An update, of sorts

So, I've hit a big skid of the Blogging Blahs lately... (pretty obvious, I know, but it's good to say such things outright)

I think it's a mix of a number of factors: I was a little burned out on blogging so much, I've been reading so many other blogs that I got to feeling that sometimes it all just sort of gets lost in the ether of the Internet, I've been more scattered than usual in my music-listening habits and I've been writing more in other areas, both on my own and for pay - including freelance music writing for the Tucson Weekly, as well as other work. Plus, I've been dabbling in the attention-span massacring Twitter universe a bit too.

The Blogging Blahs are undoubtedly common for everyone who takes up the practice. I've certainly hit them before. And they always bring up the central question of whether it's actually worth it to take the time to write in this realm. And the answer is ever-shifting. There are no rules or obligations for blogging, just best practices: write frequently and make it interesting. But writing frequently is often at odds with making things interesting. And so bloggers lapse into hiatus every now and then.

I always miss the updates and insights from my favorite bloggers - whether close friends or random music aficionados - when their writing turns sparse, and it's happened to everyone I follow closely. It's no secret that the best blogging is regular blogging, but it's draining to keep up with daily (or close to it) blogging, even if some of the entries are just a few sentences. And I've always wanted to give my posts more heft than just a few sentences, to make them worth reading in full.

I have no intention to stop blogging, but I'm thinking about whether I need to make any changes in my approach. Who knows - I may keep things the same after this little recharging break. Or bring in some big changes. I like blogging, so there's no reason to stop, but I want to feel like it's worthwhile instead of bothersome.

There's plenty of music to keep writing about - I've been playing the new Metric album a lot lately, and the new Mos Def is awesome. The Provocative Whites new album has been in heavy rotation as well. I'm sure I'll have plenty to say about the Wilco show on Thursday (and the new album!). And I'll have some great vacations to write about, plus some good films I've seen lately. And the SwedeFest audio will make for some great downloads... So stick with me, but be a bit patient. There will be plenty to read, though I may just keep a bit of a slower pace.

Welcome...

Catfish Vegas presents... has seen a surge in traffic lately, almost entirely from people googling about for celebrity deaths. And the untimely departure of Heath Ledger seems to have vastly accelerated that surge.
Mr. Chair occasionally logs what drives readers his way, and it's usually something to do with shaving testicles. Not that he's ever blogged on the subject, but if that's what the public wants, I 'spose he ought to deliver one day.
Aside from searching out a celebrity death pool, it seems like random visitors here are trying to scope out a hot congresswoman. And I did blog about a hot congresswoman, so that's the way it goes.
On Jan. 10 I had a few visitors seeking out Arlo Guthrie. And people regularly stop on by after searching out Wilco's "The Thanks I Get." There are a few other musical inquiries that steer folks here. And one other recurring query is for this see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkey statuette I linked to. Strange.