It's that time

Folks, it is that time. I believe - and abc agrees - it is time to close up "Left at the Altar." I am delighted and honored that people read this blog - that many have even bookmarked it and make it a regular weekly stop. But it's time to re-direct the hours and energy that goes into the search for bloggable material. (Even when I'm updating this site with the minimal and unsatisfying "regularity" that has characterized the past year or so, I still spend more hours than I care to count "surfing" other blogs and news sites.) Other bloggers and activists are doing this much better, more resourcefully, and with greater reach and impact than I have the time or talent to cultivate. We're quite small, and have stayed pretty small. I know that some people are going to miss us, and I know I (I won't speak for abc) will miss blogging.

But the internet can be - as abc herself has called it - a big time sink. You all know what happens: you follow a link, which leads to another, which leads to another, and suddenly 30-60 minutes are gone. If that happens a few times each week, then there's that block of time I've been saying I don't have for volunteering somewhere! abc and I attended the Faith and Politics
conference in Pasadena this past weekend. One of the speakers quoted someone - Rabbi Abraham Heschel, perhaps? - on the need to "put feet on our prayers." Walk the talk. I'm ready to put some of my blog time and energy to different use. The reason you haven't heard much from abc this year is because she's been "putting feet on her prayers" -- organizing, demonstrating, and rallying others to do the same. I've been content to conduct a pretty anonymous "virtual activism" on this very small scale. But I'm preaching to the choir - not even recruiting new "singers"! - and there are much more inspirational and effective "preachers" out there.

Why stop now, of all times? No matter what happens in November - whether Dems take back one or both houses, as they possibly could, or whether they once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory - closing up shop the day or week after won't feel right. It will look smug and satisfied, or tired and defeated. Closing up now will let us concentrate even more on November and the aftermath. There is much to be done!

We'll keep the site up (but not updated) through Election Day -- taking up bandwidth and giving you time to make sure you've bookmarked any sites you accessed regularly from the sidebar on the right. Then we'll take the site down and someone else will fill the space.

Thank you all!

P.S. Consider adding these sites to your blog stops:

Progressive Christian Witness

Faithful Democrats

Quaker Agitator