Posted By RichC on August 5, 2023
The making of a traditional black walnut box, for the military service flag I was presented at my father’s funeral, has long been on my mind. As I close in on almost a decade 
since his passing and the flag still lives in the plastic holder provided by the funeral home. It has been my plan to eventually make a flag display box for it, but other projects, the “cutting of glass” and price for black walnut has kept me from doing anything.
I’m still not in a rush or anything, but I do have a corner table that is solid walnut furniture that was one of my mom and dad’s first pieces of furniture (before I was born) that is in the garage. It was part of a living room set from the 1950s that Taylor wanted for his condo. He picked up the end tables, but said I could use the other piece IF I could salvage the wood. Hm .. this might be a very fitting project to remember my dad?
Photos of flag box are a just a few posted on a woodworking site.
Category: Archive, Ideas, Millitary, Personal, Photos, Woodworking |
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Tags: american, dadc, flag, military, project, walnut, woodworking, workshop
Posted By RichC on August 4, 2023
When trying to transfer photos and video from SD cards to a computer, you really need some kind of card reader. I have several that are USB readers, but none that are USB-C and will plug into my MacBook Air M2.
So instead of a bulky dongle with extras, I opted for a small Anker (Amazon for $17.99) that will plug into the spare port along side the one providing power and connection to my hub. It should be convenient and inexpensive enough to used with my Lumix DSLR and keep in my camera bag (or recently replaced messenger travel bag). So far it works great .. although disappoint to see that it is made in China.
Category: Computer, Gadget, Photography, Shopping, Technology |
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Tags: anker, cardreader, gadget, tech friday, techfriday, usb-c
Posted By RichC on August 3, 2023
My current knife when it was new in 2012.
As a previous post mentioned, my Grandpa Bluhm (photo with my Uncle Bob) gave me my first pocketknife when I was 5 years old (yes, 5). Believe it or not, I still have that “tiny” souvenir knife that my grandparents brought back from Florida. At one time it had a Florida tag glued to and a keychain dongle, but those were lost early on.
For several years after that, my grandfather continued to give me pocket knifes as gifts, and when he died in 1969, I inherited several of his old and well worn knifes. I still have a few, but adopted my own preferred “tool” knifes starting with a Boy Scout model and eventually a Victorinox and Wenger and then decided on something smaller 
when pockets also needed to carry a cellphone.
The point of this post, after a brief EDC (EveryDay Carry) discussion online, is that I’ll soon need to replace my all time favorite pocketknife … the Mini Swiss Champ. It is well worn and no longer looks presentable when I pull it out. These days I don’t need a heavy duty full-tool knife (once carried the full size Swiss knives, even one for printers with a magnifying glass — Wenger being my favorite), but prefer something a gentleman can carry respectfully. I’ll start looking for a good deal perhaps as they are pricey; I am not in a rush.
Category: Gadget, Memories, Personal, Photos, Shopping, TBT |
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Tags: bluhm, grandpa bluhm, pocketknife, speedcar99, swiss army knife, victorinox, wenger
Posted By RichC on August 2, 2023
Not my photo, but I’m not sure how comfortable the average passenger flying this “budget” airline (???) are when seeing the tape on the wing?
Also while sitting on the back porch a little Praying Mantis came to visit (video below).
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Category: Aviation, Photos, Social Media, Video |
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Tags: aircraft, airlines, airplane, insect, mantis, mp4, praying, tape, twitter, wings
Posted By RichC on 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 working on my (human) faulty character traits (both career and faith based). This latest eBook download, “Baa Baa Black Sheep” by Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, is just want I needed in reflecting on the serious business of war and wariors, as well as the hero types that rose to the occasion — those of the Greatest Generation.
Besides the military and especially WW2 history that interests me, it also ties my interest and studying the war in the Pacific and in aviation. His book published in 1958 is his account of his experience as a pre-WW2 US Marine, member of the American Volunteer Group or AVG (Flying Tigers) before the U.S. was at war with Japan and then back as a US Marine Corp Major (“Gramps” because he was 31) in September of 1942. So far, it is a more uplifting summer read.
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Category: Aviation, Books, History, Millitary |
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Tags: aviation, corsair, gregory boyington, hero, marine corps, pacific, pappy, world war 2
Posted By RichC on July 31, 2023
Today’s Music Monday song by Looking Glass is one nearly every generation that enjoys pop music would find difficult not to like. Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) is about as popular as a song can get in the early 1970s. It rose to #1 in the charts in 1972.
Interesting tidbit:
Following the song’s release in 1972, “Brandy” increased in popularity as a girl’s name in the United States. According to data from the Social Security Administration, Brandy was the 353rd most popular name in 1971, 140th in 1972, and, in 1973 (the first full year after the song’s popularity), 82nd.
Barry Manilow‘s 1974 “Mandy” was a cover of a song originally titled “Brandy”, released in February 1972 by Scott English; however, Manilow changed the title following the success of the Looking Glass single, so as not to get the two songs confused.
LINK and YouTube LINK
Category: Music, Tidbits, Video |
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Tags: barry manilow, brandy, looking glass, mp4, music monday, musicmonday, youtube
Posted By RichC on July 30, 2023
Brenda’s birthday is in August and after remembering her riding the small kids bike (a joke) and seeing that our granddaughters are both growing into bicycles, it seemed like a good idea to find something reasonably priced for her to ride with them (and me) — and kill two birds with one stone considering it will be for her birthday. I’ve been shopping the secondhand market and missed out on a couple of nice ones. BUT .. last week I found a “like-new” Northwoods Springdale hybrid 18-speed bike priced right.
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Category: Bikes, Idioms, Personal, Photos, Shopping |
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Tags: bicycle, bike, birthday, brenda, gift, idiom, idioms, northwoods
Posted By RichC on July 29, 2023
A couple of years ago when contemplating upgrading the dust collection equipment in my workshop … the urge passed. The old ShopSmith DC3300 was again cleaned and re-bagged … and still today the dusty basement shop continues to annoy me.
Fast forward: Last week Rockler put their Dust Right FlexiPort Power Tool Hose Kit on sale … and I ordered it. While at it, I bought an inexpensive knock-off of the Dust Deputy cyclone kit for “chip collecting” to put inline with my small basement shop vac (not to the dust collector connected to my table saw and sander). The plus to this is that I’m hoping to also use it in the garage with my bigger shop vac which should make a different when using the DeWalt Planner (prefer using that either behind the garage or in it with the doors open).
While I was looking at the Rockler connectors and placing my order, I also noticed the quick connector system that looked interesting 
as a way to move hoses around to different pieces of stationary equipment. Nothing I’m looking to do at the moment, but having the attachment points at waste level would be A LOT easier that crawling under my table saw to unplug and retrieve the hose when switching it to my router table. Hm …
Category: Ideas, Shopping, Tools, Woodworking |
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Tags: cyclone, dust collector, rockler, sale, vacuum, vacuum hose, woodworking, workshop
Posted By RichC on July 28, 2023
Things continue to change over at Twitter, at least as the old is removed and the new is implemented. I’m not sure the switch from the Twitter “bird” to the symbol “X” is all that big of a deal, but it does at least keep people in the tech world talking. Who knows if Elon Musk move will make financial sense? I’ll continue to use Twitter.com/MyDesultoryBlog or X.com/RichC … so as long as it is fun and provides me a newsfeed that I’m comfortable in using.
Category: Business, Social Media, Technology |
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Tags: elon musk, social media, tech friday, techfriday, twitter, x.com
