RichC | May 30, 2022
This Memorial Day reflection is a bit different than previous posts. Instead of an overall encompassing remembrance on all those who died in armed service to our country, it is a combined Music Monday twist that is a little more narrowly focused on those who fought and died in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). At the […]
RichC | May 27, 2022
Although I appreciate the talent of artists in all mediums and have plenty of artwork in our home, I’m not sure where this Vincent van Gogh “virtual world” art fits in??? Maybe it is just fitting for the blog?
RichC | May 23, 2022
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RichC | 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 […]
RichC | May 20, 2022
While discussing the ever-changing way in which we use the “web” with a friend, he shared an “explainer“ video from Harvard Business Review earlier this month on Web3 (Web 3.0). It is also on YouTube and offers a glimpse into what they refer to as “read/write/own” information.
RichC | May 10, 2022
Depressing as it may be, our vacation in Delray Beach is over, but it was a perfect and needed rest and relaxation trip. Our old 2002 Honda Odyssey is still surviving … although I did pondering a new Florida vehicle after having to jumpstart and fidget with the flakey AC. Yet it still didn’t convince […]
RichC | May 2, 2022
Today’s Music Monday is a little bit before my time, but when hearing Dion DiMucci singing “Runaround Sue” on Varney & Co. FoxBusiness show’s segment bumper music last month, it caught my ear. For me, it triggered memories of my parent’s music … as it would have been their era. I would not be surprised […]
RichC | April 30, 2022
Major League Baseball is back. Last week, baby feeding did not keep this hardcore fan from from enjoying a Cincinnati Reds game and coming away with a souvenir. Perhaps the Reds could add him to their roster … they sure need some kind of spark.
RichC | April 27, 2022
Earlier this year after an HOA meeting, I added myself to the waitlist for a new Wyze Cam product called the Wyze Cam Floodlight. The neighborhood has been looking for a better way to monitor the pool without the high cost of a commercial security camera. I mentioned this economical motion floodlight with cam and […]
RichC | April 25, 2022
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RichC | April 11, 2022
This week almost didn’t have a Music Monday song, but after hearing “Afternoon Delight” over the weekend, I thought that since this was the only song I could remember from the group called Starland Vocal Band, that it would be worth adding? “Lo and behold,” I’m not alone in remembering it, as my wife started […]
RichC | April 2, 2022
The longer I live, the more I ask the question: “What is wrong with people?” While reading “The Coddling of the American Mind” last week, just before chatting with my son Taylor, the synopsis of the book came to mind. We were discussing a variety of current issues and ties to history (behavior, greed, crime, […]
RichC | March 28, 2022
Once again, in looking to get out of the 1970’s Music Monday rut, I pulled out a music memory from my trusty Apple iPod and Shuffle … mine is filled with Jack Johnson tunes (right – see Wikipedia list of iPods). The one I used most often was clipped to the back of a cap […]
RichC | 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 […]
RichC | March 14, 2022
Did you like disco? Me … not so much … but didn’t mind a few songs from the 1970s. For Music Monday here’s a YouTube video with KC and the Sunshine Band from 1979 performing “Please Don’t Go.” If you were like me and didn’t follow disco music closely, you probably didn’t know much […]
RichC | March 12, 2022
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RichC | February 26, 2022
Well according to the calculations by automotive journalist Lauren Fix, if it is the financial calculation that triggers your decision, you might want to hold off a little on buying that new EV … even with tax incentives.
RichC | February 7, 2022
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RichC | February 6, 2022
For those of us who have gone hiking or backpacking in bear country before, we have been taught that avoiding trails shortly after bears have been encountered is the smartest approach to avoiding danger. Of course this doesn’t guarantee not running into a bear on the trail. Having never carried bear spray in the […]
RichC | February 4, 2022
Let me start off with the positives. I really like my original Fitbit Versa watch. I wear it everyday and it offers me nearly everything I want in a fitness tracking smart watch. That said, I have always been hard on watches … to the point I stopped wearing watches for years – for decades […]
RichC | January 24, 2022
This is not the usual kind of Music Monday. Michael Winslow and folk pop-musician Odd Nordstoga performed “Whole Lotta Love” on the Norwegian talk show back in 2011 (mp4)… although just recently saw it! A crazy talented “voice and microphone” artist.
