Into the Holidays

I'm hoping you all had a very good Thanksgiving and avoided getting trampled yesterday. Actually, I did wander into a few shopping spots and was both surprised and not-so-surprised at the lack of lines at the registers. Must be some kind of sign, and we'll know Monday.

A big thanks to those who have been keeping the embers burning in the comments. I'm still here and actually kind of getting all my virtual houses in order. It's a bit sad to see the dwindling hit counter, but my mind and body are in a very nice place now.

We're about to do some serious traveling and getting set to launch Bullit's new cookie business. Great Big Radio is still rocking out loud (we'll be playing everything from 1972 between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day for our annual holiday special). And like the rest of the planet, we're getting ready for the next chapter.

Ever notice the annoyance of politics goes away when cable news, book hawkers and Washington shut down for a long weekend? I'd love to keep it this way. Let's work on that.

As always, we're still maintaining the Bloggregator if you need your political animal fed and walked. Let us know how you're doing.

Comments

[scarlet p.]

enjoying a bit of vacation myself too, hoffy old friend, though not for much longer. got to keep in shape mentally and physically for the battles ahead after all. peace to you and your fine readership...

[David Aquarius]

We've been keeping the fires burning...well, in comments at least. My site's been on hiatus as well. Trying to find a good place for it, but the Fates hold the key.

As always.

Good to see you well.

[Mr Bill]

How are we doing? Well, missing your trenchant observations, but I understand the necessity - it's not like this pays a lot of the bills. Good luck on Bullit's cookie line.

[Sandi]

Good luck to Bullit--what kind of cookies?

[hidflect]

I think comments are down all over... Not sure of the reason but I think people are getting lazy and aggregating at the HuffPo and a handful of others. This is probably part of the "Walmart Effect" (as I call it) where markets without borders collect into the the top 10 and everyone else is left with their hands in their pockets. If you want to maintain diversity and full employment (readership) you need to break markets up into "hamlets" all with their own production units. In web page terms this means building a niche speciality, I guess. I see one website I read has spun off into in-depth classical music analysis amongst Afghanistan rants...

[Duncanini]

Hoff where's your Twitter? I miss ya, but I'm glad you're happy.

[Hoffmania!]

We just might all be resting up for 2010. It's really going to take a ton of work to convince a jaded country that they just can't give the GOP the keys to the castle again. There's just an overwhelming amount of stupidity, both intentional and unintentional, that we have to shout down.

We could sure use a lot more Alan Graysons, and I'm holding out hope that his own district realizes his true brilliance - and that other districts will catch on.

But this fluffernutting and slogging by most of the house and senate is just too ridiculous to defend sometimes.

[David Aquarius]

Makes you want to run screaming into the night...again!

The abject stupidity and cluelessness of our freshly elected Democratic majority is beyond reason or defense. The shit going on in the Senate and on the TV Box is enough to give Stupid its own address on 'K' street.

Corporations control this country and they'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. They're not held back by any law, none that has any teeth, so they can sic their lobbyist horde onto our hapless leaders at the first scent of regulation. Watching these congressional clowns fall over themselves stroking the jimmies of corporate lobbies makes me both laugh and gag.

Remember Al Pacino's rant during the courtroom scene in "Scent of a Woman'?

I concur.

[Tom Joad]

I think comments are down at other sites because they put intrusive demands (login each time, etc.) and make it more difficult. Also, probably burn out. We've had 8 years with a bastard in the WH, and thought we got the right guy now, but...he isn't doing what we thought he was going to.

I had a seperate question that occured to me the other day. I don't think ANY nation has ever "conquered" Afghanistan. Certainly it cost the USSR dearly, and it is costing us dearly as well. The harshness, the people and their ways, the geography...etc. mean they rebuffed the most advanced armies in the world.

SO...exactly how does a rag-tag army of "Taliban" "take over"??? With some guns, pickup trucks, rockets, etc...probably one of the least "advanced" armies in the world, and we are to believe that they "took over" before 911, and also were pushed out and now are resurging, but that they somehow CONQUER Afghanistan?
Makes no sense. It isn't credible. Either a big enough portion of the Afghan people welcome them, or (as D. Kucinich mentioned) they are uniting temporarily to drive out a common enemy (i.e. USA).

Either way, if the Afghans WANT the Taliban in charge (if they didn't the Taliban wouldn't be in charge. they are not that easily controlled, as we see) then WHAT are we doing there, and how in the world can we "win" or are we to stay forever? IF they are uniting against us, thus helping the Taliban, what are we doing there?

[Donita in Riverside]

Just wondering, Hoff. Are you the announcer for Great Big Radio? I listen to it almost every day.

[Karen]

Tom,
Your comment about the Afghans wanting the Taliban in charge struck a funny cord with me. It's kind of like us having Bush as our President for 8 years. Didn't most Americans want to get rid of him after 4 years? I guess that means we "are" more controlled.
Hoff,
Sorry for your depression. I hope you'll be feeling more like yourself in the days ahead. Cause we still need ya. I guess we tend to expect too much these days, and when our expectations are proven to be unattainable we either just quit or become excessively passive. Let us not become so negative and impatient that we let true change for the people fall into oblivian. It's going to take more time to correct the past than people are willing to commit to. Maybe people are taken aback because their patience has worn thin and they are dismayed things haven't gone the way they had hoped. I guess this would be part of the reason posts are down on many blogs. People right now have nothing much positive to chat about, or maybe I should say "SHOUT" about. End result: diddly squat on the posting.
I hate war of any kind. My gripes about Afghanistan would be more loss of lives, and how in God's name are we going to pay for more war of any kind? We need to invest in jobs here, and inject major effort in our manufacturing. It's the human desire to sustain and achieve for future generations. We must keep pursuing the best of everything for those who will follow.
I refuse to be downcast. I will, and do hold hope for all Americans in the next few years.
So Hoff, check in once in while and we'll be here waiting.

[BKLN]

Happy New Year Hoff and all you other Hoffmaniacs!