Hi there, boys and girls! Do you know what today is? That’s right campers, it’s the FOURTH ANNIVERSARY of this blog!
(Insert pause here to allow for the thunderous applause, whooping and whistling to die down and give everybody a chance to take their seats again.)
Yes, it was back in the dim dark days of 2013. Mitt Romney was still coming to grips with his own election defeat. President Barack Obama was considering arming Syrian rebels. The U-S was telling Mexico any trade deal would have to be tied to immigration reform. Any of this sound eerily familiar?
And a temporarily unemployed former radio announcer from Pittsburgh set out to kill a little of his extra free time by trying his hand at blogging.
We were living in a much simpler era. Humorous signs that used to be confined to cubicles in the office have since taken on much more sinister meanings.
For example:
…is now the unofficial motto of both the White House and Congress. Whereas:
…is now the unofficial motto of the US Departments of State, Justice and Homeland Security.
Four years ago, if I wanted to treat my online followers to dinner, all I’d have needed was a single booth at the local diner. Today, I’d probably need to book something at Chuck E Cheese, assuming we didn’t mind sharing the place simultaneously with a few children’s birthday parties.
But it’s been worth every penny.
I’ve had the chance to stretch my writing talent (and, occasionally, to sprain it,) to become acquainted with new people all over the world (some of whom live in the most unexpected places,) and just generally acquire my sea legs in an emerging medium. And I haven’t done it alone.
Some very talented people have contributed to this effort. I try to always make it clear that the cartoonists get credit for their unique gifts; folks like Rick Stevens, Arianna Stefannini (“Kotopopi,”) Jen Sorensen, Matt Lubchansky, Matt Bors, Rob Rogers and, of course, Tom Tomorrow.
My wife and daughter get credit for tolerating this obsession.
But it is the support and encouragement of my fellow bloggers which has proven to be so important. They have set an example and given me more than a little idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t express my thanks to the President of the United States.
Every artist must have a muse.
Over the past two years #EmperorDonaldTheLast has been a fertile source of ideas such as I would never have imagined four years ago when I set out on this project.
His singular level of absurdity, audacity, lack of grace and mind-boggling sheer stupidity make this exercise an unalloyed pleasure.
Donald, I couldn’t have done it without you!
And now we return to our regular programming…
Please help me to celebrate this anniversary bigly by liking, sharing and commenting, via the handy-dandy widget buttons below… So important…
Annnnnnd I’m out.
Your Humble Blogger
Your assurance of quality… pretty much…
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