The Life of Bon: I'm gonna steal some souls and give away some money!

Thursday, February 06, 2014

I'm gonna steal some souls and give away some money!

So I have this bad habit.  Sometimes I read gomi.  Gomi stands for get off my internets which is basically a site where anonymous people write all the reasons why they can't stand certain bloggers.  Sounds real warm and cozy, right?

Now, I know full well that I shouldn't look at that site to see what mean stuff is being written about me. But I can't help it.  It is impossible.  You show me a person who can look away from crap being written about her and I will show you a person who has incredible self control and discipline.  That person is not me.  (Although I will admit that some of the criticism has been helpful.  Maybe one day I'll write about that.  Not today.)

Last night I noticed a bit of traffic trickling in from gomi, and so naturally I checked to see what things were being said.  

A few days ago I posted this picture of me eating Cafe Rio:


The anonymous commenter, TitWitch, posted this about the picture: "I see a woman who is going to eat a baby with a taco salad side and then steal some souls."

We gotta give it up right now for TitWitch.  That comment is pure gold.  I didn't mean to, but I burst into laughter the minute I read that description. It's brilliant. Eating babies and stealing souls while downing a taco salad side... Genius.  I wonder what it was that gave me a way?  The lazy eye?  The huge grin?  Or was it maybe THE CLENCHED FIST?!?

And that is why you visit gomi. 

NOW it is time for the February giveaway.  The ladies below have all pooled in their hard earned cash to give away to one of you lucky readers.  $170 big ones any way you want it.  I hope you take some time to visit their blogs and send some love- there are some seriously fantastic bloggers in the group.

This was the message from last month's giveaway winner after I told her she won:  "Holler!Omgosh Omgosh no way!!!!!! This is such good timing as i have a car repair to pay for and those of course never come at a good time. Super stoked. PayPal is fine! This email I'm emailing you from is my  PayPal email. This email totally made my day. Thank you so so much!"  You could be next, ya'll!  Enter on the rafflecopter below.


+ $30 Etsy Shop Credit to onebrokegirlinaus
+ Stamped Necklace as seen here



The Fairy Princess Diaries// Love Woke Me up this Morning// Not Before my Tea// Meet with a Smile


Jan M Loves// The Style Optimist


The winner will be chosen February 14, 2014.  All entries will be verified. Giveaway is open to international readers with a paypal account.


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39 comments:

  1. HAHAHA ... take that, GOMI. Way to take the high road Bon ;)

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  2. Sorry I don't usually comment but I LOVE your blog. Also, I can't help but wonder what kind of person has time to follow/stalk blogs just to make fun of them? I need that kind of time, what is their secret? I wanna know. Anyway love your blog, especially the title of this post. And respect to you for how you handled that.

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    1. That's a good question. I always say that we make time for what's a priority to us... so maybe that's their priority?

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  3. I'm pretty sure gomi doesn't know what to do with you!!! I admit to checking it out. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Lots of mean stuff. I think you handle it pretty well. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't.

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    1. I always hesitate to mention gomi because I know it will inevitably send readers to their site, but I guess they contribute to my pageviews so I should do the same? It's a weird world.

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  4. Yea I agree with Maddie ^^^ seriously, I still don't understand that site.

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    1. That makes three of us! I do understand the need to vent and I can definitely be critical of others, I think it's the enormity of the site and how public it is that is hard for me.

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  5. Your writing is creative and funny and unique. Thanks for giving me a breath of fresh air every time you post!!!

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  6. YES! That's hilarious! It actually makes me really curious about gomi...

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    1. I admit to reading way more on there than I should, and not just my threads. In some ways it helps me to realize what the general public does not like about bloggers but will never say on their actual blogs. In other ways it makes me horribly depressed so I usually have to kick myself off after about 15 minutes.

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  7. I have never heard of gomi! Ok, I may be 'new' to the whole blogging world but yowza, people can be so cruel. There goes all of my self esteem. Way to take it on and show them you are better than that! Go Bonnie!

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    1. Yes people can be cruel! My blog went through this weird phase about a year ago where it attracted the meanest commenters. I had several people leave absolutely terrible comments. Luckily it seems to have subsided (or maybe they all just took refuge in gomi) but that was one of the weirdest things for me upon entering the blog world- how boldly mean people can be behind a computer screen.

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  8. I can't imagine seeing myself on gomi, I'd be devastated. Glad you can laugh about it.

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    1. Yes! Devastated is a good word. When I was first mentioned on there I was sick to my stomach for about a week. Now I've learned to not put as much stock in to what a group of strangers on the internet think about me on the internet, but like I mentioned in my post, it's impossible to not look.

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  9. Oh good. Finally, a haven for people who just want to be anonymously cruel on the internet! Just what the world needs. Anyway, soul-stealing or no, I'm happy to have stumbled across you through Bloglovin'!

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    1. Thank you Metamorphocity! Glad to have you along, but just be careful because I WILL steal your soul.

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  10. Anonymous9:09 AM

    Ha. I found you through GOMI! When I read what they were writing, I thought to myself, there's no way that someone can be that bad, I'm sure they're just not happy people. So I checked you out. So glad I did.

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    1. Wow, seriously?! That's awesome! I guess I owe gomi for sending some loyal readers my way!

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  11. Haha, oh Boonie. My favorite part of GOMI is that the people don't even know the bloggers, don't judge!

