My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on August 14, 2021

The older I get, the less investment risk I’m comfortable taking. Perhaps it is not the age thing, but having experienced stock market gyrations and what happens to our investments?

For those of us in small business or in the gig economy, and increasingly for those who move from company to company, we are our own investment decision-makers. Even for those working at small companies, gone are the days of pensions and company managed investments. For much of America … this mean we are saddled with making decisions regarding saving and planning for your retirement. If you do it well, and stay healthy, then you’ll likely be more comfortable than those who rely on their employer or a government plan. If you do it poorly, your golden years are likely to be filled with regret.

So what are your options?

1. A robo-advisor or pay an investment advisor or company a percentage of what you budget to make decisions for you. It is likely they’ll take at least 1% of your assets (likely more) every year whether they make you money or not (watch for the hidden cost too). It is a hard pill to swallow for those who may have independently made decisions their whole life (common for entrepreneurs).
2. Choose Mutual Funds which have long been the way individuals have saved and balanced the risk of owning individual stocks and bonds or having to make buy and sell decisions on the assets they hold. Mutual Funds have fees, but many are palatable and smaller percentages. They are easier to cut ties with (sell) if you don’t like their performance and fees or when your risk profile changes when you get older. Mutual funds are priced once each day at 4PM EST but are well design for those who might want to tweak only once or twice a year … if that?
3. Open a brokerage account and trade Individual Stocks, Bonds (or CDs, life insurance plans and annuities, etc) – Those who are confident in their decision-making will be happy doing this, but statically they often fail to maintain stable portfolios or even keep up with the professional managers or Mutual Funds after paying fees. Buying single stocks can be is pretty risky and having only a few stocks is like closing your eyes and walking across a country road – probably safe but risky. Still, if consistently done right, you won’t be giving up the saved management fees .. and they can compound year after year and be retained in your portfolio.
4. Finally there are ETFs and CEFs. This last segment is becoming increasingly popular since the combination and variety ETFs and CEFs along with online screening tools can help reduce risk and cost. They offer a wide variety of investment options (too many choices) and reduce risk by holding a bucket of stock, etc in one ticker symbol (diversity within similar assets). They can be strictly “index-tracking” related shares or structured to change based on your age. The assets are passively managed (low fees) in the case of ETFs, or actively managed by professionals with those associated risks, but can reward with better returns and higher dividends for their higher fees in the case of CEFs. The advantage for those who want to trade more often, in these days of low and no commissions, is that they can be bought and sold throughout the trading day.

The learning center at Fidelity had a great chart and write-up that might be helpful … and helpful enough to archive below.

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Category: Advice, Business, Financial, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: 401k, bonds, cef, cheat sheet, etf, finance, investing, investment advisor, ira, primer, retirement, robo-advisor, saving, stocks

Posted By RichC on August 13, 2021

Years ago (2015) it was a struggle to get Apple’s Magic Mouse to play nice with Google’s Calendar app. Since I was not the only one who had this problem, I shared a browser extension fix for Chrome that at one time I thought might be just temporarily needed (but it is still needed). It is called Google Calendar Scroll Disabler and works with the Brave browser as well.

So in that same theme, the Magic Mouse has a similar problem with the zoom feature on Google Maps. So once again, a fix in the form of a browser plug-in (this time I’ve only tried it with the Brave Browser). The extension is called ScrollMaps and seems to solve the zooming problem (see CNET article for more information).

Unfortunately, though, that doesn’t help with Lightroom, Aperture, or third-party Web sites that embed Google Maps.

Macs are widely used at Google, as is the Google Maps service. So, while I fear there are limits to what can be done given the mouse’s design and responsiveness, I hope at least that some improvements will arrive.

MORE

Category: Apple, Computer, Productivity, Software, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apple, brave, browser, calendar, chrome, disabler, extension, google, magic mouse, maps, scroll, scrollmaps, tech friday, techfriday, zooming

Posted By RichC on August 12, 2021

Today is my wife’s birthday and I do my best to remember and marked the day on MyDesultoryBlog.com. This year I remembered one of my favorite photos of Brenda from one of our cruises (actually an ani gif … wait for it) – this one is west of Gibraltar back in 2009. Since it’s from 12 years ago and today is a Thursday, I’ll also tag this as a Throwback Thursday #TBT birthday post! Oh my, where have the years gone?

Anyway Happy Birthday Brenda … enjoy “safely” using your new yard toy (my gift this year is a small lithium battery powered pruning chainsaw so she doesn’t need a cord, two-cycle oil or “ME” around to start the generator we usually stick in the yard trailer).

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Category: Personal, Photos, Shopping, TBT, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: battery, birthday, blog, brenda, chainsaw, cruise, gibraltar, lithium, TBT, yardwork

Posted By RichC on August 11, 2021

Generally we (really just me) eat up the bananas before they go too soft or brown, but when they do, I make banana bread. Slowly but surely I’ve been tweaking my recipe (below) … usually adjusting the amount of bananas (and how soft) and the 1/2 – 3/4 cup of sugar part. This past week, I think I found perfection … although NOT using the toaster oven to bake bread was a big improvement.

As for the “a place for everything, and everything in its place” idiom … I finally figured out how to conveniently store our cheap little 110 volt “DustBuster” type sweeper … that we use all the time to sweep kitchen crumbs off the wood floor … by making a scrapwood holder from some recycled maple (antique letterpress type galley trays) and a chunk of 5/8” oak dowel. The best part was that Brenda loved it and commented, “why didn’t you save that for my birthday?” (Cough, cough … because I already bought you something. 😉 )

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Category: Food, Gadget, Idioms, Misc, Photos, Recipe, Tidbits, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: banana, bread, crumbs, dustbuster, hanger, idiom, idioms, kitchen, project, recipe, scrapwood, sweeper, woodworking

Posted By RichC on August 10, 2021

It is always interesting to see the handful of other 1958 Packard Hawks changing hands considering the one passed down to me was originally my father’s Uncle Ed’s car (bought new in Toledo), then DadC’s from 1973 until he passed away and became mine (Dad loved taking it to car shows). I’m still dragging my feet on the brake work, but still enjoy it when someone sends me an auction or Ebay “for sale” link.

