My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on July 30, 2024

For a while now I’ve posted WyzeCam videos regarding the wildlife in our area … including coyotes and more recently a relatively bold Red Fox. Oh, he is still skittish and will run away as soon as I open the door or he sees me, but lately I notice he has lost his tail and most of his fur.

    The Red Fox on June 6, 2024 and now the Red Fox without his tail July 24, 2024

The fox definitely does not look the same as he did just two months ago in photos or in this video and likely needs to be treated for Mange. 

So after some Internet sleuthing, I contacted the Mange by Mail program after emailing back and for with a very friendly and responsive Angel Wintrode, Director & President of Bi-State Wildlife Hotline, Inc. — Home of the Mange by Mail Program.

Thanks for reaching out to us. We received your email and we’re so glad that you’re willing to help. I’m happy that you found us! This is definitely a red fox and mange took his tail.  It’s a common occurrence. But we’d be happy to help you treat him and get him back to his old self! 

The medicine (ivermectin) is in the mail and on its way. I am planning to update as the treatment progresses. For now, I need to figure out how to get this fox to get the meatballs that I’m planning to put out for him. 

Category: Environment, Nature, Video | No Comments »
Tags: food, ivermectin, mange, mange by mail, red fox, treatment, webmd, wildlife

Posted By RichC on July 29, 2024

Although today’s Music Monday post may seem just a little techie or odd, I’m trying something new using the borrowed iPhone XS and SiriusXM app. It does bring me back to the days of my cassette deck (photo above) and making tapes off the radio (I wish I still had it). I do suspect that a few reading this may be too young to remember “cassette tapes” let alone the stack of stereo HiFi gear to go with a tape deck? Hm, come to think about it, receivers/amps and cars with AM/FM radios may be the next thing to disappear?

Anyway, here’s a short 1 minute snippet of Dobie Gray from the “excellent” summertime listening Yacht Rock Radio channel.

BTW … Dobie Gray’s 1973 “Drift Away” was a Music Monday song back in 2017. 

Category: Music, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: cassette, dobie gray, iphone, iphonexs, music monday, musicmonday, recording, siriusxm, testing

Posted By RichC on July 28, 2024

With the Summer Olympic games starting in Paris, France this July 2024, people around the world are glued to their televisions for 19 days as the top athletes from each country compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals … and as a chance to become Olympic champions.

Katelyn shared a story written by Pastor Mark Collins for The Gospel Coalition that highlighted Eric Liddell (some remember from the movie “Chariots Of Fire“) who competed in the Summer Olympics in 1924 … in Paris, France, 100 years ago.  

There are a host of reasons to remember Liddell. As this summer marks the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics, we look back on his triumphant victory there in the 400 meters.

That story begins in his rivalry with fellow British sprinter Harold Abrahams, the two entering the Olympics as favorites in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. However, Liddell dropped out of a heat for the 100 meters because it was run on Sunday (a race Abrahams later won).

…

Perhaps an even greater reason to remember Liddell is his decision to lay aside his athletic career for a higher calling. After returning from Olympic triumph in Paris to overwhelming popular adulation, he shocked everyone by announcing his intention to return to China as a missionary.

…

Undoubtedly the greatest reason to remember Liddell is the way his life ended. With the Japanese invasion pressing further into China in 1944, his wife and their two daughters (and another on the way) were sent overseas to avoid danger. In hindsight, the London Missionary Society probably should have sent all the missionaries, but Liddell was convinced he should stay.

Liddell was able to minister for many months until finally he was rounded up with more than 2,000 others and taken to an internment camp in Weixian (the modern city of Weifang). Even there, his ministry flourished. Despite appalling conditions and death all around him, he poured himself into ministry with the young people of the camp.

(more…)

Category: Faith, Sports | No Comments »
Tags: china, christian, christianity, Eric Liddell, evangelism, mark collins, missionary, olympics, thegospelcoalition.org

Posted By RichC on July 27, 2024

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Memories, Personal, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: bigbear, brownie, ellerie, family, happy, katelyn, mp4, stuffed animal, tools, working

Posted By RichC on July 26, 2024

Although waiting until 2026 is a long time down the road, I’m still interested in a foldable iPhone. Every few month another rumor hints that Apple is working on an iPhone that will fold.

Personally I’m hopefully that it will be a “flip” model as in recent articles, perhaps similar to Motorola’s Razr+ (left) or Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip (right). Who knows what Apple is working on … I assume one iPhone that flips and maybe one that folds along the vertical side for more screen real estate?  I do miss my old favorite, the PalmOS Samsung SPH-i500. 