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    1. That's what I had to tell myself in the beginning- these people don't know me, have never met me, are just making assumptions based on a small part of me I shared with the internet. If someone met me IRL and still thought all those things then I would be much more hurt.

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  12. I like GOMI actually as I sincerely appreciate snark. And if ever the snark is aimed at me I have told myself I'd do as you do and consider it constructively, using what is worthwhile to better myself/my writing and chuckle at the rest. I don't understand the bloggers who try to justify themselves there. To me it's like the guest of honor at a roast getting offended and trying to explain themselves to the roasters. Just sit down, shut up, have yourself a chuckle at your own expense and use the feedback to your advantage moving forward. And, never, ever have I stopped reading a blog because it was featured at GOMI. In fact, it's sorta how I find new people to follow. :)

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    1. great analogy! I do agree that trying to defend yourself of gomi seems a bit silly as I don't think that most of the commenters care to hear a defense and I don't think anyone's mind is going to be changed. Most of the time you can "have a chuckle" as you said, but I have seen comments on there get very very nasty. Luckily they have been pretty gentle with me, but some commenters take it way too far on there and in those cases I can see where it's tough to just laugh and move on.

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  13. Anonymous10:28 AM

    Hey commenters: I read GOMI and often post negative comments there instead of on blogger's comments. Why? Cause you people can be really nasty! Already out of a measly 12 comments you lovely people have said this person that you "don't even know" has no life, is cruel, and must be jealous. Had this Tit person posted his/her comment here (because honestly, Bon, I love you but you do look a little deranged in that picture!) you guys would be attacking him/her for that. So basically, just shut up unless your opinion is rainbows and sunshine?

    I'm a therapist, and I would rather my patients make a mean anonymous comment on a message board than, say, cut themselves, overeat, become depressed, or shoot up a school full of children. We all have negative opinions of stuff and we all have to let out that negativity sometimes. It's a lot healthier to make a comment than it is do sublimate your annoyance and explode later. Life is hard sometimes and we do each other no favors by acting like the positivity police.

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    1. Sarah, such a great comment and I'm glad you spoke up in defense of gomi! I do agree that gomi is a much better place to put negative comments then on the blogger's actual comment section, and in some way I can see the purpose in a site like gomi, a place to vent and unwind and just let out some negativity. I do get that.

      I don't know that I agree with your position that posting mean comments on a very public forum is a form of therapy and much better than over eating, becoming depressed, etc. I don't think it's really fair to say that a blogger should put up with public internet bashing so that an anonymous commenter doesn't "cut themselves." I understand the severity and difficulty of mental illnesses, but surely a good solution can't be to make fun of people online where those people being made fun of can easily read the mean comments that are being posted. It's like trying to help one person's health and happiness at the expense of someone else's. Like I mentioned in the comment above, I have been spared most of the intense criticism and mean comments but I have seen absolutely terrible things said about people, their kids, their parents, just horrific things that do not help a blogger to improve, are just mean blatant attacks on the person. I do know that most commenters on gomi are not this cruel, but some are and the site offers a safe place for people to behave that way.

      (Also just to defend the "measly" commenters real quick... I double checked all the comments and no one on here said that gomi commenters are jealous or have no life. They did say that they can be cruel, which I think you would have a hard time arguing against. One of my personal pet peeves is when people respond to any criticism by saying that person is jealous. We all know that's just ridiculous. Everyone can't be jealous of everyone!)

      WHEW! What a comment. I do appreciate your comment and feedback... and I also agree that bloggers can be every bit as nasty as gomiers... I guess it's just human nature?

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  14. Bon, I LOVE that you've found humor in this. I recently discovered GOMI and I think that (while there is admittedly some stuff that crosses a line into being just mean) there's some really valuable feedback in those forums. I think it's great that you acknowledge it and laugh at it, and I sincerely hope to read your post one day on how GOMI has helped you. Thanks for being honest, open, and down-to-earth, More bloggers should treat it all this way.

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    1. I agree! There can be very valuable feedback and then there is stuff that is just cruel. The line for me is figuring out what I can use to better myself and my craft and what is just someone being mean and taking out their crappy day on me.

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  15. I always say, and believe, that once you're on GOMI it's a sure sign that you've made it in the blog world

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    1. There you go! I should be honored! I suppose it is inevitable that the more people read your blog the more people will also read your blog and not like it... Still, I'd definitely rather not be on there.

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  16. What is wrong with people? I think you look cute! :)

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    1. Haha! Well thank you! Although I don't know I'd go as far as cute...

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  18. I read GOMI once, and I just couldn't handle it hahaha. Props to you for finding the funny out of it ;)

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  19. Bonnie you are such a good sport! GOMI can be so awful sometimes, good for you for laughing. Also, I love that picture of you and your salad for all the reasons you mentioned.... also the lettuce all over the tray ;) You are darling!

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  20. bahaha. I enjoy the same things with my taco salad =)

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  21. Oh wow I didn't know such website existed... Full of negativities!

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  22. Anonymous10:58 PM

    I'm actually happy GOMI introduced me to you. I like how real you are on your blog. You say some things that are controversial that I don't necessarily agree with but I feel like you're one of my friends. My friends confess things to me that I don't agree with but you know. Anyway you're funny and great. I'm sad I missed the Korea post!

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