Top Ten Blog Posts Of 2013

It's that time of year again where Americans gather around the computer to check out the top ten lists for the year. Here are the top ten blog posts for Random Thoughts Of A Random Guy From A Random Place Up In The Sky for 2013. This blog is now 2 and-a-half years old and I've written nearly 100 posts in that time. Unlike last year, only one post on this list was written the year previous, and just barely. Based on the number of reads (or hits), here is the list you have been waiting for:

1. "Dead Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Interviewed By Local Paper About Shooting"
After a slow start, this post became quite popular, being number one for several weeks and just beating the number two post by a single read. The official report on the shooting does nothing to clear up this bizarre story, in fact, it doesn't mention it at all.

2. "The Pesky Bill Of Rights"
The way the government has been reacting, these rights are certainly being damned pesky.

3. "Announcing The First Ever Donation Drive"
Circumstances beyond my control forced me to go hat in hand on the internet in an attempt to raise $525. $325 was raised over 3 months, but that extra would still go a long way to alleviating some trauma. Won't you be an angel and help?

4. "President Obama Warns Students To Reject Voices Regarding Government Tyranny The Day After Kent State Massacre Anniversary"
Apparently, only Obama and the sheep he was speaking to missed the irony of this low moment of the year.

5. "George W. Bush - Artist"
Some of former president George W. Bush's paintings were "accidently" released on-line (yeah, right, whatever) and in this post I became an art critic (and why not?).

6. "Michael Hastings, The Car Crash & The Autopsy Report"
After moving to Los Angeles late in 2012, this story became one of the strangest and, at times, most heatedly debated of the entire year. So far, Mercedes has not backed down on their claim that their cars do not explode.

7. "ROBERT F. KENNEDY - The Most Obvious Conspiracy"
The 45th anniversary of RFK's assassination prompted this piece which shows how obvious was this conspiracy and cover-up in that shooting.

8. "Michael Hastings Fiery Car Crash: The Tale Of Two Cars & Disinformation"
Even I make mistakes sometimes and am willing to admit it. This post still supplies perceptions shared by even Mainstream Media (MSM) reporters.

9. "Mass Manipulation - Too Many Gunmen At The Sandy Hook Shooting"
This tragic event was subjected to a variety of disinformation campaigns that nearly boggle the mind. Instead of being boggled, here was an attempt to look at the usual script used once again (if it ain't broke why fix it?).

10. "Gilligan's Island - An Appreciation"
One of my longest blog posts ever was one of the most fun to write. I'm glad it made the top ten.
 

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND - An Appreciation

Fifty years ago this month, shooting began on the original pilot of "Gilligan's Island", created and produced by Sherwood Shwartz. Filmed in Hawaii (with the last day of shooting falling on November 22nd, 1963), the pilot was bought by CBS-TV for inclusion on it's Fall, 1964 schedule. Casting changes for three of the characters/actors resulted in very little of the original pilot footage being used for the series proper. From this inauspicious beginning, a cultural phenomenon was created, although none of the cast, crew or producers knew it at the time.




(From left to right: Alan Hale, Bob Denver, Tina Louise, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson. All photos under Fair Use)

Despite strong ratings, "Gilligan's Island" was cancelled after only three seasons*, but it has remained in reruns on television worldwide to this very day. The characters of Gilligan and his fellow castaways are icons and the theme song is instantly recognizable to many people across a wide range. For those who do not know, or need a reminder, the premise of the series was simple: take seven people of varying backgrounds and strand them on a deserted island. The plots revolved around two basic themes: getting the hell off the island or surviving some impending catastrophe whether real or imagined.

The stranding of the seven castaways came about after their "three hour tour" was interrupted by a raging storm. The series featured a strong and talented cast starring Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale, Jr. as The Skipper, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as "Lovey" Howell, Tina Louise as Ginger Grant, Russell Johnson as The Professor and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann. Occasionally a "guest star" would drop in on the island (for whatever outlandish reason) or a wonderfully written "dream sequence" was added to a plot to spice things up.

Although Schwartz pitched his series to network executives as a microcosm of society, it was always intended to be played as a broad comedy. The characters of Gilligan and The Skipper were also intended to be an homage to the great comedy team of Laurel and Hardy, as well as representing the bumbling first mate and his loyal leader. The millionaire reprentatives of society were, of course, Mr. Howell, and his wife, Lovey, while Ginger was the Hollywood starlet wannabe; brains and critical thinking in the form of The Professor and lastly, but certainly not least, Mary Ann as the sweet Kansas farm girl next door.