My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on January 4, 2022

It is difficult to NOT post the Lake Superior State University Banished Words list for 2022 since it has been a regular January blog inclusion for years. This year includes a few political overused terms/phrases such as “circle back” and “supply chain” … and a few long running over used ones: “At the end of the day” and “That being said.” All 10 on this year’s list are excellent.

This year, nominations came from most major U.S. cities and many U.S. states, on top of Norway, Belgium, England, Scotland, Australia, and numerous provinces in Canada. Here are the list of the banished words and terms for 2022 and the reasons for their banishment:

1. Wait, what?

Most frequently found in text or on social media, this ubiquitous imperative question is a failed “response to a statement to express astonishment, misunderstanding, or disbelief,” explained a wordsmith. “I hate it,” added another, because the command query is an inexact method to convey the utterer’s uncertainty or surprise. “I don’t want to wait,” either, continued the second impassioned nominator. Misuse and overuse.

2. No worries

Nominated by writers nationwide for misuse and overuse, this phrase incorrectly substitutes for “You’re welcome” when someone says “Thank you.” A further bungling relates to insensitivity. “If I’m not worried, I don’t want anyone telling me not to worry,” a contributor explicated. “If I am upset, I want to discuss being upset.” Despite its meaninglessness, the term is recommended to emailers by Google Assistant.

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Category: Blogs, Misc, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: annual, banished, lssu, words

Posted By RichC on January 3, 2022

Even with all the negativity around Covid19 and the rapidly spreading, but somewhat more tolerated, Omicron variant … investors chose to shrug off what looks to slow down the economic re-openings around the world. The saying I keep hearing is that “I’m done with it.”

My view for the strong stock market start on the first day of trading in 2022 is that the stimulus trillions poured into an economy by Washington DC needs a place to go (be invested) and that millions of pent-up consumers have money they want to spend (buy stuff and go places). In the absence of acceptable fixed income yields, that can keep up with 6.8% inflation, the only investment choices are real estate and the stock market (or maybe crypto?)

 BUT … I suspect everyone knows that this is a party that must come to an end. No matter the country, central banks cannot print money forever without people losing trust in fiat money … or having to deal with hyperinflation … so the powers that be if they are of sane mind (questionable!) are sure to tighten monetary policies, raise interest rates and tell the U.S. Congress to stop deficit spending on anything and everything.

Category: Business, Financial, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: covid19, dow, federal reserve, interest rates, nasdaq, omicron, opinion, s&p 500 index, stock market

Posted By RichC on January 3, 2022

This content is restricted.

Category: Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: claire dunn, mp3, music monday, musicmonday, salt and lime, youtube

Posted By RichC on January 2, 2022

The lonely looking train left to rust somewhere in Russia had me pondering a Bible verse – Matthew 24:36 having to do with knowing not only how long “we personally” have on earth, but “not knowing” the end time for humanity. With that in mind, will you be “caught on the tracks” without accepting Christ when it is your time? Are you sure about your future … or with the “end of days” leave you behind not knowing Christ and accepting God’s gift of eternal life? (Romans 6:20-23) Give it some thought today, before it is too late.

Paul writes in Romans 10:9-13 

⁹ if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Category: Faith, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: bible, christ, christianity, god, jesus, knowing, matthew 24:36, romans 10:9-13, salvation, train

Posted By RichC on 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 hand cutting dovetails as I did for a Piggy Bank project in 2018.

In the back of my mind I’ve contemplated making a “short cuts” storage box to go on the cabinet from the office … and maybe it would be a great practice project. With that in mind, I’m archiving a YouTube clip from Rob Cosman below.
 

• • • • • • • • • • 
Or another option …

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Category: Archive, Hobby, Personal, Tidbits, Tools, Video, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: dovetail, dovetails, goals, jon peters, new year, practice, project, resolution, rob cosman, woodworking, workshop. youtube

Posted By RichC on December 31, 2021

As we wind down 2021 and close the book on a stressful COVID19 filled year … here’s hoping next year will bring an end to the pandemic. If that is not going to be the case, then let’s hope the Omicron Variant isn’t as deadly as the Delta Variant … and that we will keep our schools and businesses open in 2022. We need to keep living our lives … now that we have improved vaccines, preventive measures and the many new meds waiting on FDA approval.

In any case have a safe New Year’s Eve , take care of yourself and your family and as the old cliché goes … Have a good day! (or at least a better one that the poor bird who flew into our relatively new window. OUCH! )

Fairwell 2021!
 

End of the year advice for those who reside in the fiscal conservative camp, both for the running of our government (political) and personal lives (investing and daily living). Don’t be tempted by the excessive debt spending, “all-in” high-risk gambles and another “get rich quick” idea … especially now that we are in an age of historically unproven cryptocurrency speculation. The trade-offs for every tulip bulb or dotcom stock is generally for every winner there is a loser – if this becomes the strategy to secure your future, the likelihood of success is less than 50/50 (win or lose, the “house” always takes their cut).

