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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Apparently, I've been Potterized

Fans of the Harry Potter series know he is referred to as "The Boy Who Lived."  According to Linoge, I have a similar cognomen: The Girl Who Says Things.  That I am flattered to be named thus is an understatement, to be sure, because if I had to pick the one person responsible for my involvement with the gunblog community, it would be him.

Put briefly, the chronology of events would look something like this:

2009:

  • Became interested in prepping; started reading Survivalblog. 
  • Noticed many links to Tamara's blog; started reading that too. 
  • Noticed many recurring commenters, like Weerd Beard. 
2010:
  • Worked for Census. Used some of that money to buy my first gun (a .22 bolt-action rifle) to complement bug-out bag. 
  • Started posting about shooting.
  • Started reading other gun blogs.
  • Used last remaining Census money to buy Mosin-Nagant, because after reading these blogs I realized I wanted something boomier. 
2011:
  • Took my friend Chris Bridges to the range and let him shoot both rifles. 
  • He wrote a post about it.
  • I wrote a follow-up to his post. 
  • Linoge, using means unknown to me, found Chris' post and followed a link to this post of mine. 
  • He wrote a post linking to mine. 
  • For the first time EVER, I am noticed by the gunblog community, and despite being an outsider he makes me feel welcome by telling me that my rifle is cool. 
  • I start reading more gun blogs, commenting on same, and writing more about shooting. 
  • Somewhere between here and 2012, I pick up my identity as the little sister of the gunblog community. 
2012:
  • Oleg Volk notices me somehow. 
  • He talks to me on Skype, and the first question out of his mouth is "So, what's with all the ponies?"
  • We become friends. 
  • He helps me raise funds to buy a pistol and a carry permit. 
  • Because of this, my mother decides to get her permit and pistol too. 
  • Linoge puts me in touch with Iain Harrison at Crimson Trace, and I get my first T&E product. 
  • This puts me on a path of doing product reviews
  • Now fully invested in the gunblog community, I try to give back to it as well. 
  • For some reason I still can't fathom, you folks find me likable. You help me out and stick up for me and make me feel so welcome that for the first time in YEARS, I contemplate meeting people face to face. 
  • I meet Oleg. He doesn't hate me, and makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. 
2013:
  • Writer. Reviewer. Kinda-sorta Internet Famous, at least in gunnie circles. 
  • I have tons of people who like me and say they want to meet me. 
  • The thought of meeting them at a blog shoot doesn't terrify me like it used to. 
Linoge didn't start me on the road to blogging, but he helped me get where I am today. I guess you could call him my god-blogfather. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would be doing more than reading a handful of blogs. I probably wouldn't be a gun-rights activist. I certainly wouldn't be a product reviewer!

So while I am saddened to learn that in ten or so posts, he will be giving up blogging, I am flattered that he chose to honor me thus. In a way, I feel like he has passed his mantle on to me. I hope I am worthy of this honor. 


8 comments:

  1. So, you never did answer, "Whats with all the ponies?"

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  2. I dont know what to call a female Brony :(
    ...Briannie?

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  3. I see you more as Liara from Mass Effect, but so be it.

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  4. Most fans of the show agree that "brony" is gender neutral, as the adult fandom started on the /br/ (for BRoadcast television) channel of 4chan. Ponies on /br/ = brony.


    However, some subscribe to the understandable-if-wrong conclusion that brony means "bros who like ponies", and those folks refer to their female counterparts as "pegasisters".


    I tried to get "eunuch-corns" going for hermaphrodite, gender neutral and genderqueer fans, but that never took off -- probably because it sounds awful.

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  5. How did I find Mr. Bridges' post? I read him :). Have ever since the days of "Save Hiatus".

    That said, I am honored to have been the person to forcibly shove... er... welcome you into the gunblogging community, and I have absolutely no doubt that you will be able to hold up (one of) my mantle. Just keep doing what you are doing, and things will proceed swimmingly :).

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  6. Sherman Potter?

    I'm more of a fan of Bill Gannon.

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