It’s Nice to Know You’re Interested
Posted by Chris Berry on August 12, 2008 in Writing and Blogging
When I started this blog back in March, a Google search for Chris Berry produced over 400,000 results, but to find one that actually referred to me I had to scroll through 21 pages of references to other guys named Chris Berry. It’s a much more common name than I ever imagined. Today the same search puts me on page 1, just behind a guy who plays something called the mbira. I might not take away his top spot anytime soon, but so far I’ve moved ahead of a professional golfer, a basketball player, a couple of website designers, several real estate agents, and the general manager of a radio station in Washington, DC, all named Chris Berry.
The traffic on my site is still pretty modest, but my Alexa ranking is also on the way up. It’s basically a meaningless measure and my current ranking is pretty pathetic, but it’s up a whopping 6,418,374 spots in the last 3 months. Based on my most recent weekly rankings, it should go up another million spots or so in the coming weeks. It sounds pretty impressive, but all it really means is that I started out in the toilet. Even so, moving up on a worthless scale is always more fun than moving down.
I’ve been doing my best to keep up with two blogs lately, and I’ve had several other folks ask me to write a variety of pieces. I’m working on a regular column that will be appearing soon in a new local publication, and Hank Bostwick at the Star City Harbinger has asked me to contribute to their site as well. I’ve been putting him off for weeks, but I finally posted something over there today. It’s nice to know that a few folks out there are actually interested in what I have to say. Now if I could only find a job!
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- • Building A Better Blog Network
- • Living With A Hypochondriac
- • Bogus Credentials And The Rise Of The Pseudo-Professional Class
- • Introversion And Strained Family Relations
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Some Of My Favorite Posts
On National Issues
- Marginal Tax Rates And The Politics Of Class Warfare
- Why Energy Independence Really Matters
- Beware Of Falling Oil Prices
- Revisiting The Oregon Plan. The Future Of Healthcare In America
- Help! I'm Becoming A Liberal
- Healthcare Is Not A Right
- Rethinking The Automobile
- Will Gay Marriage Decide Our Next Election?
- Presidential Politics And The Price Of Gas
- Education Is A Lifelong Process, Not A Birthright
On Local Issues
- A Tale Of Two Neighborhoods
- Transportation Museum Should Hold A Yard Sale
- New Ideas For Development Incentives
- We Are Virginia Tech
- Intermodal Facility More Important Than Ever
- Council Forum A Flop
On Purely Personal Issues
Things I Like To Write About
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Economic Meltdown (5)
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- Another Lost Opportunity For The Silent Majority
- Beware Of Falling Oil Prices
- Business and Politics Don't Mix
- Council Follows Predictable Path
- Council Forum A Flop
- Democrats Should Be Careful What They Wish For On Election Day
- Do The Election Results Indicate Tolerance Or Hypocrisy?
- Election Has Left Me Feeling Blue
- Farewell To Joe Smith
- Help! I'm Becoming A Liberal
- It's Election Day, Not Election Month
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- Obama Would Be Wise To Follow Clinton Example
- Presidential Politics And The Price Of Gas
- Restoring Civility To Public Discourse
- Revisiting The Oregon Plan: The Future Of Healthcare In America?
- Stevens Conviction Is Only The Tip Of The Iceberg
- The John Galt Plan 50 Years Later
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Energy and Environmental Issues (9)
- Alternative Energy and Climate Change
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- Beware Of Falling Oil Prices
- Intermodal Facility More Important Than Ever
- Presidential Politics And The Price Of Gas
- Rethinking The Automobile
- Rewarding Failure Only Postpones The Inevitable
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- My Take On The Introvert Advantage
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- Council Forum A Flop
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- Farewell To Joe Smith
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- New Ideas for Development Incentives
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- Democrats Should Be Careful What They Wish For On Election Day
- Election Has Left Me Feeling Blue
- Healthcare Is Not A Right
- Help! I'm Becoming A Liberal
- It's Time To Send The Parties Packing
- Marginal Tax Rates And The Politics Of Class Warfare
- Obama Would Be Wise To Follow Clinton Example
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- Halloween Handiwork
- Hats Off To Howard
- How Many Of Us Earn A Truly Honest Living?
- Is Introversion An Inherited Trait?
- Looking For Work That Brings Out The Best In Me
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- Random Thought Of The Day 10-18-08
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- Random Thought Of The Day 11-11-08
- Random Thought Of The Day 11-3-08
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Roanoke Valley (29)
- A Brief History Lesson
- A Few More Thoughts On Miller's Hill
- A Study Of Letters To The Roanoke Times
- A Tale Of Two Neighborhoods
- Abandoned Downtown Landmarks Call For Creative Solutions
- Another Possible Home For The Food Court Vendors
- Blame The Filth, Not The City
- Calling All Angels
- Chico Was Not Happy Last Night
- Council Makes Another Surprising Decision
- Does Anyone Care If This Guy Is Happy?
