Site changes and other stuff

Welcome to Friday, and it feels so good.

I took the bold leap yesterday and opened up my new blog (http://englishsoccerfan.blogspot.com/) dedicated to English Soccer and the English Premier League (EPL). So over time, most references to the EPL will disappear from this blog and transfer to the new one. Some older Soccer-related articles may stay planted here as blogger isn't cut and paste friendly between your own blogs, and I found it easier to provide a link back to this blog as a substitute for all the work involved in fully transfering over all articles.

In any case, this is good news as this will provide me the opportunity to restructure and bring this blog back in line with its original intent which is to write on local issues, fun topics, make light of this and that, and practice creative writing. What happened was that as the European Soccer season started, I became more inclined to use the space to write about happenings in the EPL, and I've spent a lot of time writing on other local and topic specific blogs - pretty much neglecting The King's View. It's clear to me that blogging requires a set purpose or else your readership becomes confused about what to expect from you. So going forward that will change and I look forward to the opportunity to keep my readers of this blog... entertained.

I have to say that there have been some people out there in Blog-land that take themselves way too seriously. Not to be the pot calling the kettle black as I've gotten on my high horse at times over this or that, and I've even received some backlash over comments I've made. I think folks need to read blogs and take the writing in stride, unless they are a private person being personally attacked (politicians, media people, public groups, religious figures, and public figures like movies stars do not fall into the protected catagory - they are fair game). But here's the deal - my blog is not a public forum for debate about what I think. It's in fact only about what I think - thus it's The King's View, and not anyone elses. Anyone who thinks that my statement here is arrogant is clearly misguided. My blog is about what I think, and your blog (if you have one) is about what you think. That's the beauty of having a blog - which is being able to artistically present your thoughts to the world, uninhibited by translation, correction, or petty redicule by others on your own stage. This is not a news site, nor a source for facts. I make my fair share of gaffs and errors, but that's life kids.

I find the greatest problem with the blogging audience is the need for some to try to turn other people's blogs into their own creation, or use their comment section to promote their own agenda. Perhaps that's fine in a blog set up for debate or argument, but certainly not this one.

Lastly, I expect that people will disagree with me. And I've seen writings on other blogs - some of people I know - referencing this blog and voicing disagreement. I've even seen some people comment on blogs of people I know, who write comments about me as if they actually know me. It's funny that in some of these cases, by mental condition or by physical appearence, some of these people have no right to make fun of or criticize anyone. I recognize that some people live in Cyberspace 24/7. And they are loney knits. Many lack the social grace to interact with real humans on a face to face level, so either by webpage, chatroom, or blog they exist only as unfortunate characters behind HTML input files.

I have to say I do appreciate the readership and traffic beyond my original plan to "publish" my provocative, and often silly comments to a select group of friends and family, and I've far exceeded my own expectations regarding my audience. And I want to thank many of you who have been kind enough to either reference, or link your blog or webpage to this one. Going forward, we hope to make the links worthwhile and also repay the compliment.

I have two other blogs in the works - but they are only on my mental drawing board at this time. One is a family blog where I can post pictures and talk about the thing I actually care the most about - my family (which would be of little interest to 95% of you out there) and one dedicated to Marine/Boating lexicon, stories, weather, safety, tidal information, etc. As a person who loves the sea and spends a great deal of time in the waters of the Atlantic - I'm thrilled with the idea of such a site.

But I'm committed to trying to right this one before working on those. I'm working on "material" for this one and hoping that you'll enjoy the content going forward.

Thanks!

THE KING