Testing the waters --

This is a test -- ONLY a test. So much has happened over the last three years -- what to say, where to begin? There were a few issues. And now there are a few more.... And I can barely keep one blog going, let alone two. And the webmastery/administration aspect has apparently changed. (Blogger/blogspot is apparently under new management.) So.... That said, I realize I need to keep my focus -- what little I have left; and somewhat more consistent track of my notes on what I'm looking at (did I just say that? -- already I'm getting a headache. Please tell me to shut up if I start sounding pretentious.); who's doing what and what they might have to say about it; what, if anything, it seems to be adding up to; the larger scene generally (to some small extent -- anyone who's ever looked at this knows how much I hate it); and how it connects to the larger culture. And the body, uh, POLITIC. (Yeah, that too.) But six odd reviews a year really doesn't quite cut it. I know that. And (well, those issues again) it's so easy to lose (clear) sight of the Big Picture. (I might need bifocals.) The crucial details. The big picture. And the interstices. It's all important -- I realize that. I'm prompted to these thoughts by another blogspot blogger and the (heavy!) notes and reporting that went into my last feature for Artillery. Surprising what you can miss sitting out even a single season. And L.A. moves so fast -- to say nothing of the rest of the world. It's something to think about. One more thing, though. How many of you, dear readers, might be willing to drop a quarter in the box once in a while? Just asking.... As I said, this is only a test -- a pop quiz that won't figure in your final grade. Another issue. I will say it's 'nice to be asked,' as they say. And it's always hard for me to turn away from encouragement. Go ahead -- encourage me.