Post 1265 – No Apologies
This is my 1,265th post on The Constitution Club blog. That is over three times more than any other blogger on Conclub and in reality, this post is the end result of all those posts, hundreds of hours writing on this blog, and many years of otherwise engaging as a blogger and columnist in the great debates of the day. It is also the end of a personal journey that started many years ago but one that I did not attempt to capitalize upon until I was older, wiser, and had gained the sufficient moral and ideological clarity and foundation to commit to wholeheartedly without reservation. Therefore, it is with mixed emotions that I present the culmination of my years of blogging, column writing, and political activism even as the most integral part of that process, this blog, collapses around me. One can surmise that even as life and circumstances closes one door others will invariably be opened. I cannot control the decisions of others and do not know what the future may hold, but I am resolved to look forward to whatever that may be. Some may describe my views as sanctimonious and dogmatic, but I prefer resolute, principled, and uncompromising. It is who I am, the central core of my being, and an indelible aspect of my character. I gave a bit of my heart and soul to this project and it (and recent events) has left me emotionally exhausted and spent. I now understand why many authors turn into bloated, alcoholic suicides. If you choose to purchase this book I sincerely hope you enjoy it and that it opens other avenues of thought and consideration on the events of the day in ways that you might not otherwise have experienced.
The pressures of the last thirty days have been incredible, but my ability to focus and overcome some pretty daunting obstacles has surpassed anything I would have ever previously expected. It’s been an eye-opening and revealing set of circumstances. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about others. I am a better man today for having gone through it. Like a lump of coal under intense pressure, I hope I have produced a diamond as a result. I have now moved mentally to a very reflective mood which is my typical response to a long period of intense and severe mental pressure. Quite interesting. Was it all worth it and worthy of the time and effort I have put into it? The reader will have to be the judge of that. I’m just glad it is finally finished. So without further ado, I present to you No Apologies: In Defense of Common Sense and the Conservative Ideology. There should be something here to challenge and galvanize each and every reader. If there is not, then I have not done my job.
Click here to purchase your copy of No Apologies
Posted on November 30, 2009, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 29 Comments.
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Congratulations, Dave, on the book. I ordered a copy.
And now the $64K question that probably need not be asked, but I will forge ahead anyway, because I imagine it’s on everyone else’s mind, too:
Is this the end of ConClub?
My two cents? It seems a fitting end. And I mean that in a good way.
It is either the end, or the beginning of a new era. The remaining bloggers on the site will have to collectively make that decision whether we regroup and forge on or allow the personal vendettas, vileness, and conflicts that were played out publicly here serve as the death knell for our once mighty blog. It would seem that decision does not lie in my hands. The other remaining bloggers will have to show leadership and a renewed commitment to Conclub for that to happen. THat goes for everyone. Otherwise this would serve fittingly as my last post if that is the case and Conclub is no more. I’ve done everything I know how to keep this as a forum for diverse views and vigorous intellectual debate conducted in a non-personal, civil and respectable manner. We have great potential if only we agree to share a common vision. I thought we did. I have sacrificed much for Conclub and I love it as an “institution.” And I’ve often helped carry it through the lean times. That’s what kept me here instead of leaving a month ago and taking those who shared my vision with me. Even then I couldn’t do it, though perhaps I should have. I’m not a quitter. I just thought we had as much depth as we did breadth. Time will tell. I am not willing to be the personal pinata for those who despise me yet I want Conclub to carry on. That should not be a conflict of interest. My future as a writer, blogger, and columnist is not set in stone, but will continue one way or another.
I thank you for your order, support, and help in the last critical stages before it was released. Keep in touch no matter what, whether here or elsewhere.
What – this is the way the blog ends, not with a bang but an uncomfortable silence?
I hope not.
Maybe just a “time out” to regroup? A little time is needed to heal a bit I think. We may just need to do a roll call vote and see who wants to continue and go from there. If we need to replace the missing in action, new blood can always be found. But those issues will be dealt with later, and a written code of conduct agreed to. All new bloggers were brought in with three rules laid out for them. No conspiracy theories, no cussing in the post titles, and the agreement to keep it fairly civil. One would think those were reasonable and responsible criteria. Without order, a few rules, and the ability of administrators to enforce those rules, only chaos will result as people choose to abuse the forum they have been provided to share their views with others.
Man, I missed that bit about conspiracy theories. Now to go delete the 27 drafts I had worked up.
Argh.
You know, it’s not paranoia when they are really out to get you.
They have to be “wacko” conspiracies to not qualify. If the zombies are out to get you for real, by all means let us know about it…
But it is very good to have a ‘what now’ discussion. I, for one, am tired of beating a dead horse.
I don’t want the blog to die, I am already missing it. But I don’t want people to keep being assholes. I want RULES dammit! We need a conclave for everybody – preferably online in chat – where we need to thrash out a framework that includes all contributors – new guys et al. We need a policy on trolls. We need a policy on personal posts. This blog has an audience of thousands, we can’t keep acting like a group of amateurs.
I am un-resigning, and I am considering dropping the third person voice.
