My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on March 27, 2026

This past week my New Hampshire friend and “once upon a time” my Twitter (X.com) “godfather,” Scott Bilik, mentioned that he turned off the wifi and cellular connection on his Android phone and “on a whim” tested the wired Ethernet connectivity. 

I was sitting near our home’s router, disabled WiFi and cellular data on my phone, then plugged in a USB-C–to–Ethernet adapter. And it worked! Android was happily chugging along with a wired connection to Da’ Internets.

Truly showing that phones are still – at their core – just miniature computers.

The gadgety person in me thought this was interesting … but the article Scott linked to in MakeUseOf.com highlighted the benefits of wired “Internets” … to keep with Scott’s humor and Bushism theme. 😉 

Wired is better than wireless — it’s one of the few core tech principles that remain true in almost every situation. Sure, wireless connections can be fast and offer unparalleled convenience. They’re just not as reliable or consistent, and suffer from vulnerabilities like network congestion and interference. You should always keep Ethernet in your back pocket as a Wi-Fi alternative. Wired connections are superior, and that holds true regardless of device type.

Yes, even smartphones benefit from wired Ethernet connections. Wi-Fi and cellular handle 99% of your daily connection needs, but there are still a handful of situations that might warrant wired network connections. Android and iOS both feature support for Ethernet connections, so a simple USB-C accessory is all that’s required to start using them. I do just that for downloading content and low-latency gaming, and it’s really not that crazy.

LINK for more

Category: Cellphone, Gadget, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: android, bushism, bushisms, ethernet, internet, makeuseof.com, scott bilik, tech friday, techfriday, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on March 26, 2026

Since I’ve been lax on remembering to post something for Throwback Thursday #TBT, here are a couple old photos from my youth — triggered by talking to our beach walking friend, Byron, talking about a few of the cars he owned (very enjoyable conversation). 

First up, might be considered Volkswagen related, but really it has more to do with the canoe trips Charlie Matthews and I took when we were in high school – good times. That VW Beetle took us to some amazing headwaters and all points in between (including Florida and the Keys when we were on break from college). 

As for our 18’ Thistle sailboat, it was a relic even back in the early 1990s. A wooden mast and heavy fiberglass hull … but a Thistle was the first boat I had a chance to actually sail. Believe it or not, my youth pastor own one and took me sailing on Kiser Lake … it hooked me on sailing and I was able to convince my dad to buy the “Fiberpile.” Charlie and I spent many a days dreaming about sailing to far away tropical places when we were in high school. 

18′ Thistle sailboat in our Hudson, Ohio backyard in the early 1990s

Category: Friends, Memories, Personal, Photos, Sailing, TBT, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: #TBT, canoe, charlie matthews, sailboat, thistle, volkswagen bug, vw beetle, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on March 25, 2026

If I were smart, I’d claim my favorite view would be “looking at my wife” … but what makes this all the better … is the scene; it is my favorite view in the morning, in the afternoon or even evening. All my worries and concerns disappear when I am walking to the beach on this path … especially if I’m with the one I love. 😉 

After a questionable rainy and cooler start to March in Delray Beach, the weather the past few days have been nearly perfect. The humidity reasonable, temperature warm and breezes tropical. Also the beach walking has been enjoyable (meaning no foot pain) and our walks longer than usual (10.5 miles) and our finds “unique” (yesterday’s post). Today was a Pufferfish and in case my granddaughters are checking it out, I’ll link to Kids National Geographic. 

Category: Archive, Nature, Personal, Photos, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: beach walking, beautiful, brenda, delray beach, kids, national geographic, puffer fish, semi-retirement, vacation

Posted By RichC on March 24, 2026

Besides enjoying the company of Byron for several miles of our walk north on the beach yesterday (he and his wife Mary are from Iowa – we often chat with him) – our sea creature and shelling finds have been very interesting to say the least. Above is “another” baby squid … although this one wasn’t moving. ☹️ 

A couple particularly interesting beach combing finds as the Delray Beach Restoration project continues: 1) a fossilized tooth … a first for us and 2) a Gray Nickerbean or Sea Pearl (AI info below the break). I employed a little artificial intelligence as well as Wikipedia in order to learn … and investigate … a little bit more.

Based on the size, shape, and color, you have found a fossilized tooth, likely from a prehistoric marine mammal or a large predatory fish—most likely a Sperm Whale (Physeter) or possibly a Mosasaur.

