i'll be the first to admit that ive been "off" this summer. i was laid off in may and i quit a destructive habit in july. both of those things, im my head, helped in my ritual of writing.

and ive been focused more on starting up my podcast blog, which will start bumping fully very soon.

with that said, this summer ive been most happy with my political coverage like this rove roundup, scotty mcclellan's bad day, and this critique of the instapundit's lack of coverage about the summer's hottest scandal.

meanwhile i have been dipping back into the archives once in a while to remind the kids that i can write. and if its not your cup of tea, then whatever. different strokes.

but before you bail out, perhaps you should maybe try to figure out why it is that im one of the most-linked and most-influencial bloggers around.

is it my photo essays, the fact that ive been doing this for quite quite a while, or because sometimes good writing isnt about fullblown creativity or angry rants.

sometimes good writing is about creating a personae, cultivating a community, and keeping things fresh.

i am not a famous child star, im not a hollywood actor, im not a hot chick, and yet i get hella hits. theres a reason. and theres a reason why (as i blogged today) heavy weight political far right wing bloggers like instapundit and little green footballs link me and far left rockstar/activists like matt good link me.

its not because i kiss their ass, cuz i dont. its not because i have any "power" - those blogs get more hits than i. and its not because my design or spelling or, as you say, content, is so revolutionary.

my belief is they appreciate the full package.

and a word of advice. if youre going to say a guy isnt a great writer, but you know some who are far superior, show those people's majesty. link to it. provide examples.

if im going to poo-poo a poet and say that i can bust rhymes better than them, id show them ilka or the stamp. but i wouldnt dare do that because i wrote those things in college...

anyway. thanks for giving me a chance this summer. sorry i wasnt very inspired or inspiring. but if you dont have any examples of better blogs or better writing, you may come off as jealous and/or playa-hatin. and i dont think thats your intention.

I am very impressed with you, Tony and my intention was in no way to disparage your obvious talent--it was actually just to make a point to the blogging community in general. You're still one of the soldiers in this information war, my man--believe me, if I didn't respect your mojo, I wouldn't have spent my precious time calling you out.

But you're right as far as providing the goods. The truth is that out of all the writers I went to school with, only a few are online and the two with blogs (David Tran and Jon Williams) haven't quite embraced the power of their blog to build up their online brand like you were talking about.

By far, the most commercially successful of my BFA class of 2000 is Marc Sumerak who, after working for three years as an Assistant Editor at Marvel, is now writing kick ass comic books and getting paid some serious duckets.

Me, I believe in another way instead of traditional publishing. I started my own company this year and I'm taking my five years of ass-kissing and soul searching in corporate American and am starting to talk about business in general, healthcare in particular and I'm fully into internet publishing.

I have a book on how artists and authors can take advantage of the internet to begin building up their brand with blogs, podcasts and a static html site to house their stories, poems, music, etc. My book is going to be available online only and through my own site (keep it small and keep it all).

The book's title is Flipping the Temple: Win the Information War Using the Internet to Achieve Fantasic Sucess as and Author or Artist and I'm aiming at completely demolishing the bullshit corporate structure of the sale of information and entertainment in this country.

As far as the photo journals go, I owe you an apology because the ones you've produced that I've read have been kick ass! You are right to stand on their merit and I give you props.

I assure you, my man; I am no hater. It is because I respect your talent and your potential that I made the comments the way I did (I played to your Blogger's Vanity in order to make a statement that you would take some time to listen to and for that, I offer my thanks for your time).

I believe that your timely response to my statements has shown you to be a writer and a human being of integrity and you are therefore worthy of addition to my blogroll. You will be added within the day, Tony and I will continue to subscribe to your RSS feeds.

Keep 'em comin' brother but don't forget that respect goes both ways online...

Now, if you'll excuse me (and the blatant American Psycho reference), I have to go return some video tapes...

i think what you're talking about is how some people may not be using their blogs to the fullest of their potentials? I think. Like people should talk about the 'big' stuff (politics, current events, religion, etc.) and leave the 'small stuff'(family, jobs, driving vlogs) for their immediate circle of family and friends.

I'm not sure because it got hazy in the hipocracy.

Anyway, the cool thing -I think- about these guys is watching them have these sudden small realizations that the big things in life *are* actually the family and the community and what-not. That even when we're mired in societal shit, it's such a fucking Great Thing to be able to flip a burger on a summer eve or watch your kid dance in a mirror and have a moment of 'hey...it's alright. That's alright.'

And its a universal feeling, y'know? Whether you get it from your family or just watching family guy...its moments of transcendence. And it'll be those that you remember and pine for the most.
Not the headlines.

So we need those every now and again. For perspectives' sake.

oh, and your argument is self-defeating for many reasons but the most evident being in the way you present it.

and no, I'm not a blogger. And the world is probably better for not having to endure the cynicism (but then, they could always choose not to endure it... which is always the easy answer to criticism such as yours. But I wanted to go a bit further. If only a bit.)

