Category: Blogging

Go read some short fiction. It’s good for you.

Undoubtedly, some of you have noticed how I have often linked, often gratuitously, to Instapundit in my posts. For no apparent reason, some posts include the www.instapundit.com URL in them.

I admit I was trying to use you, dear reader, in my own foolish drive for recognition, or at least a perfunctory glance from Professor Reynolds. You see, I hoped you might see that link and click it, which would put my own URL briefly in the referrer logs at Instapundit.

If enough you visited that site, perhaps He would see my URL in the referrer logs and would pop by. Maybe He would link to me, or maybe The Professor and I would become fast friends. Maybe He would let me drive his Mazda, and I would let him play Arkanoid.

But my ruse has become transparent to you, discriminating reader, for the frequency of links to Instapundit are almost as frequent as links to Amazon, Internet Movie Database, and my beautiful wife. I won’t bother you any more with the gratuitous links to Instapundit anymore, because I know you’ll see through them, and I don’t want to lose any more of your respect.

Besides, I realize that those of you who frequent blogs have already read Instapundit before you show up here.

However, I hope you will forgive me if I link to something The Professor says, perhaps excerpted and followed by a simple “Heh.” or “Indeed.” Please understand this is not gratuitous linking or even pale imitating, but rather homage and fair use.

Thank you.

Were I not so discouraged, I would try to follow some of Wizbang’s advice for triggering an Instalanche. But I am too discouraged.

Hey, thanks for the link, Jared of Strategic Intelligence, a clearinghouse for his conservative Christian viewpoint, some significant silliness, and serious discussions of a militarily strategic nature.

Are you higher in the blogosystem than me? If you are, I don’t know if I want to talk to you. I’m pretty petty, you know.

Michael Williams at Master of None announces the first ever Spherewide Short Story Symposium (with an exclamation point, no less).

I have submitted my entry, “To a Good Home“.

Man, I hope I win some of those exciting cash prizes.

Everyone’s always talking about Truth Laid Bear’s blog ecosystem which ranks blogs by their popularities. Where am I, you ask?

#1581 currently, thanks.

Lower than Instapundit.
Lower than Musings from Domenico Bettinelli.
Lower than both BRIAN’s Culture Blog and BRIAN’s Education Blog.
Lower even than RatBastard.org.

Only people I am not lower than are people who have started their blogs in the last fifteen minutes, werd. I ain’t gonna link to them because that would put them above me.

Ay, me. Whatever will I do?

I think I will post some more.

The Patriette is an instructional design specialist. I wonder if she, too, thinks Computers and their myriad and non-intuitive interfaces sux.

She hasn’t mentioned it specifically, but her blog contains a bunch of what she thinks. You should click that link.

Headline makes it sound like I’ve lost my job. Not yet.

Kelly has, however, included me in the latest Cul-De-Sac blog round-up at Suburban Blight. She’s got me listed for my review of The McBain Brief.

Maybe it’s good that I’m not mentioning that some of the books I review are twenty or more years old. Makes my site appear more current and relevant than it is, and hides that I don’t necessarily share a fetish for contemporary and important books that some bloggers have.

Well, I got my first blog e-mail from a stranger (well, a living stranger–I have gotten plenty from the evil Spambots, no doubt). He said nice things about my blog, well, one, maybe. His signature included a link to a static site which has some of his collected musings. An amusing bit, but you schnucking geek snobs lay off about the design: he’s old enough to be my grandparent, werd, and he’s on WebTV. Read the words, and forgive the design.

A bit I particularly enjoyed:

When it be within my power to return a harm done to me, I consider which type of action will continue the discord and which will end it.

Me, too. I am all in favor of ending it.

Because Heather likes kitties, you should look at the picture at the end of Kim du Toit post (of course, it wouldn’t hurt you to read Kim every day). This picture captures the essence of the American soldier, as only a former English major could explain it to you.

Look at that kid. Unlike the nutbars that pass for the irregulars in armies in most actively combative parts of the world, he’s not so enamored with his gun that he’s waving it, firing it in the air in an orgiastic pleasure in his own killing power. He’s got it ready, but he’s not enamored with death. His objective isn’t death, his or others, in itself, but sometimes it’s necessary. Sadly.

Instead of ranting, raving, foaming, or pillaging, he’s spending a quiet moment petting the kitty, a juxtaposition of Life in the dangerous, potentially deadly situation he’s in. The kitty represents the innocence of the civilians he’s protecting, and of the world to which he wants to return someday, whole and unscarred physically from his service.

Just from looking at the picture, I hope you come home, and I hope they let you bring the kitty if you want. Come on, Army, it’s a good story.

Rachel Lucas watched Bowling for Columbine all the way through, which is more than I have, since I haven’t watched any Michael Moore since The Big One. Ms. Lucas describes her thoughts on it here.

My sympathies, Rachel. You can’t throw a DVD or a television like you can a paperback copy of Stupid White Men.

Also, Ms. Lucas, as someone recently outed as a Milli Vanilli cassette owner, I’d like to point out that you’re too harsh on Milli Vanilli. Someone made that catchy pop music, even if it wasn’t Rob and Fab. Werd.

Blame it on the rain
that was falling, falling
Blame it on the stars
that did shine that night

Unfortunately, it’s Eric Zorn and not John Kass or even Mary Schmich.

Note to Zorn: This does not mean I want e-mail correspondence blog entries between you and Mary Schmich like that shtick you guys do on slow commentary days. Thank you, that is all.

Okay, I have been posting lightly lately. I’ve been out of town, and I have started a new job which involves business hours and a suburban commute. When I get used to it, and when I figure out how to take an afternoon nap when I don’t get home until the evening, posting will get back to abnormal.

Honey, is this the blogger conference you asked me if I wanted to attend?

Make that no, again.

(Link seen on Fark.)

Everyone knows that Frank J.’s Nuke the Moon tee shirts impart extra chutzpah, moxie, and other worthy attributes upon wearers, but sometimes the finely-tuned magic can go disastrously awry.

For example, the one that Rachel Lucas got is apparently defective, and dangerously so.

Can’t you see she’s leaning to the left!

Hey, my second blog spawn is now online: Adam’s Burning Eye.

Everyone stop by and snicker. With him, not at him.

Although I might be the last blogger to link to it, Bill Whittle’s essay “Trinity” describes the three principles that make America great.

It’s long, but it’s not Galt’s Speech long.