Lunch with Jeff, the economy, inflation and more nukes in China

| October 1, 2021

What once was a weekly or at least bi-monthly lunch with my friend Jeff, has shifted to once every 3 months or so since COVID19. It’s not all due to the pandemic as changes in work habits and eating out habits has contributed to neglecting getting together. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable to spend an hour […]

Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta with the press of a button

| September 28, 2021

Look out on the roads … and no I’m not talking about driving dogs. HA! FSD Beta is an unfinished version of Tesla’s premium driver-assistance software, FSD, which the company sells in the U.S. for $10,000 upfront, or $199 a month. Tesla has rolled out a software update for their controversial Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD […]

Apple Event (9/14/2021) introduces iPhone13 series smartphones

| September 15, 2021

As our current Apple iPhone smartphones age (currently Brenda and I have iPhone7 and 7 plus), there is an interest in upgrading to the 5G capable Apple A15 chipped iPhone13 or 13Pro. The Apple Event on Tuesday afternoon highlighted the new smartphones and focused on their photo and video capability. As a photographer and Apple […]

Music Monday: Trying to keep faith in America by listening to Where the Starts and Stripes and Eagles Fly by Aaron Tippin

| September 13, 2021

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Are we really safer from terrorism 20 years after 9/11?

| September 11, 2021

The news media has been doing their part this week to remember the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and memorializing the 2977 people killed by 19 radical Islamist terrorists. Twenty years ago, four commercial airliners loaded with unsuspecting passengers were hijacked and the fuel-ladened planes were used as suicide weapons. To […]

The U.S. is out of Afghanistan, but what an ugly way to leave

| August 31, 2021

Yesterday, Marine General Frank McKenzie announced the U.S. military’s withdrawal from our 20-year war in Afghanistan complete. We entered Afghanistan shortly after September 11, 2001 with a mission to hunt down al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and radical Islamic terrorists, but we spent much of the time fighting the Taliban who gave the safe haven to […]

President Biden will regret the day he ignored conditions on the ground, instead exiting Afghanistan based on a political timeline

| August 22, 2021

As I commented on the utter failure in Afghanistan last week regarding the decision President Biden made in leaving Afghanistan, it is just another “ fail decision” in a short 8 months by this president and his administration (we can’t take much more). The US exit was ill-conceived and poor planned. It was made ignoring […]

Another albatross to hang around President Biden’s neck

| August 16, 2021

The situation in Afghanistan is not something most of the civilized world wants to see, but within a few days we’ve watched the Taliban rapidly seize control throughout the country ever since President Biden telegraphed accelerating what was left of our military from our bases. Very few politicians have questioned the desire over the past […]

Are we looking at facemasks and shutdowns again? #COVID19

| July 24, 2021

If it were not for the questionable messaging being pushed by every politician, biased partisan media personality (both left and right), so called medical experts and even our own wishy-washy Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it would be easier to decipher if this Delta Covid-19 variant is something to worry about or just […]

Investors are taking it on the chin today as COVID19 Delta variant may impact the US and global recovery

| July 19, 2021

If you are an investor or long term education and retirement saver, you’re feeling the pain today as the coronavirus Delta variant spread could impact the economic recovery. U.S. stocks, oil prices and government bond yields slid Monday as anxiety mounted over the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant and its potential impact on the […]

Abhimanyu Mishra, the youngest Chess grandmaster in history

| July 6, 2021

It was probably the intimidating photo of 9 year old Abhimanyu Mishra that caught my attention, but as someone who once enjoyed the “recreational game” of Chess as a boy, it is also impressive to see what this young New Jersey boy has accomplished. At the GM Mix in Hungary last week, a 12-year old […]

The mixed messages on inflation and what does it mean?

| June 23, 2021

Although I’m likely tainted in having lived through a period where inflation was real and uncontrolled, I do worry that people living today either ignore or downplay the negative impact inflation, stagflation or worse … hyperinflation … can make on our country. For those who know me, I’ve likely been the “boy who calls wolf” […]

