Gosh, this proved rather harder to whittle down than the similar list I culled from the early months of Froogville a couple of weeks back (though - by pure concidence - I once again seem to have come up with the "well-omened" total of 28). Despite being (still) the less-frequented of my two blogs, I really do feel there's a lot of quality on here.
I hope readers - new and old - will take the time to explore these recommendations and let me know what you think.
Pick of the Archive: Favourite Posts, Sept. - Dec. '06
1) The Worthy Opponent - 31st December
An appreciation of my best buddy in China, Tony "The Chairman", and his uncanny pool-playing skills
2) Zen & the Art of Playing Pool - 28th December
My fascination with the world's greatest indoor game
3) A GREAT gig - 28th December
The first of many posts about one of my favourite bars in my area of Beijing; and a description of probably the best gig I have seen in Beijing
4) In praise of drunks - 24th December
A superb quotation from 'unsuitable role model' Shane MacGowan: this might well be my motto in life, or a manifesto for this blog
5) Another Jamaican moment - 20th December
My favourite of a series of anecdotes about a trip to Jamaica, long ago
6) The Black Swan - 17th December
Fond recollections of a period living in Oxford in the early '90s - and of a pub that for a while came very close to being perfect
7) The Vomit People - 13th December
My favourite story from University days; not as distasteful as the title makes it sound!
8) Footprints in the butter - 13th December
Musings on my first 'drive-by' commenter..... and on the purpose and prospects of the blog in general
9) Late night frivol - 12th December
There is rather less of my poetry over here than on brother-blog Froogville; but this, I think, is one of my more successful pieces.
10) The Sanity Clause - 10th December
In which I play Santa Claus for the first time - and complain bitterly about how old it makes me feel!
11) Giving Bukowski his due - 29th November
The full text of my favourite Charles Bukowski poem, 'beer' (previously quoted only briefly)
12) Zelig - 22nd November
Some autobiographical reflections - and a refusal to be categorised
13) Haiku Bar haiku 5 - 22nd November
Probably my favourite to date in this weekly series of short poems
14) An Oxford man - 20th November
A great put-down from one of my e-mail correspondents
15) Certain Substances - 29th November
Confessing my occasional fondness for ganja
16) A Party for Two - 19th November
My wildest party ever
15) More on... The Otway Experience - 12th November
An attempt to describe the unique phenomenon that is cult hero, pub rocker extraordinaire, John Otway
16) The Planet of Beautiful Women - 6th November
In which my head is turned rather too easily....
17) Through a glass, snarkily.... - 4th November
Just a photograph, but one I am particularly fond of
18) We are sailing, we are sailing.... - 2nd November
Key Beijing drinking institution 'The Yacht Club' explained, for those not fortunate enough to be 'members'
19) Another great 'Hagar' moment - 17th October
20) A slightly blurry recollection of Crete - 12th October
Perhaps the best of a series of anecdotes about a school trip to Crete in the early '90s
21) Jeffrey Dahmer Time - 8th October
On the importance of knowing when to quit
22) More from Jeff - 6th October
Some favourite bon mots from No. 1 Unsuitable Role Model, Jeffrey Bernard (and for brief snapshots of my two meetings with him, see this: Another unsuitable role model)
23) The Koryo Hotel - 2nd October
On why it's not a good idea to fall for North Korean girls
24) Waitsiana - 30th September
A very early poetic effort: a homage to Tom Waits
25) Two Kinds Of Drunk - 28th September
A crucial post on the raison d'être of the blog
[I should probably try to put it in the sidebar one day]
26) The Wedding To End All Weddings - 25th September
In which my notorious 'partner in crime' The Bookseller is first introduced to my blog readers, and my current fatness is explained
27) The Time Warp - 18th September
I learn the perils of 'going home'.... and of fancying barmaids
28) Down to the 'Doctors' - 17th September
Festival time in Edinburgh, a convenient drinking station.... and a painful coincidence
3 comments:
tulsa, just for you. I know this dosen't count cos I still haven't read the posts, but I was here first.
lol! you're right, that doesn't count! and for a whopper post like this, c'mon, you gotta give feedback!
which of the 28 was your favorite???
20. A Slightly Blurry Recollection of Crete -
This might be the one that "hooked" me to your blogs back in December or January.
I fall of my chair laughing everytime I read it.
Earthling... definitely check it out!
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