tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post2319309985842959763..comments2023-11-24T03:48:54.813-05:00Comments on No More Hornets: Awwww ... And It's Not Even Valentine's DayThe Exterminatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-90444275353186503612007-11-29T11:08:00.000-05:002007-11-29T11:08:00.000-05:00Some excellent choices there TE, I'm going to have...Some excellent choices there TE, I'm going to have to agree! :-)nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17525511015814128503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-88234517042102435292007-10-27T18:19:00.000-04:002007-10-27T18:19:00.000-04:00What a gem of a post. As one who is an old blogger...What a gem of a post. As one who is an old blogger but new to the free-thinking community, I have my hands full of blogs to scope out.<BR/><BR/>Appreciate this.....<BR/><BR/><BR/>It's about time I found some good blogs to add to the blogroll.JPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00682007915158940095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-76854262820769833412007-10-25T16:49:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:49:00.000-04:00In a similar vein to Heather, I have to apologise ...In a similar vein to Heather, I have to apologise for missing this post when it first came out but last Monday seems to have been a non-day as far as both Heather and I were concerned.<BR/><BR/>Sadly, I can't do much to separate the idea we are the same person with this comment, as I agree with pretty much everything she said. The list you put together was an excellent collection of very good blogs - there are some missed off (IMHO of course) such as <A HREF="http://www.nullifidian.net/" REL="nofollow">Nullifidian</A>'s blog, but you pretty much identified the blogs I visit as often as possible.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the good work, keep writing posts which keep us enthralled and entertained. I will try to find some way of proving Heather and I are different people (we dont even live in the same country any more...) :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-61742859890995524922007-10-25T16:41:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:41:00.000-04:00Am embarrassed to read this so late after you wrot...Am embarrassed to read this so late after you wrote it and confused to find that at least one of us at Whats Don't You has been subsumed into one blog persona. Please don't make me have an identity crisis.<BR/>Thanks a lot for the mention. I love your blog. Those of the other blogs that I know well are all pretty much favourites. There must be a community of taste here somewhere.<BR/>Some of your posts are beyond brilliant. The atheist themed breakfast cereal, the characterisation of atheist blogs, the student posts. They all made me laugh out loud.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-19773202501336963122007-10-25T16:10:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:10:00.000-04:00Oh man, you made me laugh so hard. I refer to myse...Oh man, you made me laugh so hard. I refer to myself as a spelltard for good reason. Even with a super duper spellchecker running, I manage to mangle a few words in every post. My only excuse is that I never really learned how to spell. I went to school in the late 60s and 70s. At the time I was selected for a special phonics spelling program. It resulted in the development of a gigantic vocabulary of words that I know the meaning of but have no idea how to spell. <BR/><BR/>I’m glad you like my blog. My choices are very much in line with yours.Mojoeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06541458916641472505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-88253610906030505382007-10-18T01:54:00.000-04:002007-10-18T01:54:00.000-04:00Philly Chief: "(I'm quite proud of my choice of Ro...Philly Chief: "(I'm quite proud of my choice of Rockwell's Freedom of Speech for my In or Out post)"<BR/><BR/>What? You aren't going to point to Stewie barfing as a great choice?John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-32150546384280855812007-10-18T01:32:00.000-04:002007-10-18T01:32:00.000-04:00Exterminator said: "Notice that John-Evo subtly co...Exterminator said: "Notice that John-Evo subtly corrected my posted phrase "lifetime learning" to "life-long learning." His is, of course, better: it's more precise, and rolls off the tongue more interestingly"<BR/><BR/>You give me way too much credit, my friend. You need not look so deep for the meaning. I think that's the way I worded it in an earlier post, didn't even think about exactly how you had it, and just repeated myself. <BR/><BR/>And I would never correct you - stylistically at least!John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-82676987808239227122007-10-17T21:47:00.000-04:002007-10-17T21:47:00.000-04:00Babs:Your award is in the mail. You'll recognize i...Babs:<BR/>Your award is in the mail. You'll recognize it as soon as you see the box, which is marked: "Self-wetting Malibu Mary, pink. Caution: Laser-beam eyes not suitable for Fundamentalists." If you don't receive it within ten business days, you probably should question your letter carrier and/or local religious zealot.The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-16940294779880628602007-10-17T19:30:00.000-04:002007-10-17T19:30:00.000-04:00Do I get some kind of award? 'Cause I loves me so...Do I get some kind of award? 