Instead, be the turtle. Don’t overextend and overspend in your daily living, be ambitious and contribute positively at work, spend frugally and enjoy life every day, while still saving 10% of every paycheck. Balance your investments between a higher percentage of growth stocks vs value investments in a tax-deferred retirement portfolio in your early years, then systematically rotate to a value-weighted (with growing dividends) vs higher risk growth stocks in your later years. The final wise investment is in real estate, more precisely “a home.” You should be buying one (yes, with a mortgage). It is one of the few “investments” that you can enjoy while it historically keeps up with inflation. It offers tax advantages both in the short term and long term (capital gains taxes if/when you downsize) and with current interest rates lower than the current inflation rate, it is a no-brainer for those with low fixed-rate mortgages and is still attractive for those wanting to buy a home (although the current housing market seems a bit hot and overpriced – supply vs demand economics at work).

Category: Advice, Financial, Health, Holiday, Idioms, Nature, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: bad day, bird, cliche, corronavirus, covid19, feather, friday filler, idiom, idioms, New Years eve, pandemic

Posted By RichC on December 30, 2021

There’s more to buying, trading and SENDING Ethereum cryptocurrency and blockchain dapps than just reading this short paragraph, but if you want make $ETH transactions (applies to other cryptocurrencies as well) … the best way to reduce fees (gas fees) is to make the transactions when the traffic is not at its highest. In other words, if want to use the Ethereum network, it is best to make transactions over the weekend or between 1 and 3 am UTC. This could all be a moot point once the long awaited improvements go into full swing in 2022 as the full Ethereum 2.0 upgrade should be implemented. 

Need to prepare your cryptocurrency trading taxes? Check out CryptoTrader.tax.

Category: Advice, Crypto, Financial | No Comments »
Tags: $ETH, crypto, cryptocurrency, ethereum, ethereum2.0, fees, gas fees

Posted By RichC on December 29, 2021

This book is on my 2022 “want to read” list and I’m unsure if I’ll opt for the audio version, ebook or paper edition (Amazon options)?

While listening to the Brian Kilmeade (the books author) talking about the “battle to save America’s soul” on a Fox News program, it has become apparent that those setting the agenda are a new breed of progressive Democrats (now unapologetically advocates for socialism). The very few traditionally-minded liberal Democrats like Sen Joe Manchin and Sen Kyrsten Sinema, who are resisting another round of TRILLIONs of dollars in social spending, are exercising common sense. For Brian Kilmeade,  I’m either sensing effective repurposing of his book title … or a crafty way of marketing his book? In either case, it is indeed fitting though as. 

Our country is in a 50/50 ideological battle between those who want to preserve individual freedom and prefer smaller government … and those who believe power and control is better when it comes from Washington DC, the elites and their central planners.

I’m reminded everyday of why I’m a local and small government advocate versus a one-size-fits-all big Federal government proponent and voter. The longer I live, the further left in both social and fiscal policies our country is shifting and we are spending our way into a welfare state, we are at a tipping point. I know there are those who say what happened in Venezuela, Russia or China couldn’t happen here … but the direction we are going and the belief that “we can do socialism correctly” coming from the most vocal in education and leadership positions has me concerned – it has me thinking about my Overton window post.

Category: Books, History, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: agenda, america, book, brian kilmeade, frederick douglas, freedom fighter, joe manchin, kyrsten sinema, lincoln, overton window, Politics, president, socialism

Posted By RichC on 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 saw blade kerf. So, I opted to use the thin-bladed bandsaw to make the cuts and realized that I didn’t have a decent miter guide or miter sled (preferable). So, I took 30 minutes and made a small bandsaw sled jig (photo left) in order to make the cuts.

It just so happened a couple days later, up popped a YouTube clip with a great sliding miter guide idea … although once again, an indication Google is must be still detecting not only my interests, but tracking what I’m doing (I did not search for a miter sled or miter jig).

Anyway, I’ll include the video below and a couple screen captures above for my own archive so I can make “another” one for my woodworking workshop.

Category: Archive, Holiday, Tidbits, Tools, Video, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: bandsaw, big tech, google, granddaughers miter, guide, jig, project, sled, table saw, tablesaw, tracking, video, workshop, youtube

Posted By RichC on 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 it will make a great Music Monday addition.

Below is a semi-edited daughter and dad singing the 1967 Motown hit Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Marvin Gaye’s YouTube) and on of Diana Ross in 1970 (Diana Ross on YouTube) singing it a couple years later. These current day amateurs did a great job too!

Category: Music, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
Tags: ain't no mountain, amateur, diana ross, marvin gaye, motown, musicmonday, social media, tammi terrell, twitter, youtube