Hello everyone, this is Brent and I will be your author today.
I know it’s been a long time since I have posted here, but I did promise to take a break after all, and what kind of role model would I be to the next generation of impressionable young bloggers if I lied to my entire readership in such an egregious fashion?
You see I take my responsibilities very seriously.
And if those responsibilities just happen to include lazing about the house nonproductively, that’s a sacrifice I am willing to make for you, the reading public.
Brent Diggs – Your Author
Now that we have established that, back to the post.
First off, I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and well wishes. It has meant a lot to me that so many people have come by to check in on me, some over and over again.1
I also want to thank all my real-world friends and family members, which I have regularly ignored during the course of my writing over the years. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Here’s to a saner, more balanced, more present relationship from here on out.
Now, as I do my best to whip myself into shape and try to remember how to type, I want to welcome you all to the new and improved Ominous Comma. As you might have noticed, things look a little different now. That is of course, because they are.
This new Comma features a clean, uncluttered look, streamlined site navigation, and a brand spanking new domain: brentdiggs.com. (Feel free to update you bookmarks and blogrolls2)
Now when it comes to posting on this sleek new portal of Ominousness, I have decided to take up Greeneyezz on her sage advice and not return to the same burnout situation that I left behind. From this point on I will be writing when and what I want to. No schedules. No formats.
And it won’t always be funny.
There will be some humor to be sure, it just won’t be my primary focus. If there is one thing that I have discovered so far, it is that when it comes to arranging your creative priorities:
1. Be Funny
2. Write Something Worth Writing
…is an order that just doesn’t work so well. Unless of course you want to stick to the role of class clown.
As for me, having been there and done that, I am ready to move on.
Anyway, I’m not going to promise or limit myself too much here at the outset. I am basically here to respond to those who have called for me to return. My response is: “I’m on my way.”
I’ve tried to address a lot of the inevitable questions this transition has created, as well as the usual “I’m new to this site, what kind of hallucinogenic trip are you all on?” type questions in the FAQ. One thing I haven’t covered however is comments.
The comments on a lot of the older posts have been left in a seemingly random order due to my removal of the threaded comments plugin I was using at the time of their writing. My new theme doesn’t support threading just yet, but WordPress itself is supposedly including that feature in the next major upgrade. Until then, just think of those comments like random word refrigerator magnets, yours to order and arrange and create your own masterpieces with.
Thank you for your patience; I will do my best to reward it.
-Brent
- If my lot in life is to bring out the sheer compulsiveness in others, it is a burden I gladly bear for this opportunity to serve you as licensed internet resource. Oh, and check out my cool new footnote thingy, just click on the red arrow to return to where you were in the post. Neat, huh? «
- But not all at once please, the rest of the internet gets really upset with me whenever we crash it with our mass surges of traffic. «
{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! You look 4 months older.
*looks at feedreader and sees “The Ominous Comma” in that Bolded ‘new’ status state*
*Stares at that Bolded Text in disbelief*
*Rubs eyes with balled up fists and looks again at feedreader*
*Does small dance on desk upon realizing that you have started to write again*
:)
Yaaaaay!!
Good to have you Back! It’ll be nice to stop by here and read, whether that be a post with a humourous
brentbent, one to ponder on, or even one that favors a more serious side of you. I’ve always tended to be drawn to those who write from those different perspectives. It adds depth and rounds out you as a person. :)I also want to say that I am tickled that you thought enough of one of my previous comments to include it here. It made me smile. And I am happy to hear that you weren’t just playing a Trick for Trick or Treat. :)~~
Good to have you back Brent!
*Mwauh*
~ZZ
*Almost falls off desk but continues to dance*
:)
BTW – I like photo of the refrigerator magnets.
:)
Yaaaaaaayyyyy!!!! You’re back! Wow, it’s like an early Christmas present.
The site re-design looks great — so clean and shiny.
Welcome back to the blogosphere!!!
Yeah Brent, you are back. We missed you. Nice to see your sad puppy dog looking face again.
Sweet baby jesus he returns… and its about time. Welcome back and all that.
Great to see you back, old chap! I, too, was suspicious of my feed reader when it informed me that the Comma had been updated. Nice to know I can trust it.
WOOHOO!!
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy to see that you are back!
I love the new look!!
