My Other Blog

My two oldest sons have read about half of my other blog - that is, if they actually read what is sent them. My younger brother used to read some, but I have started leaving him off, as he doesn't like the nastiness. Occasionally, very occasionally, I will inclued a post to a wide range on my email list.

I have this correspondence of a dozen years with my uncle. He is generally quite liberal: anti-corporate, worried about the incipient fascism of those rubes on the right, convinced of the general stupidity of most conservatives, sure that we have too many people on the planet, trusting in government to mostly get it right keeping rapacious business in check, staunch in his contention that guarranteeing health care to the middle class is a moral imperative, automatic in his belief that any war Democrats got us into was sadly necessary, while those Republicans got us into are mere disguises for empire and enriching business. He does have some occasional conservative or centrist opinions, mostly around education.

He sends me things, and I send him things, and we argue. I comment at much greater length, but a single subject might go on daily for a week, entries on both sides. Some of my best work is in tearing up his arguments. Few read these, if any. He is 85, and never going to change his mind. I take time away from this blog to answer him. I do get some benefit, perhaps, of doing rough drafts, but mostly it is all time that could have been spent more efficiently here. I have at least four posts backed up now, for example. But my correspondence with Uncle Dave, answering back on two of his three emails today, is up-to-date.

It started when Jonathan was a freshman in college. He turns 31 in August. Long time. Not sure the world has much to show for this effort. Why do I do it?