Cats being lazy this Saturday in the front yard. It was funny they were on the opposite sides of the yard.
One of my favorite poems.
I have been trying to catch up on my podcast listening, but I keep falling behind. I curate my queue to include only the programs I truly enjoy, then refine it further by prioritizing from that list. Yet, I still find myself 25 hours behind!
Drowning in Spam
I've had a Hotmail account for nearly three decades, and for most of that time, I’ve also maintained a paid Exchange-hosted email tied to one of my domains. That Exchange service is set to expire in a couple of years, and honestly? I won’t be renewing it.
Why? Spam!
Writing Into the Void
You ever feel like you're talking to a wall, like nobody is listening? I do—all the time. I feel the same way about writing and blogging. It often feels like I’m just writing for catharsis because no one seems to be reading or interacting.
But maybe, someday, a future generation will stumble upon my writings and think, I can relate, or I know how he felt, or even That’s not a bad idea.
Just thinking out loud again. 🙂
It seems Trump is pardoning all the corrupt politicians. I just saw that he pardoned Rod Blagojevich, the previously convicted former governor of Illinois. I wonder how much that netted Trump—and which position he’ll fill in the administration?
I haven’t used Twitter in a while, but I downloaded my data one last time before deactivating my account. I was really hoping that Elon would get tired of it and sell, but at this point, he’s ruined it beyond usefulness—who would even buy it?
WordPress is gone. Twitter is gone. What’s next?
Start of a new week. I am exhausted it was an usually busy day at work. I will probably sleep pretty good tonight.
My Cousin Cindy
My mother told me today that my cousin, Cindy Shaw Rounds, passed away in her sleep in Jacksonville at the age of 63, either last night or this morning. I will miss her greatly. I often saw and spoke with her at funerals for my great-aunts, uncles, grandparents, and at family reunions. I also have fond memories of staying with her and my other cousins in Jacksonville for about two weeks when I was a preteen while my dad was working there. I will cherish the memories I had of her.
Gadgets, Data, and Doubt
Technology can be amazing and frustrating at the same time. It kind of reminds me of the media—hold on, you’ll see where I’m going with this comparison. I have a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and an Oura Ring 3. I wear both to track my sleep and heart health because I have sleep apnea and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Beyond Politics: How to Build a Better Federal Government
I have a multifaceted plan to restore integrity to the U.S. representative governing system. While I am not naive enough to believe this could happen through Congress alone, I think it is high time the states called for a Constitutional Convention. Such conventions should likely occur regularly, perhaps every 150 to 200 years.
The Road to Retirement
I was thinking the other day after my doctor said the colonoscopy went well. He removed one polyp, and it was likely benign. The pathology results confirmed that it was indeed benign. The doctor also mentioned that I won’t need another colonoscopy for seven years—just two years before I retire.
Went to the eye doctor today in a city one county over—took about an hour to get there. The doctor was friendly & thorough. He agreed my prescription was bad, fixed it, & now I have new glasses on the way. 💵💵 My new glasses will come in a couple of weeks!
Finally going to the eye doctor tomorrow for new glasses. So glad I am about to go crazy with this prescription it has been pretty bad.
18 years ago, I was diagnosed with and had a basal cell carcinoma on my back it was fully removed. Now, I have a yearly dermatologist appointment for skin checks. It was done today, and still noting of concern. Except my Notalgia paresthetica adding Capsaicin creme in addition to Sarna. #thankful
If a Democratic president attempted to exert the kind of influence Musk has over government payment systems, Republicans would be up in arms, demanding impeachment hearings. Musk wasn’t elected to anything, and in my view, his loyalties seem to serve only himself.
I watched an old episode of Laverne & Shirley today, and there was one scene that had me laughing nonstop. They just don’t make lighthearted TV like that anymore. We especially need laughter nowadays. #ClassicTV #TV #Nostalgia
Already thinking of next week got a busy week. So glad it was a restful weekend.
Self Hosting
Trying to self-host is a lot of work. I’m not a techie—just a wannabe techie with some computer skills. Mainly, I have enough knowledge to recognize patterns and handle simple tasks.
With the advent of ChatGPT (which I’ve found to be the best so far), I’m trying to step out of my comfort zone and learn new things. However, I’ve had to rely on ChatGPT for Portainer YAML files, Docker, Docker Compose, and setting up my Raspberry Pi 5 in a Pironman 5 case. I assembled the hardware myself, but when it came to the software, I needed ChatGPT’s help.