The 9/11 Commission has just released its Report Card assessing the federal government's response to its findings arising from the 9/11 catastrophe.  CNN summarizes the Report Card as U.S. gets 'more F's than A's' in post 9/11 preps. 

 

Well, I suppose its always easy to be critical.  But how easy is it to be self -critical?  I decided to find out by comparatively assessing myself upon some made-up categories here on Xanga according to 'Then' (pre- and circa 9/11/2001) and 'Now'...

 

Technically innovative blogging

Then:  Immensely so.  Created many Xanga-specific scripts; sponsored the first mobile blog videocam  in the world; sponsored the first Xanga chat room (Blogchat); often took the lead on recommending new innovations for Xanga to implement.                  

Now:  Little interest in further improvisations unless they are quick and painless. 

 

Previous Grade: B+

Current Grade:  D-

 

Creative/conceptually innovative blogging

 

Then:  Outbursts of uncontainable creativity interspersed with punctuations of corny gooffiness.

Now:  I’d like to think the goofiness is gone.  I believe my greatest creative contributions lay yet ahead.

 

Previous Grade: B+

Current Grade:  A-  (pending developments)

 

Frequency of updates to my blog

 

Then:  Almost never missed a day.  Often posted multiple posts on a single day.  Actually at one point created an automated script that posted 'new' posts every 15 minutes (left it up only for about 40 hours.)

Now:  Averaging perhaps 3-4 posts a week.  May sometimes go 3-4 days without a post.

 

Previous Grade: A

Current Grade:  C

 

Overall frequency of commenting around on others’ blogs

 

Then:  Hours and hours almost everyday. 

Now:  Very infrequent.

 

Previous Grade: B-

Current Grade:  F

 

Visiting/commenting-on/discovering  new users/sites

 

Then:  Excitedly so—almost everyday.

Now:   Rarely.

 

Previous Grade: B

Current Grade:  F 

 

Blogging from work

 

Then:  Excessively and dangerously often.

Now:   Blue moon.

 

Previous Grade: A

Current Grade:  F

 

Featured Content watching

 

Then:  I used to lead  Featured Content.  Yep, I was indisputably ‘most popular’ for a time.  Watching was then incessant.
Now:  Almost never.  I only occasionally check FC to see if anybody featured is posting nude profile pics of themselves.

 

Previous Grade: A

Current Grade:  F+

  

Criticality of Xanga to my social life

 

Then:  At times, Xanga and its extensions (email, chatting, messaging, etc.), were the entirety of my social.

Now:  What social life?   J.K.  But not truly significant therein.  Hence, tangential—marginal.

 

Previous Grade: B+

Current Grade:  F- (is that a Freudian ‘F’? And does the '-' mean its minus from my life?)

  

Criticality of Xanga  in inspiring my Muse

 

Then:  Essential.

Now:   As much, perhaps more, than ever.

 

Previous Grade: A

Current Grade:  A+

 

Hey, I ended with an A+.  According to the rule of "what have you done for yourself lately" and restricting my short term memory to its shortest possible span, it looks like I'm doing OK.  In other words, my Muse may still be addicted, but I am not addicted to Xanga anymore.

 

-end of profession of Xanga non-addiction (mostly)-