There are a lot of commenters here at Larvatus Prodeo who don’t have a blog of their own, but who would make fantastic bloggers. If you’ve ever found yourself hoping someone would blog about something you saw on the news, or typing, “Sorry for the off-topic comment, but here’s an interesting link”, then you really should have a stab at running your own blog.
I’m prepared to help. The creators of WordPress have set up a new hosted blogging service at WordPress.com. It’s essentially what TypePad is to Movable Type — the main difference being that it’s free. It hasn’t been publicly launched yet, but I have a golden ticket to give to someone who would make good use of the service.
Interested? Hit the comments below. If more than one person wants it, I’ll have to come up with an elaborate and possibly humiliating competition to decide who will prevail. (Seriously, you all should think about it.) [Update: Regular LP commenter Rob has taken up my offer.]
And while I’m at it, I should plug another giveaway I’m running — although I’m not sure what the prize is. Listen to this MP3, which is the introduction to ten songs, and email me if you know the titles and artists. The current leader has six correct, so there’s plenty of scope to win. Entries close at an arbitrary time of my choosing. Good luck!
Second prize could be joining the LP blogger community, Rob. For that matter, the first prize winner would be welcome to come on board - as lots of our contributors maintain their own blogs and post or crosspost here as well.
Robert, I’d like to run my own blog. Minimal politics, but lots of art, film, literature and music. LP takes care of the politics pretty well.
So I’ll bite. What does it take? And thanks for your offer of help.
Rob, I’d read your blog. Just sayin’.
I’d also read a Nabakov blog, a Paul Watson blog, and a Steve Edney blog. It’s easy and addictive. Go to it, kids.
I’d read your blog too Rob and then I’d be all contrary and argumentative like just so you didn’t feel left out!
Yep, I’d read it too. And come and be a tag team echo squad for Kate!
Adding to Liam’s list, I’d also like to see a Paul Norton blog. The Fyodor blog is probably a forlorn hope.
Paul Watson is now writing occasionally for Troppo, I think.
Rob: I’d read your blog, too, so you’re on. I’ll be offline for an hour or so but I’ll set the ball rolling when I’m back.
I’ve often suspected Paul Norton of actually being Andrew Norton. And vice-versa. Don’t tell me it doesn’t make sense.
God save us from a Homer Paxton blog.
Mindy, you ought to leave the forbattle crew and go solo. If only for the haiku.
I should add, I really would like to read Rob’s blog, but the LP contributor offer applies only to lefties. I’ve already made C.L. cry by not inviting him to blog here, so it’s no reflection on the quality of writing - just a desire to maintain the political direction of this blog.
My sister did manage to entice Fyodor into a guest post …
Ooh, your sister’s a hottie, Amanda, judging by that picture! Just admirin…
Is it weird to have a sister who’s an anime person?
I’ve given up hope of enticing you, Amanda, into blogging politics. Obi-wan never told you you were meant to blog on politics.
Search your feelings. You know it to be true.
Any time Amanda wants to blog politics, LP will provide her with a forum!
Thanks Kate.
Possible posts:
1) Furtwangler as the absolute non-pareil of conductors in the post-acoustic recording period
2) Shakespeare as ultimate wordsmith and poet.
3) The Marxist underpinnnings of the great but seriously under-rated film ‘The Molly Macguires’ (I could get paid for this)
4-25) Films. Including an appreciation of film noir and the works of Val Lewton.
26-100) Great classical music compositions and performances
101-xxxx) More of the same.
xxxx-xxxx) Thoughts on art, starting with Vermeer.
Boring blog.
My gravatar, her profile pic — only our mother can tell us apart!
Is it weird to have a sister who’s an anime person?
It is helpful in getting the attention of the bar staff I will say. We never wait for our mojitos.
You could add in some education wars for colour and movement, Rob.
No colour or movement on a blog of mine, Mark. Stodge stodge stodge.
Ah, you and your sister should come up for a Brisvegas visit, Amanda. Mojitos are very good in these parts (and the consequent hangovers very very bad).
Ooh. I love Vermeer, Rob and that Dutch stuff usually bores me. But I love Vermeer. I was able to see a couple at the Frick in NYC which was a highlight. Evil industrialists have the best art collections, to be sure.
I heartily endorse the inclusion of Vermeer on the HSC syllabus!
I’d like to have a blog. Oh wait, I do… Do you know when the beta test goes public? I want to switch my blog to wordpress so I can do stuff like categories… I’m pushing 100 articles now and even I can’t find some of the old ones…
I’ve given up hope of enticing you, Amanda, into blogging politics.
I blog politics already. The internecine wars among Dylan Tragics or the Great Son Volt Controversy of ‘03 make the Latho foofaraw look like one of his kindie stories.
Creo yo que lo que hace falta el mundo es un weblog izquierista elitista.
Lo espero atentamente…
Izquierdista, quiero decir…
Id be a lousy blog host. Rattling off half-baked, mispellt rants at breakneck speed between chess moves.
Tkae taht RDWB!
Liamista! Te agradezco…
Lastima, te esperas sin esperanza, companero. Mire arriba.
