2024’s Most Popular Stories @ Ennyman's Territory

It's that time of year, a time for looking back before leaping forward into the year to come. A lot happened this year. Whether it be wars, politics, Wall Street or pop culture, there was plenty to keep us distracted and plenty for media moguls to write or tallk about.

My blogging output declined this year as I dedicated my time to other projects. A lot more was written than published this year, in part because I lacked the motivation to polish rough drafts to an acceptable standard. C'est la vie.

Here's a summary of my topics from the year now expiring.

Something Old: Writing about Dylan. 

Something New: A lot of experimenting with various A.I. applications this year.

Something Borrowed: The seeds for many topics came from a vast range of sources.

Something Blue: There's plenty to be blue about. Some of it finds its way here.

Here's a look back at the past year's most read blog posts.

Top 10 of 2024

Bob Dylan's "Saving Grace" Offers Comfort in a Time of Need   
Apr 28 

Analyzing Bob Dylan's "Changing of the Guards" Using ChatGPT

July 9

Apocalyptic Themes in the Music of Bob Dylan: Can This Really Be the End?

May 21

Back in Nashville: Nevada Bob Recording "You Can't Finish What You Don't Start"

July 24

Another Dylan Fest Is in the Books: Many 2024 Memories Generated

May 27

No Body To Murder: Hilarious One-Act Play at the County Seat Theater in Cloquet

JAN 26

Get Ready to Celebrate National Record Store Day at the New Globe News in Superior

         April 15

Simple Simon Met A Pie Man. What's the Point? ChatGPT Explains.

June 25

A Kafka Fragment from His Lost Writings

Nov 13

Clouds and Illusions: The Timelessness of Both Sides Now     

May 30

A Night to Remember: Cookin' at the O' with Danish Jazz Sensation Sinne Eeg

Oct 29

P.S. If you're on the fence about seeing the new Dylan film 

A Complete Unknown: go see it. 

Four Million

This morning Ennyman's Territory

hit four million pageviews.

I started it in 2007 as an experiment
to learn what blogging is.. 

For more than 15 years I posted nearly every day. 
It was something of an obsession.

I used it as a tool to organize my thoughts on various topics, 
to create, to engage others, as an excuse to research
and sometimes just to have a podium where I could 
share the things that were on my mind.

Thank you to everyone who has invested their time

stopping in for a visit these many years. 

Life is a fleeting. 
Don't be in such a rush that you fail
to make time to enjoy the beauty 

that surrounds you.

 Thanks again for visiting.

45 Half-Written Blog Post Themes from June and July

"Out There Bear"

Every once in a while I make a list of things I intend to write about but haven't gotten to. Below is a list of things I have actually written about since June but have not taken time to polish. They are simply sitting in the queue for finishing work.

While making this list I recognized one of the flaws in my approach to blogging. I simply have too many interests and Ennyman's Territory has simply become a mashup or repository of sorts. I'm fairly certain that this is the wrong approach for blogging. That is, if you want a real following, it is helpful to have a single theme. 

So, here is a list of blog posts or explorations I've started recently. I just checked my stats and see that I have over 1800 drafts in my backlog. If you see something here you'd like to see me complete, leave a comment or send me a note.

The Transition from a Republic to a Nation of Caesars (History)
Balzac as Prometheus  (Literature)

Heidegger on Time and Being  (Philosophy)Who Are You?    (Philosophy/Psychology)

Let There Be Light! (Physics)

Poetry Busker Molly Ovenden (The Arts)

Can We Save Our Malls? (Society/Culture)

Can We Separate the Art from the Artist? (The Arts)

The Road to Serfdom (Economics)

Cate Blanchett as Tar (The Arts)

Cassandra, The Misunderstood Genius from Italy’s Northern Alps (Fiction)

Reflections on a Line from Bob Dylan’s Mississippi (Dylan/Philosophy)

An Anecdote from the Russian Revolution (History)

Consciousness, Phenomenology and Dreams   (Philosophy)

How to Get Your Board Game Published     (Entrepreneurialism)

PTSD Isn’t Just For Soldiers   (Mental Health)

Oppenheimer: The Movie    (The Arts)

Midnight In Paris        (The Arts)

The Girl on the Train    (The Arts)

The First Seven Minutes of The Godfather    (The Arts)

The Evolution of McLuhan’s Global Village    (Contemporary Culture)

Writing Prompts Courtesy ChatGPT    (Writing)

Polarity Management: Power vs. Goodness    (Psychology)

Stephen Kinzer’s The True Flag

Jacques Ellul on the Benefits and Dangers of Police Power    (Sociology)

The Disease of Conceit        (Ethics)

Springer Spaniels     (My first oil painting)

Housing Matters, But Let’s Be Real    (Sociology and Government)

An Example of How Worry Can Be Good    (Psychology)

My Own Version of You: Dylan’s Frankenstein Story    

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Cicero on Old Age

The Deceitfulness of the Heart

The $195,000 Tiny House in Duluth

Things I Have Learned from Sixteen Years of Blogging

Make a Game of It

UFO’s: What’s Really Happening Out There?

