BlogDay 2006
Because of my work with ThisNext, and because I am mildly obsessive-compulsive, I read a lot -- no, a LOT -- of blogs. Well, to be fair, when I say read, I mean glance at and make hasty assessments apropos of such information as I can absorb in milliseconds. One of the things I've enjoyed about the ThisNext blog is exposing bloggers of all stripes to a wider audience. Today, a select handful get an elite appearance on my own personal blog. Why? Because it's BlogDay, silly.
Per the site:
What will happen on BlogDay?
In onelong moment In August 31st, bloggers from all over the world will posta recommendation of 5 new Blogs, Preferably, Blogs different from theirown culture, point of view and attitude. On this day, blog surfers willfind themselves leaping and discovering new, unknown Blogs, celebratingthe discovery of new people and new bloggers.BlogDay posting instructions:
1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending on them on BlogDay 2006
3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st) and
5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link: BlogDay2006 and a link to BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org
As usual, I am probably bending the rules. First off, do the five blogs have to be new to me? I bet at least a few of these are new to you, and that's kind of the point, isn't it? Also, I say, why five? Because I track so very many, I can't contain it to so few. And so I wish a very happy BlogDay to the following eight blogs (and that's still too few):
1. Married ...with Dinner
My very dear friends Cameron and Anita are relative newcomers to the food blogosphere, but old hats at expressing articulate opinions about all things foodie in online communities. The ongoing adventures of a couple of self-proclaimed food dorks will not be televised, but they are well documented.
2. Field to Feast
I have family in Harare, Zimbabwe, so I'm rather fascinated with this blog, as it gives me a unique insight into the foods and foibles of life in Harare. Interesting posts, exotic ingredients and a taste of a world apart.
3. The Impulsive Buy
Marvo's product-focused blog is chock-full of hilariously snarky -- yet still informative -- reviews. One of the only blogs I actually laugh out loud at. He also briefly had a très amusing blog called Cereal Mashup, but found it unsustainable.
4. The Food Ass
I interviewed him for ThisNext, as he was an early adopter of our shopcasting badge. The name cracks (heh) me up, and he's clearly got a lot to say. Plus, I love that he's both a food blogger and a rally car driver. Can you name another?
5. Quaffability
Wine blogs are a dime a dozen, and few are of as serious calibre as Vinography. Personally, I'm interested in the bloggers who are out there tasting real-world (read: cheap, corner-store) wines and giving frank reviews. I like John's rating system; it's about price-to-quality ratio. If a $6 wine tastes like a $6 wine, it gets a rating of 100. If it tastes like a $12 wine, it gets a 200. Woe be the cheap wines that don't achieve a 100 rating.
6. BillyKnowsBest
Old friend and wildly successful Avon Man Billy Kolber knows from good product, and puts his well-researched, opinionated thoughts out there on everything from oatmeal to flip-flops to dog beds. Take that, Consumer Reports.
7. Upright and Stowed
Inveterate traveler David Alport was the cofounder (with the aforementioned Billy Kolber) of OUT&ABOUT, the gay travel publication I used to edit for. His blog is a freeform forum to express his passion for travel. One of the few travel blogs that is both informative and entertaining.
8. Carpetblogger
A travel blog of sorts, she riffs on expat living, starting out in Baku, Azerbaijan, but more recently having moved on to the Ukraine, with occasional sojourns to Bulgaria and other post-Soviet wastelands. Her slogan, "Caustic Commentary from Crapistan," is dead-on. Carpetblogger is witty, insightful and sardonic, yet somehow manages to make you want to experience these places on your own, if only to see how bad it really is.