My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on June 2, 2025

Although I mentioned the song “When Will I Be Loved” before on Music Monday … with the Linda Ronstadt version and her 1976 live performance in Germany … but didn’t realize that Vince Gill recorded the Everly Brothers song about 20 years later in 1994. Gill’s version was used in the the movie “8 seconds” which was a contemporary western film on the rodeo legend Lane Frost. Although I’ve never been attracted to “western” themed movies or television, I am adding this one to our movie list? 

So here are the three versions of “When Will I Be Loved.”
  

Do you have a favorite version? You know I do — 1975 of course!

Category: History, Movies, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 8 seconds, lane frost, linda ronstadt, Movies, vince gill, when will i be loved

Posted By RichC on June 1, 2025

While Katelyn was home with her family over the Memorial Day weekend, she made a comment about Drew’s hairline while he was swimming in the pool; she used the term “Widow’s Peak“ and it stuck with me as something “desultory” enough for MDB.

According to GrokAI (sketched an illustration too):

A widow’s peak is a distinctive V-shaped point in the hairline, typically centered on the forehead, where the hair converges into a downward peak. It’s a genetic trait, often inherited, and can vary in prominence from subtle to pronounced. The term originates from folklore, where it was associated with widows, as the shape resembled the peak of a widow’s hood worn in mourning. It’s seen in both men and women and can influence hairstyles, with some embracing it as a unique feature while others style their hair to minimize its appearance.

Perhaps the most prominent illustration of a Widow’s Peak that comes to my mind would be the legendary Count Dracula? I also thought of former speaker of the U.S.House, and Miami of Ohio grad, Paul Ryan … and supposedly the famous actress Marilyn Monroe once had a widows peak … although it is reported it was tweaked with some Hollywood electrolysis. Hm, who knew? 

Why is it Called a Widow’s Peak?

The widow’s peak is a physical trait most often noted for its name. Although the term “peak” is assumed to be a way of describing the distinct V shape, this trait actually has a more interesting reason for its name. The name can be traced back to 18th century England, where this hairline was originally thought to be a bad omen, signaling early widowhood. During this period, widows would typically wear a hat or hood that pointed down the middle of their forehead to signal widowhood. Thus, when a woman was born with this hairline that created a similar look to the headpiece worn by widows, it was assumed that that would be her fate.

LINK

Category: AI, Blogs, Human Interest, Misc, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: artificial intelligence, desultory, dracula, grok, hairline, katelyn, marilyn monroe, paul ryan, webmd, widows peak, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on May 31, 2025

Some of what I attempt to archive on MDB are the goings-on in our family for posterity. Taylor has definitely found his career niche and excels at socially interacting with coworkers and the citizens he serves in Batavia Township, Ohio.

In April it was putting on the Easter Bunny suit to the smile of children and parents and this month it was the grand opening of their “splashpad” at the community center (very impressive, BTW). His county’s local Clermont Sun newspaper published an article which included Taylor (archived PDF). It is wonderful to see how well Taylor fits in and has become an integral part of the community — and makes a mom and dad proud.

(more…)

Category: Archive, Local, Memories, Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: batavia township, bowling, bowling ball, career, family, jeff pitts, jeffp, michael agler, planner, splashpad, taylor, zillow

Posted By RichC on May 30, 2025

This past week, regular readers may have noticed MDB going down. I battled with it instead fo relaxing on Wednesday night — wasting time building an entire new Digital Ocean Droplet/Server with an overnight (automated while sleeping) older “snapshot” set to run and be updated with backup data Thursday morning.

Tech support wasn’t all that helpful wanting me to look at what was running using all the CPU, etc. I suspected a networking issue since there was significant pre-planned maintenance the day before my problems started?

Maintenance will begin as scheduled in 60 minutes.

Start time: May 27, 22:00 UTC

Estimated duration: 2 hours

Components affected:
API, Cloud Control Panel, Cloud Firewall, Networking – NYC3

By Thursday morning (5/29/2025), both servers were up and running just fine and my overnight build of a new droplet now seems like a waste (now “destroyed,” DO’s word for eliminating the droplet). Let’s hope all continues to run smoothly?

In the same Tech Friday vein as a server going down, one of my newer Wyze Cams failed to update. After a “chat” to review what could be done, they instead issued a Wyze credit towards a new product. Hm … do I really want another cam?

