I have exhaustively culled through my archives of the last twelve months to select these: the Best Posts to appear on Byzantium’s Shores this year. There may be fewer than in years past, since I’ve allowed my posting frequency to slide some this year.
Before I get to that, a couple of things: first, I expect my posting frequency to drop even more in 2008. I’m planning to make some other things in my life more of a priority, which will result in making this blog less of a priority. Not that I plan on disappearing for weeks on end, but my posting will likely top out at a couple of times a week. Second, thanks to all of my readers. My traffic here receded a bit in 2007, most likely owing to my drop in posting activity, and I don’t expect any different in 2008; after nearly six years of blogging, I suspect that I have the audience here that I’m ever likely to have. And thank God for that. So, to all loyal readers, your humble overalls-clad hippie of a narrator thanks you!
It’s that time of year again, when I engage in a bit of navel-gazing. I do this questionnaire at the end of each year, so here’s the 2007 version. If a fairly negative tone is detected running though this post, that’s to be expected, because for me, 2007 was, as years go, a steaming bowl of cat poo, and I’m just as happy to see the damned smelly year come to an end.
Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept them all, yay! I resolved to not jump out of airplanes without a parachute, to not paddle a leaky kayak through shark-infested waters, to not invade a landlocked Asian country without securing permission of its neighbors to use their airspace, and to not enter into any secret alliances with Sith Lords or Eddorians. All of these resolutions I kept, and I shall be applying my newfound resolve to the coming year.
In 2008 I shall rein back on the scope of my resolutions. I plan to read more, listen to more music, see more movies. What I want to do is take the AFI’s “Top 100 Movies Ever” list and see as many of the ones on that list that I haven’t seen. I’ll track my progress in this blog.
My big resolutions are twofold. First is to write more, with more fiction to come, as well as making a new attempt at launching a freelance-writing career. Second is to live healthier. The generosity of my parents has made it possible for my family and I to join the local Y this year, and I’m greatly looking forward to using that facility (which is about two miles down the road) to get in better shape than I am now. I actually started trending in this direction in 2007, doing lots of walking during the summer and fall and learning to eat healthier. I’ve doubled the number of vegetables I like to eat (there are four veggies on my menu now, yay!), and I’ve discovered that good bread dipped in extra virgin olive oil has flavor that puts bread-and-butter to shame.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yeah, she did.
Also, a number of valued friends at work had babies this year, actually.
Yeah. About two hours after she was born. This is what I’m talking about, folks: 2007 was supposed to be the good year.
What countries did you visit?
Provence (by way of Guy Gavriel Kay), various worlds (by way of the crew of Serenity), Barsoom (by way of Edgar Rice Burroughs), and the various countries of my own mind.
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Peace of mind and heart.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping my head above water, most of the time; grabbing the life preserver when it was thrown to me. (This is metaphor.)
As for non-metaphorical stuff, probably my biggest accomplishment — maybe my only accomplishment — was winning the Buffalo News short story contest. I’ve earlier today made the text of the story available on the blog here, since to my knowledge it’s gone from the News website. Read it, it’s short.
What was your biggest failure?
Ignoring the writing on the map that read, “Here there be monsters.” (Still metaphor.)
Back to non-metaphors: The Promised King? Still unfinished. 2008, here we come.
What was the best thing you bought?
Well, Guy Gavriel Kay’s latest novel Ysabel; my copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: The Complete Recordings; my reference Bible (TNIV); and leaving them all in the dust, my Dell Inspiron 1520 laptop.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Daughter, who has had Big Sisterhood taken from her three times now, who has seen two “best friends next door” move away in one year, and who has had to stand by while her parents weathered storms.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
As always, the Republicans in Congress and the media who refuse to report on their shenanigans, as well as all the enabling right-wingers who still cling to the absurd notion that Iraq either is or can be a “victory”, that global warming is either something that doesn’t exist or if it does exist is caused by the sun so we can all just trundle merrily along doing whatever we want, and that revenues go up when you cut taxes. I’m also annoyed by the candidates for that party’s Presidential nomination, every single one of them.
Then there were the New York State government people of all persuasions. New Governor Spitzer promised that everything would change on Day One, but he appears to have found a loophole in not exactly saying when Day One is. Then there’s just the entire “More spending, more power for us” attitude in Albany; talk about fiddling while Rome burns. Nero had nothing on these guys.
On a less political note, Major League Baseball has finally lost me completely, even if the Pirates somehow do manage to field a decent team.
Where did most of your money go?
Increasingly, gas and food. Funny how those prices go up and up and up while the paychecks don’t. But that’s OK, because rich people get richer, so the economy’s just fine and I should just shut up and smile while they pocket their tax cuts.
