Music Monday: Chicago and “Old Days” from 1975

Posted By on May 20, 2024

It has been a few years, but I can still see my “puffed-cheek tuba playingOld Days Cover roommate (mentioned before) practice playing the orchestrated music Chicagoof Chicago in our Founders Hall dorm room at ONU. Great memories.

So for this week’s Music Monday, after hearing “Old Days” on the SiriusXM 70son7 channel, here’s the #5 hit from 1975 by the band Chicago, although this is from a 2002 remastered version on YouTube.
  

  Chicago – “Old Days” | 1975 (remastered 2002)

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Retirement: Workers Don’t Expect to Work Full-Time Past 62

Posted By on May 19, 2024

It is time to face the inevitable that working later in life is not a reality for most people. As I commented on a Barron’s article last week, you “better have a Plan B or Barron's Logoeven a Plan C” in case there is a health concern that prevent working later in life. From personal experience, a lot of things can happen around that 60 year old mark. 

A recent Liberty Street Economics blog post shared a couple interesting graphs that could get you thinking a little differently.

  DeepGram AI Orpheus voice reading above text | 26 seconds

One of the most striking features of the labor market recovery following the pandemic recession has been the surge in quits from 2021 to mid-2023. This surge, often referred to as the Great Resignation, or the Great Reshuffle, was uncommonly large for an economic expansion. In this post, we call attention to a related labor market change that has not been previously highlighted—a persistent change in retirement expectations, with workers reporting much lower expectations of working full-time beyond ages 62 and 67. This decline is particularly notable for female workers and lower-income workers.

  DeepGram AI Zeus voice reading above text | 33 seconds

Average Likelihood of Working Full-Time Past 62

Average Likelihood of Working Full-Time Past 62
Source: SCE Labor Market Survey.
Notes: The vertical dashed lines indicate the start of the pandemic. Horizontal lines indicate pre- and post-pandemic means.
 

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Book: “Red Nile – A Biography of the World’s Greatest River”

Posted By on May 18, 2024

Earlier this year I started reading Robert Twigger’s 2013 book “Red Nile: A Biography of the World’s Greatest River” and found it super interesting. I don’t recall where the recommendation came from (maybe a National Geographic magazine article?) … but after checking the ebook out from the library to read while traveling … and decided I needed to Red Nileorder it hardback as a “used” book in order to finish it. 

What was most intriguing was the blending of millions of years of geography — the shifting of plates and movement of continents — and the biblical and theorized history of mankind. The books doesn’t attempt to prove theories or records, but it does create enough thought provoking insight for readers to fit pieces together in their minds.

I enjoyed learning that the Nile River is a “young” river comparatively speaking and was shocked to realize how it has changed over time. The shifting of tectonic plates millions of years ago, lifted the mountains of Ethiopia and created both an eastern watershed and prevented the waters and swamps from Africa’s interior from flowing east. Adding the Bahr El-Gazal, White, Blue, Sobat and Atbara Rivers all together … minus evaporation … the Nile River is enormous.

Nile River Maps

The evidence of ancient humans is significant and has been documented upstream and well into Africa. It is easy to see how movement along the Nile River towards Egypt fits with what fits with many of our cradle of civilization studies and ancient documents record.  All in all the book is a most interesting read and I can recommend it as one of my favorites this year.  

The Westinghouse AP300 is a ‘game-changer’ technology

Posted By on May 17, 2024

Westinghouse

With emissions and climate change being the primary concern for at least half the world, one would think that a carbon-free source of 24/7 energy from small nuclear reactors would be on the forefront of alternatives for our energy needs? Obviously mention “nuclear”an images of disasters rush to the forefront, but safe “small” reactors are possible.
 

  Listen AI Rachel at ElevenLabs read this short post

Whether Westinghouse’s AP300 will replace coal and natural gas as the go-to source for the world’s insatiable demand for electricity has yet to be seen, but it makes the most sense as a way to provide the missing link for renewables, wind and solar. Besides clean existing hydroelectric power, small nuclear plants can be located on the same properties of a coal plant where power lines and the grid already exist. If we really want to go carbon-free and still use electricity, this is the best option.

Check out Interesting Engineering’s article on the Westinghouse AP300

Westinghouse’s decision marks a significant turning point in the nuclear industry’s effort to reinvent itself in response to climate change. 

Nuclear fission reactor electricity produces no greenhouse gas emissions, and smaller nuclear reactors are less expensive to develop. 

The AP300 is expected to cost around $1 billion per unit, compared to the AP1000’s anticipated cost of $6.8 billion.

It will produce about 300 megawatts of electricity, compared to the AP1000’s 1,200 megawatts, and power about 300,000 households. 

