Good-bye to all that: I’m leaving the birds behind and blogging at Left in the West
by Jay Stevens
Matt Singer at Left in the West has invited me to blog at his site, and I’ve decided to take him on his offer.
It’s a bittersweet move, of course. Left in the West is a great blog and has a large and dedicated readership. I’ll be writing the same stuff and in the same way I write here – a style a little different than Matt’s – so I’m not really going anywhere. Matt and I – tho’ we don’t always agree on policy and politics – are working towards similar progressive goals, so the switch seems to be natural, even inevitable.
On the other hand I’ve scratched out 4&20 blackbirds from nothing. I get a fair number of readers every day, a few hundred, and have had over 150K clicks since I switched over to WordPress about six months ago. And I’ve put a lot of work into this blog. I know it’s just code and a Web address, a couple of graphics and a lot of text, but it’s come to feel like my little house. So I’m sad to leave it behind.
That said, I’m not taking 4&20 blackbirds down. I’m trying to convince some suckers — er, some interested people to take over the site and make it more of a local blog, focusing on Missoula city politics and issues and culture. Everyone reads the national blogs, but I think local and state blogging is where the real effect of blogs will be felt, as bloggers can bring attention to and explain municipal and state issues, topics that really aren’t commented on enough in the traditional media.
If that happens, I’ll no doubt pop over and post now and then on local issues or events.
In the meantime I invite you to follow me over to Left in the West. I’ve got a bunch of topics on the back burner that I’ll be able to write about now that the legislature is over and done with. The 2008 election is coming up; you’ll be able to follow the state and federal races at LiTW, as well as providing rockin’ commentary on the issues crucial to the state as we plunge further into the 21st century…
Come on! Let’s go! What are ya gawkin’ at?
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4&20 blackbirds 
May 15, 2007 at 9:02 pm
No offense to LiTW, but
boo!
Fist Wrongdog, and now 4&20…
May 15, 2007 at 10:03 pm
First…not fist.
May 16, 2007 at 5:31 am
This is one of the first blogs I read each day, outside the state of Iowa. I really enjoyed your blogs and links. I will have to check you out at Left in the West.
May 16, 2007 at 5:41 am
It’s too bad, frankly. I haven’t seen any redeeming features to Left in the West, and there are many here.
May 16, 2007 at 7:22 am
Good luck at LITW. I will miss the “links” posts.
May 16, 2007 at 9:00 am
Thanks for the nice comments. But don’t worry! All that’s changing is the platform, not the content. I’ll still be doing some form of “Links…” page, tho’ that might change, and I’ll still be writing more issue-driven content, versus Matt’s activist- and political-driven content.
May 16, 2007 at 9:16 am
Sorry to see you leave this site, man. Please keep us posted as to your efforts in getting local issues/bloggers on 4 & 20. See you over at LiTW.
May 16, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I’m sad to see this. I come to your site for different content than I expect at LiTW. I’m really glad to know that you’ll still be blogging, though. Good luck in your new bloggy “home”. I’ll see you there.
May 17, 2007 at 6:58 am
You’re at the top of my list of blogs to visit every day. LITW is a good place and all, but its format is not so user-freindly as yours. Anyway, I’ll see you over there.
May 18, 2007 at 10:52 am
I have to agree with some of the others. There was something about this blog—the combination of design, ease of use and your consistently obliging demeanor—that made this one of my first stops. I think you should stay home, but oh well.
May 21, 2007 at 9:17 pm
I was wondering who could have been responsible for this afflication I’ve developed called blogging. Looking back to Nov., to your site, something you said, caused me to type my first response here. Thanks for wrecking my life.
May 22, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Looking back to Nov., to your site, something you said, caused me to type my first response here.
Really? I’m dying to know what that was!
May 29, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Huh.
I would have never guessed “Jay Stevens” was a Jewish name.