What did you get really excited about?
The new GGK novel; my new laptop.
What song will always remind you of 2007?
“Yo Ho Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life For Me” (we’ve been on a Pirates of the Caribbean kick lately). “People Get Ready”, by Curtis Mayfield. “I’m Alright”, by Jo Dee Messina (not a country fan, but I love this song). “Scythr Song”, by Dougie Maclean. And “The Village Lanterne”, by Blackmore’s Night. This is too bad, really, because those are really good songs, and they deserve better than to be associated in my head with the 365 Days of Crap on a Stick that was 2007.
Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Huh. I’m gonna have to think about that one a bit.
Thinner or fatter?
Thinner, but not by a whole lot yet. That’s still to come.
Richer or poorer?
Poorer, but not horribly. Yet. I’m just loving getting less than half a tank of gas in my car for twenty bucks and paying twice for milk that I paid a year ago, and then coming home and reading articles about the approaching recession that still hasn’t arrived.
Worrying about stuff I can’t control, and controlling the stuff I wasn’t worried about.
How will you be spending Christmas?
Well, Christmas is past, as always. I spent it with my family. Opening gifts, eating food, reading and writing, visiting Little Quinn’s grave.
Did you fall in love in 2007?
As always, I fall in love on a daily basis. (I’ve been giving that answer every year for this question.)
How many one-night stands?
Eight, and they were on the same night. Wow, I was tired for days after that. (No, this isn’t true. Yeesh. But as if I would answer that question!)
What was your favorite TV program?
Scrubs (now in its final season), The Amazing Race (I love you Mirna!), American Idol (of the final two this year the right person won, but it was the wrong final two in the first place), Firefly. (No one said it had to a be a show that aired this year.)
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate’s a pretty useless emotion. That’s why I keep all of my hatred focused upon professional football personnel from the Boston, MA area. Oh, and on the Dutch. I hate the Dutch!
(And while I don’t “hate” any of them, I find the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination laughable, without exception. Wow, what a bunch of wankers.)
What was the best book you read?
Off the top of my head, Ysabel by GGK and The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross. But when I do my “Best posts of 2007” post later on, I’ll probably discover a number of other books worthy of mention here.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Years ago, I listened to the symphonies of Jean Sibelius and didn’t like them much at all, so aside from Finlandia, I’ve not much bothered with Sibelius since then. Until, that is, a few weeks ago, when I dusted off a CD of his Fifth Symphony (Leonard Bernstein, VPO), and found myself captivated by the musical imagery.
What did you want and get?
The laptop, obviously. At work, I also got a new 18-volt cordless drill. I acquired more books and music and movie.
What did you want and not get?
Healthy Child Number Two. When one finds one’s dead children outnumbering their living children, one looks to the Guy Upstairs and asks, “Hey, just how essential is my suffering to this ‘plan’ of yours, anyway?”
What were your favorite films of this year?
I tend to be very lax in seeing movies in their year of release, given how expensive movie-going has become. This year I saw only two movies, and I liked The Simpsons Movie more than I liked Spiderman 3. Ironically, this was clinched by the appearance of Spiderpig.
What did you do on your birthday?
It wasn’t exactly on my birthday, but The Wife and I took an overnight jaunt to the Fingerlakes Region and Ithaca, NY.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Same as always: Bob Vila abducted by deadheads. Changing one’s “fashion concept” on a yearly basis strikes me as terribly silly, as does heeding the fashion advice of people who, in my eyes, look staggeringly silly or downright corpselike.
What kept you sane?
I’m not convinced that I did, in fact, remain sane in 2007, but I’ll stick with my stock answer: The Daughter.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jenna Fischer, Sela Ward, Miss Teen South Carolina. (She had a point, folks: most US Americans actually don’t have maps.)
What political issue stirred you the most?
Global warming. (After I clicked a link in a blog and found myself reading Orson Scott Card’s essay in which he responds to Al Gore’s winning the Nobel Peace Prize by calling Gore “pond scum”, I banished Card forever from my bookshelves. I’ll just have to live as good a literary life as I can without ever having read Ender’s Game. Somehow I think I’ll survive.)
Who did you miss?
Bill Clinton. But hey, 2008 may bring the next best thing!
Who was the best new person you met?
You. No, not you. I knew you already. You. Yeah, you.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Re-using the ones from last year: The Internet is made of people. Rush more, blitz less. Don’t punt when you’re trailing or when you’re in your opponent’s territory. Democracy works, at least sometimes. Not all tears are an evil. Cool-whip is a miracle substance. So is ice cream. Use your library; limiting your reading to only those books you can afford to buy is madness. OpenOffice is a quality program. From pizza to quiche to apple to coconut cream, pie is the greatest of foods. We’re not meant to be alone. No object fits in your hand so perfectly as your wife’s hand, and no object fits so perfectly on your shoulder as your child’s head. Keep smiling, because you never know what life will throw in your face next!
