Introducing The Canebrake: a New Blog

It's been over a year since I've posted here, yet this blog address remains on my email signature lines and in my social media bios. What gives?

I've been writing other places but if I'm honest, I haven't been writing as much as I used to. Just life, you know? 

I retired from teaching a couple of years ago, took a little time off, then started working part-time in the office at my church. That part-time turned into four days a week, sometimes five, and I really enjoy it. My primary responsibility is writing the church newsletter each month, and so, there it is: writing.

It occurred to me that writing a twelve page newsletter each month is probably why I'm not doing much other writing. No fault or no excuses, it's just a thing.

Another thing is that this blog is called And So it Goes in Shreveport. One of my personal resolutions a while back was to quit being so negative and since I just don't have a lot of positive things to say about Shreveport these days, I just keep quiet. Mostly. I mean, there are some good things. I was born and raised here and I have a lot of memories and connections here. Like it or not, it's always going to be home. 

But man, I'm so ready to leave here. It is no secret that Steve and I spend a lot of time in south Louisiana and if I have anything to say about it, we will leave this city and move south. Everything in me wants to move away from Shreveport and its crime, its litter, its backward politics, and...well, that's for another day.

In order to be more positive and to share my love of south Louisiana, I've been blogging a little, a very little bit so far, at my new blog: The Canebrake.  It's several weeks old right now and has only two posts, but I've been spending time getting it set up and tweaked. The posts are coming!

There you will find my life and my love for all things Acadiana! It just didn't seen natural to have an Acadiana blog entitled "And So it Goes in Shreveport." Thus, a new blog was born.

Google isn't good about picking it up just yet in a search, but as it grows that will resolve itself. I hope. Meanwhile, save the link and join me over there. The Canebrake.

Curious: Is Anyone Reading Medium?

As usual, I am a little late to the party, but this week I decided to start writing on Medium. 

Medium is basically a blogging platform, but it seems to be a decent place to post from time to time because of the built in audience.  Launched in August 2012 by Evan Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter, Medium has a pretty solid following. It's not clear how many subscribers have signed up for the $5 monthly subscription fee, but estimates range from 200,000 to 400,000. 

While one can read for free on Medium, some articles are behind a paywall. You can read three free articles a month on the site, but if you pony up the $5 a month, you're supporting independent journalism because the writers get paid. We don't get paid for the three free articles. 

I kind of stumbled on Medium this spring when this article by Tomas Pueyo went viral and was popping up all over the place. I thought the article was a really well done piece and if that was any indicator of what kind of work was on Medium, I wanted to know more. I've been reading there ever since, and at some point I subscribed. 

On Medium you can tailor your home screen to the types of articles you want to see by simply following categories. I've set mine to coronavirus articles, culture, history, humor, environment...that kind of thing. I like a mix of things. There's a category for writing, too, but I'm getting a lot of articles about how to write on Medium that are weighing my feed down. I might take that one off.

The site hosts professional and amateur writers and so again, pick and choose. Authors seem to be paid by views and engagement: how long someone spends on your article, claps (which is similar to the "like" button), and shares. It's all about exposure and building a following. 

I have concerns about spreading myself too thin: I blog here, at Datechguy blog, and now on Medium as well as working on my second book. But, I'm curious to see if I can spark up a following on Medium which would then develop into a little extra cash in my pocket, which is always a good thing. As my retirement date draws closer, I know that I will have more free time for writing, and so for the moment, I think I can handle three blogging platforms. My posts at each will be quite different because the audience for each is different.

We shall see.

I'm curious if any of you are Medium readers? If not, check the site out and let me know honestly what you think about it. Like I said, you get three free articles per month. Give it a shot and get back to me.

Blogging is Not Dead

Is blogging dead?

Caution: reflective navel-gazing ahead.

Is blogging still relevant?  It is a subject much on my mind lately as I've been in discussion with a friend who is contemplating starting a new blog of her own.  She has my full support in her new endeavor and it never crossed my mind to suggest to her that blogging might be dead.  But, is it?

Consider this article by Gina Bianchini dated June 1, 2017 and titled "Starting a Blog in 2017? Don't."  Ms. Bianchini advocates something called "deep interest networks" over blogging primarily because she says there are just too many blogs as it is and a deep interest network is the best way to connect with like-minded people and share your content.  It is basically an email newsletter, it seems to me, but maybe I'm missing something.

Last month, Farah Mohammed posted this article about the proliferation and influence of blogs in 2007 but, like Bianchini, also contends that blogs are dead.  Ms. Mohammed suggests that we are more likely to get our news from Facebook and Twitter than from a blog. 

Okay so given the fact that both of these ladies say blogging is dead, why are we still here - why are you still here? 

And here comes the navel-gazing.

My first blog post was August 1, 2008.  I look back at those early posts and they are rather embarrassingly naive, but I leave them there.  Nothing that I wrote about in those early months was relevant or important, but it was a creative outlet for me, and a chance to grow and to hone my writing skills.  I'm not sure how much honing has occurred, but the blog itself has certainly evolved through the years.

