Just so you know, CultureFeast has temporarily switched to the new Google/Blogger beta platform, which may or may not affect CultureFeast usability. If you notice any differences in the functionality of the site, please contact me immediately. I hope to make the transition from Blogger to WordPress within the next few weeks. Time is short, and there are always a dozen things to do. It is my hope that WordPress will allow additional functionalities that will take CultureFeast to the next level.

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There’s no reason to duplicate greatness. A copy is a copy is a copy. There is a certain appeal to the layout and approach of a website like GodSpy. First, there are quality photos and graphics which make the homepage seem to be a brilliant display of topical choices. Second, you have the scholarly writing style in most of the articles which lends an air of authority to the writer. Third, you have website navigation, allowing for search of information by topic. Fourth, you have a forum where all intelligent or wannabe intelligent people can go to voice their opinions on matters of faith, politics, philosophy, and culture. Why pretend? I CultureFeast cannot compete with the quantity or genre of writings available on GodSpy. Having multiple contributors plays a rather large roll, let’s not forget. Still, this is CultureFeast, and the goal of this website is to discuss culture in all of its forms at one time or another. This site may not focus on the Renaissance, the Bible, or Hollywood, but each reader is likely to find something of interest within these pages. As the Senior (and currently only) Writer of CultureFeast, it is my hope that you will appreciate the voice behind the topics - the personality, if you will. That is what CultureFeast offers: discussion of cultural topics with personality. It may not always be witty or gritty, but as long as it’s not sh!*$y we’ll be just fine. Opinions are important. Cold, hard, objective, factual evidence is overrated and usually mislabeled. So what is that will make you return? What do you want to know? What do you enjoy reading here?

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I must be blog crazy. I’m lying in bed at 4am, and my brain is buzzing. My heart rate is accelerating. You know what I’m thinking about? You guessed it - blogs. I got it bad. I lost sleep over it last night. I don’t lose sleep over ANYTHING. Seriously. I’m one of those people who can lay their head down on the pillow, close their eyes, and within five minutes be off to Sleepy Town. And I can do this day after day after day. How this began, I have no idea. It wasn’t always so. But last night was different.

MySpace had a similar effect on me when I first created my profile. I was as giddy as a schoolboy (haven’t seen a giddy schoolboy in a long time, but take my word for it). All the creative possiblities. All the different ways in which I could express who I am. Or who I want to be. Or who I think other people should think I am. Or…whatever…you get the picture.

Blogs, blogs, blogs, blogs…. everywhere I see or think blogs. Call the acupuncturist and the herbal remedy lady - I’m gonna need a blog cleanse…. eww…. do you think that would hurt as it passes?

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It’s true. Variety really is the spice of life. Maybe I’m dysfunctional. Perhaps there are simply too many things to discuss. Or maybe I just don’t like being pigeonholed into one narrow topic. Take your pick. It could be all three, honestly. But I simply cannot limit myself to stick to only one topic. Life is too busy… to full. Some restrictions are uncomfortable for a reason: people need diversity. I’m not pretending to be one of those guys living life to the fullest every moment (though I envy them and I aspire to become more like them). The more I think about it, the more I realize that one of the primary complaints I had against the SEO industry last year was the proliferation of online discourses and the simultaneous lack of content. I am not saying that all SEO bloggers and forum visitors are full of hot air. But I saw constant linkbait everywhere.

That’s why people write the same stuff five different ways: they want to juice the actual content for all they can get out of it. I lost a lot of interest in SEO rather quickly last year when all the hype boiled down to tips and methods which anyone could learn within the span of six months to a year. It’s not that I begrudge anyone the opportunity to work towards increased rankings and exposure. Not at all. Obviously, I have done some of the same. Yet there lies a difference between someone doing it and an entire industry doing it. It breaks down fairly simply: SEO professionals did not have a world-wide standard or governing body.

They were misunderstood by the general public and underappreciated. They saw the need for their services but sometimes found it difficult to sell those services to an ignorant public. However, the method employed by the search engine marketing industry is so obviously flawed. Truth break: when I wrote the SEO Myths article, I had studied the do’s and dont’s of SEO. I read all the material offered online by Aaron Wall, Dan Thies, Danny Sullivan, Jill Whalen, Dave Wilkie, and others I can’t even remember. I understood the concepts. I got the logic of it. I liked the concept of theme based web design and architecture. But I also found that unless I wanted to become a programmer, the actual well of information was rather shallow.

I ran out of new content in less than a year. One of my pet peeves is a person flaunting himself as a know-it-all professional when he’s really just got a couple guys working with him in different parts of the country (and instantaneously have offices in New York, Florida, California, and Chicago…. wow… that’s impressive) and a blog or forum where he regurgitates what the other pros are saying in addition to spinning and respinning old topics. I don’t want to fall victim to the same flaw. It’s easy to do so, especially since regular content on the same subjects will increase organic search engine rankings. Still, content is king, no matter what anyone says.

If it’s not worth reading, it’s not worth posting. That is where I draw the line. That is where I lose respect for indivicuals, industries, or even myself. We need to rethink this whole concept. Search engines are great for helping us wade through the information we don’t want and find the information we need. So why add a dozen regurgitated articles to your blog, just to improve your rankings?