Sin embargo, blogeamos hasta la victoria siempre… Conoces a algunas bloges en castellanao?
Mark — sorry about that email by mistake! I blame red wine and the consumption thereof. And now my email isn’t working. Frown.
And let me say having your own blog — it’s just work work work. My boyfriend hates my blog too ’cause he reckons I pay more attention to it than I do to him.
Okay. Shouldn’t comment when semi-pissed. Goodnight all.
Mick: when Rob gets his up and running, he will have a golden ticket to pass on to someone else… so if you grovel he might give his to you (whereupon you will have one to give to the next person, etc).
Rob: check your email, or email me. Let’s get this show on the road, before you have second thoughts!
Kate, “My boyfriend hates my blog too ‚Äôcause he reckons I pay more attention to it than I do to him.”
You can tell your boyfriend that you are following an Australian tradition of political self-publishing. I hope they digitise beyond 1840-1845, the next period (increment) is pretty important in Republican history.
No probs, Kate!
Not an issue for us single folks!
Lol, yes, Manas is sometimes less than impressed!
If Manas gave her blog some more lovin’, Rob, then you guys wouldn’t have a problem! She should in any case - she’s a good blogger!
Mark says: I‚Äôve already made C.L. cry by not inviting him to blog here…
As you know, my Murdochian friend, that was spoof rather than jeremiad on my part.
I would never join a group blog. How infa dig!
Very kind of Robert to do this for someone.
Just jokin, C.L.
My girlfriend doesn’t mind my blog, so long as I don’t write about her.
I’m back on line after a snooze, Rob.
On a related note, apparently yesterday was Lurker Day when the usuals shut the hell up and the lurkers tell us who they are and what they want. I for one would like to hear from LP lurkers.
Good one, Amanda. I’ll put up a quick post.
Nah, Mr. Kate’s cool with it. He has found solidarity with other blog widows and widowers. And plus when I’m dicking around on the ‘Net he can watch all the sport he wants on TV without me sitting there saying “I hate cricket/football/tennis/lawn bowls, can’t we watch something else?”
Hmm, its tempting if I can find the time to do it, glad to see Liam at least would read it. I’ve been giving it some thought for sometime.
“The Fyodor blog is probably a forlorn hope.”
Quite. I’m more of a blog ronin, an itinerant bloggiste of no fixed abode, if you will. Wherever I lay my text, that’s my home. I also realised some time ago that I’m better as a supporting actor. You know, the character actor who nobody ever quite recognises and doesn’t get the babe action of those showboatin’ leading men. It’s a hobby.
Also, blogging looks like work. I have enough of that already.
Fyodor, several thousand words a day on various blogs, and reading Strocchi’s posts through must be hard work, but I can’t imagine whatever else you do take a lot of time.
Steve: Fyodor’s a capitalist. He’s got a million low-paid monkeys tapping at keyboards somewhere in Australia, and he just pinches the best comments.
Surplus value of labour, I believe they call it.
Liam, I am going solo soon (sort of) with a blog about owner building a house at Yass. Really it’s just an excuse to whinge about my husband and various tradesmen. Not sure if I’ll have much energy for poetry though.
And here was I thinking his gravatar meant he was commenting from gaol.
I think Fyodor is the James Bond of the Aus blogosphere, only with pointier hair and fewer exploding gadgets.
I’m of like mind with M. Fyodor. It’s much more fun and far less responsibility as a strolling player in blogoland. Some summer stock or rep here, a little experimental theatre there, leaving behind only a trail of shambolic performances, mixed reviews, broken hearts and bounced cheques.
Currently appearing onstage as Aftergrogblog’s film reviewer, http://tinyurl.com/b8ufm, …until the writs start flying again.
Got my site set up now! Thanks a million, Rob.
Oh furt! Not another bloody Wilhelm Furtwangler blog!
You got it, buddy.
You’re just about to be blogrolled, Rob.
You are duly linked, Rob.
Just a pedantic quibble (since you have pedantry in the tag line of your blog) - isn’t “valour” spelt with a ‘u’?
Just channelling tim…
Thanks, Mark. I’ll have my work cut out to live up to it. Oh boy, what to post?
All the best with it, Rob!
Some American spellings just ‘feel’ right. But I’ll think about it…..
Suit yourself, Rob - I’m only obsessive about “programme”!
I realised, Rob, when I saw the larger version of your gravatar that I’ve actually seen a movie about Furtw√§ngler. A google search later and I’m very tempted to go down to the video shop and hire it again. Alas, work intervenes…
Buy a couple of CDs of the man himself, liam. Schubert’s 9th, Schumann’s 4th, bits and pieces of Wagner, any of the Beethovens or Brahms. Look for Deutsche Grammaphon’s remastered ‘Originals’ series.
Quite seriously, it could change your life. This was an incomparable artist working an incomparable repertoire. Nothing like it will ever be heard again.
Ahhhhh! Ha! Now I know why I was getting Google-hits looking for Nabakov.
I thought it was because someone was looking for …
Ah, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Mon incroyable, mon beau, mon cheri. Your boundless joy penetrates my entire being, wounding all four chambers of my rapidly beating heart. I stand blessed.
… much less wicked, what?