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Category: Navel Gazing
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Fire Ant Flickers: Introduction
I don't think my brain squirms like a toad, but my writing might.*
Eighteen years ago, the first “Random Thursday” post was published on The Fire Ant Gazette, evolving to over 140 posts under that category. Inspired by Blackie Sherrod’s “Scattershooting” columns, this multifaceted format suited the my short attention span and engaged readers without overwhelming them. However, the concept has lost its appeal, prompting a need for rebranding. I sought ChatGPT’s advice for a new category name, considering suggestions like “Ant Bites” and others. The favorite, “Fire Ant Flickers,” might be adopted, subject to reader feedback. This post reflects on the evolution and potential refresh of my blogging approach.
Random Thursday: The Web Surfing Edition
Do you seem to always land on the same websites/social media? How about some variety?
The Gazette Turns Twenty!
In a testament to stubbornness overcoming commonsense, the Gazette turns 20 years old today.
Progress Report: Slow but Steady
Here’s a quick update on the status of the transition of the Fire Ant Gazette to WordPress. It’s been tedious, frustrating, and occasionally fascinating.
The Future of the Gazette (TL:DR — Changing, but not leaving)
I recently alluded to some potential changes to the Fire Ant Gazette, said changes to be made in response to a black hat hack of a number of files that permitted the bad guys to install phishing software. This was a Very Bad Thing, and resulted in the suspension of my website hosting account until… Continue reading The Future of the Gazette (TL:DR — Changing, but not leaving)
The transition begins…
This is a placeholder post while I try to figure out how to bend WordPress to my will. I don’t know if I’ll keep that drop cap thing; I’ll be experimenting with a lot of different style options, and some won’t make the grade. The drop cap seems a bit pretentious, doesn’t it? One thing… Continue reading The transition begins…
Reflecting on Nineteen Years of Blogging
Today marks the 19th anniversary of the Fire Ant Gazette. In the WWW (Wonderful World of Weddings), the 19th anniversary is represented by bronze — the metal, not the color — which apparently symbolizes strength and endurance, and I suppose that’s apropos for almost a fifth of a century of writing stuff for no apparent… Continue reading Reflecting on Nineteen Years of Blogging
Bienvenidos, 2021. Don’t let us down.
Welp, here we go again. Following a wild ‘n crazy NYE (we were in bed before 10:00), we felt justified in sleeping in this morning: I didn’t get out of bed until 6:30. (Go ahead and laugh it up; you’ll be old someday.) We got bundled up and headed out the door for a four… Continue reading Bienvenidos, 2021. Don’t let us down.
Adios, 2020. Thanks for trying.
*whispers* 2020 wouldn’t even rank in the top 1000 worst years in human history — Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) December 31, 2020 For all its faults — and, yes, there were multitudes — 2020 could have been much worse. For example, the Patriots could have won the Super Bowl. The Walking Dead could have turned out to be… Continue reading Adios, 2020. Thanks for trying.