Don’t shed a tear for me I stand alone This path of destiny Is all my own Once in the hands of fate There is no choice An echo on the wind You’ll hear my voice…
Some choose to fall behind Some choose to lead Some choose a golden path Laden with greed But it’s the noble heart That makes you strong And in that heart, I’m with you all along…
*The olde village lanterne Is calling me onward Leading wherever I roam The olde village lanterne A light in the dark Bringing me closer to home…
So when you think of me Do so with pride Honor and bravery Ruled by my side And in your memory I will remain I will forever be within the flame…
Now at the journey’s end We’ve traveled far And all we have to show Are battle scars But in the love we shared We will transcend And in that love, our journey never ends…
So there we have it: 2007. Raise to it a glass, then kick it in the ass!
It’s been interesting this year watching the Buffalo News enter the wide world of Blogistan. They’ve moved in fits and starts, it must be noted; they shut down the blog devoted to their monthly “Book Club” after just two or three months because it didn’t have enough readership, which shows that they don’t realize how long it can take to build audience in the blog-world. They also seem completely unaware of the existence of blogs outside of their own operation, to judge by the number of outgoing links they use.
And then there is the occasional hilarity of watching these reporters interact with “commenters”. A great case in point: the other day, News sports columnist Jerry Sullivan, who is also now one of the News‘s new bloggers this year, decided that he’d had enough with his commenters trying to be funny in his comment threads, so he threw down in a post which he entitled “You’re Not Funny”:
Judging by many of the posts on this blog, a number of you feel as if you’re auditioning for the Comedy Channel. Here’s a tip: You’re not funny. Don’t get me wrong. I do get a charge out of some of the back and forth banter that shows up here. I’m all for a good dustup between two people with strong opinions, even if it goes over the edge at times. But the guys who spend their time straining to be clever, posting lists that are really weak and signing other people’s names — Larry Felser, Jerry Sullivan, etc.? Really, when I read those I lament the very existence of these kinds of forums. It gives dim-witted types the idea that anyone can sit down for five minutes and write something that the average person wants to read. It’s not that easy. That’s why the blog can be a pain in the ass for me at times.
And as any experienced citizen of Blogistan might well expect, everyone in the comments of that post is completely respectful and no one makes any attempt to be funny. Well, except for, well, everyone. Oops.
Worse, Sully even makes special mention in his post of a specific item for which he seems to take lots of ribbing on the blog: the tweed jacket he’s wearing in his headshot. So along comes this line from a commenter:
I give two nicotine stained thumbs up to Jerry’s drool stained circa 1972 imitation tweed size 46 portly jacket.
That’s signed “Jeff Simon”, who happens to be the News‘s monument to pretentiousness film critic, and a guy who has never failed to complain about Roger Ebert’s “Thumbs Up” schtick when he’s had the opportunity. So that comment is funny on multiple levels. Not bad for an anonymous person in a blog comments thread!
Well, the home portion of the 2007 season is over for the Bills; only one game, a road game, remains, and then it’s the offseason. The season mostly met my expectations, although it exceeded them in some areas — particularly the team’s heart. Now, if their onfield talent matched the heart that Dick Jauron is able to inspire, we’d be talking.
As for the game itself, remember how I wrote that last week’s loss to the Browns made clear the Bills’ deficiencies? This game took those deficiencies and tattooed them to Marv Levy’s forehead. I hope he looks in the mirror.
:: Kevin Everett’s return to Buffalo.
:: Jason Peters. He must be good, for his departure from the game due to injury to lead to the complete failure of the Bills’ offense to do anything of note from that point on.
:: Trent Edwards, again. A really good first quarter followed by three quarters of ineffectiveness, with a dash of desperation-borne self-immolation at the end, combines for a solid “Meh”. I still think he’s got a lot of upside, but he’s clearly not there yet.
:: Eli Manning. This was the first time I’ve really watched him play, and he was not that impressive at all. I never liked him much after his petulant “I don’t wanna play in San Diego!” temper tantrum when he was drafted, and as it stands, the Chargers are certainly enjoying the last laugh on that score.
:: The Bills’ receivers, yet again. They’re too small, and nobody seems able to catch anything that’s not thrown right on the numbers. Sometimes in the NFL you have to be able to go up and get a pass or stretch out to snag one; none of these guys seems able to do that.