After I moved on from blogging about raspberry tea and my dog, the blog evolved into one that was strictly political.  I had some success there and was even linked by Michelle Malkin a time or two which was pretty exciting for the old SiteMeter.  I was linked by Instapundit a few times, The Dead Pelican and other big bloggers, but I never hit the big leagues like those guys did.  On the other hand, I made some really good friends, and "met" some great fellow bloggers like Stacy McCain and William Jacobson.  I still have a weekly post at DaTechGuy blog. 

These days the blog is mostly state and local politics, animal issues, education issues, and otherwise things that interest me. 

And this is why I do not discourage my friend from starting her new blog.  I've done some work here I'm really proud of.  Oddly, the posts that I'm most proud of are not my highest viewed posts: this one on the Confederate monument situation in NOLA got 137,013 views and is my highest ranked post.  The post I'm probably most proud of is this one about the Braveheart trial.  I attended the entire trial and when it was over I sat down and typed this article out without stopping.  I had taken no notes and so I wanted everything fresh from memory.  Braveheart has lots of followers from all around the country and I wanted them to feel like they were at the trial with us. 

The majority of my traffic comes from Facebook and from Google: not surprising.

Going back to the posts by Ms. Mohammed and Ms. Bianchini, I agree that the heyday for blogging began in 2007 and I'd say ran until about 2010.  Maybe a little longer.  But I think there is still a place for blogs on the internet.  Just because WordPress has 75 million blogs does not mean they are still all active.  Look at my sidebar and see how many blogs are no longer updated regularly, and I cull that list pretty regularly.  There are a few on there that I keep for various reasons, even though they aren't updated any longer.

Every now and then I think about getting back into political blogging but it seems like an echo chamber to me now.  I spent a lot of time blogging about the trepidation I felt and dangers I saw in Barack Obama and I don't think I changed one single mind or made one bit of a difference there.  I stayed in a bad mood all the time.  I got snarky, ugly comments from people sometimes - which in and of itself was fine - but just contributed to my overall bad mood.  I decided it just wasn't worth it, and so, now I just write about whatever I want to. 

Sometimes it's about an issue that needs attention and sometimes it's just about a day trip.

I never check my stats any more.  If I hit the million hits club, I don't care. 

For me, blogging was really always a place to be creative and to record the journey.  My favorite posts are not the political ones.  Does that mean I won't ever do a political post?  Nope.  I'm certain I will, but it will be because it's an issue I care about, not because it will drive traffic or get me linked somewhere.

The point is, again, that there is still plenty of room and influence left in the blogosphere; I don't agree that blogging is dead.  It's evolved, but it hasn't died.  In the heydey of blogging, the reason we were writing what we were writing politically is because the mainstream media wasn't doing it and someone needed to.  We were at ground-level, so to speak, blogging the Tea Party movement and covering local protests or issues that major media would not touch.  But still today there is nobody doing finer work on politics than Stacy McCain, William Jacobson, Peter Ingemi, Michelle Malkin and Glenn Reynolds.  Nobody. 

If you're going to start a blog, find your niche, find your passion, develop a thick skin, and go.  There will always be that member of the grammar police there to nitpick your work, or the person who disagrees with you.  But in the end, you have to carve out your own spot on the internet, and write what matters to you.  In the end, it's really your passion that matters.

From time to time I've though about turning off the lights here, but I can't see it happening. 

I love it too much.  I love the contacts I've made and the opportunity to interact with people.

Thanks for still being here.

Blog Maintenance

Now that my biography of Cammie Henry is, for the most part, finished, I'm doing some housekeeping here at the blog.

As for the book: we are narrowing down final photo selections, getting permissions, writing captions, and I'm cleaning up the notes and citations.  I still have some work to do.  Trust me, there is nothing fun about cleaning up citations.  My deadline for all that is the end of October 2017.

We plan to have a finished book in hand within the year.

Simply amazing.

As for the blog: I've been cleaning out old links in the blogroll -- so many of my old blog buddies don't exist anymore.  I took out the ones that were broken links or non-existent, blog removed, that sort of thing. If you haven't updated since 2011 you are deleted.  I know my blogging has been slow, but I have at least updated periodically.

I'm moving on to website links now and cleaning house there, too.

To some degree my new and improved blogroll will also reflect my evolving interests.  This blog began in 2008 and much has changed since then.  At its peak, I was pulling in about 1,000 readers a day - never as much as the big guys like The Other McCain or Legal Insurrection, but decent enough.  These days, readership is way down.

Part of that is my infrequent posts while I concentrated on the book and I guess part of that is probably lack of interest in the things I post.  We used to get some rousing debates going on here in the comments and I hope as I pull this place back off life support, we can get that going again.

