Once More Unto the Summer of Compliments

Today I finished my version of the Complimenting Commenter's Summer of Compliments.

The goal of this was to compliment 100 people over the summer and now that I have completed it, I wanted to share a few thoughts that I thought along that way.

I wanted to concentrate most of the compliments on my blog friends (or as I like to call them my Jr. Intergalactic Gladiators) but I also wanted to get many of the real world people out there that I have contact with.

I complimented a few minor celebrities along the way, mostly Internet columnists from places that I like to go to. I also complimented a few newspaper columnists, most notably Quick Takes from the Chicago Sun Times. He, in turn, published it in his column on a Sunday. Honestly, I was hoping he would do that, but I would have been OK with it if he didn't. Another Sun Times columnist who I sent a compliment to was Robert Feder who writes a great column about local (and sometimes national) radio and media. He emailed me back that night and said "Thanks. Who are you?" I thought that was funny and I replied with more background on myself, including my interests in radio.

Here is my list of complimentees:

1. Complimenting Commenter (I figure since it's his idea, he gets one first)
2. My wife Patricia
3. My daughter Kiera
4. My dog Shamrock (I can compliment my dog, right?)
5. Fluke Starbucker
6. Master Yoda
7. Captain Picard
8. General Grievous
9. Movie critic Peter Sobczynski
10. Professor Xavier
11. JawaJuice
12. Local henchman
13. Lt. Commander Oneida
14. Simon
15. Carmi
16. Padme
17. Novi
18. Michele Agnew
19. Army of Clone
20. Local Henchman
21. Captain Typho
22. Qui-Gon Jinn
23. Wedge Antillies
24. Sun Times columnist Zay Smith
25. Erifia Apoc
26. Yo También Te Mando Besos
27. Anthony at Carmax
28. Chris Ryall from Comics101.
29. Scott Tipton from Comics101.
30. Scott Bowden from Comics101.
31. Joshua Jabcuga from Comics101.
32. Mark Engblom from Comics101.
33. My sister Laurie.
34. Jango Fett
35. Gaia
36. Dan Savage
37. The clerk from Petsmart.
38. Gyrobo
39. Karnov
40. Captain Koma
41. The Martian Manhunter
42. Phoenix
43. Useless Advice from Useless Men
44. Flying Booger
45. Question of the Day
46. Vegeta
47. Jaina Solo
48. Gregg Easterbrook
49. Dave's Longbox
50. My mom.
51. E) None of The Above
52. Barriss Offee
53. My friend Jim
54. Lori's World
55. Senor Cheeseburger
56. Dark Jedi Kriss
57. Deadpool
58. My friend Dennis
59. Lady, that's my skull
60. j00{z
61. My friend Dave
62. My friend Lance.
63. JabaFatboy
64. Aayla Secura
65. Aayla Secura
66. Chancelor Palpatine
67. Anakin Skywalker
68. NandeHi
69. Blockade Boy
70. Fred the Fox
71. Military Jake
72. Noel
73. Dance of the Puppets
74. Cardbored knight
75. Spider-Man
76. My sister Nancy
77. Larry Mayer
78. Richard Roeper
79. Robert Feder
80. Epsilon 775
81. Iceman
82. Beast
83. Dr. Doom
84. The Incredible Hulk
85. Emma Frost
86. Tech Tips
87. Jerry Markbreit
88. The Absorbascon
89. Jonathon Brandmeier
90. I Watch Stuff
91. The Superficial
92. The O'Ciardha Clan
93. Jinx Miakoda
94. Mike Mulligan
95. My brother-in-law Paul
96. Phobia
97. David Haugh
98. Roger Ebert
99. Kristi Roth
100. My dad

For 99, I wanted to express my thanks to Kristi for hanging out at my site like she does. Kristi has a website somewhere, I remember seeing it, but I don't know where it is. It also didn't have a place to leave comments, so I'll have to do it here. Kristi, I really appreciate your visits and I would love to return the favor.

For 100, I don't want to get maudlin but my father hasn't been around since my sophomore year in high school. Still, I learned right from wrong and developed my sense of humor because of him and I will always appreciate that. I feel that he is watching and I hope that he's proud of me.

My last few thoughts are these, at first it was pretty easy handing out these compliments to everyone, there was a bit of a stretch about 2/3's of the way through where I slowed down quite a bit, but I also complimented several people a day in a few instances. On one hand, giving out 100 compliments seems a little tough, but when you think about all of the people that you come in contact with, you could give a sincere thanks to that many people easily.

You can give it (compliments) to your family, friends, coworkers, clerks at stores, the waiters and waitresses, the policeman on the street, the mailman, and anybody else who you might encounter during your normal day. There are actually plenty of people who I missed who deserve compliments such as my neighbors, most of my in-laws, and people who I work with. I am grateful for them all, though I didn’t express it here.

Will I do it again next year? Maybe. Will you do it next year? I hope so.

Thank you.