So this is the end. The last post for this blog. It’s a good thing we’ve said our farewells, because this is also the last day for new comments. Today, this site freezes in time. You can always revisit it for a little nostalgia, like that old amusement park in the creepy part of town, with all the chains and cobwebs. Former presidential candidate Herman Cain was fond of telling his supporters, “Stupid people are ruining America!” Well, maybe that’s true, Herman, but stupid people also provide cheap entertainment, which is a useful service. We should thank them for it, without using any big words. My readers, my commenters, my friends, you are the best. You can find me on Facebook. Some of you have ... Continue reading →
I’m going to miss typing “oddl” in my URL search box every morning. I’ve been saving the following for today. This is for you, Bob, and all the rest of us. I’m sure Clement C. Moore would understand. ‘Twas the night before Blog Death, when all through the bar, Not a creature was stirring, not even Lamar; The Enter keys were prepped by the laptop with care, In hopes that our Blog Guy soon would be there; The posters were restless, with a keen sense of dread, While visions of oblivion danced in their head; And Hulga in her ‘kerchief, and Shra in her shoes, Had just settled down for a long winter’s snooze, When out on the net there arose such a clatter, I ... Continue reading →
Blog Guy, I know you’re following the New Hampshire primary closely for your readers. All state primaries follow pretty much the same format, right? Not at all. The New Hampshire race mainly involves a series of physical challenges between hopefuls and local voters. The one who wins the most fights wins the primary. Wait just a minute, Blog Guy. Is that really true? Sure. Here you can see former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney arm-wrestling a barber in Manchester. Romney beat the guy. And here on the right is a photo of almost-candidate Donald Trump, picking a fight with a New Hampshire resident a few months ago. It’s a very brutal system. Why don’t you have photos of the other front-runner, Newt Gingrich, in one of ... Continue reading →
Hey, Blog Guy, I’m here! Do you recognize me? I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come? No, you dimwit. This isn’t “A Christmas Carol.” I’m the guy who sets up all those great fantasy photos for your readers, so I’m sorry to see it’s going away. Well, thanks for all your good work. You’ve pulled off pictures I would have thought impossible, especially the ones involving world leaders. You’re much too kind, Blog Guy. With the huge budget you gave me, let’s just say miracles could be performed. I loved that time you got Nicolas Sarkozy to grab… Yeah, I know the one you mean. You’ve used it over and over in your blog. And getting Muammar Gaddafi and ... Continue reading →
Blog Guy, you have the most authoritative entertainment news anywhere, so I’m coming to you first about something I heard. There’s a rumor that my all-time favorite sitcom, “Seinfeld,” is coming back to TV next season. Any chance it’s true? Basically, yes. They’re shooting it now, with Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus reprising their original roles. That’s GREAT! I can’t wait to see what they…. Hey, wait a minute. What about Kramer? Well, that’s the new twist. Kramer is out. Instead of New York City, the other three live in Israel, and their wacky neighbor across the hall is President Shimon Peres. I’m telling you, the stuff those guys get up to… I have to say, Blog Guy, that sounds to me like ... Continue reading →
Blog Guy, what do you think is the biggest holiday for your blog? Christmas, for sure. We celebrate it for most of the year. Not only that, we’re able to appreciate BOTH holidays. You mean the religious Christmas and commercial Christmas? No, I mean the magical goosebump childhood excitement Christmas, and the darkly absurd, “Look, somebody shot at Santa’s helicopter!” Christmas. Well, those two aspects do fit together better than most people think, don’t they? Indeed, it’s almost like “The Gift of the Magi.” In the midsts of this wonderful season, here are eight of my favorite blog posts from Christmas past. In the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, every one!” 8. “I’m Santa! HO HO hold your fire!” 7. Heartwarming holiday story ... Continue reading →
Blog Guy, with your blog going away soon, we need some closure regarding Ronald Basler. You mean that total stranger whose spam keeps landing in my rbasler e-mail account? Yeah. Remember, the last time we looked at the spam Ronald seemed to be shopping for a Russian bride, but then it looked like he was being unfaithful to her, getting photos of single women. So what’s he up to now? I’m still getting mixed signals from his spam. He may be worried about the future, going the tarot card route. He appears to be in a holiday mood, what with a letter from Santa AND personalized Christmas ornaments. And his career? He seems to be considering being an event planner, a school counselor or maybe ... Continue reading →
I mentioned a few days ago that this blog is going away soon, so it seems appropriate to take a look back at what readers clicked on the most. I must say, this list of the top 10 posts for the past five years surprised me. But I can’t argue with our official traffic statistics, these little nicks by the snack room vending machine were definitely made by Lamar. Some of the items make sense. People would want to know which jobs they should avoid, what not to do with cameras around, and even the worst idea of all time. But some of these others just seemed to be popular for no apparent reason. And as for the one in first place, maybe it has ... Continue reading →
People say to me all the time, “Bob, your blog is SO stupid, how do you get people to read it?” These folks don’t understand how online journalism works. You can write anything you want, and if you put a good headline on it people will read it. Especially if you hint at immortality, easy weight loss or better sex. If your headline offers a numbered list, that’s even better. The best thing of all is a moderately clever play on words, which will attract people who think they are smart, and improve your demographics. Toss in a photo of a nice dog or the Duchess of Cambridge, and it’s a hit. This is a very good deal, because it means I work about five ... Continue reading →
Blog Guy, I need to tap your background in psychology. I can’t get my husband to enjoy the Christmas holidays. When he sees festive decorations he just breaks down and sobs. Hmmmm. Did he by any chance grow up in Prague? Why yes, he spent his childhood there! I thought as much. Have a look at these photos from Prague, where revelers dressed as Saint Nicholas and a devil approach small children on the street and demand to know if they’ve been good or bad. It’s enough to warp any child for life. You mean a child has to figure out what a saint and a devil are doing together, and then decide whether to tell them the truth about his behavior? That’s about it. ... Continue reading →
