My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on December 9, 2024

There’s no getting away from highlighting music from the 1970s on Music Monday — I can’t help myself. 😊 

While listening to the segment-change music on a Fox Business show, KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight” from 1975 caught my ear. I realized that Harry Wayne Casey and his band was highlighted before in 2022, but the song was “Please Don’t Go.”
 

While searching for a little more information on the 1975 hit above, I spotted a live “foot-tapping” inspiring live performance on YouTube from April 1977 … but I was not really a “disco” guy back in the day. 😉  

Category: Idioms, Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 1975, disco, kc and the sunshine band, music monday, musicmonday, wikipedia, youtube

Posted By RichC on December 8, 2024

Our 2002 Honda Odyssey van sits outside in Florida for a longer period than usual and a few times the battery didn’t start the car. At first I replaced the battery thinking it was just old. Then I started to disconnect the battery when leaving it covered in our condo parking lot … but it wouldn’t run correctly when I reconnected???

I suspected even back in 2002 the computer monitoring the engine parameters needed to readjust after the battery was fully discharged or disconnected. So a year or so ago I bought an inexpensive 12 volt solar battery maintainer since the cover never held up to the sun and wind anyway. So far, even leaving under a tree with the panel in the front windshield … and in the shade most of the time … it has started without disconnecting the battery.

Now after struggling with my 2010 BMW X5 35d’s battery on and off for years AND a bad experience leaving the 2010 Acura RDX sitting in airport parking for a while in October/November 2024 (even though it has a relatively new battery – 2023), I’ve decided to try another inexpensive 12 volt battery maintainer when leaving cars outside for more than a couple weeks. The active security and always active power-locks or computer must be a drain on batteries?

I’m doing some preliminary testing to see just how many volts the panel is delivering in the December sun, and it looks as if this small TopSolar 10-watts panel should trickle charge our batteries (although I’m tempted to order a 20-watt just for fun)? 😊  

Category: Acura, Automotive, BMW, Honda, Photos, Shopping, Solar | No Comments »
Tags: 12 volts, amazon, battery, maintainer, solar, trickle, vehicle

Posted By RichC on December 7, 2024

There are a few dates that tend to be remembered each year; December 7th is one of them. This year marks the 83rd anniversary of the surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing 2,403 Americans and thrusting the United States into World War II. 

The history-interested reader in me had me reading quite a few books on World War II and in particular the war in the Pacific. Perhaps it’s my interest in oceans, ships, boats, sailing and aviation … or just the impact on our country with an entire world at war. I still can’t imagine just how unprepared we were  “knowing” the war going on in Europe (from Germany) and in China (from Japan). 

But somehow in America in the autumn of 1941 (aerial view of Pearl Harbor in October 1941 above), we felt insulated (perhaps even isolated from the war in Europe and China); that changed on December 7, 1941. Early on Sunday morning, Japanese aircraft launched a coordinated attack on Pearl Harbor, catching the U.S. Pacific Fleet by surprise. They were able to sink or damage 19 ships, including eight battleships …  and destroyed over 300 aircraft. The USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Utah were among the ships that sank, resulting in the loss of over 1,700 lives. Let our leaders and our military never be so unprepared again. 

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

In 1994, the United States Congress designated December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, a day to honor and remember those who were killed or injured during the attack. The day is marked by ceremonies, memorial services, and tributes across the United States.

Legacy

Pearl Harbor Day serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served and the devastating consequences of war. It also honors the resilience and determination of the American people, who rallied together to support the war effort and ultimately contributed to the Allied victory.

Quotes

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”
– President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Category: History, Millitary | No Comments »
Tags: japanese empire, pacific, pearl harbor, remembrance, united states, war, ww2

Posted By RichC on December 6, 2024

The annual Corbett Christmas Letter has been reduced to the ubiquitous Christmas card printed by one of the many card producers (below). This year’s card was ordered  before our Thanksgiving famly get-together and unique Google “Add Me” AI feature used in the photo above on Drew’s new Pixel 9. Very impressive — hey, Apple, get it together! (Drew took our neighborhood bridge photo, then Katelyn took a photo as the AI “Add Me” software merged the two shutter snaps — look at the railing, but still super impressive and for Tech Friday no less)! 

