The semester break and Christmas vacation officially begin on December 11 at 3:00 P.M. I have an unusually-heavy teaching schedule the next few days and am taking a short blog break until my workload eases off. In addition, I need some time to consider the direction in which to take this blog after the debacle of an election on November 6.
I've reached a crossroads.
There is little point in slamming the Obama administration in post after post.
There is no point in cataloging the devolution of America in post after post while preaching only to the choir and, at the same time, making myself apprehensive and miserable.
Life is too short to spend so much time doing something that is both depressing and futile.
Life shouldn't consist of all politics all the time.
On the other hand, I enjoy blogging and plan to continue doing so.
Perhaps I'll have a new perspective after taking a short break.
"Pastoral Symphony" from Handel's oratorio Messiah:
Alinsky would be proud. The founders not so much.
ReplyDeleteBunkerville,
ReplyDeleteNote that I said "in post after post."
Nincompoopery posts will appear almost every Saturday, and there is plenty of slamming of the Obama regime in those posts.
Even our Founders, many of whom were musicians, made time to enjoy the finer things in life.
I don't blame you. Were it not for Finntann and Viburnum, Western Hero would be shuttered.
ReplyDelete"I need some time to consider the direction in which to take this blog after the debacle of an election on November 6."
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest that now, more than ever, we MUST continue the quest to restore America to greatness. Hopefully the 'set-back' suffered on November 6 will only serve to escalate our resolve. Enjoy your well deserved break!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a timely and necessary plan. We'll see you when you get back.
I think we are all feeling fatigued at this point. So many of us have full plate of personal stuff to deal with, and then being slammed on a daily basis by the Obamites...
ReplyDeleteA break is a must from time to time! Enjoy Christmas and recharge!
Perhaps your business model is flawed, AoW, and you need to diversify. As my interests wax and wane, so do the blogs affiliated with them. ;)
ReplyDeleteSaul Alinsky, "Rules for Radicals"
ReplyDelete6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."
I didn't mean for my comment to come across as it did! After reading it, I meant that the intent was to weary us, and so they have. Most of us feel this way. On my side I am growing more concerned because almost half my readers are from outside the u.s. Pakistan, Egypt, Syria at times and I wonder what am I conveying.
ReplyDeleteFunny works ...
ReplyDeleteWhen you get it all figured out, please let me know. I feel the same way...
ReplyDeleteEven professional boxers spend lots of time outside the ring. Opera singers do not send their entire lives standing in the middle of the stage singing one high-C after another without pause.
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS IN ORDER TO STAY SANE.
I, myself, decided quite spontaneously to vary the nature and tone at FreeThinke's blog using material of many different kinds to try to stimulate interest in the process of THINKING and making an effort to see familiar things we take for granted and the same old issues that never go away from varied perspectives.
It hasn't worked very well. People want to do one of two things: COMPLAIN or FIGHT. And they are ALWAYS looking for good excuses to dislike and reject each other.
As you say, AOW, railing away day after day, preaching to the already converted, and engaging in unpleasant, mutually insulting, often spiteful disagreement accomplishes nothing more constructive than a dogs who bark at the moon.
Up until the evening of November 6 I thought our blogging might be influential. The result of that election has made it apparent that The Machine against which we express hatred, fear and disgust every day has become SO powerful and SO all pervasive there is nothing we can do to stop it.
Going "Underground," dropping out of The System, engaging more and more in primitive bartering, using cash as much as possible to supply daily needs (because Big Nanny and Big Brother are TRACKING every move you make and every breath you take) seem the only way to fight this horrifying, increasingly Nazi-esque Establishment.
STAY UNDER the RADAR as much as possible, and IGNORE THEM.
Because the computer is in effect a TWO WAY MIRROR I am seriously considering getting rid of my internet access altogether. All of us have walked blithely into a carefully laid TRAP. The net has brought about the DEATH of PRIVACY.
What I do in the blogosphere is really nothing more than writing a personal diary exposed to public view. Not to be crude, but in reality it feels too much like masturbating in front of an unknown, unseen audience. In other words it's becoming downright creepy.
Positive, supportive, appreciative responses giving evidence that I may be "getting through" when I try to be encouraging, cheering, amusing or enlightening, are so rare it hardly seems worth the effort write new posts.
I'm not giving up --- yet --- but I am seriously considering it.
~ FreeThinke
After the 2008 election, I changed the main focus of my blog to local and state matters because I lost faith that I was having little influence in the national arena.
ReplyDeleteThat might be something you could consider.
