In my workshop there is a spot on the wall behind dad’s small drill press and my router table for old tools. As mentioned before, I use Brenda’s dads’ dental tools regularly and have put a few of DadH’s woodworking tools on the wall – it is too bad I passed on the dental chair. […]
Some of us are fortunate to have wise men in our lives … someone that mentors and shapes us … someone who is an example for patterning our day to day lives. I was fortunate to have one of these wise men, that being my wife’s father, Dr. Frederick A. Howard – August 24, 1925 […]
The Grass Roots was an American rock band that achieved significant success between 1965 and 1975. The band’s origins trace back to the collaboration of songwriter duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri, along with the involvement of Lou Adler. For Music Monday, here is their 1971 hit “Sooner of Later” from “Their 16 Greatest […]
For years I’ve been running Parallels on my iMac after switching from Bootcamp on the old Mac Mini. It has been a love -hate relationship, but I’ve sort of always needed to run Microsoft Windows. Since adding the MacBook Air M2 without Parallels or a Windows10 option, I’ve learned to function fairly well without “at […]
It will not be easy for the Coral Reefer Band to keep traveling and performing without Jimmy Buffett, but all the bandmembers have talent and many of them have been together for years if not decades together … “as a family.” So, it is sounding as if they intent to give the concert tour a […]
Depressing for those of us who grew up in the Jimmy Buffett mindset and have enjoyed his music, concerts, ambitious lifestyle and attitude for our college and adult lives, but his passing on September 1, 2023 hit home. Unfortunately it is starting to feel like the norm (but 76 is way, WAY, too young)? I […]
My financial and investment musings have been few and far between lately, but while reading Barron’s Magazine article this past week, it reminded me that we investors often can look to history for insight. If you don’t want to read it, try listening to it — Audio ElevenLabs. ElevenLabs AI reading this content – […]
My friend Jeff and I (same age) have been struggling with how to let things go that were either ours … and that we no longer need … or part of our family’s history? He has tons of books that he’s been donating to the local library, a storage unit with some of his mom’s […]
While updating a few blog titles that had mis-coded characters on My Desultory Blog, my eye was drawn to an old favorite smartphone post from 2006 — the Palm Treo 700p. See 2006 CAK photo post The photos started me thinking about this making an interesting artificial intelligence assisted ChatGPT Throwback Thursday #TBT post? The […]
Yup … ENFORCEMENT. … hundreds of IRS applications have been around for at least 25 years and dozens that have been in existence for more than 50. There were also pieces of software running 15 updates behind the current version. Fifteen! That’s like using a new iPhone with the iOS from the original iPhone … […]
This past month on our trip to Florida, I downloaded an audiobook on Hoopla from the library in order to save on iPhone data (our Mint Mobile plan has a 4GB limit). I started it on my AfterShokz headset while on the beach, but Brenda soon wanted to listen with me … so we both […]
Steven Stills, David Crosby and Graham Nash in concert in 2012 A depressing Music Monday today as music lovers remembered and reflected on the January 18, 2023 passing of the talented singer, guitarist and songwriter David Crosby. He impacted literally millions with is wonderful harmonies from the day he joined the Byrds in 1964 to […]
Tis the season, to reflect a bit … at least for me. I posted a few old photos last week, so when my brother sent me one of Earl Daniel Corbett, our grandfather, it seemed appropriate for Throwback Thursday #TBT. He mentioned that he came across it at a Corbett family reunion and said it […]
Although there are many who serve or served our country we can think about on this Veterans Day, I’ve opted to reflect on my late father-in-law, Frederick Howard, who navigated B-26 bombers over Europe in World War II. He was definitely part of the “Greatest Generation” and volunteered immediately when he came of age and […]
Although it was not unexpected, my long time friend Jeff‘s father passed away last week. It was the way we all would want to die … "peacefully in our sleep at home." My memories of Alton Pitts are few since he lived in Florida, but the few I have are of kindness. I first met […]
The longer I live, the more I ask the question: “What is wrong with people?” While reading “The Coddling of the American Mind” last week, just before chatting with my son Taylor, the synopsis of the book came to mind. We were discussing a variety of current issues and ties to history (behavior, greed, crime, […]
After years of collecting a variety of tools and “tool” parts (bits, blades, etc), I’ve noticed that the mish-mash of storage containers have become even more interesting as the actual items being stored and saved (click photos for larger). Here are a few photos with a variety of storage items in a Where’s Waldo (or […]
While slowly getting going on Saturday, the Fox and Friends Weekend broadcast was on in the background. A frustrating … and depressing story … from an older veteran, retired Col Leonard B Scott III, the “Old Ranger,” from Edmond, Oklahoma (who had his flags stolen), caught my ear and irritated me a how some people […]
Last week I downloaded a new library app called Libby that is an Overdrive component for audiobooks for borrowing digitally from the library. I put it to use immediately after checking out the Bill O’Reilly book “Killing the SS.” So far it is very interesting considering I’m only in chapter 2, but love the storytelling […]
