My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on June 4, 2024

With the weather still moderate, I’ve been driving my 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel a bit more. It really needs to be cleaned up and waxed, but I’ve been sidetracked with power washing the pool decking and cleaning up the porch furniture for summer (a lot of tending to the fast growing lawn too). Still … it was good to drive the “Old Girl” (my buddy Jeff’s nickname) and restart the squawk list (aviation term for a “formal written list of items you want them to check into and fix at the plane’s annual inspection”). 

Besides being distracted with the above, I also took apart the laundry room to cleaned behind the 2016 stackable washer and dryer and fixed a falty light. Before putting things back together, Brenda wanted me to add a new 7-hook board for hanging items and storage “box-shelf” system for  sliding boxes to fit the soon to be added cubbies. I should add a photo when it is finished? 

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Mercedes, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: 300d, dryer, laundry, mercedes benz, old girl, shelves, squawk, turbodiesel, washer

Posted By RichC on June 3, 2024

Some “before my time” 1950’s music was triggered by this animated gif from 150 or so years ago.  It’s “The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022), and his 1955 song, “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On” that is today’s Music Monday song … which likely means I should mention, “Great Balls of Fire” from 1957 too (YouTube)?  

Category: History, Memories, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 1950s, ani gif, gold miner, jerry lee lewis, music monday, musicmonday, youtube

Posted By RichC on June 2, 2024

This chainsaw has been on my tool wishlist for a while and when I mentioned to Brenda that it was $50 off over Memorial Day, she told me, you should get it. This small 12 inch Ridgid Chainsaw is not the “do everything” tool or even as robust as the bigger twin battery Makita, BUT it fits with my growing battery powered tool arsenal … AND when registered, it falls under Home Depot/Ridgid’s LSA warranty. 

So far the LSA has replaced a couple of early-on failed batteries and extras are available at the local Home Depot … so that is a plus. As for usefullness, I’m hoping that this battery powered saw will replace my older Poulan and my cheaper gas powered light-duty saws for 70% of my cutting needs, at least going forward (???) … and that my OLD 20″ McCulloch Pro Mac 610 will still be used for heavier cutting IF I can continue to horse it around (I’m starting to notice and feel my age). 

EDIT ADD: New WyzeCam Pan v3  capture of a “feeling my age” photo after adding the Oregon bar off the old Poulan (gave Poulan chainsaw to a friend) to the “underpowered” battery powered chainsaw (the “underpowered” reference is accurate). 

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Shopping, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: battery, chainsaw, homedepot, lsa, ridgid, tools, trees, trimming, yardwork

Posted By RichC on June 1, 2024

With partisan Democrats controlling “some” city and state governments … and our Federal bureaucracy hanging on by a thread … it is no surprise to see the United States looking like the totalitarian regimes we see in Communist Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, etc (sidelining their political opposition).

I can only assume Progressives, and those on the political left, believe that sidelining Trump using “Lawfare” is “doing what is necessary” for them to retain power, but  I can’t believe most Americans … Democrats, Republicans or Independents … want to see those in power using Intelligence Services and Courts to squash the opposing candidates?

Over the past 15 years, we’ve seen big government partisans targeting certain groups: IRS targeting the conservative Tea Party, the Russia Hoax, manipulating what is seen on Social Media or FBI raids on ProLife family homes – but not Antifa or those rioting and committing crime in large American cities. Even with all that, we’ve never seen court case after court case in a campaign year tying up former president and opposition candidate (Trump being the leading and only Republican candidate). One can only hope … for the future of our country … that this abhorrent tactic does not pay-off for those Democrats using it in 2024. No wonder Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s wife was flying the Appeal to Heaven Flag and “Stars and Stripes” upside down.

Category: Politics | No Comments »
Tags: america, appeal to heaven, campaign, conservative, democrat, distress, flags, independent, lawfare, News, Politics, potus, progressive, republican, ronald reagan

Posted By RichC on May 31, 2024

It is Tech Friday, but because I’ve already prepared and posted, I still wanted to highlight the newsworthy headline story regarding the politically motivated trial against former president and the likely Republican candidate for president, Donald J. Trump. So opted to test the relatively “new to me” AI client (Perplexity.AI) by asking:

Can you summarize the Donald Trump jury verdict?

The jury in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump found him guilty on all counts related to his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. The specific charges included:

– Willful retention of national defense information 

– Obstructing justice by intentionally concealing records 

– Making false statements 

Trump was convicted on 37 counts in total and now faces the possibility of years in prison. The jury deliberated for three days before reaching their verdict. 

