Saturday, March 10, 2007

The 1,000th Post


Man, that's a lotta sassmouth.

So this is what a thousand posts looks like?

Wow.

Well first and foremost I'd like to thank you guys -- one and all -- for your emails, your commentary (both pithy and pissy) and your many kindnesses. Since I have taken away vastly more from reading your remarks below decks than I ever set out topside, I feel I have gotten very much the better part of the exchange.

And second, my thanks and best wishes to Steve Gilliard, who’s good health we all pray for, who’s site gave me a home, and who kerbooted me out of the nest when it was time.

I remember long ago when Mrs. Taylor used to toss around assignments for 200-word essays as punishment for being a bad citizen and such. Catching one was like being hit in the head with a manhole cover, and I'd get all twitchy and anxious over where in the fuck was I going to find 200 whole words to string together to get my ass out of elementary school hack. (Then again, I did not have the f-word to work with as essay-padding back in the day.)

And now, having cunningly inserted the last typo and omitted the last apostrophe, I've somehow finished essay #1,000, almost a month ahead of this blog's 2nd anniversary. And yet looking down at the castle's drawbridge I cannot help but notice a distinct lack of libidinous lasses and cases of ancient scotch waiting on my doorstep, so to celebrate I'm going to kick back for a bit and listen to Leonard Cohen's painfully lovely

1,000 Kisses Deep

This is one of my favorite songs, and seemed appropriate to the occasion.

It dropped into my world while I was being atomized during the desolating finale of a long relationship and has never left.

Cohen gets the slow internal cadence of loss just right
The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it's done -
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it's real
A Thousand Kisses Deep.


And he gets how we cope with loss:
And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.

And I can't ask any more than that from any song.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Mr. Driftglass. In terms of sheer Thompsonesque, New Journalistic jam, you are peerless in the blogosphere.

cieran said...

Sir Driftglass:

If there were a Nobel Prize for Weblog Literature, you'd be the first recipient.

And the second, and the third, and...

Thanks for the first thousand posts, and here's a toast to the next thousand or two.

Ivory Bill Woodpecker said...

More Cohen goodness for ya, Drifty:

"But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags that time cannot decay/I'm junk but I'm still holdin' up this little wild bouquet/Democracy is comin' to the USA"---from "Democracy".

Many thousand more.

Anonymous said...

A thousand posts along and still, you're running into the forest, not out. You're an inspiration. Both for what you write and how you write it.

May you always feel appreciated.

L.S./M.F.T.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much, Drifty, for casting your "net of insanity, your seine of eccentricity and casting it on this strange beach."

Always a fan,

Joe Frantic

Anonymous said...

Congrats! 1,000 posts x 3,000 hits x 10 good turns of the word = a whole heck of a lot of laughs. Keep on keeping on.

Anonymous said...

cases of ancient scotch waiting on my doorstep

Wouldest that the doorstep was known.
I'd be stacking as you type.

Perhaps if I were a libidinous lass or could stack a few of them...?

Your lock box will now contain the 18 year Maccallan AND an 18 year Caol Ila. Sorry, but you'll have to wait for them to be truly ancient.

Thank you for your work and words.

Anonymous said...

Happy 1000 DG - here's to the Odd Bloggessy

"My Goddess, It's full of stars..."


Pink Floyd + Kubrick =

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfgoVZswC4k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlR-9Cn14fs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlZp0KXSMF0

The Minstrel Boy said...

congratulations drifty. thank you for the swoop and crackle of your words. i have used a leonard cohen line many times when describing the failures of the neocons, from the story of isaac

a scheme is not a vision


thanks for the "no scheme zone."

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, and thanks, driftglass.

I don't always comment, but I always read.

Looking forward to the next thousand,

GW

Anonymous said...

Goddamit Driftie!!! You make a grown man cry - and me being the dumbass who always told News Blog folks to shut it whenever they advocated your getting your own blog!!! Congrat's Bro'!!! Keep The Big Throwdown goin' down!!!

And remember what The Godfather Of Soul said:

"I only got a seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in funk, and I like to put that to good use."
-- James Brown

Keep puttin' your funk to good use!

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Drifty. And keep the next 1,000 blog kisses coming.

MAC

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, driftglass.
And thanks for the music.
Whenever Steyn, Frum et al. make me ashamed to be Canadian I put Leonard on the box.

Anonymous said...

1,000 pure jewels of expressions of outrage (and hysterical YouTube clips). I can only hope that someday you'll run out of political material and turn your ire to bad movies, but I'm not holding my breath.

I like scotch, too--I'll have a glass or two in your honor. ;-)

Anonymous said...

driftman,
your ability to hone your outrage into so fine a weapon has been truly inspiring.
god bless, and here's an oban to your next 1,000.
and if ever you're in new york, let me buy a round.

