This might be a long read, it feels like it could be long, I've been drinking all night!...drinking!..ummm...energy drinks....yeah.... You should have an energy drink.
You see that last sentence, the one before the video. This was written as an excuse. An excuse to post that video. You see, I watched it earlier, had a chuckle and now wish to pass it on. I vomit out a sentence, I have a blog post. It's a media mashup, words, links, video, a natural web 2.0 winner. It's the formula to video blogging.
I wasn't really drinking energy drinks, I've been slugging back beers, sharing that will excuse my grammar. My horrible grammer, it throws many off, and is often the subject of ridicule on this blog. Those ..."pauses"... thats just me typing out how I'm thinking....slowly. You see, I was raised French Canadian, as a result I can't write French or English correctly. You may have guessed I'm not a writer, and I'm definitely not a "reporter." Nor do I strive to be either, I do want to be a humble everyday blogger, that has been difficult to achieve here on NB.
I became interesting in online freelancing back in 2005. I started the "Throw away your TV" project, first as a social network and later as a blog. My philosophy has centered around catering to the users that had started replacing TV time with Internet time. You want video. I started TayTV as a duty, I dug deep into the internet and pulled out video gems much to the delight of those who subscribed. At the same time I began to appreciate how the internet gives us the opportunity to find news and information. Information that you'd never had the opportunity to access before. Researching clips was encouraged.
This place, the Internet, is unlike anything ever encountered before. This "Internet," by all means, has been fascinating to watch grow and to pioneer, it's just going to get more interesting now, and luckily I get to spend my full time participating.
I would be lying if I said I didn't long for the old TayTV days. Many TayTVers knew I would never recover from my early troubles with NB co-bloggers. Even so, the new "Jeff Hoard blog," marched on for months, past Powerlines retirement. Under a constant microscope of tiring criticism. I felt my blog eroded over time and surely had lost any chance at earning credibility, I became frustrated and desperate to fix the problem. I sped up the decline by stooping to the low level of answering to the lowest common denominator, and for what? The result, the "Jeff Hoard blog" imploded.
All I can do now is learn from my mistakes. I appreciated the experience, and it was very nice that I got to hear from all the TayTVers who responded positively to my blog, after receiving a long string of hatemail. Let it be known that your emails have cured a lot of my stress and frustration. I am also happy to report, Kiva notified me! They say my blog produced some new microloans for them. Huzzah, everyones a winner.
After receiving all the positive feedback, I admit, I am flip flopping again, I am having second thoughts about leaving. More thinking needs to be done, for now, you can still find me sharing clips at Propeller.com, it's another AOL News project. The site might be slow today, but we are excited about some huge upcoming updates to be unveiled soon. If the blogging bug continues to bite me, I will be at posting on my new Internet Research blog. Feel free to visit and Subscribe.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. FIRST !
BILL G at 10:28AM on Feb 26th 2008
2. Coin flip?
For what it's worth, it would be great if you stuck around here, but I can definitely see why you'd want to bail. I think the important bit would be to either find something else that's as fun as this, or stick around here to kick up the embers and get this project smoking again.
It seems to me that the problem you're having is that you're allowing your readers to define your content, and you seem to be writing out topics about which you couldn't care less.
Personally, I'd get the hell out of politics. Just looking at the sidebar here should demonstrate just why the hell AOL doesn't need yet another polemic blog to segregate its readers into these ridiculous and tedious "Us versus Them" camps of political discourse. Trust me, Dinesh D'Souza and The Young Turks already do a fine enough job of tossing turds into the proverbial sandbox.
Nonetheless, good luck with whatever you decide.
Dan at 11:07AM on Feb 26th 2008
3. Nice warped video,Jeff. I found this one while searching for a reply to one of the rants you referenced in your "retirement" blog,the "pennultimate" blog, so to speak.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6j58e-qElC4
This weekend,AOL shut down the comments section of its boards that dealt with all things political. I observed that the same old screenames associated with the same old trolls were leaving their same old worn out crap postings on, of all things, the fashions worn by the actresses at the Academy Awards ! They must not have much of a life !
If you do decide to stick it out at newsbloggers,just make sure to wear your flameproof underwear!
PS- April 20 is Adolf Hitlers birthday. I find it hysterical that this date was chosen to "celebrate"or "4:20" on. Serves that lying, evil, marmongering bastard right! PEACE OUT !
BILL G at 11:59AM on Feb 26th 2008
4. UP YOUR KILT !
BILL G at 12:09PM on Feb 26th 2008
5. Warmongering, not Marmongering. Gheesh !
BILL G at 12:25PM on Feb 26th 2008
6. Dear Jeff,
I was glad to have the opportunity to say goodbye, and pleased for you to receive so many kind farewells.
To be sure, you will be followed to your other site.
Thanks again ,Jeff.
Good luck to a Good man!
ah, Clem at 2:18PM on Feb 26th 2008
7. I agree with what you say Dan
Jeff Hoard at 2:54PM on Feb 26th 2008
8. OK Jeff, here's the deal. You have brought us many thought provoking videos. If you decide to leave what are we left with? Frazier reruns and the History Channel on TV. Many of us don't have time to surf the net for interesting material. We could always check in to your site and find a jewel.
This is a good project. I hope that you continue it.
