Music Monday: “That’s My Wave” by Jimmy Buffett
Posted By RichC on August 22, 2022
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Reading: Long-range winter weather predictions since 1792
Posted By RichC on August 21, 2022
While I generally do not plug things on My Desultory Blog, I do enjoy reading the paper edition of a couple of publications. Barron’s Magazine is my go-to weekend reading,
but their shrinking size and poor delivery has me giving up on renewing again. If they would promise Saturday delivery again, perhaps with the WSJ, then I would renew again, but they will not – go figure since both publications are by Dow Jones?
The other less serious read is The Old Farmers Almanac which is published each year (mentioned before). Those of a certain age will likely remember seeing dog-eared golden or yellow covered copies around rural homes and farms. It is always an enjoyable read, even if the weather forecasts are suspect … and brings me back to my youth.
DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE, this will be the best of winters or memorable for all the wrong reasons,” reports Janice Stillman, editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. “One half of the U.S. will be dealing with bone-chilling cold and loads of snow, while the other half may feel like winter never really arrives.”
Motorheads are slowly showing interest in EVs #automotive
Posted By RichC on August 20, 2022
My social participation in automotive groups and forums that were common for me decades ago (CinciTDI, TDIClub, etc) have shifted to social media friends on Facebook groups (not so much anymore) and Twitter (daily). Those contacts include a bunch of automotive journalist as well as people just interested in cars and trucks.
The conversations has shifted from talking about late model internal combustion powered vehicles and older classic cars, to close to a 50/50 mix nowadays as hybrids and electric vehicles. EV news is taking over much of the “new car” conversation and it is pretty obvious to me that EVs will be the dominate vehicle for personal transportation … and likely be the majority of new car sales in a very short time.
My son-in-law Drew has been an early adopter and has enjoyed his Tesla Model 3 from day one. Although he occasionally wishes that he had the larger battery, it has been near perfect for his daily commuting and occasional road trips (requires a little forethought and planning due to a charging stop or two). The other day, he sent me a updated permit (above) for West Chester Twp, Ohio that could prove to make our regular grocery store an even busier location … and a great place for a quick charge. Who knows, an EV may eventually be in our future … although I still have a little range anxiety and would prefer a plug-in hybrid.
The latest “Inflation Reduction” bill (cough, cough) passed by DEMs only (with VP Harris as a tie-breaker) has incentives in the spending bill to promote even more EVs in their push to get Americans off of fossil fuels. The current manufacturing restrictions, on top 
of the already very high price for a new electric vehicle, will make buying a new EV difficult for average workers but perhaps this will change as manufacturers ramp up production … and/or send their lobbyists to bend the ears of politicians in Washington DC.
For an EV buyer to qualify for the full credit, 40% of the metals used in a vehicle’s battery must come from North America. By 2027, that required threshold would reach 80%.
If the metals requirement isn’t met, the automaker and its buyers would be eligible for half the tax credit, $3,750.
A separate rule would require that half the batteries’ value must be manufactured or assembled in the North America. If not, the rest of the tax credit would be lost. Those requirements also grow stricter each year, eventually reaching 100% in 2029.
Tech Friday: Campaign to fix the Apple iMessaging problem
Posted By RichC on August 19, 2022
Google and their Android mobile OS platform has a social media campaign running to hopefully get Apple to fix their widely used text messaging app called iMessage. For years now, sending messages 
between Apple iPhones and other iDevices has frustrated many a users trying to communicate with friends and family. Google would like Apple to adopt the so-called RCS protocol instead of MMS and SMS. This would allow either platform user to share heavy data rich messages without getting tiny, blurry video or failed deliveries between iOS and Android when only connected over Wi-Fi (so says Google).
So if you want to find a solution, send a gripe to @Apple using the #GetTheMessage hashtag (personally I don’t know who is the hold-out, but traditionally Apple does not like playing with other operating systems … so I suspect Apple is likely the problem).
When hammerhead sharks feed, stay on the beach #video
Posted By RichC on August 18, 2022
It is summer vacation season … and shark video time … so here’s one from Twitter of a LARGE Hammerhead Shark chasing a stingray in Orange Beach, Alabama. Whoa … it’s better to stay out of the water when this is happening. I’ll stick with just looking at the little Sand Tiger Sharks.
Blood pressure and Ibuprofen, like Advil and Motrin?
Posted By RichC on August 17, 2022
Read this medical information the other day and thought it likely might be a question many of us may have when taking over the counter (and prescription) doses of the common NSAID Ibuprofen. Check out the full article on GoodRx.
How much does ibuprofen raise your blood pressure?
Studies have looked at how much NSAIDs affect systolic blood pressure (SBP). SBP is the top number when measuring blood pressure. It’s estimated that a person’s SBP will go up by an average of 5 mmHg after taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen.
Other research shows similar results. A review of five studies specifically looked at the effect of ibuprofen on blood pressure. This review found that ibuprofen raised SBP by about 3 to 4 mmHg. The people in these studies took ibuprofen for at least 4 weeks.
A more recent study compared blood pressure changes in over 400 people with RA or OA using NSAIDs for 4 months. Most people were also taking blood pressure medication. Ibuprofen caused a greater rise in blood pressure compared to celecoxib and naproxen (two other NSAIDs). The SBP in people taking ibuprofen rose by about 4 mmHg. In addition, almost 1 in 4 people developed hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) after taking ibuprofen consistently for 4 months.
Fitbit: What does COVID do to your resting heart rate?
Posted By RichC on August 16, 2022
Since I wear a Fitbit and monitor a few things like heartrate, exercise and daily step count, I was concerned when my resting heartrate (graph left) seemed to be rising? After talking with my daughter about it, she mentioned that it sure seemed to correspond to my COVID diagnosis. Hm???
Hopefully it will return to normal after this lingering dry cough disappears (it is going on 3 weeks!)
Music Monday: Olivia Newton-John succumbs to cancer
Posted By RichC on August 15, 2022
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Summer 2022 at home with our granddaughters wrap-up
Posted By RichC on August 14, 2022
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Wyze Cam Motion Alert: An alien lifeform?
Posted By RichC on August 13, 2022
Well … perhaps not, but it did catch my eye. Each “sunny” morning the sun rises in the east and peeks through the trees. If there is wind, the movement as shadows cast on our driveway trigger a motion alert. On checking the driveway Wyze cam 3, a strange alien shape appeared on the driveway. Hm???
On closer inspection, the sun reflected off the 2nd floor windows onto the shaded part of the driveway and brightened up a couple of spots. So much for an alien lifeform.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.