« Carnival of Stories | Main | I caught you a delicious bass »

ASV in 2005: What Lies Ahead, What Lies Behind

Today is when the new year really begins. Saturday and Sunday were like pre-season games. Today, I'm back to work after a ten day vacation. It's a Monday. The real test of how 2005 is going to go will be on this day. Already I've spilled hot chocolate on my shirt and realized something is dreadfully wrong with my car. And the first song my LaunchCast station played was by a band I've grown to despise. So unless something spectacular happens in the next ten hours or so, today is not a great harbinger of things to come. I'm all about the omens. So, following in Val's footsteps, I'd like to give you a bit of a preview of 2005 at A Small Victory. Here's what you will not find: Political rants. Anger fueled diatribes against the left. Anything to do with Dan Rather, the plight of mainstream news outlets, or bloggers taking over the world. I wrote over 1,000 posts in 2004. In reality, I wrote about 100. It was all wash, rinse, repeat. In how many ways and words/Can you say nothing/Millions of ways and words/To say nothing/What'd I say? I'm empty. This month marks the fourth anniversary of this blog. I'm very happy to be back blogging in the way I started out. All filler, no killer. Sure, I get a lot less readers, a lot less links and a lot less comments this way, but I seem to be smiling a lot more and that's a good payoff. So, what will you see here in 2005? More of what you've been seeing post-election. Lots of posts about music, movies, books, games, comic books, sports. Not so much about my kids, as they are older and more likely to find this site through Google and kill me in my sleep when they see what I've written about them. More of the stuff you all seem to like - quizzes and contests, polls and other interactive type things. More fiction, though I don't know if anyone reads it (and that doesn't matter as it's one of the things I do for my own good). More photoblogging. More of the slice of life entries that, I think, are the hallmark of this site. Before there was war, before there was 9/11, before there was a presidential election, there was me, writing about life. So, what would you like to see here in 2005? While I claim most of the time that I "do this for me," I'd be crazy not to listen to the people who read here on a daily basis, who leave comments and send me nice emails and whose readership enable me to charge a small fee for the ads you see on the right. Speaking of which, I just made an agreement with a company to host their ad for a full year, which obligates me to post for another twelve months, which gives me all the more reason to ask you the same thing I ask my kids and husband every day: what the hell do you want from me?? But in a nice kind of way. What can I do to make this fun for both of us in 2005 and to get you stick around another for another year? I'll take most suggestions seriously. Most.

TrackBack

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference ASV in 2005: What Lies Ahead, What Lies Behind:

» A reminder to protein wisdom readers from protein wisdom
I am not a pundit. I don't even like the word "pundit." In fact, I'm the kind of person who when he sees homeless pundits begging for change on the street tells them to shut their pie holes and get a job. Because this ain't ... [Read More]

» ASV 2005 Preview from Calblog
Michele’s posted her preview of 2005 at A Small Victory. Here's what you will not find: Political rants. Anger fueled diatribes against the left. Anything to do with Dan Rather, the plight of mainstream news outlets, or bloggers taking over... [Read More]

» 2005 ASV Preview from Calblog
Michele’s posted her preview of 2005 at A Small Victory. Here's what you will not find: Political rants. Anger fueled diatribes against the left. Anything to do with Dan Rather, the plight of mainstream news outlets, or bloggers taking over... [Read More]

Comments

Baseball stuff
Art stuff
Music stuff
Scavenger hunts (worst of the web)
Cleavage stuff
Long Island stuff (homesick)
Dangerous stuff with culture

I always thought it was a smidge closer to: even if you speak at one constant volume, at one constant pitch, at one constant rhythm, right into their ears, they still won't hear. But you tried.

I like it much better here now. Personally. (but I have no requests.)

Well, I hope to see a few rants... about anything. Forgive me, but I do find it quite amusing when you get really pissed.

We want boobies!!

Just kidding.

Actually, I'd like to see more about the kids. Being the mother of teens has to be a special thrill.

If they complain, just point out that you talk about them at work anyway, so why not broadcast it to thousands? If they're good little children (just like Mom was back then :-) then they'll get good little stories.

Here's what you will not find: Political rants. Anger fueled diatribes against the left. Anything to do with Dan Rather, the plight of mainstream news outlets, or bloggers taking over the world.

I'm telling Glenn.

Personally, I'd like to see parenting stories and home ownership stories (ok, I'm a huge dork)...but I'm just happy if post a lot!

:-)

Happy New Year!

1) Music
2) Rants about life
3) Pictures of you nekkid. (Just had to put that in to beat the trolls.)

What?? No bloggers taking over the world? What the hell am I supposed to do, then?

Fine! Be that way!! Go, and never darken my towels again.

More DJ guitar hero.
More stories.

I know,my year is starting off odd too.And my lips hurt real bad.

well duh, we want more cowbell!

more cowbell!

more "you" will suit me just fine, well that and foot fetish pics.

More food reviews. More music, movies, video games. More memories - good and bad.

Funny, michele. I have almost NOTHING in common with you culturally (except age, maybe), yet I come back day after day - your writing is just darn good. I don't know 3/4 of the music you write about, but you go a little deeper than "I like NIN, they ROCK!" At least you explain the emotional reasons behind your love for a song. Being a musician, that really means something to me.

