I came late to blogs. I came because I supported Hillary Clinton in 2008, and the more liberal media seemed biased toward Obama (as opposed to conservative media, who hated them both).
My first post was Feb. 17, 2008. Here are a few things I've learned:
1. Blogging is pretty much like column writing for newspapers, except you can can write OMFG.
2. Too much jargon can make a blog seem like a private club.
3. I love, love, love links. I can provide additional information for readers, without bogging down the post itself.
4. I generally wrote only once a week, but I got so caught up researching topics that I could still miss my deadline. (I now write only sporadically for health reasons.)
5. I love writing for free. When you work for pay, someone owns you. I have never felt so free to express myself. (I get Social Security Disability; I understand that most others need a paycheck.)
6. Wiener Nougat is incredibly delicious. No, this isn't weiners with nuts. Wiener means Viennese, or in the Vienna style. Nougat refers to a sugary paste with nuts -- in this case, almonds in chocolate. Echidne brought me back a box from Finland, and then I found it online. The box is a good conversation-starter, but it can't beat out the Katzenzungen box, or chocolate cat's tongues.
ETA: I made a change to indicate how much I like the Katzenzungen box, but I still prefer to eat Wiener Nougat.