My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on September 14, 2024

It really hasn’t been that long ago that I’ve recoated the garage workbench with Zip Guard. Since 2020 (4 years), there has been enough scraping and dripping of liquid on the work surface to make me think, “a little more protection won’t hurt.” Besides, the last of my Zip Guard in the jar was looking a little yellow.

Zip Guard on workbench in 2017 (above)

So while cleaning off the junk piling up, I added another coat over Labor Day … the last of the well loved and used finish.

Edit Add: Worked to replace the old pressure treated wood sides of the Bame Utility Trailer last weekend. The old ones lasted 20 years so it made sense to invest $85 in materials to see if the same new sides will last? So far, the new stakes were cut the same, 1/2″ sides are on (this time with exterior grade wood screws) and have yet to work on the rails and removable tailgate (would love to improve on that component??)

Category: Misc, Repairs, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: bame, garage, pressure treated, project, trailer, utility, workbench, zipguard

Posted By RichC on September 13, 2024

Although I haven’t quite decided as to what Apple iPhone 16 Pro to pre-order, it will likely be a big jump from the current “borrowed” iPhone XS that I’ve been using since drowning my iPhone 7 Plus. It has been fine, but it is time to move past the smartphones of 2017 and 2018. 😊 

Brenda has been very happy with her iPhone 14 and after tinkering with it, I could live with the physical and screen size and vastly improved camera from what I’m used to using. On the other hand, when one is going to spend $1000 for the nice sized iPhone 16 Pro with 128GB … it doesn’t seem all that crazy to double the storage capacity, battery and get a bigger display, the iPhone 16 Pro Max (256GB), for an additional $200 (compare)? That said, I find it difficult to believe that I’m willing to spend as much if not more for an iPhone than a MacBook Air M2? 

Stay tuned as I’ve already put both phones in my pre-order shopping cart. 

Base pricing as of 9/9/2024 

• iPhone 16: $799 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Plus: $899 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Pro: $999 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: $1,199 – 256GB

Category: Apple, Cellphone, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apple, iphone, iphone16pro, preorder, smartphone, tech friday, techfriday

Posted By RichC on September 12, 2024

Back in July, the Red Fox who regularly is spotted on my Wyze Cams was looking unhealthy. I  did some research and diagnosed that the fox likely needed to be treated for mange.

The treatment was to inject a small amount of ivermectin into meatballs and see if I could get him or her to eat them. Unfortunately a feral cat who kept eating them was likely dosed a few time too … but a recent video does seem to show a much healthier looking fox. 
 

Category: Misc, Nature, Video | No Comments »
Tags: Cam, ivermectin, mange, meatball, mp4, red fox, security, wyze

Posted By RichC on September 11, 2024

In trying to do something a litte different in remembering September 11, 2001, I saw the help of AI just to see what today’s tech tools can offer.

Most of us have certain memories seared into our minds of where we were and what we were doing. I found it interesting to see what artificial intelligence had to say on the subject.  It is not the most personal way to honor the 2,753 people … and countless others who died from the fallout either do to our military actions or the health-related issues, but it is nevertheless interesting.

9/11 Events and Facts

On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out in the United States, resulting in the loss of nearly 3,000 lives. The attacks were perpetrated by 19 militants affiliated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda.

Planning and Execution

According to accounts, the idea of 9/11 was conceived and developed by Osama bin Laden, with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed identified as the architect of the attacks by the 9/11 Commission Report. Bin Laden stated that the planning began when only a few individuals, including Abu Hafs and Abu al-Khair, were aware of the operation.

The Hamburg cell in Germany, comprising Islamists including Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, Ziad Jarrah, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Said Bahaji, played a key role in the attacks. Some hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials or used fraudulent passports to gain entry into the United States.

The Attacks

Four commercial airplanes were hijacked:

1. Two planes (American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175) were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing massive damage and fires that ultimately led to the collapse of both towers.
2. A third plane (American Airlines Flight 77) was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.
3. The fourth plane (United Airlines Flight 93) crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to overcome the hijackers.

Aftermath (more…)

Category: AI, History, Memories, News, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: 9/11, ai, artificial intelligence, remembering

Posted By RichC on September 10, 2024

Since July’s “swim with my iPhone 7 Plus,” I’ve been using my friend Jeff’s older backup iPhoneXS (2018). Having a “Plan B” has been most appreciated after my attempt at saving a buck and buying a refurbished iPhone 15 Pro. Thankfully the reseller refunded my “Plan A” purchase in full since it was a struggle to stay connected with US Mobile’s Verizon (Warp 5G) or their GSM option. It was likely a faulty chip or antenna issue. 

So instead of trying another refurbish or even new iPhone 15, I opted for “Plan C” which was to wait for the September 9th iPhone 16 announcement … and so far I’m glad I did. After watching the Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event introducing their new Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple Intelligence (AI) … their new iPhone 16, 16+, 16 Pro and Pro Max were unveiled. They look great … besides not being a “flip-phone” … and it looks to be exactly what the doctor ordered. So the decision now is not if I should buy a new iPhone this year, but should I preorder one? 

