Tuesday, 9 May 2006
One Year Old
On my Gmail portal page, I’ve seen the following "Quotes of the Day" display this past month.
Benjamin Disraeli – “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.”
Robert Wilensky – “We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.”
May 9, 2005 was my first blog entry and today it turns one year old. I wanted to prove to myself I could write Monday through Friday every week for a year and I accomplished that. Here are some interesting stats from the past year’s “work”.
Total pages of text, copied to Microsoft Word (Times New Roman font, Size 12) - 282
Total Number of Words – 143,868
Total Number of Days With At Least One Entry – 256
This isn’t a strokefest nor is it a pat on the back. I make no claim to being a good writer. I write about what inspires me and makes me think. Unlike most blogs, I try to keep links to a minimum, as the purpose of this site is my written exposition, not others. Avoiding mundane diary-like items such as “I ate fish for lunch, tasted the burp, got mad at myself for gaining 2 pounds” is another trap I did not want to fall into.
In regards to the quotes at the top of this page, I couldn’t agree more. The internet, while becoming the greatest tool that has ever facilitated worldwide communication, is also full of hacks, spiteful people, misinformers, and anonymous wankers. I strive not to fall into any of these categories. Writing is my way of venting and then I feel much better after it’s been put on “paper”.
I was going to end the blog today for good but after throwing that idea out to several of you, the response was overwhelmingly “Why would you do that?” I had no idea how many people read this, beyond the usual posters, and it felt nice that people have bookmarked this site and I am very appreciative of that. If I feel I’m becoming repetitive or petty or running out of ideas, I’ll pull the plug quickly and painlessly but I still think I have a few items to write about (and no, I'm not fishing for compliments or validation). I will be out of town next Thursday and Friday (May 18 and 19) and for the first time, I will have 2 readers of this blog be guest writers. Nothing is off limits for them so I hope you enjoy it.
Anyway, I have no idea how long I’ll keep this monster going but it surprisingly (to me) hasn’t run out of steam yet. For those of you who read this on a regular basis, I thank you and hope to keep your attention for as long as I decide to make my unscientific and biased thoughts public.
Benjamin Disraeli – “How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.”
Robert Wilensky – “We've heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.”
May 9, 2005 was my first blog entry and today it turns one year old. I wanted to prove to myself I could write Monday through Friday every week for a year and I accomplished that. Here are some interesting stats from the past year’s “work”.
Total pages of text, copied to Microsoft Word (Times New Roman font, Size 12) - 282
Total Number of Words – 143,868
Total Number of Days With At Least One Entry – 256
This isn’t a strokefest nor is it a pat on the back. I make no claim to being a good writer. I write about what inspires me and makes me think. Unlike most blogs, I try to keep links to a minimum, as the purpose of this site is my written exposition, not others. Avoiding mundane diary-like items such as “I ate fish for lunch, tasted the burp, got mad at myself for gaining 2 pounds” is another trap I did not want to fall into.
In regards to the quotes at the top of this page, I couldn’t agree more. The internet, while becoming the greatest tool that has ever facilitated worldwide communication, is also full of hacks, spiteful people, misinformers, and anonymous wankers. I strive not to fall into any of these categories. Writing is my way of venting and then I feel much better after it’s been put on “paper”.
I was going to end the blog today for good but after throwing that idea out to several of you, the response was overwhelmingly “Why would you do that?” I had no idea how many people read this, beyond the usual posters, and it felt nice that people have bookmarked this site and I am very appreciative of that. If I feel I’m becoming repetitive or petty or running out of ideas, I’ll pull the plug quickly and painlessly but I still think I have a few items to write about (and no, I'm not fishing for compliments or validation). I will be out of town next Thursday and Friday (May 18 and 19) and for the first time, I will have 2 readers of this blog be guest writers. Nothing is off limits for them so I hope you enjoy it.
Anyway, I have no idea how long I’ll keep this monster going but it surprisingly (to me) hasn’t run out of steam yet. For those of you who read this on a regular basis, I thank you and hope to keep your attention for as long as I decide to make my unscientific and biased thoughts public.
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Posted By James at 10:14 AM
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Replies
11 May 2006
Syl
Hmmm the Bambino is dead as a doorknob, who is this guy living so damn far in the past? Your grandmother's cable bill went up to pay for your amusement. Go buy her something, it's the modern NY way and your modern danks are simply not a team they are a bank account. One game out - what month is this again? RE LAAAAAX.....go to a day game or something, eh?
Syl
Hmmm the Bambino is dead as a doorknob, who is this guy living so damn far in the past? Your grandmother's cable bill went up to pay for your amusement. Go buy her something, it's the modern NY way and your modern danks are simply not a team they are a bank account. One game out - what month is this again? RE LAAAAAX.....go to a day game or something, eh?
11 May 2006
The Bambino
1st place... Knew Erich would chime in eventually.
The Bambino
1st place... Knew Erich would chime in eventually.