The Hundred Page Machine Learning Book

The One True Measure

Lights, Camera, Excellence: The Unforgettable Performances of Hollywood's Top 5 Actors

Who Was Philip of Macedon?

Oh Demon Alcohol

Why Is It So Hard to Fire Bad Teachers?

The MC Escher Exhibition in Florence

The National Debt: A Bigger Crisis Than Climate Change?

An Italian Love Poem Courtesy the Bard

* * * 

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Every Picture Tells A Story

Lots of half written blog posts falling between the cracks.

Here are a few photos to fill in for a day.

Ed's famous one-egg omelet: Irish cheese, brat, onion, mushrooms

"How high's the snow drift, mama?"
"It's a-six feet high and risin'"

Collaboration: Susan Laing, Dream AI and myself.

Yes, that's C, S & N.

Restroom sign and bottom four photos here
courtesy Gary Firstenberg. 

In college I got it into my head that each new painting I did should be the most important work of my life. That's a pretty high bar to set for oneself. This puts a lot of pressure on you, A Nobel prize winning author once noted that one is not obligated to record only important things in their journals, and I would say the same for blogging. 

A 10-Question Trivia Contest to Celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Ennyman's Territory

Not sure where we're headed, but I'm
on the road to find out.

Today is the 15th anniversary of my first blog post, "One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap..." I had no idea that I'd still be writing almost daily 15 years later. There have been a few times I almost quit. Then I wake up the next day and have something I want to share or say, and there we go again.

To celebrate this milestone I'd create a trivia contest in which the answers can be found in previous blog posts I've written. No, you do not have to search through all 5415 blog posts to find them. You'll find the answers by following links at the end of this page.

Over the years I've had a chance to interview hundreds of very interesting people. One author used our published interview to secure a contract with Doubleday for a follow up to his first book. When I wrote about the song "Wichita Lineman" I got an email from the wife of Jimmy Webb, the great songwriter who wrote it. I've corresponded with people from all seven continents. 

I'm always grateful for the writers, artists and musicians who have given me the opportunity to share their stories. Regular readers know I also like to review films and recommend books (So many books, so little time!!!) ...and all things Dylan.

Anyways, if you're up for it, here's the quiz. The first Fifteen people who send me the correct answers I will send you an original Newmanesque doodle or drawing of some kind. Send your answers to ennyman3 [AT] gmail.com

Thanks for playing.  

Saddleback Mountain, Monterrey Mexico, 1981.

1. Who was the "Joe" referred to in the statement, "Say it ain't so, Joe." 

2. The abbreviation fad purportedly began in 1838 in Boston, but soon spread to New York and New Orleans, thus was the expression O.K. born. What was the name of the president who borrowed the fad term and applied it to himself. His nickname was Old Kinderhook, because he came from Kinderhook, New York.

3. On June 14, 1838, Isaac Fischer Jr. of Springfield, Vermont, patented what product that continues to be useful for carpenters?

4. Since the Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1933, people attempt suicide on average every 16 days. Out of all those years of suicide jumps, how many people had survived as of 2019?

5. A Belgian built electric car called "La Jamais Contente" was able to achieve what speed in 1899?

6. What is the name of the famous stand up comedian whose autobiography was titled Born Standing Up?

7.  In the early part of WW2, the Nazi Blitzkrieg was so swift that France fell in how many weeks?

8. Graham Greene was one of my favorite authors for a spell, a superb writer of many books that became films. One of these was The Third Man. Who was the actor who played the role of Harry Lime?

9. During the first half of the 20th century this poet, writer, satirist and critic wrote a poem about loneliness titled Bric-a-Brac. What was her name? 

10. He was the first Secretary-General of the United Nations. His book, Markings, is a collection of notes, poems, philosophical musings, insights on life and the challenges of being human in the modern world. What was his name?

Paquita. A young girl at the Casa de Niños, Monterrey. 1981

ANSWERS can be found in the following past blog posts.

1. Field of Dreams and Memories 

2. Where Did OK Come From?

3. Today in History, June 14

4. A Lesson from the Golden Gate Suicide Attempts

5. Gas Taxes and Electric Cars

6. Born Standing Up

7. Miscellaneous Notes from Recent Readings

8. Two Film Noir Favorites

9. Bric-a-Brac

10. Markings

Thanks for sharing the journey.