Most aging entrepreneurs and investors can “in hindsight” spot their mistakes and missed opportunities, but with age and experience, also comes wisdom. The pace of change is rapidly accelerating and decisions seem to be made much faster and happen quicker nowadays’; I suspect even millennials are learning this faster? As a more cautious trader and […]
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For the last few years, I’ve been using Google’s Backup and Sync software on my iMac to back up mostly archival data to my free Google Drive space that was part of my legacy Miami University EDU teaching account. I haven’t taught in Oxford, Ohio for decades, but did spend a few dollars for Taylor’s […]
Rush Limbaugh died on Wednesday of this past week. It wasn’t a surprise to those who have followed his health challenges and in particular a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis a year previous. He continue his radio work up until the end and left a G.O.A.T. legacy in conservative talk radio that will likely never […]
Recognition and remembrance for those of the Greatest Generation who were killed on December 7, 1941 are compelling reasons why Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day rings loud with me … but my remembering is also partially due out of respect for my parents. For them (and my late mother and father-in-law), the attack by Japan and […]
The “to-do” list is slowly being chipped away at as last weekend Brenda and I enjoyed the nice weather at home to work on yard chores. She is still struggling with a back issue, but felt good enough to use the Kubota (against my advice BTW – bumpy lawn) to mow the front lawn. I […]
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I spent the weekend wasting time reorganizing, sorting and cleaning up my woodworking workshop this past weekend and realizing I have a few older “semi-collectable” tools that I really should comment on … or as Brenda says, write my notes down in a book while I can still remember things. Now as I mentioned to […]
My conclusion is that some of my most recent Apple iPhone and iPad iOS update problems stem from having older mobile devices and having loads older apps? That said, the upgrade to the mobile operating system known as iOS 13.1.2 (current) did not go smoothly for me. My iPhone 7plus is a few years old […]
Hopefully grandparents are as appreciated ad much today as they were in generations past? I think most are, but as a new grandfather, it is hard to live up to the legacy left by grandparents of previous generations. I’m thankful for the 10-years I had with my grandparents on this year’s National Grandparents Day (September […]
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It seems there is no end to suffering in the rustbelt when it comes to legacy automotive companies like Packard. The deteriorating Detroit plant which has seen years of neglect saw one more nail pounded into its coffin … the crosswalk collapsed and was cleaned up in January 2019 (photos above). The iconic name and […]
This year our our 2018 Christmas letter included a quote by the Dalai Lama and it reminds me that our time on earth is finite. Once a grain of sand has passed through the hour glass, it is gone … so make each day count this 2019. There are only two days in the year […]
Perhaps it is human nature to reflect on ones own personal shortcomings and selfish thoughts at the passing of another well remembered United States president? President George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) lived an amazing life in an amazing time to have been alive. His completed life reminded me of a verse in Ecclesiastes (see bottom of […]
One of the topics of conversation for me throughout the years has been investing and trading. I enjoy the research and challenge, but having made many bad picks and mistakes, also realized just how dicey this is. This has made me sensitive when talking too specific with family and friends … even though I enjoy […]
We live in a highly partisan time, where our differences seem to matter more than our similarities … they shouldn’t. So as can happen after the passing of the highly respected First Lady Barbara Bush, age 92 last week, people and leaders come together to show their respect for her and her family. It is […]
While reading a bit this past week about retirement savings and planning, it really hit home when realizing just how lifespans have changed in the past 100+ years. Did you know: •In 1900, the average life expectancy was 47 years. Only 100,000 Americans lived to age 85. •By 2010, the number of people over 85 […]
As GE stock continues getting battered (although a 4.48% bounce back today), quite a few investors have been waiting for the bad news to end and new management direction to bring this huge ship back on course. (I’ve been buying, and selling) It is likely be too soon to expect things to change, but General […]
Today, January 15, 2018, our nation celebrates the life and accomplishments of one of our greatest Americans on his national holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This past Friday, President Trump signed a proclamation that honors Dr. King by designating his birthplace, church and tomb as a National Historic Park. Along with the president’s respectful […]
We remember December 7th, 1941 to honor those who perished and as a reminder of what lead up to Japan’s 1920’s ambition to dominate the Pacific Basin believing it was their manifest destiny (see series Pearl Harbor – Then and Now on the Defense Media Network). The unprovoked surprise attack on Hawaii in the early […]
