Building a Carpenter Bee Trap — Thanks Tim!
RichC | May 17, 2015
Here are instructions for a simple, but effective carpenter bee trapLINK
Tip: Cover sharp edges of cotter pins with a blob of silicone
RichC | April 22, 2015
Every once in a while I run across a good idea and save the tool tip. I don’t recall which sailing magazine or source I clipped this to my iPad in, but wanted to archive to my blog. I’ve noticed a few purchased products with a silicone blob on electrical connections, but adding a little […]
The original BLUE Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
RichC | April 18, 2015
If you’ve been around our house much, you will notice that we always have Dawn Dishwashing Liquid around. It has become our go to product for things other than dishes (use it for that too) as a hand wash, a degreaser and as a way to remove poison ivy oils after working in the yard. […]
Get What’s Yours: The secrets to maxing out your Social Security
RichC | March 12, 2015
In discussing FICA taxes the other day, I discovered just how much I didn’t know about one of the biggest taxes we pay throughout our entire working lives. I’m guessing most Americans are in my shoes? Now “let me be clear,” as President Obama has been known to say, I’m NOT “that” close to retirement […]
Gasoline varnish and alcohol in a carburetor
RichC | March 10, 2015
When regular leaded gasoline gets old, a thin layer of varnish coats the inside of fuel lines and the jets of the carburetor. This can plug or narrow jets that meter fuel into the carburetor and with cause the engine to either run lean or not run (start) at all. For fuel efficient and environment […]
Victorinox Swiss Army knives/tools and customer service
RichC | February 19, 2015
As mentioned previously, I returned my “out of production” (Europe only) Victorinox SwissFlame knife in for warranty service, and although they could not repair it, they honored the lifetime warranty. Not only did they sent me the new SwissTool™ Spirit X as a replacement, but they return the defective knife – superb customer service. As […]
Food for thought: A grandfather and his two wolves story
RichC | February 2, 2015
Give this Native American story some thought … A Native American grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves inside of him, fighting for control. One wolf, is the wolf of love, peace, and kindness. The other wolf is a wolf of greed, hatred, and corruption. The grandson asks "Which wolf will win?" The […]
How to idea – Cleaning hard water stains from porcelain
RichC | January 31, 2015
The inexpensive miracle cleaner and kitchen staple known as vinegar has hundreds if not thousands of uses … but few of those uses are as helpful as cleaning and dissolving hard water calcium build up. I use a vinegar mix regularly for window washing, as a way to keep the shower and shower head free […]
Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance: Loyalty rewarded – NOT!
RichC | November 29, 2014
I received a letter from Liberty Mutual, my auto insurance company, earlier this month “appreciating my loyalty” … until I looked at the details – Eligible in 2019 — hmm, must be a mistake? So … I first called the number on the bottom of the letter and reached the corporate folks so that they […]
Sharpening 5 knives and a tip for sheathing an awl
RichC | November 18, 2014
One of the items from my mother and father-in-law’s farmhouse that I wanted were her thin-bladed stainless steel kitchen knives. They were “always” dull, but the cast handles and all metal construction made them perfect for the dishwasher (although a couple of the tips were pretty bent). We have two similar knives in our kitchen […]
Backpedaling … stop to measure before buying a refrigerator
RichC | November 13, 2014
So much for posting about refrigerator shopping … and good thing I measured. appropriate Samsung RS22HDHPNSR Side by Side refrigerator Today was “slow down day” since our old, ugly, broken fridge is still working and the size has me re-thinking the “good deal.” The previously mentioned refrigerator that I “was” planning to […]
Investing: Don’t try to time the market, BUT if you do…
RichC | November 3, 2014
Most financial experts emphasis not to “time the market” when investing, but it is difficult to resist researching and compiling statistics? Well, I’m guilty and have used a few when routinely adding investments to a retirement portfolio, particularly when buying the broad market. In the 1990s when trading futures somewhat regularly (not comfortably or particularly […]
Two iPhones, an iPad and MiFi mobile life update – $74/mo
