If you’ve visited Blast Off! lately, you may have noticed that you were greeted with this message:
Regrettably, it’s true. While it’s not the stereotypical “goodbye, cruel world” (“GBCW” in blog parlance) departure, Blast Off! officially ended its nearly five-and-a-half-year run in the blogosphere last week … and I imagine its sudden demise probably warrants an explanation.
It’s probably pretty obvious, if you’ve been reading that crappy blog for a while now, that I had been kind of losing my blogging mojo for much of the latter half of 2009. Because of my ongoing job search, preparing for (and passing) the Florida Bar exam, moving across the state, then the holidays and, frankly, just an increasing lack of interest on my part, blogging became a lower and lower priority in my life. Because I value(d) the blog and its readers so highly, though, I had vowed to myself to carry on, and indeed I had collected a modest batch of material that I’d planned to begin posting last week.
But then I abruptly learned that some of my posts were hurtful to people close to me, people whom I love and care about despite their right-wing Republican proclivities. (I should note this does not refer to Miss July, who always has supported my blog and my blogging since we’ve been together, even though our political viewpoints occasionally – okay, frequently – diverge.) And my criticisms of their political views – written in my “character” as “Sinfonian,” not as myself – were taken very seriously (perhaps too seriously), and as long as they stayed on the Internet, they would continue to cause pain and consternation, even though that was neither my wish nor my intent.
Finally, I had grown more and more concerned about the negative impact, if any, of Blast Off! on my job search. I don’t mean to sound conceited or prideful, but the fact is that I have had several interviews over my nearly 16-month period of unemployment thus far that I thought were “slam dunks,” that it was just a matter of time until I was offered the job. But invariably, “something” happened, and while I have no idea what exactly led to my rejection in each case, the plain fact is that since I was outed by a right-wing blogger last year, my words as “Sinfonian” have been very easy to tie to my actual identity, and it’s entirely possible that some of those employers found what I wrote at Blast Off! to be offensive, or they feared that it might offend my potential clientele if they were to hire me. Now, I’ve always said that if someone didn’t want to hire me because of my political views, I wouldn’t want to work for them anyway. But reality has forced me to reassess my commitment to that principle: I wouldn’t say I’ve sacrificed or abandoned my principles, but perhaps my fellow liberals can forgive me if I’ve found it necessary to put those deeply held principles on the back burner for the time being.
I think it’s important to point out that nearly every word on Blast Off! – or at least every snarky word – was written from the perspective of a character, a persona, known as “Sinfonian,” and that while I certainly share opinions and viewpoints with my blog’s alter ego, I often expressed outrage or other such emotions in a far more caustic and perhaps even somewhat exaggerated way than I would in my real-life encounters with people. I definitely intended to draw attention to the wrongdoing and craven opportunism, selfishness, and hypocrisy of the Right, and I think my barbs hit the mark more often than not. I do not apologize for anything I’ve said or written about any public figures, but to the extent that anything I’ve written has caused pain for any private citizens, I’m sorry.
So, Blast Off! finally has played out the string, and with it Blast Off! Radio will go away as well. It’s time to retire the brand altogether. While I’m job-searching and trying to provide for my children and keep a roof over my head and food on the table, it’s best, I think, to keep my snark more or less to myself.
Perhaps Blast Off! will return – I haven’t completely ruled that out, and Blogger provides a 90-day grace period for resurrecting a defunct blog. I’ve downloaded the complete contents of the blog and can restore them anytime through early April if I want. Or perhaps I will start a new blog … maybe even a new persona, retiring “Sinfonian” altogether (that probably would be the fairest alternative for the sake of my fraternity, whose name I innocently appropriated for my pseudonym, never realizing how ubiquitous it would become). I might even keep posting occasionally here at the FPC Blog, and I do intend to remain active in the Florida Netroots Coalition.
One thing I do know: if I start a new blog with a new nym someday, very, very few people in real life will know about it … if any. But I hope you’ll still read it, whether you know it’s mine or not. And you can still find me on Twitter and you’ll see me around the state – hopefully, before long, working hard and earning a salary yet again.
Thank you so much, progressives – in America’s Wang™ and beyond – for everything. See ya around ….
In the earliest of our Founding Documents, Americans pledged “our lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor” to support the continued existence of this independent nation. Blast Off! was a site that fiercely reiterated the spirit of freedom upon which we were founded. It’s not surprising that Sinfonian’s fortune and honor were placed in jeopardy when the reputation of his blog started to damage his job prospects and his personal relationships.
Some might say that the tone of his writing was uncivil. Yet, when compared to the incivility of torture, unnecessary war, religious intolerance, and blatant racism which the right-wing has often supported, his commentary was wholly appropriate and necessary. Were that more of us were willing to speak out as forcefully against the evils that have infected our nation.
Florida’s blogoshere is poorer for the loss of this blog. Our political discourse was not coarsened by Sinfonian’s harsh tone, but elevated by his absolute insistence that we deserved better from our leaders than we have been given. We can only hope that Sinfonian continues to participate in our discourse through his contributions here at FPC.
Sorry to see you go, Sin. (And I hope you kept copies of your work).
All the best.
Because Sinfonian published full RSS feeds,, my Florida blog aggregator at sourstock.com has been collecting and archiving all his posts for years. I made those archived posts private when the blog was shuttered, but I have several years of Blast Off! in my databases. I’m sure that other archives exist, available for anyone to access, but I respect Jeff’s privacy and am not sharing my copies.
Deleting stuff from the web does not erase it. All that happens is that search engines and casual users will have a harder time digging it up.
Thanks, Dave, for your kind words. Yes, I’m aware that the Internet has a long memory, but with the blog taken down, eventually the search engines will forget about it or bury it in search results, and as you say, it becomes more difficult to find things (and one would have to be more precise about your search than just one click off of a right-wing blog, as it was before).
