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

| March 16, 2024

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.  The movie is based on a book by Nicholas Dawidoff about Morris […]

Pilots and Planes: Smithsonian on Capt. David McCampbell, World War II aviation and the Grumman Hellcat

| February 24, 2024

A few of the history oriented books I read in 2023 were about World War II Naval Aviation in the Pacific … after the previous years studying Navy and US Marine battles. As much as I enjoyed the books by several aviators who flew Corsairs (1, 2, 3, 4) … I really enjoyed reading last […]

The TaxFoundation and “An Introduction to the History of Taxes”

| December 26, 2023

Have you ever wondered about taxes … and how many (or how much) is too little or too much? If so, here’s a short YouTube clip from the TaxFoundation:

Closing in on Christmas, so why am I not in the right mood?

| December 20, 2023

Ok, so I’m not focused this year on “the reason for the season” (or frankly even the secular celebration of Christmas) … therefore it is really time to do something about it. We didn’t even write our Corbett Christmas Letter!  Thankfully turning to Truth For Life and Alistair Begg’s teachings and message “It is HIStory” […]

The Israel-Hamas war has intrigued Bibical map reading

| November 19, 2023

Panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee in 2006 (click for larger) After a brief discussion and look at current and previous maps of Israel and the area Christians study (the Holy Land)  … prior to … and during the life of Jesus, I noticed that the Sea of Galilee as well as most landmarks […]

Remember our Veterans this weekend and HB to the USMC

| November 11, 2023

Yesterday was the 248th birthday for the USMC (my X or tweet below). They have an amazing history and those who serve or served (once a Marine always a Marine) have a good reason to be proud. Their bravery and sacrifice was cemented for me earlier this year after listening to the audiobook by Eugene […]

Archiving a weekend wedding photo of Taylor and his college buds and an impressively engineered antique candle snuffer

| October 24, 2023

The title of this post is a little disjointed, but since I don’t have all that much to say about either topic, I’m putting them in one post. First, Taylor stretched out a long weekend with Megan in Key Largo Florida with his fraternity buddies at a wedding … and second, I’m just impress with […]

Audiobook: “With The Old Breed” by E. B. Sledge

| October 17, 2023

As I’ve blogged a few times before, when it comes to history books, I enjoy reading and learning about World War II history and those of “the Greatest Generation” who rose to moment to save the world in the 1940s. My focus for the last decade or so has been in studying the Pacific Theater […]

Some history … and can Israel eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip without another full blown war in the Middle East?

| October 14, 2023

Like most … but depressingly not all Americans … I’ve been heavy hearted and angry this week after Hamas terrorist slaughtered innocent Israeli civilians (including 27 Americans) and took an estimated 150 hostages back to Gaza. I’m not sure how those who side with Hamas and their backers (Iran) can explain away such horrific murder, but […]

Who else has tried to “pinch-to-zoom” a paper map? #humor

| September 23, 2023

I had to laugh at myself the while reading one of the World War II Pacific Island campaign history books then looking up at my cork wall and trying to “pinch-to-zoom” the paper map for more details. Oh, the tech habits we adopt! And since this is a random kind of filler humor post, below […]

Texas tea story and movie: “Miracle in East Texas”

| September 13, 2023

A little bit of history told in an entertaining movie format … what could be better?  Here’s a Sorbo movie call “Miracle in East Texas“ to be in theaters in October 2023 with a timely release (inflation and energy).  The history tie in is the the World War II era story just as we were […]

Books: “Once They Were Eagles” by Frank E. Walton

| September 12, 2023

Occasionally when a good book is finished, it leave you wanting it to continue and hoping for more. That is the case with Frank E. Walton’s book “Once They Were Eagles.” It is the second book in the pile that I’m reading focused on the infamous World War II era’s VMF-214 better remembered at the […]