Civility in debating political views and “my” Letter to the Editor

| May 12, 2021

In February 2021, I mentioned The Hustings news website which highlighted how much I appreciated that in America we can hold different political views and civilly debate issues without fear of government retribution (First Amendment). Unfortunately in the past decade or so our differences have become so divisive and derisive, that I’m not sure that […]

President Biden has a bold tax and spend plan for the US

| April 29, 2021

Personally I don’t like using the word "bold" for taxing and spending by big government since it has a positive attribute (at least to my thinking), but President Biden’s Joint Address last night was unlike any we’ve ever seen. It looked far more like a socialist spending wish list than a unifying address to bring […]

Political corporate activism in Georgia, boycotts and investing

| April 6, 2021

Democrats have been gaining ground over the past few years with their “hate Trump” blitzing supported by the leftists, big tech and mainstream media (one in the same from what I’ve seen), and continue to put heavy pressure politicians and corporations. Just as with the tactics used by BLM, Antifa and “woke” groups using racism, […]

After 6 days, the Ever Given is moving and the Suez Canal is open

| March 30, 2021

The news that has captured much of the of the world’s interest this week was the very large Ever Given container ship lodged sideways in the Suez Canal by 40+ mph winds (and perhaps some mechanical issues?). The “Empire State Building” size ship snarled traffic for 6 days surprising most people as to just how […]

Do you build or buy a new house this year or put it off?

| March 18, 2021

Real estate has been on a tear in many markets as the coronavirus has people moving from cities to the suburbs and their own piece of land. In my opinion it is not just COVID19 related, but that fact that cities aren’t as secure or as tax friendly to live in, especially on the east […]

How are we doing in vaccinating our population? #COVID19

| March 6, 2021

Immunization is picking up speed, but we are still struggling to get enough of the produced vaccinations in arms … especially in some states. This past week an article in Fortune posted a “tracker map” illustrating where it is going well and where we’re are struggling to get shots in the arms of every American […]

Why do so many on the political left deride America?

| March 3, 2021

If all we do is listen to those who spew negativity and show distain for America, we might miss the fact that the US through Operation Warp Speed in coordination with private companies, have given us a COVID19 vaccine to its citizens and to the world in record time. In keeping with countries which have […]

The best part about Inauguration 2021: Memes of Bernie Sanders

| January 22, 2021

Not being an advocate for those advocating bigger government, higher taxes, progressive policies … or most Democrats in general, I was not looking forward to the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States this past week. In fact, I didn’t watch any live coverage and relied on the  news clips […]

The US trend is politically left as opposing voices are squelched

| January 19, 2021

It’s not “breaking news” that we live in a changing United States of America or that propaganda and control over speech is being used to steer large swaths of the population towards leftist ideology … but what is eye-opening is just how coordinated the powers that be are in opposing the “rights” protected by our […]

Stealing cookies, punishment, deterrents and election laws

| January 12, 2021

The Storming United States Capitol 1/6/2021 and White House plus multiple cities protests 2020 In recent years, NPR has not been my source for balanced reporting and commentary, but I still occasionally pick up a morsel or two that resonates. This time it was shared by a politically liberal/progressive friend on her daily Life Logs […]

The 2020 Election, the Georgia Runoff and changing America

| January 7, 2021

For red, white and blue flag waving, National Anthem honoring, military respecting patriots … who believed in the traditional values that founded this country … January 6, 2021 was a tough day. The election in Georgia for control of the U.S. Senate, the last line of defense for Republicans, went to the two Democrats Raphael […]

Understanding the Pfizer and Moderna COVID19 vaccines

| December 27, 2020

There was an interesting article in Prevention Magazine that explains what the COVID19 or generically the Coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna do … AND what their ingredients are. It also details the differences between the two from the standpoint of how cold storage temperatures need to be. Check out the article for the ingredients […]

