Ramblings of a Technology Addict

Monday, June 9, 2003

McBloggerland

A friend of mine, one Chris Pirillo, has announced an eBook that I think could be of interest for some folks out there. It's $10 and it's how to drive traffic to your blog. I struggle with the concept of altering my blog, or my personality, to drive more traffic to this little page. What I write here is my opinion, that can be taken or left at the leisure of the reader. I record it out of some desire to have some of my life committed to digita. Courtney was talking about this a bit earlier today with her entry, Same as it ever was which is a very good point. Better yet, Josh talks a bit more about what kinds of bloggers are out there and who does what with their blogs
But it all comes back to the question we, as a community, have asked about why it is we blog. Why do we blog? Bloggers have some degree of narcissism, it varies from person to person, hell, Andrew Sullivan's burned through 80 grand already in six months and now he wants more. Sorry, Charlie, I blog for love of the game, so to speak, not out of some hope for love or fortune.
What's the end result of Chris' book? I'm not sure yet. But part of me wonder how long it will be before all those marketing fools get into blogs and link themselves to high heaven out of some feeling of self-importance, creating a McBlog experience that generifies what it is that we do. Not that we're the all-dancing, all-singing crap of the blogosphere, but rather because we do this out of some sense of personal interest, not some sense of personal profit motive. Well, at least not most of us.
I don't think blogging is a viable business model. I don't think it ought to be a viable business model, either. So Chris, while I respect your marketing, pardon me for opting out.
10:30:47 PM  comment []

A good dinner

Made some quality dinner tonight, I'd given Lou a recipe for a good salad last weekend and figured it'd been too long since I'd had it. Thought I'd change it up a bit and add some chicken to the top. Here's the recipe if you'd like to enjoy...
Tom's California Salad
Ingredients:

one tomato, diced
one bell pepper, chopped
one avocado, pitted and peeled, also diced
handful of walnuts, chopped, set aside
romaine and spinach, washed
Tonight's version also included grilled chicken marinated in some Lawry's garlic and herb marinade for about an hour. Grilled slowly and basted with some of the extra marinade as well. Toss the salad with the tomato and pepper, the avocado won't toss as well, so put it on last. I dressed it tonight with Balsamic Vinaigrette and then the chicken, and last, the chopped walnuts. Worked out mighty fine, but we sure can't get good avocadoes here like we could in California. Ah well, such is the way!
9:19:10 PM  comment []

Postcard Exchange...

Okay, so, talking Courtney tonight, I realized that I need to send more snail mail. Want snailmail from a random blogger? Email me your address and I'll send you snail mail. tom_bridge .at. mac dot moc. This address is spamproofed for my protection.
8:00:12 PM  comment []

More asshats.

In light of today's bomb scare, this article is not exactly comforting. Basically, they're suing the guy for providing "bomb dogs" who couldn't sniff for bombs. Um. Shit.
5:59:32 PM  comment []

Attention Asshatted Terrorists.

Attention Asshatted Terrorists:
I appreciate your devotion to your cause, whatever that may be, however your choice to threaten to blow up my workplace is one that I can neither support nor condone. In the ensuing minutes after your bomb threat, there was much frustration and disorder in my office. In the hurry to get everything secure in our office, you frustrated everyone that I work with. They were in the middle of projects that are very beneficial to the education of students not just in our schools, or in our states, but the US and the world at large.
In your hurry to "make a point" you made several hundred people very angry. Worse yet, we weren't the only people in the building. There are tens of other businesses in our building, employing hundreds of people. The hourly people may not get their full pay for the day. You have effectively made some Americans more poor. This will not make them hate America more, but rather, it will make them hate you more.
Note that if you're an Islamic terrorist, this is no surprise, we already hate Islamic terrorists an awful lot thanks to a few planes crashed into a few buildings. If you are another varietal of terrorist, then you should learn a few things from 9/11
Right now, you're likely consoling yourself that perhaps our lives would have made for a better world, in the long run. You don't make that choice. You can't play that game.
But as I sit here, down the street from my office, pondering whether or not I'm going back, I have but one thought. I hope that you are found. I hope that you are tried. I hope that you are found guilty. I hope that you have a cellmate named Bowling Ball Bag Bob.
That is all.
Sincerely,
Tom Bridge
2:36:34 PM  comment []