Pie, with a side of bullets
Today is Pi Day! I encourage everyone to celebrate by eating 3.14 pieces of PIE!!!
A few things I’ve noticed lately:
- Sometimes the blogosphere reminds me a bit too much of junior high. And I fully include myself in that remark. Are we not (wo)men?
- I recently realized I have a severe blog crush on someone, someone I have been in total denial about. It’s interesting to note that one of my bloggirlfriends pegged this months ago.
- Blog design seems to run in cycles. When I first started, most people I read were using a template from their service. Then there was a minimalist phase, the “cleaner” the better. Now I’m seeing a movement toward sidebar exploitation. I’m wondering if there’s a contest I don’t know about: who can come up with the most items to stack in their sidebar. Among my regular reads, I think
KarlBelinda would win. By the way, I’ve also noticed that a 3-column layout with dual sidebars is all the rage. I know, I’m so outmoded. - Another hot trend is having your own show on blogtalkradio. Several of the A-listers* have done so, and you can now spend all Sunday afternoon tuned in to Karl, Hilly, Mr. Fab and Turnbaby. I don’t know how they do it. There’s no way in hell I could be sparkling and witty for a solid hour live even one time, much less week after week. Even listening to their shows makes me anxious. I must have serious dead-air phobia.
- As far as I can tell, I’m the only blogger who doesn’t own Guitar Hero. I think I’m also the only blogger without an iPod. Before you ask, yes, we do have electricity and indoor plumbing at home.
- It stands to reason that many bloggers dream of being a published writer someday ? published as in, print. After all, blogging is writing on a deeply personal level. I’ve been trying to get back into my “serious” writing for about a year now, with little to show for it. Now I’m thinking I may steal an idea from one of my blogfriends who, like me, is a frustrated fiction writer. Besides her personal blog, Carolyn maintains a writing blog called Drops Of Blood. I’ve been hanging out there a lot lately, and find it quite inspirational. I wonder if setting up something similar for myself would motivate me to get serious again?
- When you become aware that you’ve lost one of your most loyal, longtime readers, how do you feel? This happened to me recently, and saddened me greatly. Trouble is, I have no clue why. Should I ask this person? Would you, or would you just accept that they were “over you” and move on?
*My blog, my lists.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:45 am
I love pi!
• No. On the contrary, the blogosphere lets us be young and immature again. That’s the appeal.
• I have a blog crush on anybody who is smart enough not to blog daily.
• I’ve had the exact same template on my blog since day one, almost five years ago now. The header has been changed three times and gets larger every time… the side bar changes constantly, but seems to be getting less cluttered all the time.
• I don’t have my own show, but have signed on to guest-host with four people now, which is almost as bad.
• I don’t own Guitar Hero. If I did, I would never leave the house again and have to shut down my blog. I play it at friend’s house from time to time which is enough for me. I cannot, however, imagine life without iPod.
• I have never dreamed of being a published writer, but wrote a book (and treatments for four more) for a publisher whom I eventually parted with. I will probably try and get it published one day, but it’s not a priority.
• I’ve lost dozens of loyal long-time readers without explanation. Change is inevitable, and sometimes people need to move on. It’s easy to get way too caught up in it all, but I see it as an opportunity to move on with my life as well.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Dave2: This is the longest response I’ve ever gotten from you! I feel rather light-headed.
? That?s NOT the appeal for me. And there’s good immature and bad immature. Malicious behavior is ugly, no matter what age you are.
? OMG!!! That means ME!!!
? Yep, you were actually the first blogger I read that had clearly designed your own blog. I was deeply in awe, as I still am, at your talent.
? No it isn’t, because you only have to make it through those four shows. Well, unless someone else talks you into guesting. But I can’t even make myself call in.
? I couldn’t play GH even if I had it, but I would love the opportunity to experience addiction to iPod.
? WHAT?!?! You mean all those Dummies books of yours aren’t real?
? See, it’s easier for you because you have like 487 commenters every day. With my few, an absence is sharply felt. And I simply can’t fathom how someone could stray away from my scintillating content. ;)
March 14th, 2008 at 6:22 am
*I don’t have Guitar Hero but I do have an iPod. Hell, I JUST got a DVR. ;)
*I notice readers drop off from time to time. Most of the time they have stopped blogging as frequently, too. It’s sad because I miss the interaction with them. I consider most of my readers friends. I would hope they felt the same about me.
*I try to steer clear of the JR High-ness of it all.
*I am a talker and yet I don’t think I would want to attempt a radio show. I struggle sometimes to just figure out what to post.
