The Winter of Our Discontent

"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York"

If you are having trouble pinpointing that quote, it's the opening live of Richard III by William Shakespeare.

It's funny because usually only the first part of that quote is ever used when people hear it. It's often associated with despair and unrest, though it ends with a bit of hope. At least that's the way I choose to see it, setting aside all of the historic connotations. A quick Google search and Gemini summary will tell you that this quote was spoken by Richard after the conclusion of the Wars of the Roses and the victory by the House of York.

Obviously, there is much more to the speech, but that quote is what most people grab onto.

Speaking of Winter and "grabbing on", Winter is officially here. We had the Winter Solstice on December 21st, 2025, and while the days are supposed to start getting longer again now, it feels like there is still a lot of darkness all around.

Whether it be the crypto markets, civil injustices, or the general unrest that is permeating the world today, I can't remember a time when people have just felt this depressed. We often see creation and engagement lull during these time periods here on HIVE.

Which is kind of sad, because I prefer to see HIVE as more of an outlet. The perfect opportunity to get those thoughts out into the virtual ether. Kind of like an exorcism of those demons which are haunting you.

I think one of the problems with the world today is that as soon as we get those demons out of the way, there seems to be another batch just ready and waiting to take their place.

Meanwhile, did you know it's Christmas Eve?

This is the day that my inlaws traditionally celebrate the Christmas Holiday. I'm actually writing this post a day ahead of time because my day is going to be packed full. I plan on getting up at 5:00 AM or earlier tomorrow to get my Weber Kettle going so I can smoke a couple of brisket pieces that my inlaws have been begging for all year. I just hope I can do them justice.

Once I get the beef on the grill, I am heading a short drive south for the anual "boys" Christmas Eve breakfast. This is where my father in law, brothers in law, and nephews all get together and have breakfast on Christmas eve.

After that, I'll rush home and tend to the brisket hoping it gets finished before I we have to pull it and let it rest for dinner on Wednesday night.

Besides the Coca-Cola piece I already shared with you, I am also giving my nephew this poker chip style silver round as part of his godson present.

While he is still a ways away from gambling, I still think he will get kick out of this silver piece. If nothing else, he should be happy that it is now worth $20 more than what I paid for it. After all the silver I have given him over the past few years, he should have a pretty healthy precious metal stack now.

I know this post has been a bit all over the place, and I know that there seems to be a lot of darkness out there in the world, but just remember there is some light as well. It might not feel like it sometimes, but it is there. You just have to look really really hard these days! Thankfully, the Christmas season usually makes it a little easier to find it!