DARKEST HOUR.

I've seen a few good movies lately, including The Post and Darkest Hour. Okay, both of these movies lacked a shoot out at the end and the hero walking away and not looking back while everything blows up, but they were good movies. Except for one thing - they seem to like making movies long these days. That means I have to sit for two hours and my right knee gets sore. Maybe film makers need to make slightly shorter versions for pensioners.

Actually, when I named this post DARKEST HOUR, I wasn't thinking about the film but the state of blogging in our little community. There are three main blogs around here:

• The Bass Bagging Hexagram
• The Curmudgeonly Old Men's Club
• Robert.

Let's take a look at what each group offers.

1) The Bass Bagging Hexagram:

Richard's Bass Bag* was the first blog in our little community (though Man of Errors was already in existence, but that is more like a satallite blog) and was followed by two blogs - The Curmudgeon and a blog by Robert that has appeared under many different names.

Richard's Bass Bag* set up the now famous LINKS service,which made it easy for other bloggers to navigate their way around blogs. Many bloggers have gained readership and ease of travel from this service. A little later The Wine Guy came along. He lost a bit of popularity by insulting a pregnant waitress who tried to give him a beer, in a wine bar, when he was trying to show off that he only bought expensive wines. There is no truth in the rumour that the waitress was planted there by Richard's Bass Bag.* Many top class bloggers came along and joined the community. Stand out bloggers, who are still with us, are Bin Hire (who runs a bass bagging site), Akish The Philistine and the ever popular Angry Jesus. Richard's Bass Bag* became so popular that it expanded out into two new blogs - RBB2 and RBB3. Eventually, after coming together as The Bass Bagging Confederation, the six most successful blogs that this community has seen became The Bass Bagging Hexagram. The present policy is to feature each blog, so Richard's Bass Bag* is in a resting spell as these other five blogs spread their wings. Richard's Bass Bag* is managing the Hexagram.

The Bass Bagging Hexagram

2) The Curmudgeon Inc.

This group of blogs gets referred to by several names - The Elderly Curmudgeons' Tea Party, The Old Chaps, The Past It Guys, etc.

It was started by The Curmudgeon in a sad attempt to compete with Richard's Bass Bag* and his team mates who soon formed The Bass Bagging Confederation. Basically this group of blogs is just The Curmudgeon, The Wine Guy and another Curmudgeon for every topic you can think of.

They all pop up on The Curmudgeon's blog though, because he invented so many Curmudgeons, most have fallen by the wayside and never really post. Posts tend to be about obscure singers, wine, storms up north, windows, wine, paintings in TC's house, arty films, wine, swimming, wine. You get the idea.

Interpret this as you see fit but, to me, it always looks like

five buttocks and a poo.

3) Robert:

Robert's blog has had many names and is famous for disappearing, then restarting. Posts are often deleted. He likes to write poems, talk about his daily life and attack evolution. At the time of writing he also exhibits a second blog called A composer's journey. There's a nice little tune on the blog that he has started to write. I'm impressed. I must say that this new blog overshadows his main blog that is presently titled Send feedback. Okay then. My feedback would be write something interesting.

An aging Paganini

* * *

I named this post DARKEST HOUR because I think that describes where this blogging community is at present.
Full marks must go to Richard's Bass Bag* for introducing the circulation policy with The Bass Bagging Hexagram. It just needs other people to get on board and travel around these great blogs.
Full marks too to Robert's A composer's journey. I'd seen a few earlier posts on this blog that didn't do it at all (whatever it is). Then I read his latest offering today and I was impressed!

Far less marks to all those Curmudgeons. We don't really want to read about your leader wallowing around in the water like a distressed whale that has come in too close to shore. There was a time when you brought us more interesting posts like the drama of an outside chair blowing over in a storm and The Wine Guy's fight with a pregnant waitress (mentioned above - what a famous post). These days it's just a circulation of different Curmudgeons who all seem to write in the same style.
Robert, I never thought I'd say this but, Send feedback has got to go! My advice - bring back a simple name like Robert, lose the poems, get that contraversial streak back. Bring back the dinosaurs! You're at your best when you're upsetting The Curmudgeon.


There you have my thoughts. May the sun come up soon.

* the original bass bagging site