Blogging About Blogging

Still waiting to hear why Google screwed me

2011-06-07T13:34:00.001-07:00

Last month, I mentioned that Google disabled my Adsense account. I submitted an appeal form, but it was denied without an explanation as to why. I still don't know what caused my account to be disabled in the first place. This is all very frustrating.

Has anyone else had their Adsense account disabled? Did you ever learn why? Did you ever hear back from Google at all?

Google screwed me

2011-05-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

There used to be ads on this blog. There aren't anymore. The reason? Google decided to disable my Adsense account. Why? I have no idea. I didn't even know about it until I noticed that no ads were showing. At first I thought it was my browser or network connection. It wasn't until I checked my Adsense account that I found out it had been disabled. And the worst part is that Google provides no help in rectifying the situation. I filled out their appeal form, which looked useless because there's no place to actually make an appeal. I sent requests to find out why my account was disabled and have gotten no responses so far. According to their policy page, they can't reveal specifics of why an account is disabled, which I can understand, but they are also supposed to send me an email with some kind of notification. I'm still waiting for said email. I've gotten zip from them so far.

A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

2011-04-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Self-publishing is booming, thanks to eBooks. When you hear stories like Amanda Hocking's 7-figure deal, you know that indie authors are for real. If you're looking to jump into the self-publishing pool, there aren't many blogs better than Joe Konrath's A Newbie Guide to Publishing. Konrath, a successful indie author in his own right, not only helps you learn the ropes, but he also gives convincing arguments why any new author today should go the self-publishing route rather than send manuscripts out to agents and traditional publishers.

The Bird's Brain/This Week in Science

2011-03-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Bird's Brain is the blog of Dr. Kirsten Sanford, a.k.a. Dr. Kiki, the host of This Week in Science. If you have an interest in science news, I recommend both sites. Even when I don't understand everything that she talks about, I enjoy listening to her podcast every week. One of my favorite segments is This Week in World Robot Domination, especially apropos given Watson's performance on Jeopardy.

An Origami a Day

2011-02-01T13:25:00.001-08:00

I have always been fascinated by origami, the art of paper folding. When I was young, I learned to make all kinds of interesting objects and animals from paper. So I was pleased to stumble upon An Origami a Day. As the name of the blog suggests, each post describes an origami you can make. Most contain links to a video showing you how to fold the object, or a page with step by step instructions. Try it out and enjoy!

Blogging down among teens

2011-01-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Pew Research Center released their Generations 2010 report that describes online behavior across different generations of the population. According to the report, few online activities have decreased in popularity since 2006 with the notable exception of blogging. Only half as many teens maintain a blog in 2010 compared to 2006, and blogging also declined slightly among the 18-33 age group. Search is the top online activity for all generations, and reading blogs is near the middle of the pack in terms of popularity.

Google, Facebook, and Twitter

2010-12-08T12:39:00.001-08:00

Most web users are on Google, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at these companies? You can get a glimpse from their blogs:

There's a lot of content in the blogs that are tech-centric, but you can also learn about new features and what employees at the companies are doing.

HowStuffWorks

2010-11-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Do you know how many people are born every minute? Or how a vehicle is chosen as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS? Or when women started shaving their legs (a surprisingly -- to me -- recent phenomenon)? Thanks to HowStuffWorks and their network of blogs, you can find the answers to these and many other interesting questions. In addition to blogs, HowStuffWorks also produces several podcasts. Check them out and astound your friends with your newfound knowledge!

So you want to make money from online ads

2010-10-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me if I knew of any blogs that will help them succeed in online advertising. Making money from this blog has never been my intent, and I've been successful thus far in not making any money :-), so I didn't know of any offhand. However, I did some digging around, and here are some that seemed somewhat useful and not just trying to sell you something:

Scott Adams blog

2010-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, has a blog at http://dilbert.com/blog/. If you're expecting light-hearted comic posts, however, you'll be surprised, disappointed, or perhaps both. Rather, Adams' blog entries often contain his commentaries on life and things going on in the world. I guess the Dilbert comics also do that, but the blog allows Adams to say in many words what he probably couldn't in a three-panel comic strip.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2010-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, the NFL season is almost upon us! There are lots of news feeds that claim to fall under the "blog" category, and lots of team-oriented blogs (usually published by the team's local newspaper), but here are three general purpose NFL blogs that I like:

NFL Nation Blog

NFL Gridiron Gab

NFL.com Blogs

Invention of the Day

2010-07-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

When I came across Invention of the Day, my first thought was how someone could possibly come up with a new invention almost everyday. It's a tribute to the blog's author, Patrick Andrews, that he has been able to post as much and as often as he does. I hope one of his inventions takes off and he gets rewarded for it.

