My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on January 25, 2025

The shoreline of the “Gulf of America” isn’t the only area impacted by cold weather this past week, as Brenda and I are feeling the cold a bit further south in Florida too. We’ve been walking daily in the cool north winds on Delray Beach and still enjoying it, despite the numb fingers and cold legs (we’re wearing shorts … just like northern snowbirds). We are ignoring the high 50s and low 60s and reminding ourselves that it is far better than the single digits in Ohio. 

For me, it has been half days of office/computer work (if you can call it that) and then something we started when Brenda was rehabbing her new hip — walking the beach. We are up to a 6 or 7 mile walk on the beach and then a snack while looking at the ocean so long as it is not windy and raining. I wish we could claim sunshine and warm weather right now, but knowing it is January, it is par for the course. 

The new Apple Watch is doing a fine job in replacing my Fitbit Versa 2 … so as long as I remember to charge and to wear it (yes, I forgot today). Nevertheless, I’m mostly glancing at the very simple step counter app call Duffy since that’s what I”m used to … but have looked at the Apple apps “Fitness and Health” because they offer far more tracking details (currently almost too many details). 😉   

Category: Personal, Photos, Travel, Watch, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: cold weather, delray beach, duffy app, florida, snowbird, walking

Posted By RichC on January 24, 2025

My MacBook Air M2 is a fantastic portable computer. It has worked nearly flawlessly for the past couple of years and will likely be fine for a couple more. The missing feature has been the inability to connect more than one external monitor … something I use everyday. Unfortunately I was used to using a late 2012 Intel-chipped iMac 27” with a second monitor which offered a lot of extra display space than my previous Mac Mini setup (usually run Parallels and Windows on one and MacOS on the other). 

It is true, I’m now comfortable working with just one extra portable monitor and the existing MacBook Air display, but would have preferred running two displays PLUS the MacBook Air M2 display — not possible with the M2 or the newer M3.

This year it may be changing … 

M4 MacBook Air to support two monitors with the lid open per 9to5Mac

Apple’s new MacBook Air will run the same M4 chip available already in the base MacBook Pro. And just like when the M3 MacBook Pro tipped us off to expanded display support coming to the M3 Air, the same story is playing out again.

Apple’s M4 MacBook Air is expected to support up to three displays total: two external monitors plus the internal display with lid open.

This is what the M4 MacBook Pro specs support, and we should see the same compatibility with the M4 Air.

Which for some users could be reason enough to upgrade.

Whether you’re using last year’s M3 Air, or certainly an older M2 or M1 model, the ability to drive two monitors plus keep your lid open is a huge win.

It means being able to use the MacBook Air’s built-in keyboard and trackpad rather than needing separate accessories, and it increases the amount of screen space you have in total.

9to5Mac

Category: Apple, Computer, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apple, external, macbook air, monitor, notebook computer, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on January 23, 2025

Spotted in the Florida Panhandle above and airboat video in Louisiana below 😊

Saw the photo below on social media as a Polar Vortex powered Arctic Blast pushes across the country … and I thought, “climate change” (so long as it is warmer weather) … isn’t coming fast enough!
 

Category: Photos, Video, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: airboat, cajun, climate change, cold, florida, snow, snowmobile, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on January 22, 2025

We saw way too many family photos being exchanged over the long MLK Jr. weekend, but I’m including a couple for the blog archive. First I’ll start with an interesting and as Katelyn called it, “blogworthy” techie kind of space selfie project photo. Both Katelyn and Drew are on top of today’s technology oriented projects.

Crunchlabs and Mark Roper created  the space selfie project and will put KDAE’s family photo on Satellite GUS. The company is a 2022 educational technology company that creates hands-on STEM learning experiences and subscription box services (known as CrunchLabs Build Boxes). The boxes contain building projects and engineering challenges for children.

Taylor and Megan spent the long weekend in Western New York skiing and enjoyed near perfect conditions … and even visited the old Howard Farmhouse and Taylor’s Uncle Mark’s grave in Jamestown, NY. Very thoughtful.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Recreation, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: drew, family, katelyn, megan, Photos, selfie, skiing, space, taylor, winter

Posted By RichC on January 21, 2025

The Ohio State Buckeyes secured a decisive victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff National Championship game held in Atlanta. Ohio State won with a final score of 34-23, clinching their first national title since 2014.

Key Highlights:

First Half:
– Notre Dame started strong with an 18-play, 75-yard drive that took almost 10 minutes off the clock, scoring first with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Riley Leonard, leading 7-0.
– Ohio State responded robustly, with quarterback Will Howard leading the charge, finishing the game with 17-for-21 passing for 231 yards and two scores. Running back Quinshon Judkins was also pivotal, rushing for 100 yards and scoring two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air.
– Ohio State’s defense was formidable, notably when they stopped a Notre Dame fake punt attempt, setting up their offensive deep in Irish territory.

