Recently, via e-mail, I got a note from a new reader. He wondered, in quiet tones, what the future of this site will be, given the political outcome in the election just recently.
I have to admit I haven’t thought about it very much.
Look, let’s be honest; My whole effort, surrounding this new site, was getting it up and running and looking reasonably well. And working well. Loading quickly, and whatnot. The technical, nuts and bolts things. The idea that the political world around it, would influence my actions, my ‘style’ if you will, never really entered into my head. I won’t speak for a DavidL and Fersboo, but I suspect, that it hasn’t entered theirs, either. (note the use of the word)
But I had to sit and think about the question, because it’s a good one; How will the reality enforced by the most recent election affect this site?
I guess my immediate response, is that I .. make that WE… will have far more to write about, and the actual chore of writing, will be far easier.
I found, during the Clinton years, that both my short posts, and my extended ones, tended to write themselves as much as anything. The simple, bare- knuckle facts, were all I needed to write.
Since we are now back in a situation of the Republicans being out of power, and the Democrats being in, examples are rather simple to find. You need look no further than the articles I posted just tonight; “Don’t say we didn’t warn you” [1], and “Don’t say we didn’t warn you, part two” [2] . As a matter of fact, every post we’ve put up today, both David and myself, are part and parcel of what this blog is about, and what it will be about for the foreseeable future. The reasons are easy enough; because it’s being read. It’s being read, because it’s what the mainstream media does not dare to touch.
If anything, the quality of the writing here, will increase by leaps and bounds, as we get used to our new environment here on this new site, and as the Democrats continue to fall victim to their own greed and malfeasance. That stuff, as I say, tends to write itself.
Let’s make sure you understand me, here. The fact is that Democrats will be out of power in another two years. I will celebrate on that day. But, I will celebrate not because I hold any serious truck with the Republicans , per se’. Rather, because I see the republicans are at this stage being the best weapon available against the Democrats. That’s the political angle on this blog.
But of course, there is more… and the “more”, is what I have tried to inject in these “Nightly Rambles” that I’ve been posting. Stuff that most assuredly does not write itself.
Take last night’s “ramble” as an example. I will tell you the truth; I doubt that six months ago I’d have posted that. But today, it is in keeping with the concept that I am trying to get across, here. To understand the concept, you have to take a step back a little bit.
The nightly ramble, as a concept, is as follows :
I’m spending perhaps a half an hour to 40 minutes or so on a nightly basis, looking around at the world, and looking around it, and frankly looking at my life, too…. And jotting down what I think of it. Perhaps I’ll throw in a couple of pictures, perhaps I will even throw in a political snipe or two, but I can guarantee you this; if I post something in a nightly ramble, it is strictly me shooting from the hip. Up front, and personal. Sometimes bland, sometimes in your face. Sometimes with inaccurate comments. But there it is.
That’s unusual for a political blog, that concept. It’s unusual, because those comments are made to fit within the context of life. You see, I’ve been feeling for a long time that one’s politics, by definition, is merely a reflection of one’s deeper held beliefs about things like life, morality, and all the many things that spring up from those. That’s a feeling I’ve related here on a couple of occasions. But I don’t think I’ve ever really quantified it. Somehow, I doubt I will. But I think it’s a quality that a lot of the political punditry, particularly in the ‘sphere, have lost sight of.
I’m finding writing within the stated concept a little challenging at times. Not so much from the commitment of time… (when you’re running a site like this, best to figure on the time commitment. Anyone running a site… particularly one updated daily, will tell you that.) The challenge as it turns out is actually having something to say. Much the same as Michelangelo’s statues, it’s already in there, waiting to come out. That trick, unlike the short-shot political comments… and even the deeper analysis that we’ve been generating at my site for years now… is getting it to come out. (No pun intended, Andrew)
Feedback, of course, is welcome, because it’s a foregone conclusion that I won’t always be successful in getting it to come out correctly, or at all. In fact, feedback is vital to this effort. If I’m not connecting with you, I need to know it. Or if I am connecting with you I need to know that, too.
Well, I hope that answers the question of my e-mailer. now that I’ve bored you all to tears, let’s go about the remainder of the ramble, shall we?
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I promised last night that I post some Christmas pictures of the neighborhood. Of course, I said that before I actually looked at them. I’ve forgotten one of the frailties of this particular camera, a Cannon Powershot 95, it needs a very steady hand when shooting things like fireworks, or Christmas lights. Any dark shot blurs very quickly. Apparently, the exposure time automatically goes up as the scene gets darker. Said, because they would have made some really beautiful shots, too. Part of the problem, is the idea that the screen on the camera is so small I can see whether not it’s actually blurry in the shop, or it’s my eyes. One of the foibles of age, I suppose.
Sorry, I’ll try again.
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Its supposed to be sunny around here tomorrow and 50°. On December the twelfth.
Unbelievable. Those sun spots are really raising hell with the winter around here. At least the amateur radio folks are having fun with the sky wave. The bands have to be wide open on some of these evenings.
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I’m in the process of listening to the collected works of Tony Joe White.
Turns out he’s got something like twenty albums out there, which is eighteen more than I thought he did. Decent blues, but in addition, and perhaps more importantly, some of the tastiest guitar playing you’ll ever hear your life. To give you a picture, perhaps you’re familiar with Brook Benton’s recording of “Rainy night in Georgia” . First of all, that’s one of White’s tunes. Cornell Dupree… one of the finest session men in America at the time.. did the guitar work on that cut. His playing there is probably a good example of that kind of guitar playing that White does as a matter of routine. Clearly, Dupree was inspired by the demo track.
I’ll name some favorite tracks tomorrow night.
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Enough. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.