RichC | November 1, 2014
Slowly but sure I’m corralling my carry and travel computing gadgets and getting a handle on wasteful monthly expenses associated with keeping them connected. Those who have followed my blog from a technology perspective have probably detected my economizing while still “trying” to remain in current century computing. This year our grown children are on […]
Ting and Freedompop – A successful week only using wireless
RichC | October 29, 2014
Since moving away from Sprint and finally down to two cellphones in the family …except for a couple of spare emergency “burner” phones (grin) –one with my overseas travel SIM and the other a Samsung Galaxy S2 total free wireless plan on Freedompop. The point is that we were able to travel comfortably with our […]
The new halyards for Encore are ready for splicing
RichC | August 23, 2014
The convenient way to replace running rigging on sailboats are to purchase lines pre-made for a particular boat at places like SailboatOwners.com. Of course that would be the “easy” way, but it does discourage upgrading shackles and thimbles or whipping and splicing your own lines. Since our Encore is strictly a cruising sailboat, the premium […]
TechFriday: My three favorite cases for the iPhone 5 and 5s
RichC | August 22, 2014
After almost two year of using several different wraps and “powered cases” for my iPhones, I whittled my picks down to three … or 4 if you consider “no-case” as an option. In fact, using the iPhone without a case makes it very small and lightweight; slipping the tiny iPhone 5 and 5s in a […]
Try this for a Honda Odyssey with a power sliding door problem
RichC | August 19, 2014
Last week my brother asked me to take a look at my dad’s 2001 Honda Odyssey because the power sliding rear doors had both failed. The dealer quoted $200 EACH to fix the door and since both had failed we figured it might not hurt to rule out a fuse or relay. I stopped and […]
Archived: Author Elmore Leonard has a few writing tips
RichC | August 17, 2014
Author and writer Elmore Leonard is known for his crime fiction, but he started out writing westerns. Leonard has written nearly two dozen novels and most of them are bestsellers (Glitz, Get Shorty, Maximum Bob and Rum Punch). Ten of his advice tips when it comes to being both a popular and respectable writer are: […]
Still loving the Sof Sole insoles for my Sperry Top-siders
RichC | August 7, 2014
Another year with the Sof Sole inserts in a couple pairs of my well worn Sperry Top-siders. Too bad I’m not making a commission on either the insoles or the shoes, but that doesn’t prevent me from recommending them. If you’ve “smelled up” your original Sperry insoles, or just need a little more cushion, consider […]
A frequent question: What about an Australian Cattle Dog?
RichC | August 6, 2014
I recently chimed on a forum question regarding dogs for sailboats and a member wanting input on an Australian Cattle Dog. Since we’ve had Tootsie for 16 years now (below), I felt qualified to offer an opinion … besides I wanted an excuse to archive her recent photo. Our “beast” has been a wonderful addition […]
A better USB cable – 28/24 AWG and Gold plated connectors
RichC | July 31, 2014
A couple of days ago I whined about my failed or failing charging/sync cables used on phones, tablets and electronic devices. I then started searching for the replacements but was discouraged with the delayed shipping for non-branded cables from China. Then after reading about the cheap quality, I revisited Amazon decide to find out if […]
A word of warning before shopping online for refinance rates
RichC | June 5, 2014
Be warned before you contact a company like Quicken Loans with a mortgage refinance request (rates are pretty low again) because they will be pumping your contact information to bunches of boiler room sales people who will send canned emails and make phone calls all day and evening (even different people from the same company […]
Convert your old video tapes now and consider @Southtree
RichC | June 4, 2014
A few years ago, Brenda and I started to convert our family video tapes to DVD … back when our tape devices (VHS machine and Camcorders) still worked, but recently I noticed my old 8MM camcorder no longer would play tapes. In fact, the camcorder munched one of the tapes when my daughter Katelyn wanted […]
It is time to test a homemade concoction for killing weeds
RichC | May 22, 2014
Mixing up a batch to test on some fresh new growth and will report back. Have you tried this or any combination of homemade weed or vegetation killers similar to Round-Up or Weed-Be-Gone?
