phrase | My Desultory Blog

TechFriday: Blog housekeeping and a WordPress 5.4.2 update

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 […]

Category: Blogs, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: apt-get, bionic beaver, blog, idioms, linux, phrase, server, ubuntu, update, upgrade, wordpress

Our countries founders and past presidents, no matter their political party, would be “turning over in their graves”

RichC | July 2, 2019

VP Joe Biden, Sen Bernie Sanders and Sen Kamala Harris – DemDebate2 6/27/2019 After watching the two night Democratic Debate last week, I couldn’t help, but notice that the socialist wing of the party has moved every candidate WAY left. All of the current 20+ candidates running to be the DEM’s nominee have made previous […]

Category: News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: campaign, debates, democractic, democrats, election, etymology, idiom, nomination, opinion, party, phrase, president, socialism, united states

A good economy, but we are dealing with other political issues

RichC | May 22, 2019

Yes … the U..S economy is in good shape … but if you are an investor, these last few weeks may not have felt like the stock market is responding as it should in a good economy? Enter trade with China … well primarily China. Yet there is also unrest in the Middle East with […]

Category: Financial, News, Politics | No Comments »
Tags: barrons, china, economy, financial markets, investing, phrase, Politics, tariffs, trade, trading, trump, united states

Is there a best time to become a first time home buyer?

RichC | May 7, 2019

In a discussion with my son Taylor last week, the subject of homeownership came up. He is single and currently rents, but like many millennials, hasn’t been in a big hurry to "put down roots" as have previous generations. On the other hand, being that his career is in "planning" and "economic development," regularly talks […]

Category: Advice, Blogs, Financial | No Comments »
Tags: case-schiller, chart, homes, house, housing, phrase, real estate, rent

Replaced the rear shocks the Honda Odyssey this past weekend

RichC | April 16, 2019

Besides finishing the painful tax filing this weekend, I replaced the rear shocks in my 2002 Honda Odyssey “work-wagon” and Florida vehicle. It is still the lowest mile vehicle we have, but unfortunately, it is showing its age … especially the rusting undercarriage. Still, it runs well and is reliable … knock on wood. I’ve […]

Category: Automotive, Misc, Photos, Video | No Comments »
Tags: honda, mp4, odyssey, phrase, repair, replace, shocks, superstition, van, video, words

The etymology of “pay through the nose”

RichC | November 1, 2015

I don't recall why I used the phrase “pay through the nose” this past week, but this sounds about right … Instead of fighting the invaders, some English kings preferred to pay the Vikings to leave them in peace. These payments were called 'Danegeld' (meaning 'Dane debt' or Dane payment). The Vikings collected tribute in […]

Category: Misc, Tidbits | No Comments »
Tags: english, etymology, language, phrase, words

