One year ago today I started blogging at the urging of my friend and colleague Aaron. My first test post (which was later defaced by a Michelle Malkin follower on a rampage through my blog) was entitled "Hello world!" because I am a geek at heart. My first real post was entitled "A good place to start" and it began with the Bill of Rights followed by these words of mine:
I am an American, an immigrant and a muslim. To me, The Bill of Rights represents the promise of America. It is these protections that people in a large part of the world lack, and yearn for. The argument America has to win with the world in general, and the muslim world in particular, is one about the rights of people to live freely. It is an argument that America can and should win easily if it simply showcases The Bill of Rights.
One year on, that argument has not yet won the day.
When I first started blogging, I did not expect that anyone other than friends and family would visit. However, slowly but steadily the hits started to add up. As I look at the hit counter today, there have been 331,844 visits to this blog in the past year. I am amazed and humbled by the experience.
I have been privileged over the past year to discover some fascinating bloggers and have had the benefit of the wisdom of the readers and commenters here. Thank you all for allowing me a small place in this great community.
Thank you Ingrid for your humanity and for being my conscience on the blogosphere. Thank you Robbie for your support from the very beginning.
Thank you to the always interesting commenters. Thank you Group Captain Mandrake, Mr. Bill, Alfredo, doro, odanny, dude, Navin, Rivkeleh, PrchrLady and others.
Thank you elendil for Bloggers Against Torture.
Thank you Heathlander, Cyberotter, Kel, Aunty Ism, zazou and Paul for your passion.
Thank you Avila for being Unbossed.
Thank you Polimom, Yohay and Zeb for your sanity.
Thank you tree hugging sister for making me laugh.
Thank you Jon Swift for being a reasonable conservative. I know you don’t mean to be funny, but us liberals can’t help think that you may be the funniest man on the Internet.
Thank you Jeremiah for being the second funniest man on the Internet, but definitely the funniest right-wing ninja on the planet.
Thank you Miraj for being my friend in Baghdad.
Thank you John Aravosis for taking up the cause of Mirza Tahir Hussain.
Thank you Taylor Marsh for giving me the opportunity to guest blog.
Thank you to all the Bangladeshi bloggers who I have had the opportunity to read. Thank you especially to Rezwan, the dean of Bangladeshi bloggers. Thank you Zafa for introducing me to Drishtipat (and thank you for your good humor and for bossing me around!). Thank you to Sid for the Serious Golmal and Sunny for adding pickles to my politics. Thank you Bengali Fob for explaining to me what a Fob is.
Thank you Neha and Rezwan for introducing me to Global Voices Online.
Thank you everyone for a personally rewarding year of blogging. I look forward to sharing another year of dialogue and discovery with you. I look forward to a future that is safer and a world that awakens to the possibilities of peace over the senselessness of war. I look forward to another year of joining together with you to give voice to those who must be heard.
Congratulations, Mash. I still can’t believe it’s been one year since you started blogging.
If I remember correctly, I found your blog from one of your cross posts on DailyKos. I found it by accident while browsing the site and the rest is history.
My fondest moment from the past year was when a number of us banded together for Bloggers Against Torture and Blogathon 2006. With current events in Washington D.C., we may see some results from our campaign on torture awareness.
Here’s to a great guy and to another year of successful blogging. <:-p\:d/=d>
Congratulations! I enjoy reading every new post that you put up for your insight and its sheer flow.
May you have many more bloggie birthdays.
Happy birthday and congratulations on reaching middle age in blog years.
Heartiest congratulations and wishing you will carry on to complete many more bloggie years to come.
Mash,
Happy birthday. I started the Osterley Times one year ago today! So our anniversaries are only one day apart! Although you have had many more visitors in the last year than I have had!
Congratulations and please keep up the good work.
Happy (blog) Birthday, Mash!:d I agree with Robbie – the best blogging moment in the past year for me was the Blog Against Torture marathon. (That’s also how I found your blog).
Keep up the excellent work.
Aww, thanx Mash.
We love your work.
And you let us have a say here.
Love and peace and the blessings off the one on you and yours, from Trendy Blue Ridge GA..
A year?? It’s only been a year????? Seems like so much longer sometimes…
Congrats, and thanks for the thanks, Mash. I’ll have to bookmark this post to use the next time somebody tells me I’m crazy. (See! Look! At least one person says I’m sane… 😮 )
Boss you aroooooound?? 😮 What are you talking about? May be a little nudge time to time ;))
The best part about your blog is your thorough research…devoid of any crap. =d> It sure look more mature than a year old blog. Any chance you might give it a makeover, i.e., replace Peter Seller’s pic with others from the movie or something like that? :>
Interesting that you had fewer hits from Russia even with a name like Doc Strangelove – gets to show those days are over.
Wish you the best. Hopefully your good work will continue to enlighten us for many more blog years.
\:d/
Mazal Tov!
Only one year? I was sure that you are a veteran blogger.
It’s always interesting to read your posts. I’m mostly silent and use my RSS reader to follow, but sure am a regular reader.
May you have many great years of blogging!
Robbie, Heathlander, the Blogathon 2006 was definitely the most memorable blogging event. Heathlander, I cant believe you did the entire 24 hours! ^:)^
Neha, thanks. I urge everyone to visit Global Voices Online – its an invaluable resource to access bloggers worldwide.
Jon, I feel middle aged:( I’ve decided that next year I am only going to blog about Anna Nicole’s baby.
Thanks Rezwan, looking forward to doing this a bit longer. I really got introduced to the Bangladeshi blogging community through your blog roundups. Much appreciated.
