It Was a Good Run- The Sunday Collage

It's time. Learning when to say when is a process. I am getting better at it.



A little over 6 years ago, I started this blog after repairing my life in New Orleans. I left New Orleans and I landed in the little community of Santa Ynez just NW of Santa Barbara in the golden state. It was the fall of '08. I owe a few debts- none bigger than the one I owe this gal.

'08, Ft. Worth, Cowgirl Hall of Fame

I began to write. Cultivating an audience is hard work. I promoted my little blog where I could. Some places like "naked capitalism" are shamelessly arrogant and protective. (just read their commenting rules) Anything they do is justifiable one way or the other- even taking advertising money from the enemy. (bankers) Other blogs, like ZeroHedge, encourage commenters and links. In short, they promote free speech. They were very helpful. Many of you came from ZH. Some blogs are just nasty, narrow minded echo chambers wherein the readers simply ridicule others. I wrote a hastily constructed piece once on the "Daily Paul" about being a cop and after receiving over 100 hateful comments- I simply had to delete it. You cannot make a habit of surrounding yourself with hateful, ridiculing people. They will bring out the worst in you.

Jim at Asylum Watch has been a loyal supporter. I thank you for that. I feel as though Jim and I both became libertarians together- on line. There are others, none finer than Mark W., or Peter, Greg, or Irish. Mom. Or Troy.

There's a little piece in all of us that thinks, "It's alright to have an opinion and express it." We are like fisherman. In the ocean that is the internet, we bloggers cast our lines. We never know what we'll find on the end of that line. Most of my experiences have been good. In 6 years, I've deleted less than 10 comments.

Thar Can Only be One! Troy is very photogenic.

Frankly, I think I have just run out of gas. I am tired of talking about a crooked government which caters exclusively to the aristocracy. Or listening to partisan hacks talk about parties like there is a solution in that. I am tired of watching conspiracy theory turn into conspiracy fact. Tired of debating with people who stubbornly refuse to accept obvious truths. It's like debating with atheists. No amount of evidence, short of an appearance from God, will change their closed minds. Eventually, everyone gets trenched in with their beliefs. You either trade facts, insults, or pleasantries but mostly you hope that at the very least- you plant seeds. Maybe they take hold, maybe they do not.

I am evolving away from this. I think that's the way it should be.

One of my favs

I will probably blog somewhere else. I have an idea that I am going to go with uplifting, comical, happy, and hopeful themes that inspire people. If I have learned one thing from reading 100 pieces a day- it's that there is no shortage of cynical, disheartened writers out here. I don't want to be like that. The internet is completely out of balance. Read 20 blogs and you most likely will read 20 critical pieces. It's as though anything good is ignored or doesn't exist. I'd like to bring a little balance back. There is no way I can do that writing here under this title. I am part of that problem and quite honestly, I am tired of writing about government and I feel fairly certain that people are tired of reading about it. My numbers have fallen- from 1500 hits a day down below 500. If I read or write one more article about Obamacare- I think I'm going to be ill.

Every once in awhile in my old policeman days, under just the right circumstances, I'd tell some smart ass that I arrested that it didn't take any special effort to be an asshole. The world has an over supply. Being a decent human being takes effort. It takes discipline, restraint, and commitment. It takes passionate parenting. Saying nasty things? Anybody can do that. That's not special. It's no different here.

Portlandia, '12

Uplifting, creative writing has to be cultivated. It is difficult to find just the right subject matter and then write about it in a way that keeps people reading and entertained. I know there is a market for it, a vast space- and I know that I'll have to improve my writing to make the best of it. So I am committed to that vision and although I have an idea of what I want to do- I haven't created a new blog yet. I am going to mull it over for awhile and eventually come up with a new idea.

I will post a forwarding link here at FG in the coming weeks once I get situated. I am gonna take a week off and play golf in Vegas with my brother in the near term. Jan 25-31. We are looking for players.

So this is where I say "thanks." Thanks for all of your support, your passion, your beliefs. Thanks for stopping by and taking time out of your day. I am humbled and encouraged by folks like you. You've made the whole effort worthwhile and I wish every one of you the very best.

It was a good run!

Brian