Music Monday: An hour with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Posted By RichC on June 22, 2020
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Happy Father’s Day 2020 to a great dad and son-in-law, Drew
Posted By RichC on June 21, 2020
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A long winded reader answer with a bit of my Internet history
Posted By RichC on June 20, 2020
A couple weeks ago I shared an old automotive link from MyDesultoryBlog.com on Twitter and one of my automotive buddies sent me a private message asking about the name of my blog (now nearly 7000 posts). The conversation had me contemplate the early decisions and thoughts .. or lack of thought .. 
when all of this web-stuff was just getting started.
For me the “archiving” (therefore myarchive.us) process started because I needed to save files for my printing customers after preparing typesetting and art all in one place. We could save the desktop publishing files safely so jobs could be re-plated and reprinted. We started using ,“small by today’s standards,” external hard drives, 5-1/4” and 3-1/2” floppy disks and eventually Zip Drives, SyQuest carts and the Apple SuperDrive. Like VHS tapes, I have boxes of them without a computer capable of reading the disks, let alone format of the files. Things were changing rapidly back in the late 1980s and early 90s. 
As the Internet came to life, saving compress files online became possible. Using commercial services was cost prohibited and even leased server space was costly .. but in the mid-to-late 1990s competition started to drive the cost down and it looked like there might be a way to even market
this “archiving” service and make my CPPNET.com client files available online … and digital PDF versions for their customers.
Over time our Consolidated Printing and Publishing Co started to do a little more than just archive the “printed” products on line, but could actually build and host our client’s website. We really should have been much more aggressive, but my conservative business nature of “profitability” clouded the risk-taking side of growing the business even if taking losses. Who knew the Amazon nonprofitable “bookstore” online model would be so successful? (on the other hand, A LOT of upstart DOT.com companies failed doing that?)
Back to the domain names: Obviously in the early days of the InterNET, the brilliance of using the Consolidated Printing and Publishing initials … CPP … 
with NET from Internet became our lame domain name – CPPNET.com. One would have thought that I would have been much brighter considering I was registering bushels of domains for people in the early days (and still do it). Thankfully the squatting practice paid off well on several of the domains I registered, held and sold. A few required legal assistance since we were bridging new ground with trademarks, etc. I still think the advice to price a domain at about what the legal cost for a company to fight was sound … thanks again to intellectual property and trademarking attorney Conrad Pitts.
Less descriptive domains were more difficult to challenges so the rush was on to grab the ones that looked popular ‘in the day’ … i- and e- this and my- that in front of a descriptive word were fairly popular. In 2003, the rise of a social network site call MySpace.com elevated the stature of My- whatever … hence setting up our servers which housed “my” customers “archive” files. It is still used for files today, although not the way it was in years past. When I started my blog on that server in 2005, it started as just another “subdomain” space on myarchive.us …first blog.myarchive.us and then richc.myarchive.us. (See web.archive.org Wayback Machine image above)
As the next decades began, it was looking like I was posting daily and that this blog thing might continue. Subdomains are fine, but this now needed its own name. I realized unlike most “topical” blogs of the day, my personal blog wasn’t exactly on only one topic … it was “desultory” … and so the MyDesultoryBlog.com name stuck. I registered it in 2011 and moved the WordPress CMS site own smaller server … while keeping most of the linked data scattered across several archived servers (a big headache … to solve someday).
Obviously, this was FAR more explanation that any reasonable person desires to know!
TechFriday: Blog housekeeping and a WordPress 5.4.2 update
Posted By RichC on June 19, 2020
Way too often those who maintain their own web servers and computers grit their teeth and cringe when it is time to update and upgrade. A month or so 
ago I replaced one of my servers (the one this blog is on) and suffered through the anxiety of getting everything working again. I generally follow the principle “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but once everything is up-to-date, am a proponent of trying to keep it that way until something won’t update or work correctly.
This week before getting too busy, I opted to “apt-get” Linux Ubuntu 18. 04.4 with a few packages and security updates … then back up data and update WordPress to version 5.4.2. All is well … I think.
Archive: Last weekend chores, yardwork photos and memories
Posted By RichC on June 18, 2020
Last weekend was great weather for working in the yard … something both Brenda and I do enjoy when it doesn’t become a rush to finish chore. I’ve been steadily working on the area under the “now” larger pines that we planted to help shade the west side of our back porch. Unfortunately one of the trees (a yellow pine) was full of bugs and dying. I’m note sure if they only have a 25 year lifespan or are just getting diseased? We have 4 of them in that we planted 20-25 years ago and ALL are in pretty bad shape.
This one was next to the house and posed a threat if the winds were ever strong enough to blow it down – just replaced shingle caps after some 50-70 mph gusts left over from Tropical Storm Cristobal. Anyway, this “heavy” Yellow Pine was one that Taylor brought home when he was in kindergarten in a cup. We planted it and babied it along never expecting it to grow into a telephone pole sized tree! It was bitter sweeet to have to cut it down and also provide me a challenge considering I had to top it first before bringing the trunk down (photo above). Once topped and cut up with my smaller chainsaw, I tuned up my 40-year old, HEAVY and fast cutting McCulloch (professional square-cut large kerf blade) chainsaw to make quicker work of the larger trunk.
Currently my favorite podcast: Streetwise by Jack Hough
Posted By RichC on June 17, 2020
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Amazon delivery issues, but their chat-bot seems efficient
Posted By RichC on June 16, 2020
Like a lot of people during COVID19, we have gravitated even more to Amazon and online ordering for our “stuff.” We have not ordered groceries online yet, but are definitely doing more online shopping than ever before.
