Before I hit the Publish button for the first time, I retro-dated the first post (by about 48 hours) to coincide with a significant moment in my life, which also marked the exact moment the previous version of this blog died. A few of you know what I'm talking about.*
I'm not going to get all serious and preachy about personal stuff--at least, not yet (feel free to skip my life lessons at the end if you like your Rider carefree and aloof)--but suffice it to say I'm glad I had a blog (or two) to help me through the mile of crap I had to crawl through at the time. I've come through wiser and relatively intact.
I promise Gordon Jump won't make me take off my shirt in this very special episode. Instead, for old and new readers, here are a few "highlights" from the past half year.
- This post has attracted literally thousands of Google searches for Beowulf--yet to this day it hasn't earned a single comment from lurkers.
- I began a series of posts featuring my solidarity beard for the Writers Guild of America strike, and no one seems to know exactly when I stopped using my real face.
- Searches for quotes from the movie Hard Candy continue to drive Ellen Page fans to the Block.
- When Marvel Comics retconned the marriage of Spidey and MJ, my Photoshopped classified ad brought in hundreds of hits from geeks seeking a fictional, newly single, redhead.
- I told the true story of a phone call I received from Morgan Spurlock's production company asking me to participate in the TV show 30 Days.
- I was particularly proud of my "Cloverfield Monster Revealed" post and accompanying image. I contributed in a tiny way to the viral marketing, making me part of the problem.
- My most controversial post centered around my review of Roger Ebert's review of Cloverfield, and I had a joygasm when an anonymous commenter from Edmonton defended Mr. Ebert and said my opinions don't matter. The best part? I provoked an actual reaction from a Canadian.
- I mounted a soapbox and voiced my official boycott, after 33 years, of The Amazing Spider-Man.
- I introduced a blog mascot (who has run away from home twice now). You'll see more of Boxter soon.
Here's to six more months.
* What most of you don't know is I've been on Blogger, in various incarnations, for almost six years.
