Book: Churchill’s Trial by Larry P Arinn

| January 22, 2018

After contemplating the purchase of Larry P Arinn‘s Churchill’s Trial at full price since it was published, but having too many unfinished books on my Kindle and reading table, the $1.99 price was exactly what I needed to download. I’m looking forward to the scholarly writing of Dr. Arinn as he delves into the trials […]

World Series baseball and reading a good book go together

| October 27, 2017

The great thing about watching baseball is that it moves at a pace that makes reading a new book do-able while watching the game. Currently MLB World Series game 3 in Houston has the Astros leading the Dodgers 4 -1 in the 4th after they splitting the game 1 and 2 in LA. It has […]

An interview with Dr Francis Collins triggered a book order

| September 14, 2017

While driving this week I had a opportunity to scan through a few SiriusXM stations and picked up on part of a Bloomberg interview between philanthropist David Rubenstein and National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins (looked up the video so I could listen to the entire interview later – below).  Dr Collins seemed […]

Book: Secrets of Sand Mountain by Philip C Elrod

| August 30, 2017

Every once in a while I strike up a conversation with a lessor known author about their writing and want to read their work. Philip C. Elrod is one such author and after exchanging a few messages, I decided I should at least give the first book of his series about events atop Sand Mountain […]

New book: White Working Class by Joan C. Williams

| May 16, 2017

The Kindle ebook reader is my preferred choice ever since getting my "own" ereader. My buddy Jeff has found a new way to entertain me … gifting Amazon books (this one for my birthday). I sense that he assumes everybody reads as much as he does? I assure you that I do not … but […]

Reading and downloading ebooks on my Kindle Voyage

| April 27, 2017

After borrowing my daughter’s Nook, and my friends Kindle, I finally have my own ereader — thanks to MyDesultoryBlog readers and discreet Google Ad clickers. I now can travel and read comfortably without disassembling the keyboard off my iPad Air2 and "hefting" the much heavier and larger tablet in front of my face. My second-hand […]

Reading Predictably Irrational on a Kindle and some humor

| April 19, 2017

My friend Jeff and I try to get together for a Friday lunch once or twice a month. We often discuss work, politics and management, particularly as it relates to his job and potential advancement … although we recognized the limited number of years for that second part. Anyway, one of the books he is […]

Books and WSJ page: Trumped! A Nation on the Brink of Ruin

| September 27, 2016

After watching David Stockman on Wall Street Week this past weekend, I was intrigued enough in his message of economic panic to pick up the Kindle version of his latest book. Although he is not new to the "Henny Penny" view that economically we can’t continue on the current path, hearing and reading his analysis […]

What does Warren Buffett read?

| September 11, 2016

A WSJ article posted about a year ago listed 11 books recommended by legendary investor Warren Buffett … interesting choices. Some are expected, others surprising. The Intelligent Investor, by Benjamin Graham. Of this classic tome on value investing, Mr. Buffett once wrote: “Picking up that book was one of the luckiest moments in my life.” […]

Thoughts of war, a nuclear exchange and our human condition

| May 16, 2016

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Book: Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

| May 5, 2016

A good friend of mine loaned me his copy of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger yesterday and as someone who enjoys learning about history, I can’t wait to read this book. At a time when four Muslim nations routinely captured American merchant ships along the North African Barbary coast […]

A lot of great blog posts on War History Online

| May 1, 2016

I recall thinking a bit more about the barbarism of the Empire of Japan during (and prior) to World War II when I read the book Flyboys by James Bradley a few years back. When it came out in 2003, I remembered thinking about just how tainted public secondary and higher had become in regards […]

A new book to read from Fox News host Juan Williams

| April 21, 2016

I would have put the title of the book in the subject line, BUT it is a long one: We the People: The Modern Day Figures Who Have Reshaped and Affirmed the Founding Fathers’ Vision of America … whew! Title aside, I’m really looking forward to readings Juan Williams thoughts on the impact on America […]

What are you reading: A few saved February 2016 articles

| February 23, 2016

Winter weekends (even warm ones) present an opportunity to catch up on a pile of articles collected during the week. These are one that aren’t necessarily timely or are “required” reading based on the news of the day.  Those who know me, know that I’ve enjoyed a few minutes each morning leafing though the Wall […]

A Ben Bernanke cameo in The Big Bang Theory? #TBBT

| February 19, 2016

It is fun finding out about cameo appearances in movies and TV programs … as I mentioned the other day with singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Another cameo tidbit popped up after this week’s popular The Big Bang Theory sitcom. According to the commentary on FoxBusiness, the previous Fed chair Ben Bernanke and his wife are big enough […]

