MORE: People keep answering the second question and not the first. Seriously, my reason for this post is that I'm filling out a survey and one of the questions is about the interests of my readers! I can't just presume you must be interested in whatever I'm interested in. Presumably, there are big areas of interest that I don't touch on. That's what I'm trying to get. I'm not looking for new ideas of things to blog about and not setting out to revamp this blog or anything like that. I should never have thrown in that second question. I'm doing to do some striking to make this clear.
July 26, 2005
What subjects are you interested in that I don't blog about?
MORE: People keep answering the second question and not the first. Seriously, my reason for this post is that I'm filling out a survey and one of the questions is about the interests of my readers! I can't just presume you must be interested in whatever I'm interested in. Presumably, there are big areas of interest that I don't touch on. That's what I'm trying to get. I'm not looking for new ideas of things to blog about and not setting out to revamp this blog or anything like that. I should never have thrown in that second question. I'm doing to do some striking to make this clear.
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46 comments:
Living, as you do, in America's Dairyland it seems reasonable to ask that you take on the topic of cheese, pasturization and bovine animal husbandry. As a secondary topic you might also discuss waterborne recreational vehicles used on post glacial pools.
I suggest you continue to follow your own instincts. You've been doing fine with that as your guide. Stay with it.
Have you noticed any difference in class-dynamics, as your blogging has become widely read and linked?
And are there things that I don't blog about that you'd like to read about here?
No. That's what I read other blogs for. :) Keep up the good work.
Then again, I always like hearing about cheese.
Tim: are you referring to the law school classroom or some sort of sociological concept?
And everyone: remember I'd like to know what interests you have that are not represented on this blog EVEN IF they are things that you don't care to see me blog about. E.g., sports.
OK, I read a lot of right-of-center political blogs, a couple of left-of-center ones, Slashdot and C/Net for geeky stuff, and AVSForum, a home theater enthusiast site.
No good cheese sites yet though.
Oh, I was sorta interested in whether or not you noticed a change in your classroom--do your students act differently towards you, do you ever bring up your blogging, and any other ways that your status as a well-known blogger intersects with your status as a teacher while teaching.
Just post about whatever interests you most, Ann.
But, speaking of cheese, have you been to New Glarus lately?
OK I like sports and science (which you sometimes get into), your politics and pop culture posts are about right for me, and probably why I've hung around. Its hard to pin down specifics because you can post about something in a way that makes me interested in it. Its your "style" more than your subject matter.
If thou could'st address a bit more sex
'mayhaps t'would'st ease my libido's hex
dutifully cast by an onerous Ex
Woe! she belittle'th my Little Mister like a hen that pecks
-Lonely Donut Man (LDM)
I love many of the subjects that Althouse blogs about. Indeed, only someone fairly self aware could point out that when she was talking in the third person, she used her last name. I tried the other day, and I frankly just can't talk about either Bruce or Hayden. But I do talk about myself a lot.
What I like is that Althouse is quirky and extremely diverse in her interests. And Bruce (doesn't feel quite right) enjoys this.
Best for Hayden I think are articles on sex, sexual differences, law, philosphy, economics, and maybe a little politics.
Ann, hope you don't mind that I played around a bit here, but that Alhouse entry was one of your best.
Another entry that I loved was the monkey in the mirror one right below this one. Gets one to thinking. Given the choice, I would prefer a lot more like that one.
Subjects... Sports, religion, abortion, gay rights... I think you should keep it non-controversial. :-)
Oh! and cheese of course.
I'm also interested in the law school atmosphere -- especially in comparison with what I went through in the early 1990s, your classes, law prof POV.
Perhaps you can explain the Federalist ("John Birch") Society and why anyone should give a hoot in hell?
Oh! and cheese.
More on movies and politics in movies. That's a fascinating topic for me.
And old movies: The classics.
I think your blog's perfect. But you asked and I checked my favorites to see what other sites attract me.
Issues that I read about regularily that you rarely cover include sports-mostly endurance sports, science and pseudoscience, and beer. You seem to talk about most of my other pet interests quite a lot.
It seems like a lot of your readers are interested in how blogging affects your classroom dynamic. I never heard you mention it in class. I did see a few students reading your blog in class though.
Also discuss how John Roberts is The 40 Year Old Virgin
This one's a better likeness.
The man's not gay, he's simply delayed -- physically not mentally.
I'm interested in why most people keep answering the second question and not the first, even after you've asked them not to. But I don't want you to blog about it!
This is YOUR Blog. You do what you do best and don't second-guess(not that you would!)yourself.
This is a great little slice of the internet. Don't reinvent the freakin wheel.
How about topics that your readers think warrant more news coverage?
ie. the comeback of bowling as s family sport or do hybrid cars really make the driver seem sexier in the eyes of old, ex-hippie babes? You could call it the Crazy Reader Topic of the Week.
Many have already named my interests, sports, Madison culture (especially since I'm not that far away), pro-life issues (I know you touch on these). One I thought I might add is Wisconsin politics (particularly, and you may have and I missed it), especially this recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision as well as others.
Ok seriously. I'm in the commercial real estate business so anything related is of BIG interest to me. The Kelo subject was "up my alley"
I love cars and I thought it was interesting when you posted about your TT. Who'd thunk? Althouse/TT No way!
I enjoy when you post photos with some commentary as to where and when. Also enjoyable is when you post about local happenings in Madison.
However; my favority was the thread on breastfeeding. DAAAAMMM! I just couldn't help myself.
AJ: Since I started driving a sports car, what I notice is drivers of sports cars!