Anyway, I’m hopeful even though I need to replace the borrowed iPhoneXS that I’m currently using. I’ve already struggled with a discounted iPhone 15 Pro and regretting the lost hours in switching back and forth … but thankfully received a full refund from the vendor who stood behind the sale. Hm … how long can I keep Jeff’s 2018 backup iPhone before he demands it back? 😉 

Apple is working on a “clamshell” design iPhone, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip series, according to a report Tuesday from The Information. The new design, which could be ready as early as 2026, will coincide with Apple’s plans to also release newly improved camera technologies, including a variable aperture, the report added. This feature would allow iPhone camera users to change the amount of light and potential detail the lens captures. The result would create different effects, such as a natural “bokeh” blurred background.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNET

Category: Apple, Cellphone, Friends, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apple, articles, cnet, flipphone, galaxy, iphone, motorola, razr+, reuters, rumors, samsung, tech friday, techfriday, verge, zflip

Posted By RichC on July 25, 2024

The indices took a dive on Wall Street on Wednesday as the Magnificent Seven tech stocks that have lead the stock market recently, sold off after Alphabet $GOOGL(parent of Google) and Tesla $TSLA disappointed with earnings. 

As a WSJ live post put it, “the thrashing wiped out hundreds of billions of dollars in market value from the Magnificent Seven stocks.”

Barron’s Advisor commented, “Investors are also likely double-guessing their take on artificial intelligence and whether the massive investments will see the payoff they’ve imagined.”

For those smaller companies (and home shoppers) who have been waiting and wanting to borrow, there is hope on the horizon. An economic slump along with easing inflation may cause the Fed to begin their easing.  Most watchers believe that the Fed will begin lowering rates with a quarter point in September and perhaps go another quarter point by the end of the year.

Who knows, since the economy and relatively stable jobs situation (unemployment rate)  has tolerated the Fed’s attempt to slow the economy.  We’ve been in a much higher inflationary environment than in years past so seeing people continue to spend and travel has been surprising to me (considering goods and services have risen much higher and faster than wages). 

Category: Financial, News | No Comments »
Tags: economy, investing, stocks, trading

Posted By RichC on July 24, 2024

Since the earlier post this morning was “private” … for friends and family … it seemed like a good idea to archive another “texted to me” photo from last week.

My brother Ron has been enjoyed trips up to “his” new property (our old property) and reconnecting with neighbors. He sent a photo out perch fishing with Jim Raab on Lake Erie … just like the old days … and let me know he was enjoying retirement (wow, shocking since 2018). Super nice! 

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Recreation, Retirement | No Comments »
Tags: fishing, jim raab, lake erie, perch, retirement, ronc

Posted By RichC on July 24, 2024

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, ellerie, family, granddaughers, summer, toledo zoo

Posted By RichC on July 23, 2024

The political news this past weekend, after a successful Republican Convention in Milwaukee WI, was that President Joe Biden finally succumbing to pressure and bowed out of his 2024 re-election campaign. For most paying attention, it has been clear for sometime that age was catching up to him. Most in the know, saw the obvious symptoms of dementia, despite so many Democrats … and sadly MSM … defending what they were seeing with their own eyes and ears. President Biden’s lack of mental acuity is noticeable. It is not something anyone wants to see happening to those getting older, but in this case, it is especially disturbing noting that his family didn’t or couldn’t step in. As was noted with President Reagan at the end of his second term, it becomes increasingly dangerous for our country and world for those who struggle to carry out the already challenging job of President of the United States. 

The immediate concern for most of us is, “can he continue to serve as POTUS until January 2025?” His decline has been noticeable over the past 4 years, but seems to be accelerating since spring. Perhaps it is more obvious due to running a re-election campaign? I hope … but am not confident … that his cabinet, advisors, doctors, family and vice president are keeping a close eye on him. That said, VP Kamala Harris hasn’t necessarily inspired confidence in handling the few tasks she has been assigned.

I suspect that the Democratic Convention at the end of August in Chicago could be a riotous one as not every Democrat is fully behind Kamala Harris for President. Personally I think the unpopularity of a Harris/??? ticket would make for the best case scenario opponent for the Trump/Vance GOP ticket … but then that’s just me.

Category: News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: aging, campaign, dementia, government, joe biden, kamala harris, potus, president of the united states

Posted By RichC on July 22, 2024

The music from the 1970s never fails to catch my ear when I’m listening to the segment music to the Fox Business programming that I listen to during the weekdays.

A song by Heart was used on Varney & Co segment change and then again played on SiriusXM’s The Bridge over the weekend. So for this Music Monday I’ll dig up a “Nostalgic Rock” video from 1977 of their hit “Dreamboat Annie” … from the album of that same name released in 1975.

Through the years of from 1975 to 2016, the band Heart has produced 16 albums … but my favorite music comes from their early albums. According to a Wikipedia entry, they still would like to tour as a band, but as with all from that era, getting older isn’t making it easy. 😉 

On January 29, 2024, Heart announced their 2024 Royal Flush World Tour, where they would be playing several dates with Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, Journey, and Squeeze. The summer 2024 UK and Europe dates were cancelled due to Ann Wilson undergoing a medical procedure in late May, which was later confirmed to be for removing a cancerous growth.

Category: Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: 1977, dreamboat annie, heart, mp4, music monday, music video, musicmonday