Of course, your sidebar isn't loading at all now which means there aren't any blogads displayed to make money from.

Oh look! It's back now.

Mitch said,

"Anyone have an idea as to why the server can't finish what it starts?"

Maybe the server needed to segment out some of it's processing power to invade another blog site that allegedly had Lessons of Math Instruction.

I'm far from being an expert, but when I see this happening, I find it's usually because of external content. The more content you can serve off your own server the better.

My guess is it's the ads. When our site fails to load, it's almost always because of an include that's calling up material from a third-party server.

Mitch - I have been noticing that sidebar issue that LF pointed out for a few days now. I thought it was my firewall blocking something out at first which is why I didn't say anything when I first noticed it... I have no idea what the problem is, but it has been going on for at least a week.

I had noticed the missing sidebar around the time of your post regarding Springsteen and the release of the Darkness album. I thought it was a problem on my end. I had tried "refreshing" the screen but that did not work.

Your comments counter is uodating slowly too.

"Anyone have an idea as to why the server can't finish what it starts?"

Cause it's daddy got it out of Vietnam, it never really had to work for a living, it isn't very bright and it didn't have a clear plan or exit strategy?

Just a guess.

Does your site have anything microsoft?
If so, thats It!

But don't question its patriotism just because it can't finish what it starts!

Mitch - about 2:15 this afternoon the site wouldn't load at all. I tried to send you an email at the comments email address and got a return error saying that the mailbox was full! Something weird is going on here!

"Anyone have an idea as to why the server can't finish what it starts?"

Mitch, I think I see the problem. It looks like someone hacked your site and renamed the root directory:

/Queers_are_going_to_destroy_traditional_marriage

It's possible that the server can't finish what it starts because something keeps pointing it back to this directory.

You can try this.

Rename your site:

www.shotinthedark.vacation_in_crawford

It won't fix the problem but at least it will give the server a break for a third of the year.

Hope this helps.

Ditto what Bob said. Ad servers are the number one source of page loading problems.

And (guessing here) I think some browsers are getting better at truncating page loads when they encounter slow loading images. Many's the time I notice a page I've just finished is still loading when I close it, and invariably the item the browser is waiting on is often an ad image.

Again, just about everyone I know who has any traffic usually finds Sitemeter underreports actual traffic by about half. That means advertisers are getting a pretty good deal.

"Mitch, I think I see the problem. It looks like someone hacked your site and renamed the root directory:

/Queers_are_going_to_destroy_traditional_marriage"

Oh, poor, pathetic, pitiful Doug. You really are a caricature of the left.

Has Mitch ever come close to saying "Queers are going to destroy traditional marriage?"

http://www.shotinthedark.info/archives/007436.html

I guess any comments you leave should be labeled "facts optional."

Brad,

What in Gods name are you talking about? I have never said Mitch said anything of the sort Nor do I believe he ever would.

It's a snarky reference to the Republican agenda and Bush you nimrod.

"It's a snarky reference to the Republican agenda and Bush you nimrod."

Well, then I clearly misunderstood your intent. My apologies, Doogie. Unlike you, I'm man enough to admit it when I've made a mistake.

I take back everything I said (except the parts where I said you're pathetic and that your comments should be labeled "facts optional").

Doog,

I also meant it when I said you are a caricature of the left.