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Groundhogs and archiving a 1983 Mustang photos for #TBT

Posted By on May 16, 2024

Groundhog I don’t recall how the subject came up, but Brenda and I were talking about our first and then second house in NE Ohio … the one I have some of my fondest memories in — the kids were about our grandchildren’s age. It was located on “Ground Hog Hill” in Hudson Township when we bought in 1986 (yes there were groundhogs) … before developing the neighborhood across Stow Road or even putting in Brafferton Ave along the side of our 5 acres (map 2011).
=> Oh … now I remember, we were talking about “ground hogs” when Drew sent us a security came video, but here’s a still! 

Groundhog in Kid's playhouse -- Whitehouse OH

Anyway one thing lead to another and I pull up the property on Google Maps to see what changes have been made. I looks as if they’ve expanded a bit more around the pool and may have rebuilt the old pole barn? Nice — and again, good memories for ThrowBack Thursday #TBT.

Google Map Hudson Property

And speaking of old memories, her are a couple of interior photos Brenda’s sister took of my mother-in-law’s 1983 Ford Mustang before we sold it in 2011 (didn’t include them in the old post … so I will below)

Drivers side Passenger side

1983 Ford Mustang convertible

Inflation is easing but still a big issue for most Americans

Posted By on May 15, 2024

CPI for April 2024

U.S. inflation eased slightly in April, with a key measure of price pressures slowing to its lowest level since spring 2021.

The consumer-price index, a gauge for goods and service costs across the U.S. economy, rose 3.4% in April from a year ago, the Labor Department said Wednesday. So-called core prices that exclude volatile food and energy items climbed 3.6% annually, the lowest increase since April 2021. Both figures were in line with economists’ expectations. 

Investors saw positive signs in the report that the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight is gradually slowing down the U.S. economy. The yields on 10-year Treasurys, which fall as prices rise, ticked lower. Stocks advanced, continuing their march higher in May.

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Archive: Swing/Slide repair part and meet Mackenzie Lee Howard

Posted By on May 15, 2024

This archiving of leftover weekend photos is becoming a trend on My Desultory Blog and since it is a space for me to mark events and save photos, I suppose it will continue? 

Repair Oak for SwingsetGross Pool May 12, 2024

Last weekend while celebrating Mother’s Day (along with my birthday) … I started pool opening process. I’m not sure how many more years I’m going to be able to horse the pool cover around by myself, but I’m thankful to be healthy and agile enough to still do it. 

The water is always putrid no mater how much pool closing chemicals are added … and believe it or not, it has looked worse. Let the sweeping and filtering begin! 

Besides uncovering the pool, I also notice a couple broken boards on the swing and slide play set. So I took the opportunity to use my new homemade Table Saw Jointer Jig to cut some of Katelyn and Drew’s wood (oak) to replace the broken cedar boards. Since I had some leftover boat finish from a long time ago, Deks Olje, I used it to seal the wood. I think I’m going to save putting it on the swing-set until my granddaughters are here to help?

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Happy Birthday to my daughter Katelyn … how the risk tolerances and priorities have changed!

Posted By on May 14, 2024

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Music Monday: Gordon Lightfoot Live on The Midnight Special

Posted By on May 13, 2024

SundownOn the NBC television music program “The Midnight Special” onThe Midnight Special logo December 13th 1974, Gordon Lightfoot performed a live version of his hit “Sundown.”

The late Gordon Lightfoot has been highlighted several times before and even included “Sundown” in a post 7 years ago for Music Monday … but I enjoyed this live video version as well. 
 

Happy Mother’s Day 2024 to Brenda, Katelyn and ALL Moms

Posted By on May 12, 2024

Mother's Day cardWhile picking out a card for “the mother of my grown children” this year, I couldn’t help notice how inflation has impacted the price of greeting cards. Perhaps when I was in the business of putting ink on paper, the price per sheet as it were, I wasn’t really given too much thought to each copy (I was focused on the profit margin in the total project). But now as I notice that every greeting card is priced well over $5 in the display rack, it is an eyeopener (I sound a grumpy old man — GOM?)

Dollars and cents aside, this is not the day to be posting on the fiscal issues we’re dealing with, but the day to appreciate and show respect for the moms in our lives. I had two of the best in my mom and mother-in-law in my life (photos below) … and now have two of the best who have picked up the torch and demonstrate what it is to be a great mother too — Happy Mother’s Day, Brenda and Katelyn.

Thank you Brenda for being a great mother and grandmother … and Katelyn for being such a wonderful mom to your two daughters. I love you both very much. 

momc100102BrendaMomH_2015 My mom in 2010 and Brenda and her mom in 2015 (MomC and MomH)

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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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