Thinking Out Loud
To quote Sam Gamgee “It's the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish, as my old gaffer used to say”. I recently had a timely reminder that this aphorism is 100% true. I finally got round to updating my blog, something that I had been putting off because I knew it would result in breaking the site and incurring a great deal of work. Well I did it. The process was relatively straight forward and didn’t result in anywhere near the amount of formatting issues that I had feared. Within 72 hours I had figured out how to fix most of the problems that arose and after a week I had added new pages and revised those that required a makeover. I still have to correct image sizes in many previous posts but the site has finally been dragged into the current blog era. Furthermore, addressing this issue has lifted a weight of my mind and I feel far more disposed towards writing and posting regularly. I wish I had done this sooner.
Thinking Out Loud is a recurring post in which I present a selection of thoughts and ideas that have recently crossed to my mind. While some of these could be developed into lengthy blog posts in their own right, that is not the primary objective of this initiative. Thinking Out Loud serves as a platform to share some ideas for mutual contemplation and reflection. Hopefully, this will stimulate some debate and discussion. As always, I invite you to leave a comment and welcome any insights you might wish to contribute.
Website Upgrade
To quote Sam Gamgee “It's the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish, as my old gaffer used to say”. I recently had a timely reminder that this aphorism is 100% true. I finally got round to updating my blog, something that I had been putting off because I knew it would result in breaking the site and incurring a great deal of work. Well I did it. The process was relatively straight forward and didn’t result in anywhere near the amount of formatting issues that I had feared. Within 72 hours I had figured out how to fix most of the problems that arose and after a week I had added new pages and revised those that required a makeover. I still have to correct image sizes in many previous posts but the site has finally been dragged into the current blog era. Furthermore, addressing this issue has lifted a weight of my mind and I feel far more disposed towards writing and posting regularly. I wish I had done this sooner.
Fan Podcasts
15 years ago the majority of the podcasts that I regularly listened to were fan made productions. Many of these were video game related. I was far more passionate about gaming back then and would happily listen to fellow players relate their in-game experiences and discuss the minutiae of a specific class or instance. These shows were sometimes a little rough around the edges but they were driven by passion and had a sense of honesty about them. Sadly, many of these shows have ceased production and the “wild west” spirit of the internet has slowly been tamed. I find nowadays that the majority of podcasts that I listen to, although independently produced, use professional production companies. There are still people out there recording via Zoom and using dodgy mics but it’s not so commonplace. I wonder if the perceived need to be slick and professional discourages people from having a go themselves?
Green Vegetables
I was channel surfing the other day and watched a few minutes of a shopping channel that was selling kitchen appliances. The “brand ambassador” was extolling the virtues of steaming fresh vegetables. Everything they said about them from a nutritional perspective was factually correct. However, then they went and spoiled it by saying “and they taste great”. I beg to differ. I find that very few vegetables have a pleasant taste. I don’t mind carrots, peppers, sweet potato or butternut squash but tend to find most “green” vegetables to be bitter or sulphurous. I eat vegetables because they’re a nutritional necessity and because I don’t want to get scurvy. Drowning them in gravy or some kind of spicy condiment helps. Beans are a far more interesting substitute.
Cutting Your Fingernails
Old age is marked by the decline of the human body. Your waistline expands, hair turns white and skin loses its elasticity. I am a sad wreck of the man I was thirty years ago. However, that being said, one part of my body remains resolute in being healthy. Namely, my fingernails. They grow at a prodigious rate and I find myself regularly having to cut them as I cannot stand having nails like a velociraptor. Furthermore, having recently purchased some good quality nail clippers and being observed to have well manicured nails, I now find myself regularly pressganged into having to cut other people’s fingernails and toenails. While I’m on the subject, what is the correct way to dispose of nail clippings? They are biodegradable. However, you don’t want them falling into the wrong hands, what with voodoo and such like.
Phone Calls
I found an old mobile phone bill from 2011 recently. Over the course of a month it listed dozens of daily phone calls. I was working in short term IT contracts at that time so a great deal of those itemised calls were work related. I also used voice calls and texting for all my social arrangements. When I stopped working to be my parent’s carer, I continued to use my phone regularly. Although at that point the bulk of all my calls were related to hospital appointments, social services and other healthcare and local government institutions. Nowadays, it is very unusual to get a phone call. I am no longer a carer and have retired from work. The number of contacts on my phone has reduced dramatically. I mainly stay in touch with friends and family via WhatsApp. If the phone rings and the number is not recognised, I let it go to voicemail by default. It’s odd how we’ve become disinclined to talk to each other.
