January 14, 2014

10 years ago today, I started this blog, and I have blogged here every single day, since then.

It's hard to believe I'll ever have another blog milestone as big as this one. Will I blog for another 10 years?

Even if I do blog until I'm 73 years old — which is what that would mean — would I blog every single day? Weekends, holidays, days of illness and surgery... not that I'm expecting any particular troubles, but no one's luck holds out forever. And even if I did, why would the second set of 10 years be more of a milestone than the first?

So this is it. The big milestone of the blog. I've made it to the last time-related goal that matters. It was all, always, done for the sheer intrinsic pleasure of it — to live freely in writing, in real time, daily — even the time-related parts, like noticing the annual anniversary on January 14th, 2 days after my birthday, feeling like it's more important than the birthday.

Time matters, but on a blog, as in life, you live by days, you live in the day.

To arrive at this last significant time-related goal is to be even more free to live freely in writing, to be free of goals. There's no looking ahead, only the scintillating now, the moment of the newest time stamp and the day and whatever happens in it, between sleeps.

70 comments:

Anonymous said...

Prof. Congrats. Your views are objective and independent. I hope you write for NYT, so I can actually read the oped page. Hope you agree with my prediction: 2016 is over for GOP. POTUS Hillary! Why? You know the GOP.

DKWalser said...

Congratulations, Professor. And thank you. I've been here for most of your 10 years. During that time, your blog has given me a lot of pleasure. More importantly, you've helped me think through and clarify my view on a number of issues.

Mr. D said...

Congratulations. It's tough to face the blank screen every day and do it well.

DR Judge said...

Thanks, Ann. You're a fine read.

Mike and Sue said...

Thank you for your dedication.


As far as I am concerned, you are deep within the enemy camp of academia. A camp often at war with my values. The refreshing fact that you see beyond "your" immediate interests and culture heartens me. And it makes your blog a must read part of my every day. Your search for the truth inspires me to look beyond my simple interests and culture as well(though make no mistake, I think my non-statist libertarian outlook is correct)

Your words are among my first waking contact with humanity every morning. Right up there with Drudge.

Keep going

JoyD said...

I liked your early blog - I was a reader way back then - when you and I were just launching our young men into the world - with very few tears about it - more with pride and looking forward. And so now? Looking forward? I expect good things and new adventures for you and for me too. I will enjoy the trip. Freedom!

Malesch Morocco said...

Congratulations! And I've been here almost every step of the way. Thanks for the "intrinsic pleasure" I've gotten too.

Fandor said...

It's not about time, Ann. It's about making a relevant contribution to the conversation. You have! Blog on!

B said...

You write a terrific blog. I wish I knew more people like you in person.

Bart Hall (Kansas, USA) said...

Thanks very much, Ann. I came for the law (my grandfather practiced law for 66 years) but stayed for the rest, along with Meade, Titus, and all the other denizens of this place.

The law parts *still* feel like discussions around my grandfather's table, where two of his sons were also attorneys.

Your students are quite fortunate. Don't give up teaching law anytime soon either.

Leslie Graves said...

Congratulations!

Lnelson said...

Long time reader and I appreciate your skepticism on public policy issues, as well as the thought provoking comments.
Someone recently commented somewhere that "skepticism is essential to science, but poison to a political cause".

Mark Larson said...

Congrats. I have been reading your blog for most, if not all, of these 10 years.

Barry Dauphin said...

Congratulations!

Anonymous said...

10 years ago today, I started this blog, and I have blogged here every single day, since then.

And to a much higher standard than "better than nothing", too.

Thanks.

Bob said...

Happy Blogiversary. It's been fun reading the blog all these years.

Tank said...

Impressive.

Ten years every day, and interesting and varied posts virtually every single day.

Very few people are that interesting.

Impressive.

And congrats.

Jessica said...

Thank you Ann. Really - THANK YOU! I've been reading for around 4 years I think, and I've enjoyed your thoughts and writing and sense of humor so much!

peacelovewoodstock said...

Congratulations Ann, this is an epic accomplishment.

