Sunday, June 12, 2011

Milestones

Yesterday, this blog reached a milestone by getting its one millionth "click."

Although I'm excited about reaching that number, I have to admit that "clicks" can be a little misleading in their perceived numerical importance.  A blog basically registers a statistical "click" every time you, well, um, click on it.  If you come to the website in the first place, and then click on a post to see the comments, and then come back to the main page, that was three clicks right there, for example.

On average, this blog gets around one thousand to twelve hundred clicks a day, with about five hundred to six hundred individual readers (according to www.statcounter.com).  As I've mentioned to many people, when I started this sucker about three years ago, I never would have imagined how much I would enjoy writing for it and keeping it running.  It is so bizarre to me how it seems to have taken on a life of its own and how many people I've gotten to know through it.

Although I get bashed quite regularly by folks who disagree with my opinion or content, I do think it is important to keep writing on the topics as they cross my mind.  It is amazing to me how little information people have about the Criminal Justice System when they aren't a part of it, yet when they do actually hear about it, they are generally very interested in learning more.

I believe that we as Defense Attorneys, Prosecutors, Judges, Police Officers, or other Courthouse Personnel have the most interesting jobs on Earth.  And naturally, I think Harris County has some of the best in the business at what we all do.

But, anyway, I just want to say thank you to all of you who read the blog -- whether it is because you like it, or you just like to read something to make you mad every day.  Obviously if you guys didn't do what you do, there wouldn't be a whole lot to write about.

I also want to thank my Favorite Editor in New York, who first gave me the idea of starting to blog many moons ago, and who constantly corrects the grammar and spelling that I botch in my posts.  If you pay attention, you might notice that sometimes my grammatical screw ups miraculously heal themselves the longer a post has been up.  That's what having a good editor with your log-in ID will do for you.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Responses to your posting have unfortunately been nil to this point. Your milestones, however, is in the form of a "birthday" although you have done the thanking without any apparent "presents" from your audience. I think that thanking though has come in the form of the numerous comments, whether negative or positive, that you have received over the past several years. Individuals have had an opportunity to vent their spleems, mostly anonymously, as to the incompetence of the present adminisrtation, and for the very few to support it. The bottom line, regardless of what the few naysayers indicate, this blog has served, if nothing else, a thereputic purpose, as well as educational. Keep up your high spirited work - hopefully the fruits of your efforts and those of unnamed others, will be the demise of the current administration and a return to sanity at the HCDAO. Thank you. Calvin A. Hartmann

BLACK INK said...

Congratulations Murray Newman.....our friend Calvin Hartmann summed it up quite well and I enthusiastically concur.

Thank you for your sacrifice to our community.

The impending riddance of the one they call Judge Pat Lykos will be your just reward.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing this blog. I don't work in Harris County, but I do live there. It's been fascinating to hear about what goes on at the CJC and how strongly some people feel about the current administration. I will certainly be better informed in the next election than I was before I read this blog.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Murray.

Matt Dexter

Anonymous said...

Go suck it Murray.

Seaton

Anonymous said...

Calvin is much smarter than me, but it is spelled "spleens." In Holmes' last spring training speech he talked building an institution bigger than any one particular individual. You do this.

Anonymous said...

Seaton blows.

Regards,

DA Texan

Lykos, Leitner, Chow & Minions, P.C. said...

If Kelly doesn't file Lykos goes unchallenged on the Republican ticket. But can't the Democrats come up with a candidate better than Zach Fertitta? How about Ted Wilson? Even that pudgy bald guy that writes a legal blog...Murray something. If Lykos wins a second term (God forbid) the office will implode. The troops can't handle 5 1/2 more years. of "Lykos,Leitner,Chow & Minions, P.C."!

Anonymous said...

If Kelly doesn't file Lykos goes unchallenged on the Republican ticket.

You mean I'll have to write in Black Ink?

Say it ain't so! I was promised that he would ride in on a white horse and save us all! He said he was doing everything in his power to defeat Lykos!

/pfft

Rage

Just Sayin' said...

Rage,

Perhaps the Inkman will run as a D.
Either way, I'm glad to see you're posting from home and not using your county time or equipment.
Lessons from Rosenthal are finally starting to gel in your odd little head.

Just Sayin'

Matthew 7:1 said...

In the comments to, "An Anonymous Open Letter to the Pat Lykos Administration" on May 18, 2011 @6:01 PM, Rage stated that it was a "false dichotomy" to suggest that the only choice for Harris County DA on the Republican ticket was between Pat Lykos and Black Ink.
It seems his use and comprehension of the term "false dichotomy" are in conflict.

Anonymous said...

Zach would be awesome. But that probably isn't happening.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:32,
Anthony Weiner might be awesome for you as well but neither would be awesome as DA.
If Patsy has taught us anything it is that Harris County needs a highly qualified prosecutor as DA--not a political hack and not a nice average former ADA.
Your 2nd point is on the money--Zach has no realistic chance of being DA.

Anonymous said...

News reporter sees somethings up at HCDAO:

http://carey2.blogspot.com/2011/06/whats-really-going-on-at-harris-county.html

Anonymous said...

I wish the Dems had a chance but they ran CO Bradford last time and couldn't get it done.
Lykos is a political public relations tank.
She sees the only thing they'll bring her down, the Tata case, and comes out swinging.
The public just loves her but doesn't know her.
She gets it.
Bill White did too. He recruited Frank Michel as his press secretary and the story printed on the second page of the City/State section of the Chronicle.
Who's Frank Michel?
Well, when he got that post he was working as an editor for the Houston Chronicle. If I'm not mistaken he was responsible for the editorial page. Maybe that's why Houston's news source never seemed to be that critical of the mayor.
I saw the same thing with Lykos choosing a filter for the DA's office. She could control how something would be said by Donna Hawkins and limit her exposure in the media.
I am not saying anything negative about Mrs. Hawkins but Lykos thought about doing this move before she did it.
As for Brian Rodgers not being critical enough of the Lykos admin, Mr. Rodgers is a Texas Tech law grad. This is a dream job for him, I think.
Let's say he is critical, could someone see Pat Lykos shutting him down and the Chronicle backing down? Yes.
Maybe that's why this blog is so important. It does provide a critical view of the DA's office and makes an established politician like Lykos react to the idea that she might have a viable opponent facing her in the primary.

Anonymous said...

Funny, the Sheriff of Harri County, hired 2 ex-media persons for his PIO staff, one from the Houston Comical as well. It used to be people left government service for the private sector. This is not a good precedent.
So much for neutral news reporting, when the media, now controls the government.

Episode Seven: The Voters Awaken - A One Act -Sci-Fi Play

SCENE:  The Death Star orbits over Downtown Houston. [INTERIOR] The Imperial Council Chambers. EMPRESS OGG sits at the head of a long table ...