My interests have turned more to the craft of writing (for obvious reasons), Southern Literature (again, obvious), and local interests.  I'm deeply interested in the eradication of Southern history that is sweeping our nation right now and find it deeply disturbing.  I've done more than my fair share of monument blogging both here and at DaTechGuy where I still post every Monday.

I'm less tolerant these days about blogging things just for hits; you probably won't see me blogging the Memeorandum headlines anymore just for the sake of blog hits or to get linked there.  I doubt I'll be blogging about the NFL simply because everyone else is and it's just not my thing. I will try to bring you something different.

I hope if you are reading this then you will continue to drop by and that you will share posts you like with your friends either through email or your social media.  If you blog, link to me now and then and I'll return the favor.  It would make me happy to see comments showing up again and readers coming back.

Thanks for sticking around.

Okay Jerry, I Updated my Blog

A picture of Grumpy Cat. Just because.

I was chastised last night for not updating my blog more frequently (I'm looking at YOU, Jerry...) and it's true; it's been too long. I have some really good excuses though.

Excuse number one, and I know you will appreciate this, is that I'm so sick of election blather, political jibberish, and intolerance on both sides that I just could not make myself post anything on the election.  I did try...I posted on early voting, sort of, but really, I just couldn't.

Excuse number two: I have a real job. I've got three preps this semester (one of which I have not taught in fifteen years), and I've been working really hard trying to find strategies to improve the reading level of my kids and to get them EOC ready. (EOC is the state mandated End of Course tests).  My class begins testing on December 7 and I hope that's not an omen.

Excuse number three: I've been finishing my book on Cammie Henry. It is now once again in the hands of my editor. This will be her third read-through. The last one had very few suggestions and edits for me to make, so I'm hopeful that we are getting close to the end of this part of the process. We still have some things to do before publication that include getting maps made and selecting photographs. The index needs to be done. First we have to get the words right so I've been focused on that for several months. I'm SO ready to get Cammie's story out there. Her time has come.

Excuse number four: I've recently undertaken Administrative duties on the new Facebook page for the Shreveport Chapter #237: United Daughters of the Confederacy.  I've had to do a little research on the best way to set that page up, and put together a presentation for our group. The page has now launched and we are dedicated to using the page as a place to educate and share history.  It is non-political and non-controversial, so if you'd like to follow the page, please do! I feel like it is a huge responsibility that they have entrusted me to run this page and I want to do well for them.

Anyway, that's enough excuses as to why I haven't been up to date here as I should be. But add in to that the fact that I have a life outside of the keyboard (sort of) and that I also have a weekly blog post at DaTechGuy, and well, anyway...

We are out this week for Thanksgiving break and I plan on getting rested up for the final three weeks of the semester. I'm making as few plans as possible this week!  Thanksgiving dinner will be simple and small. On Wednesday you can find me at Flying Heart where growler refills are half-price!  We might make a run to Jefferson, Texas one day this week (Jerry, you in?). Other than that, I will be sitting outside on the swing reading a book with a fire in the fire pit and a cat beside me.

And maybe I will do better on updating my blog.

Writers Write

My book is done.

At least, it's done for now. I have submitted it to a publisher that I've been corresponding with about it, and it's a waiting game now. They may either reject it or send it on for further review. In the meantime, I wait.

I'm sort of encouraged -- I've had a couple of folks read it and the feedback has been extremely positive.  But, the standards at an academic press are pretty high and so I'm nervous.

So we wait.

In the meantime, writers write, and so hopefully I'll pick up my blog again. In the past several days since I sent the manuscript off I have found myself with all this time on my hands. What in the world did I do before I spent all day at my desk writing a book?  Oh yes, I taught school and I blogged.

So, here I am.

Checking In

Oh goodness it's been a while since I posted anything.

Is anybody still here?

I've all but stopped blogging on political issues; Hillary disgusts me, Obama nauseates me, and the Republican field depresses me, although I do like the Republican field better than I did last cycle.  As the campaign gets a little closer to relevance I'll probably get back into the game a bit, but for now I have other things on my plate.

I'm still blogging at DaTechGuy, putting up one post a week on Mondays, and those are usually somewhat political in nature but usually with a Louisiana angle.

I'm spending most of my time working on a book and there is a lot of research involved.  I've been heavily into the project for a year now and have at least another year to go, I would say.  I'm loving every moment of it but it doesn't leave much time for anything else.

Anyway, just popped in to say hello, I'm still here, I'll be back, and feel free to leave a comment and say hey, or something.

See you soon!

Checking In

Sometimes life takes us in the strangest directions, and sometimes it takes you exactly where you somehow knew you were meant to go.

Cryptic?

A little, I guess.  Things have been so busy at school this week: some of it truly work related and some of it self-imposed.  We are gearing up for our standardized testing soon and that's involved a little extra time this week, what with meetings, in-service training, and coding sessions.  Wednesday was just crazy: I had duty before school and at lunch, a meeting during my planning period on testing, taught three classes, and had a meeting across town after school.  Thankfully, that's not a typical day.

