8th Anniversary Celebration blog post: Ain't this Special??!?!

I noticed this month marks my 8th anniversary of blogging. The past few years I have cut back my blogging due to trying to write a novel (eh,not so good) and last year with more grad school.

Still, I like blogging and I like writing and the blog is still going.  I started blogging when blogging was cool (and when no one read my blog) and here I am, still kicking around, doing my thing (where still no one reads my blog).

One consistent aspect of the blog is the writing of LISTS. So, in honor of the the blog's BIG BIRTHDAY. I present a bunch of lists of random stuff.

All Weezer Albums Ranked 

This is hard to list with no qualifiers and justifications but I'm doing it anyway...also, everything from 5-11 is subject to change.

1. Blue
2. Pinkerton
3. White
4. Green
5. Red
6. Make Believe
7. Everything Will Be Alright In the End
8. Hurley
9. Maladroit
10. Raditude
11. Pacific Daydream

Chips - Ranked

1. Tortilla Chip (preferably low salt, organic)
2. Classic Thin Potato Chip
3. Fritos (best with bean dip)
4. Any chip will do actually, especially with salsa, dip or queso

Seasons - Ranked
1. Spring
2. Fall
3. Winter
4. Summer
 
 Food - Ranked (mainly)
1. Tacos
2. Pizza 
3. Fried Food
4. Peanut Butter
5. Bean Dip
6. Chinese Food
7. Cookie right out of the oven (when it really hits the spot) 

 Favorite Comic Books - Ranked

1. Any Carl Barks
2. Spider-Man (80's)
3. Excalibur (mainly Davis stuff)
4. Transformers (US 1-30 and later Furman stuff )
5. (TIE) Any 80's Marvel

Nirvana Songs I like and Frequently Sing/hum/drum to

1. Turnaround (I know it's a cover, damnit)
2. On a Plain
3. Scentless Apprentice
4. Aneurysm

Things that are COOL that I have recently learned
1. I figured out I have been to more than half the US
2. In the past year, I have met students who had me as prof 10 years ago and 6 years ago respectively and told me they loved my class and still think of it
3. Read John Lewis' graphic novel series, March, picked up his Walking With The Wind for six bucks.

A List of Cool Americans
1. Frederick Douglass
2. John Lewis
3. Emma Tenayuca
4. Gregg Popovich
4. Dorthy Day 
5. Kurdt Cobain 

 My Children (RANKED)

1. (TIE) - All Three of 'Em


 Books I Have Not Read And Have No Plans to Do So (not ranked)
1. Moby Dick
2. Ulysses
3. A Separate Piece
4. Fifty Shades of Grey 

Music Ranked by Decade (NOTE: very subjective and not really informed, actually)

1. 90's
2. 60's
3. 80's
4. 70's
5. 00's
6. 10's
7. 30's
8. 20's
9. 50's
10 40's

Cheese I like - Ranked
1. Chedder (SHARP, you heathens)
2. Smoked Gouda (smoked just puts it over the top)
3. Swiss
4.  Colby

5. Pepperjack

Things I will likely NEVER DO
1. Fly a plane
2. Shoot a gun (again)
3. Spank a child
4. Take another math class
5. Shake Donald Trump's hand and tell him what I think of him and his tiny little pathetic hands.


Best Times to Be Alive (Complete)
1. Now

Best Time to End this Blog Post
1. Now

Google Reviews of Machu Picchu

Well, I finally got around to writing about Machu Picchu (forthcoming this week) and in doing so, I somehow found myself clicking on the Google Reviews of Machu Picchu. I noticed it only had an average of 4.7 stars. I thought that was odd, so I clicked on it.

Of course there were the folks that accidentally posted 1-star reviews but had glowing reviews. I am assuming that's the default selection (although it should prompt you or something).  But then you start to read further and see the dark side to humanity.

I warn you, go no further if you want to lose more faith in humanity.

This is YOUR FINAL WARNING.

Stupidity is AHEAD, it may make you very angry that people like this even exist.

Let's tackle Mamta first. "Not so good"?? Machu Picchu is "not so good?" What world is this guy living on?  What's more unlikely? This person actually saw Machu Picchu and thinks this or that someone trolls UNESCO World Heritage reviews on Google?

Maybe he's trolling and stupid.

Then there's Mike. Good ol' Mike McLarty. Good ol' JERK FACE MIKE McLARTY.

Is he kidding around with us? How is this even possible for a human being to think this way? "Seen one Incan ruin seem em all"? He CAN'T EVEN SPELL "seen" correctly. Normally, I look past spelling mistakes because I can't spell myself but if you're gonna trash one of the most amazing places on earth, I ain't gonna let that crap slip by without notice. Mike's a TROLL, he HAS to be.

I am too afraid to click on Mike McLarty's profile or whatever it is. So, I will just assume this is a troll job and just let it slide. But again, why troll Google reviews of Machu Picchu?  It's not like people respond to other reviewers. I just don't see the point in it all. And if is a troll job, the MASTERSTROKE is the misspelling of "seen". Tip of the hat to Mike, great trolling. You had me there for a second.

You're thinking they can't get much worse than that at this point, eh? Probably not, let's just scroll down the list and.....

What is this madness? Why is Dean posting reviews of places he couldn't go to? What happened, did his friends plan the trip and he wasn't invited?

"Well my friends went to Peru. I guess I'll just stay here. Stay home and cook some rice. Cook some rice and be all alone."

The passive aggressiveness of Dean is off-the-charts here.  One doesn't just "go" to Macchu Picchu, for an evening...so just how much rice did Dean cook while his friends were gone?

I put Amit and Owen together because they're a little similar. If Machu Picchu is three stars and "like heaven" are you saying that heaven is 3 stars??? That's it?? The Wildest Dream of Man, ETERNAL LIFE with GOD is ONLY 3 STARS???  All I gotta say is Amit, you're one tough cookie.

As for Owen, his other trips must have really sucked, eh?

"Too much water"? This is just stupid. This is just really, really stupid. This one strikes me as an unlikely troll job. It's not funny, so it's real, right??  Was there heavy rain when John visited? Well, John, it is on the edge of the rain forest. I've heard there is often morning fog but but ya know Machu Picchu is generally not know for it's rain or "having too much water". Stupid. Stupid and puzzling.

Okay. Well then.....moving on to one final review.

 Srivatsa starts off with telling us that it's expensive to fly across the world. Well, yes, Srivatsa, flights across the world tend to not be cheap. Then, he couldn't "stayin that hotel". Is this a reference to the hotel on site at the base of Machu Picchu, which, of course, happens to be very expensive. 

Then, my favorite part. He "thinks" he saw it. He "thinks" he saw it. Ya know, I've had enough of these people. The human race is WAY over-rated.