Oh what a splendid day
Winters in Memphis, TN have there ups and downs. The down is that it’s often 40 degrees and raining. We only get one or two good snows each winter. Mostly it’s just very cold rain and it can go on for weeks. Today is one of the nice days in a Memphis winter. We have more than our share of 55-65 degree days when the sun is out. Often this even happens in January or February. This year we had daffodils blooming in early February. Last year, I even saw iris' in bloom in January. That’s kind of scary.
So, let me say that there’s nothing quite like sitting outside an a 60ish degree day, sun warming me up, laptop with wireless internet so I can read and post to the web. Actually, I’ve spent the morning reading various webblogs. Funny, I’ve been aware of these online journals/zines/logs for awhile now but only recently did I really start to read them. I’ve been reading Zeldmanfor a year or two as well as a few others but I viewed them more as standard websites.
I suppose I’m just beginning to explore the blog phenomena and it’s very interesting. What I’m reading is so much more personal and real. And, dare I say, the information when it’s not of the personal nature, seems to be more credible than the “news” found on cnn. No “experts”, no “journalists”, just people who think and read and write. Whereas cnn often broadcast the official government perspective (so much for a free and critical press), the writings found on many blogs seem to be a blend of academic research and real world experience. They certainly express a diversity of opinion far, far beyond the corporate media.
The blog community is, at least on the surface, similar in functionality to entities like Indymedia. Essentially, the decentralization of information gathering and analysis. Most of the blogs I’m coming across have a listing of other blogs to check out which is really useful and adds to the sense of networked community.
Okay, I’m off to add some hot water to my tea!
03/04/2003
Wow. What an amazingly fun read
Full Bleed: Confessions of a Zine Girl
A great mix of information. You know, now that I’m trying to describe it I can’t. I like the human feel to her writing. One moment writing to describe her genuine appreciation for her dog, the next offering an opinion on Bush’s religious motivations for supporting AIDs relief in Africa.
And… she’s a Chumbawamba fan!!
Overall, just a fun and inspiring read. I think this site is the internet at its best.