1958 Packard Hawk

Studebaker Packard Hawk Supercharged V8 Coupe.
Local Pickup ONLY

Seldom seen 1958 Packard Hawk. Built on the Studebaker Golden Hawk platform. One of 588 EVER BUILT. Running 289 supercharged V8 with 275hp engine. 3 speed automatic transmission. Original paperwork for this east coast car shows that it came to Michigan in 1961, then Lancaster, PA in 2017/18. Purchased in 1962. Daily driver until 1968 when it was parked with hopes of restoring it years later. Purchased by current owner in 2017/18 with the hopes of restoring it, but after seeing the condition of the frame, the project has sat in indoor storage. Was running when it went in to storage in 2018. Leather interior and full gauges. Factory supercharger. Optional Posi-rear axle and wonder bar radio. Looks to be 100% correct and complete. Car has little visible rust on the outside, but the frame is extremely weak. Trunk floor has several patches visible. Underside needs to be re-built. Deserves full restoration.

More photos archived below:

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Category: Archive, Automotive, Packard | No Comments »
Tags: 1958, ebay, for sale, packard hawk, studebaker

Posted By RichC on August 9, 2021

This content is restricted.

Category: Music | No Comments »
Tags: 1969, band, chicago, mp3, Music, music monday, musicmonday, robert lamm, time, transit authority

Posted By RichC on August 8, 2021

Dennis Gartman comments on cryptocurrency (August 3, 2021) and whether or not he is investing in a “Tinker Bell effect” asset.

The 3-minute segment with Dagen McDowell was on the Fox Business program “Mornings with Maria.”
 

Dennis Gartman has been directly involved in the Capital markets since August, 1974, right after his graduate work at the North Carolina State University.

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Category: Audio, Financial | No Comments »
Tags: crypto, cryptocurrency, dennis gartman, fox business, foxbusiness, investing, mp3, tinkerbell

Posted By RichC on August 7, 2021

Besides making one of those “senior moment” gaffes by switching my mini split HVAC unit accidentally from AC to “HEAT” (I was roasting in my office), I bought a new pair of shoes after being disappointed in the cheaply made pair that I bought last year. Those that read this blog know that I’ve been nearly a lifetime wearer of Sperry branded boat shoes and that I have raved many times about the shoes and how I’ve made favorite pairs last far longer that the manufacturer would want.

This time around I opted for the Mako Canoe Moc Boat Shoe that is less sailing oriented and a bit more day to day comfortable (which is what I wear mine for 95% of the time anyway). So as usual, I’ll do my best to break them in gently and wear them for casual outings at first .. before relinquishing them to day to day repaired-too-many-times “beater” shoes. I’ve yet to make a decision on insoles since they are super comfortable right out of the box.

As I looked at my old worn boat shoes, I contemplated if this pair would last for the rest of my life – YIKES! Perhaps it was reading about the recent passing of organized labor leader Richard Trumka, but in any case, this the first time I’ve thought about something other than tools that may last the rest of my life? Hm … maybe my kids will bury or cremate me while I’m wearing them? (I’m not “preoccupied” with it, but need to give cremation a bit more thought) MORBID, eh?
 

mor·bid  -  /ˈmôrbəd/

1. characterized by or appealing to an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease.

Category: Audio, Human Interest, Idioms, Personal, Sailing, Shopping | No Comments »
Tags: alistair begg, boatshoes, cremation, death, gaffe, HVAC, insoles, life, mini-split, mp3, senior moment, sermon, shoes, sperry, youtube

Posted By RichC on August 6, 2021

For those setting up their Mac to automatically start-up applications  after rebooting the computer, using the “open automatically on log in” settings in very helpful. I have found that the programs I want running most are cloud-based data storage services, but it can also be helpful for apps you may just want running all the time … in my case a preferred browser window (Brave), “Stickies” (Postit like notes for the desktop), Copy ‘Em (extended clipboard app) and Parallels (VM Windows10 on a separate monitor) and the Parallels Toolbox.

After recently moving from Google’s “Backup and Sync” to “Google Drive for Desktop,” I’ve noticed that even when adding the application to the “automatically start” list that it will not launch. So to solve the problem, I’ve added a tiny utility called Delay Start which seems to solve the problem for now. By setting it to start on log in, the utility app will then delay the start of Google Drive for Desktop which solved the problem. I’ve been testing the number of seconds to delay, but even at 15 seconds it seems load just fine.

So if you are having problems automatically loading apps or cloud services on log in with your Apple Mac, give the Delay Start app a try.

Category: Advice, Apple, Cloud, Computer, Productivity, Software, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apple, apps, cloud, computing, delay start, google drive, mac, Software, startup, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on August 5, 2021

In making this a Throwback Thursday #TBT post, it is interesting to look at a blog post from 2007 when we added our backporch and stamped concrete and as it is now while contemplating how to cut back our landscaping and trees.

At one point we were thinking it was taking so long to mature and grow … to now thinking it has overgrown (especially when cleaning pine needles off the roof)!

For the updated part of this post, here are a couple photos of Brenda’s Rose-of-Sharon transplants blooming and Lamb’s Ear ground cover now “browning” that the heat of July and August have arrived.

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Photos, TBT | No Comments »
Tags: backporch, blog, home, house, lambs ear, landscaping, rose of sharon, TBT, throwback, thursday, trees, yard