Larry G. Hart, 81, former longtime resident of Cuyahoga Falls, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2017, at Copeland Oaks Crandall Medical Center, in Sebring, after a lengthy illness. Larry graduated from South High School, earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Akron, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and […]
Another photo (above) from my an envelope containing a few of my dad’s trips before meeting my mom … interesting to think about the history of stock car racing in Daytona Beach Florida. Back in the early 1950s the beach and A-1-A were used at the straightaways and a grandstand at the corner. What I […]
Did you ever find yourself spending way too much time on something where it makes no logical sense? Well this is the case for a set of my wife Brenda‘s salt and pepper shakers … of which she has many. Her grandmother had a collection that was split between her grandchildren and daughter-in-law (Brenda’s mom), […]
My answer: Rarely does the pendulum find the middle. Neither the fiscal or social policy balancing coming from Washington DC makes much sense to me. There have to be moderates who see validity in each others positions? Rather than the black and white collisions between the liberal Democrats and the conservative Republicans’ points of view, […]
My mother-in-law passed away last week … or as my good friend Pastor Keith Thomas (groupbiblestudy.com) said, "graduated." The word choice is very fitting for Mom Howard considering she has been a lifelong Christian and loved studying and memorizing the Bible. She has been looking forward to "graduating" from this temporary life on earth to […]
U.S. employment increased less than expected in December, but wages are rising, ever so slightly after a long stagnancy. Most economists are positive since they say we only need to create 56,000 jobs per month to keep up with current levels of new entrants in the job market. Others will point out that our job […]
As someone who politically grew up at a time when Ronald Reagan instilled optimism in America and in Americans, I am disgusted and embarrassed to to watch and vote for the “least worst” person running for president. On this coming Tuesday, or for many mailing in absentee or early voting, we’ll be doing just that […]
While I continue to struggle with the "do I need a new notebook computer" question, I continue to frustrate myself with the old 2007 Gateway, iMac desktop and iPad? It would really be nice to have a fast, lightweight traveling notebook computer (with more than 30 minutes of battery life!), but have found that a […]
Change can be depressing, especially when it comes to losing a longtime client that I now think of as friends like the folks at SummitSWCD in Akron. In this case there isn’t anything I can do since as voters in Summit County approved expanding the county’s data center and information technology department. They will now […]
The death of an in-shape friend and someone who is my age, really hit me when I read Bill Gordon had died on Facebook Sunday afternoon. He was one of my Ohio Northern University roommates and according to closer friends, he was on a ride Saturday morning and collapsed. How can that be??? He was an avid […]
Sharing a post as it was written back in August of 2008 then edited with shaming political commentary many times after. It is still as poignant as ever. For me it is worth sharing again not only to remember Captain Ed Freeman, but as a reminder to Americans of those who served our country heroically […]
Time to keep an eye on this small company … really hoping it can keep promises and start producing a $6800 three wheeled car without too many hiccups. Shares will be traded on the OTCQX under the ticker ELIO according to a press release. PHOENIX, Feb. 19, 2016 – Elio Motors, Inc. (OTCQX: ELIO), […]
It has been a challenging few years for the “greatest generation” in my family as age and death is catching up with us. My brother Ron called this past weekend to let me know that my Aunt Fran (my dad’s brother’s wife) passed away on Saturday. My sympathy goes out to my cousins and my Uncle […]
Our condolences to Dawn and family on the sudden passing of Rich. It sure came as a shock to us. Richard E. Newsted, 58, of Liberty Township, Ohio, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, November 5, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born on October 28, 1957 in Valparaiso, Indiana, the son … Source: Richard NEWSTED’s […]
Since I’ve been negotiating these past couple of weeks in selling my mother-in-law’s farmhouse and property, it seemed appropriate to post a Throw Back Thursday (#TBT) photo of Dad Howard in his gardening attire. We are close to having a signed contract and are entering the inspections phase along with financing approval and wondering […]
If by fate, your last name begins with a letter in the second half of the alphabet, you may be at a disadvantage when it comes to being elected to public office? A unscientific look at a list of past U.S. Presidents one think that there might be more than just a legacy advantage to […]
CNBC interviewed Gov. Scott Walker on Thursday morning (video below) as America is beginning to talk and take note of him as he makes the media rounds. It is early, but for Walker getting a little better better name recognition is a way to keep dollars growing for a potential (and likely) campaign run to […]
Once I priced a rebuilt brake caliper the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel, I knew I would be rebuilding the the caliper this past weekend, especially since the seal kit was only $9.00 on eBay. The project was pretty straight forward, but removing the old “baked” on seals was not as easy at one might […]