About the book “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and Gregory Boyington

| September 3, 2023

In August I finished up an excellent 1958 autobiography by Gregory “Pappy” Boyington titled “Baa Baa Black Sheep” … mentioned previously. He was a United States Marine Corps fighter pilot who commanded the VMF-214 Black Sheep Squadron during World War II. The book tells the story of Boyington’s early life, his training as a pilot, […]

Earl’s Sinclair Gas and Auto Service Station – Toledo Ohio #TBT

| August 24, 2023

While visiting with my extended family at my Uncle Sonny’s Celebration of Life earlier this month, a few of us exchanged phone numbers so we could better stay in touch. My cousin Dan forwarded a paper that highlighted my Grandfather Corbett’s Sinclair gas station and Earl’s Auto Service in South Toledo. It was interesting to […]

Ordered a new pair of Sperry Harbormaster 2.0 Sneakers

| August 19, 2023

Those who have spent any time with me, or reading my blog, know that I’m a big fan of Sperry Boat Shoes. I’ve been a steady buyer of their Topsiders, sandals, water shoes and flip-flops over the years (first post about them in 2006?).I often comment on their wear, insoles and occasional issues (all minor) and […]

A long time customer’s email always signals summer’s end

| August 15, 2023

Having a customer for over 30 years is something that I should be super happy about (and for the most part, I am), but in August like clockwork it is a trigger for me that it is the end of summer and the beginning of a new printing year, at least with the Greater Akron […]

Books: “Baa Baa Black Sheep” by Gregory ‘Pappy’ Boyington

| August 1, 2023

There are plenty of books on my Kindle, in my “ebook pile” and “printed paper” book pile to read, but most of them are not particularly enjoyable “to me” to read. They either arouse political anger and frustration in the direction our country is being lead … or personal improvement books that “I interpret” as […]

Photo triggered “gas line” and “cars owned” memories #TBT

| July 27, 2023

Although I’m not positive as to the year (perhaps 1978), but this photo triggered thoughts of the 1970s and the gas station lines that happened between 1973 and 1979. The memory is fitting for Throwback Thursday #TBT, perhaps in part because I worked at a Shell station while in high school? Another interesting memory is […]

Communism/Socialism or a Representative Democracy?

| July 23, 2023

Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism—a higher and more advanced form, according to […]

Are there economic similarities between post World War II and rebounding from the pandemic shutdown?

| July 15, 2023

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 – […]

The Declaration of Independence: Freedom isn’t free

| July 4, 2023

Here’s an afternoon post for the 4th of July … our U.S. Independence Day. Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons […]

Reading – “Saved: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home” by Benjamin Hall

| June 27, 2023

This past weekend I started a new book that I’ve been looking forward to reading since “Saved: A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home” was released in March 2023. Benjamin Hall’s book is one I should have purchased in the spring, but since I had a pile of reading to get through, I opted […]

How Steve Jobs saved Apple with the iMac 25 years ago

| May 7, 2023

Memories: We had two of them — The original iMac in 1998 On May 6, 1998, Steve Jobs announced the iMac, and we wouldn’t now have the iPhone, the Apple Store, or even Apple itself, if it hadn’t been such a success. If there’s ever any doubt that the iMac is a phenomenal success, just try to […]

Lecture: “Woke is Maoism with American characteristics”

| May 6, 2023

When it comes to sharing political and socioeconomic philosophy, it is like tiptoeing through a minefield. No matter what books, lectures, video or definitions one uses when discussing political ideologies, almost all sources will come under suspicion of bias … or in this case … Cultural Marxist Conspiracy Theory. I do read a bit on […]

Tech Friday: The Apple Lisa computer is over 40 years old

| April 21, 2023

Although my first computer was a Compaq Portable (I still have it and I think it still boots up) … my second computer was a Macintosh SE with a giant 20MB HD … the more successful and lower price version of the Lisa. Did you know that the Apple Lisa turned 40 this year? How […]

Books: “Three Days In January: Dwight Eisenhower’s final mission” by Bret Baier

| March 29, 2023

My daily routine, at least when I’m in town, is to DVR the evening news, “Special Report” at 6PM. I generally watch it and skip the commercials while eating … when it is permitted by Brenda. HA! The daily new wrap-up is probably not edifying since it includes a good dose of disfunctional national politics […]

