RichC | December 30, 2016
There are much better places to save articles than a publicly available blog like Evernote, GetPocket, Google apps as well as locally archived HTML, Docs and PDFs, but I still occasionally enjoy having them on MyDesultoryBlog. So as with a few other archived articles on reefing (1 & 2), I’m saving this Cruising World Seamanship 101: […]
RichC | December 20, 2016
A chill is in the air, but likely that has more to do with our 21 year old 80,000 BTU furnace acting up. We have three furnaces so I’m hoping it is the "pressure switch" once again; it does seem to be the weak links on modern high-efficiency furnaces (or could be all furnaces for […]
RichC | December 18, 2016
Testing the new 25mm Four Third Panasonic Lumix prime lens on before "wrapping it up for my Christmas gift from Brenda." I needed to know if it works … cough, cough. (click here for Large Image — be warned) Also updated the GX8 body to Firmware 2.2, so we are up to date on […]
RichC | November 20, 2016
I couldn’t take the continued typos anymore and had to map the "right-shift" key on my new Lenovo Yoga 710 to the "arrow-up" key. So as not to lose my "arrow-up" key, I mapped that to the rarely used "right-ctrl" key. Now all is well with the world. … although I really struggled coming […]
RichC | November 8, 2016
Besides being distracted on Tuesday watching the general election news, a call from my son Taylor brought me back to reality. I scrapped my afternoon plans and drove down to Clermont County where he works to "try a second time" to make a temporary repair (the first one was Sunday night). There is a ridiculously […]
RichC | November 7, 2016
A learning game we played while traveling by car was to spell things out using the NATO phonetic alphabet. Both Katelyn and Taylor did a great job learning it … and I think to this day they remember it. Give it a try if you need a way to pass the time AND practice for […]
RichC | October 21, 2016
Given what Sir Tim did for all of us when he developed HTML and created the World Wide Web, he’s got a fair amount of credit in the bank. If he did have any major regrets about the web, we wouldn’t find it too difficult to forgive him, but his mea culpa relates to only […]
RichC | October 13, 2016
After doing a little maintenance and replacing the front tires on the John Deere 330 last month, I finally finished the simple 10K generator setup and wired up a new longer power-to-house cable. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to come up with a mount that makes it easy enough from my wife to connect the generator […]
RichC | October 9, 2016
Archiving another project idea for living on the hook (someday) yet still having hot water for dishes, cleaning and SHOWERS (a freshwater shower is a luxury for most sailboats).
RichC | September 26, 2016
We already regularly “hang” spray bottle in our laundry room and in my workshop, but why not use a spring rod to take advantage of two layers of storage under the kitchen sink? Another one from the same website was in dresser drawer storage. Instead of piling folded clothing flat, fold it so it fits […]
RichC | September 26, 2016
Really just an excuse to post a beginning of autumn photo of roses from the flower beds … but for semi-straggly looking Knockout Roses, they add a bit of color to the greenery around our house. Actually I was painting the natural gas pipes on both the house and poolhouse as they were starting to […]
RichC | September 21, 2016
In a previous post, I sketched out a "Generator Cage," for the lack of a better term, for our sailboat Encore. The idea is to slip off a Sunbrella cover so we can use the Honda EU2000i Inverter Generator mentioned here on the aft deck when needing power at anchor to charge the batteries and […]
RichC | September 20, 2016
Here’s a last minute blog filler for those who have ever (or might) hit their fingers when hammering in a small nail or tack. For years I’ve used needle-nose pliers to hold the nail, but since we have a bunch of extra "bag clips" (it is what we primarily use clothespins for) laying around, I […]
RichC | September 18, 2016
After sitting quietly most of the summer, my friend Jeff needed to borrow a set of wheels for a week. He has intimately name the 1982 MB diesel the "old girl" and seems to appreciate her many quirks. Since it isn’t covered, there was a little dust, but she still looks pretty good to me. […]
RichC | September 10, 2016
Sometimes American ingenuity and out-of-the-box MacGyver thinking comes together in the craziest ways. My dad gave me an incredibly useful 10 gallon Portable Air Tank that is easier to use than a slow poke portable air compressor. I use to use it extensively when having to fill the leaking tires on the John Deere prior […]
RichC | September 7, 2016
Instead of spending a lot more dollars on an expensive monitor (like the LINK 2000-R and Xantrex Inverter that we have on Encore) for a battery bank powering a back up inverter when I add our new grilling, greenhouse, generator and porch space, I’ve added a cheap $18.75 shunt and meter from Amazon. I’ve used […]
RichC | August 1, 2016
What a pain! Silicone all over the side of my Honda Odyssey. Have you have ever had to remove silicone sealant from a surface? It is not fun. Thankfully the majority of what was purposely or accidentally (hmm?) drizzled or wiped all over my minivan this past year in Florida was on the side windows. […]
RichC | July 29, 2016
It has been a while since I’ve seen one of these, but once I figured out what it was, the memory of Jerusalem Elementary School and Mrs. Fell came rushing back. I still remember her taped up wooden paddle as it slammed intimidatingly on the the desks at the front of the class in order […]
RichC | July 26, 2016
Did you know that burned or melted ends could cause more problems? It may be a fast way for marine stores to cut new line when you purchase it. But if that hardened end catches on the outer core, it can chafe and break down delicate rope fibers. Follow these five easy steps to make […]
RichC | June 24, 2016
I’m behind on my BMW X5 35d updates as the hitch installation happened over Father’s Day weekend and I failed to get the photos to my computer. The process started by peeling off the body moldings which have every combination of plastic locking tab. Suffice to say, I broke a few trying to figure out […]
RichC | April 30, 2016
You would think an over 17 million viewed video on YouTube with a Pumpy Umpy reference would be something I would have watched before … nope … but now I have. So much for knowing about Amy Castle or the Cuppycake song.
