NOTE: This post is purely self-congratualtory twaddle and is quite likely of interest to no one except the author. If you get bored, just click away. Don't feel obligated to comment just because you're here.

On the other hand, maybe you've been in a similar position. In which case, say whatever's on your mind.

When I first started blogging, I had a dream - more of a pre-conceived notion really - that one day hundreds of people would read my blog and go "OO! Look at this brilliantly-written post!".

As it turned out, those hundreds of people were actually dozens, they came one at a time, and none of them were actually all that blown away at what they read. But they at least found my writing amusing enough to want to come back for more. After a while, a lot of them didn't even come for the writing, they came because they liked me as a person. The writing was secondary.

I've been blogging for almost four years now, and at this point in my evolution, most of the folks who stop by do it because of who I am, and not what I write.

And it's good to be loved, and it's good to have a circle of friends who give a damn.

The downside to this, of course, is that when one of these friends links something I wrote, I have to wonder... how much of this is liking the writing, and how much is liking the writer? To which question there can never be an honest answer.

So it makes me question whether my writing is worth a crap on it's own, or if I'm strictly getting by on charm.

What I've always wanted was to write something that got picked up, passed around, "oo"-ed & "ah"-ed over, and generally admired WITHOUT my having to lift a finger to do any self-promotion.

That's never really happened. Sometimes I've written stuff that I thought was very good, but in order to get it noticed, I've had to e-mail links. Other times I've written something clever, then posted it at IMAO where it would get some attention (heck, even got a link from the Puppy Blender over there once), but then I have to wonder how much of that attention was due to the sweet cachet of the IMAO brand name, which owes it's value principally to Frank J.'s comedic talents.

Recently, however, something happened to validate me that can only be attributed to good writing, and it feels heavenly.

Last Saturday, I posted a entry at IMAO called "I Am Huff Po". When I'd first conceived of it a couple days prior, it occurred to me that - if I did it right - it might resonate with a lot of people and actually generate a lot of traffic. I waited all weekend for some reaction after posting it, but outside of a few (VERY few) comments, the piece seemed largely ignored.

*sigh*

So after 40 hours of gathering dust, I do what I do with a lot of my IMAO posts - I cross-posted it at Bad Example for the benefit of those readers (friends, actually) who can't stand the insanely-long load times at IMAO.

And that's when it happened.

Blake of Laughing Wolf - a friend and reader - posted a link to the version of "I Am Huff Po" that I'd posted at Bad Example. Not at his relatively low-traffic personal site, but at the highly-visible Blackfive.

Which was VERY cool, but I didn't take it to be necessarily a reflection on the quality of the piece, since I know Blake, and that could taint his objectivity.

And that's when it REALLY happened.

Michelle Malkin linked to Bad Example. Not only linked, but linked as an update at the TOP of the post (she usually updates at the bottom).

Little Green Footballs linked to Bad Example. Not only linked, but with the enthusiastic phrase "dead-on parody alert". I also noticed that it got 156 Diggs. Now, I'm not exactly sure what a Digg is, except that it can be used as a relative measure of the post's popularity. Considering that most LGF posts get under 100 of them, I take this as favorable feedback.

JihadWatch linked to Bad Example with the giddily ego-boosting description "a terrific parody of/addendum to Michelle Malkin's magnificent "I am John Doe" piece, skewering the Huffington Post's willfully clueless Leftist jihad enablers."

It popped up on the GWRRA message board.

Bookworm Room said "hilariously funny [...] Read it and laugh."

Someone even put it on an Investor Village message board.

It's probably in some other places, too, but Sitemeter only gives me the last 100 refers, so that's all I know about.

The point is this. None of these people know me or like me or owe me anything or mistakenly think they're linking to something Frank J wrote. This praise isn't for me as a person, or for me as a member of IMAO, it's strictly for what I wrote.

I can't begin to express how good - how reassuring - this feels.

The funny thing is that people who read the posts that linked me are all going to wonder the same thing - "Who is this 'Bad Harvey' fella? I've never heard of him. Must be some overnight sensation."

Overnight... yeah...

2000+ posts at Bad Money

1000+ posts at Alliance HQ

5000- posts at Bad Example

100+ Precision Guided Humor posts spent honing my politically-oriented comedic ear

4- years of averaging 5+ posts a day.

Overnight...

Anyway, yeah... it feels good.

Now if the Puppy Blender will just put down his hobo-filleting knife long enough to toss a link my way, I could die happy.

UPDATE: Hot Air says "well played".

Redstate says "Read on via the link. It's worth it!" and describes it as a "riposte".

Blonde Sagacity says "Must Read!"

Posted by: Harvey at 09:16 AM | Comments (32) | Add Comment
Post contains 996 words, total size 7 kb.

1 I still love you, even though you have hit the big time...

Posted by: Susie at April 03, 2007 09:32 AM (R7iws)

2 We knew it was only a matter of time ... remember your family now that your BIG! Congrats!!

Posted by: Quality Weenie at April 03, 2007 09:48 AM (BksWB)

3 Yes,....most definitly self-congratualtory twaddle. Honstly I've always thought you had away with the words and found your postings amusing,Interesting and yes sometimes even Informative....and I"m not saying this cause your my brother...you better then that If I thought your Blog sucked I'd tell you.

Posted by: Blogless Brother at April 03, 2007 09:54 AM (JfpfL)

4 OOoooo and congratulations On your 15 minutes, may you use It more wisely then Kato Kalen did.

Posted by: Blogless Brother at April 03, 2007 09:57 AM (JfpfL)

5 funny, that's pretty much how I feel when you comment at my little place. And the elation I felt when you blogrolled me!