Anyway … wishing all who read My Desultory Blog throughout the year, a Very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year (as always, click for larger images). 

Category: AI, Archive, Cellphone, Holiday, Personal, Photos, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: addme, archive, artificial intelligence, christmas, christmas card, Corbett Christmas Letter, family, google, mashable, Personal, pixel9, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on December 5, 2024

It is the time of year to clean up my blog’s photo folder — a place where I save photos that I might want to archive on the blog. Usually there’s a reason they don’t get used, but before tossing them due to a new year, it is time to do some housecleaning.

First up was a photo of Katelyn when she worked at the Greek Isles restaurant. We had fun talking about it over Thanksgiving… and our first jobs. So for ThrowBack Thursday #TBT, it seemed like a good memory. 😊

Second up is an older 2015 Google Streetview photo of the house in South Toledo where my mom grew up. I remember looking it up when saving a couple photos of my dad’s father and his service station.  I clearly remember a lot about my grandmother and grandfather Bluhm’s house, as we grandkids pretty much had free reign. Wonderful memories. 

Third was a security Wyze Cam update while we were in Florida last month — oh those crazy raccoons looking for a place to stay warm this winter! Go away! 

And finally, number Four, a photo of Dave Schneider (Megan’s late father) from years ago that Taylor sent to me — likely the late 1970s or maybe early 90s and his MGB (yet another thing Dave and I had in common). It is still in Denni’s garage and like something that will need to be dealt with  someday. 

(more…)

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, TBT | No Comments »
Tags: bluhm, Cam, dave schneider, mgb, raccoon, toledo, wyze

Posted By RichC on December 4, 2024

The updated 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range only has a few subtle styling differences since the EV still looks like it did when it was introduced eight years ago, but has an improved range and is even quicker.

Looks are deceiving.

There isn’t any single earth-shaking upgrade, but this latest version has smartly placed enhancements throughout. For example, the battery has grown in capacity from 75.0 to 79.7 kilowatt-hours. The electric motor driving the rear wheels has picked up 65 ponies for a total of 286. These improvements increase the EPA range from 311 to 363 miles and shave about a half-second from both the zero-to-60 and quarter-mile times.

MORE at Car and Driver

Category: Automotive, Tesla | No Comments »
Tags: car and driver, model 3, tesla

Posted By RichC on December 3, 2024

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, brenda, claire, drew, ellerie, family, katelyn, richc, ronc, thanksgiving

Posted By RichC on December 2, 2024

For Music Monday this week, let’s go way back to a song Pete Seegar wrote in 1959 called “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season),” but really didn’t peak on the musical charts until it was recorded by The Byrds in 1965, on an album that same name. It is hard for me to imagine their version not being known? 

The Byrds (fan site) recorded with mixed members from 1964-1973 then again in 1989-1991 and one more reunion in 2000 … but now that members have passed away, all we have is their music — and it is still good.
   

Category: Music | No Comments »
Tags: music monday, musicmonday, Pete Seegar, The Byrds, TurnTurnTurn

Posted By RichC on December 1, 2024

Who doesn’t enjoy watching a Sunday Night Football game from Buffalo, NY during a “lake effect” snow. It brings back memories of our years both living in NE Ohio and in driving to and from Western NY (Jamestown) to be with Brenda’s family and playing football — we called it “the Howard Bowl.”

A quick score update before bed as the enjoyable game winds to a close. Of course it will come as no surprise, the Buffalo Bills dominated the San Francisco 49ers in the snow.

Final score, BUF 35 – SF 10.

Category: Sports, Weather | No Comments »
Tags: 49ers, bills, family, football, howard bowl, jamestown, new york, nfl, snow

Posted By RichC on November 30, 2024

Perhaps it is just me, but this leftover video of a press corp reporter begging for President Biden to make a comment on a recent trip to South America had me laughing. Rarely do I feel sorry for the media, but in this reporter’s case, I do. 😊 

Category: Humor, News, Politics, Video | No Comments »
Tags: mp4, msm, president biden, press, trip, video