Author’s Notes

10/18/09: A Call To Arms

by Jason and Mike

This is a formal invitation to anyone whose hobby it is to read and follow current events that involves American interest and politics as well as international affairs to come and join us here at the Western Experience. This is also an offer to those who we have already reached out to in the past to come and join us.

I started this site back in December with all dials at zero and it has grown in popularity each month since then. After Mike came aboard during the summer, it has since doubled in traffic. Last month over 10,000 people visited the site and viewed over 12,000 of our pages. All credit should go to me because I was smart enough to ask Mike to join me. At any rate, there are obvious benefits to grouping together able writers who devour current events and politics, who can articulate opinions and point-of-views, and who share similar world views and ideology. There is room for the WE at the upper levels of the blogsosphere and we think we can get there. We are inviting anyone — provided they meet a minimal standard and agree with the overall theme of the Western Experience — to be apart of what we got going.

We do expect a few things from a prospect

• Hit the ground running with no previous writing obligations.
• Already have a strong view and informed outlook on today’s world
• Possess an unapologetic view on America and Western Civilization
• Have an accepting understanding of conservatism — we do not care if you are a neo-con, so-con, traditional conservative, etc., so long as we can all work towards a coherent product that expounds on pragmatic conservative thought as it relates to Western civilization.
• Be willing to write multiple posts and essays a week. In other words, be active, productive, and share your ideas and opinions.

If this sounds a bit too professional, don’t worry it’s not. We don’t expect scholars to beat down our door and we don’t operate like a business. In fact, we have a blast doing this. We just expect quality and effort and frequent writings that at least matches our own. And I should be upfront about this particular issue: There is no pay whatsoever, because there is no profit. This is a free site therefore writing here will be a love of labor.

More can be discussed through email if anyone is interested.

Hit me up at: twe.jason@gmail.com or email Mike at: politicsandcriticalthinking@gmail.com

7/24/09: Willkommen, to my first post on Author’s Notes. It’s nice to have been so hospitably received by regular readers of the WE. I hope the posts Jason and I have been living up to the sentiments he expressed in his last post. In addition to what he said I would like to offer something else to ponder. We are living in a very complicated and often tumultuous world, bombarded by information from every side, and pulled in twenty different direction at once. But, that is no reason no to think. Always, always, always, challenge what you are told, be skeptical but not cynical, and take nothing at face value. That will serve you and those around more than anything else in the world. If God didn’t want us to have free will He wouldn’t have given us a brain.

-Mike

7/18/09: It has been a while since I have last utilized this section. I haven’t dropped the ball, I only intend to use it when needed. Some may have noticed that there is a new addition to the WE. I asked another fellow blogger, Mike Casey, who operated his own blog over at Politics and Critical Thinking to join me. Lucky for me, he accepted. Our styles are similar as is our philosophy and political leanings. Neither of us approve of too much conservative populism and mindless punditry, though we will at times succumb to its influences. For two reasons: 1) We are human, and 2) We run a blog. However, that will never be the central theme or focus point of the WE. For anyone who is already familiar with the site knows that I have in the past tried to push deeper in discussing policy, economic, politics, and cultural issues. Mike, will simply amplify all of those points by bringing in his talents and unique perspectives. It should be fun, productive and I expect even bigger things from the WE. I am definitely looking forward to moving up along side other influential blogs and cutting out a little space of our own. We will certainly be up to the task. I can guarantee that at least.

5/16/09: Over 200 posts, 1,000 comments and 28,000+  page views since its launch, the WE is six months old now. I am proud of the site and for the most part the content I have pushed out. I wish I could sit around and write researched and insightful essays several times a week. That proves impossible considering life’s other many responsibilities. So to fill the void I have participated in mindless punditry but even then I tried to make it pertinent to American life and keeping with the theme and overall message of the WE. Like I said, for the post part I am satisfied. I’ve truck up a correspondence with several people because of the WE. One in which, Mike at Politics and Critical Thinking, has become my business parter in our new operation the Conservative Political Report. Mike is the co-founder and co-editor of the site with me. Ok enough about all of that because I plan to write something up on the WE’s six months of existence.

A quick rundown of the progression for my readers. Starting in the month of December from when it was founded.

December — 272 hits

January — 2,620 hits

February — 3,478 hits

March — 8,369 hits

April — 9,984 hits

May — 3,485 hits (so far)

Total so far — 28,248 hits

As you can see the WE has improved each and every month. I hope to top April’s totals but that may prove hard to do and by the looks of it I may fail to even meet April’s success. At any rate, thank everyone who visits and leaves thoughtful comments no matter if we agree or not.

