I have nothing to write about this morning. Unless you count writing about having nothing to write about “something.” I don’t. I generally like to have a point, a topic, or even a goal (e.g., convince people the Pacific is a better ocean than the Atlantic) in mind when I set out. Trump is awful; nothing new about that so nothing to say there. I’m still getting input from doctors on the best way forward given my new cancer diagnosis, so it’s too early to get into all that.
I was doing some research on what exactly is root beer and its cousin sarsaparilla for an idea I had for one of my “curiosity” posts, which yielded some interesting pop culture references like an exchange between The Dude and The Stranger in the cult classic The Big Lebowski, but it wasn’t “coming together” the way good posts do almost on their own so I abandoned it. But I will share that clip…
Basically, I wanted (needed?) to write something this morning to test something new I’ve implemented here at The TaxPoodle. Prior to this, my process was research-write-research-rewrite-post (publish), and then tweak the post’s SEO (search engine optimization), manually prepare a “new post” mailing, and then send it out to my mailing list. I’ve automated those last two steps using an app called Mailchimp, which I’ve configured to monitor my site’s RSS (really simple syndication) feed, detect new content, package a preview with links into an email, and send it out to my subscribers, which Mailchimp calls my audience, automatically without my involvement or intervention. If it worked, you’re probably here because you got that email. If it didn’t, I’m scratching my head right now trying to figure out what went wrong.
I also added a subscribe form to the website and unsubscribe link to The TaxPoodle’s emails to facilitate those two processes, which heretofore I had handled manually but was becoming a time-consuming and daunting task. Anything you do two or more times the same way is a prime candidate for computerized automation. And automating those tasks means I have more time for blogging, gardening, and just hanging out with Gordon!
So I’m pleased with my weekend’s work, although the API (application programming interface) did give me fits at first; an API is a set of rules and protocols that allow different software applications to communicate and interact with one another – it acts as an intermediary, defining how one piece of software can request services or data from another. The website’s subscribe form wasn’t updating the mailing list on Mailchimp with the new subscriber’s details; I spent several hours debugging that. In the end it was kindof fun – like the old days when I did this for a living.
I crossed the 500 word mark with that last sentence, so I guess my initial premise – that I have nothing to write about – was false. I sat for almost an hour before this with a blank page, and finally just decided to start writing whatever came to mind. I’m reminded of a quote from Gore Vidal; he’s one of my favorite writers, not least of which because he was gay (he identified as bisexual even though he spent his life with his longtime male companion Howard Austen; they were together from 1951 until Austen’s death in 2003).
Now the last time I shared this particular Vidal quote, which I think brilliantly captures the writer’s innate need to write, I was inundated with emails like “don’t do it,” “you have so much to live for,” and “is there someone you can call?” So preemptively let me just say I have no thoughts, desires, or plans to kill myself. I just like the quote. It communicates Vidal’s strong belief in the importance of putting thoughts and feelings down on paper, regardless of the subject matter or perceived value, and it reflects his outspoken and uncompromising approach to both writing and life.
The quote is:“Write something, even if it’s just a suicide note.”