The Chinese Militarization of the South China Sea

| March 16, 2023

The South China Sea has become a hotly contested region in recent years, with multiple countries claiming various parts of the sea as their own. China, in particular, has been actively asserting its dominance over the region by building military structures and increasing its naval presence in the area. The WSJ published a detailed article […]

Audiobook – Inflated: How Money and Debt Built the American Dream by R. Christopher Whalen (published 2010)

| February 28, 2023

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 […]

When were the borders of the countries of the World mapped?

| February 22, 2023

Here is an impressive map of "The Age of the World’s Borders." (right-click and zoom in) But when were most of the world’s borders formed? By time period they are: 1200-1499: 2,405km (0.9%) 1500-1699: 5,463km (2.1%) 1700-1724: 4,264km (1.6%) 1725-1749: 0km (0%) 1750-1774: 8,491km (3.3%) 1775-1799: 4,350km (1.7%) 1800-1824: 9,025km (3.5%) 1825-1849: 9,309km (3.6%) 1850-1874: […]

Reading list and current Max Hastings Vietnam history book

| February 11, 2023

The WSJ reading list caught my eye this week … most likely due to "The Ship Beneath The Ice" book talking more about the story of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 expedition to the Antarctic. I’ll be watching for it as a library ebook, but probably after I finished my current history read, "Vietnam:  An Epic Tragedy […]

Archiving a few WWII B-26 Marauder videos

| February 9, 2023

Here are a couple of B-26 Martin Marauder YouTube videos to archive (saved to personal cloud too) due to my interest in aviation and military history … but also because my late father-in-law serving as navigator on “this beautiful ship” in World War II (I can still hear him saying that). 

The Remarkable Life of Poon Lim (by Carl Seaver)

| February 2, 2023

EXCERPT => “On November 23, 1942, the Royal Navy destroyer SS Benlomond was torpedoed by a German submarine. Poon Lim, a Chinese civilian seaman aboard the ship, found himself stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Against all odds, Poon Lim survived 133 days at sea before being rescued by Brazilian fishermen.” This Carl […]

The grandson of John Tyler, the 10th POTUS, is still alive

| December 18, 2022

It took a little research, but the thought of the 10th President of the United States still having a living grandson alive today seemed … well, unbelievable. Mentally, I worked the numbers … and then had to do a little Internet sleuthing … but low and behold it was true. President John Tyler was born […]

Remembering the attack on Pearl Harbor 81 years ago

| December 7, 2022

It feels uncomfortably routine, to nonchalantly include a remembrance post on December 7th each year … but it is important to reflect on the evil of man and human devastation associated with war.  In remembering the loss of American lives inflicted by the Japanese in their “unprovoked and dastardly” attack of Pearl Harbor, I’ll include […]

Native American tribes in America before the Europeans #maps

| November 20, 2022

Maps and history have always held my interest (as they do for my son Taylor too). Having grown up when schools glossed over most of American the history prior to Columbus in 1492 (or perhaps the Vikings) … it is interesting to learn a little bit more about the “approximately 20 million” Native Americans that […]

Election 2022: Tuesday November 8th is FREE America Day

| November 7, 2022

If there is one thing palpable in America, it is that Americans are worried about their country and our future. Ever since the COVID19 pandemic began and particularly since President Biden took office in 2020 … hard working, freedom-loving citizens in our country have watched their liberty and prosperity eroded. There is both concern and […]

The long awaited MAGFAST pre-order has arrived, multiple trailer loads of autumn leaves and watching the 2022 World Series

| November 6, 2022

Although I have yet to open the individual components … the L-O-N-G awaited MagFast “premium charging” kit has finally arrived. The new magnetically connected kit is not yet fully complete as there are still a couple components that will be shipped later. This will probably be the last pre-purchased product I purchase after losing my […]

Centuries pass and the borders of countries in Europe change

| November 2, 2022

If you like maps and watching the borders of countries, here’s a small, quick video of the changing borders in Europe over the centuries. Pretty wild.

