Music Monday: “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”

| September 12, 2022

The tail end of summers weather has been conducive for both working outside (and sweating) in the yard and cooling dips in the pool. I usually relax in a patched up floating lounger with a copy of Barron’s … but after my delivery frustration I’ve so far declined renewing until they can improve paper delivery. […]

Music Monday: “That’s My Wave” by Jimmy Buffett

| August 22, 2022

While listening to Radio Margaritaville and relaxing in the backyard at the end of the day last week, another Life On The Flipside song caught my ear and started me thinking about how I’m missing sailing and the ocean. I’m not an active surfer, although “IF” I still had decent balance (see Menieres), I wouldn’t […]

Summer storms continue, more COVID and Gilligan’s Island

| August 6, 2022

Well if one has to stay at home … looking at our backyard “storm is coming” pool photo … and we aren’t to be out and about, there could be worse places to be isolating? The summer storms continued rolling thru this past week and and after testing positive the previous week, I thought a […]

Video tips on how to do a better job caulking

| July 31, 2022

As someone who is not fond of both painting and caulking, whenever there are professional tips that make those jobs easier, I listen (a better “dripless” caulking guns link too).

Taylor is planning to own rather than rent in Cincinnati, Ohio

| July 28, 2022

A bit of news from my son Taylor who has decided to buy a condo in Cincinnati rather than renting a few blocks away. He has been looking for a while now and pondered a house vs property vs urban condo or townhouse. Escalating prices since the pandemic turned and rising rates in both lending […]

Music Monday: “Movin’ On Up” – Ja’net DuBois

| July 18, 2022

Don’t ask me what triggered the 1975 television show The Jeffersons theme song, but caught myself bopping to the tune in my head this past weekend (and I’m not really a “bopper”). The All in the Family spinoff wasn’t a series that I watched as a teenager, but the catchy theme song written by Ja’net […]

Music Monday: Radio Margaritaville and Jimmy Buffett singing “Slack Tide” from “Life on the Flip Side” while mowing

| June 27, 2022

It is officially summer … and what’s better in warm weather and sunshine than songs from Jimmy Buffett on Music Monday? So here’s “Slack Tide” off Life on the Flip Side album (as heard on Radio Margaritaville). I just happened to be listening to it streaming on the SiriusXM app on my new noise-cancelling Wyze […]

Music Monday: “So Many Paths” by Little River Band

| June 20, 2022

Just another Music Monday song from the 1970s, as heard on the relatively new SiriusXM Yacht Rock, Deep Cuts, Xtra “app-only” channel (from what I can tell?)  Today song is from Australia’s Little River Band  called “So Many Paths” … from side-B of their 1978 album, “Sleeper Catcher.”      Little River Band – “So […]

Music Monday: The Leonard Skinner and Lynyrd Skynyrd story

| June 6, 2022

I was tuned into a television morning news show a few weeks ago and was shocked that two of the three hosts didn’t know “the band” Lynyrd Skynyrd … in fact one commented, “but I’ve heard of ‘him.’”  Shocked, but maybe it’s an age thing? The conversation quickly shifted into the band’s eponym … Forby Leonard […]

Music Monday oriented Memorial Day: Vietnam vets likely remember singing “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”

| May 30, 2022

This Memorial Day reflection is a bit different than previous posts. Instead of an overall encompassing remembrance on all those who died in armed service to our country, it is a combined Music Monday twist that is a little more narrowly focused on those who fought and died in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). At the […]

Music Monday: “Where Do The Children Play?” – Cat Stevens

| May 23, 2022

While reading in the evenings I’m often sitting with my headphones on listening to music while Brenda is watching one of her streaming series … I think she is watching the Bridgerton TV series on Netflix before we cancel our streaming service. Anyway, while listening to SiriusXM’s The Bridge channel on my iPhone, I found myself […]

Tech Friday: What is all this Web3 decentralized internet about?

| May 20, 2022

While discussing the ever-changing way in which we use the “web” with a friend, he shared an “explainer“ video from Harvard Business Review earlier this month on Web3 (Web 3.0). It is also on YouTube and offers a glimpse into what they refer to as “read/write/own” information.