Most Recent Posts

10/01/20: What to do with my antique letterpress type galley trays #TBT
While clearing out a little more garage clutter this past weekend in order to gain some space as the weather changes (things are getting too crowded), I finally ripped apart an old type galley cabinets that I hauled… »
09/30/20: Biden and Trump debate as the 2020 Presidential Election nears
“INCOMING!” (reference to the diving falcon photo) With best intentions, I had hoped to post on Tuesday night’s first of 3 presidential debates for Wednesday morning – nope … maybe over lunch? I am with… »
09/29/20: Remembering my mom’s birthday with an Oldsmobile photo
My mother’s birthday isn’t one that I mark with a blog post every year, but since I ran across this old photo of my mom in East Tawas Michigan, I set it aside (along with one from me in my new suede coat back in… »
09/28/20: Great night sky viewing of the moon, Saturn and Jupiter
As usual, my night celestial bodies viewing in person is SO MUCH BETTER than trying to capture the beautiful night sky with an iPhone (and older 7 model to boot) … but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Here’s a… »
09/28/20: Music Monday: Social unrest and the 1970s song Chevy Van
It’s likely the politics and social unrest from a decade of racial tension, the Vietnam quagmire and the impeachment, then resignation, of disgraced President over his involvement and cover-up in Watergate was as… »
09/27/20: A semi-portable thickness planer for my woodworking shop
When bragging that my latest sewing cart project had zero cost in it, I held off until the end of the post to mention that I was spending money and would post about that on Sunday. Well here it is: I bought my first… »
09/26/20: Started the weekend with a Sailrite LSZ-1 sewing cart project
If you have ever used a heavy portable sewing machine, you know what a pain it is to haul it out of storage and set it up to make a simple repair. I don’t know how many times I’ve grumbled when Brenda wants me to… »
09/25/20: Real ID is still happening, but you have a 1-year reprieve
Since I posted last year about the new Real ID regulations for domestic flying and travel, I figured it was appropriate to update the one-year reprieve. Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the… »
09/24/20: A sign of Autumn and our 1987 Mercedes Benz 560SEL #TBT
We had our first taste of cooler fall weather for 2020 last week as the hot 80+ degree days of August and early September gave way to pleasant mid-to-high 70s and cooler evenings dipping into the 40s. Brr, my body has… »
09/23/20: Time for another BMW X5 35d oil, filter and air filter change
The weather has been just perfect for evenings in the garage or outside, so it is a good time to be checking off a couple of to-do list items – it was enjoyable. Although I’ve been slightly overdue for an oil… »
09/22/20: A couple granddaughter photos from Brenda’s babysitting
Since Brenda (Oma) is babysitting up in Perrysburg for Katelyn and Drew, I thought I’d archive a couple photos from her day (although the one above is from Katelyn marking that Ellerie is now 7 months old). Since… »
09/21/20: Music Monday: "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" co-written and sung by Aaron Dupree Tippin
There are a handful of songs that bring tears of pride to my eyes and goosebumps to my arms in reflecting just how blessed we are to be living in the United States of America. Aaron Tippin, Kenny Beard and Casey… »
09/20/20: I’m missing sailing, but here are a few new knot tying ideas
Most people who enjoy sailing and undertake the sport/activity as a hobby, also enjoy learning how to handle the many sheets and lines (ropes) that are used aboard a sailboat. I’ve been sailing off and on my entire… »
09/19/20: Paintied the hinges and door hardware for the pool changing room
It has taken me most of the second half of the summer, but I’m finally finishing the poolhouse changing room … more work than I thought. The damage done by Katelyn’s “late” pet rabbit Pumpy Umpy was… »
09/18/20: Tech Friday: A new feature update for my Fitbit Versa
After a recent update from Fitbit, my Versa watch is now tracking my SpO2 level when I sleep. Unsure what to make of it, I asked my doctor-daughter Katelyn what it means: “looks good, no sleep apnea.” (Fitbit… »
09/17/20: Our granddaughter Ellerie has her first tooth … and big eyes!
What kind of grandparent would I be to not include Ellerie’s first tooth on MyDesultoryBlog since I post on practically everything else? Katelyn mentioned in a phone call that Ellerie was teething and could see her… »
09/16/20: Filler post: Shade Sail Stick Insects and a couple idea photos
While brushing a few leaves off the new shade sails, this little guy caught my eye. It is amazing how different Stick Insects can change colors to fit their surroundings. Actually this blog post is just a mid-week… »
09/15/20: Photos of a few new hardwood trees from my brother’s nursery
It has been eleven years since we last purchased a few trees from my brother Ron’s retirement avocation – a nursery dedicated to NativeOhioPlants. He started planting trees years before so after he retired from the… »
09/14/20: Another Jimmy Buffett 2020 stay-at-home video memory
In keeping up with archiving the Jimmy Buffett COVID19 “stay-at-home” series of recording during the summer of 2020, here’s another old one … although to me, I remember it like yesterday. “The Wino and I… »
09/13/20: Apple iOS 13.7: Opt-in to COVID19 exposure notifications?
I downloaded and installed the new Apple iOS 13.7 update, but hesitated since I regularly prefer blocking location services information. Both Apple and Google announced the “tracking” in April 2020, but as expected,… »