- Eminent Domain Abuse in Roanoke
- Encourage More Blogging By City Officials
- Here Come The Mummies
- It's Time For A Permanent Resolution On Countryside
- It's Time To Consider A New Home For The Food Court
- Last Word On The Market Building, For Now
- Missing The Point On Rockledge
- More On The Future Of Countryside
- Passenger Rail Service Doesn't Add Up
- Reflections On A Sunday Walk Down Memory Lane
- Tell The "Farmers" To Shut Up
- Transportation Museum Should Hold A Yard Sale
- Turning Words Into Actions
- When Chico Is Happy, I Will Be Happy
- Who Is Joe Smith?
- Who Really Runs The City?
- Why Chico's Happiness Shouldn't Matter
- Why I Stay In Roanoke
Writing and Blogging (9)
Everything By Date
2008
December
(3)
November
(15)
- I'm Not An Economist, But I Did Stay At A Holiday Inn Express Last Night
- Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics From The Big Three
- Please Tell Your God To Mind His Own Business
- Restoring Civility To Public Discourse
- Coming Out Of The God Closet
- What If No One Had Health Insurance
- We're Already Spreading The Wealth More Than You Think
- Random Thought Of The Day 11-11-08
- Rewarding Failure Only Postpones The Inevitable
- Election Has Left Me Feeling Blue
- Do The Election Results Indicate Tolerance Or Hypocrisy?
- Random Thought(s) Of The Day 11-5-08
- Democrats Should Be Careful What They Wish For On Election Day
- Random Thought Of The Day 11-3-08
- Obama Would Be Wise To Follow Clinton Example
October
(22)
- Another Lost Opportunity For The Silent Majority
- Halloween Handiwork
- How Many Of Us Earn A Truly Honest Living?
- Stevens Conviction Is Only The Tip Of The Iceberg
- Finger Pointing And Program Cuts At Virginia Tech
- The Trouble With The Fair Tax
- Marginal Tax Rates And The Politics Of Class Warfare
- Random Thought Of The Day 10-18-08
- Random Thought Of The Day 10-17-08
- An Update On Man's Best And Most Expensive Friends
- Random Thought(s) Of The Day 10-15-08
- Random Thought Of The Day 10-14-08
- Reflections On A Sunday Walk Down Memory Lane
- Random Thought Of The Day 10-10-08
- Another Possible Home For The Food Court Vendors
- Random Thought Of The Day 10-9-08
- The John Galt Plan 50 Years Later
- Voter Registration Should Not Be A Partisan Process
- Here Come The Mummies
- Encourage More Blogging By City Officials
- It's Time To Consider A New Home For The Food Court
- It's Election Day, Not Election Month
September
(17)
- Someone Please Tell Me If I've Lost My Mind
- Does Anyone Care If This Guy Is Happy?
- Chico Was Not Happy Last Night
- A Few More Thoughts On Miller's Hill
- Blame The Filth, Not The City
- Why I Stay In Roanoke
- Abandoned Downtown Landmarks Call For Creative Solutions
- Council Makes Another Surprising Decision
- Last Word On The Market Building, For Now
- Why Chico's Happiness Shouldn't Matter
- When Chico Is Happy, I Will Be Happy
- Who Really Runs The City?
- Revisiting The Oregon Plan: The Future Of Healthcare In America?
- Turning Words Into Actions
- A Tale Of Two Neighborhoods
- If I Had It to Do All Over Again
- Feeling Guilty Again
August
(11)
- A Father's Dream Come True
- Looking For Work That Brings Out The Best In Me
- Revisiting A Few Golden Oldies
- Networking Alternatives For Introverts
- Why Energy Independence Really Matters
- More On The Future Of Countryside
- Jesus Hates Beer
- It's Nice to Know You're Interested
- It's Time For A Permanent Resolution On Countryside
- My Take On The Introvert Advantage
- Beware Of Falling Oil Prices
July
(7)
June
(6)
May
(9)
April
(8)
March
(11)
- Hats Off To Howard
- Healthcare Is Not A Right
- Thinking About A "Real Job"
- Council Follows Predictable Path
- Focus On Skills Over Experience
- Transportation Museum Should Hold A Yard Sale
- Calling All Angels
- A Brief History Lesson
- New Ideas for Development Incentives
- Coming Around to Wishneff
- Business and Politics Don't Mix









1 Comment on It’s Nice to Know You’re Interested
By Jeff St Real on August 12, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Chris, you made some great points about Countryside. I was thinking of that topic for my next Circle bit. Every six months or so I toss out a civic minded piece, although I know that’s not my strong suit.
Anyway, I agree, either chunk it up or commit to it, and do it quickly. I’d like to see a true “municipal” golf course that is more affordable and accessible, much like Salem’s. Growing up in Poughkeepsie I had a course where I could play for $1 until I was 16. If not for that, I’d probably never have played the game.
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