Hey, blogging isn’t what it used to be. Diminishing returns is the name of the game. I blog in short form these days, on Twitter, Facebook, and Blip.fm (as well as Flickr & YouTube & Tumblr and whatever else) and route it through here.

Anyway, here’s this, more to come:

You may recognize the music as Aaron Copland’s Hoedown, better known as the “Beef: It’s What’s For Dinner” music, and as the song covered by ELP in about 1971.

Anyway, enjoy, and check back.

And my wife was in the emergency room, because she collapsed of exhaustion while coming to visit me in ICU and somehow managed to BREAK HER ANKLE.

Because we don’t do anything the easy way.

The recovery was pure misery, mainly because the surgery wreaked havoc on my ribs and back, but never before in my life have I gone four years without severe bronchitis, so it definitely paid off in the long run.

I have also been able to spend the last four years with an enlarged perspective on life: No matter what happens, I can shrug it off, because I had cancer, and I LOST HALF A LUNG.

Makes everything else seem petty.

Plus, this counts as a blog post, right?

Oh, those were heady times for us brave pioneers! Networking with other foolhardy cyberdiarists, catching a glimpse of our blog names in a screen shot of a blogroll on local TV news, trying to explain to clueless coworkers and family just exactly what a blog is, posting every stupid little thought that popped into our heads (but without the competition of half the country like on Twitter these days).

Yes, it was almost exactly a year after I started my blog that ABC News named Bloggers their Person of the Year; coincidence? Oh, sure, keep telling yourself that.

My blog was originally on Blogspot, which apparently got hungry and ate the thing, but you can still download my archives in their entirety from a link in my sidebar on the right.

But of course, blogging is passe now, replaced by “tweeting” and “status updates” and “life”. Even I have my Twitter & Facebook & Blip.fm posts funneled into my sidebar here, but I still keep this blog as a central hub for my domain name and blogroll, and of course my “content network”: Original music, photography, video, t-shirts, etc etc etc, plus my own Twitter posts (”tweets” will someday be looked upon as one of the most idiotic words of the early 21st century) and Facebook updates.

Still, it was extremely worthwhile for me to have a blog. It finally gave me daily practice in writing and web page creation skills (HTML and graphics, for instance), opened up several new friendships and networking opporunities, and provides me with a written history of my life for most of that time.

Bonus points: It also gave me a nagging sense of superiority for the first time in my life, as well as bragging rights and a notch on my resume.

One of the most interesting things about blogging was that most of the people reading my personal little blips and rants were all over the country, and even the world. My own family and coworkers were never that interested in my blog, and most of them only read it after they deliberately did something stupid that they knew would tick me off.

THEN they would read it, to see if I was griping about them, but only temporarily.

But seven years is a long time, and the MantraSphere (i.e., my life) is a vastly different place that it was back then.

Probably the biggest event in those intervening years was the discovery, in early 2006, that the bronchitis and pneumonia that I’ve suffered from all my life was caused by a neuroendocrine tumor in my right lung — a tumor which began before I was even born and had grown to 5 centimeters in diameter.

So, long story short, after teetering on the brink of death from pneumonia and losing half a lung to surgery to remove the tumor, and after a long recovery process (mostly because of the havoc that the surgery wreaked on my back and ribcage), I’m now in better health than ever, and haven’t even had bronchitis or a serious sinus infection (much less pneumonia) ever since.

The second biggest change from back then is that I have finally made good on my long-time threat to compose and record music, even being one of the winners of a local music contest this past October! (Did I fail to mention that? Hey, I announced it on Facebook and it showed up in my sidebar. Keep up.)

But you can listen to my music on AloneTone (for free! And get free downloads and ringtones! For free!)

So do that, won’t you?

And there are more changes, but for now, I have to cut this short so I can go DJ in Second Life (another change! Huzzah!).

More later.

10. Disguise Box
Put game box in bigger box. This make little barbarians confused like bear staring at own reflection in lake. Hah, crazy bears.

9. Heavy Lifting
Toss heavy rock in box with game to add weight and confusion. “Too heavy for game. Must be rock.” Good guess, little barbarian. I fooled you.

