Blogger stands trial

I've always found it fascinating how different media report a story. Different mediums present messages differently - the news on television often brings a story home by showing its events; radio lets you hear the participants, and The story you'll get on global TV, compared with the story on the CBC always interested me. I grew up in a house where the newspaper was always there to be read, and get most of my news now on the internet.

I'm convinced that blogs are changing traditional media. During the bombings in Lebanon this summer, various blogs reported the events as they were happening - real time journalism from the perspective of people right there on the ground.

My future brother-in-law pointed out a story to me the other night that I'll be following closely.

It's a blogger named Charles LeBlanc who was charged with obstructing justice at a protest in Saint John, New Brunswick at a protest last June. He was not participating in the demonstration, only standing next to other media. He's challenging the traditional definition of media, saying that as a blogger, he too is media. He reports the news as he sees it and is evidently a fixture around the province, reporting stories.

The other twist, is that his perspective is not that of your everyday journalist with degrees and a high position in society. LeBlanc is on social assistance and often eats at a soup kitchen to get by- and, while I gather journalism jobs often don't pay well, his perspective is likely different from . His camera was donated, and he writes the stories himself.


So here's the question: Are bloggers legitimate media who should be afforded the same status as regular media?

Ah the searches

With the promise of new! great! features! I decided to sign up for Blogger Beta. I had no idea that would completely prevent me from commenting on ANY blogs now, despite numerous attempts to do so. If you have a blog with blogger rest assured, I've tried a gagillion times to try to comment without success. I'd even like to say I think some of the comments were witty and funny. But now, you'll never know, because blogger won't let me comment.



Also? I have to admit I'm amazed at some of the searches that my site meter says led people to click on my blog. I'll admit to making a few weird searches on the internet on my own, but I have to say the things that people searched for and actually clicked on my blog hoping to find? Truly bizarre. Behold:

• doing up a bra: I'd have to say, I'm not sure reading about it can really be of much help. It's a skill best learned in person.

• I left my bra on the mailbox so she could find me: this seems like quite the strategy. Most people would try calling or e-mailing, never really heard about the "bra on mailbox" routine.
  

• sweat acid red patch near bum: That sounds like a problem you should see your doctor about. Both the red patch and the sweating acid sweat thing. Neither sounds too healthy. And no, I don't want a picture. Thank heavens I wasn't smart enough to go into medicine.
  

• Why do my smoke alarms go off: Hrm. I dunno. That truly is puzzling. Going out on a limb here but maybe because there's A FIRE! (Or, I've come to visit you and am cooking. That frequently puts smoke alarms in a tizzy.)
  

• humility for in door by dehumidifier: Our dehumidifier is pretty brash and prideful. I really don' think the humble ones work as well, frankly.
  

• pinkey sized monkeys: Now that I'd like to see. Though, in this house MORE animals would clearly qualify us for the nuthouse.

My sister has a blog!

Yay! My sister Elaine/maid of honour extraordinaire has a blog! Apparently it's under construction but you can find it here: www.musingsfromthetopfloor.blogspot.com

Welcome to the blogosphere Lainie!

Yarr! I don't know what I'm doing!!!

Ok well for starters, those who have Firefox or Netscape should have no problem seeing my pretty new sidebar. For those who do not, I have no idea how I'm going to fix so the side bar is at the top and beside the main text, instead of floating below it. Dude I have no HTML skills, so if anyone can help fix this so it's beside the bar I'd be very grateful.

Updates to ye olde blog

Ok so I guess I can't call it an olde blog since I just started it in October, but there are updates. I've put more pictures in my sidebar, cause I like pictures, and saw it on someone else's blog and thought it was a good idea.

I've also added links to some of the other blogs I read, some I've just started reading and some I'm somewhat embarassed to admit I read.

I've always been one of those people who questioned why celebrities were so interesting, and why they were worth peoples' attention. I very much think the whole "celebrity worshipping" phenomenon where they're elevated on pedestals and worshipped is odd; they're really only people no better or worse than you or I. The pictures of people screaming and clutching their faces when they see their favourite celebrities really kinda make me think there must be something wrong with them. What makes this person so exciting that they get a screaming, face clutching welcome? It's definitely something I wouldn't do. Sure, I had a crush on Michael J. Fox when I was a kid like lots of people, but really, the whole Paris Hilton v. Nicole Ritchie debate to me should be answered with "who cares! Talk about something important!"

This is exactly why my recent obsession with celebrity gossip blogs somewhat bothers me. I've put links to a couple of them on my (new and very fancypants if I do say so myself) sidebar but there are TONS of them.

It's not that I've now become celebrity obsessed or have picked sides on the Paris v. Nicole debate (thankfully I can still answer that question with a resounding WHO CARES!) but somehow it's like driving past an accident, and I can't help but want to read the insidious posts about their lives. It's interesting to read about how odd some of them are (depending on what you believe and what you define as odd), their foibles, and sometimes their remarkably odd choices of clothing.

I have no desire to be a celebrity (good thing since I definitely don't look like one, have the talent to be one, wasn't born into the "right family" to be one, and I do not have the required booger sugar habit that would at least make it interesting). I really wouldn't envy a life like that, but somehow, and for some reason, I keep reading.

I think it's my interest in human nature - not only reading what these people do, what people are guessing they're doing, but the odd people commenting on these blogs. I've never really felt inclined to choose liking Bennifer II over Bennifer I, who wore the dress better: Kirsten Dunst or Reese Witherspoon, whether Brad's a bad guy for leaving Jen for Angelina or not, or which desperate housewife is trawling for which celebrity guy.

It does, however, fascinate me that other people care about these people they've never met and feel the need to type empassioned messages (in ALL CAPS) to make their point to other, celebrity obsessed people.

So, I kinda figure it's like cotton candy for the brain. Hopefully it won't rot my teeth out.

Yay I have a counter!

Hah and Dave had to be the first person to be counted as visiting my blog when I put it up. Ok back to the hockey game/Christmas decorating/cleaning.

My conspiracy theory on the word verifier

Ever think the word verifier is a form of subliminal advertising? In recent times I've had to put in BMW, GMC, UPS, and others. Think these companies are getting a cut?

a guilty secret of mine

I think the PostSecret blog is one of the coolest, most creative sites I've come across. Some are funny, others are a bit disturbing but it's very creative and thought provoking.

random list

Random things I like:
1. beautiful leaves on the trees this time of year
2. small family owned ethnic restaurants with amazing food
3. afternoon naps
4. cats curling up on my lap
5. gas fireplaces- heat at the flip of a switch! How genius is that?
6. warm sun on my face on cool days
7. dark chocolate
8. home made soup
9. peanut butter- just plain ground up peanuts
10. my oral b battery powered toothbrush.

Random things I don't like:
1. Raking the above beautiful leaves from our front lawn
2. George W.Bush
3. cookie cutter subdivisions with no back yards
4. Pitbulls on retractable leashes
5. Michael Jackson. Dude just gives me the creeps.
6. wal-Mart
7. minute rice.
8. SUVs
9. smoking. Dude it's a buring pile of leaves that causes cancer... and you put it in your mouth? on purpose?
10. infomercials for the latest "fat will melt off while you sleep, even as you eat nothing but pure lard and never get off the couch." cause really, that works.

Everyone else is doing it....

So I figure I should too. Funny how peer pressure works. Anyway this'll just be a space to share random thoughts, some less than random thoughts, and musings. Hope I'm not the only one laughing.