I mentioned having issues with Amazon a few times before (1, 2, 3) during stay-at-home orders and find myself selecting Amazon even when the price is a few bucks higher … THINKING they are more dependable. Who knows if they can monitor their vendors and seller now that they are so large? Once upon a time, deliveries with PRIME shipping was impressive and pretty consistent. Unfortunately just when depending on something, as I was with a fuel pump, they let me down.
This time it was a couple kitchen items from the grocery list. I noticed were out of kitchen trash bags and down to the last few dishwasher detergent pucks. So while placing my grill order, added a few other items to the cart on 6/4. Two days seemed reasonable and the price wasn’t really all that much higher than our local grocery store.
Unfortunately the order did not arrive and still has not … as of the 15th (11 days is not 2 days). We’re now out of garbage bags, so Brenda bought them at the grocery store which was cheaper than online anyway. I’ll then pull up the Amazon app and clicked the cancel button – nope, can’t do that (see above email). Now the frustrating “on hold or call-you-back phone call” or maybe 5-10 minute chat with a rep?
But before that, Amazon wants to try and automate with a chat-bot … so let’s see how it works (below)? Still no refund but it looks like it “may” now process my request – something tells me the order is lost again? (I’ll bet Alexa will be doing this before too long?)
Music Monday: Grooving with two more Van Morrison songs
Posted By RichC on June 15, 2020
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What are we hearing as the 2020 presidential election nears?
Posted By RichC on June 14, 2020
Ok … I’ve decided that most of the outrage (see 1, 2 & 3) in our country happening is politically motivated and it is being fanned and fueled by political operatives and left-wing ideologues as we approach the 2020 election. Considering we’ve been through racial outrage before, the latest looks to me to 
be a way for radicals to unite disgruntled socialist-leaning people behind a cause (believing government controlled socialism must be better than liberty and capitalism).
It is also pretty obvious to me that Democrats and the political left who have an unhealthy dislike for President Trump, also control much of the way in which we communicate in 2020. 
They noticeably are tilting news and open-exchange platforms in favor of the the left and openly oppose views and commentary from conservatives (NYTimes v Sen Tom Cotton Editorial). The social media giants have appointed handpick censors who represent their left-leaning ideology and mores in order to silence views they disagree with, particularly those of a political party they oppose. Social media has been dealing with this for a a while now, but one of the more recent steps comes from Apple who controls what apps are install on the iPhone. They have frozen updates due to the social app Parler not policing the users of their platform. Many conservatives left Twitter after they became more aggressive speech-policing against users who posted offensive views (their censor’s opinion), comments or content. They either booted them off the platform or tagged their posts as they did for the President of the United States.
This may be all appropriate, but those MANY who are equally offensive have not been policed, tagged or suspended … and very few world leaders or notables on the left receive the same censure (quite the double standard).
Now to the Parler app … where many on the right (farther right) have gone. It is a social networking platform who does not to aggressively police content, but now they are being targeted by Apple because they aren’t making judgmental decisions and censoring speech. I suspect that means removing the users and content Apple dislikes? (Are we to sift everything through the colander of those looking at this from left-leaning Silicon Valley … just as we approach the election?)
Back to controlling the “megaphone” …
If you dislike the police or civil society, ignore the next two posts
Posted By RichC on June 13, 2020
It is officially time for me to start wearing the “grumpy old man” cap (or “GOM” as my “poke the bear” friend Jeff refers to it). I can’t believe the things our country is now divided over. Tomorrow I’ll detail a little more on the serious items, but today its the ridiculous attack on everything associated with law enforcement and the police.
Since there is “uniform” dismay (an inappropriate pun) at the bad cop’s actions that triggered the Minneapolis, MN protests and ensuing riots … those desiring to tear down civil society are now attempting to paint all 900,000 in law enforcement with the same very wide brush. From anarchists taking over 6 blocks and a police station in Seattle, to protestors toppling of statues and destroying property, they are all operating under a mob mentality. They alone have decided what needs to go. No civil debate or democratic rule and very little pushback from those in power. Those continuing to destroy and demand are acting like spoil brats; they are doing it because they want to and are responding as if “you can’t (won’t) stop me.” So far they are right … and those that tell them to stop currently aren’t willing to make them stop. I assume those going beyond peaceful protesting didn’t have parents who agreed with Proverbs 13:24?
Perhaps acting ALONE isn’t exactly correct .. since the media and elected officials have all but given the okay. Go ahead, take over the city. Here’s the police station, city hall and go ahead say anything you want to those wearing the blue uniform (we won’t call that inciting or bullying … and agree they deserve it). “We know you are just upset and can’t help yourselves.”
Ridiculous! But it doesn’t stop there. Once they get on a roll, the radical left finds a lot more targets. How about getting rid of movies, law enforcement TV shows, Lego sets with police themes … and even those cartoons for children designed to promote positive relationships with those we hire to “serve and protect.” It is sickening.
‘Paw Patrol’ And Chase The Police Dog Are Good Examples Of ‘To Protect And Serve’
Good cop portrayals like Chase the police dog are absolutely necessary because our society and nation need admirable examples of public servants for kids and adults to look up to.
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If you think that removing “good” cop shows, tearing down statues, and renaming Disneyland rides is going to solve racism, you’re wrong. Racism was not created in a day and isn’t going to leave when things get canceled or removed.
Instead of lobbying for Chase the police dog to be euthanized, why don’t we instead focus on the ways he models how police can assist communities by protecting and serving.
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.