*microphone squeal*
typed for your pleasure on 19 July 2008, at 10.00 amSdtrk: ‘I’m with the pilots’ by Ladytron
Once again, 19 July is on our collective doorsteps, which means ‘Shouting to hear the echoes’ is celebrating its fourth anniversary! Four aimless years, littering the Internets with my obsessions and manias. So far so good, I’d say!
If you’re a regular reader, the drill should be familiar, but here’s a bit of an explanation for the, err, virgins: the blog you see before you began its illustrious assault on reason back in 2004 on Blogger. With the layout it then had, the title was in the top left corner, and just below it was a space where you’d find a new pithy/obscure tagline every week, and every 19 July, I’d run through the list of phrases for the year and attempt to explain them. At the end of 2007, I yanked ‘Shouting etc etc’ out of the hands of Blogger, partly cos what I wanted to do for the site was pushing the capabilities of their software at the time (namely, making categories, which was only just being implemented with their service); also, the fine print in Blogger’s TOS basically stated that whatever’s published on their service is essentially their property. This clearly would not stand, so I moved ‘Shouting etc etc’ to WordPress, where it happily resides today. However, since I’d dramatically changed the layout, there was no more space for any catchphrases. Which, all told, was alright, as that’s one less thing I had to mind.
So, since there’s no more phrases to clarify — and if you want to catch yourself up, you can do so here, here, and here — what I thought I’d do for this anniversary is open the floor to you, the startled reader. Got a question you’ve been dying to ask me? Or perhaps a question that you’ve been dying to ask me? Perhaps your question is ‘why did you type that phrase twice?’ Because I could! Next question!
Seriously though, the floor is open. This is a fine opportunity for lurkers, hint hint, or regulars to get some questions in! Either this will be funny, bizarre, or embarrassing due to no-one asking anything. It could go either way! Well, one of three ways.
In the interim, thanks for giving ‘Shouting to hear the echoes’ a look-in! It’s non-stop draughts of absinthe readers like you that make this blog possible
Random similar posts, for more timewasting:
There are exactly three echoes on July 19th, 2007
There are exactly five echoes on July 19th, 2009
July 19th, 2008 at 10.55 am
Does Blogger still have that policy? I wonder. I have an abandoned blogger account which had the site updates for my now-dead personal page. Page may get resurrected in the future if I can get the monies
July 20th, 2008 at 1.50 pm
Seeing as to this is my first anniversary with ‘Echoes’, I suppose I was just violated via internet by you, haha.
I’m failing to think of a question…well wait… you know, you owe me a photograph… 😉
July 24th, 2008 at 2.08 am
Hi Davecat – I just saw the BBC production on BBCA tonight. Somehow I knew yours was a Michigan house even before the subtitle appeared. 🙂 I have to ask you – that vintage Esprit shirt you’re wearing in the middle of the documentary – the one with the pictures of retro appliances on it in B&W with bits of color? I swear to God that has to be my shirt. I live in SE Michigan and I donated that shirt to charity some years back. I bought it in the SW USA back in 1985 or 1986 and held onto it for *years* until I finally let it go a while back. So, tell me – where’d you get that shirt? Is it really a small, small world after all and was that my shirt I saw on TV tonight? Or did you acquire it some other way? Best to you and yours,
July 24th, 2008 at 7.08 am
No questions in particular, but happy belated anniversary.
July 24th, 2008 at 12.07 pm
Kat-chan –
Not entirely sure if Blogger/Google still has that policy implemented; with the exception of possibly using Google for the updates section of ‘Kitten with a Whip!’ (until I find another, free alternative), I’ve washed my hands of the lot.
I’m gonna say here what I usually say to people wanting to start up a blog: go with WordPress! If you go with the downloadable one available on WordPress.org, you’ll have to pay for your own server space, but if you go with what WordPress.com offers, it’s free. Either choice will do you no worng! I mean, wrong.
Laura –
Violated via Internet, eh? Wow, I didn’t think those Internet roofies would actually work! 🙂
And yes, I owe you a pic! I’ll get onto that this week-end. The Dark Knight and Hellboy II aren’t going to see themselves! Because that would be very weird if they did.
Michelle –
It is a small world! In fact, recent cartographic studies report that the world will be roughly the size of a muskmelon by 2205. So you can forget about buying a house; you’d be throwing good money after bad! 🙂
I wish I could tell you that that Esprit shirt (incidentally, that’s like the only shortsleeved shirt I own) was yours, but the truth is dumber than fiction — that used to be my mother’s, and I ‘borrowed’ it from her years ago. But y’know what? I’m going to do a Robert Smith, and tell people that I bought that shirt at a Salvation Army from now on. Thank you for contributing to a mythology!
You, ah, don’t want it back or anything, do you? 😉
Desiree –
Shi-chan and I say Thanks very much for the anniversary wishes!
July 24th, 2008 at 9.02 pm
Who said you would have to use roofies? 😉
July 26th, 2008 at 3.01 pm
Happy Blogiversary. Can’t say as I even remember what mine is. Early ’05, I think.
Blogger still stores copies of all my posts just in case….
July 27th, 2008 at 2.07 pm
Laura –
*raises eyebrow* 😉
SafeTeeeeee –
And Happy Blogiversary to you too! O, wait.
Well, get to researching! Hit up the Internet Wayback Machine! If you can’t find a date, then make one up! What will English Heritage put on your blue plaque if you don’t have a starting date?
July 31st, 2008 at 8.51 am
Happy Anniversary, and wow, I have a question! Why am I always so late? :-O
Anyway, glad that you’re still kickin’ it (but what, and does that count as a question too?) I can see that the Missus has left the place in good hands, especially since hers are most likely quite busy!
*ahem* using the console of course 😛
Many happy returns of the day!
(And just what the hell does that mean?)
PBS, Lily, and Eden (both still at home for now :D)
August 4th, 2008 at 12.48 am
BPS ladies and –
You are always so late because of the rotation of the Earth, of course. 🙂
Thanks for the congratulisations! And the Missus’ hands are always busy with the, ah, console. All that gripping and pressing, of course. 😉
And many happy returns of the day means that a person can return things to the store that they purchased said things (or if not the exact branch, then a different store of the same chain) successfully. Exceptions naturally apply; for instance, if the item was purchased over ninety (90) days ago, the possibility of being able to return the article is unlikely, unless the supervisor in charge agrees to exchange it for store credit. Extenuating circumstances such as that prevent successful returns for anything apart from store credit; furthermore, the store handbook outlines what criteria must be met for the customer to be able to exchange said article for anything more than store credit. However, if the item is returned in a time period not exceeding ninety (90) days, the item may be exchanged for another item in the store’s stock that is of equal or lesser value. Certain restrictions may apply, again, depending on fulfilment of criteria.
So thanks!? 🙂
August 6th, 2008 at 3.29 am
For some reason while reading your last paragraph above I am reminded of the late great Douglas (Hitchhiker’s Guilde to the Galaxy) Adams’ little seen (or played) text game “Bureaucracy”. It is exactly just as mind-numbing, maddening, and terrifying as the process you describe so adroitly. Which oddly enough, is supposed to be a beneficent wish for happiness, much as a store’s return policy is purported to be!
Funny, that 😀
August 6th, 2008 at 12.36 pm
*raises drink to Douglas Adams*