This weekend, my wife and I took our daughter on a day-trip up to the lovely fishing town of Howth, but we couldn’t stay long due to strong winds and cold weather, so on the way back, we sat on the train while Baby slept in her stroller. We started talking about my blog, and I explained the whole story of why I changed blogs.
She wasn’t happy. :p
She had no problem with me changing blogs, but she grilled me really good about deleting all the old posts, and not uploading them on the new blog, so I was scolded pretty good. A number of folks have written here and elsewhere asking me to post back up all the info I had, and I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but I couldn’t figure out a simple solution to uploading all posts on a new blog, without broken links. Then I realized how simple the solution was (search-and-replace on the XML file in a text editor), so I tried that tonight, and I am happy to report the blog posts are back.
In any case, I’ve definitely lost a big chunk of my readership since the blog move (approximately 60-70% of my readership, according to Google Stats), and I take the blame for that. I feel like I spurned people when I shouldn’t have (not to mention all the broken links out there). So, although it’s too late to fix that, I am sorry for the hassle caused. It’s funny how I often manage to delete my blog when I am home alone, and this was no exception.* I was being moody again, and not using the best judgement. But I have restored old blog posts and Buddhist teachings as they were before. So the Level 8 Buddhist is back, in a way.
However, I really did want to take the blog in a somewhat new direction, and I really wanted to get rid of the “Gerald Ford” persona, so things will not quite be the same as before. I like the blog I have now a lot and intend to keep things as they are. I feel more satisfied with how things are going, so here’s to another 5 years, eh? 
Hopefully though, the changes will be better in the long-run for everyone. For those who have been faithfully reading since the previous blog, or blogs, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Even when I have had my mood swings, I really do appreciate people reading the blog and telling others. It’s always appreciated when someone lends an ear (or a pair of eyes), so THANK YOU EVERYONE!
If you are a new reader, then be assured things will continue as they do, but hopefully with more special effects and explosions, plus maybe some good kung-fu.
–Doug
P.S. Thank my wife, not me, for bringing all the old content back. 
P.P.S. Some blog posts have broken links to pictures, but I will be going through and fixing those in the coming weeks. The text and links to sites or Buddhist texts still work as they usually do, as far as I can tell so far.
* – I’ve deleted the blogs I’ve written at least twice when my wife was away from home, though another time I did for no good reason I can recall other than being in a very foul mood. My wife gives me grief about being moody and she’s right. Believe me, I’ve already heard all about it. I really think this is one reason to take up meditation as a long-term practice, even though I am already a Pure Land Buddhist.
This blog is the reflection of my efforts to explore fatherhood, Buddhism and my love of Japanese culture. Anything useful I can pass along makes the Internet hopefully a better place.
3 comments
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March 24, 2009 at 10:21 am
ロバート
Howth is my 古里!
Next time you’re there see if you can find King Williams footprints on the West Pier, or the seal that lives in the harbour. Or walk along Balscadden to the quarry / Howth head. (The cliff walk was a tad dangerous in spots when I lived there so I’m not sure I’d recommend it)
I’ll look forward to your re-posts.
March 24, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Tornadoes28
I think it is good that you brought back the old Buddhist posts. I also think that having your blog have at least have a Buddhist flavor is a good thing.
March 24, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Doug
Hi guys:
ロバート: Ha, I had no idea it was your hometown.
For some reason, everytime my wife and I go, we always manage to go when the weather is bad (relative to Ireland in general 
) I will definitely take your travel suggestions in advisement. I’d love to go out to the Eye and see the old tomb on the other side of town.
Tornado: Thanks Tornado. I am kind of ambivalent about the Buddhist theme. I felt the blog before was too imbalanced, too preachy, and too narrow at times. I hated it when something I taught because someone’s else point of content on their blog (alcohol topics for example). So I like the broader theme now where I can talk about non-Buddhist stuff sometimes, but then weave in Buddhist topics too from time to time.
That, and to be honest, my focus these days is on language study and the JLPT certification. I just lost interest in Buddhist textual studies compared to before. Studying religion is useful to a point, but after three years of that (in various blogs) I realized I was getting nothing out of it. So, I decided to shift my studies to something practical and fun (and rewarding if I pass the JLPT).