RichC | April 28, 2016
Archiving a bit of information from a company I’ve purchased metal from in the past — good info. Heat Treatment Heat treatment is used to alter the physical and mechanical properties of metal without changing its shape. It is an essential process in metal manufacturing as it increases the desirable characteristic of the metal, while […]
RichC | April 25, 2016
Since I have a bunch of florescent lights in my shops (most are 8 footers) it is getting to be a challenge to keep up with replacing both tubes and ballasts, I’ve decided it was time to experiment a small 2 foot 2 bulb fixture and replace with a couple cheapy “warm white” (2700 degree) LEDs […]
RichC | March 19, 2016
When do you reef? How should you reef? What are some excellent ways to screw it up? A few thoughts from Jamie (filtered through fun with salty sayings and his fondness for puns). Many witty phrases… Source: Reefing, by and large
RichC | February 29, 2016
February 29 crops up every four years, but what is a leap year and why do we have leap years? A leap year, where an extra day is added to the end of February every four years, is down to the solar system’s disparity with the Gregorian calendar. A complete orbit of the earth around […]
RichC | February 24, 2016
I’m always looking for better ways to store things on the boat … Kelley Gudahl shared a few things they do on her Sailing Chance blog … so figured I would archive them. First the flip-flop storage idea really caught my eye since we always have them sliding around the cockpit floor. There’s not that […]
RichC | 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 […]
RichC | February 17, 2016
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RichC | January 18, 2016
Do you really need to put toilet paper on the seat like mom taught you? "If it makes you feel better," says Melissa Hawkins, director of the public health scholars program at American University, who’s an expert in biostatistics, behavioral health and community health. "The toilet seats are not a vehicle for the transmission of […]
RichC | January 7, 2016
Pressure-treated wood is a delightful product. It’s chemically protected to ward off insects and fungal decay. This protection increases the lifespan of the wood and makes it ideal for outdoor projects like decks. But here’s an important thing to keep in mind when picking pressure-treated 4x4s. The chemical treatment process in question isn’t as effective […]
RichC | January 5, 2016
After tweaking the 64GB micro SD card to get a few things set up on the Raspberry Pi, it sounded like a good idea to backup an image. The best option sounds like using the Terminal and command line instructions … but be aware, even with rdisk, it take a while. An example from raspberrypi.stackexchange.com […]
RichC | January 5, 2016
It has been an annual tradition to look at the overused terms, words and slang at the end of a year … this years Lake Superior State University’s list wasn’t that impressive in my opinion, but tradition continues: BAE One of the top nominees. “Meaning ‘before anyone else.’ How stupid! Stop calling your boyfriend ‘bae’.” […]
RichC | December 29, 2015
How do you control the brightness on Thunderbolt connected secondary monitor without any physical controls? This took me a few minutes to figure out … so its worth archiving as a tidbit. When your display desktop is at a premium, or you are running virtual operating systems, having a second monitor is a real plus. I added a secondhand 27″ Mac Thunderbolt […]
RichC | December 2, 2015
Thought these were great links: Here are 30 of the best sites where you can learn as an individual or connect your team to professional and personal development: 1. TED Talks: Ted is all about ideas worth spreading TED’s tagline is “ideas worth spreading.” usually A video collection of sin the form of short, powerful […]
RichC | November 17, 2015
Appreciation for the hospitaliy of friends is something that is hard to quantify, but having friends like Mark and Dar Jones makes living so very enjoyable. They always go over and above whenever I stop to visit … and the yesterday mornings’ extras were definitely an “over and above” delishes. I can’t wait to make these at home … […]
RichC | November 4, 2015
Over the last couple years, my son-in-law and I have been slowly upgrading our home light bulbs with varied LEDs. For both of us it has been an experiment in getting the most satisfactory bulbs for the least number of dollars … unfortunately that usually means ordering a box from China in bulk (gambling with […]
RichC | November 1, 2015
I don't recall why I used the phrase “pay through the nose” this past week, but this sounds about right … Instead of fighting the invaders, some English kings preferred to pay the Vikings to leave them in peace. These payments were called 'Danegeld' (meaning 'Dane debt' or Dane payment). The Vikings collected tribute in […]
RichC | October 24, 2015
RichC | October 15, 2015
Who knows if this was a good decision or not … but my son Taylor decided to sell his 2007 Volkswagen GTI (no … not a diesel TDI tarnished by the VW emissions scandal) and is looking to buy something new. Maybe it was due to driving a full size pickup and a large SUV […]
RichC | October 13, 2015
It’s been almost 10 weeks since Brenda fractured her pelvis and busted up her shoulder and today is “return to work day.” We are hoping she can tolerate it. The physical therapy has gone well but it has been a challenging recovery in getting to this point. Brenda is exceedingly appreciative to one particular occupational […]
RichC | September 17, 2015
Last night’s second GOP debate on CNN at the Reagan Library wasn’t bad as debates go. The current frontrunner, the attention grabbing Donald Trump did one thing for the Republican brand … he got generated attention. His grade school behavior buffoonery brought far viewers to the stodgy GOP and that alone could help Republicans ideas […]
RichC | September 5, 2015
The origins of these idioms are interesting (even if untrue). I didn’t bother looking any of them up, just posted the saying from a forwarded email … although probably pulled from a magazine or an archived site? “In the old days,” a big kettle hung over the fire and was used to make a stew. […]
RichC | July 10, 2015
For the past few weeks I’ve been enjoying a quick read each morning summarizing the previous day’s news from theSkimm.com. Currently it is a free subscription and is delivered to your email box and worded in a light and easy to comprehend way. For those interested in more of a business news update, check out […]
RichC | July 7, 2015
It doesn’t get more #random than this as mentioned in my tweet today. In a Wall Street Journal video interview with a Columbus Zoo “zookeeper,” one of the comments made about the the Bearcat (or Binturong) is that they have a peculiar smell – that of Doritos!
