For use when I really don’t have time to figure out to what category the post should belong.
Yes, yes. I know. It’s been a while since I’ve posted any of my runs and rides. Well, here they are.
I enjoyed today’s run. I didn’t set any new records. But I maintained a pace of which to be proud. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got breakfast to cook.
Okay, I’ve drunk my coffee, read my horoscopes, and made moves in my pending chess games. Now it’s time to go for a run. I’ve not run for over a week. I have been emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. So much so that I decided to cut back on my responsibilities. That means I dropped my classes for the semester. I didn’t have the energy to keep up.
Of course, dropping classes for the semester means that I will have to face some financial consequences. But I’ll deal with them as they come. Besides, I plan on resuming classes in the Spring of 2021. I will have to navigate the consequences to resume classes, no doubt.
Anyway, it’s off for a run. You all be on your best behavior. Yeah, I know. I suck the fun out of life. Deal with it.
I am awaiting my tea to steep. I’ve got a relaxing sound generator called Sleeping Dragon playing out of my computer speakers. I have already finished my morning routine, including my coffee. Smokey Cat calmed down about an hour ago once she realized I wasn’t going to let her outside. Besides, it’s drizzling. She doesn’t like getting wet. However, I’m going to see if she wants to go out in the rain at some point. Well, go out in the drizzle.
What do you all have on your agenda today? I hope it’s something enjoyable, meaningful, and life-affirming. For me, I’ve got the laundry waiting downstairs. It’s the small things in life, those small victories that build into meaningful acts of love and kindness towards those in our life.
Well, my tea ought to be steeped. I’m going to step away now and get on with living life even as Western Civilization goes through this current AFGE (Another Fucking Growth Experience). Be kind towards those in your life, especially towards yourself.
Back in the heady days of 2003, when political blogs were all the rage, this custom developed over linking to other blogs. My old, deceased blog Rook’s Rant, had at least 250 links from other blogs. As I said, those were heady days.
As time went by, maintaining a blog became more and more of a chore. I coded my first website by hand. However, that was both too time consuming and overwhelming. Then Movable Type came along, offering a free, though a slimmed-down version of their blogging software. Over time Movable Type itself became too complicated. Also, Rook’s Rant was dying. So I bought myself a new domain name, and Guy Andrew Hall was created.
Today there is no online political blogging culture. Most of the more successful blogs converted to news aggregator sites with fees, such as Daily Kos and HuffPost. What I once called Blogstonia (there was Left Blogstonia and Right Blogstonia) no longer exists. Most other bloggers moved on as political blogging became another past fad.
That’s the way of it, though. Once capitalism becomes involved, free expression becomes suppressed. Not out of any nefarious design to eradicate free speech. It was out of a desire not to turn off readers. Money equals hits and free speech does not make money.
Anyway, this post was initially just an announcement about a new feature in the side column – a blogroll. There are a few bloggers still hanging on. My hope is to scour the internet in search of any other remaining political bloggers.
Bloggers, we need to start moving away from Facebook. Facebook is nothing more than Microblogging. It’s quick-hitting, preventing substance, and invites superficiality. Bogs of the past were able to provide the meaning beyond the one-paragraph posts we see on Facebook.
Then there is the issue of control. We can now control the advertising that shows up on our blogs if we choose to have advertising.
Finally, we can avoid Facebook jail when complaints result in that dreaded banning by an anonymous bot without any investigation or coherent guidelines. And I’m speaking kindly here.
I do enjoy the process of writing. Well, that is, when not pressured to write for work or school. Then it becomes pure torture. Let me reiterate that – PURE TORTURE!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, right now I’m just typing away. I’ve no subject I want to elucidate upon, nor any nefarious behavior of others I want to condemn.
I am just putting one word onto the screen after another—that flow of words that occurs when I’ve no thought of the end. My writing could go on and on without limitation. It’s a worthy goal to write without any concept of the finish. Hell, I’d as soon write a whole lot about nothing than a little bit about something.
Are you with me so far?
And isn’t that a line in a song?
And does it fucking matter?
Well, it could be I’m out of fucks to give. Yeah, that’s it. I’m all out of fucks to give. And I’m not in the mood for any fucks. Not at the moment. Move along and mind your own business.
Oh, and you in the back? Yeah, the one with the shit-eating grin starting to open your mouth. I wouldn’t get caught up in any semantic antics. Sit down, resume your nose picking, and leave the sarcastic heckling to the professionals.
You know what? I changed my mind. I suggest you don’t pick your nose. I’m not sure you’re qualified to perform brain surgery.
Oh, there’s my cue to step away. Yeah, no. I’m not going to tell you the cue. Ain’t none of your business. Alright, alright. Settle down. Put your fucks away. I ain’t got the room. I told you that already. You forget what you read? Man, I’d suggest you call a neurologist. That is if you can remember how to use a phone.
Okay, okay. I’ll stop chattering on and on. Bye, you all.
Crap. Our thirty-year-old furnace gave up the ghost. So I’m waiting for someone to give us an estimate for a new one. Thankfully, I dragged my feet on getting a new deck—the one taken out by the ice dam. The one that insurance covered. I’ll be able to use that money to replace the furnace. Next year I’ll look at financing a new deck.
Because, you know – I’m committed.
NO! Not to an institution, you jerks. To running. I’m committed to running.
Everyone’s a comedian.
Yes, I’m up. I’ve been up since 5:25 AM when Smokey decided to step on the Apple remote and turn on the TV. The little shit. Of course, she was attempting to knock things off of elevated surfaces because she wanted her morning treats.
So, I’ve managed to get through my morning routine. That includes finishing my two cups of coffee. Next? I’m contemplating a run. I’d go on a bicycle ride, but 49 degrees is just too chilly. I’ll probably end up going for a run.
Oh, speaking of Smokey, here she is sitting on the stone table watching for the red squirrel she treed earlier. It was chattering away in anger on the tree in the background as this picture was taken.
I paced myself based on my breathing. I ignored all other cues. No heart rate announcements, no pace announcements. Just paying attention to my breathing. As a result I ended up with my second best performance since switching to Strava to monitor my exercise.