My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 5, 2018

Well finishing the kitchen upgrade at the condo was my goal, but since Brenda was with me, more than the condo kitchen was worked on! The guest bathroom’s minor vanity update grew into a MUCH larger project. One thing lead to another and before I knew it, my wife had me doing more tile than the kitchen backsplash (what I had planned!)

So now, the kitchen is finished (almost) but the bathroom a mess of ungrouted tile, missing vanity and toilet and a debate over a shower door that nearly lead to one of us walking out! She wants a very expensive heavy roller door requiring a Hulk to lift, special order and extra support since the heavy glass "hangs" from a rod. I would have preferred spending fewer dollars and installing a medium weight/thickness door that was instock at a Home Depot or Lowes. I’m still not sure I "alone" can install such a heavy door? Suffice to say, we stopped talking about it and I at least did the support so "if we go that way" it can be installed — maybe by an installer???

Category: Archive, Misc, Personal, Video | No Comments »
Tags: bathroom, brenda, condo1718, delray beach, florida, improvements, kitchen, remodel, richc, tile, update, upgrade

Posted By RichC on July 4, 2018

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Category: Archive, Friends, Holiday, Personal, Photography, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, creative, family, independence day, oshkosh, photo, photography, pool, star, taylor, usa

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.

(more…)

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