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at April 03, 2007 10:17 AM (+MvHD)

6 All I'm gonna say is it's about damned time. Congratulations Pops. Well earned indeed....

Posted by: Tammi at April 03, 2007 10:35 AM (Bitcf)

7 Gee, all this warm fuzzy love, and all I can think of is the Simpson's episode where Milhouse says "But my Mom says I'm cool..." http://www.snpp.com/episodes/1F16.html Seriously, though, thanks :-)

Posted by: Harvey at April 03, 2007 10:36 AM (L7a63)

8 Congrats, Harvey! You earned it. Now don't forget to come back & give us peasants a little good-natured repression now and again. We're happy for you, ya old reprobate squid!

Posted by: Tennessee Budd at April 03, 2007 11:08 AM (Kk1xh)

9 First I don't read you because I like you. Second I don't read you because I know you. We met after I started reading you. I read you because you post some damn good material and I for one am glad you cross post here what you do over at IMAO... since I never, ever go there. I for one am glad you've finally gotten the recognition you so richly deserve. Now just don't go getting a big head like Grau did.

Posted by: Contagion at April 03, 2007 12:36 PM (Q5WxB)

10 I'd say you earned it... but I know you, so I guess that doesn't count. *grin*

Posted by: Teresa at April 03, 2007 12:36 PM (gsbs5)

11 Contagion - I thought Grau was BORN with that basketball head :-) Anyway, it can't be ALL about the quality posting. I had some pretty lean/lame months in the second half of '06.

Posted by: Harvey at April 03, 2007 01:27 PM (L7a63)

12 Darn brilliant post, Harvey! Seriously, you got me into blogging & for all the help you've been that post captures perfectly how I wish I could communicate my thoughts. Congratulations & I hope you continue to enjoy your success. Hapkido

Posted by: Hapkido at April 03, 2007 02:08 PM (+cC9w)

13 ... rock on, Harvey... remember us little folks now that you're famous, brah.....

Posted by: Eric at April 03, 2007 04:21 PM (NlzwQ)

14 Congrats. The kudos were well deserved.

Posted by: Jim - PRS at April 03, 2007 04:59 PM (a6/Kb)

15 Bad Example: Come for the Humor, Stay for the Love Notes!

Posted by: Temujin at April 03, 2007 06:48 PM (PgJpJ)

16 Well... I don't know you, but have kept coming back to read you. I tend to read what strikes a chord, and well, I actually like what you write. And another thing... Many of your blogfamily (blog spawn?) write well too. I have to think there is a common thread. And enjoy your newfound notoriety. Oh... Loved the I am Huff Po piece!

Posted by: jck at April 03, 2007 07:09 PM (DXAp+)

17 Congrats. Now shut up, please.

Posted by: That 1 Guy at April 03, 2007 07:21 PM (srJLt)

18 You are fjired... fjuckhead!

Posted by: ButtSnifferBillie at April 03, 2007 07:34 PM (W7KPb)

19 SWEET.... Congratulations asshole!!1!

Posted by: Madfish Willie at April 03, 2007 07:36 PM (W7KPb)

20 Oh, Harv...we always knew you were great...but the recognition by the world-at-large is well-deserved!!!

Posted by: Mrs. Who at April 03, 2007 07:40 PM (9FXen)

21 Congrats Harvey could not happen to a nicer guy and I mean that. I can remember when my blog was about 3 weeks old and I got a link from Owen at B&S and I realized my sitemeter actually worked. You were the first guy to offer me a comment saying Congrats. Finally I get a chance to say thank you

Posted by: Chris SH2 at April 03, 2007 08:55 PM (4TPRk)

22 Congrats on your 15 minutes... always intoxicating!

Posted by: Incognito at April 03, 2007 10:37 PM (0ydbg)

23 Way to go, Harv!

Posted by: Joey at April 04, 2007 12:52 AM (gS95o)

24 Kaching!!! Congrats my man!

Posted by: Graumagus at April 04, 2007 03:20 AM (pjAgG)

25 AAHHhhh!! Spam DORK alert...DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER.

Posted by: Blogless Brother at April 04, 2007 05:10 AM (oPbVt)

26 Congrats. Wow that is wonderful. Please remember us little people. GRIN

Posted by: vw bug at April 04, 2007 06:36 AM (kwlb/)

27 Blogless Brother - Spam DORK eradicated. Oh my how I HATE it when they spam on recent posts. At least it was only fake watches. The worst stuff is barnyard granny pr0n on my Love Notes.

Posted by: Harvey at April 04, 2007 08:27 AM (L7a63)

28 Speaking for myself I knew your writing wayyyy before I ever knew you. Having met you now just makes the writing more entertaining. Congratulations either way amigo! You earned it!

Posted by: BloodSpite at April 04, 2007 08:58 AM (ZTGJT)

29 Kudos well deserved, Harvey! And it *is* about time! Brilliant piece of work. :-)

Posted by: Richmond at April 04, 2007 12:32 PM (e8QFP)

30 ... Great. Now we get to deal with the "I'm famous, and you're not, little person" crap from Harvey. What's the point of getting that much exposure if you're not going to milk it? Good job, Harv. Keep being yourself, and you'll prolly get more.

Posted by: The Humble Devildog at April 04, 2007 09:24 PM (Njev1)

31 Why do I have to be myself? Can't I be someone cool, instead? :-)

Posted by: Harvey at April 04, 2007 10:43 PM (L7a63)

32 Long over-due and well-deserved, Harvey. Congrats!!

Posted by: jimmyb at April 06, 2007 10:06 AM (v+UBf)

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