Horror books

2010-06-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Horror is not a genre that I normally read, but the last book I read and the one I'm reading now happen to be horror novels. Therefore, I present some blogs dedicated to the genre:

The Julie/Julia Project

2010-05-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

I watched "Julie & Julia" on DVD. It made me want to track down the blog that inspired the book that inspired the movie. Thanks to your friendly neighborhood search engine, here it is: The Julie/Julia Project. It actually exists!

The navigation is pretty horrendous by today's blogging platform standards, so if you want to start at the beginning, here's a link to the first post. If you're interested in following the life of Julie Powell, her up-to-date blog is called What Could Happen? Bon appetit!

Book review blogs

2010-04-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

I found a potentially interesting book and wanted to read some reviews before deciding whether to get it. In the process, I came across several book review blogs that I wanted to share.

Apple Blogs

2010-04-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the recent release of the iPad (no, I didn't get one because I can't afford it), here are some blogs focused on Apple-mania.

March Madness

2010-03-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

In honor of March Madness, here are some college basketball blogs/feeds:

800 CEO READ

2010-02-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

800 CEO READ is a website that sells business books. Their blog is a nice way of highlighting a new business book on an almost daily basis. I think this is a good example of how a business can use blogs to promote itself. Instead of just re-hashing company marketing or news, talking about an item that you sell in each post is a good way to get potential customers interested in that item. Well, at least it works for me. :-)

Wil Wheaton dot Net

2010-01-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

Star Trek fans may remember Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Well, little Wesley Crusher has grown up and now writes a pretty nice blog called WWdN (WIL WHEATON dot NET). This blog is of the day-in-the-life variety, but Wheaton posts often, and his anecdotes are interesting. I admit I was never a fan of Wesley Crusher, but thanks to WWdN, I have a little more appreciation for Wil Wheaton. :-)

Bill the Lizard

2010-01-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

We'll start the new year (and decade) with a somewhat geeky blog called Bill the Lizard. The blog is oriented towards topics related to math and computer science. However, the author has written many of the articles for the layperson who doesn't have a math degree. (The computer programming examples are in a language called Scheme, which most people probably won't understand.) For example, one of the most popular posts, Six Visual Proofs, is an example of explaining mathematical concepts in an easy-to-understand way that non-math people can grasp. I found that the blog actually increased my interest in math rather than turning me off of it.

Fringe/FlashForward

2009-12-04T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today, I bring you blogs dedicated to two of my favorite TV shows.

Fringe:

FlashForward:

I tried to find blogs dedicated to "V", but searches pulled up too many unrelated blogs that contain the letter v or talk about video blogging. Does anyone out there know of "V" blogs?

YuBlog

2009-11-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

YuBlog.org is the latest site from the folks who brought you Nudia.tv. That would be Jay and Jack (of The Lost Podcast with Jay and Jack, among other podcasts) and Colleen (formerly of Metrobuzz) and others. YuBlog is different from other blogs in that you can contribute to the blog. It's like a community-run news/editorial site. YuBlog covers Entertainment, Business & Politics, Life/Living, Sports, and Technology. If you want to read or write about any of these topics, take a peek at YuBlog.

Movie Reviews

2009-10-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

I've been watching more movies lately, so much so that I've gone through the few obvious ones that I know I want to see. So I've been looking at movie reviews to determine if there are other movies that may appeal to me. Some movie blogs that I've found useful include:

Movie Review - covers new releases
Real Movie Reviews - short reviews of new releases
Movie reviews by CaptainD - reviews and news of old and new movies

Stop Offshoring

2009-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

I admit, I am not a big fan of offshoring, the practice of moving jobs out of the U.S. (or Europe, Canada, etc.) to a country with a cheaper labor force, such as Indian or China. I've been the victim of offshoring at previous companies, and I've never seen it work. My current employer just started offshoring. So when I searched for "stop offshoring", the Stop Offshoring blog was the first entry in the search results. The writer's experiences mirror mine. You may not care about the issue, but this one hit home for me.

Brea Grant

2009-09-07T11:13:00.001-07:00

Continuing the trend of celebrity blogs, this time, I'm introducing Brea Grant's. You may know her as Daphne the speedster on Heroes, but Brea Grant is also making a name for herself in movies. Most recently, you can catch her in Halloween 2. She also does a good job of updating her blog, posting pictures, videos, and interviews. This is a well maintained site for anyone who wants to follow Ms. Grant.

Olivia Munn

2009-08-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Olivia Munn is best known as the co-host of G4's Attack of the Show. On the show, she's tech-savvy, funny, flirty, and sometimes crude. She brings all of that to her blog at OliviaMunn.com. If you enjoy Attack of the Show, you'll appreciate the behind-the-scenes clips and glimpses into Olivia's personal life on her blog. A must see for fans and newbies alike.