The self-imposed part comes from the fact that I'm behind in grading papers and research papers and grades are due next week.  That's my fault.  Ever since my two friends at work got me tuned in to HBO's True Detective, I got lost for about three weeks getting caught up on past episodes and then down the rabbit-hole of the internet in all the conjecture theories.  It's been a truly fascinating ride and as much as I'll hate to say goodbye to Rust and Marty tomorrow, in a way I'll be a little glad.  Maybe I can get back to my life!  True Detective is an absolutely brilliant show: the writing is amazing.  Just mail the Emmys to Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrellson, Nic Pizzolatto, and the cinematography people.  That's a lock.  Best show on TV.  Maybe ever.  I'm serious.

Anyway, life goes on.

I've picked up a weekly paid blogging slot at Da Tech Guy's place and so that's another item on my list of things to do.  I'm honored by the invitation and am looking forward to getting to know some new people there.

And finally, I'm in the very early stages of a new project.  I don't want to jinx anything by talking about it much just yet, but I'm very excited about it.  It's a good fit for me.  It will be a quite extensive project and take a lot of time and focus, but it'll be worth it.  And as a very wise woman once said, "you can't tell what you can do till you do it," we shall see!  I'll fill in more details as things progress.

So, if the blogging gets a little slow here, don't give up on me.  It's not burnout this time.  That same wise lady I just mentioned also pointed out that "you can't serve two masters!"  And so I may have to slow down here to keep focus elsewhere.

Have a happy weekend and light a little candle for me as I venture down this new path.  I'll be checking in.

A Note on Blogging

A note on blogging:

A Facebook friend noted today, "I can't keep up with your blog posts!"

Don't get used to it; I slacked off in 2013 because real life kept me busy.  I probably suffered from some blogger burnout, too.  Like a lot of conservative bloggers, I got real disheartened after the last presidential election.  Between the two, I didn't do a lot of relevant blogging last year.

I'm coming back off life support though, I think, and am feeling more motivated, as you may have noticed from the onslaught of posts over the past couple of weeks.  I'd like to thank Professor Jacobson for continuing to link and support me throughout my layoff.  I couldn't ask for a better blog-buddy.

As I get back to work next week posting will slow back down a little, but I intend to stay active here and make daily posts.  I'll continue to blog the political issues that pique my interest and there will likely be more local issues as well.

I'm not exactly a niche blog.  I write about whatever I want.  Difficult to pigeonhole.  Regular readers know on any given day I'm either a political blog or a travel blog, sometimes an antique blog, sometimes a local issues blog.

In other words, you never know what you're going to get.

I'm less motivated by site hits than I used to be, however it won't hurt my feelings if you share a post you like with your friends on Facebook or Twitter.  I like links, too, if you're a fellow blogger. Sharing is caring, as they say.  Sometimes hits equal cash via the Donate button or Amazon links, and I'm never averse to cash.  Most of my spare cash goes to animal rescue groups anyway, so it's a win-win for everyone.  Either that or beer.  Beer is good.

Anyway, glad you're still here, and hope you'll stick around.

(Oh, and a disclaimer:  I've blogged a few times recently about teacher issues such as low morale; that's just newsworthy stuff and in no way meant to reflect my own personal situation as a teacher.  I love my school, my kids, and my job.  I'm in a good place.  So don't take it personally if I write about teaching.)

And the Boxer Pretended to be a Wheelbarrow

If you think your life is stressful and you're feeling overwhelmed with it all, take a moment to check out my friend Julia's blog; she is writing about the misadventures of living in a camper while building a house (among other things), and it is some funny stuff.

Here she writes about her boxer discovering the doggy door:

Elated about having constant access to outside, the maniacs were running to and fro in their fabulous new apartment, sounding like a herd of elephants. Maximus, the boxer, took a little while to acclimate to the doggy door, but he started learning by thrusting one paw through and pulling it back out. Then he'd thrust the other in and pull it back out. Then he'd put both front paws almost straight out in front of him and stare wondering how he was going to keep the fucker open if he moved his front feet. He began to push himself up the ramp with his back paws, taking baby steps with his rigid front arms, and would continue to pretend to be a wheelbarrow until he made it inside.  

I laughed until I cried reading that.  Oh, the visual image...

She is writing for theraputic reasons and probably doesn't care one iota about site hits and stats.  She's a gifted writer with a dry sense of humor, though, and covers diverse topics.

Check it out:  I Have a Secks List.

The Purge

Voila the purged blogroll.

I went through and deleted blogs that haven't updated in over a year or in a very long time.  I've left a few that are "dormant" because I'm hoping they'll come back online; I left snaggletoothie because I can't bear to delete him and because I like looking at his old posts sometimes.  I left one or two dormant blogs there because they are informative (The Dialysis Diary).  I deleted three that had gone "invite only" and apparently I didn't get the invite.

As I get back into things I'll add blogs that are relevant and active.  For now, we have a leaner, meaner blogroll.

Loose Ends

I'm at loose ends today.  I always went to see mom on Sunday.

