My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on February 21, 2025

Over the past year, I’ve been asked to write commentary for TheHustings.News. It isn’t really something I’ve thought about doing in the past, but I’ve enjoyed having someone “ask” me to help bolster the “right-leaning” column of their political news website (nothing earth shattering).

After several columns in 2024, the editor asked if he could include my name as a regular contributor. Although it’s not a prestigious website or anything, I still appreciated his interest in having me contribute my conservative political views.

A recent topic focused on the Washington Post and owner Jeff Bezos, especially their refusing to run an ad asking President Trump to “fire” DOGE and Elon Musk by Common Cause. Since I’m not a Washington Post reader, I opted to comment on seeing a 180 degree turn by many tech and media companies this go around. Who know if it will get included, but I’ll share my short commentary below:

The relationship between tech and media companies and the Trump administration has evolved significantly from 2017 to 2025. In 2017, the tech sector, including giants like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, was largely oppositional to Trump’s policies, particularly criticizing initiatives like the travel ban due to its impact on workforce diversity and global operations.

However, by 2025, there’s been a notable realignment:

• Meta’s Strategic Shift: Meta has actively sought President Trump’s assistance to counter EU regulatory measures, highlighting a strategic alignment with the administration to protect its international interests.
• Elon Musk’s Influence: Musk has taken on a role as a senior advisor to Trump, influencing policy from within, albeit without a formal government title, raising discussions on the extent of his influence.
• Content Moderation Policy: An executive order from Trump titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship” has pushed companies to adjust their content moderation practices, reflecting a move away from previous regulatory approaches.
• FCC’s DEI Scrutiny: The FCC, led by Chairman Brendan Carr, is investigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, leading media companies to rethink or scale back these initiatives to align with the administration’s stance.
• Jeff Bezos and The Washington Post: Jeff Bezos, owner of both Amazon and The Washington Post, has publicly expressed optimism about Trump’s second term, particularly regarding deregulation. The Washington Post, under Bezos’s ownership, faced backlash for not endorsing a presidential candidate in 2024, which some interpreted as an attempt to curry favor with Trump. This decision, alongside Bezos’s comments on supporting Trump’s regulatory agenda, marks a significant departure from the media’s previously adversarial stance, showcasing a more collaborative approach to navigate the political landscape.

This evolution from opposition to a more cooperative posture by 2025 reflects tech and media companies’ pragmatic adaptation to the prevailing regulatory environment, aiming to safeguard their interests under Trump’s administration.

Category: News, Politics, Social Media | No Comments »
Tags: commentary, editorial, jeff bezos, media, News, Politics, thehustings, washingtonpost, writing

Posted By RichC on February 20, 2025

This content is restricted.

Category: Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: birthday, ellerie

Posted By RichC on February 19, 2025

My reading from a week ago has stalled … and I have no idea why? “Area 51” by Annie Jacobsen is an interesting book, and beside walking, neither Brenda or I are doing much more than pretending we are on a long vacation.  

One of our pleasures is seeing the same people each morning while we walk 7+ miles on the beach. Some days we talk a few minutes, other days it is just a friendly wave. One of our favorites is an elderly man followed by his very cute dog … always by a considerable distance behind. We pass him and try to make friends with him, but. suspect he sees us a “stranger danger” and looks the other way. Lately though, he walks along with us in order to catch up to his owner. Even Brenda (not a dog lover) enjoys seeing this little guy and talks to him.  

Although we’ve been down to our Delray Beach condo semi-regularly now that we no longer have a winter tenant, we’ve never taken the time to do a meet and greet or stop in at the clubhouse. About the only time we have been there as been when out kids are down and want to go in the pool. So this year we chose to go to the “new owners” meeting and say hello. I can’t say we clicked with anyone, but we were at least friendly.

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Category: Books, Human Interest, Misc, Personal, Photos, Retirement, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: area 51, casey means, chick-fil-a, family, good energy, michigan, oostras, reading

Posted By RichC on February 18, 2025

NASCAR has always been something that I’ve taken an interest in watching. When I was a boy, I’d watch it with my brother and dad. When I was a dad, I’d watch it with my son Taylor and we collected cars and trading cars — he was a Jeff Gordon fan.

These days I still watch it, but now I find myself talking about all the drivers, cars and controversial stories with Brenda; she has shockingly grown to tolerate it and even knows more about the points scoring calculations than I do. Weekly racing aside, the big race to kick off the 2025 season was this past Sunday and after a rain delay, went well under the lights in the evening. 

The initial “pre-race and pre-rain delay” ceremony was as patriotic and impressive as it always is, but for the second time saw President Trump there to greet the fans and race teams. So great to see this part of Americana still brings chills to generations of our citizens — at least those who share the love of cars, competitive racing and patriotism. Trump rolled around the 2-1/2 mile Daytona Speedway in “The Beast” … followed by the pace car and field of drivers warming up their cars. Besides the Air Force Thunderbirds flyover during the National Anthem, it was quite a sight … and then having the President of the US talk on the radio in the cars and grandstand was pretty cool too.

All is all, it was a good day for those watching … and those who enjoy knowing that America is REALLY Back and in better hands than the past 4 years (see 2021 link)!

