Comments for Chris Hardie's Blog

Comment on What's in a name: All-America City? by Chris

Chris — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:01:15 +0000

It's interesting to see what the award makes other people think of Richmond:

My guess is that this is a town that cares about its people and goes all out to keep the lines of communication open. Must be a nice place to live...

What is great is that the Richmond “adults involved showed kids that they mattered and that they cared about them and what they think.” What a novel idea - involving others, especially youth, rather than having the “powers that be” be the presenters! [Our] officials could learn from this...

Comment on What's in a name: All-America City? by Jean

Jean — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:46:28 +0000

Hi Chris -
Yes, I suppose my blog post was a little biting. But I'm with Dan R-M: this is a rather hollow award. You do apply for it, you compete for it, and frankly I'd love to see an analysis of the cities that have "won" this over the years, and what their per capita income was at the time of the award, as well as graduation rate, crime rate, and other telling statistics. And whether, in the wake of the award, anything has substantively changed. THAT would be an interesting portrait, I suspect.

Comment on What's in a name: All-America City? by Dan R-M

Dan R-M — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:00:47 +0000

I remember back in the 80's when Richmond won last time. As someone in Elementary school, I was extremely excited about it for about a week, and maybe a little more when they painted the water tower. I was too young to understand that Richmond wasn't simply singled out from the many thousands of American cities, but instead applied.
Not knowing what great accomplishments are necessary to qualify or to win, I feel like this is an almost completely hollow kind of award, and only worth to the community what it put into the effort.
What are the costs associated with competing for the award? Are they in the hundreds, thousands, tens-of-thousands? That seems like a pertinent question in weighing whether it is a good idea.

Comment on Hospitality with WarmShowers.org by Joanie

Joanie — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:49:21 +0000

Chris,
Thanks for hosting my son, Andy! I have been amazed at the kindness they have encountered during their trip. Their stay with you was the highlight of the Indiana leg of their trip (along with the fireworks shops)

Comment on What's in a name: All-America City? by Doug

Doug — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I agree that there is a huge hype component to the award. But it seems to me that the effort itself might have been the prize -- particularly this time around where the kids have apparently done a lot of the heavy lifting.

Maybe I don't fully appreciate the resources expended, but I can't see where there was a particular downside to this effort -- would the time and energy have gone elsewhere? Or would these folks have just watched more TV in the past year?

Comment on Things to know if you follow me online by adrienne

adrienne — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:31:32 +0000

wish more folks had the gumption to say the things you did. bravo, five stars.

Comment on Hospitality with WarmShowers.org by Aaron

Aaron — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:39:25 +0000

You know, I saw them riding through town a few days ago and was green with envy at their Pannier bags!! Very cool!

So, did you extoll the virtues of walking instead of using those resource-wasteful bicycles?

Comment on Hospitality with WarmShowers.org by Jeffery

Jeffery — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 03:05:10 +0000

Great post! I love it when I learn something new. Totally a cool way to help out others.

Comment on Things to know if you follow me online by kat

kat — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:16:47 +0000

I agree with pretty much everything you said. I use Facebook a lot more than you do and I will accept Facebook invitations and Evites as real invitations.

I too don't like that people think you should know who they are. I mean, we all think we're kind of a big deal, right?

Comment on Things to know if you follow me online by Jean

Jean — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:55:57 +0000

Chris - You asked about ground rules we set for ourselves. Mine are the same for the blog as they are for the nonfiction I write:

1 - tell the "truth" as best as I can recall it, construct it, offer it up.

1a - get the facts straight.

2 - Someone else's story belongs to them. Not me. Don't tell it without asking, nicely.

2a - unless the story is about a public figure, institution, or *ahem* a local newspaper that routinely violates rule 1a and sometimes rule 4 and often rule 5.

3 - My story intersects with other people's stories; if I need to tell theirs in order to tell mine, write out of a seeking for truth. Not vengeance, not oneupsmanship, not pity, etc.

4 - Don't make things up.

4a - Okay, you can make things up if your readers know you are making those things up. My dog, for instance, likes to "write" entries now and then. I trust my readers over the age of, oh, five get the idea that my dog (who does not yet have opposable thumbs) can't really type blog entries.

5 - Endeavor to write clearly, concisely, with a certain amount of flair that helps the subject come to life. Do not bore your readers.

6 - Remember that real people do read your blog.

6a - Forget this fact when you write.

7 - Never let praise or rotten tomatoes go to your head. Figuratively, that is.

I think that's it. As a writer first, and blog writer second or third, it's simply fascinating to see what happens when I put a piece of writing up and watch what happens. It either provokes no response, a trickle, a tiny flood, or some passionate responses on and offline.

Thanks for THIS post, Chris!