It has become an enjoyable habit – posting family photos from the previous weekend.
This past Labor Day, Megan, Taylor and their dog Gigi were over for the afternoon … and perhaps the last of the pool days (it has been cool for August and early September). We did the quintessential American hot dogs and hamburgers … and the not quite as typical, “grilled shrimp” – Megan is mostly a pescetarian(yes, I had to look that up).
But… after looking at the 2024 post “May you have peace in your heart. Read Proverbs.”(above) popped up on the “Year(s) ago on this day” right hand column, I wondered if AI could create an oil painting that emulated my grandmother’s art?
In keeping with the current summer of 1970’s music, I’ll add another one for this week’s Music Monday … as the summer semi-officially ends (Labor Day, right)???
This one definitely returns me to the ONU dorms and listening to music while studying in college (cough). I suspect most from my generation experience the same flashback when they hearKansas and “Dust In The Wind.” It was one of those iconic songs coming out of what was debatably one of the best decades of music.
The song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of April 22, 1978, making it Kansas’s only single to reach the top ten in the US. The 45-rpm single was certified Gold for sales of one million units by the RIAA shortly after the height of its popularity as a hit single. The song was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA on November 26, 2019, which makes it the second song by the band to reach platinum after “Carry on Wayward Son” — a song that will soon make it’s way to Music Monday!
I’m feeling a little rusty but will attempt to revitalized this zippy static server now that I was able to use Cloudflare to handle the DNS and tunnel to my RPi3. So far, so good.
As often happens these days, the “friends/acquaintances” on the social media site X.com that I regularly chat with, brought up the subject of old-school film photography. Since it was my main hobby from my first darkroom in junior high through high school, and then college(and even graduate school), I felt obliged to chime in on the discussion.
Eventually we talked about the different Kodak branded films, from Kodachrome “grainless” slide film, to black and while Plus-X (ASA 125) and Tri-X (ASA 400) … along with “push processing” for low light and Bulk Loading. I wish I still had my bulk loaders and 35mm camera … but the best I could do was to include a photo. Good memories for this ThrowBack Thursday #TBT. 😊
I enjoyed remembering what it was like to work in tonal photography – it has been nearly 45 years since I was “souping film” in a darkroom.
For those of us of a particular age (or even younger) who are crunching their retirement income numbers should consider converting some of their Traditional IRA savings into Roth IRA savings. As a Barron’s Advisor practitioner, I’ve stressed planning in creating multiple income buckets in which to draw income from after retiring; in part this is a good way to keep taxable income as low as possible in your golden years. Roth IRAs are a great way to do this IF you plan early, but is also an option with Roth conversion.
The idea for buckets can be familiar to some who handle family finances. Most of us can visualize retirement buckets as Social Security, taxable 401K/IRA withdrawals (RMDs required after 73), already taxed savings/investment accounts and a pre-taxed Roth IRA. Setting these up well in advance is key so you can follow through by developing a strategy of withdrawals to keeping Uncle Sam’s portion to a minimum (a spreadsheet of future years helps to visualize).
But back to the Roth conversion … where I’ve enlisted ChatGPT’s help in looking for pitfalls:
There are a few important rules, tax implications, and age-related considerations to keep in mind before rolling over (technically called a Roth conversion) money from a Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA:
As a TheHustings regular contributor, I sometimes find myself being a little more provocative that I really am — likely because there is a lack of pro-MAGA content in the right-hand column.Part of this particular submission(posted below) is for the “shock value” … but Jerry Lanson’s left-hand column, Keep Your Eye On What Matters started me thinking about just how ambitious President Trump and his administration has been in tackling our country’s (and the world’s) problems.
When historians weigh the legacies of presidents, the conversation often centers on policy impact, economic stewardship, foreign affairs and cultural influence. Over the past 50 years, several presidents have left their marks, but there is a strong case to be made that Donald J. Trump, despite the controversies and criticisms that follow him, may have been the most consequential – and arguably the best – president in modern times.
First, one cannot ignore the economic record prior to the global pandemic. Trump presided over a booming economy, with unemployment reaching historic lows across demographics. Minority employment saw gains that were long overdue and wages, particularly for blue-collar workers, began to rise after years of stagnation. His emphasis on deregulation, tax reform and reshoring jobs resonated with many who felt left behind by globalization.
A bit earlier in the summer the Moody Blues song from 1978 called “Driftwood” caught my attention. Perhaps I was in a “mellow” mood while listening to The Bridge on SiriusXM, but it was noted as a appropriate song from my past for Music Monday.
Moody Blues – “Driftwood” | 1978
While listen again, it occurred to me that I didn’t really know much about the English progressive rock band and thought it might be worth reading a bit more about them.
The Moody Blues hold a unique place in rock history as one of the pioneers of progressive and symphonic rock. Formed in Birmingham, England, in 1964, they first found success with their rhythm-and-blues-flavored hit “Go Now”, fronted by original singer Denny Laine. But it wasn’t until a few years later, after guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge joined, that the band transformed into something far more distinctive.
Their breakthrough came in 1967 with the release of Days of Future Passed. Blending rock instrumentation with the London Festival Orchestra, the album introduced a bold new sound and produced the timeless single “Nights in White Satin.” This fusion of orchestral arrangements, poetic lyrics, and the Mellotron—played by keyboardist Mike Pinder—helped lay the foundation for what would become known as progressive rock.
It has become an enjoyable habit – posting family photos from the previous weekend.
in tackling our country’s (and the world’s) problems. 