Category: Blogs & Blogging

Good Morning

The Wall Street Journal has a good review (and a chapter) of Rick Atkinson’s The Day of Battle — A Terrible Slog.

If you decide to buy the book, here’s the link — The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. NewMexiKen intends to go curl up with the landing at Salerno in a few minutes. It’s a really great read.

I’m experimenting with a new feature that allows you to find material related to the subject matter of any post (any post having more than 30 words). I noticed the WSJ was using the feature — and my very own blog was one of its links — so I thought I’d give it a try. Let me know what you think; the link is in the post metadata. NewMexiKen has almost no control on the selection.

The two strongest Democrats, Governor Richardson and Representative Tom Udall (Stewart’s son) say they aren’t interested in Domenici’s senate seat.

The neighborhood phantom has been back this week after a month when I hadn’t noticed him. Nice new Cadillac sedan, at least. We don’t allow no low rent suspicious people in this neighborhood.

Any ideas for an exciting new NewMexiKen poll?

NewMexiKen

As my seven regular readers may have noticed, I stopped writing about the national parks on a nearly daily basis some time ago. It seemed too many were coming around again and again. Now, as I’ve just proven in the two posts preceding this one, NewMexiKen is not above redundancy and repetition — indeed, I approve of it. I just thought it was silly with the parks and monuments. Anyone want them back?

(I went ahead and did Canyonlands for today.)

Oh, and I’ve been wondering if anyone reads the little history vignettes I write. I do those mostly for myself (enjoying the research more than the writing), but I’ve been curious if anyone reads them.

And, later this morning, I’m out of here for the rest of the week without a computer.

You better kiss me
‘Cause your gonna miss me when I’m gone

Top Ten Reasons I Read NewMexiKen

10. The now-defunct Week Quiz and its successors.
9. There’s a page dedicated to Ron Howard’s brother.
8. Every day is somebody’s birthday.
7. I’ve been reading for so long I feel like the Sweeties and I are growing up together.
6. NMK is the hippest (and smartest) grandfather I know of.
5. I’m reminded of all the American history I’ve forgotten since high school.
4. NMK reads the rest of the Internet so I don’t have to.
3. There’s always something new.
2. He links to me.
1. Wisdom, whimsy, and wit: three things the Internet needs more of.

Happy anniversary, NewMexiKen, and many more.

Annette

Happy Anniversary (tomorrow) NewMexiKen

NewMexiKen (i.e., this blog) began four years ago tomorrow, August 4, 2003. Who would have thought obsessive-compulsive behavior could be sustained1 so long?

Because of changes in software and hosting services I have lost count, but there have been more than a million visits to these pages.

As you may remember from one year ago, on my anniversary, you blog, I comment. Send me your story, link or NewMexiKen type content to be posted on Saturday.2

Email it to newmexiken at gmail dot com. Tell me whether you want your name posted or not.

If you’re a regular reader (and there are a few of you), it’s your turn. And no boring stuff — it’s got to be Wise, Whimsical or Witty (or at least half-witty).

1 OK, OK, so there have been a few meltdowns along the way.

2 Three of The Sweeties are visiting Casa NewMexiKen this weekend (the other three are camping in Sequoia National Park). Blogging will be light (other than what you all provide).

Best line of the day, so far

“NewMexiKen is an amusing political blog written by a former US Archives staffperson now living in Albuquerque. The site has a decidedly historical bent, as you might expect, including dailiy “On this day in history” features. There’s a fair amount of cultural commentary – including the iPhone, Paris, Ratatouille (the movie), Harry Potter, and so on. There’s comparatively little, and fairly brief, political commentary. The writer has a great voice and a charming personality, and the commentary is very thoughtful.”

MyDD (one of nine blogs reviewed).

Thanks!

Ephraim is an evil witch doctor

First, thanks to all who have commented on my Half Wisdom, Half Whimsy, Half Wit post. There have been many words of encouragement and some suggestions. All of the comments are appreciated.

And no, I don’t think it’s approval I seek SonoranSon. I seek more readers. I don’t write this blog strictly for myself. Never have.

Which brings me to Ephraim, who said he sees me “as a shut-in who surfs the web all day.” I thought that was an interesting remark when I read it yesterday morning — two people actually sent me emails yesterday criticizing Ephraim. Even if I do spend too much time in front of the computer, in the past six months I’ve also been to Tucson four times, Denver twice, Washington and San Francisco, a concert and a one-man show, a handful of movies, baseball and soccer games, and have tentative plans for camping in Yellowstone and Sequoia this summer and visiting Europe this fall. I don’t even have cable TV. I’m hardly a shut-in. But Ephraim’s thing appears to be to try and get a rise out of me, so I let it go.

