Happy Birthday to You! We! Us!

Yes, congratulations indeed, dear reader. Today is the day this little journal, this occasional scrawling, this community, this blessed plot, this realm, this blog turns three years old. A baby in human terms, prime time for horses, positively ancient in online years.

So I'm pulling a Time magazine and holding up a mirror to you guys - because, this sucker wouldn't still breathe without you. I'm not a writer who has to write or, shark-like, sink and die. I write to be read, and I prefer to provoke reaction, good and bad. Now, I haven't come up with the blog equivalent of Time's shiny mirror cover, so here's a screen shot from MyBlogLog, which shows the icons of a few of the regulars (great service, by the way). Take a look - that's the real anniversary right there, the real partners.

So, the numbers 652 posts and 4,462 comments. More than a post every other day, but less than one a day. Something like four a week.

That's been consistent here since the start. I'm not a complete blogger; I don't feel compelled to share every thought or publish every jot. I don't blog about my work, except very rarely. Same thing with my home life, except for now and again. I blog about my "third life" - the one that's neither home or the office, the one that's part virtual part real, part online conversation and part walk down the street.

That's why I've fallen into politics and media as the major topics here; I've been a  media critic before, and I was a political reporter for a decade. I don't do these things now, but the interest - occasionally the passion - remain, and so when I write in the space between family and profession, these are most natural starting points.

Sports of course, dominated by the New York Mets. And culture, pop and otherwise. Lately, much of that has migrated to my own spin-off, the Jeffersons to this All in the Family, over at the gorgeous little newcritics.com (oh yeah, I love it there). And my travels - things I notice, conversations I overhear, people I meet, places I get to see. Some of that I share. Some of it I don't.

Back to those 4,462 comments - there are hundreds of thousands of words in there. Hundreds of people. Hundreds of conversations. Serious arguments. Real diversity. Plenty of bullshit.

The comments are why I still blog - this little community. Many of you have written almost as much as I have. Take the dynamic duo, for instance, Slappy and Tom K, each with well over 300 comments and tens of thousands of words. These guys have almost become synonymous with this blog. I've met people in the street, introduced myself, gotten to talking, moved onto blogging and had these new acquaintances exclaim: "How about that Slappy? Tom K sure does hate him!" Or vice versa.

In three years, I've written the equivalent of several books here. I've met dozens of people offline who I first encountered here. And I've made dozens of real online friendships. Further, I know there are a bunch of near-silent lurkers here, readers who lie in the weeds, rarely if ever leave a comment, but are real readers and take my ideas and links and posts with them into the world. I value them as well; can feel them there most days in the ghost-like pageview counts.

There will be weeks when this place goes silent. There will be times when I'll feel like packing it in. And then someone will drop a comment on something I've written - maybe an old post from two years ago they found on Google. And I'll smile. And think a little. And knock out another post. Thanks, and many happy returns.

Comments

[Tom K]

I don't think I've ever written anything that could cause a reasonable observer to conclude that I hate Slappy. Can't say I admire his on-line style or reasoning, but I don't even know him, much less hate him.

Happy Birthday, my dirty life and times.

[kate rogers]

Happy Birthday. Nice blog. So you are also a member of mybloglog? Cool,then I will add you on my friend list.
Drop into my blog for some unique birthday gift and party ideas.

[Slappy]

Come on Tom K. At least admit that I kick your ass on a regular basis ;)

Another trip around the sun for Tom W. online. Congratulations. I appreciate your thoughts and writings more than most online. Always interesting. And unlike myself, usually well thought out posts. (I tend to react. If it weren't for auto spellcheck my posts would be illegible.) I find it most interesting how you bring up your Catholicism and relate it to your political and social critiques/thought/opinions. Most lefty blogs don't do this. It is quite foreign to myself having been raised an atheist but the perspective is always interesting to read.