Before I read your post, I wrote one on a similar theme: "There Are No Lifeboats: Accepting Our Fate."
ReplyDeleteIn summary, I wrote that we are powerless to stop the unfolding disaster and can only watch it happen, and that anger is futile. Eventually, I will find new ways to cope and resist, but for now I am going to enjoy what simple pleasures I can, starting with Christmas.
I'm with you AOW, depressing and futile. And what of 2016? Any high hopes? Nope, me either.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Right Truth
http://www.righttruth.typepad.com
FT,
ReplyDeleteColor me ambivalent. While all of my instincs say FIGHT HARDER, I can't disagree with most of your last comment. Yes, although much of what we've been doing is just "preaching to the choir" it, at least, served to sustain what little hope I have left.
I think we all have to remember the words of John Paul Jones: "I have not yet begun to fight!"
ReplyDeleteAmerica is (was) the last bastion of freedom.
I for one won't roll over and play dead.
I'm not one to give up.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will not give up!
However, I do recall Mom's last words to me: "Don't hurt your health."
Mom ruined her own health by fretting about politics too much of the time.
Helping the choir to keep up morale is important. But futility is still a major factor in this debacle that America has created for herself. America has turned herself into "America." The tide is against any restoration of what our nation was founded to be.
Anyway, I refuse to let politics ruin this Christmas season. Lord know that politics ruined Thanksgiving -- for me, anyway.
I've been thinking the same thoughts, too. How many times can one simply correct what's so wrong and why? This is perhaps the reason I have gone from 6 articles per week to 5... just wonder... why?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the break my friend! I will miss you, though.
ReplyDeletei understand how you feel AOW .
ReplyDeleteIt never hurts to take a break.
Personally i will become more involved in the Tea Party Movement to try and stop Hussein.
The More people that become involved the better.
Blogging works, but like you said only to the choir.
I find myself in a a hacked off state whenever i hear the Name Obama lately, and living politics 24/7 is stressful at times.
We will take breaks , but we will come back and be even more effective .
WE WILL NOT QUIT, NOR SUBMIT TO THE "LAWLESS ONE"
Your dilemma is also MY dilemma.
ReplyDeleteWHERE do I deign to go, now?
BZ
I've never sen a choir that didn't enjoy the preaching.
ReplyDeletebut that's one day a week :)
Enjoy.
See ya when your ready.
You'll be seen commenting I imagine.
AOW and everyone,
ReplyDeleteIT had been interesting discussing and reading your opinions on AOW.
With so many worries and personal problems, sometimes I also think of giving up blogging altogether. However, I hope things will get better soon for us decent people. I do like to thank the internet, for the opportunity to communicate with various decent blogsites, though many a times, it was frustrating having to deal with unreliable internet connection from a depressing part of asia, I still hope to be able to drop by at your blogsite, whenever possible. Hope everyone would try to cheer up and have a better future. Thanks AOW for having me at your blogsite.
WLIL
WLIL,
ReplyDeleteI won't completely quit blogging about political matters. Please stop by from time to time.
Fully understand, beat you to it, even. Things have changed and that's where my focus has shifted to. He's elected and the majority of Americans HAVE spoken. Our preferences are no longer the majority view. Like it or not.
ReplyDeleteThey were still shouting "The South will rise again" when I was a teenager, but it hasn't and it won't. The causes of our Civil War no longer exist. Likewise, the patriotic mindset of the majority of people in this country no longer exists. The work ethic of the majority, the morals of the majority, are now traits of the minority.
Some subjects are very likely to become dangerous to blog about. It's a changed world. Be careful.
I'm with SF; if Mustang and another occasional guest writer for GeeeeZ wasn't around, I probably would have closed. He's out of town for an extended period and I MISS HIM and it's all I can do now with suddenly working (more than) full time and doing a post a day. You'll remember I used to sometimes do 3 a day.
ReplyDeleteAnd the election about did me in; that so many people just don't get it and voted in this monster again is more than I can fathom or ignore.
God bless you, AOW....enjoy the break. You and SF and I are absolutely BLESSED that our readers still come around and comment even when we've taken a break from visiting their blogs. That humbles me more than anything else in blogging...I'm so proud of that and so touched by their support.
xxx z
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteBlack Sheep,
ReplyDeletethe patriotic mindset of the majority of people in this country no longer exists
Yes, that is the hideous reality.
I do fully expect that blogging about certain topics will be illegal -- and in the near future. Goodbye, First Amendment!
