Apologia and a New Leaf Turned

You might have noticed I've been light on posts with meat on them this last couple of weeks. My apologies. Let me explain.

This little project is now a year and a half old. Its a lot of fun to write but it isn't well read. The average is 160 page views a day of which about 30 are regular repeat visitors. (I want to thank all the regular readers - not everyone comments but I feel I know every Ohioan, Californian, Texan etc. from my stat sites. I recognise you all and I'm always greatful you keep coming back.)

I feel I've produced some decent stuff - including one post that Crooks and Liars described as possibly the best of 2005. I've caught a neocon warmonger in an outright lie about a source, written a series about Iraq that pretty much came true (except for the optimistic parts) and another on healthcare that predicted the findings of a Congressional report a year in advance. I was even on the "fixing of intelligence around the policy" over Iran before most and have done more than many since on the subject.

But I've also written about why the Democrats just don't cut it for me and why they never will, about the huge gap in everyone's Iraqi withdrawal "blueprints" and about the scary possibility that a Dem President will use the King George years as a handy precedent (something the A-list liberals want to do an ostrich on).

In short, even if I write some linkable stuff I don't fit in with the "in crowd" and I never will.

That means, quite simply, that Newshog will never get the regular linkage from the big kidz that means the regular readership will push towards that magic figure that lets me even dream about doing this for a living. It means that I will always be talking to a small crowd rather than playing the superstadia.

I'm pretty OK with that but it also means the arguments I make and the gaps in the rhetoric I point out will usually also have a small audience. I'm not sure if I am as OK with that. Call it pride, because that is exactly what it is - if I've done a good job I would like more folks to notice and maybe even come back to see if the dog can do the trick again. If that wasn't a motivation, I would be doing a "lifejournal" blog instead of trying to come up with decent and lengthy political analysis. I want this blog to make a difference. I don't feel it is. I'm down about it. So sue me.

Ah well...its always been a dream of mine to write for a living, I think I would be good at it. Maybe I am wrong in that.

So here's the plan(s) to shake me from my doldrums.

I've no intention of quitting but I am going to drop my dream of doing this for a living, at least in this format. Newshog is my fun ranting place and if I don't post for a couple of days it just means I can't be bothered. We're all going to have to live with that. It also means I resolve to stop worrying about site traffic hoping for that breakthrough. Read or not, I will post when I want to about what I want to. No more chasing the stories "everyone is talking about" unless I want to either.

Anyone out there want to be a Newshog writer? More writers means more posts and more opinions - which means Newshog will still have new stuff to read when Cernig is having an off day. It doesn't matter whether you want to take on, say, just doing an "Instahoglets" every Sunday or whether you want to contribute far more. If you want to see your byline on Newshog, just for the fun of it, drop me a mail. If I like you, you're on the team.

Anyone want Newshog content on their site? I can drop you the formatted text as a mail for you to post or if you want me to contribute to your blog with Newshog crossposts that's good too. Or just copy n paste the stuff, dude. Anyone want to talk blog mergers? I'm willing to listen. All of this massages the pride part...

A Newshog statement of independence - I don't much like the way the Dems are going now they smell blood and victory any more than I like the Republicans. Both parties are too far right for me anyhow. Newshog will not shill for either of them. If they f*ck up, Newshog will say so. It is a Lefty blog and an independent voice. It won't play in your games. (This has always been the case but here's the open "f*ck you" to those who expect every lefty and liberal to be a Dem supporter or suffer in silence).

My promise to be as impartial a critic as I can be - but always a critic - still stands. The job of the blogosphere should be exactly that - to be critics of power - not partisan shills for the moneychangers and powerbrokers.

So there you go. The newly normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading, everyone.