Cryptoverse - Pt1

Over the past three years, I've been periodically dipping my financial toe into the choppy waters of cryptocurrency, to the point that I actually vaguely know what I'm talking about at this stage (full disclaimer: this blog is for information only - I am not your financial adviser and I am not offering financial advice! Yada yada).

So, in a break from my running escapades, this blog's going to be a breakdown on the cryptocurrency basics. Let's dive in.

What is a cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency, usually referred to simply as Crypto, is a digital currency or asset.  

Put simply: it is a given store of value (in the same way that traditional 'paper' money or 'fiat' is), however rather than it being a physical asset such gold, silver, bond, piece of paper denoting value etc, it is non physical, i.e. it is entirely digital, stored on what's known as the blockchain.  More on that in a bit.

To take it back a step, Cryptography comes from the ancient Greek 'kryptos' (hidden/secret) and 'graphene' (to write/study): it is using code, which needs to be deciphered, to store messages and meanings.  

Thus, when we look at the idea of cryptocurrency, we are looking at: 1) the message and meaning here being stored value (currency) in a 2) cryptographic manner, i.e. scrambled through code and needing to be re-deciphered.

I hope that makes some sense so far - it's difficult to explain and the word crypto itself is annoying me at this stage because its a real bugger to spell correctly each time.  Anyway...

The term 'blockchain' refers to the method in which cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin) is securely transacted.

I am not going to get into specifics here as that really is deep into the rabbit hole and frankly I don't have anywhere near enough know-how to adequately explain it.  Suffice to say so that it refers to the method of how the crypto is stored and exchanged: i.e. a chain of digital blocks is created each time; these cannot be retrospectively altered, so in effect they securely log every single transaction takes place over time. 

What is Bitcoin?  Why are people interested in it?  Isn't it a scam?

Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency ever created. It is a 'coin' (currency) that is entirely digital, so therefore made up of data 'bits': Bitcoin.  It was invented by someone pseudonominously named 'Satoshi Nakamoto' in 2009, as a direct reaction to the financial crisis of 2008.  Satoshi's vision was to create a monetary system that was entirely decoupled from a traditional, centralised financial system (i.e. no banks).  

This is the reason that Bitcoin is referred to as a decentralised asset: the asset itself is not stored in one central place and then distributed (such as, crudely, a bank with it's millions locked away in its vaults, which are then centrally distributed to customers); rather, the asset is stored remotely across the entire network of people owning and trading it - in this way, there is no 'third' party here.

Why is this important?  Well, let's just *suppose* that a bank gets into financial difficulty (think 2008) and eventually collapses (government doesn't bail it out in this example).  What's happened to your money?  It's gone.  It was stored centrally by the bank; the bank no longer exists; 'your' money is no longer yours.  

This cannot happen with a decentralised asset such as Bitcoin, because there is no centralised bank: it is distributed and stored by everyone interacting with it, through the cryptographically-secure blockchain.

So Bitcoin is essentially a two-fingered salute at the banking system?  So what?  Well - partly this is true.  Proponents of Bitcoin see the decentralised aspect as one of it's key draws. However, this isn't it's only benefit.  Most significantly, it is becoming seen as a genuine hedge against 'fiat' (traditional currency) devaluation.

Over time, fiat currencies naturally succumb to devaluation: put simply, as more physical money is printed by successive governments (sometimes euphemistically known as 'quantative easing') the overall purchasing power of that currency naturally decreases over time: the more there is of something, the less it is worth.  

This is why £10 forty years ago would have comfortably bought you several rounds in a London pub with some change to spare, whereas now it'd get you a single pint and a packet of crisps if you were damn lucky.  

When it comes to long-term saving, this is a big problem.  Not only are interest rates historically low at the minute (0.1%), the intrinsic value of the £ is also decreasing over time.  