I also love the fact that you are going to post when and what you want to post. That is what blogging is about! We don’t need humor…we just need YOU.
I’m updating my blogroll with your new domain. Congrats!
*hugs*
Ditto.
Or, yeah – what they said.
But I’ll be the first to brave saying it, “Where’s Toboggans?”
(The internet community hangs in anticipation to see if/when the beloved and hated villain returns from his mysterious disappearance.)
I’m also wondering if I oughta take the time to read the various comments in random order and see if they are more humorous or less so that way.
Will these and future comments also be displayed in random order?
Just think! The discussions of squirrels, tea cup moose, jello, Dr. T and fungi could be even more delightful… or confusing.
Wow. I just realized I didn’t just miss you and your writing.
I’ve missed your groupies too.
Bless you.
You are doing the world wide web a service in returning to
battledutywriting.Your new blog-design is great, i really like it :) and i really like the picture in the header. Btw welcome back to blogosphere ;)
Huzzah! Mr. Diggs returns at last!
Truly, it is some sort of Christmas miracle!
Glad to see you back, dude. You were greatly missed.
Good to have you back, Brent!
YEEHAW :D
i, too, took a double take at your bolded status on my reader. hehe. while im hardly a writer (just a talker HA! which is why i blog, since there’s not always someone around to listen to me…*snorts*laffs*), i empathize with your need for spontaneity and writing whatever zaps out of those gabby fingers! YAY for you!!
i’m superdooper looking forward to the new, improved BD! and therefore, the well-rounded and thought-provoking OC :) i foresee a simplyscrumtrilescent future!!
merry return :)
Wow! Glad to know that you are back. The new look is really good and I like it.
Debbie -It’s that hard-living blogstar lifestyle. It really takes it out of me.
Greeneyezz -It’s good to be back. I took my magnet inspiration from you by the way.
Roann -”Clean and shiny…” like a sterilized surgical instrument, razor sharp and ready to…do whatever…such implements do in the hands of amateurs. -Probably start a lawsuit.
Sally -I’m only sad because I have missed everyone so badly. Apparently, I’ll have to improve my aim.
Alex L. -I would have been back sooner but my time machine broke down somewhen in the mesozoic. I don’t know what I pay Don for.
Wolf -You should always great your feedreader with a health suspicion. It helps to keep it from going all matrix on you.
Chunks of Reality -Thank you. *hugs back* *waits for ears to stop ringing*
Youthful One -I could tell you whether our beloved doctor is alive or not but I don’t condone insider blogging. Or those tiny cells they put you in for doing it.
To expand a bit on what I said, the comments are now in cold and merciless chronological order with no real context or reference to who was responding to what, much like Garfield minus Garfield. You of course are free to post your future comments in such a fashion if you wish, I don’t don’t think anyone will try to lock you up.
Margaret -Thanks, glad to have you by.
Likely -I’m all kinds of miraculous, Your Lordship.
Jeffrey Ellis -Thank you. Sorry to see The Stinker get paused.
Matt S. -Good to hear from you, how’s the wife?
Josey -So you want spontaneity, huh?…How about this?– Er, uh…Sorry, I got nothing.
Baby Gates – Where were you when my wife needed restraining?
I had to double-rub (down to one eye, rubbed twice to get the same stimulation as everyone else), thinking, “Who’s messing with my reader?” Then I saw I ACTUALLY HAD SOMETHING TO READ! Christmas miracle indeed!
But Brent, for why you look so sad?
In any case… Wonderful to have you back, on your own terms – and you’re welcome to fill my feed reader as you see fit. {{{BIG HUG}}}
Glad to see you back…..
Brent, I really missed my four walled comment box here. I seem to be sharing it with a frustrated smiley face though. Are they random or can we pick one?
haha cool … I popped in a day or two ago and saw things looking a little different.
I can’t really elaborate as I’m moving and mooching online time, but suffice to say GLAD YOU’RE BACK!!!!!!
PS: Should the links be titled “Ominous Comma” or “Brent Diggs”?
If it’s still the OC, you’re all set …
Who are you again? Why was this site bookmarked on my aggregator? I’m confused…
I thought for sure you’d at least come back and show us a postcard or a key chain or one of those spoon thingys. Slacker. One thing: How will we tell when a post is funny vs unfunny? ;)
And now Brent, I call upon you to help VE in his time of need. See my Tue, Dec 2nd post for details. It is a moral imperative!
