The New Dish Banner: Our Tenth Anniversary

Yes, we changed it to celebrate the Dish's tenth consecutive year of daily blogging. (It's by the cartoon genius, Terry Colon.) I don't remember to be honest the precise day I started this insane enterprise - but I do remember blogging the 2000 conventions. To be on the safe side, we picked 10/10/10 as our arbitrary birthday, and on Monday, we'll take the holiday for some self-indulgent memories and nostalgia and some toasts and roasts from around the blogosphere.

There have been many times when I thought I would stop. I did once actually promise to in 2005, and then the Pope died and I couldn't help myself. The reason I haven't over all is not because I ever

realized the full economic potential of the site - I tried, but failed - and did not have the will to be a businessman; but because of you, the readers, whose constant support and criticism and love and  intimacy moves me every day, and reminds me of the unique joy of this now million-monthly strong community. I'll write a little more on Monday about my feelings after ten years - yes, I was blogging when Clinton was president - and what this daily exposure and intense labor does to the soul and mind and body.

But it is also true that Jessie, my first real aide de blogue, helped me changed the scope of the blog toward a blogazine; Patrick, Chris, Zoe and Conor are not just some of the most decent, smart and kind people I know; but they persuaded me this spring not to give it up, when I had truly decided to do so in the face of some really tough personal and professional pressure. They are why I'm still typing this post this evening.

I also want to remember and thank the man who made this all possible in the first place, my friend who introduced me to Blogger.com all those years ago and maintained this site for six years, Robert Cameron. Without him, the Dish simply wouldn't have existed for the six years we did it together alone. He was a genius and visionary and one of the most brilliant men I have ever met. He and I together knew from the start that this was the beginning of a media revolution, and together, we played our part in making it happen. Now, it's everywhere. Back then, I spent year after year trying to explain to people what a blog was.

But without you, it wouldn't have taken flight. Without you, it would not be what it is. More on Monday.

Now, as that memo on the wall says, back to work ....