Heather in Paradise » Blogs

Settling Dust

heatherinparadise — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:31:54 +0000

This morning, I was 80% finished with the second 20 year reunion blog when I inexplicably received the Blank Screen of Death. My home computer died. This is being posted as quickly as possible because my laptop also has serious issues and needs to go to the doctor. Yeah, it’s new. But it’s sick. And I love it anyway.

I want to sincerely, deeply, from the bottom of my shriveled little black heart thank all of you who have checked in every day to be faced with nothing new, to you who have written me a note of encouragement or sent me an email or a text. Under the bell jar, not much sound gets through, but from time to time the noise made is just raucous enough to break the seal. I think I’m back. I think I’m on my way back. I’m sleeping, anyway.

While I was underwater, this blog quietly slipped over 100,000 hits. Amazing, that. So I thought it might be thoughtful for me to put together a page of what might be considered my “greatest hits to date.” So that anyone stumbling across my blog wouldn’t have to wade through as much crap as you have all had to.

I have a few particular blogs of mine that I think might be “winners” in that they generated the most comments. I also have one or maybe two that I think are actually decent writing. But ultimately I believe that you are the judges. You tell me your favorites of the blogs I’ve subjected you to over this past year. I’ll put them together on a little page, it will be like Heather in Paradise Cliff Notes for the lazy student.

As soon as my computer is saved, the new blog will be posted. Thank you for bearing with me. I will try not to leave you again, I promise. Because when you’re gone, I miss you.

Blog Action Day 2008-October 15

heatherinparadise — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:18:13 +0000

Michele has brought to my attention that October 15, 2008 is Blog Action Day, which is a day in which bloggers around the world will turn to their keyboards to open a dialogue on their blogs about an issue that affects each of us in some way: Poverty.

Each of us has a voice; why not use it to try to raise awareness and offer meaningful discussions about a global ill? We are all in this together, even if we think we’re not.

I know it’s short notice, but I’d love to hear what you’ve got to say.

The Great Comment Debate of Ought-Eight

heatherinparadise — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:56:31 +0000

I’ve read a couple of the follow up blogs (and the reader comments) regarding The Great Comment Debate and it seems at this point that most of us are pretty much on the same page, whether we know it or not.

Cancun Canuck made a very convincing argument for comments cementing the blogger/reader relationship. La Gringa in Honduras pointed out the fact that she never said that EVERY comment should be answered. Theresa in Merida said something similar. Isla Gringo Wayne started freaking out and frantically trying to answer every comment. I apparently irked some people with my “keeping score” remark, and I suppose maybe it was a little overly dramatic, but it is what I thought of when I read that some people stop reading blogs when the blogger doesn’t answer their comments.

I didn’t debate this to defend myself against anything; I DO answer most of my comments and get, in my biased-as-hell opinion, some of the best readers around. Since it seemed to me the subject was brought up to open a dialogue about comments/blogging, I thought it was ok to participate and throw in my take on it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading ALL the differing points of view, as well as the interesting feedback from the various blogs’ readers (from both bloggers and non-bloggers!). Special shout-out to Nancy in Mazatlan!

The thing is, we are ALL right. And we’re alright, too. No man is an island. Blogging obviously isn’t just about the blogger or else it would just be a locked diary. I know you, you know me, one thing I can tell you is you got to be free.

And all that.