Putting Out The Call
I hate surrendering to the inevitable, but the time has come to do so.
From within our team or without, I’m looking for someone to take over the running (and ownership) of this blog.
There’ll be some time to permit a smooth transition. I should be able to afford to stay online till the end of February.
Sometime in March, renewal of the host server will be required, or a new contract with another host. It’ll be up to the new owner to pay for that. They should also plan on moving the blog to a new domain (besides reachm.com) sometime in May.
Among the advantages one can have from assuming control:
a) As an established blog, you’re on hundreds of blogrolls already.
b) If you maintain the current viewership or increase it, you’ll stay aboard the Liberal Blog Advertising Network. Which is good for at least 10 ads per year (which can grow if your readership grows).
c) I’ll assist in any way I can during the transition, and will provide suggestions and options that can help if you’re new to blogging, based on my 4+ years as a blogger.
Whether or not the current roster of contributors continues is unknown at this time. If you choose to keep it running as a team blog, you may have to recruit more people (depending on what you have in mind.)
Simply, there’s an enormous number of positives that were gained via peers and teammates, through my participation in the blogging community over the years. They certainly outweigh the negatives. But one negative has recently come to overshadow the pluses: basic economics. Another negative is even more personal: the sense that my own blogging has faded to a point that fails my own standards of quality research and writing, and my ability to assist in changing the status quo or assist others in need has diminished to near irrelevance.
To justify continuance, I set the bar low: the site had to provide enough revenue to offset hosting, domain name and site administration costs, plus my monthly internet access expense. It’s fallen short of that after September.
As I’m anticipating a recession in the second half of 2007, and my current dayjob is working for a real estate broker - an industry that declined severely last year and faces worse this year - I feel fairly certain my employment will be jeopardized. Thus, my principal efforts need to be focused on finding new employment to meet basic sustenance needs. Drawing unemployment will be insufficient to meet my responsibilities.
As odd as it may seem, my exit will not be just from blogging but from being online at all. Despite the low cost of that, I have to pare back to barebones, at least till I can find that elusive sense of job security. And having been online for over nine years continuously through three job changes and several address changes, I know it’s going to be a rather cold turkey getting used to that.
It’s not a new world to me, nor have I ever misunderstood my place in it. There’s the netroots. And there’s the decomposing organic matter feeding it, till the nutrients are exhausted. I was only able to personally provide a monetary contribution to one Congressional campaign this year. That candidate not only lost, but their staff didn’t even acknowledge the receipt of that donation, which made me feel I’d wasted my effort on someone clueless. (In the relativity of campaign finance, I know a hundred bucks is a pittance, but relative to the real world of scraping by that us po’ folks endure, I don’t think it good form not to send out an automated form-email ‘thanks’.)
Discouraged? As a blogger, no. But as a helpful friend, yes. The serious illnesses of two teammates on this blog and my inability to provide them meaningful assistance through fundraising helped drive this decision. I know I can do better than that for my friends in the future by taking on a second halftime job at the minimum wage, instead of investing endless hours into blogging.
And I find it annoying that amid the declining brain cells, I hear a punchdrunk big mook’s voice muttering “I useta be a contendah.”
The support I received through several family tragedies will always be among the greatest gifts gained in my entire life. I’m eternally indebted to a couple dozen people for that generosity of spirit, a rarity to a poor man before Al Gore invented the tubes we correspond through. Thank you again; you know who you are and deserve a multiplied karmic return for that.
If you’re interested in owning this American Street, please leave a comment or email me.
Thank you, to all the brilliant lights who’ve contributed to this effort, as teammates (all those sidebar asterisks denote them, but fall well short of defining them) and as commenters. Keep giving the mighty ‘THEM’ hell. You’re an inspiration to many more than you might suspect.
Update: As appreciative as I am of compliments and support, I’m not going to reconsider and continue beyond February. I’m passionately nihilistic about US foreign policies, despite the changes in Congress, and spending more time with my family and friends offline is the best way to channel my heart while the capitalist killing asshole complex conspires to nuke the planet into submission.
I misspoke by saying it was all about economics. Sometimes the only defense against warmongers and the slow braking ‘pragmatism’ of the political opposition is just to go forth and love.
January 6th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Kevin,
I congratulate you on the superb work you’ve done. We all owe you so much. I wish I weren’t so gall darned poor; so that I could send you donations. I think American Street has made a real difference in turning this country around.
It’s always a requirement for successful writing to read much more than you write, and to have enough time to reflect before beginning. The pressure of blogging has been overwhelming to me; but once a person has really decided to write, once it’s in your blood, I think you must come back to it.
Let us hear from you, Kevin. Join another blog down the line. You will be in my thoughts and fill the thoughts of all who have come to know you here.
