Well, it is time to give this blog a congratulatory pat on the back.

We have reached 1,000 Rants today. I am amazed by that accomplishment as many of you must be.

I started this blog just a few years back as a writing oasis, of sorts, for me.

I am a professional writer. As WWE wrestler Mark Henry proclaims about his athletic ability, I can say the same thing about my writing ability: "That's what I do."

It puts food on the table, and I have been doing it for a number of years, first off and on and then full time.

Anyway, I write about military happenings all day. Sure, at times it is interesting, but I am pigeon-holed by writing about that subject every week.

I created this blog to provide myself with an outlet to write about other things, and I think I have succeeded in that quest.

I can write about what I want, when I want to, and I am so happy that so many of you have taken this blog up on a daily basis as I write to my heart's content.

Sometimes I get into heavy topics, but generally, it's pretty light here.

I usually write these entries at between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the morning, and I guess I am not into the heavy stuff that much that early in the morning.

But I have written about a lot of stuff, from my hatred of ties to famous (and not so famous) people's birthdays to my personal likes and dislikes, including those in sports.

I have written about my vacations, my own experiences, and those of my family. 

After the past few years, if you read this column regularly, you have gotten to know me.

I am basically the same person that I was when I was a kid, digging in the dirt in Rochdale Village, South Jamaica, Queens, New York.

The difference, now, is that I am older, look at things from a more adult perspective, and I have lost the hair on my head.

I cherish the old days, but realize that they are gone.

I look forward to the future, but realize that the future isn't as bright for may of us as we would have liked.

I try to bring out all of this in my daily column, or, if you will, my five-days-a-week column.

No, I make no money off of this blog at all, not even the thousand dollar bill I have posted here.
The blog has some ads, but how many of you click on them?

I don't blame you, they aren't that interesting.

What is interesting, I hope, is what I write about. I hope it touches a nerve with all of you, makes you think about what I said, and maybe, gets a reaction from you.

So here's to the first 1,000.

I don't know if, at this point, Dick Gregory is still on his hunger strike to find out the truth about Michael Jackson's death (a post long, long ago), but I do know that I will be back here tomorrow, working on the first of hopefully at least another 1,000 posts.

We won't reach 1,100 posts until about Christmas, so I better start working hard on this blog.

See you tomorrow with my 1,001st post!