I started posting here on Blogspot some 15 years ago, in the spring of 2004. Originally I named my political blog 'Dreams Into Lightning'; later on I changed the name to 'Covenant Lands'. Blogging was new, the internet itself was still new, and it was very exciting. A short time later, I inherited a modest annuity, which allowed me to live more comfortably than would otherwise have been possible; so, with an interest in world affairs, time on my hands, and an internet connection, I began to post. Around 2005 - 2006 I was posting prolifically, and typically getting traffic at around 100 hits a day.
In 2007, I became involved in a full-time relationship that was to last about two years. She had first contacted me over Thanksgiving weekend of 2006; in early 2007, pregnant from her prior relationship, she became my girlfriend and I became the little girl's daddy. She would leave this world - leaving behind a daughter - exactly twelve years later. You can go to my LiveJournal to read her story.
So I was caring full-time for a baby girl from the fall of 2007 on for the next two years, and co-parenting for several years after that. Around that same time, Facebook and Twitter exploded onto the internet and took a big bite out of long-form blogging. I yielded to the trend myself, and started posting more frequently on Facebook. Of course, the 2008 election brought the beginning of the Obama years, during which I saw many discouraging developments in the Middle East and in America. But I'll come back to politics shortly.
More recently, video blogging and audio podcasts have entered the world of internet debate. Programs like The Rubin Report proved that you could have a serious, intelligent, long-format talk show on topics of conservative interest, and have success.
Myself, though, I have always felt more at home with the written word. I'm not particularly shy around people or about speaking, but I can't see myself sitting in front of a webcam. Expressing myself in writing comes more naturally.
And I like to have the freedom to explore events and ideas at length, referencing multiple sources if appropriate. This in particular is one thing I find limiting about short-form social media: it's easy to share a single link on Twitter or Facebook, but decent blogging demands the ability to link and compare multiple sources. A good blog post never just says "HEY GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!"
We survived Obama and were spared Hillary Clinton. I did not know what to make of Trump at first, but was willing to give him a chance. Suffice it to say that by now I think it's clear he has surpassed all expectations.
But the 2016 election brought panic for the Democrats and their enablers in the left-leaning technology industry - the Masters of the Universe, to use Breitbart's phrase. The giants of Silicon Valley had done everything they could to help Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump - and yet Trump still won. Determined not to repeat the outcome of 2016, they redoubled their efforts to stamp out "hate speech" and "far-right extremism" - meaning anything not conforming to their political agenda - and launched a massive purge of social media which continues to the present moment.
And so, Milo Yiannopoulos, Tommy Robinson, Carl Benjamin, Laura Loomer, Gavin McInnes, Jordan Peterson, and countless other conservative (or non-leftist) voices have been banned from social media outlets, or had their content summarily demonetized.
Nor is it just the newer social media - longtime blogging platform WordPress.com has deplatformed two sites for political reasons. I am sure it is only a matter of time before Google - on whose platform you are viewing this very post, dear reader - decides to follow suit.
The good news is that there's been a burst of new, underground, free-speech-oriented social media: Gab, MeWe, Minds, Parler, BitChute, and a forthcoming project backed by Jordan Peterson called ThinkSpot.
So the bottom line is this: I'll be looking for a new venue for a long-format blog. Meanwhile, though, feel free to follow me:
asherabrams at Gab
Asher Abrams at MeWe
.
In 2007, I became involved in a full-time relationship that was to last about two years. She had first contacted me over Thanksgiving weekend of 2006; in early 2007, pregnant from her prior relationship, she became my girlfriend and I became the little girl's daddy. She would leave this world - leaving behind a daughter - exactly twelve years later. You can go to my LiveJournal to read her story.
So I was caring full-time for a baby girl from the fall of 2007 on for the next two years, and co-parenting for several years after that. Around that same time, Facebook and Twitter exploded onto the internet and took a big bite out of long-form blogging. I yielded to the trend myself, and started posting more frequently on Facebook. Of course, the 2008 election brought the beginning of the Obama years, during which I saw many discouraging developments in the Middle East and in America. But I'll come back to politics shortly.
More recently, video blogging and audio podcasts have entered the world of internet debate. Programs like The Rubin Report proved that you could have a serious, intelligent, long-format talk show on topics of conservative interest, and have success.
Myself, though, I have always felt more at home with the written word. I'm not particularly shy around people or about speaking, but I can't see myself sitting in front of a webcam. Expressing myself in writing comes more naturally.
And I like to have the freedom to explore events and ideas at length, referencing multiple sources if appropriate. This in particular is one thing I find limiting about short-form social media: it's easy to share a single link on Twitter or Facebook, but decent blogging demands the ability to link and compare multiple sources. A good blog post never just says "HEY GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!"
We survived Obama and were spared Hillary Clinton. I did not know what to make of Trump at first, but was willing to give him a chance. Suffice it to say that by now I think it's clear he has surpassed all expectations.
But the 2016 election brought panic for the Democrats and their enablers in the left-leaning technology industry - the Masters of the Universe, to use Breitbart's phrase. The giants of Silicon Valley had done everything they could to help Hillary Clinton defeat Donald Trump - and yet Trump still won. Determined not to repeat the outcome of 2016, they redoubled their efforts to stamp out "hate speech" and "far-right extremism" - meaning anything not conforming to their political agenda - and launched a massive purge of social media which continues to the present moment.
And so, Milo Yiannopoulos, Tommy Robinson, Carl Benjamin, Laura Loomer, Gavin McInnes, Jordan Peterson, and countless other conservative (or non-leftist) voices have been banned from social media outlets, or had their content summarily demonetized.
Nor is it just the newer social media - longtime blogging platform WordPress.com has deplatformed two sites for political reasons. I am sure it is only a matter of time before Google - on whose platform you are viewing this very post, dear reader - decides to follow suit.
The good news is that there's been a burst of new, underground, free-speech-oriented social media: Gab, MeWe, Minds, Parler, BitChute, and a forthcoming project backed by Jordan Peterson called ThinkSpot.
So the bottom line is this: I'll be looking for a new venue for a long-format blog. Meanwhile, though, feel free to follow me:
asherabrams at Gab
Asher Abrams at MeWe
.
