Shameless introspection
Every so often I'm given to some navel-gazing, and here in the run up to Christmas and New Years seems like a good time to indulge. And frankly, I've begun to hear a little voice partly comprised of readers, partly of bosses, partly of my own imagining, that's been saying something like:
"Dude, where's the bloggy goodness?"
More after the jump.
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The short version: aside from catching up on vacation time and with my family (Honey, did you know we had TWO kids? Where did the extra one come from?) and fighting off a nagging little cold, there's the small matter of providing copy for that archaic device we roll up and throw in the driveway every morning.
As of late, that last bit has taken my off into the state's mental health system, in addition more regular beat coverage and the occasional editing shift. There's only so much of my time to go around.
"Yeah, but where's the bloggy goodness?"
Keep your shorts on.
First off, there's soon to be a new blog in my life. Although it is vacant right now, Decision 2008 will be a hub for our elections coverage from school board on up the ballot.
A blank blog...Dude...that's not bloggy goodness...hello....
Sigh.
As the new year rolls around, I'll be engaging again with material that provides some collateral blog fodder - mainly political stuff. I'll confess to a bit of a fatigue (already!) with the Punch and Judy nature of a lot of our campaigns. And really, a lot of the campaigns in which I'll be most interested aren't even at the point where there's a lot intelligible or intelligent to say about them. (Witness the Republican primary for governor, where one of the most significant players isn't even officially in the race yet.)
But I want some bloggyness now!
Sure you do.
To be fair, there's a lot doing. Just today, I've seen or been sent stuff on the presidential front, from Gov. Easley regarding the drought and about the NCICL's latest lawsuit over incentives, all of which would have been ideal blog-fodder back when I fired this baby up in May, 2005.
Of course back then, I was sort of an oddball among those covering state government. Of the conventional media assigned to the legislature - and this did start out mainly as a blog about the legislature and state government - I was the only one blogging. Now there's quite a list of folks in the press corps offering instant news. Some of this is to the good, but putting up anything of value does take some time and eventually begins to eat away at original work.
But I want bloggy goodness from you, damn it!
And you'll get it. But unlike this blog's less than judicious origins, when any press release crossing the transom was occasion for a post, things by necessity are going to be a little more selective around here. While I'll try to fill in some gaps with round-ups of what's doing in the wider world, things are going re-focus a bit on items with Guilford County/Triad as well as topics that where others aren't so focused.
There's not a whole lot of value in me being one of 50 people to detailing that members of the House will spend a lot of time meeting about one of their miscreant members. But no, this doesn't mean I'm going to drop the whole NCLBC thing anytime soon.
So, no, I'm not: dead, reassigned, resigned, drowning (except in work), depressed, angry (any more than usual), rebelling (any more than usual) or otherwise indisposed. As for the bloggy goodness...
Yes?!?
...It will be back with some regularity at the turn of the calendar and pick up even more as the legislative session approaches. And as things of interest to this audience get done over at the Decision 2008 I'll endeavor to cross-post them here.
In the mean time, if you have something on your mind, the comments field is open, my e-mail is mbinker@news-record.com and you can reach me by phone at (919) 832-5549.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.