We walked around in circles singing.

Such a squalid little ending.

From the jump, the recent revival of Chess falls into a trap, as the Arbiter educates the audience of young people about the Cold War, which he describes as a battle between COMMUNISM and ...

DEMOCRACY.

Yep. Not Capitalism. Democracy. That may have been how we described it at the time, but the Arbiter exists out of time, a modern narrator making contemporary references and wisecracks. My own kids would be like, uh. No. 

Distance: 3 miles

Duration: 25:41 

Christians had long recognized the problem. The most radically inclined, those who thought of themselves as most fully awakened to the truth, wanted to cancel the whole of pagan culture. 

In order to be cleansed and to feel safe, they had to discard the inherited works of art, literature, and philosophy. Those works were indelibly stained, and they corrupted those who came under their spell. To teach them to the young and impressionable was unconscionable. 

It was time, in the name of the redemption paid for by the blood of the Savior, to smash the idols once and for all. "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" one of the most radical asked.

- "Dark Renaissance" by Stephen Greenblatt (p. 39)

Route: rec center
Temperature: 14°
Climate: sunny & freezing
Mood: all right

1984 Playlist

The Deal (No Deal) - Murray Head, Tommy Körberg & Elaine Paige from "Chess"

Where Do the Boys Go? (157 BPM) - Men Without Hats

Birdmad Girl - The Cure

Too Late for Goodbyes - Julian Lennon

Train Running Low on Soul Coal - XTC

Robert De Niro’s Waiting - Bananarama

Dancing With Tears in My Eyes - Ultravox

In My House - Mary Jane Girls

Stretches: yes
Water: yes
Weight: 160 lbs. (-0-)

I have been sneezing for three days straight. The wife thinks it's cancer.

She hates it when I say things like that.

Planks: yes
Push-ups: yes

Sit-Ups: yes