Merry Christmas to all my new and old friends

 

President George W. Bush makes Christmas Eve telephone calls to members of the Armed Forces at Camp David, Monday, Dec. 24, 2007. White House photo by Eric Draper

It’s so hard to believe that another year has passed. A year ago, I was a lonely little blogger mostly ranting to no readers except those who dialed in the wrong “google” terms. This Christmas, I get a few hundred hits everyday – largely from people who’ve bookmarked this humble site. It’s mostly thanks to all of those folks in my blogroll who’ve found some measure of value in my carelessly crafted words.

First was Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs – who taught me just what a successful blog looks like. The first hour after he linked to my Gathering of Eagles photos generated over a thousand hits – about equal to my total traffic in the previous months.

Other high traffic bloggers who’ve been great friends to this blog are Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs  and Michele Malkin. Pamela throws up my links every time I send her one, sweetheart that she is. I don’t even have to send links to Michele anymore – I suspect she finds her way over here now and again despite her hectic life. Her linking to me got me invited to join the blogging team at Red Maryland.

Of course, my very first link was from Crotchety Old Bastard – an old Army buddy from my generation of warriors who I happened to find on a reunion website. We started our blogs at about the same time and he was kind enough to trade links and readers with me. But he didn’t have to do that – I was just glad I found him.

Two other great friends of this blog, I met (virtually speaking) quite by accident. Bloodthirsty Liberal happened to link to the same story in the Washington Post (back when the Post linked to blogs), and I mistook BTL for a Leftist kind of Liberal. BTL cured me of skimming blogs. Now it’s the first blog I read every morning, and the last one I read at night – that way I begin and end my day with a smile.

Robin at Chickenhawk Express came into my sights when we were both writing about Adam Kokesh and I found her on Technorati. She got me linked on Flopping Aces and Newsbusters. We’ve emailed several times since and found we had much in common – we both had our respective first grandchildren the same week this year. She sends me ideas for posts – and she always seems to know when my brain has dried up.

Confederate Yankee sent me a couple of tips once and I knew I’d arrived. Early one morning, during my coffee, while still in my pajamas, I banged out a quick rant about Al Gore and his Nobel Prize. An hour later, I switched on my computer at work to find I’d been linked up by Pajamas Media – I felt so big time.

Two bloggers I met out here in the real world are Kate and Skye.

Kate and I went to three protests in two weeks together back in September – my best traffic month to date. She had to pry me off my easy chair to get my lazy butt out – but I’m so glad she did. She also got me involved in the Liberty Alliance and introduced me to another new friend – the elegant and talented Lady Vorzheva.

I met Skye at one of the protests in September, too. She’s just plain whacky in person – a laugh a minute - and she influenced me to start taking more videos. Now if I can figure out this embedding videos thing…..

Probably one of the nicest guys I’ve ever had the privilege to exchange emails with is Kamangir the Archer. He’s an Iranian student in Canada that translates Islamic Republic press releases for English-speakers. Like I said, he’s one of the nicest and most talented guys on the internet. 

Of course, the people who’ve made this year the best year we’ve had in a while are the guys and gals who’re fighting the real battles for those of us who are nestled in our beds and sleeping securely at night – all embodied in Sergeant Grumpy whose blogging from Iraq reminds me of my days as an infantry small unit leader. Without him (and them) who knows what kind of Christmas we’d be celebrating.

GI Jane was a good friend from a forum I used to frequent who began blogging a few months after I left the forum. We’d slammed back brews a few times and reminisced for hours about the Army. She helped put me on the map during the Scott Thomas Beauchamp thing when she emailed his first sergeant and kindly linked his response here which got me noticed at some of the biggest blogs on the ‘net. 

Don Carl and I “met” at that same forum years ago – I sold him one of my Tom Clancy autographed first editions. He was kind enough to follow me over here and be a regular commenter, and now co-blogger.

Others who’ve come over from that old forum on occasion are BARman29, usnretwife and Renwaa. I can’t forget Tricia and Monty from back in the pre-2000 election days when I’d get banned from the History Channel boards nearly every day who’ve stalked me all the way past countless failed forums. I’m honored that you’d find the time to make my thoughts part of your daily lives.

There are so many people on the internet that have made this last year such a great experience for me, but they’re all in my blogroll. Even if I didn’t mention your name here today, rest assured that I remember which post enticed you to link to me the first time and I still have every email you’ve sent me.

Those of you who’ve stopped by often without commenting (I know you’re out there), thank you – well, not for being quiet, but for reading. I’m always shocked when I roll up my logs and see how many people have me bookmarked and use RSS feeds to read my words.

Thank you so very much and I pray that your Christmas is as happy and merry as all ya’all have made my whole year.

Category: Bloggers, Holidays