I'm One!

Today marks the official one year anniversary of Bite and Smile. Wheeeeeeee!!!!

I average 50 visitors a day. It can spike dramatically, usually after I have reviewed a show. In spite of the Google ads, I make no money from this. I think to make money off those ads, one needs to pull in a thousand or more visitors a day. Since I'm not talking about Paris Hilton or featuring cute pictures of animals with witty captions, this is unlikely to happen any time soon. I do it because I love it. I love the challenge. And, as a writer, it helps me keep my chops up - productively and satirically. Thanks to everyone who commented last Friday on what they liked about Bite and Smile. I appreciate your input and encouragement.

I thought I would mark the occasion by honoring other blogs of note. Starting and sustaining this blog has opened me up to a world of bloggers. A world once derided by me. Oh, sure, the Internet is clogged with bloggers wasting volumes of cyber-space blabbing about the antics of their cats or children or how they hate their job and how they are just one quick trip away from the sporting goods department at Wal-Mart to being a disgruntled employee who makes the news. But I have discovered a few that rise above the din and I look forward to checking in on them.


These are blogs I visit daily. At least Monday through Friday. I find them funny, smart, educational and often inspiring.

An Angry White Guy in Chicago (Don Hall) - The grandpappy of them all in my book. The one that got me writing this blog. He has also been my most ardent supporter.

By Ken Levine - Ken is a veteran comedy writer in LA. His social commentary is often brilliant, but I really love reading about his experiences working on Cheers and MASH.

Clever Title (Nat Topping) - Nat is one of the funniest writers out there. I admire his work and hope my writing grows up to be like his some day. His whacked imagination, turn of phrase and aspirations for presidency brighten my day.

Jane in Progress (Jane Espenson) - Jane is one of my favorite genre TV writers, most notably from the Joss Whedon stable, currently working on Battlestar Galactica. Her insights are valuable and she has a soft, mentoring approach that makes me feel like she genuinely wants me to do well, even though she doesn't know who the hell I am!

The Rob Kozlowski Chicago Theater and Vinatge Film Medicine Show (title subject to change as he seems to change it every week now) - Rob is a fellow teacher at Columbia and Second City. He really has his pulse on Chicago theater, from the little guys to the big guys, and he's always rooting for the best and throws rocks at the worst.

Fanatical Apathy (Adam Felber) - Adam is a busy guy. He and his wife just had a baby and he writes for Real Time with Bill Maher and he shows up in Chicago from time to time to be a panelist on Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!. Because of his schedule, his frequency of posting can ebb and flow, but it usually is worth the wait. He has a sharp, satirical wit that schools me in ways to skewer targets beyond the usual kneejerk "Bush really sucks."

Liberty Valence - a subplot - (Thea Lux) - Thea is one of my favorite persons on the planet. Period. She is also one of the most creative and talented. Actress, musician, composer, artist, writer and I'm sure there's a worthy "etc" to add that I am missing. Her blog has a way of digging into those daily moments we all experience, often hysterical and often touching.

The Graffiti Table (Paul Custodio and Pete Ficht) - Pete and Paul are friends of mine from the college days. Paul is a copywriter for an advertising company in Spokane, Washington and Pete is a web designer in Portland, Oregon. Pete is also a talented musician and the guy you want to talk to if you want to know what tunes you should be listening to. Paul is also an actor and has a very sardonic sense of humor. They have a lot to say about the current state of the world and about what its like to be in your 40's against your will.

There are many other blogs that I peek in on every week. They are all listed on the left. I don't put any links there that I don't check out myself. There's also a few that I haven't added yet, but hope to soon.

Thanks for reading my blog over the past year. Whether you came here intentionally or accidentally wound up here because you did a search for "nice labia." I don't know that actual stats, but that's probably the number one search after "joe janes blog" that gets people here!

Have a nice labia!



THE BS NEWS QUIZ OF THE DAY

Yesterday, I asked...

"Russian Yuri Lyalin was just trying to sleep off a night of drinking when his wife woke him and told him what?"

33% said "We divorced three years ago. Go home."
- Nope. But if he keeps coming to bed like he did, a divorce is coming soon.

17% said "Your snoring just woke Putin."
- If you disturbed Putin, you'd probably be awakened with a judo punch to the throat before your wife could say anything.

No one said "Your make-up is smearing the pillow."

50% said "You have a knife sticking out of your back."

According to BBC News, Yuri Lyalin, 53, took a bus home, ate breakfast and apparently slept like a baby before his spouse noticed a handle sticking out of his back. He was rushed to casualty but doctors found no vital organs damaged. Mr Lyalin shrugged the episode off but the drinking partner who stabbed him faces trial, Russian media report. "We were drinking and what doesn't happen when you're drunk?" he was quoted by Komsomolskaya Pravda as saying.

Finally, someone with a healthy attitude toward drinking. And stabbing.