Decade Old Fragments: 10 Years of Blogging

In my very first blog post, I wrote,

"If I write something, it will be posted here. Just don't expect too much. I'll probably abandon it sooner or later."

Well, ten years later and the blog is still chugging along. I undersold the blog because, well, I didn't quite know what it would become (I also tend to undersell everything as I find there's wisdom in doing so). Additionally, I was so haphazard, unfocused and busy that the best one could hope for, would be a blog featuring just the bare fragments of ideas. A blog not themed on any one topic but serving as an outlet for random ideas, memories, musings, etc.

Well, by no planning and almost zero foresight, today marks my tenth year (and 372 posts) of blogging. 

So, uncork the champagne and order cake and balloons and celebrate my first decade of blogging. 

Just a pic of me and some buddies having the time of our lives. We had a big party for the blog last weekend, the rule was we all had to wear black and get our teeth whitened. Don't get your feelings hurt because you weren't invited. It was a pretty exclusive party. I couldn't invite all my readers.

Sure, it's not like I blog every day, but still, nothing to sneeze at either, bub. You know anyone else  that has a blog after 10 years of almost zero readership?

Yeah, neither do I......um...erm...(sigh)....yeah, not many of us left.


Anyway, I started the blog at the tail end of the Golden Era of personal blogs (2003-20011).  During that time, MySpace was a thing but with the ascendancy of Facebook, blogs changed. When my wife and I had our first baby she blogged about motherhood and the kids and it was a damn good blog. I think she blogged for about  3-5 years, but when kiddo # 3 came around, the blog became defunct (I mean, a lot of things become defunct when you have three kids).

FB changed everything. After all, it was a hell of a lot easier to update and to maintain a profile than to blog.  In the early teens, there were still a good number of news blogs, but alas, many of those have fallen by the way side as well.

I'm sure there's plenty of personal blogs out there but as much as I joke about having no readers...I'm not reading anyone else's blog either (but seriously, I'll follow yours if you follow mine).

I and the blog have changed over the years, but one thing hasn't changed. I still find it enjoyable to write. I might have a beer tonight to celebrate. Here's to another ten years of blogging about whatever weird stuff strikes my fancy. So, click around if you'd like or not and just go along your merry way.

Either way, cheers.

My Personal Favorites

Confucius Didn't Say That! (on going blog series in which I explore fake Confucius quotes)
Death, Birds, Hope 
Spurs Memories from the 1980's (find out how I met Coach Pop)   
The Problem with Truth 
Ode to Weezer's "Across the Sea"
Death is like... 
Life is like...
Six Underrated Albums from the 90's

A Poem for my Children
A short story entitled "The Execution of a Komodo Dragon"


Weird Stuff I Blogged About

I lived like a Muslim for a Week
An abandoned idea from college for a cartoon entitled, "Burrito Boy"
I wrote a whole post about the Wiggles, that's pretty weird.
I review Google Reviews of Machu Pichu 
I ask a lot of questions about Disney cartoon characters, like good questions.


The Best Detours in Philosophy/Religion

A blog in which I rant about existentialism, Horton Hears a Who, Steven Hawkins, etc. 
Deep Dive on Forgiveness as seen in Jesus and Mohammad
Stories Before the Big Bang
The Ineffability of Life
Truth as a Object/Truth as a Journey 
My blog about going to a Skih Center. 
 
Best Comic Book Posts

Comics Stories: Fragments on Comics and 1986
My Five Favorite Comic Book Cliffhangers
Lies, Damned Lies and Comic Books

The Best of my Bio Blog posts/series
A series of posts on mix-tapes and CD's I made back in the 90's
I had cancer once
Reflecting on my days as a DJ in college
Fragments on going to Lollapooza in 1996
I taught in Peru in 2014
I miss my friend  
Old Sketch becomes a Treasure
How I Met Your Mother (series on how I met my wife)
The Wonder Years (High School Retrospective)
I was in a local production of Wizard of Oz

Favorite Art Posts 
Barbar the Elephant
I Like Stars 
Trolls, lots of 'em 
Old Photos 2005-2007 
Self Portrait (2014)
Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book

Favorite Music Posts
Breeders Concert Review
Weezer's Tragic Girl
Weezer Concert Review
Insanely Detailed Conception of what would be on my Deluxe edition of Weezer's Blue Album should have been.
Six Underrated Albums from the 90's


Best Spurs Posts 
Spurs Memories from the 1980's (find out how I met Coach Pop)  

Some of my favorite Sports moments 

90's Spurs Memories

If you're still reading this, why? Just click around or be on your way. I'm pretty sure I'll be around blogging till Google folds Blogger into internet oblivion or I die. In the meantime, while we face the pandemic, talk a nice walk outside in the evening, take a deep breath and stare up at the stars and wonder.

