Where has all the Blogging gone?

Recently I commented that my pace had dropped off some on this site. I have to say that it isn't just my site. Ellen, Kathryn, & Shannon have slowed significantly. Beth, Caitlin, Kate, & Pittgirl have dropped off significantly enough to get moved to the "they don't update" folder. I know I have slowed down some, but I guess I am still here reliably.

Although I am uncertain it matters.

Probably the biggest reason for the slowdown is the other page. Although not nearly as old, the PTMNewsBeat already has more posts than this blog. There isn't much writing going on at that site, but what with now scanning more than 50 publications a day as well as including answers to course questions and posts from the department it is taking up a fair amount of time. It was never my idea that I would spend a significant amount of time with the thing, but I am proving to be type A enough that I haven't really been able to hand it off to anyone to manage for me. Someday maybe.

I have stumbled onto some interesting things doing the other page. Amongst the various arts pages I am also reading a couple of other blogs. I am particularly fond of 43 Folders, lifehack.org, and Boing Boing. I had been reading the latter previously but had stooped for reasons I don't remember. It was fun to get back to it. The other two are pretty cool too. I find a lot of technology and time management things there that seem pertinent. I also find things that are just useless - or maybe just borderline useless. Tonight I found a tool to make this thing on lifehack:

Do you think if I put this on my door people will get the point?

Me either.

I guess the other contributions to the slowdown are going to be the same that any other person would cite: too tired, too busy, nothing to say, burned out... My personal horizon has crept in uncomfortably close. This past week I had a guest come in from out of town and I never managed to get around to entering his appearance on my calendar. I still have October up in my office. I can't bring myself to start the January calendar (I have a three month rotating planner board). I hate it when I don't know what is happening next week - let alone tomorrow, and that's where I am right now.

Its possible that it has to do with the flow of a standard academic year. Just before Thanksgiving is like the calm before the storm and I think we all kind of sag into it. Everyone can see the long weekend and then the longer break coming down the pike behind it and just can't help taking their foot off the gas a little. Always a rude awakening for that behavior I am afraid. Its a known event that everything piles up coming into break. Slowing down just before that final sprint can only be detrimental. But we do it anyway.

Maybe as things start to roll downhill into the end of the semester the posting will pick up again as well. Maybe. Mine at least. Who knows?