Blogs, Posting, and Dickheads….

Three words that I must blog on to clarify for myself what it is I am doing and not doing.

First, Blogs.  There are millions of them and I only read local blogs from our area and one or two on a national level.  Hell, I rarely read a national blog.  The ones here in our Peoria area I do read, I enjoy for the most part because some of them reflect on that author’s life or lifestyle giving an insight to a person I don’t know or met.  Others are factual and give me insight to opinions I never considered and in some ways change my opinion on things I am concerned about.  Other blogs are funny, some give great reviews of restaurants and on and on.

Then there is one, who thinks his blog is God’s gift to this region. Some have even coined a name for him, others just hang out and post their endless opinions but most of the time, his posts are nothing more than a rehash from our local paper.  I admit that once in the great while, I find one of his posts interesting and even find myself agreeing.  But by God, if you tend to disagree with him or worse yet, disagree with his “guest” bloggers and post to this, well, you end up in a spam filter and you find yourself no longer being able to post a timely comment within a thread on a post, which is why it is called a thread in the first place.

This brings me to posting.  When I read the blogs and if I have an opinion on something, I have no problem posting to that blog.  Anyone that has been around our local blogosphere knows there is about the same group of 15 or so posters, some of which have their own blogs, and some are just trolls (another word coined by Mr. Blogger) that have an opinion on everything and if they don’t like your opinion, they point it out tell you so. I even have been called names. Part of the internet experience and the fact that some people can hide behind an anonymous name.  Some of these posters are simply dickless but, some do it to protect their job and for whatever a host of other reasons.  Depending on how you read these posts, some come across rather crass and even rude.  But hey, like assholes, everyone has an opinion too!  I post my opinions and guess what?  I’m not right all the time either.  But on one blog site, I have trouble posting and I have had trouble for months.  I am not alone, others have the same problem and guess what?  We seem to be in a group that doesn’t agree most of the time with Mr. Blogger and his girlfriend guest blogger.  Oh, maybe, in a few days, my comment will show up but several have never seen the light of day.  Reason?  “It’s my spam filter.”  Which after changing email address’ 3 times and user names twice is like saying; “I am moderating you and if I don’t like your comment, then it isn’t going to show!”  How can I think otherwise? 

Now I come to Dickheads.  I am told by Mr. Blogger that my comments have fallen into the spam filter and recently when one disappeared completely, I was told I didn’t post and I also was told that I should follow the thread or I would be considered a “hijacker” (whatever the fuck that means) of the thread and I was in violation of the blog site’s rules.  In other words, I could be banned.

So, I changed my user name from “Emtronics” to my real name Randall and yet for the 3rd time, acquired a new email address @ aim.com.  That allowed me to post again freely, I guess, until that damn old spam filter catches up with me again.  Then, when I point out that it is hard to keep with the “thread” (which by the way is hard to do when your post won’t appear for days) I am called an idiot and told to come off my cross by Mr. Blogger.

If I even come close to criticizing one of Mr Blogger’s friends, I am told that rude comments will not be tolerated.  But, when someone else points out the stupidity of another commenter, there is no warning.  It is a “click” I guess but that is all part of the internet experience. 

Ya know, I don’t have a problem with any of this comment in the spam filter thing and in the scheme of things I could care less if I can’t comment on his site anymore.  If he disappeared tomorrow I could care less because while some of us bloggers really think we make a difference, we don’t really.  If this blog went dark tomorrow, tomorrow would come and so would the next day.  That is the same with any of the blogs so I don’t really have a cross to come off of and I really don’t think of myself as an idiot.

I have lived 55 years of my life, raised two very successful and smart sons, been married for 32 years and despite my ranting here, which is my vent on life really, I think of myself as a pretty stable guy.  At least I know how to use spell check when I post, I know what it’s like to have to give up luxury's (like food)  to pay a CILCO bill, drive a 10 year old car, and I have been PTO President at 2 different schools and Booster President at Manual.  My wife and I have spent a hell of a lot of time working in the schools.  Not as much as others and by means no earth shattering experience.  Just trying to make our part of the world a little better for our kids and others.

I am weary when people who come out of the woodwork and proclaim that our district is screwed and they have the answers.  I have seen these type people come and go many times and to be fair, some parents have been around for a long time helping but they have been in the schools, they know what it is like to take a knife away from a 4th grader, they have seen kids come to school when its 10 above out  with no coats and sometimes on shoes.  They know what it’s like for these kids and their crappy home life.  These people don’t go home to their split-level home in the burbs in their SUV or minivan and then proclaim they understand the demographic in District 150.

Yes, I resent these type of people and yes I say they are from la-la land. 

Ok, can you guess what and whom this post is about?  Who I feel is the real dickheads?  I’ll bet some can.  I haven’t mentioned a singe name but I know some of my readers know exactly what I am talking about.  Should I call Mr. Blogger and his “guests” idiots and dickheads and tell them to come off their high and mighty hill? I should but something deep down tells me no, the world is full of assholes.  Meet one, grin, and then move on. Am I calling these people assholes?  No….just learn to identify an asshole, then move on.

So, I am moving on. No more blogging, no more frustration from people that don’t even know me but just because of my words, hate me and since this fires me up and makes me as guilty as these so called righteous bloggers and commenter's, then I need to stop.  Most of these people have our problems in hand anyway.  Right?

I thank my oldest son and his church, Northwoods for this revelation.  Life is too short as it is…..