{"id":1190,"date":"2016-10-25T05:23:24","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T10:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gilcanrun.com\/?p=1190"},"modified":"2016-10-25T05:23:24","modified_gmt":"2016-10-25T10:23:24","slug":"not-a-bad-start-to-the-months-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gilcanrun.com\/?p=1190","title":{"rendered":"Not a bad start to the Month’s end"},"content":{"rendered":"

October is almost gone, would I have liked to go faster today? Yes, but that’s not always going to happen. I was a bit slow, tired, and stiff to start, and it reflected in my times. Still, not a bad run at all<\/a>! With 4 days to go I’m averaging 8:40 mins\/mi (5:23 mins\/km) for the month. If I put that pace into a marathon that’s a 6 minute PR for me. My latest long run is a little slower than that, however, I clearly have the endurance and strength to make it happen, can I keep my mind focused over the course of a race again? Who knows. I am right at my average miles for the month over the past 2 years, so I’ll be a little over that come Halloween.
\nSpeaking of Halloween, they don’t go so crazy about it here. But still, should be alright. They are more partial to Carnival of course. And the Church isn’t so keen on people celebrating a “Pagan” holiday. Forget the phony “War on Christmas” for years the various churches have had a war on Halloween, which, let’s face it, is the most fun holiday for most kids. I still love the food and togetherness of Christmas and Easter, but come on, Halloween is the best.
\nThen a week later, just two weeks away, the shitshow that is the US Presidential Election is over. Believe it or not, I can’t wait. It’s so much stress. Reading stupid shit from people you otherwise consider intelligent, only showing themselves to be completely ignorant of either, how it works, why it’s against their own interests, or that they are exposing an internalized bigotry, or some other Tom-foolishness. Of course sometimes, it’s that people you assume to be intelligent aren’t as smart as they appear. Some people are married to their idea of selfishness, that they are better than others, and those others simply “take” from the government. Whatever the reason is, it’s annoying. The worst part is, only 50-55% of those who can vote will. People will whine and complain about corruption, or lack of choice, when they’re the ones that cause it, by not bothering to involve themselves in the process. My favorite are friends who think folks should just flock to the Libertarian candidate. First, let’s disregard the fact that all “Libertarian” candidates are just failed Republicans, but let’s look further at the complete moral bankruptcy of the Libertarian philosophy, which completely disregards that the Government is there, not to grant rights to the people, but to protect the rights which people have simply by the fact of being alive (the same problem the GOP has, shocking). It them goes so far as to believe that somehow getting rid of things like the EPA and the Department of Education are good things, because why does anyone need a standard education, or clean drinking water? And we see what Libertarian policies have done in places like Kansas, where they have to say Evolution isn’t necessarily true and teach creationism alongside, but look at Michigan, where the people of Flint still don’t have clean drinking water, what the fuck people? “But those politicians are Republicans” yes, but they are using Libertarian philosophy, private industry will solve the problem, we don’t need the government to do things, private industry keeps the best interest of the people at heart. No, no it doesn’t. Fuck Libertarianism.
\nAh, but what about the Green Party? You agree most with the Green Party platform, you’ll say to me. It’s true, I do. But when you run a Doctor who brags about helping to remove mercury from vaccines, ugh. Just ugh. Apart from the fact that Thiomersal has been in vaccines for decades, and was phased out for most vaccines quickly in 1999, we still have this discussion, because people are fucking stupid. It was only ever removed as a precautionary measure, there is no proof anywhere (the ONE study that claimed a link to autism was debunked years ago) that this, or any mercury compound causes autism. Thiomersal also could be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, ointments, creams, and tattoo ink, among other things. Is it dangerous in high doses? Yes, so is another compound, salt. Salt contains another anti-bacterial element, Chlorine. would you put bleach in your food? That’s essentially chlorine, or would doing so cause you to die? Let’s use the anti-vax logic on this, well then why do you put salt on your food? You’re making yourself sick!
\nWait, no you’re not, you actually need compounds like salt to live! So no, no one who buys into any level of the whole vaccine thing with mercury. Not a Doctor, no one. Because it wasn’t mercury in the vaccine, it was a mercury containing compound, used in many things as an anti-bacterial preservative. So that kind of kills that choice for me, and I would hope it does for anyone else. So until third parties sort their own shit out, I want no part of it.
\nThe trick is, you all have to participate. If 95% of people participated, there would be a third party, maybe a 4th. And politicians would have to have a more complete vision for the nation, their state, their municipality. But when you only have to court 25-30% of the voting public, why do you need to be so thorough? It’s a game of money, resources, and to get the biggest chunk of a very small number of people relatively. Because truly the fight is over just 10% or so of people who will vote, who generally make up their mind based on something that’s probably more esoteric than the news or you, or even the politicians themselves even think. It gets this way, because people generally don’t vote.
\nSo it will all be over in a couple weeks and we can either go on as normal, or we get to worry for 4 years if the madman in the White House will just decide to do something stupid because someone was mean to him. That is literally the choice.
\nI need some fun music:
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