Why the long face, John? I ask because you say on Facebook that you are sad regarding me.
And how do I know this, not being a Facebook member or a person addicted to checking for posts?
I got a call at 9:12 p.m. Monday night from someone alerting me to your commentary on Facebook regarding me and posting my latest blog contribution, although being unhappy about doing so. This amazed me since I’d just finished writing it and posting at maybe 8:20 or so and had sent my son an email at 8:52 p.m. noting that there had been curious activity on my blog stats page earlier. I’d noticed it while making my post. That strange activity was a heavy preponderance of visits to the home page and archives without actually opening a story. That was pushing a 2-1 ratio. Usually there many more views than visitors because each person tends to stick around and read several entries.
I noted in that email it was as if somebody, or somebodies, had been eagerly checking for something new. Unaware of that before sitting down to write, I apparently responded to some sort of cosmic influence.
John, unlike some of your Facebook pals and their too often exaggerated assertions, I can document this timing with email and phone logs.
As an aside, let me tell you my caller took advantage of our conversation to express for the second time his voter’s remorse that he was feeling since I had talked him into voting for you and Joe Taranto. He does frequent Facebook and is appalled by some of what you two have posted on many issues since that ill-fated election.
I conceded I had misled him, albeit inadvertently. Fortunately, that Republican primary was such a runaway win for our current Democrat-light member that I don’t think I harmed this voter with my blog advocacy of DeBartola and Taranto. If there are others like him, I apologize to them, too.
And I assured my caller I would try to do better in the future.
During our only face-to-face meeting, John, you asked if I minded you posting my blog work on Facebook. I said then and repeat now, you can do whatever you wish, it’s part of the public record when I post it. I never before or since have asked you to do it.
Once again, I make no money by blogging. There is no advertising, no login on the site. It costs me money, but I like to write and share it with anyone, or no one, as is their wish.
Also, I had noted in a blog post explaining our relationship that I have met you face to face exactly once, while you and Taranto were in the neighborhood collecting signatures in order to be put on the ballot.
I find it curious that you chose to send me a message on Facebook about your sadness when I distinctly remember giving you my cell no. at the time we met. I told you then you could call me for assistance or to discuss anything you found to be important. Also, since you know my address, you could stop by to chat.
Please note this is an invitation to you, not to anyone else.
I have neither your cell number, nor your home address, but I could make an educated guess as to your home based on information I’ve been provided such as screenshots about you lamenting neighbors not cutting their grass. Also, I lived both in Oakland and Walnut Grove during my youth, so know the areas well.
I’ve decided since you are a faithful reader of this blog, you will find this open letter shortly, likely even more directly than me having to be told by a third party about your Facebook sadness.
Bottom line: I’m not on Facebook and do not intend to be. There is a reason I label social media as the megaphone for morons. It’s not that everyone on social media is a moron. But there is much larger percentage of posters who are weak-minded, reactionary and doctrinaire than one would find in the general population. Plus, in the pre-internet days, people who knew these lesser lights personally, discounted almost everything they said. But these same deluded people post on social media and people who don’t know them take it as gospel. I choose not to get into exchanges with people like that. That is my right, like it or not.
That is why my blog has no comment provision. If a critic wants to get his or her opinions out, spend the money to create a blog site and then see how easy it is to compile your own content. I repost zip. If there is something on my blog, I came up with the idea and wrote it.
Or, critics can just fire from the lip on Facebook, X (Twitter) and the like for free.
At the peak of the Tribune-Review Publishing network of papers, for which I wrote for 15 years, the combined Sunday circulation was about 200,000. Multiply that by the average 3 person household and it was about 600,000 potential readers on that day alone.
I’ve appeared on TV sports talk shows on KDKA in Pittsburgh, WJAC in Johnstown and WTAJ in Altoona. I had my own sports call-in radio show for a time on WJAC and did sports commentary for WKYE.
Hell, I was on half-hour TV shows several times as a teenager. Scholastic Quiz used to be televised weekly by WJAC and the Johnstown High School team of which I was a member won three times before losing in the semifinals.
My point is, I’ve had my share of exposure and a lot of people in this town still know who I am from the 20 years I spent working full-time at the Tribune-Democrat, not to mention my time as a freelance columnist for the TD.
I’m not trying to make a name for myself. I’m just having fun while in retirement and trying to shine the light on obvious wrongs.
John, you told me during our only meeting — and I’m told you have repeated similar things on Facebook — that you admired my writing skills. I thank you. Alas, I’m not always going to write what you, or others, think is the correct take on events. My blog content is researched by me and reflects the facts, with my take on what they indicate. It can be satirical. It can be a parody. It might make offending parties uncomfortable to have their antics exposed to this slice of the public.
But, if you or anyone else agreed with everything I wrote, we’d be the same person and we are not.
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