I'm Back

Sort of... maybe... in a different way.

I've been in blogging rehab. Everything is okay. It's just that blogging was becoming a toxic force in my life. It was taking up way too much of my mental space. I was checking my hit counter every few hours, planning posts days in advance, writing things when I had nothing to write. And all for no clear purpose other than some narcissistic drive to climb higher in the blog rankings. It was pitiful.

I woke up and realized this, and one day, just quit. With the help of my family, I have been able to successfully withstand the pains of withdrawal, and I thank them for their loving support during this difficult time. I know that even writing this post is dangerous for me, since just a little sip has the power to strangle me in its clutches.

So, I'm not sure what the future holds. For now, I'm chilling out. I may post occasionally, when I'm compelled to share something I think is meaningful or profound, or to stay connected with family and friends in far-off lands. If you're from Saipan and you miss what you've been reading here, heck, call me up and let's go to lunch. You know how to get in touch with me.

My Blog Knows Me So Well

Blogging really is a weird kind of sickness -- sort of like love. Bloggers will recognize themselves in this post by The Blog that Ate Manhattan, titled, I Love My Blog.

Born-Again Blogger Recants Faith

This title just came to me. It sounds intriguing and I bet there's an interesting story behind it. So, let's write the story together... right here on this blog, right here in the comments section. Just write a couple of sentences, and the next person will pick up where you leave off. Anonymous sentences are welcome. I'll start.

Devout blogger, Jeremy Finklemeister, recently shocked his friends and family by renouncing blogging while attending the Fundamentalist Blogger Revival in Maynard, Tennessee. When interviewed, he gazed skyward and said, "I just...

Okay, click on comments and run with it. Yes, I'm talking to YOU.

Self Expression and Blogging

I read these paragraph this morning, from Matthieu Ricard's book, "Happiness." He's the Buddhist monk I mentioned a few posts ago.

It may be true that "expressing ourselves," giving free reign to our "natural " impulses, gives us momentary relief from our inner tensions, but we remain trapped in the endless circle of our usual habits. Such a lax attitude doesn't solve any serous problems, since in being ordinarily oneself, one remains ordinary. As the French philosopher Alain has written, "you don't need to be a sorcerer to cast a spell over yourself by saying 'This is how I am. I can do nothing about it.'"

We are very much like birds that have lived too long in a cage to which we return even when we get the chance to fly away. We have grown so accustomed to our faults that we can barely imagine what life would be like without them. The prospect of change makes us dizzy.

Any thoughts on how this relates to self-expression and blogging (or just talking)?

Link Exchange

A blogger named Kassper is holding a contest in which he is giving out 50 links for anyone who writes a short post or a review of his site. All you have to do in the post is link ONCE to his blog which is all about Blogging Tips on how to Make Money Online and link ONCE to any of his posts such as This is my favorite: Get In The Google Top 10 - Post Title Optimization. In return you will get more than 50 backlinks to your blog.

I'm trying it out with this post.

Xu Jinglei - The World's Most Widely Read Blogger

Have you guys seen this?! This woman is getting 50 million visits to her blog in under a year! She just hit 100 million visits in 600 days. Here is the story, from the 'China Daily'.

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Chinese actress-turned-director Xu Jinglei became the world's most widely read blogger this month when her blog logged 100 million page views within about 600 days, the Beijing News said on Thursday.

And Xu, who has a reputation for a high intellect and integrity, has done it without writing about sex or providing a catalogue of kiss-and-tell stories -- but focusing on her work and day-to-day life.

The 100 millionth hit occurred on July 12, according to www.sina.com.cn, a popular Chinese Web site which provides blog services to many Chinese entertainers, including Xu who started hers in October 2005 and published a book of her blogged articles in March 2006.

The 33-year-old blogger has invited 20 fans, selected from online submissions, to her party to celebrate her latest success.

Xu won international acclaim when she won the best director award for "Letter From An Unknown Woman" at the 2004 San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain.

Leading blog search engine Technorati has said Xu's blog recorded last year the most incoming links of any on the Internet.

Huang Ke, an analyst with Sina, told Reuters Xu's Web site has had 2 million more hits since July 12 breakthrough.

Writer Han Han, ranked second by Sina, will soon exceed the 100 million mark too, the analyst added.

Blogging Can Save Your Sight

Here is a nice post from Melissa's blog. Thank you for the compliments!

The power of the bloggers... and a visit to Marianas Eye Institute

I woke up Sunday with a crusty eye. Gross, I know. I started getting a little worried about it yesterday, so I sent Dr. Khorram an email about my symptoms, and to get his opinion on whether or not I should be seen. Now, I have never met Dr. Khorram face to face, but we've each left comments on our respective blogs, and because of that, I felt comfortable emailing him. He quickly emailed me back, and told me that since I was sensitive to light, I should be seen asap.

I went in this morning. I have a corneal ulcer. It hurts, and it looks gross. But he's putting me on antibiotics, and drops that I have to put in every hour. He said I'll be seeing a lot of him until this gets resolved. The good news is I got new glasses, so I don't have to wear the ones I broke and glued back together in London.

So, thanks, Dr. Khorram!! Thanks for the exceptional service, and thanks for keeping me from going blind! I enjoyed meeting you in person, although I would have preferred to meet in a less serious setting. I am continually amazed by the friendships and professional relationships that are fostered by something as menial as me writing my random thoughts down for the world to see.