3/24/09: Getting ready to crack open a Winston Churchill biography. Does anyone have any particulars ones they recommend?

03/13/09: The site went over 10,000 hits this week. I have been in business one week shy of three months. Traffic has picked up each consecutive month and shows promise for future growth. Thanks to all of those who visit. It just dawned on me that my previous entry Feb 23 was an update on the site reaching 5,000 hits. I have covered that many hits since then. I hope the momentum continues because it helps in motivation to keep the site current. I do not do this for any other reason than for the fun of it and sharing ideas with others.

02/23/09: I just noticed that TWE has pulled in over 5,000 hits in two months. I went over the mark during the weekend. Not gloating at all, because frankly, there isn’t that much to gloat about but the feat isn’t too bad either considering the site started at zero on all dials. It has grown in readership and traffic almost every week with an exception of a few and it looks like February will be better than January. That is a sign of progress. So I appreciate everyone who stops by to catch a headline and for those who read regularly and leave thoughtful comments.

02/18/09: I’m seriously considering doing some upgrades here at WE.  A new layout with its own domain is in the works. I’m scouting out some nice layouts but will move slowly in making that transition. I would like to have more readership and see sustained growth in traffic. So far so good on those goals, but it remains to be seen if I can get over that hump that most sites get suck on. The WE has progressed greatly since its first few weeks. I enjoy the readers I have, many of whom operate their own blogs, and would like to find away in which to feature their blogs and some of their posts on the new site. Like I said, I will move slowly and deliberately before I make any of those changes. In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions I’m all ears.

01/29/09: The big news today is, of course, the stimulus package. The first day after the House Democrats pushed it through without one Republican vote, the decision has caused a bit a backlash instead the intended sense of relief. Check out these articles.

The Entitlement Stimulus — WSJ

The European Social Welfare State Bill — NRO: The Corner

Turning the Economy Over to Politicians — RCP

An $800 Billion Mistake — WP

01/14/09: I’m trying to finish up the presidential biography Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full, by Conrad Black (Go here to Amazon to check it out). I’ve been reading it since late last year but have slacked way off since the start of this year. It is a very interesting book with great detail — over a thousand pages long. Sometimes it contains too much detail as it feels like you are studying or should be taking notes. But it gives a good description of President Nixon’s talents, strengths, personalities (he had several) and his considerable strength in vision on a host of issues. Of course, it also brings out his darker, paranoid and petty side that was always present with the good. You will gain new respect for the things he accomplished as president and will walk away surprised at just how strong and popular of a world leader and an American President he was. Just the same, you will be aghast over his reckless and unbecoming behavior.

Here is a review from Publishers Weekly,

Recently convicted of mail fraud and obstruction of justice, former Hollinger International chairman and newspaper magnate Black (Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom) is better positioned than most men to chronicle the power and disgrace experienced by Richard Nixon. Black is a versatile and thorough biographer who brings not only sympathy but eloquent clarity to his task. The result is a vibrant narrative of personal and political accomplishment that, though great and heroically achieved, was often marred by self-inflicted wounds springing from personal paranoia. Black is at his best portraying the many contradictions in Nixon’s personal makeup and political history. The Nixon who most fascinates Black is the firebrand cold warrior who (in partnership with Henry Kissinger) went on to invent the notion of detente and eventually opened relations with China. As Black shows, Nixon’s duality followed him into his postpresidential years. The tireless son of Quakers methodically sought after Watergate to rebuild his reputation as a statesman by issuing carefully crafted publications and granting strategically timed interviews. Black’s superb volume, incorporating much new research, is an important and worthy addition to the literature. 16 pages of b&w photos. (Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

01/06/09: Interesting to point out, after the media and our, so called national leaders, derided Bush on the troop surge claiming all was lost and that it was for a wasteful cause. Well, to prove to anyone reading just how successful the troop surge was: ABC, CBS and NBC have all pulled their full-time reporters from Iraq. Apparently, covering news that lacks an American defeat and gruesome civilian deaths along the way just isn’t very interesting these days.  Of course, the success of the troops and the resolve of the president might be a good place to start.

12/25/08: I created an email account for WE. It is located under the About page and is just one of many additions coming to WE. For the sake of expediency, I’ll post the new email account here: TWE.Jason@gmail.com. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

12/24/08: First a very Merry Christmas from me to you. WE has been up for a week and I must say I am very pleased with the type of feedback and traffic the site has been receiving. I look forward to getting back at it after the new year and expanding on the site’s development. Thanks to all of those who have visited the site and left me encouraging words.