Why I Moderate Comments (With Examples of Comments Unshared)

Nearly anyone who has ever had a blog, or published articles online where the door is open for comments, has had to wrestle with the issue of comment moderation. The most common kind of deleted comments are those submitted by trolls whose only aim is to link to their website or some other site they were no doubt paid to promote. Here are some examples.

* * * 

Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came to look it over. I'm definitely loving the information. Guess what the secret is on my page LINK REDACTED

Hi would you mind letting me know which web host you're using? I've loaded your blog in 3 different browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Looking forward to special sharing at LINK REDACTED

Sometimes the comment is not relevant to the blog post. For example, this comment was in response to my review of Bob Dylan's Malibu:

FROM THE GAZA of Goyathlay The great American resistance fighter of Sinai southwest Arizona and Mexico North America had an American name spelled in English of "Goyathlay" or "Goyathle". His humanly popular name Geronimo or Jeronimo was a Kathlick translation to Saint Jerome and was often assigned to Americans of both South and North America under Spanish Kathlick tyranny. He was stuck in captivity within a certain portion of the GAZA of North America OKLAHOMA (Red People Home) by Federal Union military forces. It was in this area, near what is now called Lawton OK and Fort Sill OK, that 911 Chernobyl Space Shuttle Explosion Current COVID World Plague were witnessed in September 1973 in a simultaneous Vision given by a UFO Intelligence over a 2-3 hour period. It accompanied a massive UFO flap in this area. Was unable to reveal this at time because American medicine ceremonies are VERBOTEN by the Invasion Government Over America. There is a Law of Nature. Human Deviationi$m is ALWAYS within the Borders of the Law of Nature Under $urveillance by $CIA$KGB$ $FBI$FSB$ $NSA$NKVD$ $MI6$MIB$ STASIO (STASI ASIO) the past 49 years for Pro Peace Anti War Pro Environment Anti Nuclear sentiments and activities. vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv intelligence.atspace.com ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Americans are a COMPLETELY SEPARATE Race, a COMPLETELY SEPARATE Culture from those who invaded and destroyed America.

* * * 

A LOT of comments are left by trolls who say "Great Post" and then post a link to some site they are getting paid to promote. Here are examples.

--Great post I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this interesting and knowledgeable article. Timelie Crack Resident Evil    LINK REDACTED

--Hi, love this post and this sites stories!, I like the ideas and creativity! I also have my own blog and portfolio! It would help me out a lot if you would take a look! thank you! LINK REDACTED

Some anonymous person seems to leave a lot of messages with all caps. Sometimes it's one word, and sometimes a whole sentence. Not sure who he or she is, but my heart goes out to this troubled individual.

--you are UNCARING

--people are FAKE and UNCARING

--everybody is LYING to me

--my parents are LYING TO ME about my lung disease

--i wish my mother was DEAD

--none of you care none of you care none of you care none of you care

--EVERYBIODY IS LYING TO ME

--you are UNCARING

--I DISPISE (Sic) BEING TOLD TO BE GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE TELLING ME I DON'T DESERVE ANYTHING

The last statement above was in response to my blog post last week about The Broken Windows Theory.

* * *

The following is evidently from a disciple of Lord Bubuza... if not from Bubuza himself.

Lord Bubuza has done it for me, His predictions are 100% correct, He is real and can perform miracles with his spell. I am overwhelmed because I just won 336,000, 000 million Euro from a lottery jackpot game with the lottery number lord Bubuza gave me. I contacted lord Bubuza for help to win a lottery via WhatsApp: +phone number redacted, he told me that a spell was required to be casted so that he can predict my winning, I provided his requirements for casting the spell and after casting the spell he gave the lottery numbers and a website where I played and won 336,000,00 euros. How can I thank this man enough? His spell is real and like a God on Earth. Thank you for changing my life with your lottery winning numbers. Do you need help to win a lottery too? contact lord Bubuza 

* * * 

You have given very good information, I thank you very much, this information is very helpful for me, that is why I have created this kind of information which is almost the same if you also want this kind of information. If someone reads, you can visit the LINK REDACTED for this and can read very easily through them.

* * * 

--Good post, and thanks for sharing such an adorable post. I would love to see more articles / blogs. I am also writing about LINK REDACTED you can read this article.

--Unknown commented on "Did a Post-Modernist Philosopher Write Songs for the Beatles?"

This is absurd! How shallow! It's all over your head. I followed them to the end and I served my country and brought up a family. You are Evil!