Thank you for your mostly thankless efforts!

Unknown said...

Congrats Ma'am. I've very much enjoyed your blog now, daily in fact for at least the last 4 years.

Many more...

-bear

RunningFromCancer said...

Happy Blogiversary - your posts are always thought provoking.
Thanks

Kevin said...

Oh bugger. This has been Althouse this whole time?? I came here looking for the alt.house newsgroup!

Well there goes 10 years of my life. No wonder nobody knew how to reroute the plumbing for the upstairs bathroom.

Tom said...

Best written blog on the internet. Well done, Althouse!

DimeStoreDave said...

Been with you since the very beginning. Many changes in my life - and yours - in that time. Hoping for another 10 as interesting as the last. Congratulations.

kjbe said...

I see a melding "to thine own self be true" and "one day at a time". Though we've purposed them in different ways, they've made us, both, assets to those around us.

Stay calm and blog on.

mishu said...

Congratulations Professor!

Freeman Hunt said...

Best blog on the 'net. Bravo!

wildswan said...

When I came to Wisconsin the economy crashed and the temperature dropped to 40 below - then I found Althouse and knew there was life here despite the snow. Thanks

RonF said...

I've not been here since the beginning, but your voice (and many of the others here) is one of reason. Even if we don't always agree, I can count on seeing issues discussed ON the issue instead of posts filled with ad hominem and other such.

Marylou said...

Congratulations!!

Meade said...

Congratulations. (And thanks, Glenn!).

Clyde said...

Ten years of daily blogging with multiple posts is quite an accomplishment. I blogged for a while myself, went through a couple of different incarnations and finally just burned out on it, put it on hiatus and moved on. I'm sure that there are days when you don't really feel like blogging, but doing it anyway shows perseverance. I enjoy coming here both for your posts, photos and opinions, and the responses from the various commenters.

Pete said...

Quite an accomplishment, Althouse. Attention must be paid. Congrats.

RobertL said...

And I have read you each and every day... Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary!

Orion said...

Thank you, professor, for sharing your time and thoughts with all of us.

This is an impressive accomplishment - and one that is greatly appreciated by a large number of people.

Props!

Orion

MadisonMan said...

Congratulations!

And I'd like to thank the commenters too, who make your very interesting and engaging blog even moreso.

YoungHegelian said...

Do I see a "100 Habits of Successful Bloggers" book on the horizon?

You're still one of the better reads on the web. Congratulations!

William said...

The posts are, for the most part, cheerful and life affirming. That's the neat trick: to enjoy the spectacle for ten straight years.

Timeforchange said...

Thank you for all your hard work. I look forward every day to your interesting topics.

Anonymous said...

Long time lurker, first time poster. Congratulations. Yours is one of the few web sites I check daily, because the content is worth it.

chickelit said...

Congratulations, Althouse!

May you never miss a Beat!

tim maguire said...

Congratulations! That is a pretty amazing accomplishment.

I started by first blog 12 years ago and it took me about 3 posts to realize I wasn't cut out for blogging. I have a couple (1 family, 1 professional) that I haven't given up on, but I have never managed to post consistently, let alone daily, let alone daily for 10 years.

The list of people who have done this is very very short. I hope you still enjoy it.

Doug said...

I haven't missed a day's read in over seven years. I return because, even though I frequently disagree with you, you almost never fail to be thoughtful in your writing. And when we do disagree, I feel more secure in my position by having tested it against yours.

Michael said...

Congrats. Ironically what I like about your blog is what was more common 10 years ago— an idiosyncratic voice, talking about what interests you with thought-provoking, ideologically wide-ranging and ironic commentary (the latter often flying over the head of some readers). I feel like far more of the blog world is trying to be a mini news network now; too few are like a visit with an especially interesting person. It's an odd comparison to be sure, but in a lot of ways you've been the replacement for Steven den Beste in my daily reading.

Cheers and thank you,

Michael Gebert (I say that because Google conflates several of us Michaels here)

CJ said...

Happy 10th bloggiversary!

Richard Lawrence Cohen said...