Here is a breakdown of why this is a special find and how to identify it:

1. Is it Prehistoric or Current?
Color: Modern teeth (like from a contemporary shark or whale) are typically bright white. Your specimen has a tan, “café au lait” crown and a weathered, stony root. This discoloration happens over thousands to millions of years as minerals (like phosphate or iron) replace the organic material—a process called permineralization.

Texture: The root (the larger, blunt end) looks like solid rock rather than bone. If it feels heavy for its size and sounds “clinky” like a stone when tapped against a hard surface, it is definitely a fossil.

2. What Animal Did It Come From?
While many people immediately think of sharks (like the Megalodon), shark teeth are generally flatter and more triangular. Your find is conical and robust, which points to a different kind of predator:

Prehistoric Sperm Whale (Most Likely): Fossilized sperm whale teeth are common finds in Florida’s Miocene and Pliocene deposits (2 to 20 million years old). They are famous for being thick, slightly curved, and lacking the distinct enamel “cap” that sharks have. The size relative to your highlighter (about 3-4 inches) is a perfect match for a medium-to-large extinct whale.

Mosasaur: These were “T-Rexes of the sea” from the Cretaceous period. Their teeth are conical and very similar to what you have, though they are more commonly found in riverbeds or specific fossil formations than washed up on the Atlantic coast.

Crocodilian: Large prehistoric crocodiles (like Thecachampsa) also had thick, conical teeth, though they usually have more distinct vertical ridges (striations) than what is visible here.

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Category: AI, Archive, Friends, Nature, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: artificial intelligence, beach combing, delray beach, finds, florida, fossil, gemini, gray nickerbean, mosasaur, prehistoric, sea pearl, sperm whale, tooth, walking

Posted By RichC on March 23, 2026

David Gates wrote “Everything I Own” for the 1972 album Baby I’m-a Want You and after listening to it last week decided another Bread song was ripe for the Music Monday archive.
 

Here’s a tidbit I did not know:

The song was written as a tribute to Gates’s late father, who died in 1963 before Gates achieved fame with Bread. The emotional core of the lyrics—such as “You sheltered me from harm, kept me warm, you gave my life to me, set me free”—reflects Gates’s deep respect and love for his father, who was a band director and music teacher. 

The title and chorus were inspired by a childhood memory: Gates once sent his mother an orchid for her birthday when he couldn’t afford it, and his father responded by saying Gates could have “anything she owned” in return. 

Though the song is often interpreted as a love ballad, Gates’s wife recognized immediately it was about his father, and she cried upon hearing it. 

Category: Human Interest, Music, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: bread, david gates, everything i own, music monday, musicmonday, tidbit

Posted By RichC on March 22, 2026

Last week we had a fun family chat after Katelyn and Drew sent a photo of them eating out at Chilis after church on Sunday. It was nostalgic since our family regularly ate there after church … starting when we would drive 58 miles in NE Ohio.

A few year later, Chilis was a bit closer after we moved to the Cincinnati area; besides it was on our way home from church and next to a great bookstore. Another plus was that Brenda’s sister and her family enjoyed meeting us there as well – it became our spot (thanks Jeff for introducing us back in Orlando!) Good times and memories … even if my wife dislikes NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar who advertises Chilis (Brenda prefers Kyle Larson, but then who doesn’t?)

As for the “not so fun surprise” …
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Category: Archive, Faith, Memories, Personal, Photos, Sports, Video | No Comments »
Tags: carson hocevar, chillis, church, cracked, dangerous, eating out, family, jeffp, kyle larson, nascar, oostra, tree, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on March 21, 2026

Snake eels are common in Florida waters, including along the Atlantic coast (although this dried up one was the first for us on Delray Beach, Florida). They have long, slender, snake-like bodies with mottled or brownish patterns for camouflage in sand/mud, and they often burrow into the seafloor. According to my reading, “when storms, red tide events, strong currents or other factors dislodge them, they frequently wash up dead or dying on beaches, where people mistake them for actual snakes.”

Ophichthidae is a family of fish in the order Anguilliformes, commonly known as the snake eels. The term “Ophichthidae” comes from Greek ophis (“serpent”) and ichthys (“fish”). Snake eels are also burrowing eels. They are named for their physical appearance, as they have long, cylindrical, snake-like bodies.

More at Wikipedia 

Category: Archive, Environment, Nature, Personal, Photos, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: beach walking, delray beach, fish, florida, ophichthidae, snake eel, wikipedia