Angie -It’s always gratifying to take part in any miracle, holiday or otherwise. As for my sadness, it was simply the thought of your empty feedreader.
jeolmstead -Glad to be back. Thanks for your encouragement, you’re a good friend.
Debbie -Let’s give this style of comment section a chance to see if it can keep up with us. As for being trapped with a frustrated face, you can do what the HCM and I have done and go to gravatar.com and upload a picture you are more comfortable cohabiting with.
LOBO – Sorry to hear about your move. Even if it is to a better place, moving is always painful. As for links, anytime you or anyone else want to link to this site using the phrase Brent Diggs it only helps my search ratings.
CrummyJoel -Who am I…? Wow, I knew I shouldn’t have turned down that Bloggers Express card. They weren’t kidding when they said, “Don’t leave your home domain without it.”
VE -Well, I hope I don’t have to tell anyone when I’m being funny. It kind of ruins the moment.
I would say the bigger question is how will you know when I’m talking about real life and when I’m just making stuff up. I have given that matter a lot of thought and I still haven’t made up my mind. Right now I have a “most Joking Aside” category at the top to let people know which of the old post were supposed to be serious, and I have a “fiction” tag at the bottom to announce when something is entirely made up, but most of the old posts are somewhere in the middle.
What I’m going to try is to do is to more clearly separate the fiction and non-fiction, with most of my efforts going toward addressing actual issues in an occasionally humorous style. Bottom line: blurring the line between conversation and entertainment instead of the one between fiction and non. But whatever I end up doing, it will be clearly documented in the FAQ.
Yay!!
Digg’n the new diggs…..Diggs. The color reminds me of Starbucks white chocolate lattes.. mmm my favorite.
You’re late Marine!!!! I’ve had to resort to taking my lunch hour staring at the Drudge Report and lurking around political commentaries. At first they were kind of funny, but then they just got sad as the lonely days wore on… and on…….. and on………. snort!! Oh sorry, good to have you back. Looking forward to some new posts.
C. Fraser -Yay indeed.
Chris Non-C -Don’t get all cranky with me just because you have poor reading nutrition. Just the same, I’ll try to throw some literary vitamins your way.
Great to have you back Brent. I like the new theme – Thesis… it appears that more and more people are using it :) Keep up the good work!
Thank you for all your kind words on behalf of Brent; although, I know it is just because you are all selfish and want to use him for your own comedic relief. I can live with that.
Ok HCM…I’ve never sold fish in my life…so there!
Business Minder -Oh yes, Thesis is beyond awesome. It’s like being a secret agent and having Q (or whatever his letter is these days) come by every few weeks and say, “By the way Bond, I’ve put a few more gadgets in your theme…”
Camille -It’s a little known fact that in the unreleased version of the Journey hit Faithfullythe original lyric went…”Lovin’ an Internet Resource man ain’t always what it’s supposed to be…”
Debbie -Insert obligatory “just for the halibut” joke here.
That guy in that picture. The guy that has that, “do I really have to do this?” look. I know that guy. He stared back at me in my mirror for several months. At times, it was infuriating the way he would taunt me. Clicking the Firefox icon and just typing in my domain name seemed like power lifting 500lbs. It was just too much effort. I understand that man now. I’ve learned to work with him and find a schedule that works for both him and the creative, tortured genius inside me as well.
While you were certainly missed, I understand all too well why you needed to take your time. It’s nice to have you back, my friend. Don’t let us clammering vulchers push you into doing too much too soon. You’ve got my email. Feel free to catch me on IM sometime. If you use another service like Yahoo! or MSN, email me, I have accounts with them too.
Well, I had never read your blog before so I am glad that my ineptitude on how to use blog catalog held out until today, when I found your blog in the listings. I hope to read more someday, whenever…
Hey Brent. Good to see you back, though I understand the break. Some things are truly more important than blogging. I wanted to throw a link your way of a guy’s blog of which I thought might interest you. His name is Internet Monk. The site is http://www.internetmonk.com.
See you around online.
JMorris -Thank you for your continued encouragement. It feels good to come back free for a new beginning.
Elle -Your timing is perfect, we’re just getting started here.
