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.
The older I get, the more clutter I collect … yet I still can’t stop the habits that have stayed with me my entire life. After clearing out our parents homes a decade ago, it was obvious that genetically the depression era “can’t throw away” trait was passed down to me.
I still find myself unable to throw “parts and pieces” away … even when I recognize that there is little likelihood I’ll ever use them. On the other hand, I told myself after salvaging a couple axles and bearing last weekend that maybe I’ll create something else that I don’t need using these parts?
As I have in previous years (as far back as 2015), I’m one to check The Old Farmer’s Almanac for the autumn … and occasionally winter weather. This year in our SW Ohio area it looks “cool and dry.” Perhaps that means and early fall and colorful leaves?
If we decide to take a trip to Florida, it looks like a pleasant, but generic autumn down south too. 😉
Florida
The fall will be warmer and drier than normal. September: Avg. temp 82° (1° above normal); 4.5” rain (3” below normal). Expect warm weather with scattered thunderstorms early and mid-month, then cooler with regional showers late. October: Avg. temp 76° (near normal); 2.5” rain (2” below normal). Mostly sunny and mild, with a few scattered showers and a cooler finish.
Although this may be late to the game (YouTube video is 1 year old) this was impressive. I guess there is more to an expensive Apple USB-C Thunderbolt 4 cable than meets the eye?
Flaw in AI assisted research (404 links). Artificial Intelligence generated segment below for a recent blog post — and all are broken/non-existent links:
The issue of AI-generated content, including links that lead to 404 errors (non-existent pages), is a known challenge in AI-assisted research, as highlighted by your example where some provided links may be broken or fabricated. This stems from AI models like large language models (LLMs) occasionally “hallucinating” URLs—generating plausible but incorrect or outdated links due to limitations in their training data or real-time web access. Below, I address your concern about preventing 404 links and ensuring AI checks the validity of links provided, with specific reference to your example.
Why AI Generates 404 Links
AI models, including Grok 3, may produce 404 errors for several reasons:
Hallucination: AI can fabricate URLs that seem legitimate but don’t exist, especially if it lacks real-time web access to verify them. For instance, a Tow Center study found Grok 3 provided 404 error pages in 154 out of 200 tests, indicating a high rate of fabricated links.
Outdated Data: Links may point to pages that existed in the AI’s training data but have since been removed or relocated, as websites update or archive content.
Incorrect Attribution: AI might misattribute sources, linking to incorrect or unrelated pages, as seen in your example where the Heritage Foundation link may not directly support the claim or could be broken.
Limited Web Access: Unlike search engines, many AI models don’t perform live web searches unless explicitly designed to (e.g., Grok 3’s DeepSearch mode), leading to reliance on potentially stale data.
In your example:
The first link appears valid, as it points to a Bureau of Labor Statistics page, though I’d need to verify its current status.
The second link is suspicious, as the title suggests a decline in poverty, but the URL implies a decline in income, which may indicate a hallucinated or incorrect link.
The third link may exist but could be biased or not directly tied to the specific claim of poverty reduction, and its validity needs checking.
Well … I likely waited too long to address a nagging problem with my right foot after too much barefoot beach walking. I thought it would improve over time if I continued to work through the healing process, but month after month since April or so it did not improve.
My PCP diagnosed it in May as Plantar Fasciitis, a common foot problem, but suggested that if it did not improve that I should get an X-Ray and see a podiatrist. My appointment was earlier this week and I was “somewhat glad” to have him show me a small fracture or tendon pull on my right foot — in other words, I was not imagining the pain. He put pressure on the bone and indeed it was painful.
So the best option for me is to wear a boot for a month and take an anti-inflammatory pill each day to reduce inflammation. Let the healing begin! 😊
I realized all ports were blocked that I once used for three Raspberry Pi servers: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. Charlie is now up and serving static files again with Hugo and beside a quick post of a Markdown document using Nano on the terminal, this is the first with Typora again.
in tackling our country’s (and the world’s) problems. 