RichC | January 19, 2022
For the lack of a better subject line, this will be called a Workshop Wednesday post … even though I’m rarely in the workshop on Wednesdays (it was last weekend). Anyway, I was busy making a jig to help cut the “cheap” (and I mean “cheaply made”) crown molding that I purchased from Wayfair for […]
RichC | January 15, 2022
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RichC | January 5, 2022
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RichC | January 3, 2022
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RichC | January 1, 2022
Happy New Year. Let’s hope 2022 will finally be the year that we can return to normal life after 2 years of struggling with COVID19 and the precautions and restrictions. One of my woodworking skill improvements for 2022 (maybe I’ll make it a New Year’s resolution?) is to improve my competence, speed and accuracy in […]
RichC | December 28, 2021
As usual, I was late in coming across a simple workshop miter guide for my table saw, although more recently something I needed for my small bandsaw. While working on a Christmas project for my granddaughter, I needed to cut a bunch of small pieces where I didn’t lose so much wood to the table […]
RichC | December 27, 2021
Social media is filled with nastiness and ugly news … but it is also a place for upbeat positive news, scripture, prayer requests and a shared love of song and some heartwarming father-daughter bonding. I’m not sure who these “smiling” amateur singers are that appeared on my Twitter feed, but it made my day and […]
RichC | December 25, 2021
Wishing all who read My Desultory Blog a very Merry Christmas, good health and a very Happy New Year.
RichC | December 21, 2021
The planetary astronomer and science guru, Dr. James O’Donoghue, that I follow on Twitter posted a great video illustration that explains today, December 21st … or more appropriately a couple of days that occur as the seasons change. Today is the winter solstice and it marks the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. On December […]
RichC | December 17, 2021
It has been interesting following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover “virtually” since the launch on July 30, 2020 and landing on Mars February 18, 2021. Since that time, Perseverancehas sent back hundreds of photos from the surface, collected (core samples) rocks and spent time “off-roading” on the surface. The terrain photo above (click it for larger) […]
RichC | December 6, 2021
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RichC | November 29, 2021
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RichC | November 19, 2021
How about mining Bitcoin and heating your house (room) with the excess energy/heat? For small room portable heating and cryptocurrency mining this looks interesting (although personally I’d rather install solar panels and sell electric power to the grid), check out the Heatbit website. https://youtu.be/bsjdIrcvz0E
RichC | November 15, 2021
I’m recycling a Music Monday song from a few years back (2017) with Bruce Hornsby performing “The Way It Is” from the 1986 album by the same name … but this time not just audio, but the official video on YouTube/Vevo (so indicates the mp4 file). Although he is best known performing with his group […]
RichC | November 12, 2021
A few times before, I’ve highlighted unlikely … or maybe just surprising piano playing talent on My Desultory Blog … and this Friday Filler video is no different. The first was Jacob Toliver in an Ohio hardware store and that post still makes me smile.
RichC | November 11, 2021
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RichC | November 8, 2021
Although I usually don’t purposely listen to jazz, I do appreciate hearing it when it is played and discussed. Last week when Fox Business host Charles Payne mentioned “We’re having a Miles Davis rally” in reference to the stock market – and the “be there or be square” 1950’s slogan. I tweeted about it and […]
RichC | November 1, 2021
Last week the “Spot, robot dog” people at Boston Dynamics released a YouTube video of their robots dancing and moving like Mick Jagger to their 40-year old 1981 “Start Me Up” from the Rolling Stones Tattoo You album (previous Music Monday post).
