2010 Roundup: Top Posts

IT’S DE RIGUEUR FOR NEWS outlets to wrap up the year with a look at their Big Stories, and we at Metaphorager.Net are no exception despite that we’re only a “news outlet” in the sense of “what’s news to me.” After 10 years of blogging, we only reached our 365th post last week. I could cull my favorites, but that’s a bit too self-serving so here instead is a commented list of this year’s Top Seven Posts by views (as they’re all the stats I could find):

5 Thoughts: Why (and How) We Write 1,636 Views
This was enjoyed and shared by someone with a stumbleupon.com account. I like to imagine it adorning writers’ garrets from here to Montmartre.

About 97 Views
For those who couldn’t help asking, “Who IS this guy?”

ORL Redux: Interview with Robert Anton Wilson 95 Views
Thanks to the wonderful folks at http://rawilsonfans.com, this Most Obscure Interview EVER With Robert Anton Wilson isn’t languishing unread in the bottom of a packing crate.

Links 71 Views
I can’t explain the number here. I sometimes check a site’s links-page if its “About Us” doesn’t tell me enough; maybe others do too. (If that’s the case here, read this instead.) On the other hand, some of these are definitely me checking layout … but not that often.

A Proposal for the Moon of Earth 71 Views
Tied for views with the “Links” page is this immodest proposal to eternalize Stanley Kubrick. I don’t know why it’s not built yet; someone must be on to me. Ooops. Ha ha ha. Is this thing on?

Season’s Regreetings 43 Views
This was also seen and shared through its Facebook page, account, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Same-To-You/178304932195551. (The numbers are essential to the link.) The view count here doesn’t concern me as much as, say, Prosatio Silban or the pithyisms — I’d like to see it spread, credit or not.

Clips 37 Views
News pieces, commentaries and speeches. (Yes, speeches.) Nice to know they hold an interest of some sort — I hope historical.

In related news, the top 10 Google searches turning up a Metaphorager.Net reference are “natural machines” (12), “smallest particle accelerator” (12), “https://metaphorager.net/raw/” (10), “janusz korczak” (6), “metaphorager” (6), “‘jim gjerde’ sputnik” (5), “religious fables” (5), “pithyism” (4), “https://metaphorager.net” (4), and “80s generic foods” (3).
(Also with 3: “linda tomback,” “letter to a dead friend,” “robert anton wilson interview,” “jon stewart slams glenn beck,” “prosatio silban,” “a couple of hamburgers,” and “https://metaphorager.net/frank-frazetta-r” (which full link is actually “https://metaphorager.net/frank-frazetta-rip/.”) Footprints on a digital beach. I like ’em.

Fezzini for Foreign Policist

“HA HA! YOU FOOL! YOU fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is ‘Never get involved in a land war in Asia!‘ But only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha–”
— Fezzini, The Princess Bride. Granted, he was trying to start a war at the time…

More Than A Game, Less Than A War

THERE ARE SPORTS WHICH CALL forth the most primal emotions in order to exorcise them for the good of the community — sports which make lesser men wonder and cringe, and old women pick up a frying pan — sports which proclaim a national character unchanged by time and politing circumstance — sports which sort of make me wish I was the sort of man who plays them. Forged among the Orkney Islands where men wrest their very living from the hoary North Sea …. Ba’.

(If you’re reading this on Christmas or New Year’s Day, watch it live at http://www.thelongpartnership.co.uk/profile/orkney_webcam.php or http://www.visitorkney.com/webcams.asp.)

Clam Shirt Sits

IT’S TIME FOR THE FAMILY gifting list, but since all I really want for the holidays is an idea for another blog post I now have that. (Thanks Stan!) However, my relatives are kindly pestering me for details, so here — reduxed from an earlier list — they are:

Fig. 1.
– A working lightsaber, phaser, jetpack, hovercraft, warp-capable spaceship or rubber-band machine gun
– Pair of blue jeans, size 36-29
– Pair of grey or khaki slacks, size 36-29
– Several black long-sleeved T-shirts, size L
– Socks, grey or black or white cotton
– A Blue Sun T-shirt
– A pea coat or brown duster (size L)
– One of them iPoddy iPaddy iPhoney things
– Flight lessons or why not just an ultralight?
– Canoe or kayak
– Backpack stove
– A gift certificate for Artscroll or Feldheim Books, Orion Telescopes or Archie McPhee
– A functioning national health-care system to keep from further falling through the crack
– A successful diagnosis of and treatment for chronic pain, nausea and dizziness
– Knowledge of and conversation with extraterrestrial sentience
– Or at least the discovery of some sort of extremophilic goo on Europa, or Ganymede, or Titan, or Mars
– A full set of TOS, DS9 and SW:CW DVDs
– Any Serenity/Firefly books or comix
– A fair and just solution to the Arab/Israeli conflict
– What the hell, all conflicts from international to intradomestic
– An end to militant ignorance, uncivil snark and attituder-than-thou vacuousness
– More compassion for everyone, by everyone
– Clarity of thought and perception
– Bring the boys (and girls, now war-weary men and women) back home
– Global high-tech green moneyless libertarianism

All and each of which are well substituted by a hug, smile or anchovy pizza. May we all be blessed by seeing what we already have — and what we can give to others.

Ian Fleming’s Wisdom School

FROM THE NOVEL “GOLDFINGER,” PAGE 056 of the Penguin Centenary edition:

Bond sat back. He was prepared to listen to anyone who was master of his subject, any subject.

(This is one of those quotes that keeps coming into my mind when speaking with anybody about anything they know well and love, especially if they know and love it better than I do. Everyone’s an expert on something. Now go learn.)

Favicon Plugin created by Jake Ruston's Wordpress Plugins - Powered by Briefcases and r4 ds card.