This was the first of several trials Trump is facing related to his actions before, during and after his presidency. The charges stemmed from the FBI’s recovery of hundreds of classified documents from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022. 

And my X.com comment after the news on Thursday evening:

(more…)

Category: AI, News, Politics, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: ai, court, donald trump, jury, newspaper, nyc, perpexity.ai, president, summary, tech friday, trial, wsj, x.com

Posted By RichC on May 31, 2024

The Nord apps have been working great for the last few years and I’ve been impressed with the improvements I’ve seen to NordPass for passwords on both the Firefox and Brave (Chromium-based) browsers.

My preferred daily web surfing browsers is Brave and my steady secondary  desktop is Firefox. If I were to judge, Firefox works a little better for me, but perhaps that is because it houses the exact same handful of tabs everyday? 

Use NordVPN and NordPass, but no longer use the free NordLocker encrypted cloud

The problem this past week is I’ve been receiving the “Your NordPass browser extension will be discontinued soon” … so I follow the linked instruction to remove the extension from Brave and update it with the linked version — and yes, I was sure to check to be sure it was a legitimate browser extension (unless the hacker is extremely sophisticated???) With the new extension installed again and working fine, the pop-up warning triggers again.

Hm .. just when everything was running like clockwork. So I’m back to ignoring and waiting for the current version to be “discontinued.” 

Note: I sent a comment regarding this issue to chrome@nordvpnmedia.com. 

Category: Apple, Computer, Software, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: brave browser, macbook air, nordpass, nordvpn, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on May 30, 2024

Another reminder that Liberty Township, Ohio is becoming less rural and a bit more suburban as the years go by. Commercial development is creeping closer to our neighborhood as the barn has been torn down after the passing of our farmer (turned doghouse builder) during COVID. ☹️ 

I thought for a moment that a new family “renting” it might buy and fix it up, but that was not to be … it sold to a newly formed LLC run by Gregory Dixon, the CEO of Hillandale Communities. I suspect something to do with outpatient services??? It could be worse.

Thankfully it is through the backyard trees and across the road from us, but still gives me pause. Hm .. like Sheldon Cooper on Young Sheldon and the Big Bang Theory, I do not do well with change. 

EDIT ADD 6/4/2024: The farmhouse is now gone too. ☹️ 

Category: Archive, Local, Misc | No Comments »
Tags: backyard, barn, builder, development, doghouse, liberty township, ohio, rural

Posted By RichC on May 29, 2024

Last weekend Drew and Katelyn discussed their plans to bury pipes with yard pop-up that lead from their homes’ gutters and downspouts. I mentioned that I thought having downspout traps was essential when living on a property with trees, especially with underground drainage tiles. I think they agreed and will be adding them while finished at their new home … we did “eventually” did when replacing our gutters.

I suspect our underground pipes already have blockage due to years without downspout traps, but am hopeful that much of what flowed into those pipes was before our trees were larger (although I doubt it). Anyway, it is good to pass on to others some advice and tidbits to readers from this homeowner who may have learned the hard way?  

Category: Advice, Personal, Photos, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: downspouts, filter, gutters, homebuilding, homeownership, traps

Posted By RichC on May 28, 2024

My son-in-law Drew sent a photo (below) of the Oostra family after spotting a Tesla Cyber Truck in Toledo, Ohio over the weekend … and knowing his consistant interest, I won’t be surprise to see one in their garage someday!

He has been “ogling” them since Elon Musk first announced the new truck in 2019 … and seeing that the family is outgrowing Drew’s Tesla Model 3 (girls are now 4 and 7), I suspect Drew will be trying to talk Katelyn into upgrading (I remember justifying by using the safer while traveling pitch and a “steal-of-a-deal” estate sale buy when talking Brenda into our 1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEL). Good family times! 😊 

Category: Automotive, Memories, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: cybertruck, drew, family, ohio, tesla, toledo

Posted By RichC on May 27, 2024

Each year Memorial Day holiday often brings out the best in Americans. Those I know, at least give “thought” to the service men and women who fought and died to protect and preserve our country, our freedom and way of life. It is of course, will never be enough appreciation from those of us who benefited from, but were not even called to serve, and it is hard to fathom, at least for me, just how many patriots have given their lives for our country … and how many families suffered loss. 

This year I thought about the the never-ending scroll of faces on just one of the X.com Remember The Fallen posters that I follow. Even just quickly glancing at each of the heroes listed for one year makes one realize just how many Americans served and died to preserve America. Too many have given too much for us to take our country and freedom for granted.
 

Category: Holiday, Millitary, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
Tags: flag, Memorial Day, mp4, Remember the fallen, remembrance, scrolling, x.com