whatta year..

September 8th marks the 1 year anniversary of The Shelf. Yep, a year ago yesterday, we threw the switch here at the master control ...and forgive us if we seem a wee bit excited. It may seem much ado about nothing, but if you've seen some of the blogs around the web you'll know we have reason. There are some that get started and then sputter out. Then you have what amount to family scrapbooks or personal diaries. I think that's a good application of blogs for your friends and family- a way to connect, which is what this is all about. But when you try to do something different, like a blog that is political, cultural, or about entertainment etc., there are many who are out there who are giants and do incredible work. Theennn... you've got the graveyard. You know who I'm talking about; the "posted few and far between", the "this was cool for awhile, but if no one agrees with me I'm outta here", and then the "I hate Bush, therefore I am."

Thanks for all the support and for all of your comments. We love interaction and we love comments and emails. We try to answer, and sometimes we might be sarcastic or firmly plant our tongues in our cheeks, but we will always be honest. We'll always give you what we really think and we'll always try to entertain with what entertains us. We'll share with you what strikes us and the things we think you might need to consider about history, current events and our (yours and mine) place in this crazy blue ball we call planet Earth.

So you'll pardon us if we stand in awe that we are still here and that we have people from around the world who come to visit us for our weekly shenanigans. We are humble that other blogs that we enjoy and respect read us and link to us. We are very grateful and encouraged that perhaps we can continue our madness and perhaps expand in the next year. Will you join us?

Today, in celebration, we would like to share with you some links to some of our favorite posts from the past year. We're not trying to pat ourselves on the back, but these posts represent some of the fun we've had sharing with you movies, or current events and shop talk that we still talk about. Consider this a "Best of" edition of The Shelf. Follow the links and enjoy. If you are a "Shelf newbie" this is a great way to get to know Wolf and myself. So getcha a cold one, sit back and relax and enjoy. And thanks again for stopping by. And always remember the Shelf motto... Think for yourself.

Best of The Shelf, Volume One

We kinda got started right after Katrina and right before September 11th. Heavy stuff. Nonetheless, while we trying to navigate things, the media was throwing us everything they had. Then it just got to ridiculous. Has anything changed in a year? No. That didn't stop us from punting the pundits.

Regular readers know we have an ongoing series on primetime animated specials. We tackled the history of the primetime special, a really special part of our childhood. It’s getting close to Halloween, so maybe this will whet your appetite for some "Great Pumpkin" action. It was our first such article, and I think there is nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

Still craving some Halloween goodness? We had a candy countdown. Join us down memory lane for some candy corn, chocolate, and gummi bears! oh, my!

Well, we may like us some Halloween, but we still think Thanksgiving gets short shrift. Therefore, we made the case for Thanksgiving. Parts One and Two.

In December, Wolf wrote what I think is still one of the best articles to hit the Shelf, and still one of my personal favorites. Think you know George Bailey? Check out this unconventional look at It’s a Wonderful Life. I certainly think it’s a wonderful film.

This week it was announced that A Million Little Pieces author James Frey and his publisher settled in a court case in which readers sued them, stating that he had defrauded them. The readers earned a refund, but more importantly, I think they gave the publishers a tweak of the nose. Deep down people don’t like being had. We mentioned that sometime ago. We know it’s all about the "L".

Serious gut check time. Sometimes we just gotta step back and take a look at the big picture. There's a time when we need to vent our frustration and look to the job of saving ourselves.

We also frequently discuss history, especially important days that we shouldn't forget like D-Day and Independence Day. Are you curious as to what went on in July 1776? Well check that out too.

Regular Shelfers know that we often employ the services of weekend correspondent Baravelli and our faithful assistant Pinky. Pinky doesn’t say much, but Baravelli has no such problem. He does like to enjoy his weekends, always trying to escape reality.

We love animation and think that some people seem hellbent upon ripping apart childhood. Kinda makes us miffed. Join us as we discuss the state of suspended animation and Saturday morning fever.

Lastly, (and perhaps more dearly) we recently discussed the promises made to our children and the generations to come. Is it time to give up or see the thing through? We’ve got a job to do, we’ve got promises to keep.

Thanks for sticking around. We hope you'll continue to come back. In the next couple of weeks we'll discuss the anniversary of 9/11, and we'll take the pulse of free speech. We'll also have weekly Halloween teasers until October, then it will be a full onslaught. We'll be discussing our favorite westerns and of course, we'll have the weekley media roundups. You can count on us for your regular dose of all things cynical, satirical, humorous, serious - and eclectic. Stay tuned...

Remember, men, we're fighting for this woman's honour; which is probably more than she ever did.