He asked me if my goal was to be a rapist and I almost spit out my drink. If you want to talk about an awkward beginning to a job interview that has to rank somewhere close to number one.
It was a classic misunderstanding that was prompted from my trying to use pop culture to build a rapport. When he asked me what my dream job was I said I wanted to become the Dread Pirate Roberts.
His face was as expressive as the picture of Half Dome three ‘graphs above this sentence. When he didn’t respond I had a sense things were off and refrained from making any cracks about being Inigo Montoya, let alone references to drunk Spaniards.
All I needed was for him to accuse me of being a racist and rapist. In my mind it was easy to imagine some screwy scene from a bad sitcom or comedy. I would look at the camera and protest my innocence and then make some sort of crack about how being a racist wasn’t nearly as bad as being a rapist and then the laugh track would run and we’d fade to black.
“Ooh La La Tu Hai Meri Fantasy Full Video Song” | “The Dirty Picture” | Vidya Balan
I haven’t any idea what most of this song is about but I have watched the video a bunch of times. My daughter watched part of it and then explained to me that she has learned to shake her hips.
Since I am a good father I glared at her and said she is not to shake her hips in front of boys. She glared back at me and said, “I can’t hula hoop if I don’t shake my hips.”
Score another point or ten for the eight-year-old and none for Jack, the dad blogger. Didja like how I just tried to  insert some more keywords into this post. I said dad blogger and I included, sex, money and blogging.
Damn, it won’t be long before this sucker is overwhelmed by tons of organic traffic. Hell, might as well go for broke and include sex tape, naked Brad Pitt and Kardashian.
The Evolution of a Blog and Blogger
There is a reason why I maintain more than one blog. They serve different purposes for me. Some are for fiction, some are for whatever I feel like writing about and some are for professional reasons.
We won’t talk about whether I am over extended because I am. Nor will I spend more than a moment telling you that some of the blogging advice out there is questionable.
There are professionals who are promoting themselves as experts but I’ll lay dollars to donuts they are supporting their pro blogger habits through money earned via other means. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t know what they are talking about, but it might.
Buyer beware and remember that some of these people will be gone in a year or so.
What is nice about having multiple blogs is that it keeps things interesting. I like being a dad blogger but the parent blogosphere is a crowded space.
There are a million mommy bloggers and 50,000 dad bloggers to compete with. Many of them have more time than I do to spend on their parent blog. I don’t go to blog conferences and network the way they do nor do I write 283 pitches to brands and agencies each day.
What that means is that I have a lower profile than some of them do and I don’t get invited to play the same reindeer games.
What Is Your Goal?
Have you spent any time thinking about why you blog and what your goals are? My headline isn’t entirely tongue-in-cheek. Blogging can help you make more money and have more sex.
It is not hard to develop a plan to monetize your blog. What is difficult is sustaining your effort long enough to move from execution to success.
I won’t be surprised if this post receives 5 comments or 500. Some of it is because I know I am competing with a lot of noise and clutter in the blogosphere not to mention that people have busy lives.
It is part of why I try not to take things too seriously. Remember I am the insouciant dad blogger who likes the word defenestrate and loves to write.
I am here because I am having fun. Are you?
Hi Harleena,
Was that song controversial? I really have no idea, as I mentioned I am not entirely sure what it says or how it relates to the video.
We agree about the “blend” you mention. Sometimes blogging feels a lot like juggling. 😉
I was wondering how you were going to get defenestrate in the post, but I could feel it coming.
Right now I’m blogging because it keeps me ‘in the game’ and allows me to network. I know and feel I should be kicking it up a notch, but just don’t have my hands around what that is yet.
Sometimes just showing up is half the battle, and showing up I can do.
And you show up and bring your stuff; keep it coming…….
Hi Bill,
I am a bit behind but that never stops me from defenestrating the obstacles in my way. 😉
Sometimes the hardest part is determining what that next step should be, but there is value in the process so I am a fan of it.
I love that you used keywords daddy blogger and sex in your post. I used sex in a post and then in another i used “squeal like a pig” and those have been my most popular posts. Maybe not targeted but they were fun to make.
Yes i am having fun.
p.s.
