BlackGayBlogger.com

Asides #52

Posted on 01/06/09 @ 3:37 pm

According to Mashable, LiveJournal is on its last legs after a massive layoff. Way back in 1999, I started my second blog "Neptune Piscean" on LJ and kept it going until 2002. If you've got a blog or blog community over there now, you might want to start looking for a new home. I'd suggest WordPress.com, since you can import LJ posts and comments easily and it's not as tacky as Blogspot.

I just saw this TV ad before starting this entry.

No words on this shit. I wouldn't even let these Negroes know I pay taxes, let alone arrange for them to file them. I come in here to get my…CHECK!

Good thing I got my undergrad sheepskin in Math. The Wall-Street Journal reports that math-based jobs rank as the top three best jobs to have in the U.S. And here I am trying to do the web design thing. Nah, I'm joking. Math is awesome. But I've been so far removed from what I studied when I graduated five years ago, I don't know if I'd make a decent mathematician, actuary, or statistician. OK, well maybe not statistician since I crunch a lot of numbers with the Black Weblog Awards. That purported $90K salary though looks mighty sweet.

SoCon '09 kicks off February 6-7 this year. I'm debating on going this year since finances are a bit slim due to a non-steady income stream. (Need a website? E-mail me!) Granted, it's much cheaper than going to SXSWi (which I've decided to stop trying to go to), but I always feel a little insecure about going to these kinds of things. Yes, I've been blogging for almost eleven years (almost six years here) and I've done the Awards for almost five years and have written in a bunch of different corners of the 'Net, but I tend to feel a bit shy about sharing that, you know? I'm so much more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, and these conferences tend to attract a lot of blowhards looking for an echo chamber for their own greatness, and I'm so not that kind of person.
Unless you get me drunk. Hey-o!

As evidenced in numerous posts on here, I have not been a fan of NPR's "News and Notes" for the past few years. But I do give them snaps for their ongoing, vigilant coverage and featuring of Black blogs and bloggers. (Full disclosure: They have asked me to come on before, but never about things I felt like discussing, so I declined them.) When I heard the show was going under, I felt bad, but I didn't feel totally bad. Why? Well, the show certainly gave a lot of bloggers a springboard and a bit of traditional media caché other outlets wouldn't offer. The latest news from the show is that host Farai Chideya moved up her last day to January 16 in the light of news that "News and Notes" would not cover the Obama inauguration. Now that's a straight up gangster move I can appreciate. Go 'head, girl! I'm confident that the next project she has will certainly be on her own terms and allow her to give more shine to the Black community. Maybe a Pop + Politics redux?

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Focus

Posted on 01/05/09 @ 10:49 pm

Most of 2008 was a blur, and I don't mean in terms of time. With work, school and the ex-boyfriend taking up so much of my time and energy, any other projects I either was already a part of or decided to start eventually fell by the wayside. Near the end of the year, the things which did take up so much time are now behind me. I quit my job and started to strike out on my own. School is over and I have my Master's. And I excommunicated the ex-boyfriend. Most of December was spent ironing out the behind-the-scenes stuff for my new design company (contracts, marketing plan, etc.) and working with my first official client, The Gay Guy's Love Coach (which also ended up being my first full-fledged Wordpress theme).

Now I just need to focus my energies on a few things that are really important and stop trying to be Super Karsh. On tap for this month is getting my new company's site up, working on some paid freelance writing opportunities, and get some more clients for my business. Of course, without the crazy stresses of 2008, I really hope to be able to accomplish some great things in 2009.

A positive post around here for a change? This must be a new year.

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2008: Hot Damn, It's Over!

Posted on 01/01/09 @ 11:48 pm

Can I just tell you? I am so motherflippin' glad that 2008 is over I could scream. From a whirlwind relationship to finally finishing my Master's degree, this past year has felt like two years combined. I mean epic shit going down around my ears every damn day. And now I'm ready to go into 2009 with a renewed focus. 2008 tested me to my limits; 2009 will hopefully be a whole lot easier.

January

'08 started off hectic. I had a new job at the Startup from Hell, complete with a terrible commute, shitty pay, and two chucklehead PCU rejects. I couldn't get out of that place soon enough! It's one thing to be the only Black dude in a department of a company, but when the company is only four people deep, it's easy to feel like the outsider. I think it's because they wanted me to be more of their wingman than their front-end designer. I guess that's the nature of startups. Speaking of starting up, I was beginning a relationship with Che/Gaara and things were just loverly.

February

After finally leaving the Startup from Hell (where they actually stole some of my personal belongings once I gave my two weeks), I wound up back at — of all places — Big Company, Inc. At the time, it was a good decision because there would have been a homicide at the startup if I stayed there one day longer and my shit wasn't returned or I was reimbursed for the loss. Me and the beef were going into month two, and even had a romantical Valentine's Day. Things were looking up.

March

Birthday month! The work/school/boyfriend combination was thick. I rejoined Metroblogging Atlanta (although my presence has been hella light — blame the aforementioned combo), we got the nation's fourth Black governor, and the city got hit by a tornado. I also got hit by a tornado of a different kind — Che/Gaara kicked me to the curb after a fabulous Easter brunch at Chequers. He still wanted to be friends…whatever that means. I think I'd have preferred the $30 I dropped on his half of the meal.
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