Wednesday 24 February 2021

Memory, all alone in the moonlight

I've found myself in a bit of a wistful frame of mind today.

Just cogitating on how quiet our "little clique" of blogging regulars has been lately [and let's face it, I don't get a helluva lot of "hits" on my blog from many places else] - Mistress Maddie's on "compassionate leave", Ms Scarlet's on her fainting chaise, Mr IDV's been silent since Valentine's Day (so probably there's one less postman doing the rounds of North Norfolk at the moment, having been handcuffed to a stack of Star Trek DVDs or something), The Very Mistress MJ pops up out of the blue only every few weeks or so, as does Dinah; Norma even less frequently; Cookie, Mitzi and Savannah and Mr Peenee thrust out a little soupçon every now and again; which leaves only little moi churning out the daily blah-blah-blah - I took a trawl through the archives, and found a couple of posts I did about "blogs I loved" way back in 2012...

...only to realise that not one of them is still going!

Whatever became of Thombeau, TJB, Felix (in Hollywood), Stephen, Muscato, Donna Lethal, Deep Dish (Marc Harshbarger), "Kylie obsessive" Marky Mark, Henry (Barbarella's Galaxy) and the rest, I wonder?

Sigh.

18 comments:

  1. I wish that "Chateau Thombeau" had remained open for visiting; like a museum. I miss Thombeau and I miss the fabulosity of his content.

    I'm grateful that YOU'RE still with us.

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    Replies
    1. Merci, Mademoiselle!

      Yes, I do often wonder whether anyone archives Blogger content? I doubt it - even the "Wayback Machine" only has tiny snapshots of Chateau Thombeau, most of it from after Thom closed it down and opened the (also sadly redundant) Redundant Variety Hour...

      Shame, really.

      Jx

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  2. I'd just brewed my heart-starter, listened to the heavy shower clattering across the roof and thought...perhaps I ought to write something...

    Yes, I miss the old blogging days. And , of course, the many friends who are no longer top-side the sod.

    Yesterday, I had lunch with two old artist friends and the conversation went (predictably!) along the lines of "what's the point of producing work if it doesn't sell."

    Blogging , in the early days, was a lot of fun.I think what pulled me in was the banter among commenters, some of whom became good flesh-and-blood friends.And then things began to change...art sites gradually pushed more and more advertisements, the blogging platforms began swamping us with bloody ads and offers and more commercialism crept in.
    Then, of course, there are the laxy old buggers who struggle with technologial changes and chuck in the towel.
    I'm sorry 'bout that. I shall pick up my towel and have another go...

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    1. I think we should make "the old blogging days" into "new blogging days"! Apart from the demise of so many fondly-remembered blogs (and bloggers; I suspect at least one from my list may well have popped his clogs), I have had a creeping sense of "the old ennui" wafting around, as commenting and banter has dropped off. A lot. Is it that people have been lured to the "dark side" (F**book, Tw*tter, Insta-showoff, etc.) or just a case of "can't be arsed"? I wonder.

      Glad you're still sticking around. Jx

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  3. Thom spends his time posting on Facebook, as does TJB. I recently saw a Donna Lethal post on FB after seeing nothing from her for ages. Muscato does time on Twitter. They may be on Insta-whatever, I'm not sure. I opened an account there, but didn't "get" what it was all about. What that means is, I'm old and I don't give a fuck.

    I enjoy Twitter because my focus became quite political. Of course, I got thrown OUT of Twitter for calling a few skanks & cunts, skanks & cunts. I've "snuck" back in with an alias & try to contain myself. I'd hate to be banished again. So far, so good.

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    1. Ah, it seems I was correct in my assumption. The "terrible twosome" of Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey has indeed effectively torn the heart out of Blogger...

      Shame there is so little co-existence. Blogger may not be a place where you can simply click "like" on videos of kittens or photos of other people's lunch, absorb product promotions, nor froth at the mouth over rabid conspiracy theories, and it certainly would never be visited by a Kardashian or a Trump, but I find that a rather good thing myself.

      Jx

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    2. I abhor FB & would love to close it up, but I can't.
      It's a communication line I'd be dumb to lose.

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    3. I did explore "the dark side" of FB around the time MySpace was in its death throes and I was gravitating to Blogger. I gritted my teeth and stuck with it for a year, then quit and never ever went back again. I likened it to "standing in a crowded room with everybody shouting 'look at me'" - and I can go to a pub for all that sort of thing.

      [At least I could at the time - and, no doubt, whenever the current lockdown is over I shall do so again. And I won't feel obliged to click "like".]

      Jx

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  4. I miss those too. Thank you for slogging on yourself-- I look forward to your posts each week!!

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    1. Blogging is an enjoyable occupation, a conduit for the pot-pourri of randomness that is on my mind at any given time...

      I love writing, and reading others' posts, and the badinage of comments and discussions that might result.

      Good to know you are "out there in the dark", Mr Sparky... Jx

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  5. I will be back today!! I hope. I should be clambering off the fainting chaise to do a sort of non-post, and I might ask a question.
    I too, miss Ye Olde Blogging experience - but yep, most of my old contemporaries buggered off to FB. Shame. They were all better on Blogger.
    Sx

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    1. Maybe we should start a protest group - I'm making a placard with "Better on Blogger" on it as we speak!

      I look forward to "popping over" to yours later... Jx

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  6. * comes up for air *

    Sorry about the unannounced absence. Unfortunately, it wasn't due to Postman-related shennanigans (I've gone right off him, anyway - he's a right moaner as I discovered when I helped dig his van out of the snow not long ago), rather, an attack of the grumps - but it's all over with now.

    I do sometimes miss the more populous blogging days of yore - especially some of my close Blogorati friends (Tim, 'Petra, T-Bird, Dora, and Dinah Smith) - but I equally love what and who we have now (your daily "churn out" included!).
    As you said in It's the new black!: "I like constructing my own environment, one that I can populate or "decorate" to my heart's content. I like creative space." Along with you and the other (rather select now) Blogorati, this is what keeps me going on Blogger. It's my major creative experiment/dumping ground, and social venue.

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    1. Oh that is a shame. I was rather hoping for a salacious if-not-postman-then-perhaps-dustman-related-abduction-story!

      I'm glad you feel the same as I do about blogging. It's a labour of love, rather than all that "social" media attention-seeking.

      It's a shame more people don't see it that way.

      Jx

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  7. I miss the Redundant Variety Hour as well. But I do LOVE my daily visits with you, Jon — always something fun, or campy, or catchy, or informative; often all four!

    Your efforts are much appreciated here at Chez Neely! xoN

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    1. You are most gracious, Miss O'Hara!

      I pootle along in my own singular fashion, and it's good to know that it is appreciated. Jx

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    2. I really miss Thom and TJB, but I can’t support FaceBorg. I have an account but refuse to log on as it lines Zuckerborg’s pockets, and he and the platform are actively working to undermine our democracy. I wish it would get regulated out of existence — or at least influence. xoN

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    3. I agree - yet (apart from dictatorships that only want state-sanctioned communications anyhow) it's only Australia making a stand against his dominance at the moment, it seems. Jx

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