10 May 2006
The Bambino
Red Sox fans continue to dis NY, because they only have ONE thing to rave about and that's old news... So, if the Yanks suck so bad, then why are they ONLY 1 game out of 1st??? PS: I heard Big Papi led the illegal immigrant strike...
The Bambino
Red Sox fans continue to dis NY, because they only have ONE thing to rave about and that's old news... So, if the Yanks suck so bad, then why are they ONLY 1 game out of 1st??? PS: I heard Big Papi led the illegal immigrant strike...
10 May 2006
Muurph
Already it's been a whole year of self-indulgent drivel and whining??
Well done. Keep it up, I enjoy my daily reminder that there's someone more cynical and neurotic than me out there.
Muurph
Already it's been a whole year of self-indulgent drivel and whining??
Well done. Keep it up, I enjoy my daily reminder that there's someone more cynical and neurotic than me out there.
10 May 2006
reads real regular-like
I've told you it's not about you, dammit James, the rest of us get the venting benefit of your forum - we need to not actually kill others too! ----"No monument was ever erected to a critic." Sibelius ---- And a little P.S for other good readers and writers: Yank-meees SUUUCK! ARod and Jeter still share a single bar of soap...and the citizens of NYC pay for it with every cable payment they send. Go James. Go Hockey. Go baseball. and instead of 'go on with you', please just for now at least, do go on. Your wiriting is good and fun, thank you for sharing. Happy anniversary and happy Summer.
reads real regular-like
I've told you it's not about you, dammit James, the rest of us get the venting benefit of your forum - we need to not actually kill others too! ----"No monument was ever erected to a critic." Sibelius ---- And a little P.S for other good readers and writers: Yank-meees SUUUCK! ARod and Jeter still share a single bar of soap...and the citizens of NYC pay for it with every cable payment they send. Go James. Go Hockey. Go baseball. and instead of 'go on with you', please just for now at least, do go on. Your wiriting is good and fun, thank you for sharing. Happy anniversary and happy Summer.
10 May 2006
Jim
WOW! 1 Year! Lots of great posts... I look forward to reading much more!
Jim
WOW! 1 Year! Lots of great posts... I look forward to reading much more!
10 May 2006
Donna
Hopefully I am speaking for several folks that read this post by saying - given your personality - a true passive aggressive individual - when the day comes that you are no longer using this blog as an outlet will be the day I begin to wear bullet proof vests into the office. If you did not have an outlet, the security guard at our building would be in the hospital. The guy who cuts you off every morning in traffic would have a few holes in him. You keep your cool because of the outlet you have found. I am VERY grateful because I have pushed a few of your buttons since our prison time together and I am confident I would have been the target of vengence. I am still convinced one of these days I am going to open up your daily blog and the material is going to be about me and the stupidity we are faced on a daily basis. Since I currently work with you, I get the enjoyment of your entertaining antics up close and personal. The daily reading is just an added bonus and a little more material to IM about when we are suppose to be working. In closing, I would like to encourage this behavior because I fear for my safety if this blog goes out of existence. (Please write more about Yankees and Red Sox - your pals debating over these two teams was getting pretty hateful - I love hate.)
Donna
Hopefully I am speaking for several folks that read this post by saying - given your personality - a true passive aggressive individual - when the day comes that you are no longer using this blog as an outlet will be the day I begin to wear bullet proof vests into the office. If you did not have an outlet, the security guard at our building would be in the hospital. The guy who cuts you off every morning in traffic would have a few holes in him. You keep your cool because of the outlet you have found. I am VERY grateful because I have pushed a few of your buttons since our prison time together and I am confident I would have been the target of vengence. I am still convinced one of these days I am going to open up your daily blog and the material is going to be about me and the stupidity we are faced on a daily basis. Since I currently work with you, I get the enjoyment of your entertaining antics up close and personal. The daily reading is just an added bonus and a little more material to IM about when we are suppose to be working. In closing, I would like to encourage this behavior because I fear for my safety if this blog goes out of existence. (Please write more about Yankees and Red Sox - your pals debating over these two teams was getting pretty hateful - I love hate.)
9 May 2006
JA3
And along those lines, one quote that convinced me to quit blogging:
JA3
And along those lines, one quote that convinced me to quit blogging:
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
--Teddy Roosevelt, 1910
9 May 2006
Deanna
James - Thank you for all the laughs over the last year! I can't believe it's been that long already that you've been doing the blog! I look forward to my "daily dose of James" and definitely want to see you continue your posts! That is until I can subscribe to the daily paper and read your column there! But reading your blog every day almost makes me feel like you're still here in Chicago! Almost.
Deanna
James - Thank you for all the laughs over the last year! I can't believe it's been that long already that you've been doing the blog! I look forward to my "daily dose of James" and definitely want to see you continue your posts! That is until I can subscribe to the daily paper and read your column there! But reading your blog every day almost makes me feel like you're still here in Chicago! Almost.
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