It'll take some time for me to re-establish old routines, I guess, or to establish new ones.  It's just crazy windy outside today, and cold, or I'd go work in the yard.  The sun is beautiful but I don't do cold.

I've tinkered around the house a little; done some laundry, piddled around rearranging things in china cabinets.  My son wants me to make gumbo today so I might do that.

I want to thank you all for the messages, notes, prayers and support you've sent my way.  It means a lot.  Really, it does.

Over the next few days I'm going to get this 'ol blog dusted off once again and see if she still starts. I'm going to update the blogroll too.  Since the election some of those blogs over there in the sidebar have "gone dormant" as my good friend Bill Jacobson noted when he checked his own blogroll.  I'd like to update it with new, active blogs and since I've been out of the loop for about a year feel free to share the names of any really good blogs you're reading these days.

Right now I'm just sitting here enjoying the quiet and watching the neighbor's oak leaves fall like rain in this wind.

Maybe I should get started on that gumbo.

Is This Thing Still On?

I've done exactly two political posts since the November election which recently prompted a friend of mine to ask if I've given up political blogging.

I've asked that question myself lots of times.

I haven't.  I think, though, that after the election I felt much as I did after the passage of Obamacare.  I felt like I'm just screaming into a void and nobody is listening.  On one level, I just figured, "Ok - the American people want a socialist, big government system; it's what they voted for, so let 'em have it."  When the Obamacare vote happened, I was deflated.  I had researched, written thorough, well documented posts, and nobody was listening.  In November, I felt there was no way that America would vote Barack Obama back into office given his record spending, Fast and Furious, Obamacare, Benghazi, etc.  But the low information voter doesn't care about those things. 

And he won.  Again.

And then I hunkered down.  I've been paying off credit cards and restructuring things in preparation for the coming financial apocalypse.  And it IS coming. 

And so political blogging went by the wayside here as I just shook my head in frustration and decided nothing I say could change things.

Meanwhile, Governor Bobby Jindal enacted his education reform agenda and I've been putting in ungodly hours at work just trying to stay ahead of that barrage.  There is much to be said about that, but I don't really feel like I can do that right now. 

And then this past August my mom fell and fractured her neck and that meant lots of hospital sitting as one complication after another arose.  She is finally settled now, the neck brace is off, and she is living at The Glen.  She likes it there and she is safe and well cared for. 

I've noticed a malaise among some of my other blogging friends, but not all of them.  And it's true that if anything is going to ever change then we can't all fall silent as I have.  One voice won't change things, but a chorus of us stands a better chance to bring about change. 

A big part of me just doesn't want to cave into the tyranny.  It's what they want. 

I'm not finished with the political blogging.  I've just been frustrated and distracted.  Trying to survive, if you will.  I heard today that surviving is the new normal. 

As far as this fiscal cliff crap sandwich goes?  I think the Republicans are their own worst enemy and I'm just as sick of most of them as I am of the Democrats.  John Boehner needs to resign.  It's all just disgusting.

Political blogging?  Yeah, I'm still here.  2016 is coming before you know it and we better have our collective shit together. 

Is this thing still on?

Spambots

I'm putting the word verification back up for comments - at least for now.  The spambots have become so bad they're filling up my mailbox.  Every morning when I check my email I have to delete between 40 and 50 spambot comments.   By the time I get out of school in the afternoon there are 40 more.

Ridiculous.

Full Metal Jacket Reach Around: The Thermostat Drop Edition

My AC guy just left after repairing my unit which quit working yesterday.  It was working yesterday morning; Steve and I left in the afternoon, went to the American Legion for a couple of beers on the lake, returned home and it was 85 degrees inside.  

I put in an SOS to my AC guy who showed up at 8:30 this morning and replaced the capacitor which is apparently lots better than having to replace a compressor.  I'm very grateful for chilled air right now.  It's going to be almost 100 today and it had hit 90 in the house before Ron finished the AC job.   How did people survive before air conditioning?!

So, while the dogs and I sit real still and enjoy the 20 degree drop in temperature, I'm surfing the blogs.

The New Yorker imagines an Obama second term - horrors.  The Pirate's Cove dissects and analyzes the article so you don't have to subject yourself to it.  (H/T:  Memeorandum).

The Daley Gator reports that the Paulbots are really, really upset about Rand Paul's endorsement of Romney.

Speaking of endorsements, is anyone surprised that Castro's daughter endorsed Obama?  Read American Power's post (with video).

Professor Jacobson OWNS the Elizabeth Warren coverage; he's been all over this story.

The Camp of the Saints reports on another blogger targeted because of his Kimberlin reporting.

Anyone contemplating voting third party in November should note Wyblog's post concerning five words every conservative should fear.  Smitty concurs:  "Let's play crayons with the Constitution...".

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wreck in a "smart car"?  See Doug Ross.

Pecan Corner has discovered that there is life after a computer dies, and it's not so bad!  I concur; I've completed a lot more projects, have a cleaner house, and have read more books since I lightened up on my blogging.  