* * * 

REDACTED commented on "Roz Warren Writes for Everyone from the New York Times to the Funny Times"

Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. Now sharing some information about How to download LINK REDACTED

* * * 

I suspect that a lot of these comments are from people who were paid on Fiverr to promote something on ten websites or blogs. Here's a typical comment example, posted on my blog post titled Juarez: City of Blood

--To write a beautiful post it is very important to write a beautiful container and have prepared a very good design and I got a lot of inspiration from your post and I would also like to post like you in my life. (REDACTED then lists a bunch of links to bhiwadi escorts, sector 20 escorts, gurugram call girls etc.)

* * * 

Let's close with these:

GG commented on "In Defense of the 1%"
HI BEEN ALONG TIME SINCE ANYONE COMMENT OF THIS BLOG~ SO HOWDY  

And one more:

You are very articulate and explain your ideas and opinions clearly leaving no room for miscommunication. Please kindly check My web:  LINK REDACTED

 * * * 

Meantime, life goes on... 

Don't be a stranger. 
Feel free to leave a comment.

Throwback Thursday: The Leonardo Interviews, Redux

In 2009 I was interviewed for the ezine Leonardo, which dubs itself as the Virtual Voice of the iRenaissance. The topic was blogging. I repeated this in 2016 when I went back to see what I'd published on this date, this appeared. 

Leonardo: How do you view your blogging? Is it a job or a hobby?
ennyman: I've never considered it in those terms. Definitely not a job, though I feel a certain responsibility about it, much like one who has a job considers it important to show up every day. It's more of an exploration driven by passion.

Leonardo: How has Ennyman's Territory changed since you first began this blog.
ennyman: Initially the blog was simply an exploration of what blogging is and how it could be used. My content consisted primarily of extracts from 30-plus years of journal writing, with pictures of my art to illustrate each entry. The journal notes and quotes would be elaborated on with current feedback to what I had written in the past, amplifying or elaborating upon the initial entry.

Leonardo: What is the origin of your blog address, Pioneer Productions?
ennyman: Being a descendant of Daniel Boone, I have always identified with pioneers. Boone was a "long hunter" or what Minnesotans call Voyageurs. He would go out for a while and return with the goods that provided for his family. But he was always exploring. Even near the end of his life while living in what is now Missouri, he went by canoe all the way up to what is now Minnesota seeking the headwaters of the Mississippi.

Leonardo: Your visual art seems to go in a lot of directions. Do you consider the source of your creative energy to be hyperkinetic or a living spring?
ennyman: Well, to some extent it's both. I believe there's a well in each of us which we can tap into and draw from, a living spring. But yes, there are times when a catalyst sets off a burst of ideas and it does feel a bit hyperkinetic as you put it.

Leonardo: Do you have an aim with Ennyman's Territory?
ennyman: Several. I like to challenge people to look at things from a new angle and to think. Also, the artist in me is always in search of an audience, I believe. For example, when I built my first website in the mid-90's it was in part a place to showcase my stories which I had poured myself into, but continually failed to get published. Putting them online not only gained them readers, it resulted in one being made into a short film, and three being translated into foreign languages -- Russian, Croatian and French. Two of my daughter's short stories which I'd posted got published as well, in California and New Zealand. Ultimately, it is my aim to leave the world a better place than I found it, which I believe everyone should be striving to do.

Leonardo: What are some things you want to write about that you don't currently have time for?
ennyman: The list is endless. Infinite, really. Here's a quick skim of the first ten things that come to mind.

1. Interview my father-in-law in more depth, possibly place it on YouTube. He was the second Minnesotan drafted in World War II, and is currently 89. (This was written in 2009 before his passing at age 94.)
2. Explore in more depth our fascination with stats. Internet stats, population stats, baseball stats, astronomical stats, economic financial stats, number of fights Rocky Marciano had without a defeat, etc.
3. Explore the notion that organized power can only be restrained by organized power based on the idea that Einstein was a pacifist who became non-pacifist due to Hitler.
4. The Owens-Blevins shootout in Holbrook during the 1880s.
5. Why does beauty make us cry? The Grand Canyon… Chopin… the Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota. 
6. SWAT Team abuse. Who pays for the damage after the wreckage? How much of this goes on that we don't know about?
7. Tina Mion
8. Gordon Lish
9. The crippled newspaper industry. How serious is it? What difference will it make if we lose our local newspapers? The numbers speak for themselves.
10. Life On Mars, the David Bowie song from his Hunky Dory album, not the actual Red Planet.

Leonardo: We'll look forward to what comes next.
ennyman: Yes, it's one day at a time here. Today, sunrise in Sedona... tomorrow, back to the ranch in Minnesota.

Leonardo: Thanks for your time.
ennyman: And for your interest.

THIS POST APPEARED BOTH SEVEN AND THIRTEEN YEARS AGO TODAY.

EDNOTE: The Leonardo ezine referred to here is not to be confused with the MIT publication of the same name at www.leonardo.info. It is a fabrication.