CHUCKBLOG RETROSPECTIVE
January 8th, 2010. I, a younger Charles, am sitting at home with some family members trying to pick out a movie to watch. Our library is semi-extensive but doesn't offer anything that's not a chick flick or action movie (you can tell a lot about my household from that statement). Since most of my relatives are female, Julie and Julia is picked from our selection, and sets in motion a sequence of events that would shape ChuckBlog.
I hardly remember the plot of the movie, but what I can recall is that one of the protagonists (I suppose Julie) starts a blog about cooking. On this blog she posts cooking recipes and such, and eventually becomes an internet superstar with people all over the world salivating over her photos of recipes (more or less). After the movie was finished my family suddenly has an idea: "We could start a blog too!"
Suddenly everyone's for the idea of starting a blog, including me, so they all hop on over to the internet and look up Blogger, knowing some friends who use it. Sure enough, they start a blog. "Jenny's Girls: To Eat and Look Like Nana." It's a weight-loss journal blog where they discuss eating healthy, jogging, gyms, and... oh it makes me bored just thinking about it. Now, Jenny's Girls is no place for a boy like me, no no no, and the blog fever has slapped me in the face as well, so I ask my mom "Hey, maybe I could do this whole blog thing too?" Her immediate answer is "no." It takes some time, but I eventually work my magic and convince her to let me set up a blog on her account, under the condition that she pre-reads everything I post. Trying to find a name for my blog is hard, considering most of them are taken. Charles's Blog: TAKEN. Blog of Charles: TAKEN. ChuckBlog: TAKEN (just wait). Finally, I decide to name the site ChuckBlog and instead of using "chuckblog.blogspot.com" I create my own url: "chucktalksonline.blogspot.com." It's a little obscure and long, but maybe it'll work.
My first post is entitled "Welcome!" and to this day is one of my greatest shames. Looking back on my posts and how poorly written and crude they are, I feel a bit embarrassed, but to preserve the history of the site, they shall be there forever. The post is very sarcastic, try-hard funny, and stupid. I'm pretty sure when you say "Ahh, whaling rivalries, sweet, restraining order inducing whaling rivalries" you're on the wrong track. After that post, I abandoned ChuckBlog, or more accurately forgot about it. The blog fever was cured instantly by other mediums of entertainment, and ChuckBlog was lost. It would be four months till the next post. The next post was basically me just testing out colors and embedding videos. It was a better post than the last one, but still not great.
Eventually, more and more posts continued to pop up, and by the end of the year, I had 21 posts under my belt. Not bad, for a little blog that had only about 150 views. Within this time frame of my first year, I had a 20th Post Spectacular, that had a recap of all my posts up to that point. I felt so proud then, I could never imagine getting 10,000 hits or having 100 posts then, it was out of the question crazy.
It was then that year 2 of ChuckBlog started, and that's when things really got on a roll. In all, there were 65 posts that year, many of them reviews of games, Zelda news (for the 25th anniversary), and my personal thoughts and quibbles. By now, a few people were following ChuckBlog, about 4 if I remember correctly. I just kept posting and posting. I started a YouTube Channel, posted some more, went to eighth grade, posted some more, my blog was the coolest thing I'd ever done on the internet.
And that leads me up to right now, 99 posts later from "Welcome!" I hope you enjoyed that history lesson, now it's time for the real fun.
THE TOP 10 POSTS OF ALL TIME (currently)
If you ever kept tabs on the "Sellin' Like Hotcakes" tab to the left of the blog, you'd see my top 5 posts of all time. Well, it's time now for me to show you the five runner ups as well, so let's take a big look at my top 10 viewed posts!
10. The Return of Toonami?
When I wrote this post, I was as excited as a little schoolgirl. Toonami, my favorite TV block from my childhood was gaining support, and the internet was on fire about it. I wrote this post to qualm any rumors and give the straight facts, and it would be followed by the "Update: Toonami Returns" post. I can see why this one has so many views.
9. End of an Era (R.I.P. BIONICLE)
BIONICLE was a pillar of my childhood, something I was into more than almost anything else. BIONICLE was constant through my childhood, through the good and bad, it was always there. Not only were the toys versatile, but the story was epic, layered in it's own deep lore and mythology. When BIONICLE was cancelled, I wrote this post to express my sadness. It wasn't always at this spot, it's accumulated views over a long time.
8. Lego Minecraft
Well, when you post about something popular, it'll probably get it's fair share of views. I thought Lego Minecraft was pretty cool when I first saw it, and a blog post would be appropriate since it fit the blog so well. Not too much to this post, just a little bit of gaming news.
7. Well, There Goes my Flatscreen. (Top 10 Wii!)
Looking back on the Wii, I had more fun with that thing than almost any other console (except the PS2, that thing is sacred). I wrote down my top 10 Wii games here, and looking back, I would change a few things, maybe omit and add some, but it's a pretty solid list, and I can understand how it got a good bit of views. For a while, it was number 3 on my top 10, but sank down to seven after some more posts rose to power.