8. Decoy Gift
Wrap game in awful holiday sweater. Barbarian get coal one year. Best gift ever, but disguised with moss. Was angry first. Now think very clever idea.

7. The Misdirect
Insert yoga DVD cover art inside plastic game cover. If little stinkers open gift early, they see woman doing “downward dog.” Joke on little stinkers.

6. Clinking Coins
Place nickels in box with game. They go crazy trying to figure out what make jingle sound. Plus when they open box, they get a game and contribution to college fund. Education and fun in one package.

5. Gift Too Thin
Wrap piece of paper with name of game on it. Gamer think it probably IOU at first, but then you hand them game and they go crazy for hugging you. Big reward for big barbarian. Hooray.

4. Ticking Package
Put inexpensive ticking wristwatch in box with games. Everybody wonder what gift is. Could be watch. Probably not bomb, right? Surprise! It games. Way more fun than other possibilities.

3. Music Box
Tape one side of musical greeting card to game. Then tape other side of card to gift box you put game in. If little barbarian shake package, the card falls opens and plays. Everyone wonder why gift sings “Silent Night.”

2. Disguise Scent
Spray box with perfume. This make gift stinky like skunk. Smell keep little barbarians off the scent for sure.

1. Inflatable Games
Put games in large plastic freezer baggie. Then blow up baggie and wrap it. Little barbarians call this UFWO, or “Unidentified Fat Wrapped Object.”

I used to give my Dad subscriptions to Sports Illustrated every year, so I’ve wrapped a few cinder blocks and pieces of paper with the name of the gift on it in my time.

By the way, the Game Stop site also has “The Ninja Guide to Gift Hiding”, which also has some clever and useful holiday pointers.

I hope you’ll pause a moment and feel lucky to have what you have, and realize that there were times in your life when you didn’t have it so good.

For instance: Earlier this week, I bought a pecan pie, as required by Texas law, and today, my wife’s customers at the beauty shop gave her THREE more pies — which makes us a four-pie family this holiday.

For which I am thankful.

And this year I have a job which just keeps getting better, and I’m also getting better at my music projects, and my wife and I just celebrated 13 years of marriage, and we have two beautiful and hilarious doggies, and we have an appreciation of life and the arts and entertainment.

And a lot of people don’t.

So look around you and like it.

Feels good, right?

Plus: It’s more money, it’s still just 2.5 miles from home, and my boss isn’t Chucky.

So I’m happy.

Bonus points: The picture above is the poster that Lisa, one of my department-mates, made when she heard about my promotion!

Isn’t it great working with fun, considerate people?

Yes. Yes, it is.

(BTW Remember that when ever I’m not posting here, I’m posting on Twitter & Facebook, and “DJing” (playing some of my favorite songs for your listening pleasure) on Blip.fm, all of which filters through to my sidebar here at the right. So keep coming back here. Seriously.)

Eh, who am I kidding — I could have posted but I was just dragging butt.

And besides: Look over to the left of the page: my Twitter & Blip.fm posts show up in the sidebar, as well as on Facebook, so it’s just as good as blogging, except you don’t get to listen to me blather on at length about things of no importance.

Like for instance.

Come to think of it, that makes it BETTER than blogging.

ANYWAY:

I have emerged from semi-exile to wish Happy Birthday to two of my readers (which means, to about half of the reading audience that I have left): Former co-worker Todn8r, and longtime blogging friend in Norway, RennyBA

Hope you two make the best of your respective days!

I actually have been posting on my blog — if you’ll look in my sidebar you’ll see my Twitter feed, which also includes my Blip.fm posts, which are also routed through Facebook. Those things are mostly how I blog these days, so if you want to follow me on those, click each of the links in this paragraph.

But keep coming back here too, of course. Not all of my thoughts fit into 140 characters.

All summer they’ve been tearing up the street in front of our house, but it hasn’t been as bad as I’ve feared (like it was on another street 3 years ago) and the end may finally be in sight. Still, it’s been awfully blasted inconvenient.

I made Employee of the Month for August at my job! Not bad, considering I’m just part-time and I’ve only been there 8 months.

