[Note: This page is out of date in several respects, as the blog has evolved somewhat since I wrote it. I plan to rewrite it eventually, but it might take me a while to get around to it.]
~ General ~
This is my personal blog and contains whatever I wish to write about, but I think there’s something here to interest most visitors and I make a point of writing about a variety of topics. Many personal blogs are primarily about current events in the life of the writer, and while I do a bit of that here (and file such posts under Events) it is not the main focus.
That said, this blog is very much about me. Its emphasis is a personal one, not an abstract intellectual one, and I’m writing on the assumption (or the hope) that I am, as a person, not totally boring. Through this blog I describe things I’ve done, things I like, things I remember, things I’ve thought of, and so on. Through comments, you are invited to share your own perspectives on the topics that I raise.
If you’re curious about the title, The Outer Hoard, then here is an explanation.
Perhaps one way in which this blog differs from most others is the emphasis I place on archives. Many people seem to regard archives of historical interest only (or even of no interest at all) which is a view I strongly reject. It doesn’t matter whether I wrote something yesterday or two years ago. If it exists on the blog now then it’s intended to be read now, and readers are encouraged to post comments now.
For that reason, once every few months I re-read my own archives, deleting anything that I think no longer justifies its existence, and editing anything that I think particularly calls for improvement. I also augment old posts sometimes, especially those that contain website recommendations.
I see this blog as a halfway-house for things that are not significant enough to go on my main website but not trivial enough to be confined to Usenet and forgotten. I also see it as fundamentally escapist, so for example, if I’m depressed or angry about something, I almost certainly won’t write about it here.
~ Navigation ~
The sidebar offers you several ways to navigate this blog. You can navigate by month, by category, or by the chronological index. The latter is a good way to get the big picture on everything I’ve written since I started, including some basic biographical data in my early posts.
If you’d like to browse what I’ve written on a particular topic, you can use the Categories selection tool in the sidebar. Every now and then I revise the set of categories available; the most recent change was the addition of the “Books” category in June 2008.
- Books – posts about books (does not include posts that merely mention or cite books).
- Computer – typically posts about software or programming.
- Creativity – all sorts of things creative whether whimsical or profound.
- Domestic – posts about houses, for example news on renovations.
- Education – posts pertaining to school or university (anything filed here is less likely than otherwise to be filed under Creativity, Memories or Personal).
- Events – what I’ve been doing away from the computer.
- Family – introducing my family, and major events such as weddings/funerals (merely doing things together not included).
- Food – posts pertaining to cooking and eating.
- Games – posts pertaining to games, mostly off the computer (e.g. card games) but some on it. Includes games I’ve played and games I’ve invented.
- Landscapes – landscape photography, usually but not always taken by myself.
- Language – posts pertaining to linguistics and related topics.
- Memories – looking back at things I remember, often fondly.
- Miscellaneous – anything that doesn’t fit into the other categories.
- Music – posts pertaining to music, whether composed, improvised, played or listened to.
- Ornaments – decorative objects, items with sentimental value, etc.
- Quotations – sharing some favourite quotes from books and so forth.
- Recommendations – anything I recommend, whether websites, software, TV programs, music, food, books, or whatever.
- Science/Maths – anything on scientific or mathematical subjects.
- Self/Meta – includes both basic biographical information about me (self) and blogging about blogging (meta).
You can return to the main page by clicking this logo: 
~ Personal ~
As for me, my real name is Adrian Morgan (middle name Paul). I was born in 1977 and live in South Australia. My internet personas include “Eight Foot Tall Flesh-eating Dragon” or “8′FED” (see the very first post on this blog for an explanation) and “Zerrakhi“. Below is a headshot, taken sometime early in 2007. Click on the image to see it full-size.
You can find further biographical information by browsing this blog, and you can email me or visit my website using the links in the sidebar. If you enjoy browsing this blog, please don’t be shy about contacting me.
For Livejournal users, here is my external identity profile with OpenID.
I have another blog, dedicated to magic, called Invisible Hoard. It is very rarely updated, but it’s not intended to be updated often. It is intended to be there when I need it.