'Cause I loves me some awards. In fact, I think if you could have my name engraved on a statue of the virgin Mary or something, that'd be way cool. But it has to be an ultra-tacky plastic Mary. And it has to be pink. And her eyes have to light up. Or, no...I want them to shoot laser beams. How cool would that be? <BR/><BR/>Am I asking too much? I am, aren't I. <BR/><BR/>Seriously though, I have to say that it makes me feel pretty damn good to know that there's at least one person out there who finds my rambling to be amusing. <BR/><BR/>Thank you very much for the linkage and the sweet words.Babs Gladhandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05120612577936100239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-55440946599513047532007-10-16T21:42:00.000-04:002007-10-16T21:42:00.000-04:00Thank you for the kind words. I've found that most...Thank you for the kind words. I've found that most people, if they think about it, have good stories. <BR/><BR/>A young lady I met during a civil air patrol function said that I'd had adventures, she never had such a thing. She went home to Utah, talked about her three weeks which included riding herd on fifty teenagers, driving in the Washington Baltimore area in rush hour traffic (on one occasion driving the wrong way on a four lane road) and some of the other things. We had contact later, and she said people said, "Boy! You really had an adventure!" She said it sure hadn't seemed like one at the time. Well, that's life.<BR/><BR/>Keep telling it like it is, I love it. Some of the most intelligent people I've ever run across are here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-42112764101512072292007-10-16T18:55:00.000-04:002007-10-16T18:55:00.000-04:00SI:Thanks a lot for the compliment. I'll keep "raz...SI:<BR/>Thanks a lot for the compliment. I'll keep "razor sharp wit" ready for the next time my wife makes fun of my outfit.<BR/><BR/>"<I>You're not wearing THAT, are you?</I>"<BR/>"Yes, it's the only thing I have that matches my razor-sharp wit."<BR/>"<I>Oh, and here I thought those holes in your shirt were just cigar burns.</I>"<BR/><BR/>Nope, unfortunately, that's not gonna work.The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-8036543693021220712007-10-16T18:08:00.000-04:002007-10-16T18:08:00.000-04:00Ha! I just point to the closet and resignedly say ...Ha! I just point to the closet and resignedly say "OK, tell me what I'm wearing."<BR/><BR/>Back on point, there's something about the topic we generally rant about that requires a certain seriousness, so when we receive criticism, it's almost always constructive, not destructive. One can't take offense at constructive criticism.<BR/><BR/>What I like about your blog, Ex, is that you make serious points with humor, razor sharp wit, and a bit of subtle irreverence (well, not always that subtle). Generally, you strike a bulls eye more often than not with that style of writing.Spanish Inquisitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05261181794832002207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-22308688000567251612007-10-16T16:29:00.000-04:002007-10-16T16:29:00.000-04:00Philly, you said:Another thing about blogs is, and...Philly, you said:<BR/><I>Another thing about blogs is, and the Exterminator is the best example of this, there's little or no concern with visual appearance.</I><BR/><BR/>You don't know how right you are. My wife complains about my visual appearance every time we go out to dinner. "You're not wearing THAT, are you?"The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-15957138562018457632007-10-16T15:52:00.000-04:002007-10-16T15:52:00.000-04:00One major difference I would say exists when compa...One major difference I would say exists when comparing most visual art I see and the writings of bloggers is the art is almost devoid of meaning and is merely an exercise of technique. Good technique exists in blog writing, but it's more of a bonus than a necessity. <BR/><BR/>I haven't seen anyone comment on a person's technique in writing so far unless it was a snip about spelling. I think this is because the message of the post demands too much attention and also, as you say, "bloggers are concerned merely with content and never think about style".<BR/><BR/>Another thing about blogs is, and the Exterminator is the best example of this, there's little or no concern with visual appearance. Rarely there's an image that goes with the posts. I can't help but have an image with each post and sometimes I spend more time tracking down or creating an image than I do the writing. Be it something funny or very moving (I'm quite proud of my choice of Rockwell's Freedom of Speech for my In or Out post) I think an image is very important. I can see how some hardcore bloggers may see that as gimmicky or distracting, but if the post is strong and the image perfectly captures the post then I think it's a powerful combo. Incidentally, I wanted to be a book cover illustrator when I first started so I'm naturally biased.PhillyChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03355892225956705948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-60207782924398896732007-10-16T14:16:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:16:00.000-04:00Philly, you said: I'm an artist and it's very comm...Philly, you said: <BR/><I>I'm an artist and it's very common to interact online in cg communities and get critiques so I felt writing the Exterminator for a critique wasn't out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was, and you writers are a different kind of animal.</I><BR/><BR/>I've actually found that the online writers I read -- and please let me draw the distinction between <I>writers</I> and people who merely key words onto the screen -- are quite forthcoming with info and criticism.