mtpolitics.net

Welcome to ‘08

And so far, let me just say that it’s very much like ‘07, except for maybe the weather which, so far, is on the uptick, but there’s a lot of year left.

I like the arbitrariness of January 1. There’s really no rhyme nor reason why this day should be the start of a new year, but this and that happened, and there it is. If it were up to me, the new year would begin around the first day of Spring. That way, you’d get that impetus for renewal while there is actually renewal going on all around you. Then again, that’s just me.

It’s been a tradition here at mtpolitics.net to do a year-end roundup of what I think were the most significant events or posts of the year, but traditions are made to be broken. Which is code for “I don’t feel like slogging through the archives right now, nor later on, really, so this is all you get.”

I’m tempted to rate ‘07 as a crappy year, for various reasons I won’t even get into here, but by the same token, we were blessed with a new tax deduction child in our ever-increasing stable. Those of you who know this crew know that we have some interesting challenges, and they take a toll in both time and energy. Work, school, homework, dinner, feeding the infant, sleep, housework, paperwork and the rest leave very little time for hobbies. It’s a challenge, but a rewarding one — I wouldn’t change a thing.

But, having said that, I know that there’s always worse. One friend lost a parent, and another lost her son over the holidays. It’s maybe something we don’t say out loud, but having our parents die before us is a natural state of affairs, and one we expect. It doesn’t make the sudden loss of a parent any less devastating, but when a young person is lost, we rail at the injustice of it. It strikes at our very sense of fairness and propriety, but yet, the world goes on. One second at a time, one day at a time, just as it always has, and (virtually) always will.

So what’s in store for ‘08?

There will probably be some changes around here. I’ve run the gamut from 3 posts a day to 3 posts a month over the years, and I think nothing will change in that regard. Frequency of blog posting is a function of time available, and there’s precious little of that for the time being. That, likely, will be changing as we careen toward 2009.

Also, I’ve long held to what might be called a modified version of Reagan’s 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Montana blogger.” I’ve had my outbursts, to be sure, but on the whole, you won’t find many people who have promoted blogging in Montana more than I have over the years. It’s something I’m proud of; to have had a hand in what it has become today. Having said that, though, I’ve just about had enough of relative newcomers who seem to want to define every nook and cranny of this thing that we do. As Reuters says not to say, “It is what it is.” I have my reasons for doing this, you have yours, and it’s all organic and self-regulating. It ebbs and flows, crackles and pops all without mission statements, charters, by-laws and any outside meddling. It’s a beautiful thing — just let it be.

Now get off my lawn.

I haven’t really decided what to do with the podcast yet. Those of you who have been faithful listeners have been very faithful, and I’m extremely appreciative of that. However, it’s just not generating any traffic one way or another, and I find my internal editor deciding not to blog on items so that they may be available for the podcast. Then, when the podcast rolls around, I do such crappy prep that I forget what it was I was going to talk about anyway. As Inspector Callahan says, “A man’s gotta know his limitations.”

You’ll probably still see more brief posts than very lengthy ones. Thousand-word essays will generate no discussion, while a one-liner that is open to interpretation gets 40 comments. You figure out the incentive. I’ve done it both ways. Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of learning something every once in a while.

I guess that’s about it.

Subject to change, of course.

Hope you have a happy and prosperous ‘08.