Let's check the thermostat. 

Okay - we've dropped from 90 to 83 while I've been surfing.  Let's keep going for a few more degrees.

Maggie's Notebook shares Judge Andrew Napolitano's outrage over drones spying on private citizens.

The Rio Norte Line shares the wonders of universal health care which will be our future unless SCOTUS come through.

Ace reports on the Eric Holder contempt vote in the House.

Ed Morrissey reports that while Obama will still likely keep his hold on the Jewish vote, support is evaporating there.

Jed Babbin has an important article over at American Spectator on the leaks coming from the Obama White House.

Okay, it's time for me to get back to work around here.  The thermostat has dropped to 81 so I think I can get back to my baseboard scrubbing without having a heat stroke.

Grab a Beer and Muse With Me A Minute on the State of Blogging

Don Surber quit his blog this week.  After seven years of blogging, he's done.  "Exhausted."  Oh, he's still writing at the Charleston Daily Mail and he's posting on Facebook but he's done with the blog.

Andy quit his blog, too.  (Again).   He's still around, commenting and posting on Facebook, but blogging?  Done.

I've only been blogging since August 2008.  When I began this blog it was not political.  I started it because it looked like fun.  When I first started posting (dumb) stuff about iced tea and my dog's aversion to rain I was thrilled if I got 30 hits a day.  Most of those were probably accidental finds via Google.  My expectations were low.

I was drawn into political blogging because of the election.  "Somehow," I thought, "I have to be able to make a difference!"  I could not believe that so many people were bedazzled by Barack Obama's "hip" and "cool" campaign.  I was terrified he might really get elected.  So I started political blogging to try to make a difference.

He won anyway.

I'm doing all this "navel gazing" because another election is upon us.  While trying not to obsess too much about stats and blog hits, if you're writing to educate and inform (no matter the subject) then ideally you want someone to read your work.

A few years ago, in an attempt to get my audience up I tried Stacy McCain's legendary "How to Get a Million Hits...".  I even tried Rule 5 (something akin to putting sexy pictures of celebrities on the blog) but I abandoned that technique.  I got tired of going to other blogs and finding near naked pictures of anorexic swimsuit models or porn actresses sprawled across the page.

Some of Stacy's techniques worked, sort of.  I got linked by Michelle Malkin a couple of times because of Rule 2 though I am uncomfortable "pimping" my blog and blast mailing posts out to people.  I was Instalanched a couple of times though.  Ann Coulter linked me once.  Sometimes the comments were rolling in as fast as I could push them through.  Now I'm doing good to get six or eight on a post.  I like the feedback and the discussion.

Oddly, the posts I've worked the hardest on, did the most research for, and am most proud of, got the fewest hits or comments.  I've never understood those blogs that just post snips from news stories or other blogs and just write a snarky word or two as commentary survive, but they do.  In fact, they get a lot more hits than I ever did.   You've read them: there's often a picture and a big block quote from some other source.  Little to no analysis.  I guess that's a different niche.

Even still, though, after almost four years of blogging, I still haven't hit 300,000 hits.  So much for "a million hits in less than a year."

Through the years I've come across some really great bloggers.  Stacy McCain is one of those, but he's also a professional writer.  (He's not so great at thank you notes though: the last two times I've hit his tip jar I never got a thank you in return and you know how those of us in the South feel about thank you notes. )

I've come across some really nice people and some really wise people in the blogosphere.  I've made some real blog-friends who link diligently in return.  There are lots of good people doing this.

But some of the great bloggers I've "met" have quit.  Like Don Surber.  And while Andy didn't do much political blogging, he was still a great blogger because he was fun to read.  He brought a smile to my day.  I'd read one of Andy's posts or watch one of his infamous v-logs and laugh out loud.  "He's just not right; he's not all there!" I'd say with great fondness.  I miss his voice in the blogosphere.

Some have quit and come back.  No Sheeples Here was one of my favorite blogs.  For various reasons, she quit the blog; not quit quit but took the whole damn thing down.  Gone.  Like it never existed.  (There's another blog called No Sheeples Here now, but it's not the same one.)  All those great PhotoShop pieces and content just gone.

But she came back.  Under a new name:  Political Clown Parade.  Fortunately we can still hear the Curmudgeon's voice and see her great PhotoShop work.  I'm glad she came back.

Jules Crittenden didn't come back - as far as I know.  Lucky for us he left his content in place though.  He has some great reading lists and did some beautiful military themed posts.  But still, it's another voice quieted.

Another favorite blog, Caught Him With a Corndog, has been sporadic.  Red has been a faithful reader and commenter on conservative blogs and generous in her tip jar giving. (I hope I always wrote you a thank you note, Red).  But she got busy with real life, a move, school, and blogging got difficult.

Critical Narrative, Yukio Ngaby's blog, has more or less gone dark.  Yukio was a diligent commenter here and I could always count on him to beat back the trolls with wise and informed comments.  But, as is prone to happen, real life took precedence over the blog and Yukio is silent.