Tania Aebi’s semi-famous Varuna sailboat in the marina

| November 19, 2015

I know semi-famous boats can end up anywhere, but ever since I saw Robert Mandry's Tinkerbelle (Ohio) when I was a young boy dreaming of sailing … and Robin Lee Graham's Dove on our honeymoon after idolizing his adventure as a teenager … I keep my eyes open. Low and behold, Tania Aebi's Contessa 26 […]

Reading The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

| May 22, 2015

Out of sight, out of mind. Unlike a hard copy book sitting on my reading table, ebooks are easy to forget about … that’s one of the disadvantages of receiving the gift of an ebook (as is having multiple e-reading apps). My friend Jeff gave me David McCullough’s new book The Wright Brothers for my […]

Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring

| March 28, 2015

One of my favorite sailing authors Fatty Goodlander has a new book, Creative Anchoring: Everything about Anchors and Anchoring, and it is now available. With some travel ahead I opted to purchase and download the ebook to my iPad for $9.99 at Amazon. Fatty's writing style is always entertaining be it a magazine article, sailing […]

Get What’s Yours: The secrets to maxing out your Social Security

| 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 […]

Borrowing 13 Hours in Bengazi from library on Overdrive app

| February 28, 2015

The Overdrive app on my iPad is one of my favorite reading and “listening” apps on any of my devices (previously commented). It is super for those who would love to spend more time going to the public libraries but have trouble finding the time to go. Have a “FREE” way to borrow from libraries […]

Book: The Rape of NanKing – The Forgotten Holocaust of WWII

| January 25, 2015

I picked up a book, The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II, published in 1997 and written by the late Iris Chang. I decided to read it after a bit of Twitter sparring with CBJapan1 and his/her “allegation of lying” about the book and movie Unbroken, as well as how America […]

TechFriday: The movie Unbroken and ebook on Overdrive app

| January 16, 2015

It has been a few years since my wife and I have gone to the movie theatre, but when Katelyn and Drew were visiting they convinced us to go with them to the movie Unbroken. Besides being a history oriented true story based on the book by Lauren Hillenbrand, the WWII timelined story put to […]

Two great books for the holidays: 41 and America in Retreat

| December 4, 2014

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, […]

Learn to read books again – slow down to pre-gadget habits

| September 27, 2014

The WSJ printed an interesting article by Jeanne Whalen earlier this month listing the benefits of s-l-o-w-e-r reading.  A Wellington, New Zealand book club calling itself the Slow Reading Club consists of members who “miss old-school reading” and may be on to something. They get together at a café and spend an hour reading in […]

The Way Forward: Who has the right idea? Paul Ryan?

| August 24, 2014

The stock market roars to new highs as the summer comes to an end, but investors continue pouring money into higher risk equities as if they have forgot what can happen. This is in part due to the low yield in fixed income assets and the new indice highs have more than a few economy […]

Archived: Author Elmore Leonard has a few writing tips

| 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: […]

Books: Looking forward to reading a friend’s first novel

| August 12, 2014

A long time client and now retired friend, Clyde Witt, is publishing his first novel. He has always written stories in a style appeals to me … although his politics still needs some work (a personal joke).  I’m anxious to pre-ordered a copy of his book to read and review. One of the advantages of […]

Books: Reading “Duty” by Robert M. Gates

| June 15, 2014

As civil society’s long drawn out war on terror or GWOT continues dealing with Islamic terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda, the U.S. struggles in an effort to wind down military involvement and to leave political stability in Iraq and Afghanistan. After reading many of the biographies, political and history oriented books being published, I’ve gained better […]

Summer reading: As Long As It’s Fun by Herb McCormick

| June 7, 2014

I’ve probably read every book the Pardey’s ever published as the information help me learn about cruising and our first boat and caring for a spruce mast and boom. They were, and are, inspirational when it comes to “go small, go simple and go now” philosophy even though it has been challenging to incorporated the […]

Books: Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (2004)

| May 24, 2014

After seeing some book advice from a friend, I checked with Nooeo.com and downloaded a $5.00 ebook to my Kindle app on my iPad for an upcoming trip. Since Elizabeth Bernstein is also an avid reader, sailor and Scuba diver, her recommendations are usually spot on for me.  After reading the forward to Robert Kurson’s […]

When you need nautical charts, where to you get them printed?

| May 14, 2014

With government printed NOAA paper nautical charts going by the wayside, there are still a few options if you want paper. I’m partial to small publisher Paradise Cay Publications who has been serving the nautical minded for years out of Arcata, California. They’ll print  small format, traditional paper and waterproof material (video below) and have […]