Except I didn’t know Ephraim had voodoo powers. Here I sit Friday with crutches by my side and a posterior splint on my left ankle — pretty much a shut-in. Seems I have developed a nasty case of tendinitis (brought about most likely by arthritis). Out of the blue. No signs of it before Wednesday and today I needed an injection for pain. (And I nearly assaulted the doctor who kept asking, “Does this hurt?”)

You’ve got my attention now Ephraim!

Half Wisdom, Half Whimsy, Half Wit

I think this is a reasonably erudite, somewhat informative, occasionally amusing blog.

So too, do about seven other people.

Why only seven? And, after nearly four years, why does “Ron Howard’s Brother” still seem to be the main attraction? (That, and the photo of the original Apprentice female cast in lingerie.)

I can’t seem to quit, so it frustrates me that there aren’t more day-to-day readers. (I do still get several hundred visits a day to myriad older items.)

Any ideas?

Change the title, so people realize it’s not just about New Mexico? (It is, after all, rarely about New Mexico.)

More entries? Fewer entries? More topics? Fewer topics? More photos of The Sweeties? No photos of The Sweeties?

Sorry to be annoying, but as you longtime readers know, I need some encouragement from time-to-time. It’s all I ask (well, that and an occasional click on an ad that interests you).

Please understand

NewMexiKen’s allergies are so bad, it’s as if I were crying full time. As a result, when I see something mildly interesting on the internets I think, “Wow, that’s so funny it made me cry,” or “Wow, that’s so touching it made me cry,” or even “Wow, that’s so aggravating it made me cry.”

I fear I’ve been posting a lot of stuff here that probably isn’t that good — unless, maybe your allergies are making you cry too.

This one didn’t make my eyes water (though it’s still interesting):

During my 23 years with The Times’ sports department, I have held a wide variety of roles and titles. Tennis writer. Angels beat reporter. Olympics writer. Essayist. Sports media critic. NFL columnist. Recent keeper of the Morning Briefing flame.

Today I leave for a few weeks’ vacation, and when I return, I will come back in yet another incarnation.

As Christine.

Old Mike, new Christine

But this did.

I learned this afternoon that a high school classmate that I’d had a huge crush on died recently. I never asked her out and rarely even spoke to her during four years, but I thought of her just yesterday.

Damn allergies.

Feedback

How about a little conversation folks?

Did you like the My Generation video? How about that Pearl? What coffee do you like? How have the “best lines” stacked up lately? Any crazy business processes you’ve dealt with? Any significant birthdays I’ve missed? How’s Marcia Brady look, better or worse than you’d expect? Read any of the Pulitzer winners? Plan to? Think you’d survive 35 years in solitary confinement?

Well, this blog feels like solitary confinement to me lately.

And my great fear is that some time soon I will end up here.

Editing comments

NewMexiKen has had some compatibility issues with the code that allows you to edit comments. It’s back in place now. For the first 30 minutes after you post a comment you should be able to edit that comment.

NewMexiKen, of course, can edit or delete any comment at any time.

Spring Break Update

Hi from Virginia, where the dogwoods are beautifully in bloom, but the current temperature is 39°. It was 81° when I arrived two days ago. Spring.

Yes, Mrs. A, SnoLepard is correct, “NewMexiKen has a lifetime of vacation time saved up!” I left the workday world at the ripe old age of 57 (well, actually I turned 58 four days later). I may yearn for fast, expensive cars instead of buying them, but otherwise it’s been terrific. Lots of time for visiting The Sweeties® and trips with Dad (while we could). And, if anything, too much time for blogging.

At the moment, some of The Sweeties® are in daycare and some are on a playdate, so I’m enjoying my coffee and doing a little blogging so I don’t lose the touch.

As if.

(Be sure to watch the Peyton Manning video below.)

On my hiatus, such as it was and may be

The simple truth is that I find something cathartic about quitting or taking a formal break from this blog. A day, or two, or five days later, and it’s like new batteries have been installed.

It’s not, as it appears, an attention seeking device. In fact, I find it more than a little embarrassing that I’ve pulled this stunt a half-dozen times or more. (The recent lapses while I was in Tucson however, weren’t purposeful. They were simply because I had no internet access.)

Whatever.

(More than 10,000 posts and you’d be crazy, too.)

9,999

And so, this is the 9,999th post here at NewMexiKen. There have actually been many more than that, but some never made it to publication, or were quickly discarded, or deleted along the way (outdated and broken links, for example).

But when I click the publish button, this will be 9,999.

A good place to take a break; 10,000 is just so excessive, so 1990s.

I’ll be back. I always miss it. But not for a while.

Just assume I gave it up for Lent.

[Oops. NewMexiKen found three AWOL posts. There are actually 10,002 currently active.]