Alton Brown, the Serene and Professional Bloggers on the 'Net Would Like to Have a Word With You. Pretty Please?

An open letter

Dear Mr. Brown-

Ok, I understand. Well, let me rephrase that. I think I do. After reading what several unscrupulous and uninformed bloggers have put you through during the last two weeks, (Yes, I am referring to the nefarious Richard Auffrey and his "Alton Brown, I Call You Out" post on "The Passionate Foodie", and all the subsequent responses to it'; the outcry about six weeks ago concerning your endorsement of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt--(ie the article in the NY Times) among other things, and the lambasting (unwarrented and rediculous) that you received about that, I'm pretty sure why you feel your labelling of the blogosphere 'inflammatory and journalistically unprofessional was warrented, and in your mind, as close as anyone can get to gospel truth.
That said, if you are still reading, give me a few minutes of your time. As a blogger, and a relatively new one at that, I feel that I owe you an apology. Not that I would ever indulge in some of the activities that the bloggers you abhor would, but basically because I know that none of those bloggers ever would think of, or consider, apologizing for their words or their actions.

That's the reason for this letter. To tell you that, yes, while many bloggers out there do use this forum to cause controversy, spread rumors, and generally just cause trouble, there are other bloggers out there, and we are more numerous than you think. In the past few weeks, I've have conversations with some of them, including a dear friend of mine, who were very hurt by your blanket negative labelling of ALL bloggers without exception. I could liken your statement to thowing the baby out with the bathwater. I know you had your reasons for saying it, but I'd like you to consider what I'm about to say in our defense.

Blogging, to me, and to my colleagues, is just another form of writing. It's a way of expressing ourselves, our feelings and our passions. It's a way to vent when we feel no one else will listen, or maybe we feel the people we do know are tired of listening to us. It's cheap therapy. It's a way to network, to correspond, to connect with like minded people. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be Bill O' Reilly or Keith Olbermann, or even well, yourself (:)), and have an opportunity to share our ideas on nationwide television.
There is an element of hope in us each time we click 'publish post', as we send our ideas out into cyberspace, hoping that they will be seen by people who can relate, who may be able to help us, and please God, that they will be well received by all. Bottom line, the bloggers that I know just want to be listened to. These are univeral feelings that everyone can relate to, I think.
In closing, I want to thank you for reading this. I know I'm probably tilting at windmills to even think that you might reconsider your feelings, but maybe, when you have a quiet moment, I'd ask you to just think about what I've said here.

I welcome your comments here, realizing fully you don't know me from Adam's off-ox, and that you may not choose to respond, and I also invite my fellow bloggers to weigh in with their opinions.

Oh, and one more thing:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW,(or, today :)). I hope the coming year finds you happy and healthy, surrounded by friends and family, and continuing to do what you love, whatever that may be.
I look forward to seeing you this coming October at the FN Food and Wine Fest!

Take care, and Be well, sir!
Sincerely,
Anne Mikusinski

Now is the SUMMER of My Discontent

When it's 9:10 PM and it's still 88 degrees, and it's only the middle of July, there's no way that can be good. Especially when you're female, and diabetic.
Translation, you can't have all the ice cream you want, and the law dictates that living in this country, you have to wear a shirt in public, along with that medieval torture device a bra--so much for the perks of being a "D" girl. Yeah. Perks, my ass.

Longing for winter, when no matter how cold it gets there's always one thing more you can put on.
My body's here tonight, but my head and heart are elsewhere, thinking of people, places and things I wish I could have.
The kicker about having clinical depression is just that the rotten feelings and malaise that are the hallmarks of this disease are compounded on a day like this. And what truly sucks, is the activity I usually fall back on(napping) is impossible when it's so FREAKIN HOT. My wheezy window unit tries valiantly to abate the situation, but it's hit and miss.
Ah depression, what is it. Most pyschiatrists and pyschologists will tell you it's a chemical imbalance where the seratonin receptors are blocked and blah, blah, blah....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Does medication help, yes, having been with and without it (and I am with it now, permanently) but, on a bad day, all they do is take the edge off, and the best way I can explain that is that you still feel bad, you're just not throwing things and telling perfect strangers about how awful you feel.
On days like this, I wonder which is worse.
Here is what depression really is.
Depression is when you get a rejection letter about your poetry, and it wrecks your whole day, even though you've been writing and submitting stuff for over ten years, and you know receiving them is part of a starving writer's job description.
Depression is when you know your closest friend is away all day and busy, and not ignorning you, but you still check your phone like some sort of idiot, and by the end of the day, you're sure they are either-


A-angry at you for something that they honestly haven't given a second thought to
OR
B-never speaking to you again, because they're sick of your whining, and have found happier people to associate with, and, as a result of that, when you finally talk to them, you pick a stupid fight with them over nothing, and then spend the next week beating yourself up about how stupid you are.
Depression is seeing NOTHING good about yourself no matter how many people tell you otherwise.
Depression is lonely, and exhausting, and it well,
It SUCKS.

And some days, like today, you wonder if you'll ever feel differently.
But being the pessimistic optimist that I am, there's always that little voice, "Tomorrow could be better".
And maybe it will be.
FYI--Pandora Internet Radio is Pure Evil.
Trust me on that one.
And, if anyone out there in cyberspace is listening...Good night.

Be Gentle, This is My First Time

Hello, All! After being on the 'net for more than ten years, I've decided to dip my toe into the not-too safe world of blogging and see what, if anything happens.
I suppose I should introduce myself, my name is Anne, and for those of you who are reading and say, "Gee, is that Alton Brown in those pictures?" The short answer is 'yes'. I'm also there, along with a glamourous shot of the back of my head, but that's not quite as interesting, is it? :)
I think I'm starting this blog for a number of reasons. To vent--I know all my friends are sick of hearing me, and this way I can annoy strangers with impunity :). To share my writing, and my poetry, in the hopes that someone, somewhere will see it, like it, and just maybe want to be my agent.
More importantly though, I would like to use it as a forum to talk about the issues that are dear to me, my faith and my struggles to stay true to it in this world, the pros and cons of being single in a world that tells you you are NOTHING without a partner, my struggle to find gainful employment, and most importantly, living with Clinical Depression, a disease that still, too many people in this day and age think can just be 'gotten over'.
I was going to say that I've suffered with CD and anxiety for 33 years, but I think it sounds better to say that I've SURVIVED with it. Yeah, I like that better. I will talk about it a lot, share my good and bad days, but I also want to, if I can, help people understand that Depression, along with other mental illnesses, and the people who survive with them, deserve the same kind of understanding and compassion that a person suffering with Cancer, or (dare I say it AIDS) do.
It borders on the obscene that in 2010, people still view the mentally ill as shuffling droolers who push people off subway platforms, or lurk in dark alleys, waiting to strike.
It hurts me deeply that we are judged according to the labels our diagnoses give us, rather than for who we are as individuals. If, by writing here, I can change anyone's mind, well, then, my work is done--sort of.
There are plenty of things that help- my relationship with God and my prayer life, my therapist, my wonderful friends, who have become my TRUE family, my writing, my music, cooking, and every now and then, the man in those pictures.
Ok, off the soapbox--there's plenty of time for that later.
I welcome all who stop here, whether it's once, or frequently. I hope that I can provide you with something to think about, or at least some form of entertainment.
I don't trash talk, I will blog with integrity, and, I LIVE for feedback. However, if all you want to do is make fun of, ridicule, or critcize so you can feel better about yourself, please go elsewhere--you can find plenty of those places on (said in a broad Southern drawl) The World Wide Web.
Ciao for niao!