RichC | February 22, 2026
Yes … I do love looking at maps AND learning more about history … especially sailing and shipping history from centuries ago. BrilliantMaps.com always posts something interesting to read and learn about. Hm .. Five of the Great European trading companies: The map above shows the routes taken by 5 of the Great European trading […]
RichC | February 19, 2026
The U.S. needs to keep investing in printing presses … or more likely continue to add numbers to the electronic ledgers our incompetent bureaucrats in Washington DC are running up! There are so few politicians willing to cut the spending … even after DOGE … that they won’t address this until everything collapses. Very frustrating. […]
RichC | February 15, 2026
A unique song for this week’s Music Monday after seeing the video below on social media. It is an old time fiddle song that has roots dating back to at least the early 19th century, appearing in print as early as 1814 in Riley’s Flute Melodies under the title “Free on the Mountains.” Fire on the Mountain might be […]
RichC | February 1, 2026
The social media feed and blog BrilliantMaps.com has appeared a few times on MDB. I’m always drawn to maps as a way to visualize topics and information. Here’s one that surveys both the World and Europe and if they Believe in Life after Death. (beside to click on each map for a larger view […]
RichC | January 25, 2026
Last week I was reading automotive journalist George Straton’s review (a friend on X.com) on the Ford F-150 Raptor and he used the term “dromaeosaurid” in his article. Assuming it had something to do with a dinosaur reference, I still needed to look it up in order to feel educated. Perhaps I’m not the only […]
RichC | January 21, 2026
Obviously the social media algorithms know what triggers me and other fiscal conservative smaller government advocates.
RichC | January 7, 2026
While this is not exactly a new map (1980-2014), the “Average Length of Winter in Days” in North America likely doesn’t change all that much. Still, the BrilliantMaps repost of it in December makes it interesting, at least to me, as we hibernate this January 2026.
RichC | January 1, 2026
J.K. Rowling, born Joanne Kathleen Rowling on July 31, 1965, in Yate, England, is the acclaimed British author of the Harry Potter series, which has sold over 600 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 85 languages. Inspired to write the series during a delayed train journey in 1990, she completed the first […]
RichC | December 23, 2025
A regular social media Ohio guy that I follow on X.com always posts and asks interesting things dealing with people who still clearly remember the 1970 and 80s. A question and photo asked: “Are you this old? Hmm 😒 🤔?¿” (followed by a can of “3-in-One” oil”) Fortunately or unfortunately … I am not only that […]
RichC | December 17, 2025
Brilliantmaps is a social media account on X.com that I follow for year … and have posted from before. This past week, one of the posts on their website was on a set of retired NationalAtlas.gov maps of Ohio. Since I’ve been a life long “Ohioian,” it seems fitting to include a link to their […]
RichC | December 10, 2025
A couple of automotive “oldies” crossed my interests this week. One of them was of course on my automotive social media feed, but another pulled from an old magazine in my workshop. First, the Earl Scheib sign and left me remembering the annoying voice and advertising from the 1970s and 80s: “Hi, I’m Earl Scheib, […]
RichC | December 4, 2025
After reading an opinion from several years ago, but also after recent events, rising tensions and political divide in the U.S. … the same article is being passed around social media again. The writings seemed almost too spot on so I was interested in knowing how much truth there was to it — so I’m […]
RichC | November 24, 2025
It is odd just how the human mind works when connecting a couple of entirely different names? Last week, in a discussion on X.com, an automotive journalist, CarGuyTom, toss out the celebrity name, Ema Thompson, after a poll he was running. Knowing Tom was a fan of jazz music, the name for some strange reason […]
RichC | November 18, 2025
It is looking as if Taylor is caught in a challenging spot professionally — WCPO story. The voters who elected the trustees for his Batavia Township obviously do not want more developments with small lots and more tightly packed homes and the traffic that comes with it. Yet those who want to build developments are […]
RichC | November 7, 2025
I know, it is Friday and that generally means an interesting (at least to me) Tech Friday story. Does a photo of Brenda’s “tech-y” Tesla Model 3 with the trees changing count? I didn’t think so … In reality, I’m slightly behind in my week and totally missed posting a #TBT photo my buddy Jeff […]
RichC | November 2, 2025
Brenda and I were “emotionally” invested in the very competitive 2025 World Series. Having watched nearly every game of the playoffs … and all 7 nail-biting World Series games, gave us time to learn more about the teams and players. We pick favorites and I even found myself nicknaming them. After the final pitch late […]
RichC | September 13, 2025
You would think that I would be acutely on top of things when it comes to finance, and things such as buying and selling used cars and electric vehicles (Ok, not so much EVs). That is not the case as I found out this week when communicating with my son-in-law who is in the process […]
RichC | September 12, 2025
RichC | August 30, 2025
This may not be all that interesting at the moment, but back in the day I was all about these unique money (and water) saving hacks. From prepping, to Boy Scouting or college, early married and family years camping … or to sailing frugally for that matter … I always enjoyed and appreciated these kinds […]
RichC | August 28, 2025
As often happens these days, the “friends/acquaintances” on the social media site X.com that I regularly chat with, brought up the subject of old-school film photography. Since it was my main hobby from my first darkroom in junior high through high school, and then college (and even graduate school), I felt obliged to chime in […]
RichC | August 6, 2025
My favorite vehicle: 1994 Toyota 4Runner and first solo-drive: VW Karmann Ghia A couple of automotive triggering discussions regarding “working on cars” came about over the weekend that triggered my thinking, “I should be working on cars in the garage again.” Maybe was the pleasant low-humidity weather or just seeing the Wyze cam videos of […]
RichC | August 4, 2025
Who growing up in the 1970s or 1980s didn’t enjoy watching Saturday Night Live, or the program that just goes by SNL these days, once in a while? It is hard not run out of space to list the many talented comedians and actors that rose to fame while appearing on NBC’s unique weekly late […]
RichC | July 25, 2025
Really … there’s no comment or commentary needed. Just watching this baby (and mom) laugh is enough to brighten even the dreariest day. Have a great weekend!
