Good Morning, Memphis

Well, busy weekend here at Half-Bakered. Managed to knock out a few things and tweak a few noses. Good. It's about time.

I have to admit to becoming reticent in being the media watchdog I set out to be. As I've gone along, I've heard from, met and had email discussions with members of the local media establishment. With only one exception (Hi Jackson!), they've proven to be nice and thoughtful people. I hate that. It made me less likely to hold feet to the fire.

Well, no more. I need to do my job, self-appointed though it may be. We've been discovering new Memphis blogs at a rapid rate lately, but none take the local media to task on a regular basis. Someone needs to and I say it's me.

So, I'm back on the job.

If you find yourself on the pointed end of the stick, don't take it personally. I don't. With very, very few exceptions, I go after words and actions, not the person. I try not to make it personal, but I also try not to spare the rod either. Take your licks, shake hands, get back to work. OK?

The usual caveats apply. Right now, I'm between jobs and have some spare time to expend. Early in Half-Bakered's history I took my job way too seriously and blogged about every single mistake I could find in the Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer. That would sometimes mean five hours a day of work. Not surprisingly, I burned out. Hiatus. I watch myself more nowadays so that doesn't happen. Unless someone wants to pay me to do this full time! Believe me, I work cheap. I have the W-2s to prove that.

Stopping blogging is also a mistake. It's very hard for me to restart when I do. It's like pulling loose from quicksand or flypaper. I'll have to be careful not to let that happen again.

And, of course, there's the depression. I have no control over this. I went for almost a decade with few problems, until about five years ago when the bottom fell out. I've been waiting and hoping to come back up, but it hasn't happened. It's like quicksand and flypaper, as I just said. Just keeping moving requires a lot of energy. Any time I stop, I return to inertia. I can't guarantee I won't do that again.

But.

Right now I'm feeling better. Maybe it's the arrival of Spring. Who knows?

Enjoy the ride.