There are things that make you say, "oh fiddle!" especially when you see them at 8 p.m. and it is a bit chilly and you know this will end with you getting wet.
In other unrelated commentary...
1. For reasons which are too mundane to explain I am watching a Tom Hanks movie, "Nothing in common," or something like that. Movie screen writers are morons or perhaps it is the studio heads or perhaps it is a combination.
I always identify with the grumpy old guys who are sexist and kind of rude. I end up being moderately offended by main character with whom I am suppose to feel empathy with. I sort of hope that when they have the ubiquitous misunderstanding that they will never get back together and the main character's life will spiral into alcoholism and end in suicide.
My favorite part of Saving Private Ryan was when Tom Hanks died.
This is a stupid movie.
2. I hate greeting card holidays. I don't want my family to do anything for me on father's day. Sitting in my chair is just fine. I don't want to go sit awkwardly with my father because it is father's day, when he is coming home Wednesday.
3. Blogging... I keep getting encouragement to monetize my blog. I get 350 hits per day. Half of them are returning readers. That is not a huge following. I could promote the blog more. However, I see a somewhat limited audience.
I just read a blog written by a copywriter who will write blog and facebook copy with maximum keywords for adsense. I really hate those BS blogs that show up when you do google searches for things like replacing the pump in your washing machine.
So here is what I wonder about regarding blogging:
1. I wonder if anyone who regularly reads this blog has actually successfully monetized their blog. Please comment if you have. (I see Ohiofarmgirl as done so.)
2. Why do you read blogs? To give you my story, I read blogs because I find other people's lives interesting. I like my blog and would find my bad luck quite amusing if it were not me. I like to keep up with the guy who doesn't have a job, the fellow from the wrong side of the Charles, Gorge and his chicken, and Ralph, and Muddy Valley and OMFG, and what Kev is building, my daily probverb reading, and generally anyone on my blog list. I wish Frank James would tell us what he is doing now.
3. I have been posting with my iPhone and I haven't figured out how to respond to comments. Do you think short posts with photos work the best or do you enjoy the long rambling commentaries? I have found that posting every day results in a higher average readership. However, writing commentary occasionally will result in a link from a high profile blogger and then the hit rate goes through the roof. However, that does not really affect the average daily readership. Very few of those readers stay.
I think most people don't find my life that interesting. You have to have experienced life on a small to medium farm to really get it.
4. My readership is cheap, grumpy, somewhat conservative, and they have owned International Pickup trucks. They don't spend money. Is it worthwhile to write a blog that panders to a more free spending and happy crowd or should blog writing be a refuge from the people who bug the crap out of me all the time. Example, I just accepted 18 people as friends on my real facebook page. Two of those people I actually like. People that I really want to talk to (with three exceptions) do not have facebook pages. I kind of hate facebook. Now that I have people I have always disliked as facebook friends I think I will have to revert back to the Buddeshepherd facebook page.
5. People I know have found my blog. This makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Should I care? They never stay as longterm readers. Perhaps I should just not worry about it. I never use their names when I make fun of local people. Should I care if people are offended?
Posts
Blogger just rejected my reply..........
ReplyDeleteOk, what I said was I guess you (we) need to do posts about politics, religion, or sex to get the really big numbers of hits per day. Most times it ain't so much what you say as how you say it that gets people's attention. And now I am wondering, am I friends with the real Budde Shepherd or the fake one?
ReplyDeleteAnd again...
ReplyDeleteRalph, that is what happens when I try to post or reply to comments using my iPhone.
DeleteI'm not sure what gets the hit numbers up. If you have the right kind of political commentary or you post boob pictures then you get numbers.
I like to read about people's lives and then when they talk about religion or politics or sex, I find it much more interesting.
The Budd E. Shepherd facebook page has languished somewhat. I think I will have to go back to it.
Agreed on item #2! However, I did get to dig into the last pear pie from last season, that was being kept in the freezer. I had to save it from being wasted on dinner guests several times in the past few months.
ReplyDeleteI read certain blogs, yours included, for the same reasons you do.
You would make more money writing a humorous blog about bicycles and wine, but they say it's a bad idea to do anything with money as the primary goal and to do something you enjoy and the money will come. However, that never seemed to work for me. Quite the opposite.
The last pear pie???? Daughter and I rode past your gate today. Went to see Dad. I thought about stopping but didn't want to ride the Triumph up your long driveway. However I did not know about the possibility of pear pie!
DeleteI have an issue that killed my career as a writer. I can't write on command. I can (and did) make up convincing newspaper stories about events that didn't actually happen but when I have to write about something I go blank. I thought about going back to school to learn better grammar and proofreading skills but couldn't decide if I should instead spend money on a good therapist.
Speaking off which, I really wish I would have ask you for the Wolfgang von Goethe books I found in your father's study. But they were in German and I felt like I was intruding. I felt it was so incredibly ironic. Not really sure why...
But, I do digress...
If you write for the bucks, you'll attract flakes. If you write what you darn well want to, you'll attract fascinating people like me! I don't mention my blog to folks I have to live around, plus, like you, I always use different names when I make fun of them. But that's just because I don't want to get sued.
ReplyDeleteI would like to have some sort of income. I'd like to use it to collect interesting stories of local events and local people. But I don't seem to get the stories written down before I forget them.
DeleteMight I suggest a small pocket digital recorder?
DeleteDownload to the computer so you can fast forward. Of course you then have to repeat yourself. In so many words, or in words to that effect. Did I say that?