Why not pursue the respect of your peers. What if the primary concern was content, and SEO-ing an SEO company became more like checking your spelling and grammar after you get to the heart of the matter? Idealistic? Sure. Worth Considering? Maybe. Then again, I started this blog to write about the world, not SEO. I just happen to do SEO for a living.

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I’ve seen a decent enough of a rise in traffic over the past month to wonder whether or not these people are getting enough new content to keep them coming back. The truth is, I’m working hard to get into the groove at VIZION Interactive and sometimes it’s hard to spend any extra time near the computer. So, I’ve decided to try an experiment. If you want to write, email me an article/blog post along with a brief bio (nothing fancy - just give me an idea of who I’m dealing with). The way it will work is simple: if I like what I read, I’ll post it. If I don’t like it, I won’t post it. I won’t contact you with reasons why, simply because I don’t have the time. Just send whatever you’ve written to daniel@culturefeast.com.

I’m going to limit submissions to 500 words. If your article or blog is twice that size, try splitting it in half and submitting it as part one and part two. Don’t forget to include the bio. Hey, who knows? Maybe this could turn into a regular thing for one or two of you with nothing better to do than showcase your brilliance to the world. I have already been approached by one person this week looking for a job. This is NOT an opportunity to make money on CultureFeast. I don’t even make money from the blogs I write (not enough to buy a meal, anyway).

So why, then, should any of you waste your time posting your thoughts here instead of creating your own blog? Well, look at my traffic. I’m no SEOmoz or BlogMaverick, but you can get some decent exposure here. I will post your name clearly so that everyone can see who is the genius behind the magical pen! Anyone who gets 50 articles/blogs posted on this site will start receiving links to their own personal blog with each new article/blog they post on CultureFeast thereafter. What do ya think? Anyone interested? If so, drop me a line.

If you have any suggestions, post a comment down below.

Thanks,

Daniel Dessinger

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It occurred to me that a few of you out there might be wondering why the posts have slowed down to a crawl. Call it life, call it fortune or misfortune, whatever you like. God has taken me in a different direction at this point. I still love to write and will continue to do so as I am able, but writing has recently moved down the priority chain (similar to the food chain - only different). I took a position as a personal assistant to a real estate investor. He has since placed me in the position of property manager, and I now operate Renaissance Property Management. The paranoid side of me says not to mention names of associated businesses, but that’s only because I really do believe that “they” are out to get me. Decide for yourself whether you think I’m joking.

So for now, I manage a growing number of rental properties in the Dallas/Fort Worth area - mostly single family units and duplexes. Writing for pay hasn’t turned out to be what I hoped for. Of course, the work I have done was more for the money than for the sheer joy of writing. I am an independent thinker, preferring to work with a sense of ownership in the ideas and structure of an enterprise. Copywriting for ads and marketing pays bills (when work is available), but it doesn’t allow me to express myself in the ways I would like. Perhaps it’s all about timing. I’m not a naysayer. If you want to pursue writing as a career, go for it. I may still write for a living in the future. Flexibility is a must in this day and age.

You have to go with what works and with what the Lord leads you into. If you look in Scripture, you’ll find all sorts of stories about people who took what seemed the ass backwards route to fulfilling their purpose in life. I’ve heard many people say that God is more concerned about developing our character along the way than He is about our arriving at some life destination. It doesn’t have to all make sense. We make our plans and goals for the future. But then we stay submitted to the Lord and allow Him to order our steps. He can change our plans, but He places those desires in our hearts to use God-given skills in significant ways. Since He is the originator of those desires, He will be faithful to see them expressed in and through our lives.

I start sounding a little preachy at times, don’t I? Oh well. It’s a blog. After seeing the drivel that some people are willing to read, I don’t feel that bad. That’s another thing: While I was using this blog as an introduction to my writing business, I felt restrained from freely expressing all of my thoughts and ideas. Some separation between business and personal can be useful. Especially when potential clients can’t imagine me writing successful marketing copy because I am inquisitive, philosophical, and Christian. Oh well. It’s all good. I am walking through the doors God opens. I’d love to hear from you. Keep hope alive.

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It’s official: one of my favorite bands must be shared with the rest of the world. It was November, 2005. I was brand-spankin’ new to MySpace. Randomly browsing people’s profiles, I came across someone playing “Over My Head (Cable Car)”. I was entranced. Honestly, I hadn’t been moved by a song like that in quite some time. Immediately, I found The Fray on MySpace and added their song to my profile. Then I wrote a blog endorsing them and Radiant - one of my other favorite new bands.

My blog received 200+ views per day, and I was spreading the word like a faithful zealot. It’s easy to do so when you are passionate about the subject. Of course, seeing how I introduced all of my friends to the band, I felt a sense of pride and ownership that is completely ridiculous and yet totally unavoidable. Perhaps we are pathetic people, but those of us who really love music love it partly because we take in a song and we own it in our souls. It becomes a part of us, and sharing that song with others is akin to vulnerable heart to heart confession. Though the point of this is to introduce more of you to The Fray (who, incidentally, hail from Denver, Colorado), it is always really about this sharing of heart and soul. Rock n’ roll, alternative rock, and even pop rock are so popular because they take our feelings and share them with others.

That which cannot be said with mere words can be expressed through song. What separates us from one another is suddenly removed and we can know each other without boundaries. This is the beauty of music. And this is The Fray.

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