So, (and this is crudely; I know it is more complicated that this), if you had £10,000 and put it in the bank at base interest rates today, it would make a paltry £100 in one year.  Over a period of ten years, you've turned your £10,000 into just £11,000 (assuming no changes to rates).  

However, remember that you also have ten years' worth of currency devaluation during this time (more money has been printed), so that £11,000 is probably actually worth less now than when you started in real terms (actual purchasing power).

One final aspect of Bitcoin is that not only is it a decentralised asset, and not only is it a hedge against inflationary fiat currency (as explained above), but perhaps most importantly, Bitcoin itself is a deflationary asset.

So, what does this mean?  When Bitcoin was created, only 21 million were made.  There cannot be any more Bitcoin ever beyond the 21 million (the correct term here is to 'mine' - the term used to describe those who release the cryptographic bitcoin from the network to be distributed).  This means, of course, that there is a limited, finite supply, in just the same way as gold; this is the reason why Bitcoin is often referred to as 'digital gold'.  On top of this, the amount that is able to be mined (released) is halved every four years.  This is supply and demand 101: not only is Bitcoin a finite digital asset, the amount that can actually be owned by anyone is itself halved every four years.  To use the crude gold analogy:

Imagine there is a limited supply of Gold (there is).  This gold is not stored in one place (like a bank); rather, it is of course stored across the world (decentralised, like Bitcoin). 

Miners (see where the crypto term comes from now) mine the gold and then sell it to consumers - HOWEVER - the amount of gold, in this example, that can be mined is reduced by half every four years - so it becomes increasingly harder to mine and increasingly scarce to own.  Stock to flow ratio dictates that the given asset (in this case Bitcoin) will go up in value over time.

This is the reason that Bitcoin was worth $0.0008 in 2010 and currently sits at $56,228 as of writing this.

So, is Bitcoin a scam?  Is it a 'ponzi' scheme (think of those pyramid letter schemes)?  

No; hopefully I have illustrated above that it is absolutely neither of these things: rather, it is the evolution of money, from the physical to the digital.  In 50 years' time, the economic system across the world will look very, very different.

To sum up:

• Cryptocurrency is a digital, cryptographic store of value.
• Bitcoin is one such crypto, created in 2008.
• Bitcoin is a decentralised store of value, distributed on the blockchain
• Bitcoin is finite (21 million) and the amount released (mined) is halved every four years
• In this sense, Bitcoin can be seen as a deflationary asset and a hedge against the inflationary fiat currency system
• Due to the above factors, the value of Bitcoin rises exponentially every four years

There is a lot, lot more to cryptos as you might expect - this has scratched the surface really.  

I hope I've at least sparked your interest.  In part 2, we'll dive into understanding Bitcoin's price trajectory in more detail and consider the world of 'alt'-coins. 

Sill running? Definitely, Maybe.

A new discography has been broached my friends... enter the era of Oasis.

Genuinely excited by this one.  Muse was always going to be a bit hit and miss to run to by their very nature (whiny paranoia / angry bastards) whereas Oasis pretty much just solidly rock out.  Or do they?  I mean, my knowledge of them is staked fairly firmly in the mid '90s-early-2000s era (first three albums plus [of course] The Masterplan); after that, things get a little more sonically... hazy. 

I'm vaguely aware of sporadic singles after that... 'The Importance of Being Idle' and 'Songbird' spring to mind (from around 2003/4 I think - I seem to remember a surprisingly earnest Liam crooning his heart out on the TV whilst I was sat, pint in hand, in the Uni's on site bar - the amazingly named 'The Library').  

However, I don't think I've actually listened to an entire album by Oasis since the Be Here Now / The Masterplan era.  I've heard a lot of chatter about diminishing returns but I obviously can't comment yet...  I guess we'll see.

Total albums to run to: 7 officially. 

Total of albums I am going to run to: 8!  The Masterplan is not being missed off this list, even if it isn't officially a studio album.  Hey - my rules.