09/12/20: BMW X5 35d diesel fill-up for $1.39/gal with Kroger fuel points
With a few miles of driving this week (nothing like my years of back and forth to NE Ohio) … I kept an eye out for anomalies in diesel fuel price. prices. It just so happened that Sidney and Wapakoneta prices were a… »
09/11/20: The 19th Anniversary of 9/11 and thoughts on our current path
It seems like yesterday, but it was 19 years ago that the US was attacked by our own commercial airliners taken over by radical Islamic terrorists and orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. These evil men following a twisted… »
09/10/20: Few photos of vintage racing match this Nigel Corner image #TBT
Nine lives, fate, stroke of luck, divine intervention? Here’s a Throwback Thursday #TBT shocker. One never knows just how “forgetting to put on a safety belt” could be seen as the smartest thing someone would do… »
09/09/20: Archive: Brenda’s flowers, busy working bees and babysitting
It is a late day of posting a few photos and memories from babysitting on Tuesday. I drove up to Perrysburg on Labor Day and enjoyed a few hours with Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie together, then the next day, it… »
09/08/20: The trajectory of a bullet thru pipes is shocking! YouTube #video
It is disturbing that someone actually tried this, but “for science” (cough, cough) … the result is eye-opening. I don’t think I’ll ever look into the end of pipes when working plumbing… »
09/07/20: Music Monday: I Heard It Through The Grapevine – CCR (1970)
Everybody knows it and everybody has “Heard It Through The Grapevine” (at least the 1968 single version by Marvin Gaye)… but not everybody has listened to the full 11 minutes of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s… »
09/06/20: Assembling a simple (cough, cough) swing set for grandkids
I was planning to hold off posting the progress from last weekend and a few evenings putting together a swing set for Annalyn … and eventually Ellerie who is now 6 months old (the playset is sized for 3-10 year… »
09/05/20: The 2020 Presidential Election through symbolism
In trying to look at our divided America in a glass half-full way, the 2020 Presidential election at least gives voters a clear contrast in a candidates or political party’s desired direction for the country.… »
09/04/20: Obit: A generation of small boat cruising sailors loved Larry
Larry and Lin Pardey have been a couple of my sailing idols since I was in high school. Their life adventure, magazine articles and books have been a mainstay in keeping the cruising lifestyle close to my heart and in… »
09/03/20: My memories on an obsolete automotive oil spout gadget #TBT
I shared a question to a few of my automotive friends on a Twitter a few weeks ago … prior to my WordPress post disappeared due to a mysql crash (grrr!) … A question for #Millennials: What is this automotive… »
09/02/20: Books: Starting with "Pacific Crucible" by Ian W. Toll
As a World War II history buff, and someone who has read a few Navy and Merchant Marine stories over the years, I was triggered to start a hefty Ian W. Toll trilogy after reading a book review in the WSJ last weekend of… »
09/01/20: Unrequested November 2020 Ohio absentee ballot request forms
Although we have "requested" Ohio absentee voting ballots before as a convenience or often for being away from the local polls, this is the first time ballots requests forms are just showing up in the mail. If… »
08/31/20: Music Monday: The Box Tops – The Letter (1967)
Brenda started to sing along to a song that was on in the intro or background of a movie or TV show were were watching a couple weeks ago (don’t recall the show). I looked over and asked, “How do you remember this… »
08/29/20: Made a new car guy connection when discussing the Packard
On Friday afternoon I stopped in to talk with Rick Benhase, the guy looking at the Packard transmission for me. He is a truly old car nut and can’t seem to get rid of his “fleet” once he buys or fixes them. This… »
08/28/20: An updated shade sail photo and a granddaughter photo too
I know … if you check-in on my blog regularly, you are tired of hearing about this shade sail awning project. But after the thunderstorms, wind and heavy rain this week I had to ‘trim the sails’ so to speak.… »
08/27/20: A memory from 2010! What happened to my children? #TBT
Love this photo, although Katelyn and Taylor do look the same to me … well, add 10 years. I saw this photo from our Bermuda cruise in 2010 and thought, “I’m so glad we took as many trips as we did each year as a… »
08/27/20: A summer thunderstorm may be a Hurricane Laura precursor
As the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana and Texas prepare for Hurricane Laura (as well as areas well inland), we got a taste of the kind of rain that might also be headed our way as this tropical weather works its way… »
08/26/20: Would you feel safe swimming with an Orca Pod? #video
Just a filler video that I found eye-opening since my wife Brenda is a openwater, correction … shoreline swimmer. 😮… »
08/25/20: The Democrats had their 2020 virtual convention last week and the Republicans started their virtual convention this week
To sum up the nomination process for the November 3rd 2020 presidential election in a short paragraph is foolhardy, but that doesn’t prevent me from opining on the week long telethons. I expected both parties to come… »
08/24/20: Music Monday: Under Pressure – Queen, plus some humor
Oh how the simplest humor can trigger a music flashback, at least for me! I’m not sure everyone’s brain operates like this, but the song Under Pressure from 1981/82 by Queen, and the late great David Bowie, is the… »
