Our are granddaughters prepped for American Girl Doll camp
Posted By RichC on June 11, 2025
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A Very Happy Birthday to our son Taylor
Posted By RichC on June 10, 2025
Although this is a photo from “my” birthday with Taylor and Megan last month, I’m using it 
for his birthday greeting today — we’ll see him soon (and may add the photo later below?)
Nevertheless, Happy Birthday, Taylor, another year has passed. The thought that you are nearly middle age is frightening. I am very proud of my awesome son.
A 36th Birthday dinner at Pepp and Dolores in Cincinnati — thanks Megan!
Did I mention it was raining today? (testing Linux server update)
Posted By RichC on June 9, 2025
A server test over the lunch hour to see if the Linux server is a bit more stable?
Yes … it may have been mentioned for Music Monday in the Luke Combs song … “When It Rains, It Pours.” 😉
Music Monday: Luke Combs and “When It Rains, It Pours”
Posted By RichC on June 9, 2025
Let’s go in the country music direction for this week’s Music Monday.
I heard a song by Luke Combs called “When It Rains, It Pours” about a month ago and sent myself an email since it immediately appealed to me. There’s not much in the song about Morton Salt, but it did trigger the memory. 😊
| Luke Combs – “When It Rains, It Pours” | 2017 |
Here’s a little “behind the scenes” video on Youtube.
More Oostra Oak and storing Ridgid Grease Gun
Posted By RichC on June 8, 2025
It does seem like a while ago now, but I’ve been slow and steady in bringing back some of the “Oostra Oak” that plan on using for future woodworking projects. So, while up in Whitehouse, Ohio last weekend for our granddaughter’s dance recital, I hauled back a bit more lumber. 
Well, during the evening I slowly moved it down to my workshop and stored it gently on my lumber rack (it is getting heavy).
Then yesterday while trying to find a place to store my relatively new Ridgid grease gun (it won’t fit in the cabinet), it seemed like a better idea to hang it on the wall — it is long and gangly. So I spent the morning distracted from yard and pool cleaning chores (wet and rainy anyway) and used some of the new oak scraps to fit the odd shaped grease gun for wall storage.
Short aside: After my previous manual grease gun failed to work in lubing the Kubota Zero Turn mower and ignoring the maintenance, the mower broke down and lost a part. After tearing into it and replacing the missing part, I found out wasn’t the manual grease gun’s fault after all, it was a plugged zirk grease fitting. Nevertheless, having a new tool always makes my day and might force me to keep up with the lubrication in the future? 😉
Plastic headlights restoring with Cerakote kit ($17 on Amazon)
Posted By RichC on June 7, 2025
This week the long overdue task of polishing, brightening and coating the plastic headlights on three of our cars was on my to-do list. Our 2002 Honda Odyssey was likely the worst, but the others were not much better. 
Years ago I tried the toothpaste and rubbing compounds on several other cars, but without a “ceramic coating,” the yellowing and hazing reappeared.
This time a Cerakote kit that I’ve read about on automotive sites seemed like a better option. For $16.95 (now $17.95) on Amazon, even if off brands were cheaper, still seemed fair . Like I always do, if it is sized for one … it should work for three … right? 😉
After the Odyssey, I tackled the 2010 BMW X5 35d next and the results weren’t bad. After this I’m sure the beams of the headlights will be a bit sharper for my aging eyes at night (I noticed the headlights were lousy driving home from my. granddaughters dance recital in Toledo).
The 2010 Acura RDX was not quite as stellar as the Honda, but still cleaned up nice. Below are sanding prep (2000 then 3000 grit) and a before (left) and after (right).
Test post after morning jobs report (10-yr Treasury)
Posted By RichC on June 6, 2025
Testing a few Tech Friday blog updates that have scrambled the MDB server. For the “media” inclusion, here is a graph of 10-year Treasury yield this morning when the better than expected job numbers were released.
Tech Friday: Personal privacy when using Artificial Intelligence
Posted By RichC on June 6, 2025
When you supply personal data to ChatGPT, it may be accessed by OpenAI’s AI trainers, service providers, law enforcement (if legally required), or third-party apps (if integrated). Data is stored and potentially used for training unless you opt out, and breaches or model outputs could expose it further.
Other AI clients follow similar patterns, though some (e.g., Grok, Claude, NotebookLM, etc) have stricter default privacy settings. To protect your data, avoid sharing sensitive information, opt out of training, use privacy modes, and review provider policies carefully. Always assume that any data you input could be seen by humans or stored indefinitely, even with safeguards in place. (more…)
Happy Anniversary Brenda … and a few more interesting maps
Posted By RichC on June 5, 2025
Brenda and I have successfully made another “trip around the sun” together, as the Jimmy Buffett and Martina McBride song goes — 
43 years now if my math is correct. We are now unofficially middle-aged in “married” years!
| Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride – “Trip Around The Sun” | 2004 |
In the past I’ve posted a some maps saved to my “to blog on” folder (that’s not what it is called), so today I’ll include three after the ones yesterday illustrating an interesting way to look at the world post.
The one above is on the size of the Mediterranean sea compared to the United States. The one on the left was from a Wall Street Journal article on Reinforcing Europe’s Northern Front with Russia — interesting if you don’t realized where the northern borders are or the Baltic Sea is located. Finally below is one that was shared on social media on what the average hourly pay is in each state around the US — although I’m not sure how it is calculated?
Maps are an interesting way to look at countries and the world
Posted By RichC on June 4, 2025
As mentioned a few times before, I enjoy the visuals of maps, charts and the globe. One of the social media accounts that I follow on X.com is Brilliantmaps.com. A couple years ago they posted a visual of the country Chile compared to the U.S. and to Europe. Chile is a long, LONG, country. 😊
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.