Album 1: Definitely, Maybe

As I've already outlined, I am unapologetically-biased towards Oasis' early stuff and I was looking forward to running to this well ahead of actually getting on the treadmill.  

What's the Story... is quite clearly a more considered, polished effort, however it's the rawness of Definitely, Maybe that's it's best asset.  Liam swaggers and snarls for 50 minutes solid of good old-fashioned rock, making the run pretty much a breeze.  

I say pretty much, because (confession time) I really don't like Slide Away (just lock me up in Sacrilege Towers, I know); I never have liked it and having to run to it, 45 minutes in and knackered, whilst Liam chews and spits the phrase 'sllllllliiiiiideee awayyyyyyy' repeatedly into my face for what feels like a lifetime is... less fun.  

Luckily I'm a forgiving kind of a guy.

Runner's rating (/5): RRRR

Running time: 52 minutes
Distance: 6.8km
Calories: 537

Favourite track: Columbia. Hands down.

Worst tracks: Shakermaker (boring) Slide Away (irritating).

Fun fact: I was on the cusp of being too young (10 going on 11) to appreciate this when it was first released in August 1994.  However, the album brings back great memories from the summer of 2007.  

Random, I know... the reason being that I had not long moved to Leicester at the time to begin my teacher training in September of that year.  In the interim, I got a job at Joules Clothing (customer service and data input) in Corby, which I appreciate sounds about as much fun as a hot black coffee enema, however it was genuinely a good time; full of opportunities waiting just around the corner.  

I distinctly remember finishing work on a Friday, driving home (ex wife's parents house at the time) in my Renault Clio (my very first car...weep), windows wound down, 'Columbia' blaring out of the speakers (plus, the album was on CASSETTE).  I almost get goose bumps thinking about it now.

Album 2: (What's the Story) Morning Glory

This is a truly great album. Re-listening in 2021, I can see why it really cemented Oasis' reputation as one of Britain's best bands at the time, and for a number of years afterwards.  

If Definitely, Maybe is the Bells whiskey of the collection, Morning Glory is the single-malt Glenlivet; similar base flavour, but a far more refined approach.  Fetch me the ice bucket, Jeeves!  

Every track is either literally a single or good enough to be one.  Even Liam's voice is better on this album.  In short, it's just bloody brilliant and as such my run was a breeze too.  You know it's a good album when you barely focus on the run at all and could actually go a further distance just to keep listening.  Top drawer.

Runner's rating (/5): RRRRR.  Yes - well spotted - that's the first full 5 R rating I've given.

Running time: 51 minutes
Distance: 7.1km
Calories: 550

Favourite track: Morning Glory.  They're pretty much all great though.

Worst track: Untitled 1 and Untiled 2 - they bring nothing to the party.

Fun fact: Released a year after Definitely, Maybe, I was just beginning to get into music at this point. I seem to vaguely remember buying this from Woolworths' CD aisle in St Neots, Cambridge where I lived at the time.  Pretty canny edition to the early Dan Thomas collection.  Before you think too highly of me though, I am duly bound to point out that the first piece of music I ever physically bought (single or album) was...

....wait for it...

'Where's the Love'.  

By Hanson.

I'll just leave this here:

Sorry.

Stimulation Theory

Well, here we are; I've actually completed the Muse discography.  

To be totally honest, I actually completed it exactly one week ago, however work and life in general has been that busy this week that I simply haven't found time to write about it until now.  Either that, or I'm just a lazy, no-good bum.  You be the judge.

Anyway, some quick reviews before I get on to the stats and some final thoughts on my Muse adventure. 

Album 7 - Drones

Holy shit, I did not see this one coming.  After quite a number of generally mixed-bag, overall lackluster efforts (really since Blackholes, to be honest), this was, ironically, quite the Revelation.  Bloody great album!  What makes it great is that it's big, fat and noisy in the best possible way. It's not the early Showbiz barbed-wire dirge, nor the latter Resistance syrup of pretentiousness; it's bold, catchy and frankly - it rocks.  Plus, it's actually consistent. I enjoyed 80% of this album I'd say; easily the most since Absolution. Plus 'Reapers' is just hardcore amazing - my favourite Muse song of their entire collection and one I actually hadn't heard of at all until running to Drones.  Loved running to this album and I've listened to it several times since.

