How could I miss this momentous occasion. I have past 2000 postings in little more than a year. Sure most of my posts are short but they represent 2000+ musings from my own fractured mind and all the various minutia that either delights or annoys me. I couldn't have gotten this far without all of you out there who visit daily and especially those who comment on a regular basis. Who would have thought a year ago that I would have nearly 100 people willing to consider themselves a follower of my little corner of the interwebs? Not me that's for sure. I encourage you to check out my blog roll and follow the people that I do. Each of them is a master of what they do. They never fail to impress me with the sincere effort they put into their posts be in just an image, a review, or a long diatribe against the ills and evils in society. They are the reason I always come back to my work. So that I keep up the high standards they inspire. In that light I wish to highlight a few of my favorites. If I missed you then you need to comment more often so that I get to know you.
Electric Cerebrectomy - The man is already stinky and knee deep with awards and he was the one to pass some onto me. I am always impressed with the depth and detail he puts into any topic he is writing about. He always extends my opinions beyond the superficial. He is scary smart...evil genius smart and I would welcome him into the
Lair of Doom (kitty korner from the Cave of Cool) anytime.
Shine - Just the kind of girl that takes NO effort to adore. The fact that in real life I would not chase after her despite my deep attraction for her speaks volumes of the high esteem I have for her sense of humour and the crazy bravery with which she attacks life and attacks it she does. She is better than me. She is better than all of us. Every clubhouse needs a token girl and she can climb the ladder anytime.
Darius Whiteplume - the first person I sheepishly asked for permission to nick a pic from his site Adventures in Nerdliness. He couldn't have been nicer to me. Recognizing my love for Milla and Cheeseburgers and red heads he gave me my first shout out on another blog so the fact that I am insanely dedicated to my Cave of Cool and its postings is partially his fault. He runs a tumblr site that seems to be the scrapbook of his mind and I find that we share many of the same attractions and demons.
Wings at Caffienated Joe. He went on Vacation for a week and I found myself wandering aimlessly though the night. On those days when no one commented on a post and thus validated my existence he always found the time to let me know that I was awesome. One of the people I wish I lived closer too cause I feel we could be real world friends. Like any good friend he indulges my whims and supports my rants against the cephalopod menace despite the fact that he vacationed at the beach.
His daughter Nicole. I have taught more than 20 years. If I see one or two kids a year that display the kind of scary potential to develop into a great person...I mean a person that changes the world, I am lucky. Nicole is one of those kids. Creativity and brilliance is rarely found in equal measure but in her they are. I have a feeling I will be reading her novels or screenplays or stage plays one day and resenting her the way Saliari resented Mozart. I will NEVER be that good (and I am freakishly creative myself) Its not a chore or a con to encourage her. Its a privilege to see the small fraction of her talent that I am exposed too.
Lisa Mynx. She will hate me mentioning her or giving her praise like a vampire hates the sun. This year I couldn't have done the things I have without her often brutally honest appraisal of my flaws. That sounds like a bad thing but its not. Shiny beads and shallow flattery are so easy to come by these days. She loves me enough to risk our friendship when she points out why I fail. She is Yoda to my Luke and I can't help but disappoint her daily. Some days I hate that she says what she does but NEVER do I dismiss her observations. Only a fool would do that. I have never met anyone who sees the world the way she does. If the zombies ever do rise up..or the aliens attack...TRUST ME...SHE is the one you want in your jeep as you try to stay alive in a post apocalyptic wasteland. I try to be worthy of her trust and admiration everyday.
Booksteve - Whenever Lisa makes me crazy I can always count on Steve to listen to my whining. He has more knowledge about comic books and pop culture that almost anyone I have ever met. His movie sites remind me of movies I should have seen but haven't already.
Geek Orthodox - Riess wears his Luchador mask with pride and is my gateway into serious action figure collecting. He know more about the figures that I may have missed than most anyone out there. He keeps me in touch with my Conan roots and inspired me to write about what I love and never let anyone influence my topics or opinions. He is one of the ones who is most to blame for the content of my blog but in a good, nay great way.
Cora - just radiates decency and love. Reminds me of those elementary teachers that have abundance love and patience for the craziness around her. No matter how nuts I would get to just DEAL with Junior High or High School kids she would always have my back and if I ever go on the water tower again with a rifle she is the one I would want to talk me down. I SO want her to ride into the colored sunset in her pumpkin carriage surrounded by animated birds with her boy Scope..another thoroughly decent GUY...no..I rephrase that..he is a MAN...a real mensch...I have been reading her honest post and following their romance for awhile now and we all WISH we could have the love that these two crazy kids have for each other. And they do it while separated most of the time by the distance they are apart. Keep your reality TV..these are the people E Harmony should be making commercials about.
Michael May - My 'brother from another mother'. No one seems to enjoy the same images and music that I do like Brother May. He is a comic creator who is actually living the dream we all have to write or create their own comic book. I am very proud to see his dream coming to fruition. His movie and TV reviews have led me to many awesome viewing experiences. He is another of the blog buddies that I know I would be good friends with in real life.
Monkey Muck - another magnificent bastard. I would love to just hang out with this guy and listen to him opine about the daily news or people passing by on the street. He has that angry kind of snark that makes me laugh. His site is honest stream of consciousness brilliance that often says all that really needs to be said on a subject. I find myself rarely if ever in disagreement with his opinions and that validates me like he will never know.
Wandering Coyote - Like Cora, Wandering Coyote write honestly about her opinions and experiences and is an inspiration to me. She lives around where my Father grew up and every time I talk to her or read about her home town musings or see the pictures she takes of the area, I feel that I am closer to my Dad.
Mykal is someone I forgot on my first go around. He seems to keep the same crazy hours that I do. You have to visit his site for some of the best, most detailed reviews of old movies from the atomic age. His blog also has one of the sweetest designs I have seen in a long while. Damn creative people. I love the name he gave his cat (Bad Jerome) so we share the belief that when our kitty overlords take over that we will be just fine with that.