Category: Blogs, Gadget, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: cams, cpu, digital ocean, droplet, linux, maintenance, network, server, tech friday, techfriday, wyze

Posted By RichC on May 29, 2025

This is a blogging test of a MarsEdit feature to include content that is on a different server — a Memorial Day 8-plane backyard formation flyover (it didn’t work). ☹️  

Also, an interesting bit of Area-51 “Skunk Works” Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk development trivia: 

The stealth bomber prototype secretly developed at Area 51 in the 1970s, that became the now officially retired Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, was named after the invisible rabbit in the Jimmy Stewart film – “Harvey” 🤔

RichC’s X.com LINK

Category: Aviation, Blogs, Books, Social Media, Software, Tidbits, Video | No Comments »
Tags: f-117, flyover, harvey, jimmy stewart, kindle, marsedit, mp4, nighthawk, reading, Software, trivia, video

Posted By RichC on May 28, 2025

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, drew, ellerie, family, granddaughters, katelyn, oostra, peak design, zonked

Posted By RichC on May 27, 2025

FYI, I have zero understanding of climate science beyond knowing that it is a politically loaded topic. I’ve tried to remain balanced on pollution vs economic issues my entire life — advocating for saving the whales, birds and manatees and for clean water and air in the 1960-70s when human offensives were clearly noticeable … but started to question things in the 1980-90s when global cooling, then warming and peak oil alarmists were clearly political. I was even an advocate for harvesting crops and seaweed/algae for biodiesel in the 2000s. It only gets more confusing from there … to the point it became glacier melt, ozone layers and CO2 levels. 

Never the less, I did enjoy this video for the aesthetics and continued attention. 

Category: Biodiesel, Environment, Science, Video | No Comments »
Tags: biofuel, climate, co2, Environment, nasa, ozone, pollution, youtube

Posted By RichC on May 26, 2025

Although Memorial Day posts have generally been focused on honoring and remembering on MDB, I’m breaking the tradition and will include a Music Monday song titled “18 Summers” from the Christian artist Matthew West. It so happened that my daughter sent his YouTube video and a comment regarding college and her girls (still a decade off, mind you!) … to which I said that I’d be including Matthew West and his song on a Music Monday … I just didn’t think it would be on Memorial Day. 😉 

Anyway, “18 Summers” is one of those “pull on your heartstrings” kind of songs that especially yanks on a father-daughter bond (see last week’s Throwback Thursday #TBT), but likely impacts every family (the years go fast). Also, it is a well done song, a great video and worth including.

Category: Holiday, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: christian, matthew west, Memorial Day, music monday, musicmonday, wikipedia, youtube

Posted By RichC on May 25, 2025

As with previous archived tidbits, I’m saving two more from WoodSmith magazine this month that I might want to try. The one above is using painter’s tape to cut more precise hand-cut dovetails. If I try again, this might help? 

The tip below the break is for pocket dowels and screws, a technique that I generally don’t use … but I might give it a try if using dowels? For me, instead of pocket screws to pull a joint tight, I’ve used an end bored dowel to both align and strengthen a frame or door frame, but I do like the idea of using slippery flat faced locking pliers (welding clamps) to keep things aligned (image left and below)! 

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Category: Archive, Tidbits, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: amazon, locking pliers, magazine, snippets, tips, woodsmith, woodworking, workshop

Posted By RichC on May 24, 2025

The U.S. penny, a staple of American currency since 1787, will no longer be minted after 2026, as announced by the Treasury Department. The decision comes as the cost of producing a penny has soared to 3.7 cents, far exceeding its face value. With 114 billion pennies in circulation, the move aims to cut losses for the U.S. Mint, which reported an $85 million deficit on penny production last year.

The phase-out, backed by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, reflects the penny’s diminishing relevance. Inflation has eroded its purchasing power, and many businesses already round transactions to the nearest nickel. However, the transition may pose challenges, as businesses will need to adjust pricing and cash-handling practices, potentially rounding transactions up or down.

The decision has sparked mixed reactions. Some see it as a practical step to eliminate an inefficient coin, while others, including collectors and small businesses, worry about the economic and cultural impact. The U.S. Mint is preparing for the change by planning commemorative coin designs for the 2026 Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.

As the penny fades, its legacy as a symbol of American commerce endures, but its practical use in modern transactions appears to have reached its end.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Category: Financial, History, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: coins, currency, penny, us mint