Lurking

v.: To eavesdrop on a chat room or conference. In most online areas, lurking is perfectly acceptable behavior and is, in fact, encouraged so that you get the feel of the area before posting your own comments. However, some online areas, particularly ones where participants are discussing personal issues, frown on lurking. (from the Webopedia Computer Dictionary)
     Lurking has been the topic of conversation lately on a few blogs that I read. (I read them with the full knowledge of the writer or writers.) The general consensus is that if one knows the writer, then it is bad manners to lurk. In other words, it is appropriate to let the writer know that one is reading his or her blog. Otherwise, in my opinion, an intent to read covertly is implied.
     It's not usually difficult to contact the writer of a blog. For instance, in my case, there is an email address listed in the copyright section (at the bottom of the page). One could also leave a comment, which would serve the same purpose.
     Just a thought. In case there's anyone lurking here. Who I know. Who might want to acknowledge that they're there. Ahem.

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    So. That being settled, I wanted to share some pictures that I took this weekend. Outside of my place of work, there stands one of the ugliest trees to exist in nature. It doesn't even have enough "possibilities" to work as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Do you agree?
     I wasn't sure which angle would be best, so I'm embedding a couple.
    The final entry is for Johnnie Walker, so strikes me as such a city boy that he's probably never seen something like this. It's a Live Bait Machine. [insert punchline here]

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Incidentally, I'm writing this on my lunch hour. If that matters to anyone.