*I really, really, really want to redesign my blog so it is ME but I am still searching for the person I’d like to hire. I’ve been gathering ideas of how I want it to look though. I don’t want it to be too busy. Those types of blogs hurt my eyeballs.
sizzle’s last blog post..?I am looking for a dare to be great situation.?
March 14th, 2008 at 7:50 am
* If you read the blogs at The New Yorker or other pro publications, you get a whole lot less of that. It’s nice, also an enjoyable, rich read.
* I’ve been wondering what this could mean, blog crush. Is it just being a big fan of someone’s blog? Or is it thinking you have feelings for the person who writes it?
* My blog is the template from Blogger because I don’t know how to do anything.
* I’ve never even been to this site (blogtalkradio) - this sounds way too involved for me. Maybe if someone were paying me, but I don’t even have ads on my blog because so few people stop by that that would be completely laughable.
* I don’t own Guitar Hero, I don’t own a Wii, Playstation, XBox, etc etc. There may be a copy of Tetris on my iPod. I could not go on living without that, and neither should you. Get a Shuffle, they are only $50 now. Music is so important to humans, and now we have it in this ideal little package.
* I have aspired to/dragged my feet on being a novelist for a living since I was but a wee lass. I sometimes don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.
* Since I can’t identify or remember most people by the stuff in Sitemeter, so I’ve never noticed when I’ve lost someone. Which I most undoubtedly have. I know that in the interest of simplifying stuff, I’ve pared down the number of blogs in my Reader (Dave is out, for example. I don’t usually need the reminder to visit his blog, which is exactly what I use the Reader for. I don’t usually stay in the Reader to actually read the blogs). I can imagine something important going on irl for someone, and as a result they pare an extensive online life down to just family and close friends.
Catherine’s last blog post..Hi
March 14th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Oooh! Bullets :) I want to play too!
? I am always surprised at how much of life in general is like elementary, junior or senior high…so it doesn’t surprise me that has carried over to the blogosphere.
? I don’t think i have a current blog crush. i’m okay with that. i do, however, have a new fictional character crush. Have you read Twilight by Stephanie Meyer? Glittery vampires set my heart aflutter, even if they are forever 17…
? I really don’t like the two sidebars thing myself, but I’ve never really been much for following the fashions of the day I suppose…
? The whole concept of blogtalkradio fills me with anxiety so obviously it’s not the option for me. I do much better in writing than I do in free verse.
? Me too. No Guitar Hero, but that’s only because I can’t justify buying a playstation or xbox just so I can have it. I can’t find it for the Wii anywhere… My iPod however is my lifeblood. I really don’t know what I would do without it. I can’t survive a workout or bus ride without mine.
? Would you believe me if I told you I don’t actually like writing all that much. I’m just good at it. And I love to read, especially if things are well written. But I have no desire to write fiction. No desire to see my words in print. Which is odd, since I’ve made writing my career. So either I’m supressing a latent desire to be a fiction writer, or I really just did fall into a job that I’m good at but really don’t care for much…
I lean towards accept and move on on this one…but then again, I shy away from even the simplest confrontations…
suze’s last blog post..forgetful?
March 14th, 2008 at 8:09 am
boo - the bullets work on my last post :( Now it looks like I don’t know how to play this game ;)
suze’s last blog post..forgetful?
March 14th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Blog crushes, yeah. I have a few of them and probably wouldn’t share them with anyone, save Hilly. I’ve always developed easy crushes, even in school days.
As far as someone quitting your blog, I suppose it depends on who it was and how important they were to me. If you or Dave or Hilly quit reading me, I’d definitely want to know why. But there are just too many blogs to keep track of for me to notice who drops out from my blog. I don’t get many comments, usually, and I do notice when someone NEW comments. Don’t know how fast I’d notice if someone stopped frequenting my blog.
I say don’t worry about it.
Karl’s last blog post..Superdelegates My Ass
March 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Sizzle: Your last sentence made me laugh - I was told that exact thing about Chronic Listaholic’s “yellow pad” look!
Catherine: “Blog crush” can mean either, but is mostly used for someone whose blogging style you’re crazy about. In my case, I tend to use it for bloggers I find attractive. Not that I would ever act on that.
Suze: I’ll fix it for you when I get home. And can I just say I’m ASTOUNDED that you don’t enjoy writing?!?! I would never have guessed. Ironic that you’re so good at it, when there are so many people who do enjoy it but are really, really bad at it.