As the holidays approach, mini-dictators flex their power

| November 23, 2020

One of the more disturbing trends during the COVID19COVID19 pandemic has been the infringement on personal liberty by politicians in the country.Thankfully we are closing in on a vaccine, but the heavy-handed restrictions that may have been tolerated during the initial outbreak, aren’t being received well by those who are trying to keep food on the […]

Opinion: Do we know who the 46th POTUS will be yet?

| November 10, 2020

It has been a long week since the 2020 Presidential Election and I haven’t posted or commented on the vote or “media reported results” regarding several projections as to Joe Biden being our president-elect. For me, the tabulation of votes in key swing states is very close and legitimately contested based on several questionable issues […]

Election Day: Protect your freedom and liberty, vote GOP

| November 3, 2020

Today is election day and A LOT is on the line when it comes to the governing and political philosophy of the United States. Back in 2016, the promises then candidate Donald Trump, made when running as a new breed of Republican, had to be taken on face value and his words… something I personally […]

LA Dodgers win surreal World Series in 2020 #COVID19

| October 28, 2020

As one newspaper reported, it has been “the weird­est year in base­ball his­tory.” The World Series ended Tues­day night with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the 2020 MLB season’s in game 6 of the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays were out played with strong pitching by the Dodgers, and although I had totally checked […]

Just how many years do you need to be wrong?

| October 26, 2020

Generally, I prefer not to spread propaganda and campaign advertising, but Americans do need to vote with their eyes open. Not everyone’s family is getting paid millions by the Chinese like the Bidens. Played this video at today’s rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania—a must watch! pic.twitter.com/BC2h4oZhQp — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 26, 2020

Suspect ALL are glad presidential elections are 4-years apart?

| October 24, 2020

Contentious … doesn’t begin to explain the sentiment around the looming November 3rd 2020 election. Although I don’t mind discussions and debate on political thought and philosophy, this year the emotions and fervor I see and experience between a lot of Republicans and Democrats make open exchange and discussions nearly impossible. Emotions have reached uncomfortable […]

Nothing to see here, it’s just politics as usual for the political left

| October 9, 2020

A Hollywood style TRUMP sign goes up in California “on private property” … then it is promptly taken down by California Department of Transportation citing “a life and safety issue.” Hm … I’m sure that’s what it was … and that it has nothing to do with the aggressive, anti-Trump, left-leaning politics of politicians in […]

The 19th Anniversary of 9/11 and thoughts on our current path

| September 11, 2020

It seems like yesterday, but it was 19 years ago that the US was attacked by our own commercial airliners taken over by radical Islamic terrorists and orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. These evil men following a twisted ideology attempted to trigger an all out war between Muslims and who they perceived as the enemies […]

The Democrats had their 2020 virtual convention last week and the Republicans started their virtual convention this week

| August 25, 2020

To sum up the nomination process for the November 3rd 2020 presidential election in a short paragraph is foolhardy, but that doesn’t prevent me from opining on the week long telethons. I expected both parties to come out with their vision for America and to at least give the leader-to-be’s vision, plans and goals? Unfortunately […]

Think twice before going into business with today’s tech giants

| July 24, 2020

As a start up, doing business with big company in order to boost sales and visibility can be a great way to grow a business. Unfortunately it can also be cut-throat and the smaller companies can and are taken advantage of. It is not new, but but in the fast-paced and highly competitive technology world, […]

To shut down or not to shut down, that is the question – Hamlet

| July 18, 2020

As politicians and most of us in the United States (and probably world) debate how to live under the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic, researchers, doctors and academics are flooding the Internet with studies and opinions both for and against opening up the country. Some have our best interest at heart … and likely some […]

Wishing it away. Unfortunately the 3-mo delayed Tax Day is today

| July 15, 2020

The pandemic delayed April 15th Tax Day for Americans’ 2019 taxes is now upon us and for those who have not filed, you have until 11:59 tonight to do it … unless you request an extension until October 15th. We can try to wish it away like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, but as […]

Well so much for a smooth reopening in Ohio #COVID19

| July 7, 2020

  See a few more details leading up to this from Gov Mike Dewine on this post.