The astounding thing is that this is the first job I’ve had where at least some level of management doesn’t have their head up it. Seriously: first job EVER. I was at the point where I didn’t realize it was possible for management NOT to have their head up it.

At this one place I worked once upon a time, the person who kept getting Employee of the Month was the one who was occasionally known to sit on the assistant manager’s lap. I’m not saying there was any connection between those two facts — hey, maybe it was statistical clustering — but I do know that she was lazy, incompetent and tended to spend all day playing on the computer, so …

But I digress: My point is that I’m amazed and thrilled that my skills and my diligent efforts were actually noticed - and shocked that they were rewarded! Wow. A small sliver of Life actually makes sense.

And for the record, I didn’t have to sit on anybody’s lap.

Another reason I haven’t posted much is because I’ve tried to dedicate September to try to get to the next plateau in my music projects. I haven’t been totally successful so far, but I’ve brainstormed more lyrics in the past 30 days than in all the years since I was in a garage band in Lubbock.

And by “brainstormed”, I mean “come up with a lot of stupid crap that I would never want anybody to see or hear”, but if you don’t do that when you’re brainstorming, then you’re not doing it right.

But there is one musical advance I hope to get out of this month: Tomorrow I start my piano lessons! Yes, yes, old dog, new tricks, shut up. I’ve been piddling around on keyboards for some time now, but this will be my first exposure to actual educated training. I’ve found a music teacher that’s looking for some very basic computer lessons, so we’re doing a swap.

I’m still occasionally Djing in Second Life, including tomorrow night at Belar Inshan Social Club. Drop in at 8 Central if you’re in the Metaverse at the time!

Our big screen TV went out in early August, so we were without it for like 3 weeks, but fortunately it was still under extended warranty, and of course we DO have other TVs in the house.

But that was the BIG one.

Anyway it’s back now and we can breathe again.

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OK, that’s all for now, and I ended up slaughtering MORE than 30 minutes.

But now you’re fed. So follow me on the other things, and keep coming back here.

Um … that’s all I’ve got, really … It’s been a sad week, I lost a very good friend from Second Life, and that’s why I haven’t posted. I’m working on a long, thoughtful post about her, and in the meantime, nothing else seems worth posting except for the colors of the holiday.

But I’ll leave you for now with something from Presurfer: The Fourth of July Celebrations Database.

I disagree with the title he gave himself, The King of Pop (although that act was the perfect embodiment of his almost total self-centeredness), but there’s no denying that his cultural impact was huge.

I was going to embed one of his videos here, but none of his videos on YouTube allow embedding (again, a reminder of how everything was always about HIM), and apparently his lawyers have managed to take down all “unofficial” postings of his videos.

This could be an indication that his biggest legacy is a portrait of a once-great artist who became totally wrapped up in himself until the very end.

Farrah, on the other hand, has always been known for her generosity, strength of character and willingness to work with others.

Here’s the news report of her passing, and a quick review of her life:

Anyway, Jake has a new album coming out, and here’s the video for his first single!

Today I remembered that SNL recently did a news segment with Her Wackness (played by Kristen Wiig) explaining Iceland’s economic crisis, and I realized I haven’t checked out Hulu in a long time, so hey: Two birds, one stone, no waiting:

The absolute bestest part: “Right now, Iceland gets all of its revenue from three sources: Fishing, dragons, and screaming.”

Ha ha ha haaaa! That’s pure comedy genius!

Because it’s Bjork all over.

Don’t believe me? here’s her “Bachelorette” video; discruminating film enthusiasts will detect Michel Gondry’s fingerprints all over it:

That solo is true vindication for everyone who was a trombone geek in high school.

Like, um, me.

GREAT band name, btw … Check out more of their songs on MySpace …

Over the past year, DJing in Second Life, I’ve been exposed to a lot of Indie & Alternative music, and I’m liking a lot of it (especially the girl bands) every bit as much as my native classic rock. And blogs like these are a great place to dive into the subject, especially Blalock’s, since he has huge lists of recommended music.

So check ‘em out.

“We sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. We encourage you to bring your ‘High powered weapons’ along on the cruise. If you don’t have weapons of your own, you can rent them on the boat.”

Sign me up!