Post Number Three Thousand!

Yes, Dear Readers, today marks my three thousandth post, so I hope you'll pardon me if I engage in a bit of self-congratulatory boasting.

I thought I'd celebrate this milestone by talking a little bit about the history of my blog, and putting up links to what I think are some of my better posts ... some of which are a bit older and you may not have seen if you're relatively new to my little corner of the blogosphere.

It all began on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 with my first post. It wasn't much, but it was my first attempt, and things sort of grew from there. I actually started the blog because I'd gotten into an online discussion group with my friend Jake and his friends ... but it soon became obvious that I was not nearly conservative enough for them, and it was gently suggested* that I might be happier going off on my own. And so I did.

As you know, I'm interested in lots of different things, so I've never found myself in danger of not having something to write about. I knew from the start that I'd probably piss off everybody at one time or another, but I also knew that this was my chance to say what I think ... and there are about feensky-zillion other blogs out there for those who decide I'm not their cup of tea. I've bounced from politics to photography to language to satire to books and music to ... well ... whatever. And I'm glad you've decided to come along for the ride.

I don't remember when the first official Cartoon Saturday appeared, but it quickly became one of my most popular recurring topics. I have a collection of cartoons numbering in the thousands, so I figured I might as well put them to use. And thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me great cartoons you've found.

The Poetry Sunday theme is a fairly recent addition ... I enjoy poetry, and this gave me an opportunity to seek out new poems, remember old ones, and share them with you.

I love reading and writing, words and language, and so my biweekly theme of Great Moments in Editing was a natural addition. I've collected many hundreds of them on my own, and many of you have also sent me some ones that you've seen ... additions to the collection are always welcome.

Probably my most popular feature after Cartoon Saturday has been my Ass Clown award series. It started out as an occasional award back in 2011 at the suggestion of Faithful Reader Chrissy (whose own blog has since gone dark, sadly), then went to monthly, and has now settled on a biweekly schedule, alternating on Fridays with Great Moments in Editing. It was my friend and fellow blogger John who suggested the name that now graces the awards: "Left Cheek" and "Right Cheek." In the event of a month with enough Fridays for a third award, we'll punt. You can read my first Ass Clown Award, presented to Donald Trump, here (scroll to the end of the post to find it).

I also (pats self on back) developed my proposal for the five-level National Stupidity Condition, or DUMBCON, modeled on the military's system of "defense conditions." I first published it in 2009 and have since revised it twice, adding a sixth and a seventh level to accommodate the ever-rising level of national stupidity. We are now at DUMBCON Minus One ("Forget It ... Just Hide Under Your Bed"), and have been there since October 15th, 2013.

Here are a few more of my personal favorite posts ...

Don't Dig Here! (September 1, 2007)

The Ways We'll Be Remembered (November 15, 2009)

The Things We Leave Behind (August 2, 2012)

What If Nobody Ever Forgets? (December 17, 2006)

My Title's Better Than Your Title (March 15, 2008)

Coats of Arms (March 23, 2009).

A Parable About a Parking Space (September 28, 2007)

I'm glad that you've decided to visit me, and that so many of you have stuck with reading my random thoughts for so long. There are, after all, millions of other blogs out there you can choose to read (some of my favorites are linked over on the right of this page), and I'm grateful you've chosen to come here. I'm pleased to have actually met some of you - such as Mike, Peggy, and Buggie, and have exchanged letters (real, actual, ink-on paper letters!) with Amanda, alanwoodhaven, Andrea, Fiona, and Linda Kay, among many others**. One of these days, Andrea and I will meet for coffee on one of our trips up to Pittsburgh ... the previous attempt fell through, but we'll make it happen before long!

And so, Dear Readers, thanks again for helping me make it to post number 3,000. I hope I can keep it interesting enough that you'll still be with me when we hit 4,000 and beyond!

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* I seem to remember that the words "Get lost!!" were involved.

** Not including Mike, who has made it a point of honor to not write back.

Cartoon Saturday ... and My Eighth (!) Blogoversary

It's been a heckuva week, but now it's finally Cartoon Saturday. It's my eighth blogoversary, too, but we'll get to that later ... I think we need the cartoons first.

Massachusetts has enacted a law making photographing or recording video under a person's clothing - known as "upskirting" - a misdemeanor; members of an Illinois family have been arrested for shoplifting nearly $7 million worth of goods, which were smuggled out of stores in the mother's flowing black dress; GOP representative Darrell Issa has apologized to fellow representative Elijah Cummings for deliberately shutting off his microphone to keep him from speaking at a House committee meeting; the mummified body of a Michigan woman who hadn't been seen by her neighbors for nearly six years was found in the back seat of her car in her garage; and Russia appears to be settling into its newly-acquired Crimean real estate, unimpressed by US threats of economic sanctions.

