Month: October 2005

PunditGuy is one year old today.

When I started this little hobby, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no idea how much it would become a part of my life. I had no idea how much fun it would be.

I had no idea that one year later, blogging would become a love of mine.

Well, it has.

After 365 days, hundreds of thousands of typed words, roughly 584,000 unique sets of eyes, three different versions of blogging software, and three complete redesigns, I still wake up each day eager to learn something new, hopeful that I’ll write better today than I did yesterday, and grateful for each reader who stops by.

Blogging is a wonderful thing.

If you’ll indulge me a bit, there are a few people I need to thank. Each one has influenced me and in their own way, guided and encouraged me to keep going.

Stephen Green (Vodkapundit)
Hours before I wrote that first post one year ago, I was lucky enough to receive a kind word from Stephen. I asked a few simple questions in an email and he sent back honest answers. Most of all, he said, “Don’t get discouraged!” Thanks Steve.

Jeff Goldstein (Protein Wisdom)
Early on, when he probably should have, Jeff never told me to bug off. Even though I sent him link requests that weren’t always his cup of tea, he always replied with a nice word. Thanks Jeff.

Bill Ardolino (INDC Journal)
Although I’m sure he doesn’t know it, INDC Journal was the first blog to link PunditGuy. Thanks Bill. 

Ace (Ace of Spades HQ)
A good friend who has driven lots of new traffic to PunditGuy. Thanks Ace.

N.Z. Bear (Truth Laid Bear)
NZ taught me a lesson about sending out too many link requests. I respected that and I’ll always remember that bit of guidance. Thanks NZB.

Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit)
How can a one year old blogger not thank Mr. Reynolds? Thanks for the Instalanches Glenn.

Michelle Malkin (Michellemalkin)
She’s been generous and a great example for me. Thanks Michelle.

Kevin Aylward (Wizbang)
Wizbang has been a constant influence for me, and Kevin Alyward has directed many of his readers to articles I’ve written. Thanks Kevin.

Of course there are many, many others to mention. Too many, in fact. Every one of you have shaped this blog. I sincerely appreciate that.

And to the readers of PunditGuy…the ones who come back, day after day, contributing when I’ve had something interesting to say and tolerating me when I’ve posted complete nonsense…you are the fuel that keeps this engine humming.

Thank you.

New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin announced today that damage from Hurricane Katrina is forcing him to layoff as many as 3,000 city employees.

Nagin announced with “great sadness” that he had been unable to find the money to keep the workers on the payroll.

He said only non-essential workers would be laid off and that no firefighters or police would be among those let go.

“I wish I didn’t have to do this. I wish we had the money, the resources to keep these people,” Nagin said. “The problem we have is we have no revenue streams.”

Nagin described the layoffs as “pretty permanent” and said that the city will work with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to contact municipal employees who fled the city in the aftermath of Katrina, which struck about a month ago.

The mayor said the move will save about $5 million to $8 million of the city’s monthly payroll of $20 million. The layoffs will take place over the next two weeks.

Sure, there is a very practical side to this decision by Nagin. Hey, if there is no money, there’s no money and you can’t promise to pay people with something you don’t have and won’t (in the foreseeable future) earn. I guess I just have a real problem with the way Nagin is going about all of this stuff. Is it me or does this guy never take responsibility for anything? Has he assumed blame for any bad decision since the hurricane hit? If he has, I sure haven’t heard it. All I have ever seen him do is point fingers, whine, and complain that no one is doing enough.

Let’s get real Mayor. Who’s paying your living expenses right now? Who’s housing and feeding your family? Are you still collecting your six figure salary?

Oh, and while we’re at it, can you explain your relationship with Louis Farrakhan? What kind of support have you received from his organization?

If you’ve got a story to tell, the world is willing to hear it. When you lay employees off, it’s usually helpful to communicate that you have made your own sacrifices.

Tell us what you’ve sacrificed, Mr. Mayor.

UPDATE: The proverbial DEAD HORSE – Those buses. He didn’t fully explain the flooded ones, and he won’t explain these either, so, ipso facto – the point is moot.

I’ve already seen plenty of comparisons made between nominee Harriet Miers and past Supreme Court Justices, including a few assumed generalizations when lining her up against the most recently confirmed Supremer, Chief Justice John Roberts. Again, the conventional wisdom is that he stands head and shoulders (not just physically) above her in terms of qualifications. But, upon further examination by Beldar, the dissimilarities aren’t as vast as you’d expect.

Now that the information has been officially analyzed, it appears that Hurricane Katrina was a category 3 storm and she weakened to a category 1 at landfall. Ace wonders if this makes funding the New Orleans rebuild a tougher sell. I think it depends on whether or not one restores or rebuilds the city. Restoration means you return things to the state they were previously in. Rebuild means you can start over, with a NEW and better plan.

Fiscally speaking, a rebuild makes more sense.

John Hawkins releases version 4.0 of his 40 favorite blogs. Once again, I’m hangin in there at position 41…right John? (I’m sure there are lots of blogs out there who believe they’re 41 too…but I belieeeeve!)

Drudge screams the following headline in reference to a story released by TIME:

HARRIET MIERS SUPPORTED FULL CIVIL RIGHTS FOR GAYS AND LESBIANS; BACKED AIDS EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CITY OF DALLAS

In her 1989 run for Dallas City Council, Harriet Miers filled out a questionnaire from the Lesbian/Gay Political Coalition of Dallas, where she indicated her support for full civil rights for gays and lesbians and backed AIDS education programs for the city of Dallas…

And Kay Bailey Hutchison noted on Fox News this morning that Miers was a Democrat in 1988, but “switched” soon after to support her and Bush.

Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin continues to provide the best all around coverage of the Miers matter.

Ah, the foreign press…they do these things so well.

In this day and age, you’d hardly think they exist, but they do. A lot of us work hard to appear on Google, but these people go to great lengths to be sure they do not.

Well that didn’t take very long. Hmm…48,250 visits already. The question is, how long can they keep it going?

Actually, who cares.

…I watched Match Game. Now he’s gone. Dang it all to [BLANK].

Actor Nipsey Russell, known as “the poet laureate of television,” passed away yesterday afternoon at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Eyewitness News has learned Russell died of cancer, confirmed his longtime manager, Joseph Rapp. He was 80.

The man could definitely rhyme. Forget Charles Nelson Reilly. Nipsey was the Match Game master.

RIP.