RichC | August 1, 2021
Perhaps I’ve been asleep at the wheel, but when looking to buy another pair of Eddie Bauer shorts (liked the lightweight ones I ordered last month – below), I noticed that they are promoting a “Rent Your Adventure” outdoor camping gear program. It caught me off-guard to see them renting outdoor gear as well as […]
RichC | July 25, 2021
So what do you know about bats? Personally, I didn’t know very much at all. I see them regularly in the evening sky darting around and have always repeated the mantra that they are good for the environment because they eat mosquitos and pesky insects (article). Beyond that … and the vampire stories … I […]
RichC | July 1, 2021
While reading one of my favorite investment strategist, Brett Owens wrote a REIT and CEF-focused Contrarian Outlook newsletter and occasional webinars that I enjoy. He commented tongue-in-cheek … that “we dividend investors really only need three things:” Hm, how hard can that be? Brett partnered with Tom Jacobs a few years ago to write […]
RichC | June 23, 2021
Although I’m likely tainted in having lived through a period where inflation was real and uncontrolled, I do worry that people living today either ignore or downplay the negative impact inflation, stagflation or worse … hyperinflation … can make on our country. For those who know me, I’ve likely been the “boy who calls wolf” […]
RichC | May 14, 2021
MyDesultoryBlog.com was overdue for a backup and since I stepped away early from my desk on Thursday, I figured the end of the day was a good time to sync online and offline storage (the backups make for a sluggish computer and data connection). Besides backing up data, it also seemed like a good time […]
RichC | April 15, 2021
John Rowe, an automotive friend on Twitter, often shares a “ Today’s Useless Tweet” that I find entertaining. It fit with the idioms tag on MyDesultoryBlog and thought his “blow your own horn [trumpet]” (see below embedded tweet) would be fitting as a filler for today. Today’s Useless Tweet : 1972. 5th grade. Parents bought […]
RichC | April 9, 2021
Sometimes when my mind wanders, I shift from pie-in-the-sky dreaming (flying cars, mind control devices, AI/robotics (mp4), time machines (mp4), “beam me up” transporters, etc) to something that’s a bit more realistic to the world of everyday technology. Let’s get the above “pie-in-the-sky” idiom out of the way first. “Pie In The Sky” Origin This […]
RichC | March 25, 2021
For the most part, I’m a conservative investor, although a regular channel trader, and I rarely speculates on risky upstarts, IPOs, zero-profit tech stocks, pharmaceutical long-shots or the latest crazy … cryptocurrency trend. Since most “risk” involves speculation, I see it more akin to gambling than eyes-open informed value or growth investing … both which […]
RichC | January 2, 2021
Adam Savage, from Mythbusters claim-to-fame, has been regularly posting a few of his shop ideas online. A few months ago he triggered me into improving my portable Sailrite Sewing machine set-up (well my wife’s sewing machine that I use .. cough, cough). Anyway, a few weeks after he built his table for his impressive Sailrite […]
RichC | December 22, 2020
With only a handful of meals out during this COVID19 year with my buddy Jeff this past year, I’ve learned to appreciate them even more than usual. We’ve been having lunch together each month or so as a way to stay connected for decades and for me adjusting to just emails and text messages is […]
RichC | December 15, 2020
It has been a challenging year to say the least with the Coronavirus still raging in the US and around the world. So many lives, businesses and plans have been forever changed. Brenda and I just feel blessed to be surviving the pandemic and able to function in a day to day matter. We hear […]
RichC | July 18, 2020
As politicians and most of us in the United States (and probably world) debate how to live under the shadow of the Coronavirus pandemic, researchers, doctors and academics are flooding the Internet with studies and opinions both for and against opening up the country. Some have our best interest at heart … and likely some […]
RichC | July 15, 2020
The pandemic delayed April 15th Tax Day for Americans’ 2019 taxes is now upon us and for those who have not filed, you have until 11:59 tonight to do it … unless you request an extension until October 15th. We can try to wish it away like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, but as […]
RichC | June 19, 2020
Way too often those who maintain their own web servers and computers grit their teeth and cringe when it is time to update and upgrade. A month or so ago I replaced one of my servers (the one this blog is on) and suffered through the anxiety of getting everything working again. I generally follow […]
RichC | May 23, 2020
The workshop runs smother when there is “a place for everything and everything is in its place” … to quote the printer and publisher Benjamin Franklin. On the other hand, perhaps the British are not fond of a “revolutionary” like Ben and prefer to credit Samuel Smiles, Mrs Isabella Beeton or John Hacket, Bishop of […]
RichC | May 15, 2020
We are all likely on information overload when it comes to the Coronavirus and how it has impacted our country and the world. Still, it seemed appropriated to include a reminder as we start to re-open the country that the threat is far from over – we have just “flattened the curve” as it were. […]
RichC | May 6, 2020
Today’s post serves as a test … since I’m having a few webserver and database problems. If you are a regular reader, this will also be a notice that this blog will likely be sporadic until it is fixed. Once my business sites are updated, then I’ll address my long-in-the-tooth (see below) Quickdex project site and […]