08/23/20: It is wearing out, but the Rat Zapper is still repairable
Even though we have a few of those ultrasonic devices plugged into the walls, mice seem to find their way into the detached and attached garage then figure out how to squeeze there way into the house. I’d like to… »
08/22/20: My summer favorite Sperry Searacer boat shoes are wearing out
This is probably something I should have expected after bringing my “boat-only” non-skid Sperry SeaRacer Sneakers home from the boat in June – excessive wear. I’ve been wearing these light-weight synthetic upper… »
08/21/20: Sent the Packardbaker out for some transmission work
My dad’s 1958 Packard Hawk, mine for the last 5 years, has hardly been touched since it was flatbed delivered from Sidney, Ohio. I moved it once … and then covered it up with a battery tender after I noticed a pool… »
08/20/20: Reminiscing and thinking about our Hudson Ohio house #TBT
Let me get this out before someone tells me I’ve lost my mind: I love our current house and property in SW Ohio … as well as the community we live in just north of Cincinnati. Brenda and I could not be more blessed… »
08/19/20: Spiders, Kadydids, iPhone7+ photos and cooling in the pool
Since I spent most of the weekend outside again doing chores and projects as the weather has been great … I spotted a couple of insects enjoying summer as well. The normal bugs don’t grab my attention, but the… »
08/18/20: A weekend Brenda birthday photo and Jimmy Buffett video
We are really enjoying the time we have to stay around home this summer amidst Coronavirus concerns … although Brenda has never stopped going to work … she works in an “essential business” —… »
08/17/20: Music Monday: The Righteous Brothers – One For The Road
This week’s Music Monday was a bit before my listening time, but since my buddy Mark Jones has been hunting down “vinyl” albums from back in the day to play on his new Crosley record player and sent me a couple of… »
08/16/20: The climate hardiness guides says "no" to Evergreen Clematis
After doing a little research on different kinds of Clematis, I thought I had the perfect pick for the rear corner of the pool house garage where I often work outside the back door. Something that stayed green a bit… »
08/15/20: Saving a custom Mercedes Benz W123 “LaPickup” photo
Since I’ve highlighted a couple other “functional” versions of the Mercedes Benz W123, here’s another owner conversion. (see ONE, TWO … and THREE just for the humor). I do find myself constantly needing… »
08/14/20: Updating WordPress to 5.5 "Eckstine" and an idiom phrase
Friday afternoon was a day of server housekeeping, along with the week’s usual billing and accounting. It was also time to update this blog’s WordPress plugins and to the current version called “Eckstine” 5.5.… »
08/14/20: A baby mourning dove is trying to blend in outside the door
Wouldn’t you know, just as I was contemplating how to get rid of our annoying pair of Mourning Doves (pretty much pigeons in my book), they go and have at least one baby. Now I can’t in good conscious shoo them… »
08/13/20: What some will do to digitalize their kids drawings #TBT
There is no doubt in my mind that I would have tried to do this if Photoshop would have been as advanced when my kids were younger (or if I would have been has skilled – I’m basically a retoucher). As it… »
08/12/20: Barred spiral galaxy NGC4907 from 270 million light-years away
An image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is just too beautiful not to include on MyDesultoryBlog. I many not be the biggest astronomy or space geek, but I do spend time looking up at the stars in the evening.… »
08/12/20: Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife and a few leftover photos
It is hard to believe, but it is that time of the summer already! Nope, not quite “back to school” time, but time to wish Brenda a Happy Birthday. In the year of COVID19 as the card front to the left says, “we… »
08/11/20: Archive: Stay around home 2020 mini-vacation family photos
With our family in town last week, it was a busy time. We enjoyed several outings, good food and plenty of pool time. Annalyn has really grown to enjoy swimming and playing in the yard. She loves the swing (Bompa needs… »
08/10/20: Music Monday: Walk With You – Ringo Starr with Paul McCartney (4: John Paul George Ringo)
The song Walk With You is being included today to highlight Ringo Starr, but who can really separate him (or Paul McCartney for that matter) from The Beatles? Walk With You is a collaboration song released as a single… »
08/09/20: Someone’s Tesla is plugged into my 220VAC welding circuit?
We had a great time with Katelyn, Drew, Annalyn and Ellerie as they visited for a mini-vacation, as my daughter called it (family photos archived later in the week). They drove the Tesla Model3 down from Perrysburg and… »
08/08/20: Constantly re-stitching my floating beanbag chair
Although I’m looking high and low for some material to replace the clearance foam bead filled pool floaties I bought a few years ago, I continue to re-stitch and reinforce the old product with “Brenda’s”… »
08/07/20: Tech Friday: CCleaner marked a PUA by Microsoft Defender
It is always concerning to use and recommended a software product for years and to hear negative news on the software from a reputable antivirus. Last month, Microsoft Defender marked the “crap cleaner” known as… »
08/06/20: Archive: Remembering good times with my friend Jeff #TBT
My friend Jeff has been part of my life since college and knows WAY too much about me … both good (which he conveniently forgets) and bad (which he’s remembers all too well). We’ve always have great times… »

October 2020
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