:: Run defense. The Bills were awful up front. I’ve been trying to figure out lately what the franchise’s single biggest mistake of the last five years has been, and right now, I’m leaning strongly toward the decision that Pat Williams was washed up and let go to Minnesota, where he’s only played at a Pro Bowl level. I’ve been watching teams with big, competent offensive lines and powerful running backs throw the Bills’ small-and-quick defensive linemen around like rag dolls pretty much for the entire duration of this blog’s existence. Please, Mr. Levy, get a big run stuffer!
:: Offensive line. I say it every week: they don’t blow anyone off the line, so the Bills’ running game consists of the occasional brilliant run offset by four or five rushes for less than a yard. Marshawn Lynch is a terrific talent, but the line still isn’t very good. Please, Mr. Levy, get a big center who can give the line some push up the middle!
:: The announcers. One exchange stood out, when they were discussing the fact that the Giants’ home finale next week is versus the New England Victor Von Dooms*. One of these two intoned solemnly that “It’s not the responsibility of the Giants to ensure that the Von Dooms do not finish the season undefeated. It’s their responsibility to make sure they’re healthy for the playoffs.” Since the Giants’ playoff position is already set — they’re the fifth seed, no matter what happens next week — the game is meaningless, so this guy’s saying that they shouldn’t go all-out to beat the Von Dooms, and maybe even rest some starters. And yet, is anyone suggesting that the Von Dooms rest their starters in that same game? Is anyone saying that they should take a loss and end 15-1 in order to remain healthy for the playoffs?
If the Von Doom’s are to be expected to play the game for real in hopes of setting the historic 16-0 record, then the Giants are equally to be expected to suit up to stop them. Nobody thinks for one second that Beelzebub Belichick is going to bench Brady Satan to keep him healthy; why should the Giants roll over?
Put it this way: the third batter in the ninth inning against a pitcher who’s gunning for a perfect game still has an obligation to try to get on base.
:: Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter. I caught one play of the Dolphins’ game against the Von Doom’s, and Porter recorded a sack of Brady Satan. And then Porter started doing that muscle-flexing strut thing that guys like to do when they record sacks. Ummm, Joey? Your team is 1-13 going into this game. You don’t get to dance for recording a sack in the first quarter. Putz.
:: Commenters on the Buffalo News‘s BillBoard blog, as evidenced in yesterday’s game thread. Yeesh, these are fans? I especially love the ones who think that the Bills “quit” in yesterday’s game. I didn’t see the team “quit”. I saw the team play hard and get whipped by a team that was well-equipped to whip them. Or the guy who insists that Trent Edwards is “worse than the last guy” and “another soft California quarterback”. What twaddle.
Next week: the Bills travel to Philly to play the Eagles. And Michael Strahan is our only hope. Remember, Michael: even Brady Satan’s ACL isn’t made of steel!
* The Wikipedia page for Victor Von Doom has this “Wiki complaint” at the top of the page: “This comics-related article or section describes an element of the series in a primarily in-universe style. Please rewrite this article to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective.” What a stupid complaint. Someone at Wikipedia needs to remove the large piece of elongated wood from their colon. Who the hell needs “non-fictional perspective” about a fictional supervillain?!
As has been the case with much of December, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to noodle about the Web seeking weirdness outright, but I did happen upon a couple of items.
:: I think I have now discovered the ultimate product for people who are inherently lazy when it comes to working in the kitchen. If you don’t want to make pancakes from scratch, there’s always been the tried-and-true “complete pancake mixes” like Aunt Jemima. But now, you don’t even have to do that! Behold the Batter Blaster. Words fail me. (I can’t remember where I saw this, so if it’s you, thanks for the link. If it wasn’t you, then why the hell not?!)
:: Here’s a charming tale of urban cunning: guy gets coupon for a “free drink” at Starbucks, and wonders just how expensive a drink can be made there. How much does his final tailor-made concoction end up costing? Find out for yourself, and check out his itemized receipt. Just reading this post made my pancreas whimper like a smacked puppy. (via)
:: Not so much weird, but potentially useful for people whose office-cubicle lives are full of dull drudgery: Slate selects the best online games. I haven’t played any of them, so I vouch not.
Just a quickie post to let you know that I have not been abducted by aliens or conscripted by the Earth Defense Fleet to combat the invading Saturnian Slime Devils. Things are just highly hectic this week. I will post more during the weekend, hopefully. (We also had a hiccup in our DSL service today, which I’m hoping has passed completely.)
By the way, Sentential Links will not be appearing next Monday or the Monday after, for those days are Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve respectively. We’ll be linkin’ stuff again in three weeks.