RichC | October 30, 2021
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RichC | October 27, 2021
When it comes to tradesmen building houses, it is hard to beat an old-school drywall installer. Check out this vintage YouTube video:
RichC | October 25, 2021
It is hard not to remember Grand Funk Railroad when you think about rock concerts from the 1970s (never attended though) and in particular their hit “We’re An American Band.” Here’s a LIVE version from 1974 posted to YouTube. Grand Funk Railroad, sometimes shortened as Grand Funk, is an American rock band who achieved their […]
RichC | October 22, 2021
Just a very short 10-second video slow-motion snippet as a Friday Filler post and to say “good morning.” /p>
RichC | October 20, 2021
Here’s a short video worth 5 minutes of your time to watch and to contemplate before Congress and President Biden makes our spending spree even worse. “You can’t spend what you don’t have indefinitely ..” – Stephen Moore for Prager University. LINK to video
RichC | October 15, 2021
Who doesn’t enjoy a funny military rivalry video clip. HA!
RichC | October 11, 2021
In keeping with a inclusive music from the 1970s for Music Monday, you can’t get much more American melting-pot inclusive than the band Redbone. The Mexican-American / Native American rock band even gets their band name from a Cajun term for “mixed-race” person … and who doesn’t love their stage show and music? Here’s their […]
RichC | October 6, 2021
RichC | October 4, 2021
When it comes to listening to the music, it is appropriate to be a bit more inclusive when it comes to songs that we listened to (and some danced to) in the 1970s. That included R & B, funk, disco and soul music from bell-bottomed dancing vocal groups like The Taveres Brothers or just Tavares. […]
RichC | October 2, 2021
As summer turned to autumn, Brenda and I found ourselves enjoying a few more evenings and weekends walking around and working in the backyard. Last week it was cleaning up “the mound” (although we have a few) and getting it ready for winter. I dug out some deeper rooted plants that had spread and planted […]
RichC | September 26, 2021
What does it take for a country to switch from left-hand to right-hand driving? Sweden did just that in 1967 … with a lot of preparation. It was called Dagen H or “Högertrafikomläggningen.”
RichC | September 20, 2021
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RichC | September 6, 2021
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RichC | August 30, 2021
Who doesn’t know who Brian Wilson is or love his many decades of music … especially with The Beach Boys (even my kids played them on our amplified Echo and dance around a week or so ago)? 😊 I stumbled across his timeline on the BrianWilson.com which highlights each decade with photos and highlights. A […]
RichC | August 19, 2021
What Does ZIP in zip code stand for … for Throwback Thursday #TBT? ZIP is an acronym using the first letters from Zoning Improvement Plan. … and who doesn’t grin at 1963 marketing: Zip Code: With the Swingin’ Six. 😊
RichC | August 18, 2021
It is a month and a half late, but concrete companies and for that matter most construction companies are very busy this summer. The COVID19pandemic has put most projects behind and perhaps we should be thankful to be on their schedule. Tearing out (video from Canary Security Cam) and re-concreting a driveway is one of […]
RichC | August 17, 2021
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RichC | August 2, 2021
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RichC | July 30, 2021
Professional surfer Billy Kemper — and his son Lion — surfing together. Surfer Billy Kemper says he glimpsed at death after a wave broke his pelvis in half (CNN) – It was a tiny error in judgement, but within seconds he realized that the consequences could be potentially life threatening. “That wave sucked me up […]
RichC | July 27, 2021
As a longtime subscriber to the Wall Street Journal (and for the last decade or so Barron’s), I’ve learned to appreciate certain journalists, economists and opinion piece writers like Jason Riley at the Manhattan Institute. When he told the inspiring story of Thomas Sowell for PragerU, I quickly viewed the video and applauded – well […]
RichC | July 19, 2021
It has hard for me to imagine that there is anyone who doesn’t appreciate the music of Neil Diamond? He may not have been at the top of my 1970s music listening list, but when it comes to soft rock, there are few men who can match his vocal talent. A Twitter snippet of a […]