Burningbird: On a clear day, you can blog forever

October 04, 2002

On a clear day, you can blog forever

Today's a true fall day, with wind loosened leaves falling into mercurial pools of water on sidewalks dark from rain. And with the weather change comes an attitude of gentle philosophy, reflections on times past. I wonder why the fall triggers a need to dive into the catalogs of our mind, to bring up old memories and relive them again? Is it the leaves floating past on the breeze?

Speaking of memories past, I think that if I could embed any one of my weblog postings in amber, it would be this one, my first posting in Movable Type, April 28th, 2002. I was still in San Francisco, it was the Spring, and our virtual neighborhood was still new and fresh and fun, and we -- you and I -- would spend time chatting online, in email, by phone.

That was the time that Jonathon started his Dishmatique craze, leading to the Sudsy Men of Weblogging. I beat Jonathon's rollout to MT by a couple of hours, and it seemed like there was a virtual cascade of webloggers switching to Movable Type at that time.

AKMA was in the midst of a series of debates on postmodernism and forgiveness; Bill Simoni was expecting his first baby; Mark Pilgrim was ramping up on accessibility in a pre-engaged state; Halley was still married, Shannon hadn't started waitressing, and Huffies was still alive (scroll down to October 2nd). Mike's wife was still in rehab, her coming home a future hope.

Of course, in the midst of my basking in the golden glow of days of weblogging past, I must remember that in April I hadn't started reading Dorothea and Loren and Michael yet, and they've become part of my daily life now, so there is much to say post-April.

Still, it seems as if we all had a lot more to say six months ago. Gary Turner mentioned this week how quiet things have been lately, a sentiment echoed by my friend Chris. I have to agree. Too many weblogs I've visited recently haven't updated in days, weeks, even months. Perhaps we're going through a maturation process -- posting less frequently, but with more care. Or perhaps, we're all burning out. How much virtual bonhomie can we all handle?

Leaves floating past on the breeze. This time of year always makes me nostalgic.

Posted by Bb at October 04, 2002 10:42 AM

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Comments

Hopefully it's just a temporary stunned silence as we listen to the not-so-distant drums of war emanating from Washington, D.C., Shelley.

Somehow it's hard for me to continue talking about poets I find interesting when I feel guilty not saying more about the war efforts and more about the exploitation of our environment.

Of course, I doubt that anyone really wants to hear what I have to say about the war, and anything I would say would probably be drowned out by the warbloggers' cries of "liberal!"

Posted by: Loren on October 4, 2002 04:00 PM

Well, I've been busy this week. I think I'm back into a routine of publishing semi-daily. ;-)

Posted by: Justin Thyme on October 4, 2002 04:06 PM

funny. I was walking home today watching the leaves blow around and fell instantly into a nostalgic mindset. What IS it about fall that brings the mind about like it does?

Posted by: ruzz on October 4, 2002 05:01 PM

Hullo!

This is the new kid on the block :). Chirp-chirp!

There've been several quiet patches in the few months I've been blogging but they seem to pass pretty quickly. I guess it's just that in blogging, as in politics, a week is a hell of a long time. I've been bloody busy these past two weeks and I must say I feel as though I've missed out on a great deal. Reading my way 'back in', I'm awed and dumbstruck by the quality of that which is posted to these things we call "our blogs". It's bloody amazing stuff. Also, not having written much at all this week, I'm finding it difficult to get back into a free flow of thought and expression. I hope things change soon. It is, after all, spring in this neck of the woods.

Chirp chirp and all that.

By the way, it's probably a good thing I've been quiet. I'd be ripping into that Bush character like a lioness who's had her cubs killed. The man's making a mockery of his office and worse, his country. I've picked up on a couple of CNN speeches and, bejesus, are people inured to the crap he speaks? This Iraq bullshit has gone on far too long and he should either drag the U.S. and the rest of us into the mire immediately or piss off already.

And boy, am I pleased to see the back of all that tech stuff at this particular URL? Yes. Sorry, Shell, I know it's a big part of your life but there are other parts of your being I really enjoy far more. Speaking your mind on matters of interest to us layfolk is of infinitely greater interest to me.

Hee-ha, it's good to be back in town.

Posted by: Mike Golby on October 4, 2002 05:42 PM

These things are cyclical. http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/04/23.html#silentish

(quoting Kevin Fanning) """It seems like everyone is taking the Spring off from his or her website. At first I was weirded out, but now I see that it's probably a good thing. I mean let's face it."""

Posted by: Mark Pilgrim on October 4, 2002 05:46 PM

nostalgia over on allied - http://allied.blogspot.com. Hey Golby, good to see ya here. We gotta talk sometime soon, if even by email. Sorry for the sidebar. Thanks for reminding me to look back, Shelley. I would have missed my one year blogging anniversary if you hadn't! ;-)

Posted by: on October 4, 2002 11:08 PM

Loren, I think what the world needs now is less war and more poetry. I guess that makes both you and me 'liberal'.

Hey Justin, good to see you on a more regular basis.

Ruzz, what did you name your new kitty?

Mike, not sure how to mix all my interests. I'm thinking of a color coding system. As for President Bush, I'm actually more disappointed in Congress at this point.

Mark, not sure this is a cyclical thing. I have or had friends who don't come by now, and friends who have shut down their weblog. The quieter their voices the quieter I feel.

Jeneane, kick ass posting.

Posted by: Shelley aka Bb on October 5, 2002 04:49 PM

I've simply had a bad month. The kinda month I don't want to ever repeat.

Posted by: Karl on October 6, 2002 07:56 AM

test

Posted by: Shelley aka Bb on October 29, 2002 02:36 PM