<BR/><BR/>Because blogging is kind of a spontaneous activity, and doesn't represent "finished work" in the sense of, say, a magazine article or a book, we don't tend to exchange ideas beforehand about our writing. We just throw out our posts and expose them to criticism. Which, when we're lucky, we get -- in the form of comments. <BR/><BR/>I also think that many bloggers are concerned merely with content and never think about style, a situation which certainly doesn't exist in the visual/graphics community. One of the reasons that I like the blogs listed above is that they each have a style, although I'm not sure that all of their creators are aware of that. If the ten bloggers (OK: eleven) I listed were asked to write a post on such-and-such, there would be eleven completely different reading experiences floating through the ether the next day. <BR/><BR/>On the other hand, we don't tend to comment very often, if at all, on simple mechanics. Notice that John-Evo subtly corrected my posted phrase "lifetime learning" to "life-long learning." His is, of course, better: it's more precise, and rolls off the tongue more interestingly. But I don't think that he, or any of us -- well, maybe I'll except myself, because I'm kind of a grammar Nazi -- would say to another blogger, "why don't you phrase it this way?" <BR/><BR/>In the visual/graphics community, though, that kind of give-and-take happens often. ("Hey, that purple background is too intense. You need to screen it down a shade or two.") But to be blunt: I've never heard of one graphic artist critiquing another's work with quite the vehemence that we routinely use to challenge one another's ideas.The Exterminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14452054124550486048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-28478501707745151972007-10-16T11:16:00.000-04:002007-10-16T11:16:00.000-04:00Thanks, buddy. I always love a plug. I'll have to ...Thanks, buddy. I always love a plug. I'll have to visit some of the blogs you listed that I don't know. If you like them, it's a good bet I'll like them I think.<BR/><BR/>When I first wrote the Exterminator, he gave me some tips for getting exposure and very politely explained to me that with just one post he couldn't justify plugging my blog. I honestly felt like a douche because I was worried that he might have thought I was writing him simply to get exposure and that my solicitation for a critique was disingenuous. I was relieved after I had shared this with him when he told me he didn't think that at all. <BR/><BR/>I checked out his blog because of the interview on Dogma Free America. At that time I felt a lot of what I was seeing online was quite tight assed. His seemed noticeably different and I got into a lot of his postings. I'm an artist and it's very common to interact online in cg communities and get critiques so I felt writing the Exterminator for a critique wasn't out of the ordinary. Perhaps it was, and you writers are a different kind of animal.PhillyChiefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03355892225956705948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-33504506328404504522007-10-15T21:12:00.000-04:002007-10-15T21:12:00.000-04:00I'm thrilled to be on the list :) Thanks, buddy.I'm thrilled to be on the list :) Thanks, buddy.Mpromptuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08675006169716057311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-81050186869164847622007-10-15T18:03:00.000-04:002007-10-15T18:03:00.000-04:00Yeah, and did you see what he wrote about me? Me, ...Yeah, and did you see what he wrote about me? Me, nasty? I don't know what you're talking about.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link Exterminator! Most of these are faves of mine as well, and I'm looking forward to checking out the others.Reason's Whorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09386477323714963087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-65538046211590086782007-10-15T17:46:00.000-04:002007-10-15T17:46:00.000-04:00Ok, John, so you proved him wrong. Did you have to...Ok, John, so you proved him wrong. Did you have to go and do that?<BR/><BR/>That makes everything he's said subject to suspicion and skepticism. I mean, just look at what he wrote about me. I can't trust <I>anything</I> he says now. :)Spanish Inquisitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05261181794832002207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-69557131151687442962007-10-15T17:09:00.000-04:002007-10-15T17:09:00.000-04:00Or..."I guess my only dissent would be"for those i...Or...<BR/><BR/>"I guess my only dissent would be"<BR/><BR/>for those interested in life-long learning.John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36453833.post-53013256036903085752007-10-15T17:00:00.000-04:002007-10-15T17:00:00.000-04:00First of all, all of the blogs you mentioned (that...First of all, all of the blogs you mentioned (that I have heard of) are blogs I also would list as personal favorites. (How was THAT sentence as an example of my fine writing ability?) Further, I agreed with all of your REASONS for liking those blogs (and Sarge gets honorable inclusion for me as well). <BR/><BR/>Second, thanks for posting this, because I have never even heard of several of these and your evaluation is valued by me; so I'll definitely check out each of them.<BR/><BR/>Third, thanks for the kind words, but (gosh, gee) I really suck and don't deserve it. The only thing you said that I agree with is - "he's full of shit". You should have, at least, taken me out of alphabetical order and dropped me down below Sarge. You know?<BR/><BR/>Finally, I guess my only desent would be the fact that you left off a few blogs that I've seen you post at, that I personally think are excellent. But, I'll leave YOU to kick yourself on that!John Evohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10868904051881865159noreply@blogger.com