Archiving a few Westerly Corsair links
Posted By RichC on April 24, 2015
Adding an older (2012) video from a boat broker from Europe as it is always good to see other Westerly Corsairs.
The Tale of Two Puppets
Posted By RichC on April 23, 2015
Just filling space today … but I thought the resemblance between Jeff Durham‘s “dummy” Walter and President Obama‘s Joe Biden was amazing. (it made me chuckle, no offense intended)
Tip: Cover sharp edges of cotter pins with a blob of silicone
Posted By RichC on April 22, 2015
Every once in a while I run across a good idea and save the tool tip. I don’t recall which sailing magazine or source I clipped this to my iPad in, but wanted to archive to my blog. I’ve noticed a few purchased products with a silicone blob on electrical connections, but adding a little to sharp edged safety wires or cotter pins was a great idea.
Alphabetic odds for becoming President of the United States
Posted By RichC on April 21, 2015
If by fate, your last name begins with a letter in the second half of the alphabet, you may be at a disadvantage when it comes to being elected to public office? 
A unscientific look at a list of past U.S. Presidents one think that there might be more than just a legacy advantage to being a Bush or a Clinton in 2016?
Far be it from me to believe the American voter is so shallow as to pick a candidate that happens to be listed first on a voting ballot, but my advices is that you may want to consider changing your last name or marrying someone with an “A, B or C” last name if you have aspirations for elected office.
Hmm: Those with “A, B or C” last names have accounted for 11 of our 44 presidents.
Just as interesting as 1/4 of all presidents have last names beginning with the first three letters (A, B, C) is the fact that 30 of our 44 presidents had last names in the first half of the alphabet (A-M) … compared to only 14 in the second half (N-Z).
Well, this interesting dinner conversation anyway. 
LIST OF Presidents below from IPL.org:
- George Washington, 1789-1797
- John Adams, 1797-1801
- Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809
- James Madison, 1809-1817
- James Monroe, 1817-1825
- John Quincy Adams, 1825-1829
- Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837
- Martin Van Buren, 1837-1841
- William Henry Harrison, 1841
- John Tyler, 1841-1845
- James Knox Polk, 1845-1849
- Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850
- Millard Fillmore, 1850-1853
- Franklin Pierce, 1853-1857
- James Buchanan, 1857-1861
- Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865
- Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869
- Ulysses S. Grant, 1869-1877
- Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-1881
- James Abram Garfield, 1881
- Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-1885
- Grover Cleveland, 1885-1889
- Benjamin Harrison, 1889-1893
- Grover Cleveland, 1893-1897
- William McKinley, 1897-1901
- Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-1909
- William Howard Taft, 1909-1913
- Woodrow Wilson, 1913-1921
- Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-1923
- Calvin Coolidge, 1923-1929
- Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-1933
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-1945
- Harry S. Truman, 1945-1953
- Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-1961
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-1963
- Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-1969
- Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-1974
- Gerald Rudolph Ford, 1974-1977
- James Earl Carter, Jr., 1977-1981
- Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-1989
- George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993
- William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001
- George Walker Bush, 2001-2009
- Barack Hussein Obama, 2009-present
The Cincinnati renaissance is impressive
Posted By RichC on April 20, 2015
I spent Sunday afternoon with my son Taylor while he was back home visiting from North Dakota on a cloudy and rainy afternoon. He was my tour guide and gave me the updates on the projects and investment that is helping to revitalize Cincinnati.
As a suburban guy, I was impressed to see “our home city” making a comeback after years of white flight, crime, decaying buildings and racial unrest. There is still a long way to go to revitalizing the Queen City, but real change is taking place in several neighborhoods and has been over the past decade. Business in the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) district is booming and an impressive revitalization has saved this historic district. The surrounding areas are being embraced by young professionals and property values are up. Although crime has not been eliminated it has been reduced and these urban neighborhoods are now a desirable place to work and live. The next generation has stepped up with pride making Cincinnati’s future brighter than it as been in decades (click on the panorama photo from Mount Auburn below).
Taylor is a professional City/County Planner, with a passion for historic preservation and
urban renewal. The renewal in Cincinnati was the focus of his senior capstone project
at Miami University and is currently his off-work focus and passion – graduation link.
Spending Saturday afternoon with grandpa
Posted By RichC on April 19, 2015
My son Taylor was home from North Dakota for a few days and besides reconnecting with a bunch of his friends in revitalized urban Cincinnati, he spent Saturday afternoon with me in Sidney visiting with my dad. Grandpa gave Taylor the tour of his new “assisted living” senior home, Lane Park, and we has some coffee and chicken salad sandwiches in the dining room while we talked. I think dad is adjusting well and already gaining some of the weight back since his hospital and rehab stay.
