RichC | December 4, 2025
After reading an opinion from several years ago, but also after recent events, rising tensions and political divide in the U.S. … the same article is being passed around social media again. The writings seemed almost too spot on so I was interested in knowing how much truth there was to it — so I’m […]
RichC | November 2, 2025
Sunflowers … Good Morning. Woke up to the gold in your eyes, Petals unfolding, chasing the skies. Dew-kissed leaves on the windowsill, Whispering secrets that time can’t steal. The world’s still sleepy, but you’re my dawn, Turning the shadows ’til they’re gone. Heads held high, no storm too strong. You bloom where the wild winds […]
RichC | October 12, 2025
Inflation is like that sneaky friend who borrows your money and never pays it back—it erodes the value of your dollars over time without you even noticing. But in the world of U.S. taxes and government benefits, there’s a built-in defense mechanism called inflation indexing. This automatic adjustment ensures that tax brackets, deductions, and entitlement […]
RichC | September 21, 2025
What do you call a dog that is part Labrador Retriever, part Collie and part Dalmatian? A Colaberation. 😊 (photo assistance by Grok)
RichC | September 19, 2025
Artificial intelligence with Grok, Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc has been a real help for rookie computer and server problem-solvers like me. It may be one of the best ways to learn if you’re not in a classroom, have an experienced teacher or coworkers handy? Occasionally I run into questions in “how to best use” AI. […]
RichC | September 7, 2025
There’s nothing like the frustration of going to the doctor and thinking they are being paid for what they are worth … but then getting a follow up “Explanation of Benefits” (EOB) from your insurance company letting you know how much they were billed and how much YOU now owe. ☹️ Last month I finally […]
RichC | August 21, 2025
Flaw in AI assisted research (404 links). Artificial Intelligence generated segment below for a recent blog post — and all are broken/non-existent links: Record-low unemployment rates for most demographics, including native-born workers Historic median household income growth, reaching an all-time high of $68,703 in 2019 4.9 million Americans lifted out of poverty in a single year […]
RichC | July 18, 2025
Really this is a “to be ignored” post that is to test MarsEdit after a big update and Linux server issues. I’ve cleared out a bunch of bulk, cleaned up and hopefully secured a few more things and am trying (without all that much success) into combatting the Chinese BOT that hammer the site everyday. […]
RichC | July 17, 2025
I couldn’t help but remember a Memorex tape advertisement that ran in the 1970s for cassette tapes (above) … then in the 1980s for VHS tapes … when seeing the photo below: “Is it live … or is it Memorex?“ What do you think of when you see the shape of this island off the coast […]
RichC | June 20, 2025
Grok AI and I have become good friends over the past few weeks. I’ve been using artificial intelligence — with some success — in order to fix a few ongoing issues with MDB and the Linux server that has served me well for the past decade or so. No … I’m not updating or doing […]
RichC | June 13, 2025
The heavier metal backed credit cards being issued by some banks these days seemed like a good idea when they first came out, but in reality (at least mine) … they don’t seem that much more durable than the plastic versions? The Capital One SAVOR credit card that I carry primarily for “restaurants and grocery […]
RichC | June 6, 2025
When you supply personal data to ChatGPT, it may be accessed by OpenAI’s AI trainers, service providers, law enforcement (if legally required), or third-party apps (if integrated). Data is stored and potentially used for training unless you opt out, and breaches or model outputs could expose it further. Other AI clients follow similar patterns, though […]
RichC | June 1, 2025
While Katelyn was home with her family over the Memorial Day weekend, she made a comment about Drew’s hairline while he was swimming in the pool; she used the term “Widow’s Peak“ and it stuck with me as something “desultory” enough for MDB. According to GrokAI (sketched an illustration too): A widow’s peak is a […]
RichC | May 23, 2025
After asking both ChatGPT and Grok for some “value investor, dividend stock” advice on May 2nd (see link), I received an invite from Gemini 2.5 Pro to test an update. So I decided to ask the same question just to see what Google’s Gemini would spit out. Unfortunately I must have picked a busy time […]
RichC | May 18, 2025
Decades ago I struggled mightily with Meniere’s Disease (and I was looking for an excuse to use the word “mightily”) 😊 … but after having a surgery under the stress of the time to improve my vertigo … the hearing in my right ear is nearly gone. It is a known problem for both the […]
RichC | May 4, 2025
Rogue planets, also known as free-floating planets, are planetary bodies that drift through the Milky Way without orbiting a star. Unlike typical planets bound to a stellar system, these objects roam interstellar space, untethered by a parent star’s gravity. They’re intriguing because they challenge our understanding of planetary formation and survival in the harsh environment […]
RichC | April 13, 2025
I’ve been known to grumble and complain about big government and taxes most of my life, but I’m not alone. In fact, before I was even born there were versions of this poem being published in newspapers. So as April 15th nears (tax day in the U.S.), it seems like it should be added to […]
RichC | April 1, 2025
Can GrokAI really pull off an April Fools Day prank in a blog post? Nope … artificial intelligence better leave this to humans with the talent for comedy. 😊 In a shocking revelation, xAI scientists claim gravity reverses every April 1st for 24 hours. “It’s nature’s prank,” says Dr. Fictus, a totally real researcher. “People […]
RichC | March 28, 2025
An interesting map on BrilliantMaps.com (from a Reddit post), highlights Canada’s January temperature patterns, showing where average highs and lows rise above freezing. The West Coast, particularly around Vancouver and Victoria, and parts of Nova Scotia, like Halifax, are marked in purple, indicating January average highs above 0°C (32°F). These areas, influenced by the Pacific […]
RichC | March 7, 2025
Brenda and I were debating crabs and shells after seeing a couple crabs on our beach walks and finding a beautifully polished Cowry/Cowrie shell (left). I suspected that the hermit crab ate the snail forming the shell and used it for protection and “a home.” Of course I was wrong … but didn’t know it […]
RichC | February 28, 2025
Since I did not take Latin in school (it wasn’t offered), there are legal terms and phrases that need to be looked up … even for someone who has been around a while. Someone mentioned “Caveat emptor” to me the other day and although I recognized it as a common term, it required a little […]
RichC | December 19, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is infiltrating almost everything we do on a smartphone, tablet or computer these days. Last week, my X.com feed sent a message that “you should try generating an image of yourself” based on whatever data it collects. I suspect it relies on my profile information, but am not sure what else it […]