MCG: My colleage Gordon Smith makes a regular practice of cheese-blogging.
Tim: I can't really write about my students for the most part. As to a behind the scenes look at lawprofs interacting, watch for my new podcasting project!
Paul: I like to do the science news stories. Thanks for encouraging me.
There are obviously all kinds of things I'm interested in that you don't blog about--state-level politics in Southern states, for instance. Of things that I wish you'd blog more about (in other words, you know about than AND I'm interested):
What is law school/the university/the town like--revealing comments, scenes, etc.
Wisconsin politics.
Danny: "It seems like a lot of your readers are interested in how blogging affects your classroom dynamic. I never heard you mention it in class. I did see a few students reading your blog in class though."
I don't really ever talk about the blog in class, though often I talk about some timely legal issue in class and say some things I've also said on the blog.
Tim: "Oh, I was sorta interested in whether or not you noticed a change in your classroom--do your students act differently towards you, do you ever bring up your blogging, and any other ways that your status as a well-known blogger intersects with your status as a teacher while teaching."
I don't think students act differently toward me, except that once in a while someone tells me they read the blog (and that they like it). They don't come up and debate about issues I've written provocatively about though, which I think is partly that law students worry about seeming unprepared on any given topic in front of a lawprof. That's basically an unnecessary worry -- unless it's a matter of the actual class assignment.
I assume a lot of students were pissed off at me for voting for Bush, which I revealed on the blog, but no one complained to my face. When I was guestblogging on Instapundit in the run up to Election Day, not one student said wow or congratulations or anything like that. Or anything like damn you for helping Bush or whatever.
OK, here's my answer to your first question. I'm interested in garden design, nature, science news, sustainable agriculture, parenting teenagers, spiritual growth, invasive species, language, marketing, and river conservation. You may have written about some of these topics but that's not your normal fare.
Bill: I eat a fried egg sandwich almost every day, but what they hell's the point of chopping it up and putting mayonnaise on it? You just fry it in butter and put it right on the bread. And eat it hot, of course.
Some of my interests not covered by this blog:
Asian films and actors (esp. Stephen Chau, Man Tat, Anthony Wong, Ong Bak, and Takashi Kitano)
Reptiles
Home improvement
Computer hardware and games
Theology, Biblical studies
Travel
Linguistics
Brendan: The exams are blind graded. I genuinely have no idea who's who when I'm grading.
We're allowed to do class participation points, but I haven't been doing that in recent years. Some of the other lawprofs here do, sometimes only to raise grades of students who contributed in class and then wrote disappointing exams.
"When I was guestblogging on Instapundit in the run up to Election Day, not one student said wow or congratulations or anything like that."
I did. You just didn't read it: http://electriccommentary.blogspot.com/2004/10/over-at-instapundit.html
Bill: It's been established that I have never eaten an egg salad sandwich and have no desire too (unless I'm well paid for it). As to fat, if you want more, put more butter in the pan. I don't understand why one would combine butter with mayonnaise.
Danny: Still, no one ever came up to me and SAID anything. But thanks. And I probably did read that a the time.
I'm interested in SSM, and I don't recall that you address this topic often. I think it's an interesting and challenging cultural issue, and we're right in the middle of it. Unlike other social movements toward expanding rights (women's suffrage, civil rights) this one seems to be moving at warp speed.
Other topics that interest me that you don't seem to blog about much:
school choice
elementary education
gardening
sustainable agriculture
poetry
economics
India
You don't blog near enough about dirtbikes or sailboats, or hitching around Europe before the Wall came down, and the shooting-iron stuff is a little light. ;-)
More information about the Interstate Highway System is always welcome.
Ann, I came around when you were debating (or dithering, as we guys call it) how to vote, and stuck around because of the eclectic subjects you blog about. You have an intense curiosity about a lot of things, and because of that, this is one of my favorite blogs. Thanks.
I think someone really WANTS to eat egg salad, but is afraid to take that leap of faith that belief in egg salad demands.
That said, to the question:
I am interested in:
China (from a cultural/economic standpoint, and the amazing changes there that will probably redefine life here. I think few Americans really think about that).
life overseas (including news
involving Asia, Europe)
fairy tales (and writers like H. Christian Anderson and C.S. Lewis)
women
writers/writing
food (anything on food is good)
religion/faith (and how it meshes with science, philosophy, and everyday life).
business/economics
It's funny how we tend to answer the question we want to answer, as opposed to the question that was asked.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
There are lots of subjects that are interesting in themselves. Two subjects in which I am particularly interested are modern fiction and the cultural interplay among Jewish, Roman and Christian writers in the early Christian period. Writers I have been reading this summer in the first category are Saramago, Banville and Paul Austen; in the second, Jaroslav Pelikan, E.P Sanders and Paula Fredricksen. No reason comes to mind why you should blog about either subject.
Subjects about which I would be interested in reading your views are the various academic theories current in the law schools. Like many practicing attorneys, I don't have the time or, frankly, the interest, to plow through law review articles (let along full length book treatments) even on subjects that bear on my practice area (litigation primarily involving securities, antitrust, contractual or similar commercial disputes) unless they are directly on point on some issue in one of my cases. But I would be interested in reading short summaries and critiques of the main ideas being batted around by academics, particularly from a professor that looks at such things from a practical, non-ideological perspective. I haven't seen much of that in your blog.
It's pretty obvious from some of my comments that I'm a big music guy, specializing in jazz. While I get a few tasty morsels in that area every now and then, I come here for the same reason that many of your other readers do: the wide variety of subjects you cover and the way you discuss them.
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