Audiobook: “Lethal Tides” by Catherine Musemeche

| October 1, 2022

Another interesting story tied to scientific development during World War 2 has crossed my email inbox from WSJ+.  This one is about the virtually unknown Mary Sears, “the first oceanographer of the Navy.” Her groundbreaking oceanographic research led the U.S. to victory in the Pacific theater during World War II, according to the summary. I’m […]

A look back at the financial markets for today’s #TBT post

| September 15, 2022

As we face another recession (some believe we are already in one – see February 2022 part 1 and part 2), I couldn’t help but notice a post from about this time of the year in 2008 (see chart at left) when we faced a previous self-inflicted recession (banking crisis). The 2007-2008 Financial Crisis was the […]

Dinner and a classic movie: “Gunga Din” from 1939

| September 10, 2022

We did another one of our “now regular” dinner and classic movie nights … which shockingly we are both enjoying. This one was another Cary Grant movie from 1939 called “Gunga Din,” to which I had to look up the Rudyard Kipling poem, partially read (remembering 40+ years ago in school) and emailed to Brenda. […]

Marking history and longevity: Queen Elizabeth II dies peacefully

| September 8, 2022

The Queen of England passed away today after becoming Queen at the age of 25 in 1952. Most living under her reign have never known another ruling monarch. So now after a historic 70-year reign, her son, the former Prince of Wales, Charles III becomes Britain’s new King. According to the UK’s DailyMail: The Queen’s […]

Book: “Team America: The Age of Generals”–Robert L. O’Connell

| September 8, 2022

The WSJ book reviews are a great place to find new and interesting military history books and biographies. The recent download for me is a book by Robert L. Connell highlighting several bigger than life U.S. military generals. “Team America: The Age of Generals,” looks at often written about World War A-list leaders: Gens. Douglas […]

Books: “The Day the Markets Roared” by Henry Kaufman

| September 4, 2022

Having recently read an article about Dr. Doom and “his pinnacle of influence” on August 17th, 1982, I’m adding Henry Kaufman’s book “The Day the Markets Roared” to my Amazon Kindle “want to read” list. Obviously since it is a look back on financial market history, it is not all that crucial that I read […]

Pyramid of Giza in Egypt from above

| August 31, 2022

The largest of the Egyptian pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Giza., one of The Seven Wonders of the World.  It was the tomb of the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu and was build in the early 26th century BC. It stands 481 feet and is normally seen from a horizon view as in Wikipedia  (photo […]

Number of shots or gun salute for Independence Day celebration?

| July 4, 2022

According to a little American Revolutionary War reading this past year, our Declaration of Independence was celebrated on July 4, 1777 with a 13-gun salute in the morning and 13-gun salute in the evening (13 for the 13 colonies). Interestingly, many historians suggest that the Declaration of Independence was actually signed on July 2, 1776 and […]

Books: “The Dying Citizen” by Victor Davis Hanson

| July 3, 2022

With a little travel and vacation time coming up, I went into my “want to read” list and downloaded “The Dying Citizen” from the local library to my Kindle. The 2021 book is a longer read (433 pages) from Victor Davis Hanson, a professor and military historian seen regularly on Fox News and Fox Business. […]

The Federal Aid Highway Act was sign into law by President Eisenhower in 1956 (Interstate Highway System)

| June 29, 2022

It has been 66 years since President Eisenhower signed the act that created the Interstate Highway System into law on June 29th, 1956. An amazing political ($$$) and engineering feat. Eisenhower and the House Democrats agreed to finance the system through the Highway Trust Fund, which itself would be funded by a gasoline tax. In […]

Books: “Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America” by Douglas Brinkley

| June 14, 2022

Although I once enjoyed reading biographical and history oriented books by Douglas Brinkley, as well as enjoyed interviews with him on TV, I’ve recently noticed a bit more political partisanship in his commentary and his appearances. To be fair, I wanted to give his writings another shot and try to remain open-minded. The book “Rightful […]

