Alas, because of my disagreement with onereader, I have now activated “comment moderation” (see the preceding post and the comments to the post below that.
What this means is that there will be a delay between when you post comments and when they will appear. I’ll try to keep this delay to a minimum.
But don’t worry, you can still accuse me of “douchebag move[s]” or whatever else you want.
And please do comment.
I had a nice talk on the phone yesterday with an NYPD sergeant who got in touch with me to talk about my book, police blogs, and policing in general. It was a nice talk and great to get feedback on my blog.
Writing a blog is strange. Because things just go out there and I have no idea who if anybody reads it. And since you’re all reading this for free, I don’t get paid for it. I always wonder if it’s worth it to keep blogging. I could be doing other things. But most of the time I enjoy it or else I wouldn’t be doing it.
Stat counters tell me that I have about three- to four-hundred “unique visitors” a day. But in my mind my blog readership consists of the dozen or so people who comment. So please keep the comments coming! Imagine I’m a goldfish who can’t see out of the fishbowl. Comments are like flakes of delicious food magically floating down from above. Feed me and I’ll keep swimming!
Thanks Peter. You're blog is consistently interesting and entertaining. It also showcases a very progressive vision of policing. What people like frequent poster don't understand is if they are attacking people like yourself who advocate real change in law enforcement, they are just giving aid and comfort to more reactionary elements in the field. The fact that this guy could not give you credit where credit was due indicates that he isn't that familiar with your philosophy on policing or he is just the blog equivalent of a "shock jock." Thanks again for your contributions. Dave H.
Thanks for the great blog!
Comments can be positive reinforcement.
Keeping those flies out of the ointment can take some of the fun out of having ointment in the first place.
Being a light not only helps others see, but attracts those pesky moths too.
Keep up the good work.
C.A.P., I agree. I don't want to preach to the choir. I want to bring people of different opinions together. That’s what interesting. I'm not trying to silence debate or discourage opposing viewpoints. I don't mind pesky months. Often those pesky months teach me something I don't know or hadn't fully thought out.
I was just getting annoyed. And I have to enjoy working on the blog or it won't continue.
I never felt attacked. That wasn't it at all. And I don't mind being attacked. I have thick skin. I've been attacked plenty on this blog. Part of me is rather flattered by it. Besides, often people who attack me end up having interesting things to say. Plus, I like a little fireworks as much as the next guy!
What bothered me about Frequent Poster was the shrill, too frequent, repetitive, and most of all the predictable nature of the comments. Thanks, Chief… you said "Cops are lying bastards and covering it up" with an I-got-you tone on the last post, too. I felt he (and I don't think I'm going out on a limb by assuming Frequent Poster is a young man) was pulling the discussion down from a level of intellect and decorum I want in my blog (my decorum, if nobody else's).
Normally I love getting comments, but when I started regretting seeing comments from Frequent Poster in my inbox, I felt trapped like you get when you’re cornered by a chatty drunk in a bar. Make your point. Repeat yourself once or twice. But enough already. And stop spraying me with your spittle. But unlike a bar, I can't walk to the other side of my blog.
Also, his need to always get the last word in bugged me (that is a job I'll reserve for myself, thank you very much). And when he wouldn’t stop commenting off-topic on a post about a murdered police officer? I felt like Dr. Evil telling the kid to “zip it!” My blog. My rules.
Look, I wish Frequent Poster no ill will. This guy might be a very good man, a wonderful father, a providing husband, and a pillar of his community. I hope his passion helps makes policing and the world a better place. I just don't want him here.
Often those pesky months teach me something I don't know or hadn't fully thought out.
Sure. There's a saying that just like iron sharpens iron, so people can sharpen each other's intellect. Proverbs 27:17
And I just read this one the other day, Carl Jung:
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."
But there's definitely a difference between people trying to add another perspective to the conversation versus those who are there to stir up trouble, akin I guess, to protesters who take to the streets vs. the nefarious ones who show up to mingle with them and start a riot. Sometimes it's hard to tell intentions at first. I'm not trying to point any fingers, or thinking I'm telling you something you don't know, just commenting. 🙂
I never felt attacked. That wasn't it at all. And I don't mind being attacked. I have thick skin.
I wasn't born with thick skin. But it's become thicker, due to various beatings and barbs over the decades. I'm more of a Ferdinand the Bull type. Give me a green pasture where I can sit peacefully with others, read, play guitar or frisbee, smell the flowers, etc…
However, I must admit that at times I am like Ferdinand when he accidentally sat on a bee. This Drug War has really raised my hackles. And some people could misread me that I'm a Bible thumper and in-your-face ranting religious lunatic. But it seemed to me this was an opening that needed to be filled, so I stepped in.
And I am literally attacked. My ChristiansAgainstProhibition.org website has been seriously attacked over the past few days at least three times. Two times it was a distributed denial of service where a "botnet" of many computers strafed my website and left dozens upon dozens of nonsensical comments. And a few nights ago they totally knocked it offline for hours.
However, Jesus says it's a blessing to be persecuted unrighteously, so they are merely helping me out! 🙂
You might find it interesting your initials also are used to represent "pulse-code modulation" which is a digital representation (your blog) of an analog signal (people talking), in keeping with your notion of encouraging debate. 🙂
PCM,
I enjoy your blog and your book was great.
Sorta like a non-fiction Joseph Wambaugh for the new millennium. Damn, that's a pretentious line.
I should find a new career writing blurbs for book jackets.
I just want any blurb on my book signed, "IrishPrirate"!
Arrrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhh!
But that's a good line. I might use it!
PCM,
In the commentary to his movie "The Big Red One" Samuel Fuller says something about "real fiction".
The relatively recent "The Big Red One: Reconstruction" is arguably one of the best war/anti-war films ever. Essentially it is the way Fuller wanted it to be shown.
I'll have to pick up the DVD and find the exact Fuller quote. It would apply to "The Wire".
As for book blurbs as soon as I sober up I'll come up with some better ones.
For the time being:
Cop in the Hood: "The Wire" was real fiction. This is real reality".
Cop in the Hood: The Truth "The Wire" didn't tell.
Or to paraphrase from a great line in a wake scene in "The Wire",
Cop in the Hood: Reporting from the Dark Underbelly of the American Experience or (Experiment)