My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 3, 2018

While working with my "travel tool bag" today, I pick up a open end wrench with SHAW on the handle. It brought back memories of my Grandpa Bluhm and where he once worked back in the 1950s or 60s. I sent a photo to my cousin Diane, but because it was a tool, don’t really know if she remember the company. It is amazing how an object can bring back such fond memories … I really wish I would have had more than 10 years of life with someone I admired as much as Dick Bluhm.

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Category: History, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: antique, bluhm, diane, family, grandfather, joseph, popular science, shaw, tools

Posted By RichC on July 2, 2018

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Category: Faith, Human Interest, Movies, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: bible, i can only imagine, john 3:16, mercyme, movie, mp3, music monday, musicmonday, redbox

Posted By RichC on June 29, 2018

I can’t help myself … but when your daughter is the one the news goes to for summer heat and kids advice … a dad is super proud.

Category: News, Personal, Video-TV | No Comments »
Tags: doctor, family, interview, katelyn, News, ohio, oostra, pediatrician, toledo, video

Posted By RichC on June 28, 2018

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 was designed for flight at over Mach 3 with a flight crew of two in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the reconnaissance systems officer operating the surveillance systems and equipment from the rear cockpit, and directing navigation on the mission flight path. The SR-71 was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, an early attempt at stealth design. Finished aircraft were painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as camouflage against the night sky. The dark color led to the aircraft’s nickname “Blackbird”.

Category: Aviation, Millitary, Photos | No Comments »
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Posted By RichC on June 27, 2018

Colgate is my usual go-to toothpaste, although generally prefer the old fashion white and am partial to baking soda … but I’m off topic. My gripe is that their recent packaging (at least so I’ve noticed) is terribly misleading. After opening the normal large sized toothpaste box, I noticed it was WAY larger than the very small 4.0 oz tube. Likely if I would have read 4 ounces, I would have probably put it back … but I was in a hurry and, marketing being what it is, the box size really mislead me. Disappointing.

Will it be enough for me to switch brands or just pay more attention? (probably should be buying Crest a Proctor and Gamble brand since it is Cincinnati based and because we own $PG stock anyway)

Category: Advice, Business, Marketing, Shopping | No Comments »
Tags: $PG, colgate, crest, Marketing, misleading, offensive, packaging, toothpaste

Posted By RichC on June 26, 2018

How does on plan for the flattening yield curve – or even inversion (spread between 10-yr and 2-yr Treasury Bonds)?

Barron’s – June 2018:

“Inversion has an amazing record of forecasting recession…but stocks have typically continued to rise (sometimes sharply) after the inversion with a median gain of 13.1%.…Bottom line: the flattening yield curve is not a reason to flee stocks.”
— Bill Stone, Chief investment officer, Stone Investment Partners

“Although many fear [financials] may underperform…the history of the past two cycles suggests otherwise. We would add to our overweight sectors of financials, info tech and industrials with an intermediate-term time horizon.”
— Tony Dwyer, Analyst, Canaccord Genuity

“Contrarian investors should take a look at interest-rate sensitive defensive sectors like utilities, stables and real-estate investment trusts, which may gain their footing as growth momentum peaks.…”
— Michael Darda, Chief economist & market strategist, MKM Partners

“We still think it is too early to go full-on defensive, but it probably is not too early to start shifting out of some of the extreme cyclicals and picking up a few more defensively oriented names.”
— Michael J. Wilson, Equity Strategist, Morgan Stanley

Category: Financial | No Comments »
Tags: advice, barrons, inversion, investing, planning, porfolio, recession, retirement

Posted By RichC on June 25, 2018

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Category: Friends, Memories, Music, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: 8-track, friends, jet airliner, mp3, music monday, musicmonday, peter frampton, siriusxm, steve miller band

