Fathers Day 2020 In Lockdown

Everything has been a bit weird this year. And Fathers Day was no exception.

But I’m choosing to focus on the positives

By showing gratitude to my dad for everything he’s done for me over the years. Even though I couldn’t see him in-person, I could buy him some sweets and a book he’ll enjoy (and that I fully intend to borrow).

In taking pride in the wonderful young man my son has become. Smart, funny, and seemingly growing to appreciate how hard work makes things achievable.

And by remembering it marked the anniversary of my last cigarette 3 years ago.

It’s been a while since my last vaping-related update, so I figured I’d add some new totals, in the spirit of my first 12 months.

3 Years of Vaping – Saving and Stats:

• 1096 days without a cigarette (including 1 leap year)
• 16,425 cigarettes not smoked.
• At £10 per pack for easy maths, that would be £8,212.50 not spent.
• I’ve lost track slightly of my vaping costs, but the Aspire and iLeaf I started out with have both finally expired after 2.5 years of constant use. So I’m now using a donated Aspire NX75, and a new OBS Cube X , both with Nautilus tanks, and mainly Zeus Juice liquid. Average costs are around £40 per month still.
• At an estimated 10 minutes of better life expectancy per cigarette, that’s 164,250 minutes, 2,737.5 hours, or 114 days. Or 16 weeks.

People often reply to anything I post about vaping asking why I don’t just quit that too? And it’s something I’ve thought about (especially knowing several smokers who switched to vaping, and then quit entirely).

But honestly, I don’t see much benefit beyond the financial saving. I don’t buy home-made liquid to get high with, so there’s no immediate risk. There’s no measurable passive risk to those around me. And it’s an enjoyable coping mechanism for the stresses of everyday life.

My only real vices are drinking too much cola and vaping. I don’t drink regularly, or much any more. I don’t smoke, gamble, or spend money on myself aside from the occasional sim racing related purchase…

Oh, and books. But they’re a good thing, right?

Latest Lockdown Entertainment

I might have treated myself to a few secondhand books as part of buying gifts for other people.

I’m currently reading “Inside the Nudge Unit” by David Halpern, which is a fascinating view inside the former Government Behavourial Insights Team.

Definitely worth reading if you’re interested in how small changes to documents or processes can result in big differences in response. And how that’s been increasingly used over recent years.

Next up will be “The Atrocity Archives” by Charles Stross, which I’ve hoped to get around to reading for ages. I’m a big fan of everything I’ve read, and always planned to get around starting The Laundry Files series, so I’m finally getting to it (along with also getting around to Halting State as well)

And after all that, there’s The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser, which is quite old in internet terms, having been originally published in 2011. But I think it’s worthwhile both to look at how algorithms and filters have evolved since then, and also to have a solid grounding in internet and technology history.

It’s easy to dismiss anything older than 6 months when you’re working or studying the internet, and lose some age old lessons in the process. As I was reminded by re-reading through The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling recently. A lot of the topics and points raised in the context of electronic crimes and the responses in the 1990s still seem relevant and important to note in the modern era.

Speaking of which, I also finally got around to watching Snowden, via Amazon Prime, which prompted some interesting discussions in my household about the widespread implications of tracking. Given the timing of track and trace, it’s weird to think about how much, and how little, has changed with regards to online privacy.

Other film view included the fascinatingly bizarre The Lobster, which is one of the odder films I’ve seen recently. I’m not sure I’d want to see it again, but I’m glad I watched it, as the premise, and cast, are both brilliant.

And Liz, my partner, has involved me in her obsession with both the cheesiest examples of horror (e.g. 500 MPH Storm – which we’ve watched so you never have to), and some actually good horror comedies. I can certainly recommend both Cabin in the Woods and Happy Death Day. Both of which contain plenty of bloodshed, but aren’t as gory or unsettling as unconventional love story of The Lobster…

Videogames have been limited recently, despite lockdown. It’s pretty much been all about the iRacing, aside from The Stanley Parable which was available for free recently. And counteracted any feelings of nostalgia for office cubicles…

Finally, there’s my constant audio background to work, which often features a classical playlist I put together with Max Richter, Dustin O’Halloran, Olafur Arnalds, Hania Rani and more… It’s much better for me than the ambient coffee shop noises I know that other people prefer.

So that’s my Fathers Day 2020 In Lockdown round-up… And do share any book, comic, film, videogame or musical recommendations I might enjoy – every suggestion is appreciated!