I am on the school’s spring break, as the remnants of a blizzard move out of my immediate area. We got 4-8 inches of snow they say, but with the wind about 2 feet of it gathered on my sidewalk. My luck so it seems. The wind is still gusting to 30-40 miles per hour out of the North.

My wife is napping on the sofa, couch, or davenport (whatever you want to call it.) My dog Mack is nestled in my spot on the sofa. He is lying right at my wife’s feet stealing her warmth. Bubbles the Neapolitan Mastiff is snoring softly on the other side of our L shaped sofa. This leaves me in our library, sitting on a recliner amongst the media listening to classical music while the television blares loudly from the other room.

It seems my wife likes to watch bad daytime television (gameshows) with here eyes closed. I remember a time when I found this sort of television interesting. It was way back in the 20th century when my age was lower than 16. I thought this style of television was so cool while I stayed home wrapped in blankets while nursing a fever, bronchitis, or some other common ailment from my parents smoking in the house.

The cognitive dissonance that this noise creates in my head (daytime television) horrifies me. How can people call this entertainment? Have we become that lazy that people yelling an answer at the host to see if it appears on the magic survey is entertainment? The grammatically incoherent speech. The claps of encouragement from fellow players, despite the answer being wrong two out of three times. Why did this interest me so long ago, but disinterests me so now?

Have I become an elitist snob? An arrogant academic? I don’t feel that way. I feel like an imposter most of the time. My intelligence, thought patterns, and logical understanding of the world make me feel out of place amongst a world that cannot seem to plan farther than three hours in advance. The cars fly down the road, oblivious of the people walking near them as they distract themselves with phones, radios, and angry talk shows that repeat two-dimensional drivel round the clock. This lazy journalism of the talk show makes me wish the Fairness Doctrine Act still existed… I digress

Why do I listen to classical music in a far room rather than tune in to the noise? I find the ordered universe of a concerto or symphony by a composer to be so much more interesting than a melodrama or a game show. Great performances rather than fake acting win every time. Speaking of the universe, as an atheist, I don’t believe in any god. I deal in pragmatism. Religion for me has been assessed out of existence within my life, much like the game show, with its cognitive dissonant noise. The order of the universe as explained in science or in art is far more useful to me than the grift of faith.

I seek a far more interesting forms of stimulation or entertainment than what my wife is digesting today while stuck in the house as the cold winds of the arctic blow across the North 40’s (latitude.) She is on to When Calls the Heart now. I’m glad she has a show to watch as a guilty pleasure. The script is being delivered in the soothing melodramatic tones of a late 19th/early 20th century play. It is by far an improvement over the yelling of the game shows. Mack is still in my seat, by the way. He is being a traitor… as I laugh silently knowing he will take cuddles from everyone.

Meanwhile I am counting the minutes until the World Baseball Classic Semi-final comes on. The games have been a joy to watch. There have been some great surprises. Venezuela upset the Japanese team. Italy keeps winning with solid pitching and homers. I was expecting the Dominican Republic to wipe the field with the United States team, but two dominating offenses were stifled by great pitching. It ended poorly with a called third strike that was clearly a ball. I wish they had the appeal process. I really wanted to see the drama of the game develop further. I can’t wait to see how tonight’s contest works out. I’m sure it will be fun to watch. I love this event. I wish the MLB season had this kind of drama, but man that would be hard to sustain for 162 games.

While writing that last paragraph I got slimed by Mack. He went to get himself a drink of water and then wandered in to say hello by placing his wet muzzle on my left forearm. The sticky moistness of his greeting is a common occurrence. Bubbles does the same thing, but with all of the extra skin she leaves far more ooze upon ones clothes or skin. I know, the mere essence of these words make you want to rush out and get a mastiff.

Yes, this is a meandering blog full of nothingness, but it has more substance and planning than America’s egregious war with Iran. I was born after our interference with Iran’s governance in the 1950’s. I watched the hostage crisis as a young child confused as to why Iran hated us so. When I read neutral historical accounts as a young adult it all made sense. My nation created Islamic extremism. Boneheads like we have in charge are making a case to expand that extremism. Why? None of them have read history, they just want to distract us from their crimes against humanity, the country, and the victims within the Epstein Files.

Yes, I could have written a band blog. I was thinking of writing one on the late Mark Williams. He passed in 2008 after being stabbed multiple times by his own son. Williams’ adult son was having a schizophrenic episode and had a psychotic break. From news accounts Williams’ son is in a psychiatric hospital to this day for his illness…

Bubbles wants to go out… Hold on…. Sorry, she gets a bit loud and mouthy when she wants our attention. I guess you can say our training is coming along nicely.

I may write that band blog soon as I was reminded of him when I heard Fantasy on Yankee Doodle from one of the many band recordings of notable literature randomly came up on my laptop.

I thought about writing another blog about the march. As in a march for each day of the month of March. I have shelved that idea as I do not want to play on nationalism that marches tend to promote. Stars and Stripes, National Emblem, American’s We, etc….

Regardless of the plans, or the nothing I am doing… or is writing something about nothing something? Anyway, I have come to the end of my rambling for this fine day. I may as well continue putting a puzzle together, read a book, and listen to music that is of a higher order in the universe than some sermons I used to listen to before I became a born again atheist…. Oh wait… I could go watch some vlogs by my favorite astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson… I just might do all of those things before the game tonight. Anyway, thanks for reading much about nothing. Stay safe, stay warm or cool wherever you may be…

…so it goes…

Thanks Kurt for teaching me how to fart around…