My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on March 11, 2024

A couple of weeks ago, someone mention Jimmy Buffett and an old memory song … from back when I was really just starting to listen to music, buy albums (or often dubbed to cassette) …  AND to Jimmy Buffett — it was 1978.

One of the first albums that sold me on Jimmy Buffett was Son of Son of a Sailor.  The 7th and somewhat forgettable song on side B of this album was “Cowboy in the Jungle” … but for those of us who listened to the entire album regularly … we knew it by heart. 😊

Fast forward to talking about concerts and venues with someone on Twitter, now X.com. I mentioned that Jimmy Buffett did several enjoyable “chats” and played music. It was difficult not to enjoy talking about him now that he is no longer with us … and rewatching this video. Anyway, I was fortunate to see him perform at the “mentioned” Blossom Music Center a few times with Brenda and my friend Jeff.

Great times, great music and enjoyable memories. 

So for Music Monday this week, here’s the mentioned segment:

Cowboy In The Jungle (1978)

—Jimmy Buffett

There’s a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimpskin boots and his cheap Cheroots
And his skin as white as paste

Headin’ south to Paraguay
Where the gauchos sing and shout
Now he’s stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Night and day they’re raisin’ hell
And his original destination’s just another
Story that he loves to tell.

(more…)

Category: Music, Video | No Comments »
Tags: album, blossom music, concert, jimmy buffett, mp4, music monday, musicmonday, son of a son of a sailor

Posted By RichC on March 10, 2024

I wish I could say that our winter Florida vacation was long enough, but to be honest, it flew by way too fast. Nevertheless, being “snowbirds” … as our son Taylor called us … suited us just fine. We thought our daily walks on the beach (10,000+ steps each day) and eating less were surely going to make a difference that would be noticed, at least on the scale, but I’m not sure it did? ☹️  

Oh well … we’ll keep walking and exercising and it will make for another excuse to travel again. 

I also told Brenda that we should jot down a one-liners that seemed memorable; it was a phase repeated each day that made us smile: “Ebb and flow, ebb and flow.” I’m not sure we would remember it or even know what it referred to years from now, but maybe we will now? Anyway, she would say it daily when talking about the tides on the beach … then she would wiggle her hands in an infinity sign. It made us laugh each time. 😊 

(more…)

Category: Memories, Personal, Photos, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: 1977, ani gif, delray beach, florida, honda civic, rebuildables, snowbird, vacation, winter2024

Posted By RichC on March 9, 2024

Language usage is not one of my particular strengths … therefore I’m with the thought that “when in doubt reach for whom over who, just to be safe. Then get the ‘overcorrected’ mistakes …”  — LINK

A trick to figure it out, which we’ve mentioned before, is to substitute he or she in your sentence—and if it works, then it’s probably a case for who/whoever. A him/her calls for whomever.

So, in the first example, He reached a threshold and was banished (so: whoever). In the second example, videos were sent to him (so: whom). In the third example, the issue is who is closest with him/her/them (so: whom). It’s a way of figuring out if we are dealing with a subject pronoun or an object being acted upon.

Category: Advice, Blogs, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: lauguage, who, whom, writing, wsj

Posted By RichC on March 8, 2024

Google exec Prabhakar Raghavan explained, Gemini “may not always be reliable,” so “we recommend relying on Google Search, where separate systems surface fresh, high-quality information on these kinds of topics from sources across the web.”

Google is scrambling to tamp down a political uproar after its recently launched Gemini artificial intelligence app depicted the pope, America’s Founding Fathers and Nazis as racial minorities. The hallucinations, as they’re known, have gone viral on social media. If you thought Google was an impregnable monopoly, think again.

…

Gemini refused to draw white people, including historical figures like George Washington. Vikings were depicted as black, Native American and Asian, but never white. One rendering presented the pope as an Indian woman. Others cast medieval knights as Asian females. Did Hollywood design the app?

Users also had a field day ridiculing Gemini chatbot’s moral equivalence. Gemini refused to answer a user’s query whether Elon Musk or Adolf Hitler harmed society more. “There is no right or wrong answer,” Gemini replied. “Ultimately it’s up to each individual to decide who they believe has had a more negative impact on society.”

Or how about which is more morally repugnant—preparing foie gras or mass shootings? “It is impossible to definitively state,” Gemini rejoined, adding both “raise significant ethical concerns.” Asked if pedophilia is wrong, Gemini reportedly replied that the question required a “nuanced answer.” Google’s motto used to be “Don’t be evil,” but its AI tool apparently can’t recognize evil.

More at WSJOpinion article

Category: Computer, News, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: ai, bard, gemini, opinion, politically correct, woke, wsj

Posted By RichC on March 7, 2024

Thanks for the great night photo after the completion of your homebuilding project, Drew and Katelyn! 

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Space | No Comments »
Tags: drew, family, homebuilding, house, katelyn, nightsky, oostra, stars

Posted By RichC on March 6, 2024

After recently visiting Sea World in Orlando with our family … and posting on Orcas and Sharks for years here on MyDesultoryBlog.com … this ABC Good Morning America YouTube video of an Orca attacking a Great White Shark was amazing:

Category: Nature, News, Video | No Comments »
Tags: abc, good morning america, great white shark, killer whale, orca, whales, youtube

Posted By RichC on March 6, 2024

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Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Travel, Video | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, banyan, bompa, brenda, delray beach, drew, ellerie, florida, katelyn, vacation, wrapup

Posted By RichC on March 5, 2024

The presidential election for 2024 is nowhere close to being certain (7 months away), but it is looking more and more like a repeat of 2020: President Joe Biden (81) and Donald Trump (77) … an election for the “aged.” 😉 

Outkick.com host and WWE wrestler, Tyrus made an interesting analogy last week comparing the likely upcoming presidential contenders to a couple of dogs, particularly as it relates to our country’s national security:

One is an old dog, who has seen better days, and the other an angry yard dog … who barks and snaps at everything. Tyrus commented (paraphrased):

The old dog is the type who watches as thieves breaks into your house and is too tired to move and just watches.

The other dog is an intimidating yard dog who growls and barks at everything, even if it is someone just walking nearby. Those approaching sense that this dog might bite anyone who might even consider breaking into your house, so they instead give him a wide berth.

Something to think about as November 5th draws near. 

Category: Humor, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: 2024, analogy, biden, dogs, election, presidential, trump, tyrus

Posted By RichC on March 4, 2024

A vacation duplicate (realized after the fact) of the 1972 song “I Can See Clearly Now” recorded by the late Johnny Nash (1940-2020). As I mentioned before, “it was enjoyed by my parents as well as my generation … and likely is still appreciated by today’s current generation?”

Personally I never gave much thought to the many recording artists over the years were… or even if the music was considered R&B or reggae … but knew instinctively that the song was popular when it was originally released.

So for Music Monday .. while enjoying some sunshine on the beach after a visit from our granddaughter (and star stamps) that hopefully signals  the end of winter (???) … ” let’s make today a “bright, bright … sunshiny day.”
 

Category: Music, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: i can see clearly now, johnny nash, music monday, musicmonday, sunshine

Posted By RichC on March 3, 2024

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Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Travel, Video | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, bompa, brenda, delray beach, drew, ellerie, family, florida, katelyn, mp4, oma, oostra, richc, seaworld, vacation