WOOHOO.
Glad to see you back. Now don’t do that again and keep the third person. It suits you…
(and I almost added a joking insult here just for fun but thought better of it due to the potential for raw nerves, etc.)
Ha.
Welcome back.
I’ve got to echo sting’s sentimentsa. Great to have you back and I’m not sure i like you dropping the third person talk. It’s become somewhat of a trademark for you.
Oh and congrats on finishing your book Dave.
Perhaps the Beast is correct. I am, and have always been willing to concede that Dave was upset and felt attacked. I just happen to disagree with his assessment of how “constant” the attacks were and the extent of how “personal” they were. In no way do I wish to diminish how Dave felt. I only want Dave to try to see my point: that perhaps attacks aimed at him seemed more personal with the typed word than they were intended. If we could meet in the middle on this, I would be appreciative.
I would like to extend an olive branch of my own to John, a person I consider to be an integral part of the site. In no way was I attempting to offend him and it was instantly clear the next day that I did. For that I am sorry.
My terse statements the night of the dustup was a direct response to the fact that I foresaw this happening. I miss Paul. I wish we could get him back. I also consider him an integral cog in this machine. Perhaps it isn’t meant to be.
I just think we have to be very careful about deleting the posts of others. At this point, I only wish to see people delete their posts that say “I am leaving.”
Congratulations on the book Dave. The first few pages were enough to soften my stance since you thanked us fine folks by name. You deserve all the accolades that come with hard work.
The thought of the Beast going away was a real downer for me. I am glad to see you back, whether you drop the third person or not (though I like the third person persona
)
Dammit, I hope ConClub continues, too.
I have set up a private room on friendfeed.com, which would be a great resource to work on the behind the scenes machinations of rebuilding and branding this blog.
Anyone interested?
I’m in Steve.
I would be. Do I qualify? Ha.
E, it’s odd how this has felt more like a family spat than a fight with some internet people who post alongside you. Maybe that’s the artificial sense of intimacy that the internet creates (and which drives social networking), but I have to admit that I started missing the blog almost instantly.
That said, my allegiance goes to Dave first. He is the heart of this endeavor. Dave put in the work while the rest of us dithered. He slogged on every day, all through the boring times, posting one or two pieces a day, every day, while myself and others waited for inspiration to strike, often going weeks without typing a word.
He. Deserves. Better.
Go to the dashboard and take a look at blog stats: top posts & pages – all time top posts. A Dave post is number one with 86,147 views.
DFV is number three with 51,435
E is number four with 20, 704
Oh, and the Beast is number two with 66,509.
Those numbers are just for a single post each!
Bloggers would kill for those numbers. Think about it – a couple of hundred thousand people read our shit! Dear lord!
And we have Dave to thank for it – he’s held us together.
Blogging is both quality and quantity, and hopefully a bit of both. I blog filler and I blog quality posts. And both are equally valuable on a blog. That is the art of blogging. I always encourage everyone to post even just a measly once a week. And even that rarely happens.
email me at iamstucat[at]hotmail[dot]com I will send you an invite.
Ok I got that email already.
Those numbers are deceptive and don’t necessarily indicate the quality of what we produce. For example, I think our best stuff is only read a couple of hundred times.
One such example is that I had a Miley Cyrus/Billy Ray Cyrus post that would be generating huge numbers. It would easily have surpassed Fred Thompson by now. But it was generating such annoying teen girl comments that Damien and I agreed to delete the post. We, in essence, took 100,000 hits from the site. The greatest posts, however, haven’t gotten the attention they should. I don’t know that Dave’s posts have necessarily been the glue. He has been one of a community of great writers and thinkers. An important one, but just one.
Everyone knows it. I’m the glue. (:
E, you’re right. This is a group effort and we have been growing nicely, thanks to everybody – it would be shame to throw that away.
Thanks for all the ‘congrats’ on the book. Hopefully, those who read it will find it worth both their time and money. I can’t guarantee it, but I did my best. The success or failure of this endeavor is for the reader to decide. It will definitely challenge, anger, and provoke thought in anyone who reads it. And stimulate the intellect and the emotions as well. If that occurs, then I have succeeded in what I set out to do. Wednesday I start my marketing campaign. I wrote it, so now I probably should try selling a few copies.
There was an impromptu meeting of five of the bloggers the other night. We worked on a basic structure for some rules and an elementary code of conduct. I’m surprised no one has yet posted anything about it. We have resolved to carry on, and that is a good thing. An aside, my days of “carrying” the blog for a good part of the time is over, and I’ll let others do more of the little things that need to be done, like codifying the code of conduct, the new rules etc. DFV and E can do some of that now.
OK group hug time. Seriously though it’s high time we laid out some groundrules. If no one feels like posting it for public viewing Davee has my email address so please send them my way.
No problem. Eric’s team is about 48 hours from playing for the state championship at Invesco Field in Denver, so after that, time may open up a bit.
What a great memory that will be to coach at, and for the kids to play in, Invesco Field at Mile High. Congrats.