Don't misunderstand - there are lots of great blogs out there and new ones pop up all the time (or if not new, then new to me).

I've given lots of thought lately to this blog.  I noticed that when I quit blogging mostly about politics then the hits got low.  That makes sense: the bulk of my regular readers came for political commentary, not for pictures of depression glass.  But I like writing about a variety of things so that's what I'll continue to do.  I get down in the dumps about my lack of traffic sometimes and think about quitting the thing.  Surber is right:  blogging is hard work if you do it right.  It's exhausting to keep it going and discouraging when you think nobody is listening.

Summer is three weeks away for me.  I blog a lot more during the summer and with the campaign season intensifying I expect my political posting will increase too.  And probably my stats.  At any rate, the adage is that you're supposed to blog because you love it, not for the money or the hits.  As far as money goes, I've never cashed one Amazon Associates check or Google AdSense check in four years so this will never replace my day job.

I'm really sorry to see Don Surber go.  And while I'll probably still flirt with the idea of pulling the plug here one day I don't really think I can do it.  At least, not yet.  As long as there are such serious issues confronting this country and as long as the mainstream media continues to report from a bias, I don't think I can be quiet.  I may only reach thirty people a day, but that's thirty people.  Don Surber had a much bigger audience and his voice will be missed.

Meanwhile, at SIGIS, I'll keep plugging away.  I'm rested and ready for the presidential campaign ahead.  As far as the Sunday quiz earlier, I appreciate the feedback and the input.  It lets me know what you want to see.

As Andy would say, "I love y'all.  I mean it."

Update:
Thanks Stacy, for the link.
Thank you, Professor Jacobson, for the link; you're steady as a rock.  That "quick, newsy" thing?  So sorry.
Fishersville Mike is hanging on, too.  Thanks for your comments!

Assignment Sunday: Blog Quiz

An unscientific poll for you this afternoon:

Why do you read blogs?

No, I really want to know.  What are you looking for when you read a blog?  News?  Analysis?  Enjoyment?  Information?  Research?

Think about the blogs you read.  Do you read political blogs and special interest blogs?  Do you expect your political blogs to cover only politics (or whatever the special interest is)?  If a blog is primarily a "mommy blog" for example, do you skip the articles that cover the latest local election?

Do you comment when you read blogs?

Do you avoid really long posts or do you skim them?  Do you click on the links?

Or do you prefer quick, headline type links without analysis?

Speaking of analysis...are many blogs just echo chambers of each other?

How do you find the blogs you read?  How often do you check them?

Do you prefer pictures or not?  Does it depend on the post?

Do you use a reader, like Google reader?

Go with me on this.  I have a point.

Discuss.  All thirty of you that are still here, that is.

Not Exactly a Full Metal Jacket Reach Around

Spring seems to have sprung around here; I've spent the day doing yard work and bagging up leaves that have been hiding out in flower beds and nestled up against the side of the house.  My back yard needs some serious work this spring.  It used to be lush and beautiful but we got a Lab puppy two years ago and last year we had a severe drought.  (This picture is from better days).  Between the two I'm not sure what can be saved out there.  I'm definitely going to be in the market for some sod and there's no question that several shrubs will have to be replaced.  I'm probably going to need some dirt, too; when a dog digs a hole where in the world does the dirt go?  There's never enough dirt nearby to refill that hole.

Mr. SIGIS is watching a spring training baseball game and I'm surfing the blogs trying to catch up on things.

I stopped first at Political Clown Parade who has a post about Andrew Breitbart.  In that post the Curmudgeon also comments a bit on blogger burnout and the infamous mental hiatus.  She reached such a low point last year that she even took her popular blog at the time down.  Regretting that decision later, she is back at it with her current blog:

Last year, I gave up blogging and closed down a site from which I blogged. I was in very bad health and cynical about politics. I had become a timid soul. I had blogged there for several years hoping to make a difference. My health and my cynicism affected my decision. Admittedly, it was a mistake. I regret having taken down the site. After a short time, I decided to rejoin the fray at this site.

I have to say, I gave some thought recently to going dark myself.   I eventually dismissed the idea but I did rearrange my priorities and expectations.  Getting "a million hits" is no longer a priority and not even that important.  Staying inside at my keyboard during all my spare time is no longer a priority either.  I decided instead that it was more important to live life than just write about it.  There's a balance that must be maintained and for a long time I was out of balance.  I think I've made that adjustment now.  Fingers crossed.

And bless his heart, William Teach is still linking me even though I've been basically AWOL for weeks.  Thank you, Teach.  I do appreciate you!  I know there are a few others but Technorati being what it is these days makes it hard for me to tell.  

At any rate, the Curmudgeon was paying tribute in that post to Andrew Breitbart and his relentless pursuit of the good fight for conservatism.  Be sure to check it out.

