Different in a way of course. Many things are the same. The economy, which had shown signs of slipping in 2007, really hit the skids in 2008. A lot of people don't remember that the economy tanked before Barack Obama was elected, or even nominated, but it's true. Anyway, all of the political bogeymen that once haunted my dreams are now employed by FOX "News," or pretending to run for president. And that's probably the most surprising thing about hitting the four year mark: once again, we're entering a presidential campaign.
Last time around, I was exhausted by the old regime. I was perhaps a little too optimistic about the prospect of a Democratic President in general, and Barack Obama in particular. I figured anything would be better though, and I still think it is. I can't imagine what the last two-and-a-half years would be like if we had President McCain, and Vice President Sarah Palin. Except that we'd probably have to listen to less Palin than we do now. I mean seriously, how often do we hear about Joe Biden?
Anyway, the Obama era, and the upcoming election put my blogging inspiration in an entirely different place than it was when I started. It's kind of like when FOX "News" had to stop pumping up Bush, and had to start bashing Obama, only in reverse. And without all the lying. I'm now rooting for the home team, while complaining about the players, the coaches and the opposition. I'm a supporter of Obama, but far from an Obamabot. Still--as in 2007--I'd vote for a rock with a "D" on it before voting Republican for president. The 2010 midterms showed me (as if I really needed to be reminded) what they really do when they get elected.
But there I go about politics. I do that a lot. But I also like to go off on weird tangents, and I like to put up amazing, or interesting, or just weird stuff to keep readers interested. And I hope I've injected enough humor even into the serious stuff, to keep from being too heavy handed. And speaking of readers, I was amazed to see my readership spike in the last month to triple the usual. Sure, it was mostly due to two posts, one of which was very old, but whatever. People--over 18,000 of them--came to visit me, and lots of them checked out the joint. It remains to be seen whether they'll keep coming back.
Meanwhile, I'll still be here, blogging away (though with summer coming, maybe not quite as much). As always, thanks to The Other Half for indulging my hobby, to Stupid Monkey Planet for helping me out, to my friends (Marky, Dona, Kardinal, Tracy and many others) who read and boost my ego. And to people like my badger friend from across the political divide, and others who stop by, read and comment. I do this for me, but it's great to know that other people are paying attention, even if they disagree. So, thanks for stopping by. Bring your friends!