You are a class act.
Best Regards,
Copeland
PS: I greatly admire the comment you recently left at The Left Coaster, supporting Cindy Sheehan for leading an anti-war demonstration. at a hearing of the new House. The country needs to be reminded of the message that the American people sent to our newly elected Democrats.
January 6th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
What Copeland said…
And moreover…I think you should go ahead and let the baker serve you. Your time has come. You have put in the conscious labors, and are deserving of large sums of moolah and wherewithal.
I will conjure the vision, if you will only be prepared to recognize it when it comes.
Try to stick around. You are too good at this, and we need your help, humor and wisdom. We don’t want to have to hold you down…
Stick around…
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!
Dave
January 7th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Kevin,
Your contributions have been great and will be missed. I wish you all the best and hope to see your return to the tubes in the near future.
I’m sure your teammates would disagree with your assertion that you didn’t provide them with meaningful assistance - you did all you could and monetary assistance is difficult for many these days.
Like you, I am not especially optimistic even with the change in Congress and completely understand your position (what’s your GPS location - I think we’re on the same spot) -may we all see better days.
You’re a good man Kevin and if you can access wifi please comment from time-to-time to let us know how things are going.
Be well,
CJ
January 7th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
If I may say ditto to the above comments and hope you find a way to maintain what certainly is a finely written blog.
Peace my friend.
January 7th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Kevin,
I e-mailed you last nite - hope I had the address right, it wasn’t returned undeliverable. I’d hate to see you leave the blogosphere, as a contributor or reader/commentor but I suppose I understand if you need a break (and I do hope it’s temporary.)
I may be interested, depending on the details. Feel free to e-mail: ripley>zencabin.com
January 7th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Kevin -
You will be greatly missed - but I know what the pressures can be and the choices that have to be made. I just recently returned to blogging and commenting after spending 6 months in a cocoon of my own troubles and I’m still not back completely. (I was used to posting about three times a day; for now it’s more like once in three days.)
The point of that momentary descent into self-pity is that you have to do what is right for you and those you care about. So go - and do it without regret for going but with pride in what you accomplished. If you ever doubt that latter part, just look at the asterisked list of names.
As for the immediate question, I’d be interested in possibly taking over the blog but I’d need to know some more about just what it entails in this case, including some of the finances involved (my employment situation likely being no better than yours).
If you think I might be a worthy candidate, let me know. The email, as always, is
whoviating@aol.com
- LarryE
January 7th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
We’ll miss you.
January 7th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Shit, Kevin. This was my main blog for some time.
A PIECE OF ADVICE:
GET THE HELL OUT OF REAL ESTATE!!!
IT IS A BUBBLE THAT IS JUST BLASTING OPEN LIKE A FRIGGIN HINDENBURG!!!
I don’t have any money. But if you needed someone to just run the thing, I do have some time to give it. Few of us have any money.
In any event: GET OUT OF REAL ESTATE!!!
—– blues, rkjoyce1 at sign verizon dot net.
January 7th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Kev,
I can’t feel bad about this, however much pleasure your posting has given me, because it sounds like a decision that makes sense for you, and I hope it liberates you to do some wonderful things. Blogging is overrated. May your talent glean greater rewards elsewhere.
January 7th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
The American Street…
Kevin Hayden (no relation) could use a kind word. He’s burned out. If you’re interested, he’s looking for someone to……
January 7th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Oh, I am sorry to hear this, Kevin. You’ve been such a fine leader for this blog. I hope you will find another forum to contribute to after a break because you really are an excellent writer.
January 7th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
take care of yourself and your own…i hope this place stays around tho.
January 7th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
and thank you! : >
January 8th, 2007 at 1:40 am
Blues: I work for a broker but I’m not in real estate. I’m the Maintenance Supervisor, the first he’s had. He used to contract out for all the work: landscaping, painting, janitorial, lightbulb-changing, whatever.
So while the need for my dept continues, I know it’d be lower cost to return to the old way of doing things. I’m convenient to have, but I don’t know if convenience trumps cost when the belt-tightening recurs.
In the meantime, maybe I’m the only janitor-blogger going. Which is why you can see your face in this shiny blog.
January 8th, 2007 at 1:44 am
Thank you, folks. And if you feel so moved, hit the tip jar. As long as I’m around, I’ll keep trying to raise funds for our seriously ill teammate.
(I’ll also reply to each of you privately, if your email addresses are correct.)