Intense congratulations, Ann, on an enviable achievement, and everything that's resulted from your ambitious project. Thanks for thousands of incisively, wittily written and uniquely perceptive, provoking articles. Wishing you many more such years! -- Richard

Seeing Red said...

Congrats!

madAsHell said...

You really need to be angling for your own talking head program on MSNBC.....especially if you could do it from your home studio in Madison.

Oso Negro said...

In the past ten years, you have blogged yourself from law professor to national treasure. I would dearly love to see a 2016 U.S. Presidential Debate moderated by Ann Althouse.

Oso Negro said...

In the past ten years, you have blogged yourself from law professor to national treasure. I would dearly love to see a 2016 U.S. Presidential Debate moderated by Ann Althouse.

DMH said...

I've been lurking here for 10 years. It's strange how often I've said to my husband in the middle of an argument, "Well Ann says..." Is it a good thing, I wonder, that I know virtual Ann so well? Never boring after all this time. Well done.

Ann Althouse said...

" It's strange how often I've said to my husband in the middle of an argument, "Well Ann says…""

I wonder what these topics are. I have to think:

1. The rare occasions when it's acceptable for men to wear shorts.

2. That the word "foremost" should only be used jocosely or very specifically to refer to concretely spatial positioning.

3. Same-sex marriage should be recognized.

4. George W. Bush should not be hated.

5. 1966 was a great year in pop music.

6. The Aero-Press makes good coffee.

7. Madison, Wisconsin is a nice place to live.

8. The single-earner household is more workable than you might think, and you need to do the math.

9. ???

I have a hard time coming up with even 10 opinions I've expressed in 10 years.

Ann Althouse said...

But I must assume that "Well Ann says" refers to all the times I've opened out a discussion and shown some new angles and arguments. That's the main thing I like to do.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Ann. Carry on.
We Americans may not always agree with what you say, but we will defend to the debt your right to say it.

MadisonMan said...

9. It's best to borrow dogs rather than to own them.

David said...

Thanks.

Keep it up if you can.

Loren said...

Congratulations. Generally an enjoyable place to visit and think about. Thank you for creating and maintaining it.

Anonymous said...

9. Be mindful of where you deposit or leave behind your DNA.

Anonymous said...

And congratulations on 10 years of blogging.

DMH said...

They've been arguments almost exclusively about the courts, so yes, I've quoted you to bring "new angles" to debates about the law and enforcing the law. The funny thing is he is, like you I think, more utilitarian than anything else. He disdains partisans. While I, the partisan, often use your arguments against him.

Marty Keller said...

Can't imagine what the past ten years would have been like without you or Glenn. National treasures championing logic, reason, and all the other fundamental human dynamics that the pomos and lefties love to trash. In the long run of history, this is an essential leadership contribution. Thank you and bless you--and Meade, too!

FullMoon said...

I followed a link many years and several identities ago.
Glad I did

Ann Althouse said...

"They've been arguments almost exclusively about the courts, so yes, I've quoted you to bring "new angles" to debates about the law and enforcing the law. The funny thing is he is, like you I think, more utilitarian than anything else. He disdains partisans. While I, the partisan, often use your arguments against him."

Ha ha. Glad to be of help… in making the discussions livelier… here and elsewhere.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations.
September 22, 2017 will be 5,000 days. That would be an impressive milestone.

Jim S. said...

Congratulations. I've been blogging about as long, but nowhere near every day, and not on the same blog.

Dan said...

I have been here for about 4 years and have enjoyed many of your posts. There was a time when we only got our news and opinion via TV, radio and newspaper. We now receive news and opinion so many different ways including your blog. Congrats Ann! I feel I know you and wish you many more years of blogging...even if not every day.

rowrrbazzle said...

Sometimes revelatory, sometimes infuriating, always interesting. The Althouse Vortex abides. Congrats on the milestone.

Fred said...

Congratulations! I so enjoy your blog. Its a breath of fresh air.

CharlesVegas said...

Take this opportunity to relax your guaranteed one-post-per-day policy.