My name is Ara Rubyan and I live in Baton Rouge. Some of you know me as arubyan. I've been blogging here for 3 years (tomorrow!) and I've had a blast. Maybe you remember some of my stuff -- if not, I've included links to my high-impact & recommended diaries from 2008-09 below the fold. Enjoy!
But I digress...
I actually started blogging long before I got to Dkos. I started 7 years ago this week at E Pluribus Unum (EPU) and that was back when blogging (and Blogger) was the answer to a trivia question. It was long before Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Wordpress, and Dkos.
Anyway, since then I've met a ton of wonderful people in Blogville and frankly, if I were having more fun, I'd have to be twins.
In the beginning, I did it alone, but for the last year or two I've been joined by fellow Kossack Mark Adams and fellow blogger Shep. Nice job, guys! It's been a blast -- I'm privileged to share the blog with y'all. I look forward to another seven years at least.
So...what sort of legacy does a blogger have after seven years? Well, at one time or another, EPU has attained a top 10 ranking for certain keyword phrases at Google, e.g.:
I guess that'll give you an idea of the range of topics that we've covered at EPU over the years.
During that time, I've cross-posted a lot of my stuff here at Dkos. Here's a chronological listing of some of my stuff that made jotter's "high impact diaries" list in 2008-09:
- Reagan: Obama's Trump Card (January)
Obama asks "Do you think that you are better off now than you were four years ago or eight years ago?" to which 19% of you answered "I didn't lose my job. I know exactly where it is. It's in China."
- Rove: Obama "lazy" (January)
Turdblossom opines on why Obama lost New Hampshire and/but manages to avoid using the words "shiftless" and "watermelon."
- SCOTUS says ACLU is SOL (Recommended, February).
My single recommended diary of 2008. What can I say -- I happened to be sitting in front of my PC when the news broke that the Supremes had rejected a challenge to the Bush administration's domestic spying program. [Note: My tip jar on this diary ("I picked a hell of a day to quit sniffing glue") also ranked among the top comments of the day.]
- Nader: I'm In (February)
Remember Ralph Nader? Yeah, me neither.
- What If Obama Picks Hillary? (May)
That seems like a hundred years ago now, doesn't it?
- Speaking as a 55 year old man...WTF, Tim? (June)
When Russert dropped dead, there was a collective shudder from all the 50+ year old men who had been meaning to get back to the gym.
- Howard Dean Talks to My Son (VIDEO) (August)
A dad will do anything to stop his son from voting for McCain.
P.S: it worked.
- Obama-Doubters: Buy a Hat and Hang the F**k Onto It (August)
We liked Obama because of his judgment. So how come, when he was down in the polls, everyone questioned his judgment?
- McCain asks that Friday debate be postponed (September)
I was 8 minutes late trying to get my second recommended diary. I snoozed, I losed.
- The Polls: Rip Van Winkle Gets Some Shocking News (September)
This one was for all the people that thought Obama should be up on McCain by twenty points.
- Look For Obama's Lead To Shrink Again (October)
Yeah, it did. Then it got bigger. Then he won. Let's remember this the next time we're obsessing about polls.
- Congressman Nadler: F#@k you. (December)
Nadler, instead of calling for impeachment, wants to amend the Constitution to take away the power of the pardon. The steam is still coming out of my ears.
- The Zero Emission Car & The Network It Runs On (December)
I grew up in Detroit and I think Shai Agassi should be running GM.
- Snow in Baton Rouge: WTF? (VIDEO) (December)
The title says it all. Bonus: hearing from all the expat Tigers and Cajuns.
- Electric Cars: Give One To Each Auto Worker (December)
Nearly a hundred years ago, Henry Ford paid his workers enough to afford to buy the cars they built. Why not jump-start the market for electric cars the same way today?
- Blago: "I won't be that long." (January, 2009)
Blago opened his last press conference with the words in the diary's title, jumping the shark and illustrating for us the difference between a gaffe and a Freudian slip.
- Israel in Gaza: An Alternate Scenario (January, 2009)
I was willing to defend Israel during the Lebanon war. But with Gaza, not so much.
Well, there you have it. I'm looking forward to another year and I hope you are too.
After all, what choice do we have?