Z,
ReplyDeleteabsolutely BLESSED that our readers still come around and comment even when we've taken a break from visiting their blogs
That aspect is one reason that I'm not throwing in the towel.
Blogging is many different things. Remember how The Merry Widow dropped everything and came from Florida to Virginia to help Mr. AOW and me after he had a stroke? If not for blogging, I'd never have met TMW! She and I are still friends even though she gave up blogging not too long after she left here.
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ReplyDeleteAOW,
ReplyDeleteThank You again for having me at your blogsite. If you in any way stop blogging in the near future, I would surely miss you and your blogsite.
Blogging, though may not be an ideal situation to voice our opinions, it is no doubt still a safer way to vent our opinions, in this ever intolerant world. For us who have no likeminded circle of friends to share our opinions, it is nice to share with people who have similar opinions in various decent blogsites, though they may be far away. Blogging, in a way, lessen our feeling of aloneness in our opinions, though it is still better to share in privacy with people that we know well. Anyway, in this world, we just have to take risk. I mean some stranges, we may be able to trust and some we may not be able to trust. Anyway, hope you a good break, from time to time.
WLIL
I know how you feel, hope you have a good break.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteA particular commenter here at this blog needs to get his perseveration under control.
ReplyDeleteGlad you see that a break is needed to clear the mind-and reassess--
ReplyDeleteEnjoy-
I've been posting on a limited basis -
did find a link that would be of interest-
Posted it yesterday as a link w/ my Go Army-post-
Did you know that Patton warned of the impending attack on Pearl and no one took heed-!?
Carol-CS
Notice anything peculiar in this video, AoW? And this is Columbus, OH... NOT Damascus.
ReplyDeleteWeird. It was the "Heritage Apartments Incident" video... which seems to have disappeared. I linked it because all of the applicants for the subsidized units appeared to be Somali's....
ReplyDeleteThersites,
ReplyDeleteI do see the video with what appears to be a large crowd of Somalis who showed up for reduced-rent applications. However, the video that I watched did not mention the word "Somalis."
Hurry Back.
ReplyDeleteMy blog break officially ends tomorrow afternoon. I have a post queued up -- but not a political post.
ReplyDeleteI've been doing the break thing, I thought conciously but now find excuses to post. I do believe it is post-election fatigue but more than that. It is a pervasive sadness that my America is gone. Unfortunately, the only people engaged are those that are strong Patriots and those that are committed liberals. The rest of the country has shown they could care less what happens to our freedoms and our economy as long as they "get theirs" and can watch whatever crap it is they watch on TV or play their video games (and I'm not talking teens here--I'm talking grown-ups) and drink their beer. The fact that all of them are in for a very rude awakening is of little solace to me. Keep posting on whatever you feel like talking about, AOW. I'll be around to read. (Although I have been absent of late.
ReplyDeleteFreedom,
ReplyDeleteYou have summed up very well my views and what I, too, have been going through: a pervasive sadness that my America is gone. I've never felt that way before! Not with Jimmy Peanut in office, not with Slick Willie in office.
Something has indeed changed in the past several years, and the parasites and new worlders outnumber the republicans (Note that I used a lower case r).
the only people engaged are those that are strong Patriots and those that are committed liberals
Those that are not engaged -- for whatever reason -- are the majority. But I don't see the majority coming to their senses any time soon. Laziness? Apathy? Greed? It doesn't matter as the end result is the same.
Last night, I heard two absurd stories on my local news: the coming uniform-color code for taxis in D.C. and the coming contract with electric taxis in Arlington County. The talking heads on the news were going on and on about how important a uniform-color code is for taxis!
The D.C. government is apparently spending big bucks on a feasibility study related thereto; people can vote for the taxi color they want, but their vote won't count because the D.C. council will make the decision "independent of the votes cast."
In the case of the electric taxis coming to Arlington County, a talking head actually said, "There is no guarantee that these cabs will get riders to their destinations" -- because the cabs might well run out of juice.
WTH IS THE EVENING NEWS DOING GOING ON AND ON ABOUT SUCH ABSURDITIES WHEN OUR COUNTRY IS GOING DOWN THE DRAIN?
The mind reels.
"It is precisely the purpose of the public opinion generated by the press to make the public incapable of judging, to insinuate into it the attitude of someone irresponsible, uninformed." - Walter Benjamin
ReplyDeleteMore on the "function" of the 4th estate...
ReplyDelete"Opinions are to the vast apparatus of social existence what oil is to machines: one does not go up to a turbine and pour machine oil over it; one applies a little to hidden spindles and joints that one has to know." - Walter Benjamin