Posted By RichC on June 24, 2018

While there is no doubt the "fabricated" Time magazine cover photo has impact and tugs at everyone’s heartstrings, the deeper story represents far more than the current illegal immigration debate over separating children from those who bring them across the U.S.-Mexican border, whether with parents, relatives or traffickers. ("fabricated" in that the photo is obviously manipulated and the truth being that little girl was not separated from her mother)

First it reminds us that politicians are not solving the issue over immigration numbers, securing the border or having a deterrent that prevent illegal border crossings or the trafficking of children. Politicians refuse to legislate the issue and seem to be using it for their own party’s political purpose. Sadly the media is complicate – they not just "reporting the news" but adding their bias regarding border security and illegals within the United States. The commonsense solutions that includes more green cards, raising yearly immigration numbers, making legal immigration easier along with securing the border, eludes those with opposing views elected to run our country. Neither party can solve this issue without the other. Work together and address the issue!

As for the "deeper story" on the Time photo: It is minimally reported that the mom, who was already deported once in 2013 (Obama admin), was paying a "coyote" to smuggle her and her daughter across again. This story required overseas journalists to report  the "whole story." What is even more disturbing is that the mom left her other 3 children in Honduras and left without the father’s support or knowledge as to where they were or if they were safe. According to the UK’s DailyMail’s story, the dad had not heard from the two for 10 days and the first he knew anything was when he saw the heartbreaking photo.

Why did it take the overseas media to bring this to light — perhaps it does not fit the mainstream media’s narrative? Once again, the media’s commentary and poor reporting or purposely biased slanted reporting adds traction to President Trump’s Fake News mantra.

Category: News, Photography, Photos, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: alien, border, cover, crossing, illegal, immigration, magazine, media, photo, time

Posted By RichC on June 24, 2018

Since I drive a diesel BMW X5 35d as well as an old 1982 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel, and use diesel fuel in our Kubota and John Deere lawn tractors (not to mention sailboat) … seeing pump prices 20 to 40 cents higher at the pump is starting to cut into my theory of saving money through better fuel efficiency over gasoline. Thankfully there are still a few stations that keep the gasoline vs diesel spread a bit tighter. A local “new” UDF station has been the lowest in our area as of late, but in the summer they also market fuel discounts with a uDrive promotion which Brenda and I “unfortunately” take advantage of every summer as the scale proves; we have a weakness for an “occasional” milkshake.

Of course looking at the $1.77 per gallon price in the photo on the left ($1.10 discount), you might say my use of the word “occasional” is inaccurate? In that case, substitute the work “regular” milkshake!

I’ve been using Fuelly.com to track most fill-ups for a long time now and wanted to include some of the tracking long term. Also below is the impressive new Volkswagen Tiguan fuel efficiency based on my daughter’s Fuelly tracking — Wow!

Category: Automotive, Diesel, Financial, Marketing, Misc | No Comments »
Tags: 300d, BMW, diesel, economy, encore, engine, fuel, fuelly, mercedes, milkshakes, udf, udrive, x5 35d

Posted By RichC on June 23, 2018

I think I’ll archive that idea as a reminder since I always have an umbrella in the back of my Van, 300D or BMW X5 35d … one of those cars is generally at the marina with me!

This might be the perfect post to archive my Father’s Day gifts from my kids! A new “lifetime service agreement” Ridgid cordless drill kit AND the warranty includes lifetime replacement of the 18V battery if it fails … and they always do. I’ve talked about battery powered tools before (been thru several and they always let me down), but with new Lithium batteries they are proving to be “almost” good enough to never have to plug in a tool again – so say a few users (we’ll see, but like EV cars, I know we are getting close). Thanks again Katelyn, Drew and Taylor … used my Amazon gift card to pick up a couple tiling tools for my next project and packed up a few extras in my Ridgid drill bag. FYI, it worked great to install the porch ceiling fan! 

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Category: Archive, Misc, Photos, Sailing, Tidbits, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: amazon, battery, boats, cordless, encore, idea, lithium, ridgid, sailboat, saililng, tiling, tools, unbrella