RichC | June 8, 2015
Just because it can be fixed (Jury/ Jerry Rigged) doesn’t mean it should be repaired? The “old-ish” paper shredder in my home office is often over-fed with too many sheets of paper or plastic credit cards. It usually keeps right on chugging until it overheats, but last week it sputtered, ground the gears and stopped. […]
RichC | May 28, 2015
Shortly after Brenda and I were married, I commented that I was going to write an advice book for new couples that included the good and bad decisions we made when buying things for our home, yard, kids and our life. After all this time I’ve yet to write the advice book, but continue to […]
RichC | May 17, 2015
Here are instructions for a simple, but effective carpenter bee trapLINK
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 […]
RichC | April 21, 2015
If by fate, your last name begins with a letter in the second half of the alphabet, you may be at a disadvantage when it comes to being elected to public office? A unscientific look at a list of past U.S. Presidents one think that there might be more than just a legacy advantage to […]
RichC | December 28, 2014
On a previous sailboat and in my backpacking gear I use an alcohol stove for cooking, but the other day I saw a video clip expanding an idea for emergency or “bugout bag” use. (video below) The concept is pretty simple: Use a roll or partial roll of toilet paper as a wick to absorb […]
RichC | December 2, 2014
RichC | October 16, 2014
Here’s a tip for using carabiners to organize boxed end wrenches that was posted on Lifehacker. Since I keep most of my wrenches in my drawered tool box, this is unnecessary and would slow access … but I do keep a few wrenches in soft tool bags in the trunk of my car and on […]
RichC | September 7, 2014
Most of us see a few posts or images that seem interesting, thought provoking or just surprising. The Desultory tidbit title is a way to toss those collect bits into a miscellaneous post. This week a “size of Africa” map caught my attention as did an post titled “Money can by happiness” in The Economist. […]
RichC | April 27, 2008
I’ve been focused on multiple home repair and improvement projects this spring and am always looking for a quick way to make a repair and keep the mess to a minimum. I generally use the “empty box” under the repair technique when cutting or drilling drywall, but Dean Johnson from PBS’s Hometime suggested a sheet […]
RichC | January 5, 2008
A friend of mine asked me for some help in repairing a piece of furniture with a couple of damaged fasteners (Phillips headed wood screws). In talking with him about using a ‘screw/bolt extractor,’ or ‘cutting’ a new slot in the screws (above), I realized this might not be something everyone knows about? Hmm … […]
RichC | November 11, 2006
I picked up a home improvement tip from “This Old House” that might come in handy for those needing to get a wire into a room without damaging plaster or wallboard — using “Bad Larry” as Alan the electrician and Host Kevin O’Connor call it. “Bad Larry” is a flexible drill bit, a screw tipped […]
RichC | September 16, 2006
Laptop computers came up in conversation today as my kids and I were sitting at the kitchen table. My daughter commented that her professor was joking about using technology in one of her classes and pulled out a 1990’s laptop that had some size to it. They started laughing since it was ‘large’ relative to […]
RichC | February 4, 2006
PBS’s Motorweek celebrated 25 years of reporting on the auto world this past weekend and after taking a look back, also looked ahead to what is in our automotive future. Since I’ve been tinkering with video and encoding this weekend, I’ll include the tail end clip that mentions of diesel making a comeback and visions […]
RichC | August 16, 2005
In keeping with ‘desultory‘ in my blog, I ran across some useful advice from a specialty produce distributor in regard to storing and ripening fruit. Karen Caplan of Frieda’s Inc. suggests that you rinse peaches, nectarines and plums and place in a shallow wire basket for ventilation after purchasing, rather than putting them in the […]