It's an odd coincidence that I read this after a sort of rant that I went on the other day, only parts of which really touch on this subject, but... it seems there's a fundamental difference in how and why we all do these things.
I read Tony and Shane and Wil (and have linked them to the piddling few readers that I have as well), because they're all interesting.
I'll admit that half of the poker play-by-play goes over my head and sometimes I get too hung up on punctuation and capitalization to absorb Tony's stuff, but the beauty of the blog as a form of expression is that it doesn't have to be anything, and no one owes it to anyone to be anything other that what they are.
I don't get your particular obsession with phallic imagery, for instance, but it's an obvious, instant signature. Although I honestly find it a little cloying and juvenile.
For me, I just do what makes me laugh, or makes me think. And it can be as simple as just putting up little road markers that make it easy to go back and remember what was going on in my life. Regardless of what anyone else thinks.
So, if I'm Tony or I'm Wil or Shane, and I look at what I've written, and I'm happy, or say, "fuck it, I was too occupied with my real life to worry too much about this shit," or I swear that I'm going to do better, then that's what it is. And fuck everyone else who reads. If you're not doing it for yourself, you're not doing it for the right reasons.

But, the worst thing you can do as a writer is grab the mike, the pen, or the keyboard and waste your nation's time.

how are you doing your part to improve the world? why are you taking blogging so seriously (that you have to call someone out)? what do you care what someone writes on their blog? are you not familiar with the concept of blogging? the great part of blogging is its extreme levels of self-indulgence, exhibitionism, and voyeurism.

no one is making you read anything on the internet, quit acting like a stranger owes you a favor.

So, fellow bloggers, don't be surprised when you get out of place if someone like me steps in to slam you back into the locker that all writing geeks crawl out of when the jocks and lipstick cock whores aren't looking and can't shove us back in.

that is just stupid. seriously. who the fuck died and made you Blog Judge? are you trying to instill fear? what are you trying to accomplish? make people walk the way you want them to walk?

you have control issues, whoever you are. maybe you'll wake up someday and realize how POINTLESS this all is.

let people be who they are.

well played uncle josh...there is nothing like drawing out a verbal attack on tony pierce to as you say "heighten your own web brand" awareness. Clever play uncle, only to flip and immediately make your words a supportive wake up call to Tony to go out there and start inspiring the masses yet again, while gaining a new blogtasticular buddy in yourself.

You had me at genuine until you pumped your book, and this is not a slam against your tactics it is a props because you are right in the potential that blogs lead and the uncanny open dorrway that an online spectrum of non-sense information transfer allows for the future of the international market place.

I myself am developing an online clotihng market, and charitable events sector out of Canada, and the growth in blog traffic to both myself and to those who support my endeavours (www.paigesix.blogspot.com) only leaves me wet at the chops anticipating the capital to move forward with my endeavours.

You indeed dove head first into the shibuya market of online exposure, and with that I applaud your efforts.

I am going to link your site out of gusto appreciation alone, and best of luck in your market missions.

wishes for buckets of duckets for all of us in the future.

Hey Eano, I noticed that One Hundred Years of Solitude was one of your favorite books. Have you ever read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez? It's a fantastic book that I liked even better than Hundred Years.

Thanks for the comments and support, my man.

Forget it revenant, this level of pretension takes years and limitless supply of ego to establish and maintain.

And as far as the question, "Well, who are yew to judge. Hoo er yew?"

I'll quote Bill Hicks, "I'm me. It's true. Shut the feck up."

And you didn't read deep enough, dog. There's a nugget of pure gold hidden up here on the upper echelon. Climb up out of the donkeyswamp and holla' at me sometime.

My but you do think highly of yourself, don't you? I think you spoke of large egos going unchecked in the blog that started all this...as Shane said...isn't there some very fitting adage about a pot and a kettle? I'm not going to be as harsh as Raspil was in her comment, although I agree with her completely...it seems you are taking blogging a wee bit seriously. I am not a blogger, but I am an avid reader and Tony and Shane are my favorites. They both amuse the hell outta me and let me escape the real worries and shit in life. Blogging, last I checked, is supposed to be a personal form of expression. Where do you get off telling others how to express themselves? Yeah, sometimes they write about stuff I don't care about, but so what? It's their blog, they can write whatever the hell they want to and the rest of us should just thank them for letting us in their lives. If you don't like it, don't read it. For someone as intelligent as you claim to be, that should be fairly obvious.

I agree RD, Tony and Shane showed amazing reserve and maturity in their responses. I was as reserved as I get (I get far worse when I'm really pissed off and worked up--in fact, I've ruined some solid ten-year friendships with verbal battles in the past--I can get pretty fucking ruthless when it comes down to it) because this wasn't personal despite how some of the responses tried to make it (attacking my wife--that was pretty low--one thing you don't do here in the Midwest is fuck with family--shit, we beat the shit out of each other over places in line at the video store not to mention verbal attacks on our spouse's character).

Anyway, I'm closing the book on this one--no more responses from me on this. Feel free to post what you want anyone, I might drop in from time to time to check it all out.

I'll do it. I'll call bullshit on almost all of you here. Shannon is right, Josh and the majority of the rest of you are all taking this all a bit too seriously. I am not a blogger either, I’m just a good friend of Josh’s from college. Regardless, as with anyone on this medium, you have to take him with a grain of salt. Everyone needs to either take their pill or go self medicate, but the tension is a bit high strung here and it’s completely needless.

The moral of the story is, if you don’t like what someone has to say, fuck’em. If you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong or why they’re an idiot, feel free but, realize two things: 1) it probably makes you more egotistical, prickish and idiotic than the original person, and; 2) there’s a distinct possibility it’s a total waste of time and energy. As for me, I’m just a public employee who has a lot of free time on his hands and likes to objectively observe the circus that is humanity. That being said, I’ll go back to wasting your tax dollars.

Lighten up and fuck you kindly,

El Bastardo Fantastico!