Sunny, as I mentioned in the post, I downloaded all of the content and am working on ways to store it and perhaps even catalog it or something. Just haven’t decided yet what to do. And, indeed, I haven’t ruled out a return of Blast Off! at some point between now and April, depending on a number of factors.
Again, thanks.
Sorry to see you go, Sinfonian. But I understand completely and, in fact, have lived your dilemma. When I first became unemployed two years ago, I was aggressive in my job hunt and, like you, went on several interviews that I thought were slam-dunks. But nobody ever hired me.
I suspended my blog in fear for about six months.
And then I thought, screw it. This stuff will be on the Web forever. And it is how I feel about things. So if somebody doesn’t like it, they really don’t like me, and I don’t want to work for them.
Periodically I take my blog down for some paranoid reason, and then I always end up putting it back up. Lately, I’ve decided to stop blaming the blog for every crisis in the world, including the high unemployment rate and lack of jobs. I’m not sure, but I don’t think my blog had anything to do with any of that.
Anyhow, good luck on your job search. Hope you land the biggest, bestest job out there.
You are always invited to write anonymous posts for my blog if you need a fix. I’ll be glad to pretend I wrote them. :0
I toldja that you were pissing off the wrong people, way back, remember??? Your words and scenarios had that whiff of ‘being screwed over’. Once you pass the bar, please develop a FUCKITOL attitude and welcome yourself back to the fold. Incidentally, I know Miss July must be something special cause you are there …. BUT for that and whomever else is ‘not’ marginalizing your voice, ask yourself this question: DO YOU EVER ATTEMPT TO MARGINALIZE THEIRS?? NO. And it’s hardly your fault that others can’t express themselves as well as you can… and so you WIN. My X, same thing … met some person and the strong voice died away….. now there’s a radio show where that important voice is NEVER HEARD BUT guess what??? Next to X is someone who was once in a relationship with x and now just marginalizes x’s voice.
And, there as usual are my first and often enduring thoughts.
With love and hugs to miss july. Just calling them as I see them.
Screw it Sinfonian …. you’re a very bright guy. Take off the handcuffs and don’t rely on others to set your table. You’re too smart for that. Write a book. Fuck the oprah tour. Make your way. If anyone’s capable of it you are.
When you get done being mad at me … open your blog back up and get to it and the book too.
Wow.
And I like nancy’s idea, too. L O L. Fuck that folding up the tent .. the more someone tries to make me shut up the more it makes me say ::: OH YEAH and that’s how you got away with all the stuff you got away with and STILL ARE .. ALL THIS TIME. I’m very angry and completely, rationally so over the direction of things. Everyone must play their part. Too bad if yours is not the popular one. Too bad if it hurts peoples’ feelings and makes them cry. I told you these people will not GO without a fight … did you JUST SEE where the supreme court expanded a case to change a LAW???? Did you SEE THAT??? Also … anyone who messes with your rights to express yourself by manipulating you can not really be trusted. BUT, you know all of this. Much love ….
Once you pass the bar, please develop a FUCKITOL attitude and welcome yourself back to the fold. Incidentally, I know Miss July must be something special cause you are there …. BUT for that and whomever else is ‘not’ marginalizing your voice, ask yourself this question: DO YOU EVER ATTEMPT TO MARGINALIZE THEIRS?? NO. And it’s hardly your fault that others can’t express themselves as well as you can… and so you WIN.
Wow, thanks, Voxy. For the record, I did> pass the bar. That’s not the problem.
I’m just burned out, that’s all. But thanks for the support. (BTW I’m not in Pensacola anymore, although Miss July & I are still together … albeit 500 miles apart.
)
Ouch, 500 miles !!!!! Dang. You’re right I’m behind last I was reading you were still studying …. so see??? I may take your hard work for granted but that’s YOUR fault. You make it look too easy ….
love ya both and best to ya… totally understand the burnout. Just don’t want anyone ever making you feel like you should be quiet cause it hurts their feelings. I was a quiet lil shy retiring SHY QUIET little thing until approximately ….. 2004 !!!! Wow. So … they hurt MY feelings pretty bad to cause me to roundly curse the world of them most days (from a person who rarely said word one on a long day) … they ruined my and your beautiful world ….. and it will just get worse if we don’t all keep fighting back even though it’s not really my nature.
(I’m studying for the LSAT by the way)
I just know that if every now and then I didn’t pound the keys I’d like …. POP !!!!!!!!!
So … anytime. I’ll have your back. Just let me know when you need me as I do tend to wander off and howl at the moon …..
Good to know we can still find you for completely non-nefarious reasons.
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Oops! Y’all — that was a bad joke. Forgot I still had the troll grav on that e-mail.
Sinf, tell ‘em we’re buddies before they KEEL me…!
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So that’s what happened to you… I drop offline for a few days to get my head together (didn’t happen, still working on it, seeking pharmacological assistance) and when I come back, Blast Off! has blasted off into the Great Beyond.
For what it’s worth, I have been through thirty-odd “slam-dunk” interviews and never gotten hired either, and it had nothing to do with my blog, being as my name is essentially ungooglable in a Shannon’s Law kind of way and all of my blogging has been fairly scrupulously anonymous. Sometimes they just don’t like your face, especially when the economy sucks. Keep your chin up.
I’m glad you passed the bar. Lawyers are cool. I’m working for a lawyer these days, and it’s a lot of fun. (You could say my job title is metalegal…) One of these days I’m gonna write a book about all my crazy lawyer friends and call it Hanging With Sharks.
Take care of yourself and drop me a line sometime, ok? I’ll send you some maple syrple if you want!