When all is well, life is good, even if it is not always as planned
Posted By RichC on March 2, 2019
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Tech Friday: The Wayback Machine and Cincinnati Style Chili
Posted By RichC on March 1, 2019
This is an unusual Tech Friday post, but after being frustrated this week in clicking a dead link to an article that disappeared after a website was updated, I decided there must be a better way to ensure information, links and websites remained useful … WITHOUT having to archive them entirely on my computers, servers or cloud spaces. Of course there is, but what I didn’t know is that with a virtual library account we can all contribute to archiving articles to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (previous post).
The test of the Wayback Archive was
to save a WCPO article and graphics about Cincinnati Style Chili that I found interesting — as an aside, instead of the expected German influence to this Cincinnati “cuisine” – for outsiders, I’m using the word “cuisine” liberally (noting that some call Cincinnati Chili “diarrhea sludge or garbage gravy”) — 
it is really Americanized Greek Stew?
LINK to the Wayback Machine Archive of the full WCPO article on 2/28/2019
based on the book Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili (American Palate)
Photog unknown, but a beautiful beach/surfer filler photo #TBT
Posted By RichC on February 28, 2019
I enjoyed this photo enough to use it as my “too lazy to blog” filler photo for the day … and just to make it a ThrowBack Thursday #TBT … how about a photo with my buddy Mark Jones from 2014 looking down from up on Encore’s mast? 🙂
Pres Trump meets Kim Jong Un in Hanoi for second summit
Posted By RichC on February 27, 2019
As far as news goes, one would think that the biggest news of the day would be a second summit meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. It was only two short years ago that “little Rocket Man” was firing missiles over Japan and testing his nuclear weapons … and now we’re “at least” on friendly speaking terms talking about disarming, a actual ending of the 1950’s Korean War and the possibility of better relations between this rogue regime and the civilized world.
BUT, no … the American media (including the WSJ) is more interested in the salacious testimony of Michael Cohen … someone already who has already been disbarred and convicted for “lying under oath.” It is all news, but the wrong story is headlining the newspapers IMHO.
It is disappointing we are more interested in an ex-lawyer spilling the dirt on his previous client that deterring the build up of nuclear tipped ICBMs. What does this say about gossip, the hatred of Donald Trump or our legal system we once thought respected attorney client privilege?
Creative bindery guy sets his machine up to fold paper airplanes
Posted By RichC on February 27, 2019
Since printing presses (and bindery equipment) is in my DNA, I can’t help but have a soft spot for this guy tweaking his equipment to spit out paper airplanes. Personally I would rather … and remember many-a-late nights … calculating $$$ as our sheet-fed offset presses mesmerizingly crank out piles of paper. 🙂
Where do you do your best thinking? In the shower? #humor
Posted By RichC on February 26, 2019
![SliverOfSoap_thumb[17]](https://myarchive.us/richc/2019/4bfce81d6aa5_B22F/SliverOfSoap_thumb17.jpg)
Wintertime offers longer days for reading and thinking and some of my better thoughts happen during my morning shower … although other thoughts aren’t quite so inspirational or deep …like, “Why can’t the sliver of soap be as invigorating as that larger new bar? Do soap manufacturers purposely make the inside of a bar of soap so we become so discontented that we replace it before it has fully been used?” Hm, perhaps my “better thoughts” don’t really happen in an early morning shower? 
Music Monday: Average White Band – Pick Up The Pieces
Posted By RichC on February 25, 2019
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Spinning Fork, our favorite local Italian restaurant has closed
Posted By RichC on February 24, 2019
Brenda and I have been eating at The Spinning Fork Restaurant in Fairfield, Ohio since even before we moved to the Cincinnati area 
– was our favorite restaurant. Our family grew up enjoying their delicious food and personal warmth, something that I think only exists at locally owned establishments. We are hoping new owners will and can duplicate … but without those that provided the great service and friendliness for decades, I’m not sure it will be possible EVEN if they inherit the same recipes.
Our memories run deep … from their original “basement” location and waitresses from the “old country” … who addressed my 5 year old son at the time as “Mr. Taylor”… to the recent staff that always asked about our grown family. They knew our orders and idiosyncrasies from memory and always made us feel welcome no matter how busy they were … this place will be missed.
We are hoping to hear something soon … but after a disappointing visit (and zero information) from their sister restaurant in Middletown; I am doubtful the friendliness and food can be duplicated.
Politics, a socialist movement and the Overton window in 2019
Posted By RichC on February 23, 2019
About a decade ago, I researched a bit about Joseph Overton’s theory regarding a range of ideas that will be tolerated in discussion and debate. 
This “range of acceptable ideas” is now termed the “Overton window” and the political concept brought to light in conservative circles when the Democrats, lead by President Obama and Nancy Pelosi, pushed traditional America further left than many were comfortable with – the uprising inspired a Tea Party Movement. The Overton term also fueled a book by Glenn Beck called The Overton Window (posted about reading it) and likely helped the Republican Party regain control of the congress and White House – at least for a few years (we Americans are deeply divided when it comes to agreeing on a political philosophy).
Once again though, those of us who follow politics, see the “range of acceptable ideas” becoming a topic of discussion and heated debate. The traditionally center-right United States each go-around does seem to be getting shoved further and further left, towards big government and progressive ideas … currently so much so that there seems to be very little embarrassment for some Democrats to call it “socialism.” That last reference is particularly shocking for those of us who lived and watched socialism take away freedom and prosperity for so many around the world … while capitalism lifted the quality of life for nearly all where it was lightly regulated.
Opinion: Currently I sense that the Democrats are wittingly or unwittingly applying the door-in-face technique in order to move the “window” even further to the political left. The theory being that the are “making large requests” that will get turned down (door slammed in face), but will have softened the electorate to accept more progressive, big government position because it isn’t the extreme “socialist” left. As a conservative, each time we cycle through the swing to the political left and back to the right, the leftist’s movement in America is gaining ground. Policies that were once thought unacceptable to voters, are now accepted party platform. It is especially noticeable with Democrats who have served and run for office for decades, or more recently only an election cycle or two! As the joke goes, current Democrats would view John F. Kennedy as a Reaganite extremist – that how far left the Democratic Party has gone.
Just a little diesel automotive #humor to end the week
Posted By RichC on February 22, 2019
Normally, I don’t forward emails or reposted viral images on social networks … but as a diesel car guy and TDIClub and BMW forum reader … I couldn’t resist including this as a humorous response to recent Democratic Socialists promoting their ambitious 10-year Green New Deal to combat climate change (still shocked Bernie drives this van?) 😉
EDIT: Since this is strictly an end of the week humor post … I’ll include an image for Comfort Inn Canadian pet lovers below! (more…)
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.