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Like Houdini making an unlikely escape from a straitjacket, William Byron trusted his instincts and emerged from a smoky, last-lap wreck on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway to win the Daytona 500 for the second straight time.

MORE

Category: Automotive, Personal, Politics, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: america, americana, daytona500, nascar, president trump, racing, the beast, wikipedia, william byron

Posted By RichC on February 17, 2025

Although this season’s blowout of a Super Bowl has been almost forgotten by all but Philadelphia Eagles fans (and definitely forgotten by Kansas City Chiefs fans), the halftime show stands out as one I could have easily pass on. To each their own I suppose? 

Anyway, some of the chatter on social media was “why don’t they invite someone like a Barry Manilow” (suspect the comment was from someone older?);  I personally had not thought about him for years, but as I was reading it, up popped his 1974 hit “Mandy” on my SiriusXM 70s on 7 channel (also see “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl”).

So with two references at the same time, the song lock it’s place in for Music Monday.
 

“Mandy” is a song by Barry Manilow that was released in 1974 and became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart. The song was originally titled “Brandy” and written by Scott English and Richard Kerr, but Manilow changed the title to avoid confusion with Looking Glass’s “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”.

LINK

Category: Music, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: 70son7, barry manilow, brandy, mandy, music monday, musicmonday, siriiusxm, super bowl, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on February 16, 2025

Believe it or not, I had a longer Sunday post on Psalms typed and ready to go, but it disappeared. ☹️ 

So I’m going to rewrite it for next week and try to include it. 

So for today, I’ll add a little … very little … church humor. 

Category: Faith, Humor | No Comments »
Tags: church, Humor, joke, psalms

Posted By RichC on February 15, 2025

We have been enjoying our time together in Florida this month. The weather has been near perfect after a little “expected” cooler, damp, jacket weather that Florida received in January. Next week could be different … according to my weather and tides watcher — report courtesy of Brenda. 😉

Our daily walks are getting easier (we are in better shape) and the distance of 7.0 miles just about right for me (Duffy app step counter), but it’s not enough according to my fully rehabbed wife.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day morning (yesterday) on the beach as is our usual, after sending this “Bluey” greeting to our granddaughters. KDAE are off to Gma and Gpa Oostra’s beautiful Michigan place and will likely have some fun in the snow. We are looking forward to a few photos, but here are a couple of mine below! 😊

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Category: Holiday, Nature, Personal, Photos, Retirement, Travel, Video, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: atlantic ghost crab, beach, blue land crab, crabs, dolphinfish, florida, mahi-mahi, sunshine, valentine's day

Posted By RichC on February 14, 2025

I’m not much of a TikTok person (actually anti-TikTok) and you might want to take this with a grain of salt, but it is interesting to contemplate where computer development is going in the next 75 years? 

Category: Computer, Human Interest, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Tags: animation, Computer, mp4, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on February 13, 2025

Brenda and I have been thoroughly enjoying the surprisingly nice early February weather and escape from winter up north — and we are living The Life of Riley (a previous reference that I can’t get out of my mind).  

I’ve finished “Killing the Rising Sun” and have picked up a Annie Jacobsen book (previous was her “Nuclear War: A Scenario”) after reading about Operation Crossroads and atomic testing in the Pacific after World War II. The 2011 book is a Kindle copy of, “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base,” and introduces readers to scientists and engineers who worked in Area 51 in Nevada. The book addresses the Roswell UFO incident and covers a few of the explanations we’ve all heard through the years (still questionable). After the first couple of chapters, it has grabbed my attention … and even knowing that there are plenty of critics … I’m looking forward to learning a little more about this base and part of our country’s secretive Cold War history. 

Google Maps view of Area 51 in Nevada – 75 miles north of Las Vegas

Edit add: After finishing this “books” post, my daughter sent me a “bloggable” topic on putting aside distractions. A quote from “Gen Z, Fight ‘Brain Rot’ by Reading Books” is probably pretty fitting for all of us with smartphones: My phone addiction took away my ability to sit in silence, focus for any length of time, or engage deeply with anything meaningful. As Oxford Press might put it, I was a victim of “brain rot.”

Category: Books, Personal, Photos, Travel, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: annie jacobsen, area 51, florida, reading, sunshine

Posted By RichC on February 12, 2025

Excellent speech by US Vice President JD Vance on artificial intelligence in a summit in Paris, France. He told European and Asian leaders that the United States will dominate AI. Worth watching.

NEW: JD Vance speaks at an artificial intelligence summit in Paris, France, tells European and Asian leaders that the United States will dominate A.I.

Imagine VP Kamala Harris giving this speech.

"The Trump administration will ensure that the most powerful A.I. systems are… pic.twitter.com/dowLVks1wd

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 11, 2025

It will also probably come at no surprise that my “right-column” commentary over at TheHustings.News is starting to become the norm — see “Trump’s First Three Weeks” heading — but it has Brenda asking, “are you getting paid?”

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Category: AI, News, Politics, Social Media, Technology, Video | No Comments »
Tags: artificial intelligence, asia, commentary, europe, france, jd vance, paris, speech, thehustings, vp, wikipedia