Celebrating 20 Years

Today I celebrate the 20th anniversary of this blog, Lionel Deimel’s Web Log. Twenty years ago, the term “blog” had not yet become common. I’ve chosen to leave well enough alone and not change the name. Nor have I changed the description “Random quick takes by Lionel Deimel.” Over the years, my posts became less quick and less short. Most of my really quick takes are now posted on Facebook, often in private groups to which I belong. Occasionally, I cross-post my Facebook commentary here.

My blog was inaugurated under the same philosophy as that of my Web site, Lionel Deimel’s Farrago. I write what interests me, and I don’t limit myself to any particular topic. This makes posts more fun to write, but it attracts fewer long-term readers. So be it.

Many of my posts have been about the trials, triumphs, and insights of ordinary life. For example, one of my first posts was “How Much Power Can It Take to Run a Map Light?” I have often used posts to call attention to my poems on my Web site. Occasionally, I have posted a poem not yet posted there and possibly still a draft. An example is “Happy Summer Day.” Politics has been the subject of a large number of posts, including this recent one: “Letter to Senator Joe Manchin.”

I suspect that I have written more posts about the Episcopal Church, its liturgies, and its politics than about any other subject. Although such posts are not of general interest, they sometimes attract more readers than my other essays. Episcopalians are passionate about things Episcopalian. Many such posts have chronicled and commented on the split between loyal Episcopalians and reactionary insurgents that resulted in the splitting up of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. An example of a newsworthy post about the diocese is “Trinity Cathedral Casts Its Lot with TEC.” A sample liturgical (and rather wonky) post would be “Line Breaks in the BCP’s Rendering of the Nicene Creed.”

To date, I have published just under 1500 posts. This seems a good time to list some of my favorite posts. The list is chronological and might be different if I made the list tomorrow or thought about it for a month. (Note that some external links may not be current.)

• “Sarah Hughes” (2/22/2002)—a celebration of a great figure skating performance
• “Far Apart” (1/5/2003)—one of many posts about language
• “Another Comma Problem” (8/16/2005)—I’ll admit it. I’m a punctuation nerd.
• “A Pittsburgh Lament” (11/30/2007)—I’m not above highlighting the words of others.
• “The Ignorant Vote” (5/9/2008)—I was always wary of Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate.
• “Whither Pittsburgh” (6/26/2008)—anticipating the coming split of the diocese
• “Training at the Donut Shop” (11/18/2008)—I’ve included this for comic relief.
• “‘Hail Barack Obama’ in the Post-Gazette” (1/21/2009)—My inauguration poem made it into the newspaper.
• “Saving Anglicanism” (6/8/2009)—This piece is a bit perplexing out of context. Most notably, it links to a 15-page essay of mine that I am proud to have written.
• “Goodbye, Mary Travers” (9/18/2009)—a tribute to the M of PP&M
• “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (10/3/2009)—Be careful what you’re thankful for.
• “Shall the ‘Orthodox’ Anglicans Win?” (11/16/2009)—Harry Emerson Fosdick’s famous sermon has new relevance for Anglicanism.
• “‘Lost’ Loses; ‘Babylon 5’ Retains Title” (5/24/2010)—The title is “Best Long-running Series with a Coherent and Satisfying Main Plot.”
• “Horseshoe Curve” (8/14/2011)—visit to a famous landmark
• “Winemaking at Adams County Winery“ (10/20/2011)—Two videos are included made with my son the winemaker. Later videos became increasingly funny.
• “A (Very) Close Look at Doll’s Pro-Covenant Essay” (1/28/2012)—one of many posts attacking the idea of a covenant for the Anglican Communion
• “Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory: How Not to Elect a Bishop” (4/22/12)—analysis of an episcopal election
• “A Preëmptive Political Post” (9/2/2012)—a kind of personal platform for the upcoming election
• “Curve-stitch Experiment 2” (12/13/2014)—I have a longstanding interest in such designs.
• “In Praise of Steam Locomotives” (11/21/2015)—my love of railroading shows here
• “Tooting The Episcopal Church’s Horn” (7/20/2016)—my stab at advertising
• “The Vietnam War in Four Pictures” (10/18/2017)—a personal view of an unpopular war
• “Regrets” (4/10/2018)—some personal soul-searching
• “A Different Kind of Presidential Candidate Debate” (9/11/2019)—Why not try something else?
• “A Collection of Collects” (3/30/2020)—a collection of prayers written over the years
• “In Praise of the Diaeresis” (5/4/2020)—an overlooked element of orthography 
• “Our Honored Confederate Generals” (6/15/2020)—on military base names
• “End the Filibuster” (3/6/2021)—The filibuster is dysfunctional in a closely divided Senate.
• “Defending Benjamin Franklin” 3/28/2021)—a plea not to change the name of my high school
• “A Small Step toward Building a Better Sandwich” (10/10/2021)—how to apply salt and pepper
• “A Proposal to Replace the Income Tax” (11/5/2021)—taxing tangible benefits 
• “Further Thoughts on Abortion Rights” (12/9/2021)—extensive essay on abortion rights