That's All Folks

This is to give formal notice that as of the end of December, "Just Blowing Smoke" will cease the addition of new entries.

It was June of 2007 when I formally moved this blog over to the Google blogspot platform, and since then over 1100 entries have been added to a site that has experienced some 70,000 pageviews from all over the world.  In spite of the world renown that I have garnered because of it (OK, maybe renown is too strong a term, but my grandkids still recognize me when they see my picture), I've decided after 6-1/2 years that it may be time to fold up the tent and move on.  

I will not bore you with the terribly long, tedious, and self-serving explanation that has led up to this decision; as the odor of natural fertilizer production involved in doing so (not to mention the terminal boredom experienced) would probably drive you from the room in tears.  Tears are in fact, the last thing that this announcement calls for.  Instead I would simply like to thank the small and rather twisted, but extremely loyal following that has made this long journey an extremely enjoyable literary experiment.  (Well, at least for me, anyway.)

Speaking of tears, if you happen to know anyone who can use the efforts of a team of apathetic investigators from the Department of Just Blowing Smoke Security, or the services of a bunch of lackadaisical lexicographers (from the Stuck on Stupid Dictionary) please let me know.  Both obviously, will soon added to the growing ranks of the unemployed, and it is my intention to tearfully (but firmly) kick the Cheetos-eating bastards out of the headquarters facility as soon as they sober up on New Year's Day. 

The website will remain up even after I have ceased adding to it (not that there's a chance in hell that I will reconsider my decision), but there are a few writing projects that I am working to finish up; both here on the Blog and for the Toledo Free Press that will be posted to the site between now and the end of the year.  I hope that you will enjoy them, and all of the insanity that has come before as much as I have.

Thanks again my friends ...

I Want To Be A Crony

I'm not normally big on promoting things from other blogs, though I'm always happy enough to cite the reference material I 'borrow' from fellow bloggers.  This is an exception that I'm happy to make for Mark Cunningham however.  It doesn't matter which party you belong to or what to what side of the aisle you lean.  It's both thought provoking and funny (and only a couple of minutes long).

Now while I may refer back to it in future efforts, I wanted to share it with you now without much in the way of embellishment.  So without further eloquence and absolutely no ado at all (sorry, I had a "Knight's Tale moment there), I give you "I Want To Be A Crony".

As for those of you expecting a mid-week rant, my attempt at doing so seemed to turn in to something worth offering to the Toledo Free Press.  If Michael accepts it, I will publish a link as soon as it's available.   Thanks ....  

Happy 5th Anniversary Just Blowing Smoke

It was on this date back in 2007 (the second date that will no doubt "live in infamy") that the first post appeared on this site from some writing efforts that I had been playing with in another venue.  I had been a long time away from writing anything more interesting than technical manuals and more meaningful than some brochure copy, so many of the early efforts were crude at best.  (Many say that my efforts often still resemble such pinnacles of literature.)

Now some five years later, I'm not sure that the writing has improved much; but the nature of the blog has certainly ... evolved (I was going to say 'matured', but we all know that such a term seldom if ever applies to JBS, and never to me). Here we are however, with well over 900 posts (some of them links to the over 100 efforts for the TFP), and having received over 34,000 pageviews in its lifetime, for some unaccountable reason "Just Blowing Smoke" yet remains.  

In fact, while this site averaged 700-800 pageviews per month for much of its history, it now unaccountably sees well over 3,000 for each lunar cycle lately.  It has even been getting some of that attention from places as far from Toledo, Ohio (where it began) and Mission, Kansas (where it's now produced) as Russia, China, Germany, Ukraine, The United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, Venezuela, and Brazil (hope I didn't leave anybody important out); no doubt due to a general increase in the amount world lunacy today that I am eternally grateful for.     

In the Internet world, such numbers still mean that "Just Blowing Smoke" isn't one of the most popular sites on the web, efforts in it usually draw little if any attention in the larger world, and I am seldom 'called out' on the mainstream media (though there was a TFP effort of mine was once read by Glenn Beck on his syndicated radio show a couple of years ago).  It can therefore truthfully be said that even after five years (which sometimes seem like decades), I labor in relative obscurity and corresponding anonymity.  

While anyone who writes likes to be read, I am content however (actually, I'm shocked) that there are still people out there who feel these efforts are of value ... or garner an occasional laugh.  As for notoriety, the relatively few times in my life that I gained even a sliver of the spotlight have normally proved personally dangerous; and were usually those followed by massive bouts of egotism, followed by unintentional and very public commissions of social suicide. 

Which reminds me that the real purpose of pointing any of this out is to thank each and every one of you who continue to find the nonsense, tripe, and recklessly produced natural fertilizer contained on this site worth losing a bit of time in your lives that you'll never get back.  Since JBS is not the kind of site which assembles important news items, is not contributed to by nationally recognized pundits, or has received stacks of awards (or even one for that matter); I am eternally grateful that anyone deems these often twisted efforts worthy of a Google search (even though I'm sure most of you, in a form of electronic hand sanitizing, delete your browser history  soon afterward).  

Even the few of you have shown yourselves sadly in need of proper training in good internet manners, based on the comments that you've submitted (most of which have needed to be moderated out to preserve the last shred of good taste remaining here) have been amusing in a rather perverse way.  As for the isolated threats of bodily harm offered by those who I must assume are even more twisted than I am; while I make no claims to personal bravery, I am nevertheless prepared to meet you on the 'Internet Field of Honor' and suggest that you have your seconds get in touch with my seconds. (If my seconds aren't available, contact my thirds.  If my thirds can't be found, let's have our fourths do lunch.)    

Since I have been credited with the attention span of a gnat and organizational skills normally reserved for director of FEMA, I sometimes wonder lately however if five years of these efforts may have been too many.  Since JBS has become a rather time-consuming hobby, and in spite of the enjoyment that it at least brings me, I can't help but wonder at times if I've over-stayed my welcome and all of this perhaps should end.  Perhaps I've said enough (or as is more likely the case, far too much), and it's time to move on to other things.  I must admit that concerns over merely repeating myself or beating the drum until those around me are tired of the awful din do occur to me, and will not be easily set aside.

But enough of such maudlin thoughts.  After all, an anniversary is a happy occasion cause for celebration.  While attempting to make a long-term decision as to the fate of JBS therefore, my intention is to continue attempting to crank out at least two mostly useless and probably tasteless efforts per week, with the hope that the 'blind squirrel theory' will occasionally produce something worthy of your consideration.

Who knows, five years from now we may all be able to look back on this and say ... "Man, it's only been five years.  It sure seemed like a lot longer."

Meanwhile, somebody cut that cake and let's toast each other's health until we all get stinkin'.     

deatach dóibh má tá tú bhí orthu  
(smoke 'em if you've got 'em)

 

Formatting Errors Under Repair

As it has in so many of its other efforts, Google has been updating the 'blogspot' platform that carries "Just Blowing Smoke".  Either through some mis-communication or an error on the part of yours truly (more likely the latter), many of my older postings are now devoid of paragraph breaks; and look like the longest run-on sentence in the English language.  


While I thought at first that this was limited to just a few posts, it appears to have run rampant through the almost five year history of this blog.


I am going to take it upon myself to go back and clean up each of the over 850 posts; but wish to apologize in advance if you go back looking for something and discover one of these efforts.  It may take a week or so, but I hope that in the very near future that the only thing that you will find to annoy you in these posts is the dismal writing, poor grammar, and worse punctuation contained in here.


Thanks for your patience ...


Update:
As of 2/3, the most recent 200 have been cleaned up; and efforts will continue as time allows.