My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on 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, war, etc), but somehow we drifted to the First Amendment as it relates to the United States compared to other democratic socialist and communist countries. My concern was that different points-of-view are not being debated in today in schools or our partisan media. Insidious or blatant censorship is the norm all too often nowadays (as well as purposeful misinforming). On college campuses and on social media, opposing thoughts and intellectual debate is silenced and the divide between progressives and conservatives political ideology grows wider and more hateful as flames are fanned and minds are brainwashed by propagandist and ideologues.

In this 2018 book by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haldt, they discuss “what has been going wrong” when it comes to our society. Speaking openly or debating issues respectfully is getting rarer in colleges or forums where openminded discussions were once encouraged. It far more common that we’ll see the shouting down of speakers or the boiling into anger leading to physical assaults or even riots. The fact that college campuses are no longer places where students will hear, discuss or debate different views is concerning. We’re regularly seeing voices silenced and intellectual debate squelched no matter the issue. Check out the video from TheCoddling.com.

…new problems on campus have their origins in three terrible ideas that have become increasingly woven into American childhood and education: What doesn’t kill you makes you weaker; always trust your feelings; and life is a battle between good people and evil people. These three Great Untruths contradict basic psychological principles about well-being and ancient wisdom from many cultures.  Embracing these untruths—and the resulting culture of safetyism — interferes with young people’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. It makes it harder for them to become autonomous adults who are able to navigate the bumpy road of life.

This book was on my mind when a couple new stories appeared this past week. First was the reaction by progressive Democrats to a Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida “prohibiting a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels“ and protecting the right of parents to have those discussions with their children. In today’s “woke” America, leftist progressives have learned from past success, the way to change society is to take over the education system and feed the next generation their ideology … and only their ideology … from pre-school through college.

AND because I just saw this video (below), progressive ideologues are making sure those who stray from teaching or presenting anything other than their views are purged.

(more…)

Category: Books, Education, Human Interest, Video | No Comments »
Tags: Books, coddling, college, culture, Education, greg lukianoff, harvard, jonathan haidt, roland fryer, schools, video, youtube

Posted By RichC on April 1, 2022

These illustrations make the rounds by email and social networking every so often and do so because they are interesting to naturally inquisitive humans … and in my case make for a blogworthy Friday Filler and “fool your mind” on April Fools’ Day post.

This is one that cognitive psychology refers to as the Negative Afterimage:

What do you see? If you’ve followed the directions correctly, you should see an image of a woman in full-color. If you are having trouble seeing the effect, try staring at the negative image a bit longer or adjusting how far you are sitting from your computer monitor.

What you are experiencing is known as a negative afterimage. This happens when the photoreceptors, primarily the cone cells, in your eyes become overstimulated and fatigued causing them to lose sensitivity. In normal everyday life, you don’t notice this because tiny movements of your eyes keep the cone cells located at the back of your eyes from becoming overstimulated.

See VeryWellMind.com for further explanation.

Category: Human Interest, Misc, Photography, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: afterimage, april fools day, cognitive, friday filler, negative, photography, psychology, vision

Posted By RichC on March 31, 2022

If I were going to do a little traveling around the U.S. and Canada by vehicle, I’d like to look at something like the Bundutec “Electric Rooftop Tent” for our BMW X5 35D or maybe the minivan? Of course IF I were going to travel in the older 2002 Honda Odyssey, it might be a good idea to upgrade it with something newer (and knowing Brenda, I’d probably be traveling by myself – she prefers flying and NOT camping … or even glamping).

Nevertheless, I have fond #TBT memories of traveling with our kids and for 5 week and over 10,000 miles cross country (photo right)  with my parents, brother and pet in a van and tent … or trailer and mini motorhome.

Category: Automotive, BMW, Ideas, Memories, Recreation, TBT, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: BMW, bundutec, camping, glamping, honda, odyssey, rooftop, TBT, tent, Travel, van, x5 35d

Posted By RichC on March 30, 2022

A few weeks ago, Megan’s car was hit will parked on the street outside of Taylor’s apartment in East Walnut Hills (Cincinnati). The damage was shockingly substantial and totaled the older car she was driving. So the search for a new car began … something fun for Taylor, but others find it stressful (especially with the tight market and higher prices post pandemic).

Thankfully between Taylor, Megan and Megan’s dad, they found a beautiful 2014 Lexus RX 350 CUV that generated smiles immediately, so Monday night they drove it up for me to see and to have dinner together (Brenda was a work). From my walk around and comfortable ride, it is near perfect. Since it has 80,000 miles, there will be eventual be a few service items (brakes, batteries, tires) … but all in all … this would be a car that I would have bought. Very nice.

Category: Automotive, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: lexus, megan, new car, taylor

Posted By RichC on March 29, 2022

I’ve been thinking a little bit more about workshop safety (although always do) and after posting about zero clearance throatplates the other day, I started contemplating  adding a splitter to my table saw or to the insert when reading the Instructables.com article.

Since my Delta Table Saw is pre-riving knife (below left), I either need to use the cumbersome blade guard splitter combo that came with the saw, add an expensive “spreader” type, the somewhat questionable screw into the throat plate (photo right) … or make a small add-to-behind the blade splitter like Art did from WordsnWood.com (below right).