One of the topics I've really been reading about and mulling about posting has been Governor Bobby Jindal's education reform plan.  I touched on it briefly but there's a lot I really want to get into and read about.  I'll be honest, though...I'm cautious about writing too much about it at this point.  In the first place, there just aren't enough specifics beyond just his wish list and in the second place, I'm trying to consider workplace politics.  It's weighing on my mind, though.  I'll get back to it.

Bride of Rove has some spot on thoughts about politics and the discussion of issues.  In fact, I saw this post on her Facebook wall the other day and figured she'd pissed somebody off:

Can I just say this? If you don’t want to discuss politics on Facebook then don’t post political opinions and links. It is beyond blond to think that everyone is going to either completely agree with you or ignore you and move on. You want a discussion? Post. You don’t? Then don’t post. One of my absolute favorite friends to debate with is (name redacted) because she is smart as a whip, can back up her opinions with facts, and because she and I don’t always agree I actually learn quite a lot from her “salons” … and that’s how it used to be back in the day. People who want to ponder the issues that affect us all and consider all sides, politely and sometimes passionate but impolitely, hosted teas or gatherings and people discussed.

People who disagree with your current views on issues are not the antichrist. You post and it is an invitation for a discussion. Not abuse, of course, but discourse? Definitely. 

There's more, but you'll have to go there to read it.  I don't ever want to make that woman my enemy.   One of the hardest things for me to get used to about blogging was how vicious people who disagree with you can be.  During the '08 campaign I had lots and lots of readers who disagreed with me and who did not hold back one iota when it came to telling me what an ignorant, flatline brain I had.  It used to hurt my feelings, sometimes it made me question myself, and then it pissed me off.  Now I've toughened up and realize that there will always be weird people out there and most of them will disagree with me.  I decided if I was going to be sensitive about it then I should quit putting my opinions on the internet.  Yeah, so I quit being sensitive.

Another person I don't ever want to get on the wrong side of writes over at Pecan Corner.  Tina is taking no prisoners in her disdain of those companies that are canceling their advertising contracts with Rush Limbaugh:

I can appreciate that your companies have the freedom to determine for yourselves where you will spend your advertising dollars, and I hope you will continue to have that freedom for as long as your companies exist.

I'm sure you will also appreciate my exercise of freedom of choice when I politely say it's nothing personal (and I don't even listen to or watch Rush), but I will never spend a single dime for any product your companies produce - not even years from now. The older I get, the better my long term memory will become and I will not relent, even when it's a moot point.

Amen, girl.  Hypocrisy exposed.  Enough said.

Doug Ross has a few thoughts on what's wrong with the Chevy Volt:

• The Volt has an annoying habit of sometimes blowing up

• It's incredibly expensive

• It's a coal-powered car

• It's the result of central planning, as opposed to actual market demands.

Again, there's more - RTR.  No Volt for me.  Mr. SIGIS ordered my Jeep in early February and we're expecting to take delivery on that in a couple of weeks.  I can't wait!  Meanwhile, right now I'm driving a rental 2011 Ford Fusion which is pretty nice.  My son is driving my old Crown Vic while we get his insurance claim settled (nobody wants to rent a car to a 20 year old, you see, which is why I'm driving the rental). 

Obama's war on coal plants is enough to shy anyone away from the Volt, aside from all its other problems, I would think.

Ah, well.  It's off to a hot shower for me.  Got to get the yard dirt off and get ready to begin my research paper unit this week with my sophomores.  Good times.

And Now Regular Blogging Will Resume

Regular SIGIS blogging will resume shortly; I've been on a sort of metal hiatus for a month or so as you've probably noticed. 

Well, some noticed.  The blog lost 4 "followers" this week.  (It's okay; I quit obsessing about sitemeters and ever hitting "a million hits" about a year ago.  I seldom check that sort of thing anymore.  And actually, blogging is much more fun that way.)

There's been a lot politically I've wanted to write about these past couple of weeks but from time to time I have to back up and handle real-life things.  I'm not really a subscriber of horoscope stuff but I am a Libra and I do have to have balance! 

Anyway, it's been a gorgeous day in Shreveport today and I've taken the opportunity to do a bit of necessary house cleaning, laundry, errands, and take care of my mom today.  About to hit relaxation mode and catch up on some blogging.

Thanks to those of you that have stayed around.

I Suck

I suck. 

Once again I didn't make the Fab 50 list over at Doug's place. 

That's fine.  I'll *sniff* get over it.  I'm not one of the kool kidz.  I'm in good company though.  Bride of Rove isn't on the list and she's the smartest blogger around.  The Other McCain isn't there either and nobody does better on the scene coverage than Stacy.

He does, however, credit some of my favorite bloggers.  Pundit & Pundette won and she's one of the first blogs I check when I go online.  The other usual winners are there like Memeorandum and Hot Air.

There's a couple of surprises too, I guess.  No sour grapes though.

Oh well.  I'll keep doing my thing. 

I don't need no stinkin' award.