Art Post: Donald Duck: The Black Pearls of Tabu

It's been awhile since I've shared an art project. Given that I have had a little more time to be home  (as we all do), I started doodling a scene from a Carl Bark's story, "The Black Pearls of Tabu Yama". I have love of Carl Barks, so it was just a matter of time when I found the right thing to re-create. The image comes from the first page of the story, and I found it quite captivating.

So, I went for it. I was hampered by two major things. First, I didn't have enough paint to paint it, so I decided on using map pencils. I also couldn't scourge up a small enough ink point and being that we are in quarantine, I didn't have the patience to just wait for an online order, so I worked ahead anyway despite my limitations.  While map pencils have their own unique, child-like charm, it is still an imperfect medium. Nevertheless, it is what it is: a fun project to waste the hours of the day, to day-dream about an adventure on the high sea.

I added a few more seagulls and clouds as well to fill up the now vacated space.

I'd give you a close up of the ship but man, I really goofed up those ducks.

Nirvana: Best/Worst/Favorite/Overrated/Underrated - Album by Album

 Hello All,

I started a new series reviewing some of my favorite artist's discography. Last time I did the Beatles and that was really fun, so I'm back to revel in my own self-righteous opinions. This time I'm covering another big favorite of mine...Nirvana.

 As always, here's my overly-detailed definitions of terms:

Best - this is obvious, what I think is the best track on the album in terms of composition and what it sets out to do.

Worst - also obvious, although, this definitely has more bias in it than "Best".

Overrated/Underrated - As I typically don't talk to people about the Nirvana nor am I reading much about them these days...so, this is just a general, what I think others think. Also, the Underrated category acts as another way for me to shoe horn one my favorites into the list.  Finally, if I place a song in the overrated category, it doesn't mean it's a bad song, it just means it's overrated. No more, no less.

Favorite - My personal favorite, not always the best track but the one I connected with the most or have a special memory associated with.

Bleach

Best: "About a Girl"
Worst: "Paper Cuts" 
Favorite: "About a Girl"/"Love Buzz"
Overrated: "About a Girl"
Underrated: "Love Buzz"/"Blew"

Nevermind

Best: "In Bloom"/"Drain You" (this was tough, this album has so many near perfect gems)
Worst: "Stay Away"
Favorite: "In Bloom"
Overrated: There's the obvious choice, and that that would be correct but I'm going to go with every beginning guitar player's go-to "Come As You Are" (and for the record I love this song)
Underrated: "On a Plain"

Hormoaning

Included because, hey, why not? Let's do an unnecessary deep dive on a EP that was only regionally released and consists of mainly cover songs?

Best: "Aneurysm" (such a cool tune)
Worst: "Even in His Youth" (and this is a decent track too)
Favorite: "Turnaround" (maybe my favorite cover of any song by any band)
Overrated: "Aneurysm" (just here because it has to be the only song the general public knows about) but this was
Underrated:Everything except "Aneurysm" but I guess "D-7"

Incesticide

Best: "Aneurysm" (well, this is awkward but yeah, it fits the bill again)
Worst: "Big Long Now" (yawn)
Favorite: "Turnaround" (again, it's here but it's that good) & "Son of a Gun"
Overrated: "Sliver" (I still love it)
Underrated:"Beeswax"

In Utero

Best: "Heart Shaped Box"
Worst: "tourette's" (it ain't that bad either)
Favorite: "All Apologies"/"Dumb"/the first 30 seconds of"Scentless Apprentice"
Overrated:"Rape Me"
Underrated: "Very Ape" and "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"


Unplugged in NYC

Best:"Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"
Worst: "Pennyroyal Tea" (ok sorry, it's not the greatest but if you've heard the rehearsal footage with Pat Smear trying to sing backup vocals, this is X1000 better...it's like they were too afraid to tell him he was off key).
Favorite:"Man Who Sold the World"
Overrated: "Pennyroyal Tea"(gotta pick something)
Underrated: "Oh Me"

From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah

I don't wanna do this album. It's a fine compilation of live tracks, I mean it's good but I don't listen to it much anymore. Off the top of my head, my personal faves are "School", "Spank Thru" and of course, you guessed it, "Aneurysm"

With the Lights Out - Box Set 
After pining after a box for almost a decade, the box set finally came out and by then, I was not the hardcore Nirvana fan I used to be. I couldn't really justify spending hundreds of dollars on the set and the "Best of" set I had already heard 90% of it on bootlegs. So, suffice to say, I don't have a list of either. I'm tired and can't list anymore Nirvana songs this late either!