Knuckleheads- Why and how I started it

Blogger John in Carolina linked to me on Friday. He enjoys my daily Knucklehead award and was telling his readers to come over and pay me a visit. Thanks John.

Because of my site meter, I know where most viewers of my blog come in from. The most common entry point is my daily open trackback at Mudville Gazette. There I link to most recent Knucklehead winner. It seems there are people who want to know why these people win my award.

How did all this get started? I began my first blog, Bill's Correspondence Chess Diary last February. After months of reading blogs like Michelle Malkin and Captain Ed, I decided to dip my toe into the blog waters. Even with a small chess blog. Little did I know how addictive it would become.

The blog was supposed to be about chess, but not long after starting it I started talking about other subjects. It was March 17th when I gave out my first Knucklehead. A unknown truck driver whose series of wrong turns brought traffic to grinding halt. My mother-in-law was with me at the time and I think I said "What a knucklehead". An award was born.

My award is not totally original. Ankle biting Pundits gives out the weekly Judge Elihu Smails Award. The Washington Times does the knave of the week.

In the beginning the Knucklehead award wasn't always daily. I hadn't perfected my ways yet of finding these people. Now its a rare day I don't give out one. I haven't missed a day since July if you excuse my 10-day hospital stay in August where I didn't blog at all.

The awards really picked up when I started this blog The Florida Masochist. Here I blog on average five times a day. My very first post was a Knucklehead of the Day award. It went to the American Gold Star Mom board members that voted to deny membership to Ligaya Lagman.

How do I pick out the winners? Is it easy or hard? Some days the winners stand out immediately when I see the front page of the newspaper. Other times I have to search. I tell Dear wife many mornings the following- "If you see a Knucklehead, let me know." DW is often judge and jury as to who gets the awards. Last Friday she informed me of that day's winner.

Some days I have to comb multiple media outlets for a winner. I first start with Yahoo, then Florida newspapers before going to papers spread across the country. That's one of the reasons I have a long list of newspaper links on my website.

Do I look for a particular type of Knucklehead? Not really, though I do like the ones by ordinary people whose stupidity makes you laugh. Other Knuckleheads could be categorized by Politicians, Bureaucrats, Entertainment, Sports, Our Justice and Legal systems, The MSM, Groups/Corporations/Organizations, or Personal Knuckleheads. Politician Knuckleheads would seem to be the most likely candidates, but I am not certain that after doing a tally this group would be leading. Some of the most annoying knuckleheads in my opinion are those out of our Justice and legal systems.

Any way I just enjoy giving out these awards. I hope my readers enjoy them also.

Sunday Traffic Jam- Outside the Beltway and Bright and Early