Steve Seivers at 10:14AM on Feb 27th 2008
9. Jeff,
Here's hoping you stick around - - with retooling or no. Your blog, your call!
brandon at 10:14AM on Feb 27th 2008
10. Yeah, what Steve Seivers said !
BILL G at 2:23PM on Feb 27th 2008
11. UP YOUR KILT!!??
HEY! That's always been my favorite toast.
BOB JOHNSON at 8:20PM on Feb 27th 2008
12. Jeff, as I look at TYT's "Bill O'Rielly Goes Way, Way, Overboard," I cannot help but finally realize that you were right to "retire" Bill O'Rielly.
Good call.
Captain Negative at 2:21PM on Feb 29th 2008
13. Jeff,
You did one for the road! I wish I had METHINACAN!!!
I do, though.
Disagree, stay just this side of politics, I have always felt comfortable whether it was 'The Daily Show' or, you did 'Cost of War'? right? I am greatly appreciative to meet another person who can piss around but remain part of the human race in a civil manner, WTF happened to common courtesy? Oh Yeah, bush, et al. He said this morning, I think it was like 4AM a reporter asked, "(i cannot say it)prezvcbc bush, don't you realize gas is $3.53 a gallon, s__?" shit eatin' grin, replies "No, actually I never have given it much thought.", as if he THINKS, Indeed. Balls of him, although in truth he doesn't have any, says we MAY be facing a slow-down, SLOW DOWN? I manufacture, my business, my presses are Mark-Andy web presses, 12 stations, but my guys are great but I think maybe 2 have an actual High School diploma but I start at $25/hr, health ins, vacation, blah. I have men with Masters Degrees in Business for about a year, I would say, needing a job badly, they will do anything, take any position. If shit never changes, it never changes. I have a behemoth of a house in the burbs of Philly and I am going MAD, I tell you, MAD!
Nothing is open after 9 or 10. Because bush had to go and steal that second election, he doesn't know how much gas is, he thinks we could might perhaps possibly might be in a slow-down, so now I get shit for my gihugic house! If I didn't have 7 dogs, acre out back, I would have been so gone.
See ya on the dark side, oh the night they gave us tix for the screening of Taxi to the Dark Side, I come out on 4th St. look up, full moon with a lunar eclipse, now I had something to be grateful for after the egregious suffering, no words for it, that innocent man died. Rummy at the Press Conference, reporter asks, "Aren't you worried about becoming involved in a quagmire like Iraq?", Rumsfeld leans in towards the podium, with that stare of a sociopath and replies, "I don't...do...QUAGMIRES." Putz!
See ya in a bit
Rhoda
rhodalee at 7:00PM on Feb 29th 2008
14. As a public service to to future readers of this post unfamiliar with the manic, unmedicated-induced rants from Rhodalee, I will attempt the following translation of post #13. Here goes....
" Jeff, I've always enjoyed your blog, since I feel comfortable here spewing lies, hate, and divisiveness common to us liberals. Take my example of Bush not knowing gas is $3.53/gal. I know..presently (3/1/08), the average stateside price of a gal. is $3.10, and $3.53 represents Hawaii, where gas is always most expensive; 40+ cents a gal. more because of transpacific shipping.. but why lose the impact of 43 cents worth of exaggeration which enhances our liberal agenda?
I am trying to be smug, yet humble, by frequently reminding everyone that I own a $$ million+ business and an insanely large home in the suburbs of Philadelphia.(wink, wink) I am going MAD, I tell you, MAD! Probably because I'm not taking my prescribed medication, because George Bush won't provide me with free drug/medical care. So I have to put my medicine money towards the payments on my mansion in the burbs of Philly (blushing).
I still have to blame all of the ills in this country on Republicans, so that I feel less guilty about my oh-so-privy lifestyle. I know....I blast Bush about not knowing the price of gas, and I completely forgot the fact I had previously posted that I pay 41% in corporate tax, even though the maximum corp. tax rate is 35%. I still can't muster the strength to thank the Republicans for lowering my corporate tax from Clinton's 39%, to today's 35%, so I can continue to enjoy my rich lifestyle all while being the evil, big business owner that my liberal brethren complain about. At least I'm a humble liberal, when I tell you about my behemoth house and my extended vacations in Europe, mainly France, in order to join in demonstrations against my country, and those nasty, wealthy Republican business owners, who are trying to have a behemoth house bigger than my behemoth home.
One last poke at Donald Rumsfield, so that I can put my own twisting interpretation on a press conference sound-bite. Oh, and screw all of those helpless people in Iraq who were being murdered by the tens of thousands. They're not worth fighting for. Why don't they find someone else to fight their war for them....I have huge house payments to make!!
Well Jeff, I have to get back to overseeing Master's-degreed people groveling at my feet for a $25/hr. job that I provide, and I have to meet a Brinks armoured truck to deliver my behemoth house payment. Ta Ta, or "au revoir" for now...
Rhoda"
lizard at 12:14PM on Mar 1st 2008
15. i wasn't really drinking energy drinks, I've been slugging back beers, sharing that will excuse my grammar.
Jeff Hoard
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Theres a subject for a future blog-BEER ! Making it, drinking it,what's your favorite ect.
In my opinion,HOMEBREW RULES ! Has anyone seen the Broken Lizard movie entitled "BEERFEST" ?
BILL G at 1:02PM on Mar 1st 2008