and prevent the Nazis from moving forward with an atomic bomb. 

Book by same titleFrom May to mid-December 1944, Berg hopped around Europe, interviewing physicists and trying to convince several to leave Europe and work in the United States. At the beginning of December, news about Heisenberg giving a lecture in Zürich reached the OSS. Berg was assigned to attend the lecture and determine “if anything Heisenberg said convinced him the Germans were close to a bomb.” If Berg concluded that the Germans were close, he had orders to shoot Heisenberg; Berg determined that the Germans were not close.

LINK

Big League Card Morris Berg Front Morris Berg Back

Tech Friday: Knowing where your iPhone, or perhaps YOU are?

Posted By on March 15, 2024

As someone who has grown up with the “beware of Big Brother mindset, the thought that even with an Apple iPhone turned off, those with access can still know your location is a bit spooky.

Oh, to be sure, 99% of being able to find an iPhone Thinking Emojithat is powered down or without enough battery juice to remain active, is a good thing when looking for your lost or stolen smartphone … but still ??? 

MacWorld March 2024

MacWorld – March 2024

Interesting … and true when I first looked at it. How about you?

Posted By on March 14, 2024

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Protected: Test Posting – new security measures

Posted By on March 13, 2024

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A daughter changing her VW’s air filter makes me smile!

Posted By on March 13, 2024

My daughter Katelyn’s driving habits are reminiscent of both her mom and dad — long commutes and a lot of driving. With those longer than normal commutes comes higher than normal miles on cars … and attention to maintenance.

Quote from VW on Air Filters

Being a smart owner of her 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan, she sees to it that her VW is serviced. This time after getting pricey “air filter quotes(above), she wisely decided to try a little maintenance herself; she thumbs upchanged her air filter without a problem (I knew she could do it!). This dad smiled seeing her not being afraid to go under the hood and save a few dollars made me smile! 

Katelyn Changing Air Filter

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.
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