Running time: 53 minutes
Distance: 7.1km
Calories: 557 

R Rating: RRRRr

Fun fact: Released in June 2015, the year I officially became a homeowner.  Whoop!

Album 8 - Simulation Theory

Not as good as Drones, but not bad.  It's still pretty catchy; less rock, more poppy synths layered throughout, but it's decent.  Some decent tunes throughout and not too bad to run to overall.  At 47 minutes, it's actually comfortably the shortest running time of all their albums, which was very well received for a final Muse run-off!

Running time: 47 minutes
Distance: 6km
Calories: 473

R rating: RRRr

Fun fact: Released on 9th November 2018, the actual day of my (35th) birthday and the day I could no longer kid myself I was in my 'early' thirties!

FINAL MUSE STATS AND THOUGHTS:

Top five Muse songs:

1) Knights of Cydonia 

2) Reapers

3) Hysteria

4) Unnatural Selection

5) Pressure

Top album: Absolution 

(Followed by closely by Drones, then Origin and Blackholes and Revelations)

Worst album:  The Resistance.  By far.

Running Stats:

Total running time: 427 minutes (7.1 hours)

Total distance covered: 55.2km / 34.3 miles
Total calories burnt: 4, 344

Here's the kicker though... 

Total pounds lost: 0

Yes, dearest reader, you read that right. ZERO F---------- POUNDS.  How is this even scientifically possible??

To say that I was a little sore about this at the time would be a *slight* understatement (if I'd had a sledgehammer at the time the scales would literally have been obliterated), but hey - I'm over it.  

I always said that undertaking this challenge wasn't about losing weight per se and that I have always been thrown off my focus in the past when this happens.  So I'm not going to let it throw me off this time... onwards I march (run).  Besides which, losing weight and becoming a bit more healthy is a process, not an event.  

In just the same way that you don't simply wake up one day being massively overweight, having a an all-consuming addiction, phobia or anxiety - it slowly builds as imperceptive layers over time - so too for losing weight or becoming fitter, stronger, happier.  

Keep on keeping on, as Curtis Mayfield might say.

Resisting the 2nd Law

Well, two more runs down and two more Muse albums under my belt.  With only two more to go to complete the Muse studio album discography this is feeling like a challenge I can realistically complete in the short term and continue to keep up the momentum going forward.

Really, this is just a form of gamification: using the intrinsic elements of a computer game (completing missions; levelling up; bonus points, etc) - something that companies and even education has cottoned on to in the last few years because it combines a short term sense of achievement, together with an over arching longer-term vision and goal.  Powerful stuff! 

Anyway, it appears to be working as I've ran far more so far doing this, and for consistently longer times: in the past, I would run for maybe 5km, once or twice a week (three if feeling particularly energised); with this, I've regularly run 6 - 7km, 3 - 4 times a week. 

Onto the album reviews and mileage updates:

Album 5: The Resistance

I am hoping this is the nadir of the collection and that everything picks up from here.  Bloody awful.  Ok - from a musical standpoint, I can see that they're trying to do something different here and I can applaud them for that at least (a slow-hand, sarcastic clap realistically).  And yes, the songs are more varied across the album than previous efforts, at least for the first half.

However, from a running point of view, it's a terrible album.  I am willing to pay a sizeable sum of money that says that Matt B bought himself a grand piano for Christmas that year.  It reminds me of when Artic Monkeys did the same thing in their last 'effort'... a total moon-shot away from their original sound, and worse of all, just plain boring and self indulgent.