Finished the best book I’ve read all year, “41” by George W. Bush last weekend and started a new Kindle ebook on my tablet, “America in Retreat” by the Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens. Both are well written and very enlightening … although I’ve just started the second. The GW Bush book about his father, […]
The left, the media and even mainstream Republicans had me convinced that Senator Ted Cruz was not a viable candidate to put on the national ticket … and that his ideas were “just too radically conservative” for today’s America. BUT … listening to him for 6 minutes (below) on CNBC’s Squawkbox this morning, I’m not […]
Learning from wise parents and grandparents is a generational gift that isn’t given enough credit, especially since we ask: “What’s happening to America?” A: Families are changing. I grew up watching teenagers a decade (or less) older than me heading to Vietnam or getting lost in angry 60’s. They (we) followed those dark years of […]
My oldest Corbett cousin Michael passed away on Sunday and although we have not stayed in touch over the years, his “too young” passing is a telling sign that we are all vulnerable when it comes to our health. My dad who talks to his brother (my Uncle Sonny, Mike’s father) mentioned to me during […]
The previous spar varnish on the teak instrument mounting board deteriorated under the sun and weather when in storage last year. This time I’m going to use a product I’ve used on previous boats and while doing some other brightwork on Encore. Hopefully with enough coats and yearly maintenance the finish will hold up a […]
EDIT: I’ve added a small recording “app” to the iMac called eXtra Voice Recorder. In the old Mac days we would call these small apps “DAs”(Desk Accessories). If you’re a pre-X Mac user, do you remember them? Below is the audio test. Reading Cleaning out the family farmhouse and barn in New York […]
Since I’m looking to bring my son home from North Dakota over Christmas, I figured it might be time to archive a list of shopping tips I copied and saved in a document a few years ago … can’t remember where I found them? I can’t vouch for the current accuracy, but I’m using the […]
Life returning to “normal” doesn’t feel right after being with family and friends for the funeral and burial of Dr. Frederick Howard, Brenda’s father – I’m not sure when I will realize that he is gone. We remembered dad’s life through stories and humor this past week and as Christians, knowing he is now truly […]
It has been a quick couple of days for my dad, brother and me in finalizing the desires of my mom for her funeral. She was organized and detailed right to the end and it was probably a good thing because she was leaving this planning behind to three “men.” We did our best mom […]
I didn’t access the computer much this weekend since Katelyn and Drew were home to “cake taste” and to handle some wedding planning details … thankfully my involvement is minimal. We did have a nice time together … talking, playing cards, reading some of my mom’s “legacy box” and watching the movie “Hunger Games.” It […]
Today is Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance; it is a day to remember the 2,977 killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. After congress unanimously passed Joint Resolution 71 on October 25, 2001 and President George W. Bush signed it into law on December 18, 2001, we now remember and […]
Since I’m having a few problems getting my carburetor/idle issue corrected on my tiny MGB, perhaps picking up a new engine might be a solution? Mopar® to Highlight Cubic Inches and Horsepower at SEMA – 800 horsepower V-10 Crate engine takes center stage at SEMA – Gen III High Output HEMI® V-8 with 590 horsepower […]
It is nice when websites run and link to webOS friendly media content. One of the better sites is reagan.gop.com remembering President Ronald Reagan’s legacy and his upcoming February 6th birthday – he would be 100. In browsing with my Palm Pre yesterday I found it to be one of the few utilizing content and […]
I’ve been putting a few more miles on the Honda Pilot than usual, for both work and personal travel, which has me thinking about diesel cars and the soon to expire tax incentives on a few models. It would be nice to have a new Volkswagen Jetta TDI or Sportwagen TDI, but with the slowdown […]
Still waiting for the boxer Subaru diesel in the U.S. I know a few people who would enjoy a solidly built all-wheel drive diesel, be it one from VW, Audi or Subaru … or for that matter a domestic manufacturer. Subaru Impreza 2.0 RC diesel MENTION the Subaru Impreza and most people think of the […]
As we talked about the 4th of July and celebrated with family and time together this weekend, I mentioned to my World War II history buff son, that American ‘hero’ Darrell “Shifty” Powers (March 13, 1923 – June 17, 2009) recently passed away. For those that don’t know him, he was foremost a dedicated husband […]
Although her life was full and death was peaceful, it is difficult for me to say an earthly goodbye to my wonderful Aunt Lois. She was my closest aunt (my mother’s only sister) and growing up we were always together with her and her family. My brother and I were practically best friends with her […]
Tuesday evening was a fine time to try out the FoxNews Live Streaming feeds from the FoxNews.com website since they were broadcasting the hearing with the big three automakers. About the only disadvantage in watching these live streaming feeds is that occasionally the cameras pick up an odd face or set of eyes. ( partialscreenshot […]