ScottL -Thanks for the visit and the link, I’ll check him out.
Hello Brent! It was good to know that you’re back.. I know that you take a break for a very important reason.
Because you are so very special, I have given you a little gift. Please visit http://chunksofreality.blogspot.com/2008/12/up-all-night.html to check it out! :)
Don’t tell Dr. T about the award or he may get a bit jealous. We wouldn’t want that, now would we?
I’m new here but I can tell I’m going to like you a whole lot…
Welcome back!
I have to say that it is a rare blog that I come across and spend more than a few minutes on. Most aren’t worth the time. Yours, however, has the honor of having happily wasted a good half-hour of my time :-) . I say that as a compliment.
I really enjoy your writing style, and I actually learned something today (I had forgotten what ‘hubris’ meant exactly and from your blog post I went and found out.
I have added your very well penned blog to my reader. Thank you!
Mmmmm….
Many comments here.
All of them quite happy to see you ’surface’ again and writing…
And all of them in support of you and your writing…
Regardless of what and when that may be.
:)
~ZZ
Bhong -It is good to be back…and for an even better reason.
Chunks of Reality -Thank you for the award, I am happy to spread cheer wherever I can. I have been know to spread other substances as well, but so far I have not received any positive recognition for it.
One Hypomaniac -The beautiful thing about re-launching a blog is that now we’re all new here. Even those of us who are old.
Kaya -I am honored indeed. Thank you for your kind words, in the future of this blog I hope to be just as much fun but with a little more return for people time investment.
Greeneyezz -It is quite a party over here. It’s good to know I didn’t lie to Google.
Well, what more can I say? I am glad that you are back…I just want you to know that I really do love your blog. Keep up the good work.
Yeah, you are right, The new layout of the website is very clean and professional. But it’s good to hear that you are back, and also that you are limiting yourself to a safer posting schedule. I know how it feels to be burned out, so I think you have made a good decision.
Till then,
Jean
“A Cocktail Party for your Computer.”
I like your analogy.
And Google doesn’t lie either. :)
I don’t know what your weather is typically like in Tennesee, but here in New York, we just had a Nor’easter blow in.
For those who may not be aware, Nor’easter = A hell of a lot of Snow. So I’m trying to keep warm.
I hope you are too.
~ZZ
Joey -Thank you for your dedication, there’s nothing worse than people who only halfway love my blog. Except maybe tax auditors…or proctologists…or shopping excursions. But at least you’ve got good taste.
Jean -Speaking of good decisions, allow me to congratulate you on choosing The Ominous Comma as your comment hosting blog of choice. I’m sure you will be very pleased with you complete commenting experience.
Greeneyezz -Here in Memphis, a single inch of snow will send the entire city into disarray. Fortunately, the weather has stayed clear so far. Meanwhile at the OC World Headquarters we’re all sitting by the fire and hoping you’re keeping just as warm up north.
lol
Apparantly Memphis is not alone in that regard.
If I may, please indulge me for a minute.
I’m including a video that I found that someone in Syracuse had taped. It very clearly demonstrates how we, the people in the North East, deal with driving in the wintertime.
How We in Central New York deal with Winter Driving
Your comment about your City going into disarray is shared by the 1st person to comment on my post, as he is from Central Ohio.
(Isn’t the Internet a wonderful thing?) :)
I just thought I’d give you a little flavor of what I am now used to.
And yes….I indeed have a nice roaring fire going so I am quite toasty.
~ZZ
Hey! Glad you’re back. I hope you spent a shitton of time at Graceland over the summer. I’ll expect to see you above me on the H-B rankings in no time, where you belong.
Greeneyezz -You’ve got me thinking now (always a dangerous sign) and I don’t think Memphis could handle more than an inch of snow without flying to pieces. The local government seems completely unprepared, that’s why I took it upon myself to create The Official Memphis Position on Snow and Ice. Of course, I’m not waiting for city officials to offer me any thanks, but a sandwich might be nice…
Father Muskrat -Thanks Padre. But after nearly eight years in Memphis, I have still managed to procrastinate the obligatory visit to Graceland and I really don’t have the energy required to politic myself to top of any voting system anymore. But it is the thought that counts….
It’s my first time to read your blog and it’s your first blog I’ve read and I see your blog was very informative. I’ll visit it always from now on.