RichC | July 23, 2025
If you read my blog at all, you know I’m a long time Wall Street Journal subscriber and often quote or reference their content. I’m actually embarrassed to say that I’ve been reading the newspaper version from the time before the Internet and had it delivered to my place of business for years. So … […]
RichC | July 18, 2025
The rise of AI in search and browsing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, AI-powered tools offer efficiency, delivering quick, synthesized answers without the need to navigate multiple websites. For users, this can feel like a leap forward—why sift through links when a chatbot can summarize the best information? However, this convenience comes at […]
RichC | July 17, 2025
I couldn’t help but remember a Memorex tape advertisement that ran in the 1970s for cassette tapes (above) … then in the 1980s for VHS tapes … when seeing the photo below: “Is it live … or is it Memorex?“ What do you think of when you see the shape of this island off the coast […]
RichC | June 29, 2025
Here a few natural tips to try if you want to keep pests away — it is worth trying!
RichC | June 25, 2025
This is a test of the XPoster plugin debug mode and updating again.
RichC | June 24, 2025
Ignore this late lunchtime update. The feed from WordPress to X.com has been failing to authenticate and update properly after the ups and downs on this server. Below is a 14 day look before finally clearing the MySQL problem. Hopefully the bloat has been fixed?
RichC | June 24, 2025
It looks as if my commentary is becoming a regular righthand column thing over at TheHustings.news (based on the current news story). Peace Through Strength — Strength, Deterrence and Iran The debate over whether to strike Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites is now behind us, as Tehran has suffered a significant setback in its pursuit […]
RichC | June 12, 2025
This past week, MDB and server uptime as a been a issue. Likely all stemmed from an attempt to keeps things upgraded … then having problems with a old modified theme and plugins in WordPress that were not compatible … and finding myself backpedaling only to reinstall the version that “was” working. Sadly … there […]
RichC | June 4, 2025
As mentioned a few times before, I enjoy the visuals of maps, charts and the globe. One of the social media accounts that I follow on X.com is Brilliantmaps.com. A couple years ago they posted a visual of the country Chile compared to the U.S. and to Europe. Chile is a long, LONG, country. 😊
RichC | May 29, 2025
This is a blogging test of a MarsEdit feature to include content that is on a different server — a Memorial Day 8-plane backyard formation flyover (it didn’t work). ☹️ Also, an interesting bit of Area-51 “Skunk Works” Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk development trivia: The stealth bomber prototype secretly developed at Area 51 in the […]
RichC | May 14, 2025
One never knows the connections that might be made online these days — and not all of them are of the negative variety. I had the pleasure of talking with Bill Rogers from New York who happened to run across my MDB post from 2016 on Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ed “Too Tall” Freeman […]
RichC | May 7, 2025
Hm, remind me not to complain about driving a few miles in a heated or air conditioned car … on paved American roads that might have a couple rough patches. 😉
RichC | May 3, 2025
Just a helpful filler tidbit that might be helpful someday. I spotted this one on social media and am adding it to my blog.
RichC | April 18, 2025
When scanning my X.com social media feed, the handy short video tips often catch my eye. Most I’ll never need, but there are a few I wish I could remember when I need them. Saving them here likely won’t help, but who knows?
