Welcome, friends, to the brand new year. I hope that our new journey around the sun is a wonderful one. If that ends up being a bridge too far, I hope, at the very least, that all of you are around 365 1/4 days from now to commiserate over the unfortunate parts. It’s better than the alternative.
Howlin’ at the Moon in ii-V-I experienced a boom in growth this year. I am awed and humbled that each of you considers what I have to say about topics like science, higher education, politics social issues and music worthy of your time and consideration.
You could walk across the Pacific Ocean without getting your feet wet over the low-in-the-water life-jacketed writers out there attempting to eke out a living in the world of self-publication, like me. That fact that many of you pay to subscribe, when much of the content here isn’t paywalled, is especially gratifying. Every time I see a new paid subscriber I get a little misty on the inside. Honest and no lie. Thank you.
Since many of you have come aboard in just the past few months, I thought that it’d be useful to recap the major pieces on Howlin’ this past year that brought us all together in this crazy, wonderful community of ours. If you have not read any of the next 11 columns, they are a good place to start in deciphering where I’m coming from.
The top five columns on Howlin’ this year were:
All of the above were popular primarily as the result of being reposted or shared on other websites. The top five organic, i.e. read primarily by Howlin’ subscribers were:
Why I left my faculty job disillusioned with higher education, academics and science
Tie: Burden of Dreams and Your tribe has issues
Science Friday videos and podcasts have been a hit. As these are relatively new, the top three:
I really like Science Friday. I loved the part of higher education that involved teaching, and I miss it greatly. It was everything else that drove me away.
Science Friday and user comments were the only things paywalled on Howlin’ during 2023 and that’s the plan moving forward.
I don’t wish to take you away from family and friends too long during the holiday. Thanks again - and happy new year! We’ll get after the woke and incompetent, the knaves and rascals again on Wednesday.
A special offer for paid subscriptions will arrive in your mailbox shortly. It’s a good deal, if you are interested.
Cheers all. Respectfully,
Martin
Associated Press and Idaho Press Club-winning columnist Martin Hackworth of Pocatello is a physicist, writer, and retired Idaho State University faculty member who now spends his time with family, riding bicycles and motorcycles, and arranging and playing music. Follow him on Twitter @MartinHackworth and on Substack at martinhackworthsubstack.com