In 2004 I started a blog. As I've stated before, from about 9/12 through the 2004 Presidential election I annoyed just about everyone I knew with my political analysis and sharp criticisms of just about everything. Once I alienated enough people the suggestion was made to stop bothering people at work with incessant e-mails and just start my own blog. That way I if anyone cared what I had to say they could just read it themselves.
PC was begun not only as an outlet for my thoughts on world events but also as a way for me to begin writing again while achieving that instant gratification I never got from screenwriting. PC led to paid book reviews as well as some other interesting projects. I'm not quite Daily Kos or Andrew (not even close), but that's OK - as long as I'm writing and somebody is reading, I'm perfectly happy.
Along the way some of my friends and family have supported this endeavor with gusto and when there are times when I feel like I shouldn't even bother anymore, it is they whom inspire me to continue (and the occasional nuclear test by North Korea or political candidate riding across the US-Mexico border on an elephant).
Some of those very same friends and family have (I guess) equally taken inspiration from me and started their own blogs or MySpace pages. Here are the plugs and thank you's:
My wife Robyn: When we first met and I told her I was a writer with my own site she was quite impressed. She thought that this was how I made my living...or some money at the very least. She was rather suprised (knowing nothing about blogging) that it was just a hobby I had religiously dedicated myself to. Though we've gone back and forth over this, in the end she knows it is important to me and so like a good partner, she supports it in the only way she knows how; by helping me pick articles to write about. Oddly enough, it's mostly her ideas that end up generating the most hits for my site, especially So I Married a Career Woman, which garnered the attention of Simon and Schuster. Someone there liked it so much they commissioned me to review, Why Smart Men Marry Smart Women (review will be up this Friday). To her I say I love you and thank you for all your help, support and gentle nagging that nobody wants to hear about Iran every single day. Lastly, she too has joined what the kids call "the addiction" in that she has created her own anti-MySpace MySpace page. She too has begun to post her own news musings and it's pretty good stuff.
John - executive producer: Contrary to what some people may have thought, I haven't just given the whole bloody site over to him. However, sometimes there's a story that calls for some shtick (which he's very good at writing) and I don't have time to deal with it myself (see twinkie cookbooks and other assorted stories featuring elephants and a mariachi band). John has been gracious enough to take time from his day to post on my blog when I can't. He also apparently thinks I'm too talented not to be read by the greater majority of internet users so he took it upon himself to FRANCHISE my site on MySpace.com. For that I say thank you for the interest and the effort.
Mark D - Mark has been with PC from the beginning. I've been nagging at him periodically for the past two years that he should lend his own comments to blogosphere but much like my efforts to get him to read adult books, my pleas went unheard - until now. Mark has finally started his own blog called Bite Size Commentary. I laughed at his first post because, other than Homer Simpson, nobody argues with his own brain better than he does. Anywho, if you have the time, check out his site. Mark generally sends me good stuff that he sees going on in the world like this story about Bush's new space policy. It's a great read as is Marks new site. To him I say good luck, God bless and have fun with the new blog.
Lastly, there's my dad. We haven't agreed on much since 9/11 and are arguments increasingly resemble a particularly nasty episode of Hannity and Colmes. I've told him on more than one occasion that instead of screaming at me all the time he should just start his own blog. After a false start where we shared a blog together he finally went out on his own and started the aptly if not exactly originally named Some thoughts from a liberal. I personally think he sounds like an angry nutcase but that sort of thing seems to be popular with the leftist crowd so if George Carlin-esque blogs are your thing, give my dad a look. He too has been supportive of this blog so I owe him a plug.
This has been a busy and productive weekend here in the virtual world. I'm glad to have been a part of it.
Thanks again to those that read and comment. Tomorrow we return to our regularly scheduled postings.
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