Music Monday: Dion – “Runaround Sue” #video

| May 2, 2022

Today’s Music Monday is a little bit before my time, but when hearing Dion DiMucci singing “Runaround Sue” on Varney & Co. FoxBusiness show’s segment bumper music last month, it caught my ear. For me, it triggered memories of my parent’s music … as it would have been their era. I would not be surprised […]

Music Monday: My one and only John Denver concert at Miami University was still the best

| April 18, 2022

The years have passed, but my memory of a John Denver concert “in the round” was still the best and most memorable concert I’ve ever attended. I suspect a lot has to do with John Denver being a true entertainer. He knew exactly how to connect with an audience and was especially effective on a […]

Music Monday: Starland Vocal Band – “Afternoon Delight” 1976

| April 11, 2022

This week almost didn’t have a Music Monday song, but after hearing “Afternoon Delight” over the weekend, I thought that since this was the only song I could remember from the group called Starland Vocal Band, that it would be worth adding? “Lo and behold,” I’m not alone in remembering it, as my wife started […]

Books: The Coddling of the American Mind and Roland Fryer

| April 2, 2022

The longer I live, the more I ask the question: “What is wrong with people?” While reading “The Coddling of the American Mind” last week, just before chatting with my son Taylor, the synopsis of the book came to mind. We were discussing a variety of current issues and ties to history (behavior, greed, crime, […]

Music Monday: “Hold On” from 1990 by Wilson Phillips

| March 28, 2022

Once again, in looking to get out of the 1970’s Music Monday rut, I pulled out a music memory from my trusty Apple iPod and Shuffle … mine is filled with Jack Johnson tunes (right – see Wikipedia list of iPods). The one I used most often was clipped to the back of a cap […]

Music Monday: The 1943 classic movie “Watch on the Rhine” and 1982 song “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes

| March 21, 2022

Old black and while films have never been top picks for Brenda and me when selecting a movie for the weekend, but as the Coronavirus pandemic shutdowns started, we decided to add a few classic movies as a way to broaden our life experience. Like reading classic literature as part of a higher education, watching a […]

Music Monday: KC and The Sunshine Band – “Please Don’t Go”

| March 14, 2022

Did you like disco? Me … not so much … but didn’t mind a few songs from the 1970s. For Music Monday here’s a YouTube video  with KC and the Sunshine Band from 1979 performing “Please Don’t Go.”   If you were like me and didn’t follow disco music closely, you probably didn’t know much […]

Music Monday: “Too Late to Turn Back Now” from 1972 by the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose

| March 7, 2022

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Is it time to consider an EV when looking for a new car?

| February 26, 2022

Well according to the calculations by automotive journalist Lauren Fix, if it is the financial calculation that triggers your decision, you might want to hold off a little on buying that new EV … even with tax incentives.

Music Monday: Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain” recorded live in Marthas Vineyard in 1987

| February 14, 2022

Considering I grew up listening to Carly Simon and James Taylor, it is surprising not to have included “You’re So Vain” from 1972 Music Monday before now … but as is say since 1386 (Chaucer) … “better late than never” (previous post: “Anticipation”). In hearing the studio version played on SiriusXM’s “The Bridge” channel the […]

A big snowman GIF triggered Ford 800 tractor memories #TBT

| February 10, 2022

In early February 2022, most of the U.S. received a heavy ice and snow storm. There were quite a few shared photos on the social networks and an animated GIF of a huge snowman triggered memories of our Hudson, Ohio winters in NE Ohio. Back then I had an old Ford 800 that I used […]

Music Monday: Beach Boys “Surfin’ USA” – Huarache Sandals

| February 7, 2022

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Tech Friday: Fitbit Versa smartwatch battery issue

| February 4, 2022

Let me start off with the positives. I really like my original Fitbit Versa watch. I wear it everyday and it offers me nearly everything I want in a fitness tracking smart watch. That said, I have always been hard on watches … to the point I stopped wearing watches for years – for decades […]

Music Monday: Michael Winslow – “Whole Lotta Love” and more

| January 24, 2022

This is not the usual kind of Music Monday. Michael Winslow and folk pop-musician Odd Nordstoga performed “Whole Lotta Love” on the Norwegian talk show back in 2011 (mp4)… although just recently saw it! A crazy talented “voice and microphone” artist.

