Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Feeling blue

Hey ho. Apologies for my lacklustre blogging performance of late, I've been feeling a bit down. It's only natural I suppose, I was on such a high after the bike ride and when Mr C got home safe and sound, that I think I've been suffering from some sort of come down.

I think this is probably how mothers feel when they finally give birth. After years of waiting to find Mr Right then settle down, couples 'try' to have a baby. Conception happens, then after nine long months, they're presented with a sleeping, shitting, thankless brat.


Matters weren't helped greatly when I went to the cinema at the weekend and saw Meryl Streep's latest movie Julie and Julia. I don't want spoil it for you guys, if you're planning to go and see it, so if you are, look away now!

It's billed as being based on two true stories. One follows the life of Julia Child, she was basically the Delia Smith of America. She helped write a book called Mastering the Art of French Cooking and then become a TV super chef. She was married to Gandhi.

The other true story follows the life of New Yorker, Julie Powell, who is fed up with her rubbish job, and the approaching doom of turning 30. She decides to write a blog in hommage to her hero Julia Childs. She sets herself the goal of cooking all of the recipes in Julia's book in the space of one year.

Amazingly, the blog of her simply ripping off someone else's recipes becomes an online sensation. She gets revied in the New York Times and then her blog is made into a book and then a film.

FUCK ME. All she did was copy someone else's work?!?!?!?

How is that fair? How? Where's the art? The craft?

In the film, Julia is reported to say that she's not best pleased ith Julie's blog. Julie is crestfallen, for about ten minutes, then her long suffering boyfriend tells her it doesn't really matter, and so she gets over it and forges on regardless.

Where's the bloody justice eh? eh? I toil, night and day to bring the blogosphere high quality Citizen Journalism and what do I get?!?!?!?!?

Well, granted I do get some lovely comments from among others Mr C, Mess, Tennyson and Mr London Street. But even so...surely I'm more worthy of a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep as Mum!

AND - to top it all off, my blog following has diminished in number by one! I'm down to 25 followers. How can I make this blog more popular? I'm struggling to come to terms with my mediocrity. I've bared my soul to the blogospehere and been roundly ignored.

As you can imagine, I've been feeling quite low about it all. I'm not sure I can be arsed any more. I was going to write a short story for Peter Parsnip and the Secret Seed Society, but what's the point!??!?!?!?!?

4 comments:

  1. Hi Blogleader – first of all, thank God you’re back blogging – but what’s with the depression and self-flagellation? Do you REALLY need us to tell you how important you and your 24 carat blogs are to your merry band of followers? 25 or 26 - who the hell cares? Tiny acorns and mighty oaks and all that – you are the best reason for switching my computer on every morning! You’re the double cream on the strawberries of life!

    “Great men suffer hours of depression through introspection and self-doubt. That is why they are great. That is why you will find modesty and humility the characteristics of such men.” ~ Bruce Barton (No – I don’t know who the hell he is either – but he talks sense!)

    He also said :- “If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be - enthusiasm.”

    And there we have it – along with many other fine qualities, no doubt, I suspect your Mum gave you the immeasurable gift of enthusiasm. For what other reason would you pour out your soul on a computer keyboard day-in, day-out for the edification and pleasure of your dedicated followers or ride 150 miles at the drop of a hat to support a heart warming cause?

    You are just suffering from an adrenalin low! The recent high-octane Fur Wars blog with its panic-inducing deadline (and that was my fault – sorry!) followed by the physical effort of cycling from Nottingham to Maidenhead got your adrenalin pumping – and it’s a well-known fact that we get addicted to our own adrenalin (why else would marathon runners keep on running all year through rain, snow and sleet if it was not for the big addictive adrenalin rush of the cheering crowds on the day of the race?)

    Sod Roger – he’s no more important than follower 26 who quit the life raft this week – get on the old dog and bone and have a long chat with your Mum – she’s the one face in the cheering crowd that you are really missing.

    First advice session free – all others charged at two blogs each!

    Cheers, MrC

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  2. Chin up Baz! We've all been through it and come out the other end. You can at least bask in the knowledge that each of your followers has decided to be here, rather than just some popular blog that people follow because it's got lots of readers, rather WANTING to be read. I love your blog and would be rather crestfallen if you decide to hop off. 'A great man can always be known by the rabble that denounces him.' Or something like that, I can't quite remember how it goes. Keep on keeping on and you might be pleasently surprised. I know I have been.

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  3. Yours is one of my favourite blogs. But you don't do much to promote it by going out there and reading and commenting on other people's blogs. Networking Barry, networking...

    Also you may have lost a few people with all that Fur Wars. I have missed you writing about what you know. How are things with Dan Batman (err... Bantam)? How's your mum? More news from Planet Newsdesk please!

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  4. Thanks for the comments guys. Mr C - you're right (of course) about so much, I'll get back to sorting out the rift. Tennyson - I will keep my chin up. And MLS - I probably should comment on more blogs, I suppose I do tend to focus on myself a little too much...I am an only child. I'll try and comment on some other blogs.

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