Just to make things simple

For those still interested in following my every day adventures and stabs at humor such as I posted here on Xanga, just go to Bard of Bedegraine.

For those interested in reading my pontifications on historical, philosophical, and theological matters, visit Campus Martius.

Preferably, visit both. And see below if you want to know why I left Xanga.   

Currently Reading Love Among the Chickens By P G Wodehouse see related

Action of the First Cubicular Congress, December 19, 2007

The Unanimous Declaration of the Two Sides of This Man’s Brain

When, in the course of online events, it becomes necessary for one blogger to dissolve the tenuous bonds that have connected him with an host, and to assume amidst the chaos of the Internet, a separate and preferable domain, to which the laws of common decency entitle him, a decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that he should declare the causes which impel him to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all bloggers hold authority over the content of their blogs, that this authority affords them certain privileges, that among these are freedom of expression, privacy, and the reflection of one's personal tastes. That to secure these rights, “look and feel”/ layout editors (not to mention protected posting, ratings, friendslock, etc.) were instituted among weblogs, deriving their just powers from the consent of bloggers. That whenever any weblog host’s policies become destructive to these ends, it is the right of the bloggers to abandon or boycott it, and to employ a new host, whose settings are laid on such principals and features organized in such a way as to them shall seem most likely to allow their personal preferences. Conservatism, of course, will dictate that hosts long established should not be impugned for seeking pecuniary advancement; and accordingly all experience hath shown that bloggers are more disposed to suffer advertisements and demands to “go premium”, while advertisements and the like demands are sufferable, than to avoid them by leaving the sites to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations of perfectly useful space, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to forsake such an host, and to provide new guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of this Xangan; and such is now the necessity which constrains him to alter his former choice of a weblog host. The history of the present Xanga.com Inc. is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of a veritable fee for decent service that can be got for free elsewhere. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

It has refused us our old profiles, the most wholesome and necessary to maintain simplicity.

It has forbidden its users access to the most useful and agreeable features, unless their consent to “go premium” should be obtained; and when those features are so forbidden, it has utterly neglected to stop hawking them.

It has refused to allow its sponsors to design ads of intelligent or mature mien, a mien preferred by intelligent and mature bloggers, and disagreeable to varlets only.

It has made demands for switching to premium in places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from their natural position, for the sole purpose of fatiguing bloggers into compliance with its desires.


It has obstructed the maintenance of effective privacy, by refusing its assent to more than ten users on a standard protected list (unless they switch to premium).

It has made bloggers dependent on its will alone, for the tenure of their preferred layouts and features, and the content of its various modules (unless they switch to premium).

It has erected a multitude of new and useless features, and sent hither swarms of modules and pages for them, to harass our bloggers, and eat out their space.

It has kept among us, even those who only write, standing photo and video blogs without the consent of the individual.

It has affected to render these additional blogs independent of and superior to blogs for written content.

It has combined with others to subject us to additional changes foreign to our preferences, and unacknowledged by our desires; giving its assent to their acts of pretended improvement:
 

For imposing new avenues of advertisement on us without our consent;

For depriving us, in non-premium cases, of the benefits of a protected but sufficiently viewed post;

For abolishing the former system of advertisement in our headers, establishing instead an arbitrary side module, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing another plea for premium use:

For taking away thereby our appearance of taste, abolishing the coherence of our color schemes, and altering fundamentally the overall coherence and orderliness of our sites:

For denying us a choice of ad placement or content, and declaring themselves invested with power to make this choice for us in all cases whatsoever.

It has abdicated government over non-premium sites, by declaring us hopelessly inadequate and waging war against us.

It is at this time allying with large armies of uncouth sponsors to complete the works of bad taste, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworth the host of civilized bloggers.

It has thereby constrained gentleman bloggers taken captive in its clutches to bear ads against their principles, such as for online dating sites, or for calculating one’s next “boyfriend”.

It has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our these websites, the merciless Sag Harbor Clothing savages, whose known rule of advertisement is unconvincing posing of thin blondes past one score and ten years of age.

In every stage of these oppressions we have hoped for redress in the most patient manner: our longsuffering hath been answered only by repeated injury. An Incorporation, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a scheming penny-pincher, is unfit to be the host of free bloggers.