Can science determine if you are a Liberal or a Conservative?

| April 6, 2014

Chris Mooney in an Inquiring Minds podcast interviewed John Hibbing, a political scientist (University of Nebraska) and co-author of Predisposed: Liberal, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences. They conversed at length about the research in measuring sympathetic symptoms of differing political ideologies. Mooney’s follow-up article also appeared in Mother Jones. According to John Hibbing, […]

Paying attention to Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen

| March 19, 2014

It’s a big day for Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen as she took the stage and continued a third wave of tapering of the Federal Reserve’s bond buying program. Not that any of this was unexpected, but it an indication that the Fed sees the economy improving and is slowly removing the nation’s fiscal training wheels […]

The Legend of Tokyo Rose

| December 21, 2013

Archiving a bit of text (Chapter 5 in Miss Your Lovin by Ann Elizabeth Pfau) in researching some WWII Pacific history. See the Gutenberg link above but text saved below. American veterans of the Pacific war still remember Tokyo Rose. She was the most dangerous and seductive of the enemy radio announcers who broadcast propaganda […]

An energy saving improvement and a night light option

| 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 […]

Books: Enjoying “Things That Matter” by Charles Krauthammer

| December 1, 2013

Charles Krauthammer is one political analyst I always enjoy listening to, be he a regular panelist commenting on the nightly news (Special Report with Bret Baier), or as a guest on many Fox News programs. His columns at The Weekly Standard are always excellent and his intellectual prowess is even respected by those who politically […]

Introverts and Extroverts … which are you?

| November 20, 2013

I listened to an older NPR story forwarded to me after a book conversation with a friend after we discussed leadership qualities companies value. The book Quiet: the Power of the Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain offered an interesting perspective and set up an analysis regarding where on the […]

Ordered a discounted copy of “Killing Jesus”

| October 5, 2013

Don Imus had an excellent interview with commentator and bestselling author Bill O’Reilly a few days ago and the exchange has me even more interested in reading O’Reilly’s Killing Jesus. The book is presented as a “history” rather than a religious book but as a Catholic, O’Reilly believes inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit and thinks he […]

One of my favorite novelists, Tom Clancy, dies at age 66

| October 2, 2013

I was sad to hear of the passing of one of my favorite authors Tom Clancy (Apr 12, 1947 – Oct 1, 2013) as his early cold-war novels were a staple of my fictional reading. His military novels and well developed characters like Jack Ryan held my interest for many years after losing John D. […]

What does it take to be awarded the Medal of Honor

| August 13, 2013

Summer is a time to work through a pile of books (more and more ebooks) that are building up on my desk or nightstand. I rarely get through them without reading something from them worth remembering. It was particularly humbling to read about this posthumously awarded Congressional Medal of Honor recipient– Private Thomas Baker, Medal […]

Bull Canyon for the iPad while the price is right

| July 25, 2013

I notice that for a few days that Lin Pardey’s Kindle version of the book Bull Canyon is only $2.99. I’ve been wanting to read for a while now (since I own all of the more practical Pardey books) and have enjoyed everything previously written or put to video. I don’t expect it to be […]

Word for today: chimera – a fanciful mental illusion

| March 2, 2013

Although one would think that after my years of reading, editing, writing, printing and publishing words on paper, I would know the appropriate usage of the word chimera. Embarrassingly I did not. I came across it today and questioned the author of an article while reading copy. A little digging had me realize that the […]

Are you prepared for catastrophic spending cuts? [sarcasm]

| February 27, 2013

I find it difficult to listen to “the sky is falling” coming from special interest groups with the politicians looking out for them … or for that matter President Obama “crying wolf” once again. If it is so difficult to trim a few percent federal budget (something that was suppose to be done several years […]

Book: General Stanley McChrystal and My Share of the Task

| January 15, 2013

If you enjoy reading history and military biographies, the new General Stanley McChrystal autobiography My Share of the Task will be your “cup of tea Joe.” I ordered an ebook version last week after reading a couple short reviews and found it difficult to put down. In fact, I found myself rewinding the Tivo buffer […]

Come on in and grab onto my tail, “I don’t want to eat you!”

| August 27, 2011

Sort of reminds me of the of the 1875 St. Nicholas tale with the Gingerbread Man which ends like this: … He ran till he came to a river. And next to the river was a fox. The fox said, "Hello little gingerbread man." The gingerbread man said, "HELLO! I ran away from the little […]

Suggestion/Advice: Finding time to read

| June 22, 2011

Posting something marked as “advice” is rather egotistical, don’t you think … but then I’m not sure how else to label this? Reading for pleasure (and personal edification) is something many of us do and yet feel guilty when we take the time. It is a private/personal activity that closes one off from family, spouse […]