Second Half:
– Despite Notre Dame cutting into the lead with a touchdown pass from Leonard to Jaden Greathouse, Ohio State maintained their lead, with a significant play being a long pass from Howard to Jeremiah Smith.
– Ohio State added to their lead with a field goal late in the game, making the final score 34-23.

The game was not only a testament to Ohio State’s offensive and defensive prowess but also highlighted the resilience of the Buckeyes after a challenging regular season, particularly following their loss to Michigan. This victory under coach Ryan Day’s leadership was a significant redemption and a testament to the team’s ability to adapt and thrive in the expanded 12-team playoff format.

Category: Politics, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: college, football, national champions, notre dame, ohio state

Posted By RichC on January 20, 2025

On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, marking his second, non-consecutive term in office. Due to anticipated freezing temperatures and high winds, the inauguration ceremony has been relocated indoors to the United States Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C.  This adjustment ensures the safety and comfort of attendees, a priority emphasized by President-elect Trump.

The inauguration events will commence on January 19 with a wreath-laying ceremony, a victory rally, and a candlelight dinner. On January 20, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance will take the oath of office, followed by President-elect Trump. The ceremony will feature performances by Carrie Underwood, who will sing “America the Beautiful,” and the Village People. Additional performances at the inaugural balls will include artists such as Gavin DeGraw, Jason Aldean, Nelly, and Rascal Flatts.  Notably, former President Joe Biden and other former presidents, including Barack Obama, are expected to attend the ceremony.

As President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares for his inauguration on January 20, 2025, he has announced a slate of cabinet nominees to lead various departments in his upcoming administration.

Below is a list of these nominees:

• Department of State: Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
• Department of the Treasury: Scott Bessent, CEO Key Square Group
• Department of Defense: Pete Hegseth
• Department of Justice (Attorney General): Pam Bondi, former Attorney General of Florida, has been nominated for this role.
• Department of the Interior: Doug Burgum, former North Dakota Governor
• Department of Agriculture: Brooke Rollins
• Department of Commerce: Howard Lutnick
• Department of Labor: Lori Chavez-DeRemer
• Department of Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
• Department of Housing and Urban Development: Scott Turner
• Department of Transportation: Sean Duffy, former WI Congressional Rep
• Department of Energy: Chris Wright, CEO Liberty Energy
• Department of Education: Linda McMahon, SBA administrator
• Department of Veterans Affairs: Doug Collins, former GA Congressional Rep
• Department of Homeland Security: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
• White House Chief of Staff: Susie Wiles, a political consultant from Florida
• Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency: Former U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin from New York has been nominated for this position.
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Russell Vought, who previously served in this role, has been nominated to return.
• Director of National Intelligence: Former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii has been nominated for this position.
• Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: Former Director of National Intelligence and former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe has been nominated for this role.
• United States Trade Representative: Jamieson Greer, former USTR Chief of Staff, has been nominated for this position.
• Ambassador to the United Nations: U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik from New York has been nominated for this role.
• Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers: Stephen Miran, a former U.S. Department of the Treasury official from New York, has been nominated for this position.
• Administrator of the Small Business Administration: Former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler from Georgia has been nominated for this role.
• Science Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy: Former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios from South Carolina has been nominated for this position.

Category: News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: 47th president, cabinet, donald trump, inauguration, nominees, potus, trump administration, wikipedia

Posted By RichC on January 19, 2025

At least the Wall Street Journal’s year in review summary didn’t add up the total amount of time I likely wasted reading WSJ online … BUT obviously reading 507 articles in 2024 took a little bit of my time … and I definitely posted plenty of references on MDB.

I’m not sure knowing which days or topics I reference the most, but was surprised not to see Tech listed … but Business likely was my daily go-to morning segment. Interesting too was seeing that Autos/Cars was a favorite topic and I’m sure that was enhanced by X.com posts of EV articles. 

I first subscribed to the “paper” version of the WSJ, but remember receiving it early in the 1990s at my Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio office … and regularly walking to the end of our driveway each morning and reading it in odd places — like “planking” on the dinghy (2011 photo above). 😊

(more…)

Category: Business, Cellphone, Misc, Personal, Photography, Photos, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: 2024, articles, iphone 16 pro max, photography, plank, planking, reading, review, seagull, telephoto, trinka, wsj

Posted By RichC on January 18, 2025

While reading a recent issue of Kiplinger as an investor, an article has me contemplating the history of the year following Federal Reserve rate cuts.