It didn't help that the last three tracks were essentially one long classical suite... I'm not sure if you've ever attempted to run to classical music, but assuming you haven't (because surely you're not that stupid), the indulgent sweeping sounds of classical piano for well over the last 12 minutes of your run is less than ideal, shall we say.  It's a shame because 'Unnatural Selection' is unashamedly brilliant (well, the first four minutes of it anyway) and makes you feel like you can genuinely take on the world whilst listening to it... probably one of my favourite Muse songs.  

But yeah, the album was patchy as a whole, a swamp of self indulgent piano nonsense and just pretty terrible to run to.

R rating: RR

Running time: 56 minutes
Distance: 7.3km
Calories: 571 

Fun fact: Released in September 2009, I was just beginning my second year as a teacher.

Album 6: The 2nd Law

Not much to say about this album...  It was ok.  To be honest, I wasn't really in the mood to run so that didn't exactly help my enjoyment of it.  I was hoping that it'd be an absolutely barnstormer of an album that would give me some much need energy to take on the run, but sadly it wasn't to be.  

I have to say, I preferred it to The Resistance, but then again I would have preferred running to an hour's collection of screaming cats than that again, so not really much to shout about. At least they did away with the grand piano tinkerings this time, plus the last three songs were actually pretty good and I ended the run on a high, so kudos for that.

R rating: RRR

Running time: 53 minutes

Distance: 6.9km
Calories: 543

Fun fact: The 2nd Law of course refers to the 2nd law of thermodynamics - the concept of entropy or how the universe naturally tends towards chaos over time - from a highly ordered state to a completely disordered one.  Particularly apt when reflecting on one's lifestyle choices! 

Heading down the Blackhole

Album 4: Blackholes and Revelations

Album four has arrived, meaning I'm halfway through my first running discography.  The album title's pretty apt here as I am now irreversibly sucked into blackhole of exercise at this point; however there are little revelations for me as this is probably the Muse album I am most familiar with.  

It's a great album.  I mean, who doesn't like enjoy a good old fashioned rock space opera?  There's a lot of great tracks on here, but most importantly, its style twists and turns throughout, so there's little chance of getting bored at any point (I refer you back to 'Showbiz').  Hoodoo was as close as I got - it's just plain dreary to be honest, especially when 40+ minutes into a run - however the infamous Knights of Cydonia kicks in straight after, which more than makes up for this.  I'd go as far to say that Knights is one of my top Muse tracks - I know it's overblown, but my god, it fucking rocks.  It's perfect to run to and gives you a serious shot of energy towards the final part of your run. 

Runner's rating: RRRR

Running time: 52 minutes
Distance: 6.7km
Calories: 528

Fun fact: Blackholes and Revelations was released in July 2006. At the time, I'd just finished uni and had travelled back to Thailand (where I'd previously stopped in 2002; staying with a host family and teaching English at the tender age of 19!) and then onto Australia.  I have strong memories of listening to the album repeatedly during my stint in Sydney during this time - a great time, but a strange time too as it was just me, myself and I for pretty much the entire six week period.  

Even so, I learnt to surf (with varied success - I did have to be rescued from being swept into the rocks once; plus another time I got stung by a jellyfish.  In fact, in retrospect it wasn't really that successful at all, was it?!) I also scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge and went to not one, but two Neighbours events - meeting the legendary Toadfish Rebecci and Paul Robinson from Neighbours.  

Top of the world! Well, top of Sydney Harbour Bridge at least.

What a legend.  And Toadfish Rebecci too, of course.

I asked him to pose like this, honest! 

Fun times!

Running Time

Whilst running at the start of this week and listening to a random Muse album, I hit upon an idea that resonated with me - why don't I run for the whole album?  Shake things up a bit.  Force me to run past 5km.  And as I was completing the last couple of songs, another - why don't I keep doing this?  Why don't I run another full Muse album tomorrow. 

Wait - why don't I run for each and every Muse album - in chronological order?