For some reason Tom W has a soft spot in his heart for Tom K. Childhood friends I believe. College roommates? Not sure. One of the posts that I remember best is when Tom W assured me that Tom K was really not a knuckle-dragging conservative. I have to take Tom W's word on this matter and trust him on this. I know a couple knuckle draggers who I manage to be friendly with and I don't doubt I could be friends with Tom K if we were ever to meet in person. But he does frustrate the shit out of me and I despise his opinions.

Anyway... I hope Tom W you continue blogging for years to come. I hope you get as much out of writing your blog as I do reading your blog. If so, I am confident you will continue posting your thoughts. Which will continue to create even more interesting conversations. Despite my occasional flippant insults.

Happy birthday to one of my favorite watering holes. A true jewel.

[b tween]

I think Tom K and Slappy are the same person. Thing is, I know Tom K in real life. The only possible conclusion is then, that Tom K suffers from acute multiple personality disorder. Some of the things he writes when he's in his Slappy persona horrify him when he returns to Tom K. Naturally he has no memory of it, and so goes back at himself full force. It's bizarre and tragic to think think that Tom K and Slappy sitting down for a beer at some unspecific bar would only require one stool.
On another matter, hearty congratulations Tom W, you made it through the terrible twos in one piece!

[Slappy]

I sit on my stool, gun in hand, listening to "Where Is My Mind?" as the buildings collapse around me. Which one of us survives?

[Tom K]

*Some of the things he writes when he's in his Slappy persona horrify him when he returns to Tom K.*

Can't speak for the rest of your speculation, since it is by definition beyond my knowledge, but if we accept your other premises, this part is definitely right. Not so much for the conclusions reached (which usually are pretty awful), as for the "reasoning" employed (which is . . . now, Tom, just let it go . . .).

[Slappy]

I Just want to clear something up. Just incase somebody takes my 1:42:44pm post the wrong way. It is in reference to the ending of Fight Club. You have to see the movie in order for my post to make sense.

If only we were all as smart and reasonable and educated and wise and well spoken and well read and handsome (I am making assumptions) and overall likable guy as you Tom K. I can only dream of such a wonderful place. I think this is what John Lennon had in mind when he wrote Imagine.

It is a shame none of your brilliance is rubbing off on me through the internet tubes. Maybe it is due to my unpatriotic and unlearned self and others like me that the great plans laid before us by your kind have not worked so well. If only we all cooperated and joined the rank and file all would run so smooth. If only we all had such "reasoning."

[blue girl]

Happy Blogiversary, TW.

[Tom K]

Slappy:

That you are sub-normal in your reasoning skills does not imply anything, either way, as to whether or not I am above average in that respect, or any other.

[Slappy]

Sub-normal reasoning skills may be your opinion of me but anyone who calls themselves a "conservative" or a Republican or even the latest cowardly catch-all "libertarian" automatically confirms to the world around them with no other evidence or opinions needed that their reasoning skills fall somewhere in between orangoutang and chimpanzee. Primates tend to be attracted to the alpha males and this is clearly seen in action in today's GOP. Ironically, conservatives who believe and align themselves with those who believe that man did not evolve from ape are instead their closest relative. As the rest of the rest of the world evolves, the conservatives who refuse to acknowledge the world around them remain in their primitive state cowardly clinging to their alpha male for protection and guidance. And ad your knuckles bleed from scraping the floor and the vines you once swung from no longer hold your weight you will in the end turn on your alpha male and club him to death as you all cowardly claim that you never really did groom him and pick his fleas from his infested self. But you will again fall into your ways and pick another alpha male to follow who will again prove your lack of reasoning and bring your primitive clan to another embarrassing failure for this is the way of those who chose to not develop and see the world around them and develop beyond their primitive state.

[Tom K]

YAWWWWWWWWWWNNNNN.

[Slappy]

Who luvs ya baby?!

[Tom K]

By the way, the world contemplated by Imagine is one I would not want to live in. The principle problem being, the song's premises do not support its conclusions, so the world of its premises would be even more vile than the one we have now. We may yet get there, though.

[Claire]

Congrats on three years!

[Tony Alva]

Congratulations sir!!! Sorry I've been absent, lot's going on. Will get back here soon.