Behind the Blogger: Blogging in a New Political World

I started this blog in--what seems like now--the waning years of the Bush Administration. It didn't feel like that at the time. We were 6-1/2 years in at the time, and it felt like a never-ending reality-bending nightmare. But even at the start of this adventure (June 2, 2007), the wheels were starting to come off. Congress was in the (nominal) control of the Democrats, and Karl Rove's alternate-reality spin machine was burning out.

Still, there was so much to rail against, so many frustrations to rant about. Now, things feel less urgent. We do have the financial crisis now, and a Republican minority still--somehow--obstructing things. But I'm willing to give the Barack Obama Administration space and time to put things back together. While there are still conservative outrages to report on, and spin to unspin, my blogging mission has become a little less focused.

What I'm finding is, I'm spending much too many hours in front of a computer. I do that at work all day, and while my hours have been reduced, I still spend a majority of my waking hours in front of a computer monitor. I fear that this may be a detriment to my relationship, and also fear that I might be starting to burn out.

I'm not talking about quitting the blog. It's my only real hobby, and I still enjoy it. But I do think that in the coming weeks and months, I'm going to have to scale it back a bit. I've been here for hours at this writing, and have little to show for it. It would seem that many of my sources are also scaling back, and that presents a problem when trying to find interesting things to post.

The problem is, I'm addicted to the little "SiteMeter" thingy. Even though my readership has plunged in recent weeks, I still long for a wider readership. Failing that, I wonder, "what's the point?" Why write if I can't find anyone to read my words? Then, I think, "you didn't think anyone would read when you started!" Good point, self, thanks.

So for now, I'm going to keep it up. I have three goal posts before deciding to change something. First, I'd like to get 100,000 visits. Second, I'd like to reach 5,000 posts. Third, I'd like to make my 2-year anniversary. Beyond that, who knows? But it has been a fun--if tiring--ride, and I'm not quite ready to get off.

So if you are a regular reader, I'd love to hear from you. And I'd be grateful if you bring your friends along, to pump up that addictive SiteMeter rating for me! Thanks everybody.