And so the idea was borne - simply run for the duration of each album over the course of their back catalogue; record weight stats at the beginning and end of each completed discography and measure my progress that way. 

Specifically, the rules of 'Running Time' are:

1) You must start with the first (studio) album of a given band

2) You must run for the full duration of each album

3) No skipping of songs allowed whatsoever

4) You must run all albums in sequential order, from first to last

5) You must measure and record your stats at the first album and then again at the last album

5) Rinse and repeat.

In a bid to get this blog up to date, here's my progress so far:

Chosen Artist: Muse

Total number of studio albums: 8

Album 1: Absolution 

Okay - this is not their first album.  Cheat! I have broken my rules already!  Doesn't count though, because I hadn't come up with the idea yet when I first started running to this, see?

Nevertheless, a great album, and one I'm keenly familiar with.  Released in 2003 and the year I went to Uni, I can still recall 'Time is Running Out' thumping through the speakers in our halls of residence common-room as we were all getting ready for a wild night out at the Delph (the uni's original on-site bar and club) - god, what a time to be alive!  Genuinely some of the fondest memories I have were in that first year of uni.

Anyway, post-run, weight, BMI and body fat stats recorded (sorry - they will remain redacted for the moment until I have lost enough to be able to publish them!).  

Running time: 59 Minutes
Distance: 7.3km
Calories: 583

Runners' rating (/5) RRRR

Album 2: Showbiz (actual first album)

I've never listened to this album at all before, although obviously I'd heard Muscle Museum several times before.  After listening to it for my second run, I was beginning to wish that someone had actually invented one of those Men in Black memory wipes for your ears.  No other way to put it: it was shite.  Weirdly like a poor-man's Placebo, but with none of their allure.  It genuinely put me off my run in places, to the point that I was actually shouting obscenities at the treadmill speakers  just to make me feel better.  

Muscle Museum and Sober were good but the rest was forgettable dirge.

Running time: 54 mins
Distance: 6.8km
Calories: 534 calories

Runner's rating: r (lower case deliberately as it only deserves half an 'R' at best!)

Album 3: Origin of Symmetry

Again, aside from the well known tracks on here (Plug in Baby and Feeling Good), I'd never actually listened to the full album before. On the back of their previous effort, my expectations were lower than Walter White's morals at this point, but thankfully these were very swiftly forgotten... Origin is a great album!  The first track (New Born) was instantly energising and as the tracks continued, I realised that not only was I enjoying the album, I was enjoying the run... it was easy.  Exactly what the whole of this idea was about in the first place!  I would say that the first half is better than the second, which is patchy, and again (in a 'no shit, Sherlock' revelation), Matt Bellamy is a tad SHOUTY at times.  

Nevertheless, a revelation and an album I would happily re listen to multiple times.

Fun fact: This was released in July 2001.  I was 17, about to start college, and the Twin Towers attack was just a couple of months away.  What a lifetime ago now.

Running time: 55 mins
Distance: 7km
Calories: 555 calories

Runner's rating: RRR

Right, on to Blackholes and Revelations (skipping Absolution as I've already covered that) for the next run.  See you then.

Weighting for a Change

I'm fat.  No hyperbole here (which I may be guilty of at times... I am an English teacher after all).  No - on all measurements on my scales, I am overweight.  The top three categories (weight, BMI, body fat) all say 'Too High'.  Not even just 'high', which would still be a kick between the legs.  No - too high. Bloody Bastard scales.

Honestly though, I have only myself to blame (that and lockdown; I think I can legitimately blame lockdown). Although I have cared as I've incrementally put on the pounds over the past couple of years, the truth is that I simply haven't cared enough to make a proper change.  It can be quite hard to care, in all honesty, when you're a dad; work is full-on, lockdown is back in action; yada yada.  Excuses - valid and genuine excuses, but excuses none the less.