BTW, your "500" songs has insired me to rip you off - I'm creating a list of my "5-star in ITunes songs". I have a very specific criteria for a song being rated 5-star: it has to be a song to which I would NEVER hit the skip button in a random mix.

I'm looking forward to the day you make the "adult music jump". We all do it when we just can't relate to teenaged angst anymore. In the blue parts of the country, it's generally jazz or classical. In the red areas, it's country or bluegrass (they ARE different). The folks who never were that rebellious to start with stick with, ahem, "Adult Contemporary". Please don't ever post a "Why Air Supply Rocks My World" post.

Have a banner contest. The orange and black one is just so ... Cleveland Browns.

And yes, more cowbell.

No, less cowbell. I've always hated that asinine SNL skit.

"So, what would you like to see here in 2005?"

How bout...

Political rants. Anger fueled diatribes against the left. Anything to do with Dan Rather, the plight of mainstream news outlets, or bloggers taking over the world?

Well, ya did ask, right? Who knows, maybe you'll change your mind =)

I think my favorite things are probably the slice-of-life stuff and the fiction, but sports and music various other cultural phenomena are fun as well.

Slartibartfast - if I ever make that "adult music jump", you have permission to shoot me at the first convenient opportunity.
Viva la rock&roll!

I just made an agreement with a company to host their ad for a full year, which obligates me to post for another twelve months,

You go girl. I hope some company snookers you into a 99-year contract. I want you obligated to post for a good long time. ;-)

Cowbell? Who/what the hell is cowbell?

Just keep speaking your mind, I trust your instincts. I cannot remember being disappointed by something you've written. It goes without saying that I don't agree with everything you say (heck, I don't agree with everything I say either), but I think the best compliment I can give is to say I understand you. You cut through the muck, get to the point, and generally manage to do so with style. Not all writers do.

I was really hoping for more song annotations. I purchased "Only in Dreams" from iTunes after reading your description & then purchased "Hash Pipe" for good measure - so just think your annotations keep our economy humming!

Would be nice to expect 1-2 annotations added each week.

Sorry for being a bit critical... be a bit less like BurningBird. I first came across your blog less than a month ago - far after the election - and I get this odd feeling like you are her political counterpart.

Don't be someone who whines. Don't regret the fact you are someone who has political leanings. And mostly - just be yourself.

I still visit her site. Every now and then. But it no longer is someplace I go regularly.

Let me clue you in on a secret - I unsubscribed and ddeleted my links to four sites yesterday. All political blogs. Blogs that posted NO LESS than maybe a half dozen times a day. Blogs that were either "A Moderate Voice" or were more like me - conservative nowadays.

Why? Because I just don't have the time to read them.

Odd thing though - I tend to categorize blogs first by how often they post. Daily, more than that, less than that... and only then do I break them into content. Yeah, I'm weird! Then again, I switched from Apple II to WinTel and now back to Mac (in the last year) - and weirder still, decided I can learn to actually like SAP - and enough of that geeky crap.

I absolutely hate RSS readers. I fouund one for the Mac that stores things on the client. The rest? They choose to give me the last (x) amount of posts for any feed I subscribe to. Thus, unlike, um, true geeks - I choose to actually VISIT blog sites.

Your blog? You were lumped in with various blogs that posted frequently - more than daily. Not one that was techie, not one that I only wanted to visit with that first cup of coffee, and certqainly not one I only cared to visit on the weekends.

I deleted all my "Frequent" blogs. Didn't have the time for them anymore this year. Seems they all were really only "political" blogs. That's my 2005 resolution - since the election is over I want to wait until, well, at least 2006 before dealing with another presidential election!

Guess what Michele - you were the only blog I had categorized under "Frequent" that I kept. (Scobilizer? Um, I kept him only on my work PC because I'm what you would call a "switcher" I guess. Despite being an early adopter to .NET I'm now seeing the value of MS - which I expect to be very diminished by 2006.)

Anyways... just wanted to post something as a newbie reader. Wanted to say that as a Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Indians fan I forgive you! LOL.... But mostly I wanted to say - keep the mix you have.

More small victories.

Sorry for being a bit critical... be a bit less like BurningBird..

Sorry, I think we should all be more like her.

I'd just like to be able to blog again...

f'n bloghosts.

Oh, please... do share the occasional parenting tale, even if it's a reflection of your kids from their early childhood. After years of daycare and working with girls, I'm raising a boy and I'm absolutely lost at times. I would so love to hear your thoughts on traditional and non-traditional topics only another mom of a boy could relate. :)

And pop culture, of course. Are you ready for the next round of "I Love the 90s"? Mmm... Hal Sparks!

Oh, computer games, natch. For example - every fan of Vin Diesel and/or "Pitch Black" needs to run out right now and buy a copy of "Escape From Butcher Bay: The Developer's Cut".

Plus, Xzibit is in it. Repeat: you get to slug it out with X To Da Z, as Riddick. Games just don't get cooler than that.

Personally, I miss your political stuff.

The blogosphere has polarised; after losing the election, the Left-leaning blogs seem to think that the way forward is to be even crazier than before.

Meanwhile I feel less and less connected to the Right-leaning ones, who have grown more fundamental, more extreme. What were previously considered extremist views are now mainstream on these blogs. I don't feel as if I belong any more, because while I hate Ted Rall, I don't actually want the deaths of my political opponents.

While I love reading about her family and cultural quirks, Michele's incisive and accurate political commentary will be sorely missed.