Winning freedom is one thing, maintaining it is yet another

| July 4, 2020

As we celebrate our country’s freedom from oppression and an independence won from Great Britain this July 4th, it is hard to imagine any US citizen wanting to give up their liberty? Yet once again, it is looking more and more as if a vocal and radical segment in the most successful democracy on the […]

With June 2020 behind us, how is Ohio handling COVID19?

| July 2, 2020

It sure would be nice to report all is well in Ohio, but unfortunately our returning to semi-normal routines  and statewide reopening has hit a snag … at least according to those elected and paid to monitor our health. See coronavirus.ohio.gov. ALERT LEVELS: (all include “Follow all current health orders”) Active exposure and spread. Increased […]

What are we hearing as the 2020 presidential election nears?

| June 14, 2020

Ok … I’ve decided that most of the outrage (see 1, 2 & 3) in our country happening is politically motivated and it is being fanned and fueled by political operatives and left-wing ideologues as we approach the 2020 election. Considering we’ve been through racial outrage before, the latest looks to me to be a […]

If you dislike the police or civil society, ignore the next two posts

| June 13, 2020

It is officially time for me to start wearing the “grumpy old man” cap (or “GOM” as my “poke the bear” friend Jeff refers to it). I can’t believe the things our country is now divided over. Tomorrow I’ll detail a little more on the serious items, but today its the ridiculous attack on everything […]

Is this defunding/dismantling police for real or just politics?

| June 11, 2020

After listening to the loudest protestors from around the U.S. seemingly unite around the “defund and dismantle the police” manta, it is natural for people to ponder the questions regarding how this movement of angry people intend to “keep the peace.” As some point laws aren’t going to be followed, gangs and thugs will intimidate […]

A nation of unrest … filled with a bunch of immoral idiots

| June 2, 2020

Well so much for the pre-posting yesterday’s Music Monday “So Quiet In Here” … before the Minneapolis George Floyd killing subsequent protests … and ensuing riots and crime spree. I suppose we all knew, that with all the divisive politics, we’ve been living either next to or in inside of a powder keg (especially if […]

Where COVID19 cases are on the rise and a Center for Disease Control and Prevention PSA on the Symptoms of Coronavirus

| May 15, 2020

We are all likely on information overload when it comes to the Coronavirus and how it has impacted our country and the world. Still, it seemed appropriated to include a reminder as we start to re-open the country that the threat is far from over – we have just “flattened the curve” as it were. […]

Nature is brutal! A Praying Mantis vs a Murder Hornet

| May 9, 2020

Nothing like a little nature video with your breakfast cereal to start your day .. YIKES!  I’ll never be able to look at my “Little Praying Friend” the same again. The latest news is that the giant 2 inch Murder Hornets (Asian giant hornets) are showing up in the western United States and threatening honey […]

Do you really want the media, big tech and government elites controlling free speech, thought and societal norms?

| May 2, 2020

Once in a while, the talking heads and opinion writers who editorialize present enough information in a single article or few minutes of television that hits home and makes one take notice. That definitely happened for me the other night and trigger me to think a little more seriously about has been happening in our […]

How do we safely open up America again? #COVID19

| April 21, 2020

As the United States and the world prepare to open society in phases after well over a month of stay-at-home orders due to the Coronavirus, the debate between those who see the health risk as too high and those who fear a full on economic collapse (world wide depression) continues. Several states are seeing protests […]

Monitoring the COVID19 while working on bookshelf project

| March 24, 2020

It has been good to be distracted with a painting and bookshelf project while "staying at home" these last few days. Unfortunately the COVID19 Coronavirus doesn’t look to be disappearing or dissipating as quickly as we were all hoping … so it looks as if we’ll be struggling to figure out how to not only […]