RichC | February 27, 2025
An interesting turn of events happened last month … Brenda started to use social media — a little bit (she took pride in avoiding it). At first I spotted her flicking through X.com and then noticed a “heart” or two showing up on my posts. I even noticed she left a comment and answered a […]
RichC | February 21, 2025
Over the past year, I’ve been asked to write commentary for TheHustings.News. It isn’t really something I’ve thought about doing in the past, but I’ve enjoyed having someone “ask” me to help bolster the “right-leaning” column of their political news website (nothing earth shattering). After several columns in 2024, the editor asked if he could […]
RichC | February 12, 2025
Excellent speech by US Vice President JD Vance on artificial intelligence in a summit in Paris, France. He told European and Asian leaders that the United States will dominate AI. Worth watching. NEW: JD Vance speaks at an artificial intelligence summit in Paris, France, tells European and Asian leaders that the United States will dominate […]
RichC | February 2, 2025
Although I’m sure the November 2024 election loss might still be raw for some, a leftover lampoon of the 46th president and a U.S. postage stamp “might” of had me smiling … as did “this real video” a couple months ago. It could have been tossed to the computer trash or left to humor others […]
RichC | January 16, 2025
Last year I was invited by a longtime automotive writer and friend, Todd Lassa (photo), to help with writing right column commentary for a political news site — TheHustings.news. The network of writers and journalists he taps into skew politically left for the most part … and he felt my Republican right-leaning (and pro-Trump/Vance) views […]
RichC | January 9, 2025
A map by region illustrating the larger variations of temperatures than below Since I love looking at maps of all kinds, I’m always attracted to the ones that trigger intrigue me and helps me learn a little more about our world. I especially enjoy weather related maps (perhaps they often relate to aviation and sailing), […]
RichC | January 6, 2025
Winter has arrived in much of the heartland to the east coast for January 2025 … and here in Cincinnati too. It is a storm that is impacting travel on roads, by air and even the power lines since there was ice and freezing rain included with a significant snow. Taylor was out with Megan […]
RichC | January 5, 2025
Before I add the humor (video below), I wanted to include a photo of the girls ice skating on their last day of Christmas break. It was so nice to have the extra time with “Mommy Katelyn” on Friday and doing something special (great smile and photo)! Spotted this on X.com and it made me […]
RichC | December 31, 2024
Wishing all who read My Desultory Blog a Happy and Healthy New Year … and may you all have the household size you desire and live in an ideal sized home. Playing with #AI (results not verified, but interesting) A chart comparing the average household size to home square footage in the US from 1940 […]
RichC | December 27, 2024
It will likely be busy in our household this weekend (as we’re having a belated family Christmas) … but saw this Friday Filler photo on social media and thought it was interesting enough to share (I’m not sure it is real or AI — click for larger)?
RichC | December 21, 2024
Where should you work — for the government or their private counterpart? From economist Stephen Moore: According to @RealEJAntoni‘s recent analysis, the cost of state and local government employees is a staggering 41.7% higher than their private sector counterparts. While wages are 24.4% higher, the real kicker is benefits—an astonishing 83.0% more!
RichC | December 19, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is infiltrating almost everything we do on a smartphone, tablet or computer these days. Last week, my X.com feed sent a message that “you should try generating an image of yourself” based on whatever data it collects. I suspect it relies on my profile information, but am not sure what else it […]
RichC | December 14, 2024
Although I’m glad the 2024 presidential election is behind us in the United States (and hope Kamala Harris becomes a lost memory), there’s a lot of angst in our country and in the world over the political direction and change. I’m cautiously, optimistic that a Trump administration will have a foreign policy that leads to […]
RichC | November 28, 2024
First off, Happy Thanksgiving 2024. I hope you can be as thankful as the pilgrims were at that first Thanksgiving in 1621. “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four […]
RichC | November 27, 2024
Here’s a quick video for a holiday shortened week, but picked up a few good ideas as this video flashed by on the social media site X.com.
RichC | November 22, 2024
This past week, while digging up answers for tax planning for a Barron’s Advisor group that I participate in, I searched for the standard 2024 deduction changes based on age, etc. At the top of my Brave Browser search (their Leo AI engine), which I’ve found helpful several times, pop the summary below: This recent search […]
RichC | November 19, 2024
According to Brian Roemmele on X.com: Magnetic North is now drifting faster than 30 miles per year. It has already moved back past geological north, a place it has not been for 1000s of years. … and Elon Musk added: We live on a thin crust of solid rock, beneath which is vast ball of […]
RichC | November 15, 2024
It has been a challenging week and a half for a few of my more liberal Democrat friends on the social media platform X.com (previously Twitter). I’m unsure if it is anger, disbelief or a way to strike back now that President-Elect Donald Trump won the election. Trump has been rapidly nominating his cabinet (mostly […]
RichC | November 8, 2024
Apple is finally rolling out the much ballyhooed Apple Intelligence on Apple devices … including my new iPhone 16 Pro Max. Their have been a few laughs from me when it comes to the AI “summary” feature generating a questionable summary (an automotive enthusiast John Rowe’s X.com comments – he does NOT recommend Sunbeam). On […]
RichC | October 19, 2024
It is difficult to escape the political ads, commentary and “web of lies” that continue to be spun by candidates and political action committees. I know that I’m not alone in wanting it to “just be over.” I’ve told friends and family that they should just ignore everything that is posted on the Internet and […]
RichC | October 18, 2024
Photo is from the internet — not mine. ☹️
RichC | September 26, 2024
Once again, a social media “what is it” post (on X.com) intrigued me enough to comment on the glass insulators that were used on phone lines for years … especially along the railroad tracks when I was a kid. The antique photo triggered a Throwback Thursday #TBT memory of hanging out in an area behind […]
RichC | September 9, 2024