“People” were not the only ones glad to see Taylor (Tootsie and Taylor photo below).
The original BLUE Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Posted By RichC on April 18, 2015
If you’ve been around our house much, you will notice that we always have Dawn Dishwashing Liquid around. It has become our go to product for things other than dishes (use it for that too) as a hand wash, a degreaser and as a way to remove poison ivy oils after working in the yard. The product has developed a reputation similar to WD-40 and Duct/Duck tape. Here are a few more uses:
WILD LIFE
Ever wonder why Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
BUBBLES
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers at many children’s museums: 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn 1/2 gallon warm water 1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too! Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!
GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.
REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.
CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.
PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dogshampoos.
CLEAN AUTOMOTIVE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.
ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.
TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
REPEL ANTS
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.
STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.
UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.
POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.
DRIVEWAY CLEANER
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.
OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.
PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.
CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
• Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
• Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
• Tubs and toilet seats.
LAUNDRY PRE-TREATER FOR OILY STAINS
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!
SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks
POOL CLEANING
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.
EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
SHOWER FLOORS
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
APHID CONTROL ON FRUIT TREES
Mix two tablespoons Dawn to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!
http://viralsurvival.com/2014/06/07/amazing-product-sitting-in-your-cupboard/
Personal: We moved my dad from rehab to assisted living
Posted By RichC on April 17, 2015
I don’t think many of us are properly prepared to make the decisions that are needed to care for elderly parents. Even though my brother and I have been through medical needs, nursing and then hospice care for my mom, we were still not knowledgeable when it came to handling dad. Thankfully, if you have the time,
the right decisions can be made – at least that is how we feel right now.
On Wednesday Ron and I moved our dad from his rehab stay to Lane Park in Sidney, Ohio. We struggled over this decision for the last few weeks. We both knew dad was going to need care (both physically and for his memory) and that meant he was not going to be able to return to his home and live independently. Neither of us were satisfied with traditional nursing homes, although dad was amiable if that was the decision. On the other hand, we are fortunate and have the financial ability to look at assisted living options.
Brenda and I looked at places in Liberty Twp and West Chester, Ohio and lobbied for a nice place near our home … while Ron and Claire found very nice places near their house north of Dayton. Thankfully dad made himself heard and decided he wanted to live near his home for almost 40 years, Sidney, Ohio (has it really been that long?) The icing on the cake was when the director at Lane Park said he would transfer dad’s home phone number to his room and host my dad’s veteran buddies for his monthly “penny poker” gathering. We even added an unusual touch to dad’s door by putting up a garage Packard thermometer (dad’s car). That sealed it … we were all onboard (and not bad advertising for others who are getting up in years).
Dad seemed content and happy with his view out his window where he can see the comings and goings of everyone (front door and turning circle view) and has the TV remote figured out enough that he can watch the Cincinnati Reds. Ron and I left him in good hand and relieved for the first time in a few months. Whew … I never gave much thought the idea that once our kids were on their own that we would be worrying about parents!
Wouldn’t it be nice to see the El Camino in production again?
Posted By RichC on April 16, 2015
When I was in college I worked for a contractor who drove a car-based truck called the El Camino – it was usually seen hauling around a few missing items he had just picked up for the latest project. As I recall, it wasn’t the greatest car … or truck … but to me it represented the shirt and tie part of the company. When John arrived it was in contrast to the rest of the crews dirty and sweaty pick-up trucks and tool vans; he was in air-conditioned, soft seat comfort. On a Friday it also signified that our paychecks were being delivered by the boss and owner (or his wife). After those few summers, the Chevrolet El Camino disappeared (that 5th generation disappear after 1987) … soon to be replace by the SUV and the dressed up pick-up truck. I’m with Rafael below, maybe it is time for something different again?
Rafael Barkan represents the next generation of automotive enthusiasts and he wondered what happen to the El Camino? Maybe he’s a bit young and in that 6 to 11 year old demographic, but maybe it is time for the El Camino to make a comeback as one of the first hybrid car/trucks or something? It would certainly stand out in the field of jacked and gussied up pick-ups and SUVs.
I’d like to see Chevrolet build and market one again … or even Ford with their Ranchero for that matter!
One of the more interesting Health Care discussions …
Posted By RichC on April 15, 2015
NPR’s Tom Ashbrook entertained an interesting discussion around the Cadillac plan tax which is part of Obamacare. If you’ve notice changes in your plan (just as colleges have), you will understand the emotions in the discussion. Well worth listening too … and yes, I’m a conservative who sometimes listens to NPR.
| NPR Tom Ashbrook – On Point discusses the Obamacare Cadillac tax (MP3) | 4/14/2015 |
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.