The new camera control button alone … along with a giant leap in photo quality from my basically free iPhone 7 Plus (carrier paid for) and borrowed iPhone XS will make it well worth the purchase. Besides,  my daughter has been lecturing me about the less than acceptable quality photos compared to her Google Pixel Android phone.  

So stay tuned to see if I place an order or wait a little longer — don’t suspect any deals are coming, but this year’s pricing is the same as last year. Huh? 

Base pricing as of 9/9/2024 

• iPhone 16: $799 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Plus: $899 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Pro: $999 – 128GB
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: $1,199 – 256GB

Category: AI, Apple, News, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: ai, airpods, apple, apple intelligence, event, glowtime, iphone, watch

Posted By RichC on September 9, 2024

Category: Music, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
Tags: filler, mp4, snippet, x.com

Posted By RichC on September 9, 2024

This content is restricted.

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Tesla, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Tags: annalyn, birthday, ellerie, family, granddaughers, herbie, vw

Posted By RichC on September 9, 2024

Back during COVID, Americans were not able to eat out the way we once did. Our habits in the Corbett household changed a bit, although we actually started cooking a bit more after our favorite restaurant closed (we were no longer just tossing food in the microwave or on the grill).

One of the things we looked forward to on the weekend was “dinner and a classic movie” … and it improved once we started the HelloFresh meal subscription. At first, it was just to try it (it is pricey) … but we enjoyed it so much that we continue far longer than we expected. I’d like to say that we tried to buy and make the recipes on our own, but we have not. ☹️ 

One of the add-on items that started to be a regular for me was a small bucket of Blount Clam Shack Gumbo. Eventually I asked if it was or could be sold at our grocery store locally, but never could get it carried locally. Since we’ve given up on subscription meals, Hello Fresh wasn’t an option anymore. Blount doesn’t sell direct to consumers, but I did find a way to order from distributors — now our freezer is stocked. 

Remembering Jimmy Buffett (1946-1923)

Fast forward to having some “Gumbo” on Music Monday and a Jimmy Buffett song from his 1999 album, “Beach House on the Moon” … here’s a 2017 LIVE version when he performed at Wrigley Field. We should invite Megan and Taylor up for some gumbo … and listen to the album (CD). 😉
  

Category: Food, Music | No Comments »
Tags: blount, clam shack, gumbo, hellofresh.com, jimmy buffett, music monday, musicmonday, wrigley field

Posted By RichC on September 8, 2024

If you’ve been checking in daily, you’re likely tired of seeing woodworking ideas, tidbits and magazine clipping? I’ll try to promise that this is the last of them in my “to archive on the blog” folder for a little while. 

First, the Rockler sled is something I sort of already have … but still worth considering. My small cross-cut sled is the most used table saw accessory in my workshop. Second, the 10” saw blade draw idea might be worth considering, but I really don’t have enough different blades for the Delta cabinet saw  to make it worthwhile. Third, is a photo of Glancy’s No.1 Penetrating Oil (made in America) that I’m adding to my wishlist as something I really would like to compare with the Danish Oils that I’ve been using. 

Category: Archive, Ideas, Tidbits, Tools, Woodworking | No Comments »
Tags: articles, glancys, jibs, magazine, oil finish, rockler, snippets, tablesaw, woodworking

Posted By RichC on September 7, 2024

As the US Presidential Election looms, we still really don’t know how Kamala Harris intends to govern — it’s been 1-1/2 months since President Biden stepped down. And many of us have questions:

What are her policies?

From a few appearances … by that I mean ONE interview …  are we expected to believe the her views have changed, but her “values have not.” What we do know is that her positions for the entire previous decade in political office are not her positions today (so she says).

When she was the San Francisco DA and the California’s Attorney General she was a liberal California Democrat. When she was a US Senator from California, she was known as the “most progressively radical in the Senate.” When she ran for president in 2020, her views were way too left of where the national Democratic Party was (at the time) and she received no electoral votes and dropped out.  Instead Democrats nominated a perceived moderate, President Biden. Once partnered as VP with Joe Biden, the administration veered hard left — so much for bringing the country together as so many American voters expected. 

Now we’re left wondering about the trial balloons being floated by the Democratic nominee. Again she received “zero” votes in the primary and has been flip-flopping a few new ideas that were quickly modified.

What are her real positions? Does she still believe illegally crossing the US border is not a crime, taxing unrealized capital gains is good for the economy and that more police on the street doesn’t make us safer?  Should we judge her by her past … or believe what she says now … or wait to see IF she puts anything to paper or on the Harris/Walz campaign website? 

Harris website still lacks policy despite Walz saying Americans
deserve to know ‘exactly what she’d do’ — Fox News

Category: News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: abraham lincoln, democrat, election, kamala harris, Politics, presidential, wikipedia