As depression kicks in, watched the film “Miracle” for inspiration

| March 18, 2020

For those of us who in December thought this Coronavirus ‘thing’ was a Chinese story and not going to be a big deal here in America; we were wrong. COVID19 and the economic impact is being felt far and wide by everyone in the world. I still want to believe it will be short-lived and […]

Campaign for Americans to “do their part” to fight COVID19

| March 17, 2020

Since all Americans are in this fight together, it is appropriate we take the precautions necessary to slow the spread and "flatten the curve" of the Coronavirus so that our hospitals and medical professional can help those who are in need of their care. Appropriately each state has stepped up with their own actions – […]

Down, Down, Down the stock market goes on #COVID19 fears

| March 11, 2020

Although I suspect all the selling on Wall Street has to do with needed cash or the “sell and re-assess later” attitude, I’ve been puzzled that gold (usual safe haven) and utilities have been hit as well. Personally I thought these areas might balance exposure to industrials, tech and energy. Obviously not as Wednesday’s market […]

Music Monday: That sorrowful bluegrass sound from Alison Kraus – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Catfish John” for the slew of bad news

| March 9, 2020

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My thoughts on the Coronavirus COVID-19 and investing

| March 7, 2020

I’ve purposely put off posting anything to MyDesultoryBlog as the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (#COVID19) began. Partially since it is challenging to separate the unfounded fears and panic from the real threat since the reporting varies based on news sources (Information from China is particularly questionable but western media sources aren’t all […]

Are US presidents “rock-stars” based on political ideology?

| February 25, 2020

It is shocking to see the “rock-star welcome” (or thumbs down reception in socialist leaning countries) that “recent” American presidents get when they are overseas. I said “recent American presidents” in respect for the popularity President Obama had when traveling in the leaning countries of Europe; he was seen as tilting the U.S. to the […]

Rain delayed 2020 Daytona 500, but still a great pre-race show

| February 17, 2020

Although watching NASCAR is not the highest priority on our list of things to do, it has been a long time mid-February favorite whether we were home, at the boat or visiting Brenda’s mom and dad years ago in Florida. This year we treated it as a Super Bowl kind of Sunday and were impressed […]

The state of our union is “stronger than ever before” declares President Donald Trump to Speaker Pelosi’s distain

| February 5, 2020

Without going into the 90-minute State of the Union speech detail, the economic and overall strength of the United States is incredible compared to history or any other country in the world. The numbers and confidence sure look good for President Trump’s reelection campaign. Add to that the overall disfunction of Democrats (Iowa Caucus) with […]

The KC Chiefs defeat the SF 49ers in SuperBowlLIV in Miami FL

| February 3, 2020

The Super Bowl was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida this year and saw two great 2019 teams square off. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers had every right to represent their leagues as both teams had superb seasons and playoff victories. Unfortunately, neither team in my opinion played their […]

The Chinese Coronavirus. What you might want to know.

| January 29, 2020

Read an outstanding article in the WSJ this past week as the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continues to spread and take lives. It is currently a China-based virus that likely stems from bats that mutate and spread through other mammals. Efforts are being made in China to prevent spreading within their country, but with travel and […]

What is going to stop the US stock market and $AAPL stock?

| January 18, 2020

While working on post highlighting the DJIA crossing 29,000, I realized that the stock market has blown through that milestone and is rocketing towards 30,000 and that I’ll have to start over (probably a “worry-wart” post is coming). One of the big contributors to this Dow Jones Industrial Average is Apple ($AAPL). It just continues […]

Deusche Bank says buy $GE – What will stop this stock market?

| January 14, 2020

The stock market continues to rally on positive news: low inflation, cheap money, increasing wages, low unemployment and even good news on trade with China. If there was ever a time to use the “hitting on all cylinders” idiom, this would be it … but when things are looking this good … everybody gets a […]

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.
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