While I’m on the topic of “table saw ideas” … I damaged one of my narrow push sticks by running it over the blade and have been thinking about making another one with a different kind of knob-ish handle using the Family Handyman design, but thought the “push shoe” was an interesting shape and appropriately named.

Category: Ideas, Personal, Photos, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: family handyman, ideas, instructables, pushstick, riving knife, splitter, table saw, woodworking, wordsnwood, workshop

Posted By RichC on 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 with wires underneath to my ears. Bluetooth audio was still a bit flaky back then and restricted to phone audio related headsets (see Jawbone from 2007 or smaller one from 2009).

Anyway, back to “Hold On” by the group Wilson Phillips, a couple of sisters, Carnie and Wendy Wilson (of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson fame) and Chynna Phillips (daughter of The Mamas & the Papas band members John and Michelle Phillips).

This 1990 hit won the Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the year and the music video was “later published to the group’s official YouTube channel.”

In 2020, Tony L. Smith from Cleveland.com wrote, "A decade or two ago, Wilson Phillips’ inspirational anthem ‘Hold On’ wasn’t regarded as anything more than a cheesy (maybe the cheesiest) pop song from the Nineties. But opinions change. For a generation big on nostalgia, it gets no bigger than ‘Hold On,’ a song that has good times written all over it."

Category: Apple, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 1990s, apple, bluetooth, hold on, ipod, music monday, musicmonday, shuffle, wikipedia, wilson phillips, youtube

Posted By RichC on March 27, 2022

This content is restricted.

Category: Automotive, Blogs, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, drew, electric vehicles, elio, elio motors, ev, r1t, ris, rivian, SUV, toledo, truck

Posted By RichC on March 26, 2022

The “pain at the pump” is definitely real if you are buying fuel and if you have spend the last decade with gas and diesel at 40+% lower than we are seeing today. That said, in inflation-adjusted dollars, we are still off the highest per barrel prices that we have seen (chart below). Most oil traders expect the refined fuels at the pump to be even higher this summer before any additional capacity makes in “into the pipeline.”

Unfortunately that additional capacity, expected in 6 to 9 months, “could” come too late to prevent the next recession or the ability for most American to spend and keep the economy chugging along. If people stop buying, traveling, etc … people stop working and will have fewer dollars. If history teaches us anything, inflation is often brought into check by a recession or two. We can still hope that the Federal Reserve can manage a “soft landing” as they say and that perhaps the supply chain issues will ease some shortage pressure. BUT … now that Russia has invaded of Ukraine (major food supplier to Europe) we could see food shortages … and therefore higher prices … the next inflation kick.

Normally this is where I would add that the “lack of government discipline” (both DEMs and GOP) when it comes to borrowing and spending/wasting money, but I’ll refrain for now. Instead will point out an economic chart that points out Treasury yield curve inversions … a very accurate predictor of a recession, as mentioned before.

The Yield Curve Is Inverted! Remind Me Why I Care

If you’re wondering what a yield curve is and why there’s so much fretting in the U.S. over it flattening — and parts of it even inverting — you’re not alone. Late last year, Google searches for “yield curve inversion” shot up to their highest level ever. Here’s what the fuss is about.

1. What’s a yield curve?

(more…)

Category: Energy, Financial, History, News | No Comments »
Tags: energy, fuel prices, inflation, inversion, oil, recession, russia, ukraine, war, yield curve

Posted By RichC on March 25, 2022

Those who know me likely have noticed that I’m often wearing an Aftershokz headset. I’ve worn them for the last several years and since my hearing has been impacted by Ménière’s disease way back in the late 1990s (long story) … in dealing with Menieres related hearing loss, I have found a bone conduction headset helpful … at least until I either need hearing aids (probably already do) or find out there is some kind of hearing implant that would be helpful for me. Until then, I’m very fond of both the quality and the helpfulness of Shokz headsets.

That said, the newest version after their name and logo change to “Shokz,” (from AfterShokz) has been reviewed and is a minor improvement to my current Aeropex version – the new headset is called OPENRUN (or a premium version called OpenRunPro).

They are nearly identical from visual look, but now have a quick charging feature, are IP67 waterproof and feature Bluetooth 5.1 rather than 5.0. If my current Aeropex fail, I’ll likely opt for the OpenRun since added bass is not really something I want or need … but wireless inductive charging would be nice.

Category: Advice, Cellphone, Gadget, Personal, Shopping, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: aeropex, aftershokz, bone, conduction, headphones, headset, listening, Music, openrun, podcast, radio, shokz, tech friday, techfriday, Technology

Posted By RichC on March 24, 2022

It was exciting to see the new Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule move toward Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B this month as space-nerds anticipate NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission. The sight of such a large rocket “crawling” toward the launch pad brings back the Apollo program of my youth and the Space Shuttle that enamored my daughter.

Below is an interesting rocket poster (click it for larger) (more…)

Category: Human Interest, News, Science, Space | No Comments »
Tags: apollo, artemis, moon, nasa, Poster, rocket, saturnv, shuttle, sls, space