We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the Due East Room, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the just reader to approve the rectitude of our choice, do, in the name, and by the authority of the fingers of these hands, solemnly publish and declare, that these united members are, and of right ought to be, a free and independent blogger; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the Xangan Crown, and that all online connection between them and the state of Xanga Incorporated, is and ought to be partially* dissolved; and that as a free and independent blogger, he has full power to determine the content of his sidebars, keep his photos to himself, link to other sites, establish two blogs under the same user account, and to do all other acts and things which independent bloggers may of right do without paying. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

*Yes, partially. I'm not going to shut down my Xanga, and I'll still read and comment on you all's posts. In fact, I just might post here again every once and a while. I've had a lot of fun here, but this underhanded tactic to which Xanga has resorted has impelled me to leave their ranks. I thought at first of just using Campus Martius all the time, but eventually I decided to create a second Blogger blog, Bard of Bedegraine. So, I'm afraid that you'll have to go there from now on if you want to see what I'm up to, although I suspect my posting may grow slightly less frequent. If they forthink this shameless move, perhaps I'll return. But I doubt it.

Farewell.

Currently Reading Breakout: The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Korea 1950 By Martin Russ see related

I don't often do this, but what with it being nearly Christmas and everything, I thought I'd be generous. I have recently completed a new short story (a Christmas story, as a matter of fact), and I'm offering all my subscribers the chance to read it. Even those of you to who haven't read my writing before. If you're a subscriber, and if you're at all interested, let me know. For those who have e-mailed me before, just leave a comment here (or send an e-mail if you prefer). For those who haven't e-mailed me before, send me a private Xanga message including your e-mail address. Just to make things simpler, I hope to send it to everyone (assuming more than one person asks) at once, so please alert me before the 22nd. It's not an absolute deadline, but a preferred one.

I should add that this story is pretty much suited for all ages. There's no strong language, and not so much as a hint of any "mature themes". There is one scene of violence that is (I hope) a little intense, but it's not gory and by its nature doesn't lend itself to being particularly disturbing. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, and I think you'll at least not fall asleep reading it, if that's any recommendation.

Oh, and it's this blog's second birthday.

When it comes to fiction, I generally prefer to avoid first person narration. There are a number of reasons for this, the most important of which is the fact that I tend to write historical novels. Men in the 12th or 17th centuries simply didn't write accounts that were as personal and meticulously detailed as the modern novel must be, so the historical feel is usually lost in first person narrative. The other reason is that it's much easier to fall into telling rather than showing when writing in the first person. Therefore, I've stuck to the third person limited point of view in all but one of my major stories. Third person limited, for those who don't know, is the PoV most favored nowadays, in which the story, although told by an external voice, follows only one character and shows us only his thoughts.

But all that will change when I begin An Uncertain Trumpet, for which I am even now in the early stages of meticulous research. This novel, planned to be begun experimentally erelong but then added to the ever-growing list of Novels to be Written Upon Completion of Lions, shall follow the journey of 1st Sergeant Patrick Fenton of a slightly fictionalized 2nd Platoon, Dog Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment through the first year of America's involvement in the Korean War. I plan to take Fenton from the Pusan Perimeter up through the Inchon-Seoul campaign, and possibly as far as the Chosin Reservoir, but that may have to wait for a theoretical sequel. Aside from Blood, Fire, and Smoke, this shall be my only novel to feature modern combat. I've long wanted to write a story set in one of America's many 20th century wars. WWII at first seemed the obvious choice, but then it occurred to me that Korea has gotten precious little attention where fiction is concerned, which is truly a shame, because in some ways it was probably the most pivotal war in American military history. I thought it would be very interesting to portray the Korean War from the perspective of a WWII Pacific Theatre veteran, which is what Fenton is. 

So, that should be fun.

Oh yes, and we're now in the final stages of an ice storm. Despite the strident and shrill warnings of the local seers, this one turned out to be pretty tame fare compared to what we've gotten in the past. Temperatures fell to around 18°, but there were no roads rendered fit to skate across, no tree limbs crashing down and scattering hapless pedestrians whilst bringing down powerlines in showers of sparks, and no decent sledding to be had. Yes, I know. Its not an exact science...

Currently Reading Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965 By Mark Moyar see related

So. I've been asked to consider delivering a speech at the Missouri's Families for Home Education Rally in Jefferson City this February. Consideration is still in progress. I'm not entirely sure why I, of all people, was asked. 

Moreover, contrary to previously released reports, we'll be going to see Bella tomorrow, not today. 

This is what passes for serious blogging these days, folks.

EDIT: It would seem Providence is against our seeing the movie before the DVD release. Snow inhibits our venturing forth today, and as far as I know there will be no further showings.