Music Monday: Holiday memories from the Carpenters
Posted By RichC on December 21, 2020
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The Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter align on Dec 21st
Posted By RichC on December 20, 2020
For those who enjoy astronomy, space exploration or just looking at the night sky, an event know as Saturn and Jupiter’s Great Conjunction is happening on December 21st (although look in the southern sky shortly after sunset any night this month).
A “conjunction” is an event that happens every 20 years for these two planets as they align when orbiting around the sun at different speeds. Their orbits are different due to their mass and their distance from the sun … as Jupiter takes about 12 years and Saturn takes about 30 years. That means every 20 years they come into “conjunction.” What makes this year unique or “great,” is that normally the orbits pass a little further apart as they pass each other (still a long distance apart), but this year they align much closer … which happens ever 400 years. That last time was when the famed Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was studying the sky with his early telescope. So get out your cameras, telescopes or binoculars and check it out … although it is easy to see with your naked eye.
Click to enlarge then look for tiny Saturn & larger Jupiter to lower right
(right-click and save-as for the full size NASA photo with the Washington Monument)
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Slick roads and an accident.
Posted By RichC on December 19, 2020
Although this is the second snow of the season, the weather has turned colder and we ended up with a touch more of the white stuff this week … and with it, yet another accident on Bethany Road to our rear. I saw the flashing sheriff’s car lights and since I’m working from home, I headed back to see if everyone was ok. No injuries, but the Volkswagen didn’t look as good as the SUV (below).
Thankfully … no fence damage, just tire ruts yet again.
Tech Friday: Twitter lock my account this week, but I don’t know who complained or what content infringed on copyright laws?
Posted By RichC on December 18, 2020
A daily routine for over a decade has been using the social network Twitter as an interactive newsfeed – replaced RSS feed reader. It has also been a place to post MyDesultoryBlog.com updates and interact on my RichC account with friends in a variety of groups: car club, aviation interests, sailing, finance, investing, and of course politics.
I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with the left-leaning bias coming from almost all Silicon Valley companies, but Twitter is one of the most blatant. I grew so frustrated with their shutting down the Hunter Bidden corruption story as they campaigned for Joe Biden, that I ended up selling all my $TWTR stock (too soon). As they continue to aggressively police their conservative users and lock accounts, voices are silenced and people are heading to another platform called Parler (with its own problems). I’ve been there for a while, but it doesn’t serve my purpose.
Now my account was “locked” and I’ve yet to figure out why. I reviewed the “Copyright Policy” and was told they were going to email me some information, but I’ve yet to receive anything? My account is unlocked for now, but I have no idea what was shared, posted or said that even lock my account to begin with? It may be time to give up on social networks all together?
Promotional Products from an exciting Dot-Com start-up #TBT
Posted By RichC on December 17, 2020
For Throwback Thursday #TBT this week I’ll include a couple photos from 1998 or 1999. These Soma.com photos are items from my friend Jeff sent to me when cleaning out his apartment. He (and my wife Brenda) were hired to build out the first Dot-Com era online Pharmacy … or at least the fulfillment facility. The work was … as we would say back then … 24/7/365 … but I doubt anyone working on this startup regretted a moment of the exhilarating time … although all were disappointed when the start-up was sold to CVS and became their online store (they shutdown the West Chester, Ohio-based fulfillment facility.
Funny, but not funny … perhaps it is the frustration we all feel?
Posted By RichC on December 16, 2020
Are you tired of this COVID19 lockdown yet?
It is hard to believe the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic AND those politicians dictating shutdowns in their mini-kingdoms have not had more pushback than they have? Way too many small businesses, and especially people working in the travel and food service industry, will not be having much of a Merry Christmas this year … that’s not to say those still working as essential workers have had it easy either (“essential” = those caring for people … or IMHO, working to put food on the table and paying their bills).
Merry Christmas 2020 and wishing you a “Hopeful” New Year
Posted By RichC on December 15, 2020
It has been a challenging year to say the least with the Coronavirus still raging in the US and around the world. So many lives, businesses and plans have been forever changed. Brenda and I just feel blessed to be surviving the pandemic 
and able to function in a day to day matter. We hear about those who are struggling with hospitalized family and having to face Christmas with worry, health concerns or financial issues is sad. I wish we could all wake up in world where everything was back to the “old normal,” although thoughts of going to work without a mask, dining out or flying somewhere on vacation seem a bit distant as we close out a “grinchy” 2020.
Thankfully though, we are still here and “Rona-free” (slang I’m ready to add to the LSSU Banished list), but not without trials and tribulations. Brenda is struggling physically with a leftover spinal fracture from her 2015 accident and it prevents her from doing what she would like to do – even walking is a challenge. After multiple “masked” appointments with doctors, a variety of treatments to relieve pain and swelling … the current plan is to medicate for pain and hope her series of osteoporosis injections will build enough bone that surgery is an option in 2021. A prayer for her would be appreciated.
I’ve been able to work from home as I’ve been in the business slowdown mode for quite a few years (weekly trips to NE Ohio have dropped to nil). Thankfully I have the option to use the phone/computer for sales and continue to service a loyal … but dwindling … number of customers. Work aside, I easily kept busy on the weekends with home repairs, yardwork and workshop kind of projects … but this year, no major updates to the condo or boat this year. Brenda and I did boldly take a trip in October and enjoyed a vacation of mostly R & R in Delray Beach, but I did do some painting and prepped the condo for our winter renters. If you’ve read my blog at all, you’ll also know we’ve been fortunate enough to also be with our children and grandchildren quite a few times.
Normally .. like the past several decades … we send out an annual Corbett Christmas Letter highlighting our year. My mom was a “personal letter writer” and frowned on a canned update. She likely spent hours writing to each friend and family member valuing the personal touch (perhaps a relic of the past)? We decided to do the less-personal “printed” letter (my excuse was that I owned a printing company).
This year we just were not up to writing a letter and are just going with simple photo postcard “card.” Those who absolutely need more know where to find me online. Nevertheless, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from a couple “trying” to age gracefully (note the photo from when we were dating in college back in 1981).
Click this LINK for a PDF version of our Christmas Card
Music Monday: A snippet from a 1970 CSNY Jam Session
Posted By RichC on December 14, 2020
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Happy Birthday “daddy” Drew … and very good one he is!
Posted By RichC on December 13, 2020
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Santa Mouse slippers, Christmas stories and Echo messages
Posted By RichC on December 12, 2020
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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.