Music Monday: The Leonard Skinner and Lynyrd Skynyrd story

| June 6, 2022

I was tuned into a television morning news show a few weeks ago and was shocked that two of the three hosts didn’t know “the band” Lynyrd Skynyrd … in fact one commented, “but I’ve heard of ‘him.’”  Shocked, but maybe it’s an age thing? The conversation quickly shifted into the band’s eponym … Forby Leonard […]

Archive: SpaceX rocket launches and successes continue #video

| May 22, 2022

It is difficult to ignore the success of the private space industry and admire companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX as it launches and re-launches rocket after rocket. From satellite launching to shuttling astronauts to and from the International Space Station, SpaceX definitely has the potential to land astronauts back on the moon and to be […]

War, inflation, recession, oil prices and inverted yield curves

| March 26, 2022

The “pain at the pump” is definitely real if you are buying fuel and if you have spend the last decade with gas and diesel at 40+% lower than we are seeing today. That said, in inflation-adjusted dollars, we are still off the highest per barrel prices that we have seen (chart below). Most oil […]

Music Monday: The 1943 classic movie “Watch on the Rhine” and 1982 song “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes

| March 21, 2022

Old black and while films have never been top picks for Brenda and me when selecting a movie for the weekend, but as the Coronavirus pandemic shutdowns started, we decided to add a few classic movies as a way to broaden our life experience. Like reading classic literature as part of a higher education, watching a […]

Books: “The Digital Silk Road” by Jonathan E. Hillman

| March 10, 2022

It looks as if the next book on my reading list will be Jonathan E. Hillman’s “The Digital Silk Road: China’s Quest to Wire the World and Win the Future.” It was release last October (2021) and after reading a review (and WSJ recommendation), I decided to download the digital e-book. I’m not an expert […]

Books: “The End Is Always Near” by Dan Carlin

| February 27, 2022

My son Taylor is a history buff and turned me on to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcasts. I particularly enjoyed Carlin’s long running Supernova in the East series and commented a couple times previously as it corresponded with quite a few books that I’ve read (and am still reading) detailing World War II and the […]

Praying for the people of Ukraine and the instability of our world

| February 24, 2022

Russia, lead by the wicked Vladimir Putin, has invaded and attacked their neighbor on February 24th after massing their military around Ukraine this past year. They started the invasion with missiles and air strikes to all but eliminate Ukraine’s air defenses and are currently crossing borders from all directions with overwhelming military force. For students […]

Books: “Wealth, War and Wisdom” by Barton Biggs (2009) and a little “How Long will the Santa Mouse Decor Remain” humor

| February 13, 2022

We’ve never been all that timely in getting Christmas decorations put away after the holidays, but this year we … and by “we” I mean Brenda … has been slower than usual. To be fair, most everything has been packed and put away, but there are a few stragglers still around our house. I’m not […]

Inflation Hot? (Part 2): Inverted Yield Curve and Recession

| February 12, 2022

Although this is really not a smooth continuation from yesterday’s “Inflation Hot” post, the financial and economic theme remains the same … so it will be considered “part 2.” The post left off with trying to stop inflation in the 1980s and forcing a recession, actually “back to back recessions.” We can all hope that […]

Inflation Hot? Stop it with a recession or two. (Part 1)

| February 11, 2022

It is pretty obvious to most consumers that even with years of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates low, printing money and Congress spending, inflation remained in check at under 2%. Unfortunately after the last round of easy money policies during the pandemic, business shutdowns and government giving away money, this is no longer true. […]

Books: Downloaded “Unknown Valor” by Martha MacCallum

| January 21, 2022

The hefty book (1139 pages) that I tried to finish by the end of 2021 is finally done (halfway into January 2022) … so now in that same World War II Pacific vein, I’m starting Martha MacCallum’s “Unknown Valor” this week. I remember hearing about it last year, but never added it to my to-read […]

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