RichC | April 4, 2020
In a business meeting decades ago, Brenda used the term “Catch-22” without giving the etymology much thought. After the meeting, a older senior executive came up to her and commented that he was surprised to hear a 30-year old using the term “Catch-22” … and then asked if she knew it’s history. She did no, […]
RichC | March 11, 2020
My friend Jeff gave me a couple “used” books for Christmas this year after we talked last year about our favorite authors and books over the decades. Sloan Wilson, of “Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” fame, also wrote several World War II US Coast Guard and Merchant Marine novels that both of us read […]
RichC | March 9, 2020
There has always been a part of me that enjoyed looking at the night sky … perhaps it is the “want-to-be” sailor in me or just growing up with space exploration? Studying the night sky really was never a passion until Katelyn took an interest in space (Space Camp, NASA Sharp, Astronomy as a hobby) […]
RichC | March 7, 2020
I’ve purposely put off posting anything to MyDesultoryBlog as the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (#COVID19) began. Partially since it is challenging to separate the unfounded fears and panic from the real threat since the reporting varies based on news sources (Information from China is particularly questionable but western media sources aren’t all […]
RichC | February 22, 2020
Thursday night (February 20, 2020 ) Drew and Katelyn knew it was time, so they packed up and took Annalyn over to Drew’s parents, which was the plan. They arrived at the hospital about 10:30 PM with very little time to spare and Katelyn immediately gave birth to an 8 lb 3 oz baby girl […]
RichC | January 16, 2020
While soring through my office file cabinet to make room for more current folders, I ran across an old lease contract and photo from an “almost happened” business decision. It would have been a decision and a location move that may have changed our future and had ripple effects even for the lives of my […]
RichC | January 15, 2020
A year or so ago, I “was” planning to give the Amazon Key service a try by having shipments delivered to the condo in Florida when we are not there. So I purchase a smart lock and then realized that Amazon didn’t offer Key delivery services in Delray Beach. I sent it back as I […]
RichC | January 14, 2020
The stock market continues to rally on positive news: low inflation, cheap money, increasing wages, low unemployment and even good news on trade with China. If there was ever a time to use the “hitting on all cylinders” idiom, this would be it … but when things are looking this good … everybody gets a […]
RichC | January 8, 2020
Just when you have the perfect wireless plan (and pricing structure) figured out … someone throws a wrench (spanner) in the works. Thanks Richard Branson. #sarcasm Our Virgin Mobile iPhones (we have iPhone7s and iPhone7plus) … are being transferred to Boost Mobile. Ugh, that doesn’t sound promising?
RichC | November 28, 2019
If African American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar in the late 1800’s could express his “thankfulness” so eloquently on Thanksgiving, those of us living in the United States today should have little problem appreciating the freedom and abundance that we all too often take for granted. It is great to have our family coming to our […]
RichC | July 20, 2019
As has been highly celebrated and reported in every form of media this week (and mention in not just one, but two earlier blog posts), today is the 50th anniversary of the landing a man on the moon. It was the historic Apollo 11 eight-day mission to the moon and back with the goal of […]
RichC | June 29, 2019
A week ago Brenda and I headed up to our “old stomping grounds” (idiom) to celebrate Taylor’s 30th and my 60th birthday at Put In Bay, Ohio. Katelyn planned a family gathering for us since her partner owns a house and a few rentals on the island and graciously let us stay in the place […]
RichC | April 26, 2019
Likely I am not alone in constantly reevaluating the pros and cons of participating in social media. I’ve purposely limited my exposure to only a couple of platforms even though I enjoy staying in touch with friends and acquaintances … and generally don’t have a problem with people respectfully debating news and politics. Facebook as […]
RichC | March 16, 2019
There are times when trying to hold or clamp irregularly shaped pieces can be difficult. Usually I resort to using my Jorgensen Handscrew clamps, but obviously with a little “old school” ingenuity, there are simpler ways! The photo above is one of those woodworking tidbit where a picture is worth a thousand words. For more […]
RichC | September 1, 2018
Some interesting results using my birth town and the "number of 90 degree days" in a New York Times "tool" which I interpret as wanting to alarm us into action over the "human induced climate change" projections. If you haven’t already dug your heels in with an opinion (likely influenced by politics either way) … […]
RichC | February 18, 2018
Too many times in life I find myself fiddling to repairs something that really just needs to be thrown away. Case in point (see interesting idiom explanation below) … I brought home an LED fixture that replaced a higher wattage halogen bulb that works well in Encore‘s cabin, but for some reason the pin/plugs must have […]
RichC | February 7, 2018
This ain’t my first rodeo (was looking for an excuse to use the idiom) as it pertains to stretching the life of my favorite pair of Sperry Topsiders. The idiom this ain’t my first rodeo is generally traced back to the movie Mommie Dearest, in which the character Joan Crawford says, “This ain’t my first […]
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