Henceforth

As many can tell, blogging has been light recently.  Well, it's been mostly non-existent.  I have no intention of declaring an end to the blog or anything.  I've done that before, and almost every time some crazy 'next step to the abyss' moment happened.  The most recent example being when I pledged to set aside issue based blogging - on the eve of the Brett Kavanaugh kangaroo court.  The noteworthy moment with that fiasco was listening to lawmakers, pundits and even journalists explain that while innocent until proven guilty, due process and burden of proof are fine things for our dusty old courtrooms and legal types, in 21st Century American society they no longer apply. 

Incidentally, has anyone noticed the next step in this?  Donald Trump is being removed from ballots, and as far as I know, he has yet to be convicted in a court of law.  And the ones advocating for this are those legal law making types who roam about in those dusty old courtrooms.  I'm no legal expert, and perhaps there is an explanation.  But it looks to me like we just took another step across another line in the sand. 

Therefore, because you never know what will happen next - like the Left being 'awe shucks' about non-right-winger activists celebrating the worst singled day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust - I won't say no to topical blogging.  I will, however, cut back.  As I have already been doing, if you can't tell. 

Part of it is practical.  A growing number of online news outlets and other forums are becoming 'paywall protected.'  When I started this back in 2010, even those media outlets that had paywalls had a sort of 'ten free a month' type offers.  But now?  Nope.  Not only the big mainline outlets like the NYT or Washington Post or Wall Street Journal, but even others like Fox or some Catholic sites I've visited are having more 'subscribe to read the whole thing' messages.

On top of that Twitter has changed.  I have never (nor will I ever) belonged to Twitter, the scourge of discourse and mature dialogue.  But I could still access imagines of those who are on Twitter. But they've changed something, and now I can't. That means there's just not much left to turn to when it comes to linking to a story or reading up on what is going on.  Unless it's our local papers or a magazine off the shelf, it just isn't that easy anymore.  On top of that, people just don't seem to be interested in keeping up with the crazy the way they used to.  I still get some emails or FB messages about what the latest kookie thing written, but not nearly the way it used to be. 

This includes blogs, BTW.  I seldom link to blogs that are more traditional or conservative, for obvious reasons.  Most who read my blog read theirs.  While there is nothing wrong with what they say, I have always felt it odd to simply repeat what others have written, especially when most are coming to my blog from theirs.  

Beyond all that, here on the home front, it's just tougher to keep up.  Despite the media's propaganda to the contrary, this is not a wonderful economy with our best days ahead.  Our family, too, is under the joy of  Bidenomics, and will have to adjust accordingly.  Plus, certain commitments around the house are demanding more time on our part, and that takes away from the time I can give searching for the odd outlet that has a story to muse on that I can access.

So I'll cut down my 'issue' blogging to about one a week.  That is, a post bouncing off some news story about the country, the Church, the world, whatever.  I won't waste time with liberal Catholics online anymore.  They have retreated behind bans and blocks and no comments sections to avoid confronting dissenters.  No sense posting about something nobody can react to, other than shake fists and say 'told you so.'  But dealing with the latest news crazy, or problem in current events, will occupy about one post a week.  Huge, catastrophic moments always being a potential exception.

That's not to say I won't muse on things.  I reserve the right to post something based on my general assessment of life, faith, or fancies.  But the 'follow this link to a story because of the latest' will be a once a week endeavor.  

Of course I will keep posting on fun, family and other such important ventures.  We have a good priest, an excellent associate pastor, and thus far, a wonderful bishop, and that helps in this maelstrom of Francis era Catholicism.  More on these things down the road.  Beyond that, the latest movies, games and family outings are always fair game. 

But I wanted to update.  Again, once a week I'll try to throw something out based on what is going on in the wider world. Beyond  that, I might post on reflections in general when the spirit moves me.  Hopefully more on the family and fun and faith parts, just to keep active with the blog overall.  If any of that makes sense.  Thanks for the visits, and hope to see everyone soon.