The iPad2: One of the best tech purchases I’ve ever made
RichC | March 27, 2014
Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of my purchasing a second-hand iPad 2, shortly after playing with my friend’s new iPad 3 (that device has been out over 2 years, not sure about my iPad2 … 4 years?). I can’t believe how much I use this tech gadget — everything from email to web surfing […]
TechFriday: Use a VPN on Internet wifi hotspots
RichC | March 21, 2014
Before I renew my current VPN service it is time to keep them honest when it comes to their subscription pricing. I’m testing the lower cost AnchorFree’s Hotspot Shield Elite using their trial program before renewing my more expensive, but easy to use VPN service just to see if there is any difference. So far […]
Panos, fender cleaning and that new rental car smell
RichC | March 17, 2014
Above is an iPhone panorama photo of the aft of Encore but it was so distorted that I had to try and tweak it in Photoshop. Better than it was, but still a quirky perspective. The fenders used to keep boats from bumping together or into docks and pilings take abuse and get pretty weathered. […]
Freedompop LTE hotspot is better than Time Warner at home
RichC | March 14, 2014
Just another plug for Freedompop’s LTE wireless access; it is providing better wifi access than public hotspots and even Time Warner Cable at home.
Tech Friday: If you have a blog, control your own content
RichC | February 28, 2014
Once upon a time it seemed smart to host only light content on my own blog. In the early days it was easy to store larger files like video, audio and photos “for free” with content hosts like YouTube, Flickr and Posterous (among others). The plus was that I didn’t fill the “out of pocket” […]
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee update @jbmco
RichC | February 17, 2014
Last week I posted a quick coffee review on CCSpecialty Coffee’s 100% Hawaiian Kona Fancy coffee and promised that an update on the Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee would follow. Over the weekend we had an opportunity to try the new beans over dessert after my wife’s homemade spaghetti. Three of us taste tested and enjoyed […]
Obamacare, Target, Neiman Marcus, etc and Identity Theft
RichC | January 19, 2014
The much publicized Obamacare, Target and Neiman Marcus security issues are an in-your-face reminder (receive my email from Target last week) that individuals need to be wary and take precautions with their financial, medical and personal identity information. Having been through the nightmare of ID theft back in the 1990s, before companies or banks were […]
Tech Friday: Revisiting Soluto after switching to an SSD
RichC | January 17, 2014
A Tech Friday reminder to consider Soluto if you have a slow booting computer and revisit it after upgrading hardware … especially if you are for trying to stretch the “use by date” of an aging computer. Everyone I know love a fast booting computer, although I doubt a Windows machine is ever going to […]
Collaborative teambuilding with reduced conflict in business
RichC | January 2, 2014
What better way to start keeping my resolutions for the New Year than to start with a post about teamwork and conflict (self and tolerance). Liane Davey in the Harvard Business Review shared five tips over the holidays in here article called Conflict Strategies for Nice People. She states that although it can be uncomfortable […]
How to get rid of a headache without taking an analgesic
RichC | December 22, 2013
Who says spending time on social networking sites like Twitter is a waste of time? Here’s a tip that makes perfect sense in theory (mind you, I have not tried it). I don’t often have headaches, but if I do, it would be nice not to resort to taking Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), Tylenol (Acetaminophen) or […]
Woodworking: The best material for a table saw throat plate
RichC | December 18, 2013
When needing to make precise cuts or dadoes on the table saw, I have found that making them from the marine material Starboard is the best (shop around for price). Most likely the experts in woodworking have found other stock that would just as well, like the self-healing cutting board material, but since I had […]