Up until I was around 19, I was skinny; underweight if anything.  Here's a picture of me on a family holiday when I was around 15 I think... not only is there nothing on me, I appear to be channeling the aesthetic qualities of Ibiza Kids Club circa 1997.  Just awful.  However, it does illustrate the point that weight was once never an issue for me.   

19 is legitimately where it all started to go wrong.  I was lucky enough to spend a whole month with my family on holiday in Spain in July - August of that year (my nan owned a villa out there at the time).  Great for my tan, not so great on my waistline.  Before then, I'd been hovering from around 9 / 10 stone for most of my teenage years.  After the holiday, I estimate I was around 12 stone.  Oops. Then, in September of that year, I went off to the University of Lincoln.  Let's just say that freshers excesses were not kind to me either, and by the end of my first year, I was weighing in at around 13 and a half stone.  Luckily, the actual realities of university kicked in during Y2 and Y3 (read: no money), so I was able to slim down to around 11 and a half to 12 stone again.

From leaving Uni in 2006 (aged 23) to around 2017 (aged 34) my weight rollercoastered from low 11s to high 13s, down and up; round and round again.  Stop the ride mum - I wanna get off!  

The problem is, I can lose weight when I need to, I just struggle to maintain it.  I always end up reverting back to convenience and instant gratification and away from long-term changes.  Ironically, usually the catalyst is when I weigh myself and I haven't lost 'enough' weight compared with my mental expectations of how 'hard' I've been working.  So I proverbially stick two fingers up at the 'diet' / regime and then fail to get back on again before its too late.  Every. Damn. Time.

Since 2017 when I got married and was actually fairly slim, I've incrementally put on the pounds again, meaning that in the last few years, if I managed to get under 14 stone, I'd see that as a win.  How far the mighty fall!  

I remember last August, on the day we moved into our new house, feeling genuinely disgusting - visibly overweight, tired and just frankly unhealthy.  It didn't help, by any degree, that it was literally one of the hottest days of the year that day, I had a hangover from the flames of Satan and I was forced, by virtue of moving house, to lug approximately 1 billion heavy objects up, down, in and out for literally about six hours straight.  But still, a particular nadir.

Fast forward to now and I have lost some weight since then (8 or 9 pounds at a guess), however I am still way above any reasonable target weight.  All of this being a very long and rambling way of saying that I have decided enough really is enough.  The gloves are off and the (large) joggers are back on.

In the next blog, I'll outline the rules of the game and my progress so far.

Dan

Back in the (writing) Game

I've had this blog since 2009, something in itself that I find absolutely crackers.  My writing in it has been...sporadic at best.  A handful of musings, writings, poems and reflections scattered across a cluster of years.  Some I'm proud of; some I'd rather forget.  But they're all there, dear reader, should you wish to read them.  I won't stop you.

However, the time has come to get back into some form of regular writing.  I mean, just like 'traveler'; 'writer' only warrants the noun form if the verb form has regularly proceeded, right?  In other words, you can't call yourself a writer or traveler or whatever if you did it once but don't do it anymore.  The word shouldn't be a trophy gathering dust, it should be a living; breathing entity.  

I digress.  The point is, I am going to be writing more and aiming to update this blog regularly.  Or at least, more regularly than once every two years, if my past performance is anything to go by.  To be honest, blogs are odd entities, really: they are at once deeply personal and uncompromisingly open - they invite a certain vulnerability on all sides.  Probably the reason I'm so damn useless at updating it.

So to start off, I'll be writing about my new fitness venture and progress with that.  A chance to give me some accountability, share my progress and my various thoughts on the albums I listen to along the way.  

I've written several short children's stories in the past, as well as the beginning of a more adult short story (no - not that type!), so if I'm feeling brave I might upload those on here too.  I've also dipped my toe into the curious world of crypto in the last couple of years, so I might occasionally write about that too.  

If none of those things float your boat then don't read on.  

If they do - great - I guess I'll see you in the next update.

Bon!