Kel, just left you a note on your blog. Kel was one of the first few on Bloggers Against Torture. Congrats on your first year. Let’s keep this going for a few more 🙂 Visit Kel here at The Osterley Times.
Mr. Bill, thanks for your continued visits and for keeping this blog alive by your comments. Otherwise it would be me typing into the ether. :-b
Polimom, I know I’m long winded – so I can see how it might seem longer :d And, you know, being called sane by an insane person might not carry so much weight. =p~
Yohay, as Jon says, one year makes me middle aged in blogging time! I see that my RSS readership is up – so I figured I had some silent readers.
Zafa, I’m not big in Russia or Madagascar! :-??
And did I say bossy? Um…my fingers must have slipped on the keyboard. The secret to my research is a dozen trained monkeys that I unleash on the internet whenever I need some data – and they work for bananas. Please note that these monkeys are in no way related to Jon Swift, who according to Conservapedia is NOT descended from monkeys.
So, whose picture should I put up top? (Maybe Group Captain Mandrake!) Should I switch to a different color scheme? Give me suggestions but don’t be BOSSY!
What’s up with this fixation on Anna Nicole’s baby? (read you mentioning something somewhere on ANS’s baby). Are you claiming to be the father too? =))
[chill…just wanted to get back at you for calling me bossy]
Can’t think of anything for the top right now. Will think about it.
Well, a very merry, HAPPY Birthday, Mash!! How ’bout that, huh? One year old. Yer all growed up and ~ GAHrroowwwlllll ~ lookin’ good. {8^P
Now, lemme try this again. Reading those number/letter thingees kicks my assets.
Happy Blog B-Day. I aint fer shore wut a blog is, but one year of havin it sounds right painful ta me.
I take offense at bein called “funny”, cuz I is a patriut and such, but I wont hunt ya down and put a double roundhouse back kick ta yer noggin fer it. This time
One year ago I found you weak and bleeding on th’ side of th’ informashun superhiway and nursed ya back ta helth with my preyin power and sweet sweet ninja herbs….now look at’cha!
So big and strong, fightin fer them Islamofashists and Democrats. May the Lord help ya see that you caint be Muslim, immigrant AND American…Happy B-Day big M.
I aint confortable with mens blowin out candles….It is too suggestive of abominations…
[-([-(
My pleasure Mash. Just keep blogging mate, I love reading your commentary, honestly.
ya habibti, mabrouk alik. It is a pleasure to work next to you. I have learned so much from reading your blog- info, patience, equanimity, righteous stances. This is an important thing you are doing.\:d/
Zazou
Hi Mash,
it was a very good year….
Here’s why I love docstrangelove.com: Your posts are always very well informed, very thoroughly researched and never without a real dose of human kindness.
Go on with your fine work and thank you very much for the nice words to us.
Congrats!!!
Congratulations and well done, Mash! Sorry to be late, these darn juniper allergies in NM can take you out big-time!
THS, thanks, good to see you again. Feel older, and I need a drink!
Sunny, thanks for dropping in. I find the perspective from the UK absolutely fascinating.
Zazou :”>
doro and Mandrake, much appreciated, and as you know, you are just as much part of this blog as I am. I get the opportunity to pick the topic, but the feedback makes the topic come to life.
Zahidur, welcome, and please stick around and continue to provide your insight – even though rumor has it that I am a paid agent for Arab governments! >-)
Zafa, as I look back on my calendar, I am considering throwing my hat in the ring with the rest of the team as a potential father for Anna Nicole Smith’s baby. <):) Finally, Jeremiah, I didnt mean to insult a country ninja. Its your prayers and that of the presidential prayer team that keeps this blog going! :-ss I also promise not to blow anything to commemorate the occasion. But I cant help being a IslamoDemoFascistCrat - its in my blood. You will have to use your ninja mind tricks on me to get me on the straight and narrow. o:-)
Mash,
Congratulations in reaching the one-year milestone! I wish you many more anniversaries — for the goodness of our collective sanity and democracy.
May the Docstrangelove hit counter continue to grow! \:d/
Keep up the great job as always!! Cuz you’re number \:d/
Dear Mash, and I only see this now!?? Thank you so much for your kind words, gee:”>, speaking of humanity, you are the one who’s inspiring ME with your fine balance of fairness, understanding, empathy and intellectual and historical analysis. I am and always will be in awe of your writing and your passion and feeling behind that writing. I always hope that my dh will end up having to go for business to your neck of the woods because I’d definitely invite myself over for some great conversation and no doubt awesome Bangladeshi food (pretty pls not too spicy lol!).. I do not feel that my writing or thoughts make that much of a difference or impact, nor do I kid myself to think that they ever would. I write as an outlet. You on the other hand definitely DO have an impact, and looking at the size of your regular blogger friends circle, not to mention your readership, it’s a most appreciated impact at that.
Hugs hugs and more hugs Mash!
Ingrid:)>-
Ingrid, I think you just validated what I wrote in my post. :”>
I also think that those of us who are part of “Bloggers against Torture” would differ with you on your assessment of your writing. Its impacted me for sure. I think anytime you make a case for humanity and reason, it is like Bobby Kennedy’s “small ripple” that ultimately does its part to change the overall outcome – its probably the reason I blog (other than a desire to type, I guess :d). So, I would not judge your writing based on the number of direct readers you get – measure it by the number of dedicated readers you get and the impact you have on them. Some, like me, pass on that impact in our own writings.
Finally, I look forward to that coffee we will chat over, and to introducing you to my wife’s wonderful cooking. (psst, dont tell her I said so, but she is a great cook :-$)