HopeSpringsATurtle said...

Woo Hoo! Congrats drifty, well done. I come here for help and solace; your work has inspired me more times than I can tell you. I was lucky when I arrived here in OzBlogosphere, I found you practically first. Thank you for all your hard work and the contribution you make to the world.

Anonymous said...

like hopespringsaturtle above you were my first introduction to the blogosphere (I started reading just as you started your blog -- its certainly a 1k diamond).

I went back to look for the first one I remember -- and I have to say, re: the pics it was Marilyn and books (maybe because there were 2 early on, or maybe its just Marilyn) and written was this disclaimer:
"would merrily crawl through an acre of white hot broken glass, concertina wire and peeved weasles to sit next to her on the bus"

And the first full blog that I remember was this one on Star Trek.

All Great, so many fine turns of phrases and wonderful political inspiration (the one below is great) -- a laser like focus on the rank hypocrisy of the neo-cons.

And today we see DG the romantic -- so many sides.

So many k's to come (or not -- whatever get's you where you want to go).

Thank you!

Ivory Bill Woodpecker said...

The 4:59 post makes me think of something Charlie Brown said in a particular "Peanuts" strip--"If you stand on a pitcher's mound long enough, you meet a lot of strange people."

I read about the first 12 lines of that post, realized I had entered the cyberpresence of either an elaborate hoaxer or a lunatic, and reversed course at high warp speed. :)

Anonymous said...

Ivory Bill Woodpecker -- I had the same reaction -- except I was getting set to write my ode to driftglass and then I saw that big turd in the middle of the comments and thought, dang! no one will ever read what I write -- and then I said oh well, wtf, just for fun I'll put it together any way. Argh, being a driftglassian is a tough life!

Anonymous said...

"I cannot help but notice a distinct lack of libidinous lasses and cases of ancient scotch waiting on my doorstep,"

Come August, we'll take a trip to Sam's at Lincoln Park and take care of the scotch. As to the libidinous lasses--well, it's a city of three million, and I'm sure there'll be more than a few cute lady Kossacks in town too. All thangs in time.

And congrats on your thousandth, you inspirational, frightening, magnificent son-of-a-wordsmith!

The VERY Best,
LowerManhattanite

Anonymous said...

You are #1. The first blog I read every day. I don't always leave a comment but I always leave impressed. Congrats on the big 1 grand.

Anonymous said...

Congrats, drifty, each of those thousand is a treasure.

If can make it out in August, I'll stand you some scotch myself. We can toast to your next thousand.

Anonymous said...

Driftglass; heartfelt appreciation for all you do....Your good heart, your clear head, and that built-in word laser. :o)

Pray, continue.

Anonymous said...

"One more robot starts to feel," Flaming Lips. Thanks to you and your heart, and your words, and your brilliant mind with the clearest logic of anyone on the planet. You make me laugh and cry. 1000 thank yous.
You will always win.
Jfi

Anonymous said...

Congrats Driftglass!

XOXOXO :)

Anonymous said...

DG,

Thank you for your writing. You make it better, you do. xox

leigh

Anonymous said...

Best wishes and ten thousand more. Somebody's got to fight the Madness from Hyde Park (aka the University of Chicago School of Economics). Who better than someone familiar with the territory?

"That's the Chicago way. And that's how you get Capone."

Anonymous said...

Congratulations driftglass.

Now, get back to work.

:-)

Anonymous said...

The pleasure's all ours, Driftglass.

Anonymous said...

A while back, I got a thumbs-up from you in comments after I made a jokey Trek reference (it was your Lamont "Wrath of Khan" post).

To date, my proudest post-digital moment.

Congrats but no resting on laurels for you--BOBO YET LIVES.

Organic Mechanic said...

Sir Drift:

I join the many in saluting your 1,000th!
Merci mille fois!

I would offer you a small bouquet of wildflowers just beginning to show out west here, behind the green curtain, but Chicagolandia is far away.
Instead, accept some wild thanks for your great work.

Peace.

Dave said...

Congrats Drifty!

Keep 'em coming. The last 1000 were superb.

LLAP

driftglass said...

Taking a wireless break away from the labor van to say thank you all so very much.

I appreciate it greatly.

Now...back to work

Anonymous said...

Congrats drifty, I always enjoy your work.

Anonymous said...

all the HST comparisons aside, ya really do have your own voice. Interestingly, it's not for everyone. But then neither is haggis nor Leonard Cohen. Fuh Fuuck the blog rolls. When you're this good, you can't dumb it down. And knowing this all comes from just the 'reserve' tank you keep on the side, well, fuck.

Color us impressed.

Good luck out there, and good nite.