Tech Friday: Annoying Microsoft Windows Automatic updates
RichC | December 13, 2013
As the big tech companies look for ways to push the use of their products, some of us are looking for ways to keep them from taking over our computers. I welcome having the option (easy option) to disregard the intrusions, but often spend too much time ignoring, opting out or disabling something […]
Importing and Exporting from overseas in a global economy
RichC | December 8, 2013
Have you ever purchase items from overseas that you thought were a great deal? Well, buyer beware since there can be glitches when it comes to jumping online and “importing or exporting” (the key words) to and from the U.S. when it come to customs … besides the inherent risk involved in exchanging money. I […]
An energy saving improvement and a night light option
RichC | December 5, 2013
I purchased a new 12 watt LED bulb for reading(larger bulb in left of photo) that promised to offer a few more “soft but bright” lumens from my chair side lamp. I “was” using two Cree LED bulbs (smaller bulb in left photo), but the light output still wasn’t comparable to a good three-way incandescent […]
What a racket: The great insurance pricing scam
RichC | November 6, 2013
I had a somewhat frustrating day dealing with insurance policies and realized that we’ve been overpaying for a very long time … unless I’m missing something? It started with a simple phone call to verify that a 15 year term life insurance policy was indeed expired. A call to the Select Quote people confirmed I […]
TechFriday: Get your Personal Google+ URLs now
RichC | November 1, 2013
There are 3rd party options which redirect long strings for URLs, but most users prefer grabbing the official personalized ones when they are available. Facebook offered user names a couple years ago and Google is slowly getting it together by including real names. You should probably claim your name now if you want a custom […]
New shoes! Woohoo, another pair of Sperry sailing shoes
RichC | October 22, 2013
With a $25 coupon about to expire, I decided to buy a new pair of grippy Sperry SeaRacer Sneakers. These boat shoes were not exactly what I expected as they were much lighter in weight and lighter in construction than any “sneaker” I’ve ever had. In fact, they were almost wimpy. But … after wearing […]
Chewing string cheese to reduce tooth decay
RichC | September 10, 2013
Saw this in the Wall Street Journal personal section today and although I knew about the gum, I did not know about the string cheese (for the fun of it, I’m trying the iPhone’s Mobile OCR app to capture text). Studies show two things people can chew to help ward off tooth decay. One, Dr. […]
An update on my Sperry Topsider boat shoe insoles
RichC | August 1, 2013
Last year I animadverted about the inserts in my boat shoes and recently noticed that my August 2012 post was a recent MyDesultoryBlog’s top five … according to Google Analytics. Considering it is a top 5, it might be time for a boat shoe update? Boat shoes are a go to shoe in our house […]
Words to live by …
RichC | July 12, 2013
“Don’t overlook doing something good just because you aspire to do something great.”
Weed Man does an obvious upsell or perhaps bait-and-switch
RichC | June 25, 2013
When a deal seems a bit too good, there is probably a reason to be skeptical. Now to be fair, I knew that for $25 I was not going to get my yard completely treated, but was expecting this Cincinnati area Groupon deal to be a way for Weed Man to demonstrate their professionalism and […]
Tech Friday: Frustrated with WordPress search options?
RichC | June 21, 2013
Are you frustrated with the basic search feature available in WordPress? If so, join the club. I’ve been back and forth with several different search plugins and have even tried customizing my own using a Google API. Unfortunately none of them worked well for me when I was searching my own site for items that […]
How fiscally responsible are the charities you support?