Short hits are good, extended rants too. Days are all different and deserve different tellings. Pictures always worth twice their weight in text, three times with witty caption.
ReplyDeleteI read blogs for the same reason as yourself, and follow yours closely because brother I been there, done this and run afoul of that.
I agree facebook is pretty annoying. I amuse myself there but have to be careful of what I say because of who all I've taken on board. It's a little more fun than talking into a boot.
Don't have any answers. Charm of your writing has to do with immediacy, honesty and nothing to lose cause it's already gone farmer humor. Monetize that without bastardizing the muse. If you worry about what the locals think you'll end up with your wagon hitched to a train bound for St. Paul.
I check your facebook page from time to time just to see what is up. I believe controlled access is the key to happiness. If people go to the trouble of finding this blog and figuring out the details then they want to be here. I kind of feel like facebook is more like installing a reader board outside my house.
Deletei'm so glad you value my opinion:
ReplyDelete1. yes and its a lot of work. i would not be offended by ads if that is your thing.
2. cuz i work alone most of the day and i like to see what other folks are doing in their farming day. i do not read fashion or mommy blogs. i am, obsessed tho, by that guy who doenst have a job. i keep trying to be friendly with him and i think he thinks i am a loon. i dont think he knows that we have a lot in common and i'm just not some goofy gal who ruins hoses and spreads joy.
3. please continue to ramble. dont be a victim of technology.
4. please be my fb friend. this is me: https://www.facebook.com/ohio.farmgirl.1
we have witty conversation and pictures of bacon all day. and big dogs doing bite work and terrorizing criminals. and kittens. most of my dude friends are conservative, grumpy, and cheap you could have a whole new group of friends.
5. no you should not care what people think - this from someone who is strictly anon online. i lost some people when i posted that we butchered that stupid goat that i hated. then i laughed because what did they expect? i mean - that guy had it coming. plus the meat was delicious and vegans should not read my blog. ever.
that is all.
I think you bring up a good point about being alone. I kind of like being alone. I like controlled access. My theory was that if people I know have gone to all trouble of finding this blog then they should not worry about what is said. I very rarely tell people about the blog.
DeleteThe guy without the job doesn't talk very much but I think he reads a lot. I suspect he doesn't check his mail often.
I thought the goat thing was pretty funny.
"controlled access" yep that is exactly it. perfect. i'm having a goat burger for 2nd lunch - it is not blue tho. or fancy.
DeleteIt's early. I can only respond to one topic. It's going to be a 12 hour day. Caffeine is not going to help. On monetization: My son wrote a blog for Psychology Today which was monetized. He writes well. It was linked to the magazine site. Whenever I asked about actually compensation he laughed. http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/thomas-j-leeper-phd
ReplyDeleteI used Facebook as a bit of a journal. Most of my postings there are really ideas for blog posts, most of which never get the thought, verbiage and imagery that they need. The downside is once you hit "post" you sort of wrap things up. Saving a post as a draft for a blog likely would have a higher return/completion rate.
My wife and I used to own four stores which sold greeting cards. Over the course of five years I began to really dislike holidays that had card associations. Father's Day is perhaps a good day to reflect but for me I just want to be left alone. Yesterday I did start to write a blog post about the responsibilities of fathers for all children, not just their own. It was a pretty good thought but ended up being a 75 word Facebook post, probably never to be more completely worked out.
It's important to put some mechanical reference in this comment. At the rural property I have have three riding mowers, only one of which is good and safe. My tenant uses one to mow around the rental house. For whatever reason something breaks at least twice a year when he's using it. In twelve years I've been responsible for one breakdown, the result of hitting a football sized rock. A week ago when loading my truck I looked at the bucked with tow straps, a chain and jumper cables, deciding that none would be needed. At the destination the mower battery was dead. I'd also left out my ever present vise-grip and could not reallocate any other batteries. This weekend I dropped off a new battery but once again forgot the vice grips. This lead into a text message to the tenant on how to use jumper cables. He's thirty-five. The discharge chute has been destroy from too many rocks so I bought a new one. The mower throws debris into the operators face if you look at it. The missing vice grip precluded installation. I set the discharge chute on the seat with a hope for divine intervention.
Interesting comments Art. I have your same feelings about Father's Day. I also have to go to work. Now I have things to think about.
DeleteI have never owned an International but have been known to be grumpy. Cheap is a compliment.
ReplyDeleteWe write because we have something to say and the people around us don't want to listen.
I am usually in a hurry so short posts are better for me but you are writing for you.
Grace and peace.
Had a Studebaker here. Wish I still had it. Monetize and use ads if you need.. Pictures are nice. I like seeing the ones with the machinery in them. Trying to figure out their usage.
ReplyDeleteNot real grumpy and I prefer frugal.
Still have the IHC , #4 sort of fits well .
ReplyDeleteAlso had Studebaker and other brands of not loved equipment because it was cheap at the time , served me well . One "Harvest from Hell" . I had one each of the following trucks running ,48 Chev ,50 Studebaker,54 Dodge ,56 Ford , 74 Ford LN . 3 combines ,a Case 1060 , MF 92 , JD105 . The logistics of men and machines was hair tearing . My wonderful Wife seemed to take it all in stride , Meals ,laundry , Bunk house bedding . Crazy days back then. Throw in the collection of old ,young , and know nothing temp help it was .... Well looking back , Interesting :>)