Music Monday: Supertramp – It’s Raining again

| January 10, 2022

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Music Monday: Claire Dunn singing “Salt and Lime”

| January 3, 2022

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Simple TableSaw or Bandsaw miter jig idea for #Woodworking

| December 28, 2021

As usual, I was late in coming across a simple workshop miter guide for my table saw, although more recently something I needed for my small bandsaw. While working on a Christmas project for my granddaughter, I needed to cut a bunch of small pieces where I didn’t lose so much wood to the table […]

Something a bit more amateur for this week’s Music Monday

| December 27, 2021

Social media is filled with nastiness and ugly news … but it is also a place for upbeat positive news, scripture, prayer requests and a shared love of song and some heartwarming father-daughter bonding.  I’m not sure who these “smiling” amateur singers are that appeared on my Twitter feed, but it made my day and […]

Following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover as it explores

| December 17, 2021

It has been interesting following NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover “virtually” since the launch on July 30, 2020 and landing on Mars February 18, 2021. Since that time, Perseverancehas sent back hundreds of photos from the surface, collected (core samples) rocks and spent time “off-roading” on the surface. The terrain photo above (click it for larger) […]

Music Monday: “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” – CCR

| November 29, 2021

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Music Monday: An Ohio State Football win and the Sloopy Girl

| November 22, 2021

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Tech Friday: Interesting electric heater and Bitcoin mining setup?

| November 19, 2021

How about mining Bitcoin and heating your house (room) with the excess energy/heat? For small room portable heating and cryptocurrency mining this looks interesting (although personally I’d rather install solar panels and sell electric power to the grid), check out the Heatbit website. https://youtu.be/bsjdIrcvz0E

Music Monday: Bruce Hornsby and “The Way It Is” #video

| November 15, 2021

I’m recycling a Music Monday song from a few years back (2017) with Bruce Hornsby performing “The Way It Is” from the 1986 album by the same name  … but this time not just audio, but the official video on YouTube/Vevo (so indicates the mp4 file). Although he is best known performing with his group […]

Music Monday: “We’re having a Miles Davis Rally”

| November 8, 2021

Although I usually don’t purposely listen to jazz, I do appreciate hearing it when it is played and discussed. Last week when Fox Business host Charles Payne mentioned “We’re having a Miles Davis rally” in reference to the stock market – and the “be there or be square” 1950’s slogan. I tweeted about it and […]

Music Monday: Boston Dynamics’ Robots emulate Mick Jagger

| November 1, 2021

Last week the “Spot, robot dog” people at Boston Dynamics released a YouTube video of their robots dancing and moving like Mick Jagger to their 40-year old 1981 “Start Me Up” from the Rolling Stones  Tattoo You album (previous Music Monday post).  

Production oriented 1950s old-school drywall skills #video

| October 27, 2021

When it comes to tradesmen building houses, it is hard to beat an old-school drywall installer. Check out this vintage YouTube video:

Music Monday: “We’re An American Band” LIVE in 1974

| October 25, 2021

It is hard not to remember Grand Funk Railroad when you think about rock concerts from the 1970s (never attended though) and in particular their hit “We’re An American Band.” Here’s a LIVE version from 1974 posted to YouTube. Grand Funk Railroad, sometimes shortened as Grand Funk, is an American rock band who achieved their […]

Music Monday: Redbone – “Come And Get Your Love” (LIVE)

| October 11, 2021

In keeping with a inclusive music from the 1970s for Music Monday, you can’t get much more American melting-pot inclusive than the band Redbone. The Mexican-American / Native American rock band even gets their band name from a Cajun term for “mixed-race” person … and who doesn’t love their stage show and music? Here’s their […]

Music Monday: Tavares – Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel

| October 4, 2021

When it comes to listening to the music, it is appropriate to be a bit more inclusive when it comes to songs that we listened to (and some danced to) in the 1970s. That included R & B, funk, disco and soul music from bell-bottomed dancing vocal groups like The Taveres Brothers or just Tavares.  […]

Högertrafikomläggningen in Sweden

| September 26, 2021

What does it take for a country to switch from left-hand to right-hand driving? Sweden did just that in 1967 … with a lot of preparation. It was called Dagen H or “Högertrafikomläggningen.”