Book: We Were Pirates by Robert Schultz and James Shell

| June 12, 2011

Enjoying a World War II audio narrative and reading about the book We Were Pirates.  It is a book that help us understand the life of WWII American submariners, particularly Torpedoman Robert Hunt and his point of view. He shared his memories and his collection of photos and documents from his service aboard the USS […]

SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

| May 5, 2011

With the fascination of Seal Team Six’s operation in taking down Osama bin Laden, the timing of former Seal Team Six member’s Howard Wasdin’s new book couldn’t be better. He was interviewed by WSJ’s Lee Hawkins after the successful mission in Pakistan on Sunday and offers a little bit of detail one what it takes […]

Ordered Rawhide Down and watched 127 Hours

| April 2, 2011

  I’m looking forward to reading a new book, Rawhide Down, the near assassination of Ronald Reagan, by Del Quentin Wilber, after listening to a couple of interviews while driving this week. The history and medical component to the story really sounded compelling, particularly since it was a piece of history that I remember – […]

Honoring, thanking and thinking of our veterans

| November 11, 2010

While contemplating how to best comment on Veterans Day this year, I’ve decided that I would detour my trip home tonight and stop in to thank my dad in person for his service in Korea. Although in the past he generally avoided even acknowledging it, in recent years he and his fellow veterans have become […]

Rethinking eReaders after hauling around fat books

| July 21, 2010

I met my daughter at the Barnes and Noble bookstore tonight and had a chance to play with her electronic Nook reader again, but this time in the store. I have to admit for reading, the screen is excellent and reading text easy even for my presbyopia. Reading from the eReader has me re-thinking that […]

Book: The Overton Window by Glenn Beck

| July 1, 2010

I ordered the Glenn Beck audiobook “The Overton Window” a week or so ago, and it finally came in earlier this week. Since I had a few hours of driving on Wednesday, it was a good day to start it. As expected, it is both thought provoking and a bit disturbing. Let’s hope I don’t […]

Ordered a couple books for summer reading

| June 16, 2010

I ordered a couple books for summer reading on Tuesday, although I might hold one back for vacation. First, the new “thriller” called The Overton Window by Glenn Beck was just released and it is sure to be a best seller. Thankfully this mass marketed hardcover is priced right at several online booksellers … which […]

B&N Nook gets an upgrade and is selling better than Kindle

| April 26, 2010

Since my daughter left her Barnes and Noble Nook at home, I took advantage of updating to the much speedier and improved version 1.3 software. The eBook reader has substantially improved its page turning and now has a less than exciting web browser. I’m not sure I’d use it for much more than very light […]

Yard and dishwasher projects and a little reading

| April 16, 2010

Checking my list for the weekend and it looks as if there is a bit of work in the yard … yes the grass is growing, as are the weeds. But higher on the priority list is installing our new “cash for appliances” energy efficient dishwasher. Unfortunately the delivery was not without an issue … […]

Book: Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

| March 13, 2010

Since we’ve had rain for a couple of days while on vacation, I picked up a book off the coffee table and started reading it here at the condo … before finishing the other ones I brought along I might as well add. It’s a book I’ve been curious about, but not willing to buy […]

Adding some “light” reading to my weekend: Windows 7 Secrets

| February 19, 2010

I’ve added  a little light reading to my weekend plans from Paul Thurrot and Rafael Rivera’s book, Windows 7 Secrets … it’s only 1080 pages. I’m hoping the book will help enhance an already satisfied Windows 7 user by teaching me a few tricks in using Microsoft’s newest OS. As regular readers know, I’ve been […]

What are you really getting with eBooks?

| February 13, 2010

With my daughter at home for a couple weeks while doing an M3 year “exploratory” at Children’s Hospital here in Cincinnati, I had the chance to use her new Barnes and Noble Nook to read a book. After the newness wore off and the expense of paying for digital ebooks and publications took hold, I’ve […]

Book: Comeback American by David M. Walker

| February 5, 2010

Books about fixing America’s dysfunctional economy are trendy again and partisan finger pointing is probably the most notable component in most books. The book by David M. Walker called Comeback America is no exception when it comes to the frustration and anger he shares when in particular chastising President George W. Bush. Irritation aside, Walker […]

Work Related: testing an online publishing option

| February 2, 2010

Testing the issuu.com publishing platform option for a couple clients using sample content. Posting the small embed version of Enviro-energies product spec sheets on my blog to see if it could be useful (think of it as a virtual color e-reader).

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.
My Desultory Blog