You said that you might be planning a long term trip or travel. I have been working on a secret project. An online course to help people plan and pursue long term travel and I have a questionnaire i’ve asked some people to fill out. If you get a chance i would love to get your feedback on some of the questions. The link is here
http://www.annieandre.com/2012/10/win-a-25-amazon-gift-card-reader-survey-contest-3/
one last thing. my five year old is shaking her hips too and my husband just frowns but as fun mom I laugh..
Hi Annie,
It is time for a sequel to you television show. Would be fun to see how you are all doing now. Of course the blog provides some insight, but it was fun to see you and your family on TV.
Maybe I’ll write the network and reference the squeal like a pig thing. 😉
I’ll take a look at the survey. And moms almost always view their daughters different than dads do, we see the world a bit differently.
Hey Jack
I don’t always find blogging fun but I enjoy it and it gives me a focus.
I’m a stay at home dad and a blogger but I wouldn’t say I was a dad blogger, although my kids do get mentioned a few times ;-).
My goal? Well, keep blogging, see where it takes me. It’ll either happen or it won’t!
Hi Tim,
You qualify as a dad blogger in my book and that is the only one that counts. 😉
If you have fun and enjoy doing this then I expect we’ll get to share cyberspace for quite some time to come.
You got me with that headline. I’ve also got other blogs/profiles for social, that don’t dovetail into business or even my personal life. One of the things I’ve found best about social is that it’s interest-based; we read blogs, find forums, meet people not b/c we went to school with them or worked with them 8 years ago – but b/c we both are totally obsessed with this TV show or chatted up in a movie thread. So yes, this writing, blogging, networking thing has so many possibilities and directions it can take us. And FWIW, I totally dig the Princess Bride reference and ‘insouciant’ is an awesome word.
Hi Davina,
Interest based is an excellent way to describe it. It is one of the things I love about this social world, the chance to jump in and engage on specific topics of interest with others who share it.
I always knew you had good taste in movies and vocabulary. 😉
There are definitely times when I start taking the whole blogging thing too seriously and then it becomes a source of stress, instead of a release valve. And then I remind myself why I’m here: to practice writing and to connect with other people about issues I care about or just find amusing.
By the way, I did once threaten to defenestrate a student of mine just to see if he had done the previous night’s reading on the Defenestration of Prague. The fact that he had no idea what I was talking about led me to conclude that he hadn’t.
Hi Kristen,
It is an easy “trap” to fall into. You start writing and looking at your stats, wondering why you aren’t doing as “well” as blogger XYZ. I know exactly what you are talking about how it can move from fun to stress.
I wish we had video of you “offering” to defenestrate your student. That would have been fun to watch. 😉
Now fancy seeing my namesake referred to, here, Jack!
It is absolutely true that blogging takes persistent effort. Keeping at it consistently without chilling off. So many wonderful bloggers out there just let their blogs go – and I know a few who worry why there are no people coming by and commenting when it is simply a case of elementary-dear-Watson.
Your keyword insertion strategy is hilarious. 😀
As you know, I blog for fun. And the community. And the friends. And the relationships that are such fun.
Incidentally, the movie in which that song appears was supposed to be based on a South Indian vamp – but they botched it up in a big way. I find it mysterious how that movie simply walked off with most of the Film awards.
Rather like blogging, no?
Hugs. Love the way you write.
Good morning Vidya,
Blogging takes work and if you don’t set aside the time for doing the little things it can be even harder.
One of my struggles is responding to comments earlier in the day than I am now. If you wait as I have been doing it becomes harder to stimulate ongoing discussion.
I like your blog because it is clear you are having fun and that translates well into your posts.
I think I need to read more about the movie because as I mentioned to Harleena, I really don’t know much of anything about it.
I was just about thinking what would be content shared in this post when I read the title Jack!! 🙂
Oh yes…that controversial song from Dirty Picture – it sure raised many eyebrows, and I’m glad you stopped your daughter from following those steps of shaking the hips 🙂
Yes indeed, putting up content or posting what you or your readers like is not the issue. What matters most is if you are able to sustain it and really get people to come to your blog, or share what they really like. I guess it’s got to be a blend of what you want to share and what they like to read – isn’t it?
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hi Harleena,
Was that song controversial? I really have no idea, as I mentioned I am not entirely sure what it says or how it relates to the video.
We agree about the “blend†you mention. Sometimes blogging feels a lot like juggling. 😉