It seems likely, that unless there is a crisis in 2025, that financial markets will see gains again. Of course the market watcher in me realizes that the stock market moves up more than it moves down and that being invested is generally better than sitting on the sidelines. That said, I do tend to be a contrarian and cynic when it comes to being overly optimistic. So …

Should we be concerned that valuations for companies are too high?

Yes … because 2024 did see some Greenspan-like irrational exuberance around the election of business friendly politicians, innovation at tech companies and rapid advancements in artificial intelligence; it does seem to be pushing some valuations into nosebleed levels. Also, in the back of my mind, heavy government spending after Covid, 3 years of high inflation and our growing national debt my be impacting just how much one US dollar is worth (costs and prices are high).

Nevertheless, Fed rate cuts do show correlation with a stock market gain the year following them so as long as we avoid a recession.

Category: Financial, News | No Comments »
Tags: federal reserve, investing, kiplinger, rate cut, stock market

Posted By RichC on January 17, 2025

The current handful of pre-order Magfast products that arrived last year … from an order years ago … are working just fine. In fact, I’ve enjoyed using them since the first thingCharger nearly a decade ago.

In the course of 2016 thingCHARGER had a series of financial challenges and as a result ceased operations in Q4 2016.

In summary a large majority of backers – 84.5% – voted to start over with a new company, using all the lessons of the past 3 years to make a second attempt at creating a great charging company.

As a result Amy & Seymour have formed a new company and are working on a new project.

Indiegogo LINK

I was one of the 84.5% who back his new 2.0 company Magfast. Unfortunately that second try didn’t go well either. Be it poorly managed finally, unlucky with the Covid timing and overseas supliers or a public who had confidence in this smooth talking snakeoil salesman. How ever it works out, founder Seymour Segnit, seems to continue to land on his feet and convince pre-order buyers and capital investors to stay with him hoping someday the company will land on its feet.

Personally having pre-ordered products (and thankfully receiving just enough of them to hang on for more), I’ve struggled with him being just unlucky, a poor business manager or a shyster. The longer it goes on, the more it is likely the third. ☹️ 

In any case, I’m finally using the desktop Magfast induction charger with my iPhone 16 Pro Max. What is nice is that it charges holding the iPhone either vertically (most of the time) or horizontal, like below for watching a video.

Category: Business, Cellphone, Gadget, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: charger, charging, gadgets, iphone, magfast, pivot2, power pivot 2, smartphone

Posted By RichC on January 16, 2025

Last year I was invited by a longtime automotive writer and friend, Todd Lassa (photo), to help with writing right column commentary for a political news site — TheHustings.news. The network of writers and journalists he taps into skew politically left for the most part … and he felt my Republican right-leaning (and pro-Trump/Vance) views as a long time reader (and commenter) might help balance right-column content. I obliged after the VP political debate and after the presidential election, even though I’m NOT really a writer … although I pretend to be one by blogging. 😊

This week after he posted a “Twisted Logic” comment from a reader for the left column, he asked if I could perhaps offer a right-column perspective or comment. Again, I took the invitation as if it were a school assignment and they posted my “Let’s Start With a Clean Slate” this week (for the blog, I also tinkered with a new voice on ElevenLabs to see if it has improved reading ability — it does!)  

ElevenLabs AI “Sully” reading “Let’s Start With a Clean Slate“

For those raising alarm about alleged threats to “democracy” while ignoring the blatant overreach of unelected bureaucrats and activist judges against President-Elect Donald J. Trump, it’s clear you’ve succumbed to a narrative driven by Democrats and the biased media. The weaponization of government institutions by partisan actors has exposed just how fragile our republic has become under the influence of radical leftist ideology.

For years, Democrats have leveraged every tool in their arsenal — be it impeachment attempts, endless investigations, or politically motivated indictments — to undermine those who challenge their grip on power. This lawfare isn’t about justice; it’s about silencing dissent and punishing anyone who dares stand in their way.

The Constitution and rule of law are meant to serve as safeguards against tyranny, yet they are being bent and twisted to suit the whims of a political elite that cannot abide opposition. Conservatives and independent thinkers should take heed: today’s targeted leader could be tomorrow’s silenced citizen.

As Americans, we must demand accountability, transparency, and an end to the misuse of power for partisan ends. Without these, the freedoms that define this nation risk becoming relics of a bygone era, sacrificed on the altar of political expediency. Let’s start with a clean slate next week and give President Trump an opportunity to prove his competence and ability to lead America and all our citizens towards a brighter tomorrow. 

–Rich Corbett

Category: AI, Audio, News, Politics, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: ai, editorial, elevenlabs, News, opinion, Politics, thehustings, writing