
So I was dropping by my dusty blogger dashboard the other day, and I went back and read some of the old posts, just for the heck of it.
And I gotta tell ya, it's an amazing feeling, walking down the memory lane.
The same feeling you get looking at a sepia-toned photograph from your childhood.. or going through text messages saved on your phone from 5 years back.. or just hearing the Windows 95 startup sound.
you feel a 100 years old. *sigh*
I also noticed I have completed a measly total of 100 posts, spanning more than 3 years, which should be considered an accomplishment, given my laziness.
and a quick peek at statcounter told me that my blog has been visited by unsuspecting victims 38367 times. double whammy! :)
So at this point I decided to do a little retrospection. step into the wayback machine and see how my blogging has progressed. Yes it has had its phases, highs, and lows.
and it will only be fair if I start with the first phase:
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I. Crappy with a capital C
"Oh look, everyone's got a blog these days! What? it's free? wait, you can make money too?? dude I'm SO in..!"
So I jumped into the blogging bandwagon on the 1st of March, 2008.
I gotta come clean here, blogging was more of a money-making opportunity to me then than anything else. I was in it for the dough.
So, naturally, the posts consisted mostly of 'cool' stuff I found on the internet, a Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, or just some random drivel.
Goals at this stage: fill blog with junk, get pagerank, sneak in adsense, do sponsored posts, watch my wallet getting thicker.
I wouldnt mention any posts from this phase for the simple reason that they were all crap. However this one might make you crack up, especially since it was unoriginal and copied from somewhere on the internet:
A hilarious way to learn metal genres
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II. Not Alone.
The bucks hadn't started flowing in as I thought, In fact, I was yet to see a single dime. All I earned was a couple of visits a week maybe. no comments. nothing. nada.
I also came to hate blogging as I saw it more as a chore.
But then I discovered other bloggers out there. Luckily for me, I started blogging early on, when blogging wasn't this big. So there were many struggling bloggers beside me, trying to get their blogs out there.
Began to see blogging in a new light. Needless to say, the posts started becoming more original and personal. Blogging became fun.
and yeah, thank god for BlogCatalog :)
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III. Measled.
That did it. The transition from a vocation, to an avocation. I was totally, hopelessly addicted.
My lifestyle now consisted of surfing other people's blogs late into the night (or should I say, morning??), pots and pots of coffee, and bags under the eyes.
and surprisingly, I started seeing some money. So here's the ultimate tip for ya, whatever you do, you gotta put your heart into it, and the greens will automatically follow :)
Some of my personal favorites from this time
Becoming a Blogger
25 ways to kill time on the internet
Aliens through the ages
An alien encounter
..and the introductory post that was actually the 50th :
Here comes the measles!
better late than never :)
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and how can I forget them new year posts, wild and whacky posts written in the wake of sobriety after a particularly wild popping of bottles on the new year's eve.
2009 - 2010 - 2011
and it was during the new year of 2010 that I took the only new year resolution that I've kept: keeping this site completely ad-free. though I get tempted to cheat from time to time ;)
Life bites.
Now I know how people who write diaries must feel. It's nice to have some place you can write your heart out when life for you isn't going that great. It helps heal the wound. well, mostly.
Whether it be losing someone to death, breaking up with a good friend, or just the occassional blues, blogging is a relief.
Intoxicated
The countless posts made under influence, most of them that got deleted the very next morning at the first pangs of sobriety.
Here's a tip for you, do not blog when you are drunk, or desperately unhappy, or both.
and here's an example of how effed up a post can get, when the person typing it is too hammered to form words with the 200+ keys he sees on his keyboard.
Sealed with a kiss
and the one post that will always remain my number 1, looking back at the most beautiful phase of my life so far.
college = \m/
So, that's it, I feel like I've just sat through a movie.
and I thought it was pretty good. you might be tempted to throw tomatoes. it's your call really.
