Here and There

This blog isn’t exactly a bastion of discussion. It’s much more me twittering links to those who would visit (a healthy number of people or robots, by my estimation), and an occasional rant about this or that. That’s fine with me.

But I’m about to go away on a two-week vacation, and wanted to at least leave my baby open for business. I won’t be updating (or, rather, I doubt I’ll be updating, and I really hope to resist should the urge creep in). I may check in to clean out the spam cupboard.

By “leave my baby open,” what I mean is I want to encourage you, dear reader, to keep this machine running through comments. I’ve never deigned to post a so-called open thread. This just isn’t that kind of blog.

But I’ll be away, at somewhat of a disadvantage as far as keeping up with the election and the economy, the wars, etc. So, if you feel the need to share, please do so in the comments.

Three rules of commenting will apply, both while I’m gone, and in general on this blog:

1. No hateful language, unless that hatred is directed toward Republican rule.
2. No racism, unless that racism is directed toward white people in the United States of America.
3. No incitement to violence, ever. Period.

Have fun, and I’ll see you October 7.

xoxo Jeff

P.S. Since you’re wondering, London, Paris, Berlin, Mardrid, in that order. I jokingly called the trip “a giant sign of the cross over a godless continent.”

Some cryptic goings on at one of my favorite sites, The Daily Dish.

First, a Monday with one, View From Your Window post. Then, a message from Andrew Sullivan today:

Thank you for your many emails of concern. For the record, I’m absolutely fine, nothing has changed with this blog, no one is pressuring me to write or not write anything, and I spent part of the day yesterday with my husband soaking up the last moments of summer together.

Then … this, in German, translated loosely as “About which one cannot speak, over it one must be silent.”

So, srsly, Andrew, what gives? Are you getting pushback for questioning Sarah Palin? Joe Biden’s medical records? What?

5ives.com, by Merlin Mann

Here and There turned 3 at the beginning of July. It must hate me now, having forgot its birthday and all. Seems it’s not the first time I’ve forgotten. The cure next year, and every year hence? Google Calendar.

The last year has by far been Here and There’s busiest. To date, there are 1,557 posts, and only 1,119 spam comments! Go spam filters! You’ve served me well. 538 legit comments have made it through, after all.

Traffic spiked during the Democratic Presidential Primaries. I still can’t find a source of absolutely spot-on stats-collecting, but it’s safe to say that May 2008 was the blog’s busiest month. I miss Hillary Clinton. Okay, not really.

This year, I’ve blogged from my iPod Touch, and, more recently, from my new iPhone. I’ve really begun using MarsEdit in earnest, as its developer, Daniel Jalkut, has done a superb job keeping it the best blog client out there. Also, WordPress has stepped things up remarkably, with its latest iteration, version 2.6.

Anyway, sorry little Here and There. I promise never to forget another birthday. Plus, look at it this way: This kind of fuck-up can only build character.

God, I almost think they should be bound to keep it up.

I’m a borderline OCD sufferer, sure. But I realize how dependent I’ve become on certain blogs when their keepers go on vacation.

Case in point: Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Dish, perhaps my favorite for the moment. Sullivan, like most responsible bloggers, has left his baby in good, trusted hands. But it’s just not the same.

I’m not totally in love with Craig Crawford’s Trail Mix, but he’s got that damn photo of himself in a hammock up while his minions simply post open threads on a daily basis. Fine. Rub it in, Craig and Co.

I’m not always appreciative of the amazing Jason Kottke’s choice of substitute. The exception would be the last time he went away (can’t find that person’s name, and am in a hurry to pack bags and get out of here).

But yeah. That’s all. And not that I have any fans or devotees on this level, but here I am bailing out for a little more than a day. Don’t miss me.

A blog can be proud of itself, eh? I mean, I’m sitting on top of Apple.

A Prolific Squalor is no longer with us, sadly.

RIP.

Anyone who knows what happened to this joyous little stop on the internet, please let us know in comments.