A Small Celebration Is In Order

Patti Griffin--"Blue Sky (live)" (mp3)
Neil Young--"Don't Be Denied (live)" (mp3)

What you're reading right now is our 100th post on this blog, which takes us almost to the half-year mark (well, give or take a month). If you count our late start in March, this is our sixth month in business.

A Few Fun Facts:

1. According to our labels that we enter to identify each post, it is no surprise that "music" dominates, but you might be interested to know that the rest of the top labels include, in order, "parents," "Korea," "teens," "God," "balance," "love," "racism," and "sex." If these were word magnets on my refrigerator, I'd probably drop "Korea" and come up with something like "Teens love sex, balance parents, God, racism."

2. Before we started, we thought we might each post one time each week. So far, I have made 52 posts, Billy has made 47, and we've had one guest post. But several of mine were very short when I was just posting "missed hits," so the reality is that this ship has two captains, an even keel, and continues to sail.

3. Most popular posts, in terms of comments, have been Billy's ruminations on hit music today vs. the 80's and my first post upon arriving in Seoul, Korea. I do not count the extended verbal sparring between Tommy and me over wienerschnitzel.

4. In our visual cornucopia of photos, cartoons, charts, and stills, ranging from bucolic gardens and action heroes to slutty barmaids and chaste singles, Billy's photo of the ugly naked man that my wife refers to as "The Minotaur" wins hands down as the most foul and unnecessary visual posting.

5. Despite our efforts to spread the music around, there are a few artists whose songs have graced these pages more than once: Patti Griffin, Bruce Springsteen, Will Hoge, Pete Townshend, among others, come to mind.

6. Longest comment, practically a blog in and of itself, goes to Tommy of Jersey. Shortest, most indecipherable comment goes to Jennifer from Texas, who only said, "Sweet Jesus, Billy," but we never really knew why or how it was to be taken.

7. Best contestant in every lame contest we have tried goes to Josh E. Honorable mention goes to our #1 supporter, John.

8. No Big Head Todd has been posted on this site. Coincidence? The Todd-man does not look happy about it.

9. Our working portion of this site is littered with drafts never completed. Among the beguiling unfinished offerings: "Two Pennies For The Ferry," "Death To Micromanagement!!!!!!!," "A Brief Flirtation With a Leading Lady," and "Beer: The Miniseries." May these gems, if deserving of a good polish, someday shine for your eyes.

10. According to tracking by Hypem.com, the most listened-to track we've posted is "Hey, Muscles, I Love You" by Muscles.

Here's to another 6 months and a full-year celebration featuring you all taking us to dinner! Thanks for reading and listening.

Bob, on behalf of Billy, too

For this special celebration, my gift to Billy is a rare live Patti Griffin track, arguably my favorite song by her, and a killer song from Neil Young's Time Fades Away, a raw live album never released on CD. Neither is available at Itunes or anywhere else, EXCEPT RIGHT HERE! Enjoy. Billy, I love you, man. Keep the dream alive.