Little lies, big lies, and then there are statistics

I'm a fool for statistics.  I'm probably the only person at Virginia Tech whose favorite class in grad school was statistics.  Of course, I never completed grad school.  I have a habit of quitting things when they are about 80% complete.  For some reason, once I know a goal is actually in reach, it loses interest for me and I look for another challenge. I think that this is because...

BAGMAN:  "Tsk tsk.  Digressing again, old son!"

BUTLER:  "Yes, please stick to the originial blog you were going to write."

Okay...well...what was I going to write?

BUTLER:  "The stat counter."
Oh yes.  The other day I put a stat counter on my blog.  Just to see if I could.  And to see what it did.  And then I got an email from a stranger and...

BAGMAN: "Is this going to be another digression?"
No.  This is related.  It was from someone who was asking if they could place a link on my blog to their business.  Something about a registry cleaner.  They didn't mention payment but I wondered if it had something to do with the strange tab on blogspot that says "Monetize."  

Am I that popular?  Could I make money with this thing?   And suddenly alarm bells rang in my head. 

BUTLER:  "That was Bagman warning you."

Yes.  I felt the warning.  In the past, whenever I have tried to combine things I like to do with making money, it killed the fun.  I struggled with answering the request but, in the end, turned it down.  I don't want to prostitute Bagman and Butler.

BAGMAN: "Hey...I don't mind prostituting!"

Then I looked at the stat counter and saw that many more people than I thought were looking at my blog but there were very few people coming back and looking at it again.  What was I doing wrong?  How could I change it so that it captured a wider interest?

And then I remember once writing something a little more outrageous than usual and Tabor made the comment that she thought I was just trying to get more followers.  I was crushed!  Maybe because she was right.  But after I got my ego out of the way, I realized that I can't keep up with the followers I have...I really didn't need more.  I could feel the fun beginning to seep out of it.  So I went back to just being me (or us).  And Bagman, of course, fell in love with Tabor.  

So I should probably delete the stat counter.   But it makes such nice bar graphs.  And Butler loves bar graphs. 

BAGMAN:  "Does this blog have a point besides revealing my secret attraction to Tabor?"

BUTLER:  "Shut up, Baggie.  You're secretly attracted to everybody!" 

Monday, January 4th already!

January 4th already!!  Where did 2010 go?!   How will I get my Christmas shopping done before next Christmas?!!  I have to go to work in  ten minutes and I haven't even checked out the blogs I look at regularly!   I had an idea for a blog this week and have already forgotten it!   The White Rabbit just ran across the room and down the hall and into the hole to Wonderland.   I suppose I should chuck my responsibilities and chase it -- but unlike Alice, my knees hurt and my back is stiff. 

I just realized the next shootout is about fences and it is only 4 days from now!  

GAAAAAAAA!