• Another big number goes unnoticed

    A blogging friend (who posts a lot more often) noted the passing of a blogging milestone a few days ago, but it didn’t occur to me to look at my own blog (I swear). I didn’t notice the number until I imported all of my stuff from the WordPress database into MacJournal this afternoon: 2023 posts. About twenty of those posts are hidden from view – saved drafts never finished, or events recounted awaiting the passing of applicable statutes of limitations. That brings the number of “published” posts down to about 2003 (this one being 2004).

    Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bragging. If anything, it’s a small number, considering how long the site has been up. But still, it seemed worth mentioning. The geek in me feels compelled to share a few stats, so those of you following from the beginning (hi Christy) know what you’ve put up with (quantified anyway).

    (numbers include those hidden posts)

    • 441,571 words
    • 218.28 words per post
    • 20,826 occurrences of the word “the”
    • 5,784 thats (to my eternal shame)
    • A whole slew of words appearing only once (mispelled)
    • Only two occurrences of the word “dire,” which seems inconceivable, considering my appetite for exaggeration.

    That’s what I have to show for running my site a little more than ten years. It may not be much, but it’s been fun… sometimes. I wonder how long it will take to get to four thousand?

  • A place for all my stuff

    There’s something you should know. You are part of an experiment. Some of you may feel like I’ve violated your trust, using you without your permission. If it makes you feel any better, you’re not an important part. If you like feeling important, I’m really sorry.

    Just being here, reading this post, is all it took.

    In a few seconds you’re going to start getting tired of this post, and that’s o.k. It’s expected. Just seeing this post made my test a success.

    The truth is I’ve been playing around with new software again. You have no idea how relieved I am to finally admit it. I don’t feel dirty any more. I don’t have to sneak around behind my old program’s back, worried we’ll be caught in the act. You see, I’ve been cheating on my blogging software. I’ve had a little badge for it down in the corner for a while now: MarsEdit. We’ve had some really good times together… and kept each other going during some rough ones too. How do I reward it? I start seeing a sweet little number named MacJournal.

    Oh, I’ve done my share of rationalization. I’m a pro (if I may be allowed this small pinch of egomania). The new software can serve as a depository for all of my writing, not just the stuff that ends up on the blog. It can also serve as a backup for my blog. It’ll keep a copy of all my posts on my hard drive, as well as automatically synchronize it’s database with a remote server AND my other computers.

    MarsEdit was never intended for those things, so I can’t blame it. It does what it’s supposed to do really well – simply and efficiently.

    We’ll see if MacJournal can do a whole bunch of stuff as well.

  • Back on the healthcare rant

    I love it when folks say: “I want my doctor making treatment decisions, not the government,” as if an insurance company never set treatment terms.

    I loved it even more when our insurance company said they wouldn’t cover treatment for Beth’s Aspergers. Why? “Because Florida Law only requires us to cover treatment for Aspergers if it’s diagnosed before a child turns eight.”

    Translation: “We wouldn’t cover you losers at all if it weren’t for those meddling, socialist pigs in government.”

    If you don’t like your insurance, you can just switch, right? I mean, that’s the beauty of the free market. How many of you have a job that offers a wide selection of insurance providers? No? Well, you could just switch jobs, right? Yeah, that’s the ticket. In this economy, finding another job should be no problem. Oh crap! That’s right. There will probably be a temporary exclusion of pre-existing conditions if you switch jobs and insurance (temporary – not permanent – because of those meddling socialists again).

    Regulation isn’t sexy and it’s easy to pick on. The problem is, you never know when it’s working. There are few eureka moments where you learn a regulation kept you safe, healthy, or alive. Too often you don’t know they’re there until someone finds a bad one, a business ignores one (aided and abetted by a willingly blind, often Republican administration), or one doesn’t go far enough.

    But isn’t regulation the opposite of freedom? Yeah, isn’t it grand when your insurance company is free to screw you over?

    —

    I wanted to say something really crude about protesting taxation with representation today… but I’ll hold off for now. I’m angry enough about the insurance thing. I could get myself in some real trouble with a double rant.