Karl: I noticed this person’s disappearance immediately because they used to comment almost daily, and we’d become friends over the years. I know they’re busy right now, but I do still see their comments elsewhere. So I figure it must be an issue with me. Yet my comments on their blog are always warmly received. It’s a mystery. And I can’t help worrying, because I consider this person a true friend.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Have you seen the movie “Pi: Faith in Chaos?” It’s a pretty good film.
Junior high was fun but I don’t want to go back. Fuck them.
I have blog crushes on a lot of people.
I hate three-column formats. I’m not real crazy about clunky sidebars either. (Dave’s design is so cool, he’ll never need to change it.)
BlogTalk Radio seems like a shitty format. The people who do it are nice and all but I think a straight podcast would have better production values.
I don’t own Guitar Hero either. My son has it but I’ve never played it.
Having your words printed on paper doesn’t make them any more valid. Some of the best writing I’ve ever read was on blogs. Books and other publications are overrated.
I’ve had good blog friends apparently stop reading my blog too. There are thousands of possible reasons, but I think it’s best to just think of that person as a “big douchebag” and secretly hate them forever.
Then again, they could be reading from a feedreader and never visit the actual site. :)
ajooja’s last blog post..Friday Bullets
March 14th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I don’t have guitar hero or an iPod either. ;) You’re not alone.
You’re also not alone in not following these trends. I like to do my own thing too. :)
kilax’s last blog post..Friday Question #17
March 14th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I am your blog crush, aren’t I.
Awesome.
Mr. Fabulous’s last blog post..It’s mocking time! Oh, and I quit. Kinda.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
ajooja: Years ago when we belonged to Netflix, Bret and I checked out Pi: Faith In Chaos. We had it for THREE MONTHS and never watched it. Somehow the mood just never seemed right. As for being published, there’s just something about the idea of walking past a bookstore and seeing your own novel on display [sigh]. Maybe it’s an ego thing, but for me, authoring a blog is not the same thrill.
Kim: I’m surprised you don’t have an iPod! I would think you’d be into that. Did you know a recent survey shows that 87% of people with a cat named Data have a rebellious streak?
OK, I made that up.
March 14th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Fab: Damn it! Am I that obvious? Why was I the last to figure this out? :roll:
March 14th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I love your statistic! Muah ha ha! I think we are in the 87% for sure! Steven though? The other 13%!
P.S. Steven has a pi tattoo on his back :)
kilax’s last blog post..Friday Question #17
March 14th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I loved reading this list and all the comments, and I’m delighted you get something useful from my writing blog, SJ. *glow* Writing it does make me think more often and more deeply about the craft of writing.
For me, the thing that inspires my fiction writing the MOST is having someone to send it to. I’m currently working with a very patient critique partner who endured a three-week dry spell from me and then a rush of 20+ pages from me last week. Having someone who’ll be sitting there, drumming his fingers if he doesn’t hear from me, lights a big ol’ fire under my big ol’ lazy butt.
Of course, I’ve got big-time flop sweat now that I sent him pages last Saturday with two major scenes (1 molestation scene, 1 murder) and haven’t heard back yet. Is he blown away by the awesomeness, knocked unconscious by the sheer awfulness, or just busy with his own life and it’s nothing to do with me? Eeeeek …
P.S. — I also don’t have Guitar Hero (and wouldn’t even know what it was if I hadn’t seen the Southpark Episode about it), but like other commenters, I couldn’t live without my iPod!
Carolyn B.’s last blog post..Fall Down 7 Times ? But Get Up 8
March 15th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Kim: OK, Steven has officially become the coolest person I know.
Carolyn: Hey, I have that exact same drop of blood! I bought it for a cover design I did for my novel. I am much better at designing covers for it than actually finishing it. :oops:
Did your research help you with the molestation scene, or did you end up winging it? And how does one hook up with a critique partner? An unbiased whip-cracker/editor is just what I need!
March 15th, 2008 at 8:03 am
How do you know you lost a longtime reader? Personally, if I somehow figured that out, I’d ask them. I consider many of my loyal readers to be friends.
Avitable’s last blog post..Creme Egg
March 15th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Avi: It’s become a moot point, since she is now back. It was actually mostly misperception on my part, since it had only been an absence of two weeks. I guess it made an impact on me because I’d looked forward to her comments on a couple of posts, and was disappointed when they never appeared. Being *me*, I quickly turned that into “gone forever.”
What do you call someone who constantly jumps to worst-case-scenario conclusions?
March 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Lovely Wife’s a mathematician. At her work they do a “New Year” type countdown at 1:59 and 26 seconds. Then they have pie.