6. Welcome Back! (Sorry!)
There are some times in life where you just go "why?" You ask, "How on earth is this the case?" and you never get an answer. This post was meant to be an apology for me not posting in a while, and a way to kick off the blog again. In fact, half of what that post says isn't even applicable any more! There are no more random pictures, and no more CYBER 3 FORUMS, and yet somehow it ranks #6 on my top ten viewed posts of all time. I don't even know why. I don't even know why.
5. 20th Post Spectacular!
I mentioned my 20th post spectacular over in the retrospective, and although it's a cool post, I don't see how it's part of the top 5. You'd think people would read the stuff that isn't just about this blog, but I guess not. Either way, it's in my top 5 currently, and will probably stay for a while.
4. Movie Review! (Shrek 4)
When a movie's released two years ago, and it's still number 4 on your top 10 most viewed posts, something's going on. I guess a whole bunch of people are still watching Shrek 4, but I have no idea why, or why they need a review for it. This was only my... fourth post, I believe, and ironically enough, it's number 4 on here. The review is actually okay, for my first one. It's certainly better that my Sorcerer's Apprentice review, which was written on a DSi.
3. Raw, Unfiltered Anticipation
ChuckBlog did a lot to celebrate the release of Skyward Sword. This post was written a few days before the game came out in order to release some tension and impatience. I was SO excited about this game it's not even funny, and it lived up to everything I expected it too. This post is kind of funny for me to read, seeing as how all of that anticipation has dissipated into nothingness.
2. Hero Factory 4.0?
Leave it to HERO FACTORY, the bane of my existence, to get me a ton of views (it doesn't any more, considering the sets have come out). Here's the thing, whenever you can scoop up some dirt on unreleased LEGO products, people will search for it. I remember searching for next year's BIONICLE sets on Google all the time, and often being amazed at what I found. During Hero Factory 3.0, people would search for 4.0, and so they found this page. That's why it has so many views.
1. Favorite Disney Characters
"Well, I guess I have to have at least one cheesy post per year..." ~Charles Painter
How on earth did this post gain 1st place on here? No idea. My stats tell me it comes from people searching for "Chernabog" (who's on the list), and the thing has already gotten 222 views this month alone. Honestly, this post wasn't supposed to be much, but I'm glad that Jose and Chernabog got their moments in the spotlight.
Now come the time to dig a little deeper and show you some posts you never even saw! That's right, THE UNPOSTED POSTS!!!
THE POSTS THAT NEVER SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY
Posts that were never published include titles such as A Red Marker, Calvin and Hobbes, Pandora, BOA (Bands of America), 240? What Happened to One?, How Bored You Be, Radio Show, Moral of the Story, Game Review: Star Fox 64 3D, Official Zelda Timeline, Bit.Trip (ChuckBlog Platinum Award), and (Untitled Post). And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, you get to read what's completed of my Star Fox 64 3D review!
"I usually don't wait this long to post a review on a video game, but I've been busy. And also, I'm home sick right now and I have nothing else to do. So, ON TO THE REVIEW! It's been a while since I've reviewed a video game, and that's because my purchasing of video gmaes has gone down because my supply of money has also gone down. But, I kept a piggy bank just for Star Fox 64 3D (and I have one for Skyward Sword too) and accumulated enough to get it. So let's take a look. A book look! The 3DS has been remaking some major games recently, the most noticible being Ocarina of Time, Star Fox 64, and Super Street Fighter IV. Star Fox is one of the best entries in this category, not only because of the new graphic design, but of the overall work and pollish put into it. Let's take a look at what makes it so great.
1. REVAMPED AND 3D GRAPHICS
Like any and all 3DS games, it includes the amazing 3D graphics which make it look awesome. Star Fox 64 fits perfectly with this 3D and looks beautiful when played. That's also because of the entirely redone graphics. All of the characters, enemies, and especially the stages (especially especially the water on any given stage) look phenominal, and I would enjoy watching this game be played.
2. CONTROLS
Now, as we all know, the 3DS's cirle pad and the 64's analog stick are simiar, but they function in different ways. Realizing this, Nintendo released two "versions" of Star Fox 64 3D on the cartridge. One is the classic 64 version which presents "the original challenge of Star Fox 64" (meaning it was designed for analog). The other is the 3DS version, which was made for the circle pad, AND motion controls."
So there you go, my unposted posts. Now it's time for another very special occasion, honoring the members of ChuckBlog!
CHUCKBLOG MEMBERS
From humble beginnings, ChuckBlog has had a few members. Now, I proudly have 10 members online, allow me to honor each one of them.
TMcSpanks12
Price
Jedi Black Guy and also Double O Stefan
timothyrussom
Greyson Hammock
Biljana Karapetroska
simon goffin
Donovan Wesner
Drew Pinckard
and ginger, who was there from the start
I send a very special thank you to all you guys for following me this far. I decided you needed a little recognition.
IN CLOSING
So that's all I have for my 100th post spectacular. I'll probably wake up in the middle of the night and say "Dang! Forgot to put this!" but who cares? Thanks for 100 great posts, and stay tuned.
