New Blog Format For Ya

Blogging is by nature a fluid art form, owing much of its success to the fact that one can share any information one feels like instantly. This gives the blog an innate flexibility. I can see something ("Look! A Shiny Rock!"), go directly to my computer keyboard, and tell you all about it. ("I found a rock today. It was shiny.") All over the world, this process is repeated over and over again by millions of bloggers until all the shiny rocks in the world are catalogued and and recatalogued and nobody ever wants to hear about shiny rocks again. And by shiny rocks, I mean any topic or subject that comes up and spreads itself over our media like a fat kid spreading butter on cake. Terry Schaivo. Hurricane X. The NBA's New Dress Code. There are even new blog search engines like Icerocket and Google Blog Search that allow the reader to search the more important blogs for whatever bloggers are saying about these subjects. Blogging has become a form of American "point of view advocacy" then, no more or less insightful than CNN, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Air America, or my dog. Ok, some bloggers are less insightful, but you get the idea.

"The opinions expressed here are my own, and you should read them because I'm important."

Some blogs buck this trend by not being opinionated at all. Sites like myspace and others are used mainly for connection with people and informing them of one's daily activities and emotional state. I don't want to talk about those blogs, because connection is not my purpose here (although reading This is Epth Nation will tell you a lot about me).

Since I am special, and interesting, and always trying to a) make this thing entertaining, and b) get a writing job in the realosphere instead of no job in the blogosphere, I have come up with a weekly plan to "solidify" this blog so you people know what to expect and when. This is sort of like an artificial deadline for me. Here's how it's going to work:

On Mondays, I will review something -- a TV show, movie, book, plate of food, etc. Coming next Monday: a review of the first few episodes of this season of Alias, including my response to the legions of internet people (with blogs) who can't get over the death of Michael "Say My Name" Vaughn.

On Tuesdays, I will take the day off to promote my blog. I ask you to do this on Tuesdays as well, fully knowing that you probably won't.

On Wednesdays, I will take the day's news, funnel it through the woodchipper known as my brain, and spit out "woodchips" (insightful(?) commentary on whatever story I deem interesting).

On Thursdays, I will actually be flexible, and this is the day when I'm going to trot out new ideas and gimmicks. Coming next Thursday: My long-awaited NBA preview. I'm excited -- I kinda know something about that sport! I may not be totally off, like I am with the NFL!

On Fridays, I will write a serious* column, one that you might find in a newspaper, magazine, or a better blog. The subject will usually be decided upon sometime that week. For example, did you know that 90% of the unborn children diagnosed with down's syndrome are aborted in this country? Yeah, I got some thoughts about that. That will probably be next Friday unless a more happy subject tickles my fancy.

As always, thanks again for reading.

*by "serious" I don't necessarily mean "not funny," so quit freaking out.