I'm Getting A Lot of Advice

...from a lot of people telling me how to better my blog and from the bottom of my heart I really thank each and every one of you...and you know who you are...

Why am I blogging? Lord knows I don't need the practice. But I'm told I have to blog so people will get to know me. My question is...why don't they call me if they want to get to know me? Or why don't they visit my website? Or if someone reads an article of mine, then visits my website but doesn't see a link to my blog am I missing something? Is it convenience?

If so, what exactly am I missing? I mean really, exactly what am I missing?

I think it has to deal more with a communication factor. The gig with the internet/IM/anonymity is that people are more at ease "saying" something without feeling embarassed or that they won't be afraid to say something that might be out of place. I know that from watching one of my kids chat online.

Is that's what's going on? Is there a psychological element at play? I think so. I think people will now log onto someone's blog to see what they're all about. At their leisure. And the blogger must hope their ASCII text (or maybe it's a "true type font!") comes across with enough emotion so the reader really, truly understands what the blogger is trying to convey.

Personally, I think it can be dangerous. Written text can be misconstrued. And there ain't exactly a boat-load of wordsmiths out there. No, I think blogging is more like a diary, and people feel better writing their inner most feelings knowing that other people can react to them without the hazards of being called down face to face.

I know, I've been called a #$$!!@*&* by more people thanI can count who think I'm an idiot but I'll never meet those people. If those people called me an #$$!!@*&* to my face I'd have to hit 'em or else have my dignity as a Texan damaged.

Okay, I wrote this really good column

...about pmi and stuff and I got emails from some people who said I was an idiot (not in the Biblical sense, mind you) and that I was wrong, blah, blah, blah. Which brings me to the point that when you write stuff you'd better be write, er, right or else you're going to get it. I mean REALLY get it...since your written word is all over the Internet, or can be anyway, it can get dissected and picked apart (just wondering if dissecting and picked apart is redundant- seems not as dissecting implies precision where picked apart is closer to those dingo dogs in australia. but I appreciate any input)

anyway...I was right, the emails were wrong..they tried to correct me but they couldn't. when you put something up for people to read one had better do their homework and I'm not talking about Cliff Notes...

I'm a hypocrite and I'm not embarrassed about it

I'm a columnist for Realty Times and I wrote this article about how blogs have exceeded their utility in getting new business. I even mentioned that it seems like everyone and their dogs have a blog and that even my dog has one. While I still think that (the utility concept, not the dog-blog thing) I am now wondering why I started this blog. Maybe I'm the kind of guy who has an inferiority complex and must do what others do to be accepted.

Maybe I was just thinking that a few short years ago if I told someone I had a "blog" they would have thought it was something from an "Outer Limits" episode about a fat dog or something. Terminology changes along with technology.

I know for a fact that if I told my wife five years ago that I "googled" someone she would have divorced me on the spot. Things change. And I'm a thing.

Or maybe I really haven't started a blog at all. Maybe I have both started a blog and ended it at the same time. This could be a ying/yang gig. Or quantum-blog theory.

I'll keep you posted, or maybe I'll just keep myself posted to see if anyone ever reads this stuff. It's not like I don't have anything to write, I'm a published author and my latest book "Mortgage Confidential" is going great guns. Happy about that. Maybe I need to thank some bloggers. Or maybe I need to thank the book reviewers. Or both. Or maybe I need to just thank myself because it's the best home finance book on the market. Ever. Humbly speaking, of course.

okay...testing, three, two, one....