Well, the triumphant return of the Week in Doom, a.k.a. TWID, was not so triumphant after all. It died an agonizing death. Partly this was because of the strange format, partly because it was Friday.
Fridays have always been slow traffic days. But in the summer, traffic withers to the same kind of numbers Biden gets at rallies. This is good. Please get outside and offline.
Or maybe people are online even more, but not at work. Before the covid panic, Friday was slow but not dead. During the panic it was about the same. But after? It’s not much different than the weekend, traffic wise. You do hear stories that many people never returned to offices, and this may be part of that.
Now many years ago when I started this I was inspired in part by, of all people, Mike Royko. He was when he started (well before my time) a daily columnist, and a master of the short-form essay. True, in his old age, when I was coming of age, he turned into a grumpy old man, veered left, and pretended to hate things like Reagan, just as his peers did. But when he was in his prime he was great.
I read him in book-length compilations, of which there are many, and easy to find. Do so, but get the early ones. Much of it has to do with local Chicago politics and life, but it’s all worth reading. As is his book Boss, a Machiavellian-like biography on Boss (Mayor) Richard Daley. Our side could learn a lot from how to get and use power from Daley.
Point is, Royko wrote a daily column when, as he said, he didn’t know it couldn’t be done. He had legmen, as I have you readers who supply me with tips and stories. But he still did all the work. Which is hard work. He said it was like having blood drip from his fingertips. It can be.
So I decided to see if I could do it. I did, and have, and could keep it up, but won’t. I’ll be suspending posts on Friday. Unless events.
Incidentally, no Class on Memorial Day. (But there will be this coming Monday.)
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I read Royko too, for decades, and you’ve accurately described him and his work. But you are better than he ever was!
I did a daily column for zdnet for several years and know how you feel..
However, let me repeat my earlier suggestion: change this in week in doom to this week in hope – list 3-5 items that are either positive or schadenfreudeish, and ask readers to upload memes and/or additional suggestions. easy-peasy and possibly highly popular. TWIP is the most read thing on Powerlineblog with Hayward’s “loose ends (#xxx) somewhere near the top too – see also: instapundit and the comments on “friday fail” (insert smirk here) on theburningplatform. (note that these sites are on nearly opposite ends of some magic scale or other).
In any case, you’re always appreciated.
Don’t worry Briggs… You can always encourage us commenters to post the latest outrage and news for you!
We do love to be heard!
Now while everyone is talking about the good Mr. Butker, I’d like to call attention to:
Trudope
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeaus-internet-censorship-bill-c-11-will-not-be-implemented-until-late-2025/
The Ewwwwww…
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2024/05/18/the-shieldmaiden-calls-white-ethnicities-to-arms/
What you always knew, but Expurts pretended not to…
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/ex-nih-director-confirms-no-science-behind-6-foot-distancing-rules
Dr. Briggs,
Just wanted to thank you for your prodigious written output — all of it thought provoking! I’m about 3/4 done with your book Everything You Believe is Wrong, and have enjoyed it thoroughly, with more to come.
Strange coincidence maybe — you referenced Mike Royko, whom I read sometimes also back in the day — and you referenced his book, Boss, because, well, I just started to watch the TV series entitled Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer as the mayor. Mr. Grammer is an extraordinarily gifted and likely hard working actor, succeeding at full on comedy, more casual roles, and here as a hard bitten angry seething frustrated power fiend. I don’t know if I’ll watch much past the first two episodes. I’m getting the feeling this is a “bad stuff happens all the time and mostly everything gets worse” kinds of shows, which I no longer much like.
All this aside, you’re a thought leader and great writer, Dr. Briggs — thank you for everything you have done and still do.
-Richard
P.S. I read your co-authored book about the pandemic overreaction, which was well thought out and written as well.
Shame. Loved ’em.
Is the latest edition of Brigg’s Book of Everything released yet?
I want only the best most up to date version, autographed, and without all the spelling and grammatical mistakes.
And I want it delivered on time for Christmas.
Enjoy your summer, Matt. Touch some grass, do some fishing.