comments to blogs & emails to bloggers

In the week this blog has been open, I've posted six times. I'm not sure I really expected anyone to read my blog. But somehow, traffic is present, because I'm getting emails about my blogs. That's OK, but I think I expected the comments to be posted in the comment section and not sent to me by email. So far, I've received derogatory comments about my not liking "Missing You", a 1982 song appearing on Dan Fogelberg's Greatest Hits, condolences about Jennifer with assurances that my faith will see me through, a searing message about my Dan Fogelberg Real Doll post accusing me of blasphemy and berating me for unseemly commments on the recently deceased, two emails from Alabama football fans relating personal experiences about Bear Bryant, two requests from females (I think) wanting me to send, or post a picture of me without a shirt on, and six other emails with such a lack of content that it made me wonder why the person even took the time to send it.

Now I'd like to make a suggestion. If you want to comment on my blog, please post it in the comment section so everyone can enjoy it or take pot shots at it. If you want to take a pot shot at me, fine. It won't bother me. But have the courage to do it publicly so others can judge your ideas and comment on them. So far, I've only responded to the emails by thanking them for visiting the blog and encouraging them to comment publicly. Especially the two Bear Bryant emails deserved public show; I think everyone should get to read them, so, guys, if you're reading this, post them under the comments. OK? I won't post the comments for you. I understand the condolence email being personal, but even that one had good thoughts that everyone could use.

As to those emails chiding me for my comments about Dan Fogelberg, I urge you to make those public so people can see what you said. Contrary to what most of you said, I am a Fogelberg aficionado, sans equal, and I am entitled to comment if I was not particularly fond of one of his songs. I don't particularly like The Power of Gold, either, but he's got one hundred ten songs that I consider my favorites. When I list my favorite songs, my list always begins: #111. Still the Same - Bob Seger Then I list some Supertramp, some more Seger, some Eagles and a few more. More than my top hundred are Fogelberg, so I'm a fan. I didn't consider writing about a Dan Fogelberg doll on stage to be either malicious or defaming Dan's memory.

For years, I've heard things like, "Dan could just come sit on stage for an hour without opening his mouth, and I'd still buy a ticket," or, as one particularly devoted DanFan used to say, "It'd be worth the price of a ticket if Dan just walked out on the stage, picked his nose, and walked away." Somehow, I resisted the urge to ask him whether he'd pay extra if Dan flipped the content into the audience. I imagine my friend would have said he would have dived for it and fought, if necessary. He never stopped bragging about the hot summer night when he was sitting front row center and, at the end, Dan came to the front of the stage, bowed, wiped his brow with his hand, then did a "flourish" to the crowd with that same hand. He claimed that he felt "at least ten sweat pellets hit my forearm and hand" and proudly displayed a ticket which he said contained two of the pellets. So far, he has denied my request to take the ticket to the D.A.'s office for DNA testing. Frankly, I think it may be his own perspiration. Why else would he be withholding evidence from me?