RichC | June 15, 2013
Every year we see and hear of charities wasting money and the generous gifts given by their donors and unfortunately some charities and their hired solicitors are just out and out crooks (and unfortunately able to get away with it year after year). If you intend to give to organizations that you are not intimately […]
Saving muscles as you age — use them or lose them
RichC | May 31, 2013
Here’s some pretty much commonsense advice from Dr. Susan Williams at the Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute, but a sound reminder for those of us noticing our bodies changing in our 30s, 40s and 50s. First Williams says that we should try to maintain a normal weight without the “rollercoaster of weight gain and […]
Desultory advice: Buy BIGGER bathroom bar soap
RichC | May 5, 2013
Once in a while the “post for the day” reaches desperation levels and inspiration comes to me in the shower … literally! So after reaching into the simpleton part of my brain – the majority of it, before I get a wise crack – a brilliant cheapskate idea for my eventual advice book crops up. […]
Archive: Great tips on getting the most meat out of a lobster
RichC | April 30, 2013
I appreciated a video from America’s Test Kitchen on Lifehacker and thought it was worth archiving and sharing … not that I fix lobster everyday. Twist off the tail, split the shell on the back, pull legs apart, push meat out with small tools, use a rolling pin to squeeze meat from legs. […]
Layman advice: Contemplating the options for knee pain
RichC | March 26, 2013
Far be it from me to offer up medical advice … as I’m not a doctor nor do I play one on the Internet, but I have found a few solutions that seem to help Osteoarthritis (OA) and the associated stiffness and pain coming from my knee. A little bit of history: Ten years ago, […]
Tech Friday: Protect your expensive phone for resale sake
RichC | January 11, 2013
Here’s a helpful “Tech Friday” post that is really just some smart advice – it has nothing to do with the photo of Tootsie above except that it was taken with the iPhone 5. Anyway, a client of mine regularly upgrades his high end phone (and now his iPad) every 2 years as permitted by […]
Facebook settings can confuse even a Zuckerberg
RichC | December 26, 2012
If you are confused over the privacy settings on social networking sites, particularly Facebook, you are not alone. Short suggestion: Assume everything you post is public … because it can certainly end up that way … just ask Randi Zuckerberg. As networks grow and friends connect to other friends, eventually the images and comments you […]
Modify old tools for special uses – sharp wedge tipped pliers
RichC | December 22, 2012
Here’s a tool tip (pun intended) right up my alley from a Cruising World reader … sharper-wedge shaped needle nose pliers (used for pulling staples, etc). I regularly modify cheap screwdrivers for a variety of project … and will add this modification to one of my junker pliers.
Advice: New cars, high prices and borrowing to purchase
RichC | December 1, 2012
This past week, I talked to a younger friend of mine about his growing family and making fiscally sound decisions. He politely told me how much he respected my opinion as he asked for some advice … and my head swelled with the less than deserved accolades (but who doesn’t appreciate complements?) His primary question […]
Security: Switching passwords to passphrases and beyond
RichC | November 27, 2012
The topic of computer and Internet security came up this past holiday weekend as several family members wanted access to our home Wi-Fi. My son, having an “open attitude” when in rental houses on his college campus, complained about my “passphrase” security method when trying to help each of his cousins connect their computers and […]
Great coffee tip — Reddit/Lifehacker
RichC | November 17, 2012
"Mix bulk creamer and your preferred sweetener in a bowl and then freeze as ice cubes." If you take creamer and like your coffee to be warm and not boiling-magma-hot you should consider freezing non-dairy creamer—you'll cool down your coffee while adding your preferred amount of creamer. Reddit user wadel posted this tip. Most readers […]
Advice – wait a a minute before sending a hot-tempered email
RichC | November 4, 2012
Discussing politics can get a person in hot water with friends and family (thankfully in my case it is not with family). Unfortunately after I posted my blog commentary on Saturday regarding a local GOP rally held in our town Friday night, I obviously ruffled the feathers of a friend who has views that differ […]
Tech Friday: Are you sharing your phone numbers on Facebook?
RichC | October 19, 2012
After receiving plenty of election oriented phone calls this year, it is time to purge all my phone numbers from the public roles … something I thought I had been doing for years — obviously not! An area overlooked my some is the increasingly popular way to share address and phone number data with contacts […]
Consider using sticky traps for the tiniest of mice
RichC | October 16, 2012
It is that time of year again … time to make sure the crack are sealed and doors stay closed. The mice in our backyard are doing the usual and looking for a warm place to hideout as winter looms. I happened to find this very little guy stuck to a glue trap near my […]
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.