Salmacis is someone I have known for many years to be a passionate progressive, and one who – like yours truly – freely lets his opinions fly. We have only recently rekindled our relationship over the past year, but he is a kindred spirit and talented writer, so I think he will be a thoughtful as well as entertaining.

As always, we welcome more people to join the flock here at OLV. I knew when I first put this site on hiatus over a year ago that it would be tough to generate a strong readership very quickly, but I am convinced that we are off to a good start and on the right road. Whether you agree with the perspectives offered here or not, please lend your thoughts and comments, and tell your friends to visit OLV.

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This post, Welcoming a new contributor to OLV, originally appeared on One Little Victory on March 27, 2010. Please visit One Little Victory to share your thoughts. Tweet This
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I would like to say it is named this because I have a perspective that we need to work steadily towards our goals – whether those goals are intended to create a better life just for ourselves or designed to improve our society – and take joy and pleasure in the little victories that we achieve along the way. This, after all, does reflect my own world. But it is simply not the reason.

Truth be told, I am a “homer” about things I enjoy and, perhaps because of my OCD qualities, I do tend to dwell on them, often looking to make connections between things I enjoy and the world that I live in.

Such is the case with the music of Canadian progressive rock band Rush. On a personal level, I have found that this band and their wonderful lyricist, Mr. Neil Peart, are often able to articulate my own feelings better than I ever could. Thus, when looking originally in 2006 for a name to this site, I dove into my Rush lore, but didn’t have to go far to find something that resonated with me. Thus, here are the lyrics to the song “One Little Victory”, from the 2002 album Vapor Trails. The lyrics in bold truly capture the original spirit of this website.

A certain measure of innocence
Willing to appear naive
A certain degree of imagination
A measure of make-believe

A certain degree of surrender
To the forces of light and heat
A shot of satisfaction
In a willingness to risk defeat

Celebrate the moment
As it turns into one more
Another chance at victory
Another chance to score

The measure of the moment
In a difference of degree
Just one little victory
A spirit breaking free
One little victory
The greatest act can be
One little victory

A certain measure of righteousness
A certain amount of force
A certain degree of determination
Daring on a different course

A certain amount of resistance
To the forces of the light and love
A certain measure of tolerance
A willingness to rise above

Celebrate the moment
As it turns into one more
Another chance at victory
Another chance to score

The measure of the moment
In a difference of degree
Just one little victory
A spirit breaking free
One little victory
The greatest act can be
One little victory

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This post, What is OLV?, originally appeared on One Little Victory on March 23, 2010. Please visit One Little Victory to share your thoughts. Tweet This
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Developing a readership base the first time was hard work. No doubt it will be even more difficult the second time around. But this site, while intended for external readership, is written more for the satisfaction of its contributors, of which I suspect I will still be posting a large majority of the articles. But there will be guest posters over time, on a broad range of topics. To help cultivate a broader readership base, Facebook and Twitter accounts have been added as compliments to the site, so please feel free to add OLV to your followings.

For those new to OLV, this is a current events blog written from the perspective of a secular progressive (yes, those one “those” that Bill O’Reilly has warned you about). Most of the posts will deal with current events and politics, but I also enjoy posting on some of my own personal interests, including music, sports, media, technology, and other areas. I warn you now that I post a pair amount on my favorite teams (Patriots, Red Sox) and favorite bands, movies, etc. I don’t expect anyone to appreciate all of the content here, so pick and choose what you like and then move along.

I will be bringing over just a few of the previous posts from the old site over time… those that I believe are still particularly interesting and/or relevant. These will all be noted as re-posts, with the original publication date attached.

There are those who will ask who I am, and why I am now choosing to write more anonymously. My identity isn’t important to the content of this blog, so I am no longer including it. I have given up trying to believe that people in the professional world will be able to distinguish between my personal and professional worlds and views… people often simply can’t or won’t overcome their own biases in the interests of professionalism, but I refuse to stop writing and somehow relent to this narrow world view.

Other writers… yes, I mentioned other writers. I have several friends and acquaintances that may be interested in posting from time to time, and they will be welcome to do so here. You will find they tend to run a bit more moderate in their thinking than I do. I also welcome readers to contribute, once I have seen some of your work and am convinced that you are not simply seeking to sabotage the work being done on this site. Send me an e-mail with a proposed article or writing sample if you are interested, along with links to anything else you might be involved in.

Finally, commentary is turned on and will generally be unmoderated. This is quite a switch from the old OLV site. I have been convinced by my Web designer that this is the best approach to take, so let’s see how it goes. I will scan comments often, and will delete comments that are: 1) offensive enough that I wouldn’t let my kids read them… please watch your language, and 2) anything that includes my name or identifying information. In the latter case, or if you violate the former often enough, you will be subject to banning. So there is the one warning, which I hope to not have to repeat.

With all of that said, I hope you enjoy your visits to OLV, and find them to be thought provoking and worthwhile, regardless of whether or not you agree with the views expressed here. Happy surfing!

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This post, One Little Victory Is Back, originally appeared on One Little Victory on March 23, 2010. Please visit One Little Victory to share your thoughts. Tweet This
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