So much for March being an improvement on February. Good thing we have Cartoon Saturday to lighten things up.

Since I take quite a bit of grief from my friends* about my love of puns, I thought that a selection of cartoons based on puns would be appropriate ...

Horror movies for bugs? ...

Hey, if the argument works for the gun crowd, why shouldn't it work for me? ...

It's corny, but ...

Some puns are just for the birds ...

Oops ... wrong room ...

Well, he could certainly do it ...

Well, bless their hearts ...

How linguists get dates ...

Opposites do attract, or so I've been told ...

Well, what would you call it? ...

And finally for this week ... sometimes you can end up in the wrong place ...

So much for this week's puns ... how about a little shameless self-congratulation?

Today is my eighth blogoversary! Yes, Dear Readers, I wrote my first blog post on March 8th, 2006 ... you can read it here if you want, but it's not quite up to my current standards. I started writing this blog because of my friend Jake, who had invited me to join a discussion group on military matters and current affairs ... it seems I was a bit too participatory and contrary for the group, and they suggested I just write my own blog and leave them alone.

This blog has evolved a lot since my first few posts, and I've added recurring features like Cartoon Saturday, Ask Bilbo, Great Moments in Editing, and the Ass Clown of the Month. I've made a lot of friends through blogging, some of whom I've actually met in person ... Buggie, Mike, Peg, and Gilahi, among others). I've exchanged letters with Amanda, Fiona, allenwoodhaven, and Green Canary, and others, and I've become Facebook friends with many of you. You brighten my days and your comments keep me thinking and (when needed) honest and humble.

I really enjoy writing this blog. I like having the creative outlet, and meeting people from all over the country and the world, virtually, in writing, and in person. I read every comment left on every post, even if I don't respond to all of them, and always appreciate the time you took to leave them. We don't always agree on everything, but the world would be a lot less interesting if we all saw things the same way.

Bilbo's First Law says you should never let anyone else do your thinking for you ... but I'm glad you've decided to come here and think with me. Let's do the next eight years together!

Have a good day. More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

* My friend Bob wrote this on my Facebook page the other day, after Andrea put up the cartoon I shared with you in this blog yesterday: "It's not just beautiful women who associate you with bad puns. It's also handsome men, unattractive women, ugly men, all children, and most members of the animal kingdom." Arizona Dave added, "... and some plants, too, probably." I seem to have an image problem.

Today is My Seventh Blogoversary!

Today is my seventh blogoversary!

Yee, HAH!!

Have a good day. Come back tomorrow for Cartoon Saturday and we'll celebrate!

Bilbo

My Sixth Blogoversary!

Yes, Dear Readers, it was on this date in 2006 that I hit the Publish Post button on my very first entry in Bilbo's Random Thought Collection. It was a pretty meager, "why am I doing this?" sort of post, and you can read it here if you're so inclined.

I got my first comment five days later, and since then I've received 8404 more (that were reported to me at my e-mail account), or 8720 more (as recorded by Blogger) ... the difference is that sometimes I don't get e-mail notification of comments as they come in. I average about four comments per post, not counting comments received on my Facebook page, which links to the blog each day.

Today is my 1,986th post. Over the years, I've developed a system by which I post almost every morning, usually on a topic I pick either the day before, or as I sit down at the desk and look at the headlines. I try to keep it topical, but I have a huge "Blog Fodder" file of links to things I think are interesting and worth writing about, so I seldom have a problem finding something on which to base a post.

I started labeling posts fairly late in the process, and have found it an interesting way to keep track of the general sorts of things I've blogged about ... for instance, I've done 180 Cartoon Saturdays and eight Ass Clown of the Week/Month/Year awards.

I've collected a group of online fellow bloggers whose blogs I regularly read, and who are frequent commenters - some of my oldest (and I use the term loosely, for the most part) blogging friends are Mike, John, Amanda, Craziequeen, Captain Picard, and Andrea; newer, but equally valued virtual friends are Angelique, Heidi, Elvis, Peg, Duckbutt, and Banana Oil. Some of my friends don't blog much any more, like Gilahi (although he still lurks and comments occasionally, and we still get together for a few drinks every couple of months), Fiona, and Buggie. In addition to Gilahi and Buggie, I've also met and enjoyed the company of Kathy and her husband, and met other interesting people at various bloggers' happy hours and get-togethers in the local area.

Blogging is my creative outlet and (aside from ballroom dancing) my favorite pastime. I enjoy the writing, the commenting, and the ability to make new ... if virtual ... friends.

And so, Dear Readers, I hope you'll stick with me for the next six years ... or however long I can keep this space fresh and interesting.

Thanks for taking this journey with me. I appreciate all of you.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo