Oddly Enough Blog
News, but not the serious kind
The last huzzah?
So this is the end. The last post for this blog.
It’s a good thing we’ve said our farewells, because this is also the last day for new comments.
Today, this site freezes in time. You can always revisit it for a little nostalgia, like that old amusement park in the creepy part of town, with all the chains and cobwebs.
Former presidential candidate Herman Cain was fond of telling his supporters, “Stupid people are ruining America!”
Well, maybe that’s true, Herman, but stupid people also provide cheap entertainment, which is a useful service. We should thank them for it, without using any big words.
My readers, my commenters, my friends, you are the best. You can find me on Facebook. Some of you have even found me in person, so please remember I know how to get restraining orders.
She’s goin’ for your knee again, Ronald
Blog Guy, with your blog going away soon, we need some closure regarding Ronald Basler.
You mean that total stranger whose spam keeps landing in my rbasler e-mail account?
Yeah. Remember, the last time we looked at the spam Ronald seemed to be shopping for a Russian bride, but then it looked like he was being unfaithful to her, getting photos of single women. So what’s he up to now?
I’m still getting mixed signals from his spam. He may be worried about the future, going the tarot card route. He appears to be in a holiday mood, what with a letter from Santa AND personalized Christmas ornaments.
And his career?
He seems to be considering being an event planner, a school counselor or maybe even a marriage counselor, though I’m not sure I’d want marital advice from somebody with his personal track record.
Why do I have the feeling that the remark “Rubbish shoes” from @CrowGirl and the remark “Rubbish shoes” from @Shra have different meanings?
Your favorite posts of all time…
I mentioned a few days ago that this blog is going away soon, so it seems appropriate to take a look back at what readers clicked on the most.
I must say, this list of the top 10 posts for the past five years surprised me. But I can’t argue with our official traffic statistics, these little nicks by the snack room vending machine were definitely made by Lamar.
Some of the items make sense. People would want to know which jobs they should avoid, what not to do with cameras around, and even the worst idea of all time.
But some of these others just seemed to be popular for no apparent reason. And as for the one in first place, maybe it has something to do with the photo.
Here are your favorites. If you call in the next 30 minutes, this treasured collection can be yours for the low, low price of….
I liked the ones which had some muscly, good looking dudes.
And ofcourse, Shoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssss!!!!!
Nine ways to lose weight and live forever
People say to me all the time, “Bob, your blog is SO stupid, how do you get people to read it?”
These folks don’t understand how online journalism works. You can write anything you want, and if you put a good headline on it people will read it. Especially if you hint at immortality, easy weight loss or better sex.
If your headline offers a numbered list, that’s even better. The best thing of all is a moderately clever play on words, which will attract people who think they are smart, and improve your demographics.
Toss in a photo of a nice dog or the Duchess of Cambridge, and it’s a hit.
This is a very good deal, because it means I work about five minutes a day.
Looking back at the blog for this year, here are my favorite headlines. Smart people, come on down!
That dog looks just like Medo the bear, only a few years older. We’ll miss that bear too.
I will be having withdrawal symptoms soon. Maybe I’ll start blogging myself on facebook, and try to honour the BG’s spirit of blogging. Anyone else up for this? Maybe we should do a joint-blog together and give the throne to Mr. Bas himself.
Sorry, you’re not my type…
Hey Blog Guy, it’s me!
Who?
Me! The guy who talks to you in italics so you can carry on pretend conversations in your blog everyday.
You really EXIST? I always thought those conversations were just voices in my head.
I can’t believe you don’t even recognize me. I’ve been working for you for years, playing the dumb guy, acting the straight man in the comedy team while you got all the laughs, being annoyed by your misinformation and puns, and now that your blog is ending in a couple of weeks, you want nothing to do with me?
Jeez, what suddenly made you so bold?
Geez, earlier today I wrote I couldn’t pinpoint a favourite blog but I absolutely loved this one! I want to drive this point Home, this blog shouldn’t be Deleted, it’s a way for many of us to Escape the mundane routine of work and have a few laughs. Who’s in Control at Reuters? They should (caps)lock the dude and Ctrl+Alt+Del his system, this blog should stay, not End this way! I’d understand a Pause, or a Break, but not a Shift to a new direction. In case you’re keeping Tabs, I haven’t used all the keys on the keyboard yet, I’ll leave out a few to give the rest of you some Space to work. Oh, bugger, I didn’t meant to take that one too, Sorry.
