Thursday, July 06, 2006

Are You Being Served?


Blogroll Me!

Imagine some dusty, godforsaken town in the Old West. Main Street is empty of foot traffic, but there are horses hitched here and there, waiting for their riders to return.

In front of the Know-It-All Saloon stands a gunslinger. A stranger. Dressed in black from head to toe. And he's wearing the pointiest cowboy boots ever been seen 'round these parts of the county. The gunslinger calls them his "cockroach killers"...

Music and raucous laughter flow out of the saloon, the sound of bottles being smashed, high-pitched squealing feminine voices of the dancin' girls, and the music and laughter of men continue.

The gunslinger spits out his plug of chewin' tobacco, pushes through the swinging doors and looks over the room. The laughter stops, the music stops, the talking stops.

"Whaddaya gotta do to get a drink 'round here?" says the gunslinger in his twang.

"Comin' right up," says the handlebar-mustached bartender, already polishing a glass and pouring a finger of whiskey. He slides it across the bar to the stranger...

Now imagine me. Not a gunslinger. And certainly not a stranger 'round these parts. I don't use chewin' tobacco, I don't wear cowboy boots, and I don't even ride horses!

But almost each time I open my blog to see my previous post, I (with a slight swagger and Queens, NY-like twang) have to say, "WHADDAYA GOTTA DO TO GET A COMMENT 'ROUND HERE?"

And I'm waitin' for y'all to say, "Comin' right up!"

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I often feel the same way, Pearl! Loved the analogy to the gunslinger. I often wonder why my posts don't generate more comments and then I usually hate myself for caring about stuff like that. But it does fascinate me how some blogs I read get dozens and dozens of comments on every single post and others (including mine) get so few. Still, I know it's NOT correct to say that lack of comments equals lack of interest in the blog. I only comment when I feel I have something to add and that has little to do with how much I enjoyed a post. So know that we're out here reading even if we're sometimes a little quiet!

Ezzie said...

Hehe. I always read, even if I don't comment...

I've been confounded the past few days: The posts I thought would gather a lot of comments got almost none, while the others got a bunch. But if you really want comments, just put up pictures of Elianna - that works every time! :)

cruisin-mom said...

That does it...I'm posting pictures of Elianna.

Elie said...

Well, howdy ma'am! That was a right purdy picture.

Jake said...

You know I don't put a comments section on my humor site. Not because I don't want to hear feedback, (my email address is there for that), but because my stuff is there for people to enjoy and then move on. Unlike so many other bloggers who write what they really believe 100% of the time, I would say I only "believe" the messages in about 75% of my jokes and simply chuckle to myself about the other 25%.

The radio jocks who use my stuff get different impressions of me from time to time. Sometimes they think I'm the best "Bush-basher", and other times, they think I'm the best guy to make fun of celebrities. But you know I really don't want to be pigeon-holed.

Anyway, I admire you for writing about personal stuff and always writing as "you" as opposed to the character I sometimes play.

torontopearl said...

Thank you, all, for commenting.

Danny: I guess I do make the mistake of thinking lack of comments equals lack of readers or lack of interest. As Ezzie says, sometimes the posts that I think will generate the most comments, generate a big fat zero, and I wonder "What's up with that?" It's like a comedian who keeps getting up on stage, telling the same jokes and not getting anyone to laugh time and time again. He begins to wonder about his chosen vocation...

Ezzie: See above re. posts generating comments. As for photos of Elianna -- babies and puppies will always up the number of comments, but I guess you figured that out on your own!

CM: If you post a photo of Elianna, you have write an accompanying post about her too.

Elie: Y'all come back now, ya hear?!

Jake: You're among the great writers -- and joke tellers. (unlike the comedian I described above) But your avenue of a blog is a means of honing your craft and getting it out there, a medium for the message, so to speak. I believe it to be different than cultivating a personal blog. It is my writing craft that I'm honing at the same time, but that's my personal tool, not benefitting others...as your humor does. (Do you understand what I'm trying to say?)

Ezzie said...

I don't post the pics for the comments... those are just bonuses. :)

And CM - when you come visit you can post pics!

cruisin-mom said...

Is that an offer Ezzie?!!! (all I need is lot's of ice cream)

Jake said...

I get it... yes, having to write brand new jokes, (7-10) a day and do it in public is a great way to whip yourself into shape as a comedian. We'll see if it gets me anywhere.

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