Music Monday: Michael W. Smith — Worship Forever

| September 20, 2021

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Disposing and recycling takes a little more effort these days

| September 8, 2021

Since I have a couple items to pack up to take to a recycling and solid waste facility and was searching for options in our area (replaced an old AC compressor with refrigerant), it occurred to me that one way to reduce the items we generate is to not buy environmentally hazardous products in the […]

Music Monday: The songwriting gift that is Brian Wilson

| August 30, 2021

Who doesn’t know who Brian Wilson is or love his many decades of music … especially with The Beach Boys (even my kids played them on our amplified Echo and dance around a week or so ago)? 😊 I stumbled across his timeline on the BrianWilson.com which highlights each decade with photos and highlights. A […]

Will this pair of Sperry boat shoes last for the rest of my life?

| August 7, 2021

Besides making one of those “senior moment” gaffes by switching my mini split HVAC unit accidentally from AC to “HEAT” (I was roasting in my office), I bought a new pair of shoes after being disappointed in the cheaply made pair that I bought last year. Those that read this blog know that I’ve been […]

The legendary Thomas Sowell and his economics, politics and social theory highlighted by Jason Riley for PragerU

| July 27, 2021

As a longtime subscriber to the Wall Street Journal (and for the last decade or so Barron’s), I’ve learned to appreciate certain journalists, economists and opinion piece writers like Jason Riley at the Manhattan Institute. When he told the inspiring story of Thomas Sowell for PragerU, I quickly viewed the video and applauded – well […]

Music Monday: Neil Diamond and “Crackin’ Rosie” from 1970

| July 19, 2021

It has hard for me to imagine that there is anyone who doesn’t appreciate the music of Neil Diamond? He may not have been at the top of my 1970s music listening list, but when it comes to soft rock, there are few men who can match his vocal talent. A Twitter snippet of a […]

Music Monday: Don McLean performing “Crossroads” live

| July 5, 2021

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Music Monday: Supertramp – Breakfast in America LIVE (1979)

| June 28, 2021

Last week a friend of mine include an album cover photo and said “strike this pose.” I laughed to myself wondering just how many people seeing it would know and remember “Breakfast in America“ and the Engilsh rock band Supertramp? Interestingly, even though I clearly remembered the band and the album, I did not realized […]

Books: Brave By Faith by Alistair Begg

| June 13, 2021

The current pile of books to read is too high for my nighttime side table;  I think I need to move a few to my office … or better yet, finish reading them! Since Alistair Begg is a favorite teaching pastor of ours (Parkside Church was our home church when we lived in NE Ohio), […]

Music Monday: Mercy Me and their “Say I Won’t” music video

| May 17, 2021

My Desultory Blog‘s Music Monday does not include enough music from the Christian music genre and after hearing the story of Gary Miracle last weekend, I had to include Mercy Me‘s “Say I Won’t.”  

Music Monday: Sheryl Crow and NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

| April 12, 2021

Stumbled across a pre-COVID19 lockdown NPRMusic Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube when watching another video from an automotive friend of mine … and since I like Sheryl Crow “music” … I figured it would be an easy fill for Music Monday. Her “Soak Up The Sun” hit from 2002 was included a couple years ago, […]

Music Monday: Paul Simon (and Art Garfunkel) – Kodachrome

| April 5, 2021

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Music Monday: More Than a Feeling – Boston 1976

| March 22, 2021

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Why do so many on the political left deride America?

| March 3, 2021

If all we do is listen to those who spew negativity and show distain for America, we might miss the fact that the US through Operation Warp Speed in coordination with private companies, have given us a COVID19 vaccine to its citizens and to the world in record time. In keeping with countries which have […]

Music Monday: Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show video. Yikes!

| March 1, 2021

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Music Monday: The Marshall Tucker Band – “Can’t You See”

| February 22, 2021

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Music Monday: Steely Dan – “Peg” from their 1977 album Aja

| February 15, 2021

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Music Monday: Gilligan’s Island theme mashed with Led Zeppelin

| February 8, 2021

For those who grew up on one of my favorite TV shows, Gilligan’s Island … and in later years listened to the music of Led Zeppelin … here’s an interesting YouTube video for this week’s Music Monday. On a more depressing note, I was sad to hear America’s favorite “girl next door” actress Dawn Wells […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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