Nine things I’ll miss most about this blog
Let’s get the sad news out of the way first.
After an exhilarating five-year run, this blog is ending its run here. Websites change, and take new directions.
The slightly better news is that we have a couple of weeks until my final post, so let’s have fun.
I’ve enjoyed everything about creating and writing Oddly Enough. My advice is, if somebody offers to pay you to be a sarcastic smartass, take the job. Especially if it includes dental insurance.
Some of the things I will miss most…
9. The Photos: The Reuters photo file is a grand candy store. It has been a treat to look through it daily, searching for goofy gems in a sea of serious images. I’m sure it’s fair to say many of the shots in my blog don’t get used anyplace else. Indeed, it was the richness of our photo archive that inspired the blog’s fabled Goofy Face Museum and Doughnut Shop, which will be a runaway success if it ever opens.
I’ve never commented in the 2 years I’ve read the blog because I’m quite certain I could never hang with the rest of everyone. I thank you all but especially The Blog Guy… But I’m pretty sure my neighbors and students hate you 
Of the thousands of things they blocked at school, y’all never made the cut.
thank you again and again. Have fun out there on that interweb-wide-machine and keep the shiny side up Mr. Baz.
Best of the month: my own Oktoberfest?
It’s time once again for my monthly blog traffic stats, and I see that October was kind of a bittersweet time.
Two of my 10 most popular items were farewells, one to Sarah Palin who isn’t running, and one to Muammar Gaddafi, who isn’t doing anything.
Oh a happier note, though, we welcomed a new friend to the blog. Judging from the clicks on two items, Siri – the sassy personal assistant on the new iPhone 4S – will be a frequent guest here in the future.
I was also pleased to find the “cute-off” I had with my friend, author Bart King, on the list, as well as the item on the proposal to let prison inmates work as firemen.
Finally, your favorite item of the month was very, very fitting for Halloween. Please click on it again, recommend it to friends, and help make the world a creepier place to be.
Here they are, October’s top 10….
So, is it just me, or did I actually rate a mention?! Yippee for me if I did! And thanks for the panda pic BG – very nice and cheery!
I managed to ruin my bf’s plans to propose on the weekend, so I needed the panda pic!
Catching bayonets, what could go wrong?
It’s not that I don’t think you know what you’re doing, but we hired you to spiff up our military honor guard with some great new moves, and I’m just not sure about your plan.
Trust me, I know what I’m doing.
Okay, I’m sorry, what was your name again?
Lamar.
Okay Lamar, so as I understand it, the honor guard marches up, stops, and everybody just hurls their rifles straight into the air, is that it?
That’s it. It’s going to be impressive as hell.
I find themself staring, for at least an hour, transfixed by those yellow ribbons. I guess that’s why the Eighth and I Marines decided not to take me into their midst. Dave, good eye in noticing that the M16s aren’t current. AllthatJazz, what you see doesn’t exclude one in the chamber! For those that are bad tossers. I MEAN rifle throwers!
Pushing shakes for a sheikh?
OMG, Blog Guy! A few days ago, in an item about Paris Hilton helping open a shopping mall in Poland, you said, “Coming soon, Kim Kardashian appears at a milkshake bar opening in Dubai,” and here she is!
Who would have thought you were serious about that?
Come on, it wasn’t hard to predict. I mean, the woman was married less than two months ago, she is thought to be the highest-paid reality star on television, so why wouldn’t she go to Dubai to promote a milkshake bar? It just makes sense.
But if she craves attention so badly, why doesn’t she launch a fragrance, like Jennifer Aniston and Katy Perry and everybody else did?
Get with the program. Kim already launched a fragrance, four months ago.
I missed that. What about Paris Hilton, then? Can we expect a fragrance from her?
Maybe Kim Kardashian wants to be part of the Escape Club.
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Resident Oddly Enough blog Expert
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It’s not pining, it’s passed on. This blog is no more. It has ceased to be. It’s expired and gone to meet its maker. This is a late blog. It’s a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If they hadn’t nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies. It’s rung down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-blog.