All I know is, I'm gonna keep this shit up for many more years.
..cause I friggin love it :)
Steppin into the Wayback Machine.
Posted by mantiz at Sunday, July 03, 2011 Labels: blogging, measled potatoes, personal, real personal Sunday, July 3
It's the Easter day! Have an egg! :)
It's a beautiful night. All tired and sleepy after the late night mass, back home listening to some soft music on the computer, enjoying the vibe in the cool night air.
and here are my wishes for you and your family, have a happy easter. Sleep tight :)
..and keep a shotgun cocked by your nightstand, in case a creepy looking rabbit comes sneaking into your bedroom at midnight.
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So, a quick run-down of the stuff that's been happening.
Okay, let's start with the good news: My bro is getting married this May. and I'm really happy for him. I know this is a late time to break the news but you know, I haven't been around here in a while.
So, just wishing him all the very best and moving on to the less important stuff,
such as,
Exams
Yep, it's that time of the year again. You know how I always loved exam time. Three whole hours to let your imagination run unbirdled on a sheet of paper, heck, I'm in!
I'm known to have made my SSD professor wince by referring to the Avalanche breakdown of a Zener Diode as the 'Demise of the Device' in my answer sheet.
Yeah, it was all good fun. but it's no fun a couple of years later, when you're just hidiing under a dark cloud of past mistakes.
Time to get serious. Actually, the time is way due, and I feel I've missed my cue.
but like some old bloke said, better late than never right?
Yep, no more dicking around.
Pumping Iron
Decided to do something about my pathetic excuse of a body so I started eating like crazy and joined a Gym.
These particular words by Dave Draper inspire me:
Are you ready for this conversation? Hey, dude, long time, no see. You’re looking -- I dunno -- bigger, fuller, healthier. I can see it in your shoulders... thicker, more power. You been hittin’ the juice? Just kiddin’! Make a bicep. Golly. You’re also calmer, cooler and more sensational.
Listen to me, guys. By summer you’ll have your wings and you can fly with us. We’re authentic bombers. We do lots of loopty loops. You ever do loopty loops?
Go with God’s strength... Dave
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking forward to getting all beefy and muscular like these guys (although that would be cool) (if that was even possible for someone like me!)
Just wanna build some flesh over these bones. Cause these days more often than not, I get mistaken for a high-school kid.
Pretty disheartening for a 23-year old guy if you ask me :/
Well, how far this goes remains to be seen. You know I get lazy. It's been just a couple of weeks since I joined, and I'm already on my Easter break away from the weights.
Yeah, I know. Need motivation. Gotta keep tellin my mind something like; I'm Improving my life, one rep at a time :)
Bullcrap. but it always seem to work.
Stay blessed.!
Rock in Peace \m/
Posted by mantiz at Tuesday, April 05, 2011 Labels: music, personal Tuesday, April 5The 5th of April. A day that marks the demise of two of the greatest personalities in Grunge music. And I felt I had to share something here, cause these guys have been a huge inspiration for me
Kurt Cobain
Perhaps the first name that comes into your mind when you hear the word 'Grunge'. That familiar figure brooding over an acoustic guitar, a burning cigarette to his lips, who truly showed the world that "it's better to burn out than to fade away".
The musical genius came to an end on this day, 17 years back. But still his musical legacy lives on.
Cobain's suicide note is a must read for every indiidual.
Layne Staley
One of my favorite vocalists of all time, Staley delivers with so much power and emotion in his voice that it makes the hair at the back of your neck stand up.
Sadly we lost this man to drug abuse. It's been nine years, Alice in Chains is reformed and is still making good music, but it misses the emotional edge that they had when Staley was at the mic.
I do pop in an AIC record once in a while and wallow myself in the goodness of music that's so hard to find today. Alice in Chains will always be a favorite to me and Staley, you will be missed!
Have fun jammin in heaven with Kurt, Ronnie, and the greats! \m/



