Happy Birthday, dear blog

7/13/2002 - Four years ago, I started this thing to "distract me from the pain." It has done a good job doing that. A generous mix of random things on the web plus some medical discussion has worked out pretty well - it even spawned a separate sciatica forum that was around for a while. The most important part of the site, though, was the fact that some people stuck around to keep reading, even if it didn't always answer their medical questions. I really appreciate your reading/bookmarking/feedreading/emailing other people this site. For you new folks, please take a look at the right side of the page for the sciatica information and the archives.

I will start this new year with some thank you's to those folks who have been decent enough to have made this blog what it is today.

Thank you's (in alphabetical order, so as not to offend):

b3ta - for constantly providing the animated gifs that make my heart explode with joy. I couldn't find an exploding heart gif, but I have posted this recursive gallery gif from them before:



Bloghorrea
- for letting me know what I did had a name (it's called "sifting" and it's nothing to be ashamed of.)

boing boing
- for making me amazed, angry and jealous. I have been "boingboing'd" twice - once indirectly when a post I put up made it through the food chain to them and once directly last August.

BrainLog
- for providing such good links over the years. He has actually found a lot of stuff way earlier than I have seen in other places. He should get more credit.

Brian Kane Online
- for being one of the first guys to link to me. We lost touch for a while, but it's great to see he's still going strong and giving me good stuff to read.

cherryflava
- for letting an old guy read some of the best advertising commentary around. I link to them often.

Cockeyed
- for making me ROFLMAO consistently. One of my first posts was about his herbalife takedown.

diminished responsibility
- for finding some of the strangest shit on the web. Puppet, you are a master.

Edward Goodwin
- for making an interesting link/personal blog - you need to post more, Ed! Oh, and for introducing me to the insane mind of Zane.

grow-a-brain
- for being there. Hanan has always provided great links and a helping hand. One of the best sifters in the game.

Humane Society of the US
- for showing me puppies in danger. Sometimes you need a good cry.

jwz
- for showing me things I really didn't want to see, but I link to. If I have to see the wacky Japanese people in costumes, so do you!

Metafilter
- for giving me a place to pontificate and link to. Also, I have a great number of best answers on ask mefi!

Mike Daisey
- for answering my email! I never thought that would happen. And for showing that a mix of random pictures and articles is a viable thing.

MoCo Loco
- for introducing me to the coolest design work in the world.

My So-called Penis
- for being an Interesting M****rf****r in his own right. Wil Forbis is a web God and, if I ever get over the fear of my Mom reading the blog, I will link to more of his Penis Friday posts.

Osprey Therian - for being an early fan who is also one of the most gifted members of Second Life.

Plep
- for making me part of that big link list on the left side of his page and for providing interesting, inspiring and educational links daily - and also for that brain baby hat thing from the other day. I loved that.

Richard Harter's World
- for making the corniest jokes work and then allowing me to inflict them upon others.

Robot Wisdom
- for coming back! And for being the archetype for all of us who came after. I know I will never be as good, but I can always try.

scrubbles
- for finding the coolest/campiest tunes and films. Matt's site has been mined here frequently.

singlenesia
- Fnord.

tastes like burning...
- Scarce was one of the first people to link here - it looks like he's taken the site down, but will still be putting up pics on flickr.

The Cartoonist
- for sharing his great collection of art (and Basil)

The Wisdom of the Illiterati
- for being early fans who saw that the site had little to do with sciatica, but stayed anyway.

things magazine
- for finding the best things on the web - please put me back on your link list!

toothpaste for dinner
- for showing me that pizza is a trap and putting up the LJ image feed.

Wacky Neighbor
- for being wacky - I still long to be added to the "checking out" list.

waxy
- for providing awesome links and for not changing when he became big and famous. I hope I am just as cool when I hit it big :)

I would be remiss if I didn't give tribute to a site that inspired me greatly:

Aaron Hawkins, UppityNegro.com - I do hope you have found a better place.

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