January 8th, 2007 at 5:21 am
[…] A Popular Blogger Announces He’s Done And His Blog Can Be Taken Over By Someone Else. From The American Street’s Kevin Hayden: I hate surrendering to the inevitable, but the time has come to do so. From within our team or without, I’m looking for someone to take over the running (and ownership) of this blog. There’ll be some time to permit a smooth transition. I should be able to afford to stay online till the end of February. Sometime in March, renewal of the host server will be required, or a new contract with another host. It’ll be up to the new owner to pay for that. They should also plan on moving the blog to a new domain (besides reachm.com) sometime in May. […]
January 8th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Doggonnit, I just start lurking for a couple weeks and now you are leaving the blogosphere. I’m sorry to see you leave, but I wish you well on your future path.
January 8th, 2007 at 8:51 am
It’s difficult to put out good, solid content for any period of time, and you’ve done it long enough to become an icon of the b’sphere, Kevin.
Thanks for all you’ve done and, someday, what more will come.
January 8th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I’ll miss you, KH–and I am deeply appreciative of everything you’ve contributed to the blogosphere.
January 8th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Shit.
You’re a little nuts, but that’s how I like folks. Best to you, brah…
January 8th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
hey, kevin, thanks for letting me a part of this little experiment, i appreciate the chance to spread what little insight i had around blogtopia, and yes, i coined that phrase!
good luck to you and your family. they’ll probably by far be the lucky ones to have your attention. we’ll certainly miss you.
January 9th, 2007 at 6:45 am
Another retirement….
Kevin Hayden calls it quits and is looking for somebody to take over The American Street. I first read Kevin way back when he was still Cowboy Khalil, and I wrote for TAS for several months before the 2nd child……
January 9th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Congratulations on your many years of service Kevin, and also thanks. You made a bigger impact than most, although it remains to be seen to what extent that is recognised in the history books…. but I’m guessing that’s not something important to you. Anyway you certainly did your part.
Although this appears to be a formal retirement (plus you haven’t gone yet!), I guess I’ll say “have a good break” instead of “goodbye”.
January 9th, 2007 at 7:07 am
Hey Kevin!
I hereby offer to handle the financial end, and some of the admin, as long as you stay around as an occasional contributor, and help me with that whole transition thing. I would probably be moving the site to my ISP host, and finding another URL for it (theamericanstret.com looks open right now), but other than that would like to keep things the way they are.
If this works for you (or even if it doesn’t), please send me a return email so we can discuss this further.
Peace out…
January 9th, 2007 at 7:25 am
Kevin,
I can host the blog, we raised enough to solve my disk problem, which allows me to bring back up all five of my servers.
I understand about the time part too. I really do.
January 10th, 2007 at 9:16 am
I know how you feel, particularly about the time issues. I haven’t posted a cartoon in over 2 weeks…I also understand the need to step away from it all. Paying too much attention to George Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and all the other Shitstains On The Underwear of America can drive a person nuts.
“The stores are all open,
but I ain’t got no money,
ain’t got no money,
ain’t got no money…”
January 10th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Plate Tectonics…
WOOF! A Champion Blogger is retiring… A New America? Quite possibly the funniest bit of satire right here. political, cartoons, political cartoons, comic strips, Comics, webcomics, webcomic, Humor, Satire, Art, drawing, sketch, PEN, comic-strips Zen…
January 10th, 2007 at 9:58 am
[…] A Champion Blogger is retiring… […]
January 10th, 2007 at 11:07 am
You have good instincts, Kevin. And you obviously put so much effort into this project. I remember the old look of the blog, and when you had to click through The Great White Frontpage Wall, which was slightly annoying, but also oddly intriguing. For me, you are the definition of this blog. So you need to be careful not to hand the keys of this thing to just anyone. A million years ago, I was the actual president of a not-for-profit corporation called The Royal Embassy of OO-AH Land! It had a restaurant and a health food shop, and I had to do all the maintenance on my own! I was worse that George Bush!!! The place was probably at Iraqian levels of disorder!!! Chaos rules, I found.
One thing I learned real fast: people are attracted to assets, literally any form of assets. Like moths to flames. If you build something, they will come and want a piece of it. Running this thing surely entails a lot of responsibility. I don’t know how many people could handle it. I have a linguistics blog that I have hesitated to start, since it might be just more technological fuel for the fire we are in. I guess I need to go through with it, though.
Whatever you do, we will never forget you. You have been a righteous blogger.
January 10th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Like some of the great things I grew up with — yellow legal pads, text adventure games, the old field where we used to play baseball (it’s now a parking lot, of course), or reporters who took seriously the responsibility to inform the public in an unbiased way about facts and events, there are certain things I took for granted as a permanent part of my world.
Kevin, I never expected you to leave. Thanks so much for your many years of hard, good work. You increased the community of lefty bloggers, and I certainly enjoyed being able to put in a little time on this blog, besides.
All the best! Don’t forget to write.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Late to the party, but good luck Kevin.