Ben Stein

2009-07-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ben Stein didn't just play an Economics teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, he is an economist, among many other talents. You can read about Ben Stein's economic insights on his Yahoo Finance blog. As with other economists, I don't pay much heed to his forecasts, but it's interesting to read what he thinks, if you're into that economics/finance sort of thing. If you're a fan of Ben Stein but don't want to read about money, you can also check out his web site.

Dave Barry's Blog

2009-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dave Barry is one of my favorite columnists. I find many of his columns hysterical. Unfortunately, Dave Barry's Blog doesn't live up to the same comedic standards. I can't really blame him because he spends his working hours coming up with funny stuff, and you expect him to be just as funny in all his blog posts as well? :-) The good thing is that he updates his blog frequently, so there's plenty of opportunity to find a good nugget here and there.

The Ack Attack!

2009-05-13T08:26:00.001-07:00

If you're a fan of the TV show Lost (like I am), you'll enjoy The Ack Attack! The site is best known for its recaps of Lost episodes, but I think the comic strip Benry Knows Best is also great. Really funny stuff. Check it out.

Alltop

2009-04-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

I've tried using various blog directories and searches to look for information I want, and none have worked that well. However, I'm recently using Alltop more and more. Billed as an "online magazine rack", Alltop allows you to pick a topic you're interested in, and then it provides you a page with a list of feeds from blogs related to the category. Interested in the furniture industry, ballroom dancing, or taoism? Alltop has directories for them all.

Cubeecraft

2009-03-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

Cubeecrafts are paper toys that you can download, print, cut, and fold. There's no need for tape or glue. The main Cubeecraft site has many templates that you can use. The Cubeecraft blog is more for announcing new crafts that are available, as well as other informational/promotional posts.

And now, time for me to try out the Darth Vader Cubeecraft...

BlogExplosion finally approved my blog

2009-03-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

Way back in October, I wrote about how I submitted two blogs for approval on BlogExplosion. One of them (this blog) was approved after a few weeks, perhaps due to my complaints. The other one stayed in limbo for so long that I had given up hope. Then, out of the blue, I got an email from BlogExplosion yesterday that the blog had been approved. Five months to approve a blog! You gotta love their level of customer support!

BlogExplosion outage

2009-02-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

For the last few days, I couldn't access BlogExplosion, and it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Since it was down for days, I started thinking that BlogExplosion was dead. Then this morning, the site was back up. However, there's no mention of the extended outage on the home page or anywhere else I could find. How's that for customer service?

Garfield Minus Garfield

2009-01-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

I don't think it technically qualifies as a blog, but Garfield Minus Garfield has some blog-like qualities, and it's entertaining, even if you're not a Garfield fan. Who would've imagined the philosophical questions unearthed from the comic strip if you removed Garfield from it? You'll never look at Jon again the same way!

Twitter vs. Blog, part 2

2008-12-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is purely anecdotal, so draw conclusions at your own risk. More and more people I know are abandoning their blogs and moving to Twitter or using their Facebook status updates to communicate with friends. I can now count the number of friends who actively update their blogs on one hand, whereas the number on Twitter/Facebook is reaching 3 digits.

Heard recently: "Back when people were blogging..." implying that people aren't blogging anymore??

Looking for a new blog traffic exchange

2008-11-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

I'm fed up with BlogExplosion. I submitted one of my other blogs to them over a month ago, and they still haven't approved it. On top of that, no one has responded to the support tickets I filed.

Are there any good traffic exchanges that you recommend? I tried out BlogMad, but for some reason, the code snippet that they provide for detecting my blog doesn't work, so I can't get it approved. I'm looking for an exchange that has a lot of members, doesn't restrict the number of blogs you own, and is easy to approve (or better yet, doesn't require an approval process).

What is wrong with BlogExplosion?

2008-11-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

What is wrong with BlogExplosion?

First, as I've chronicled, I'm still waiting for one of my blogs to get approved. It's been weeks, and no one at BlogExplosion seems to read the support tickets either. If they are going to be so slow in approving blogs, they should just skip that step.

Then, as I was surfing through their blogs today, I got a message that said "No more active sites found. You have visited all the active sites in rotation. [blah blah blah...]". Are you kidding me? I visited every blog in rotation?? Have so many people left BlogExplosion that they don't have enough blogs to show people?

BlogExplosion gets half the job done

2008-10-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

The day after my post about BlogExplosion not approving this blog, I was pleasantly surprised to find it approved. However, I didn't blog about it because on the same day that I submitted this blog for approval, I also submitted another blog. Annoyingly, BlogExplosion still has not approved my second blog. Was it only my post complaining about BlogExplosion on this blog that led to its approval? It seems fishy that, of the two blogs submitted to BlogExplosion on the same day, only one was approved. Perhaps I should complain about BlogExplosion on that blog as well. It seems to be the only way to get their attention.

Anyone there at BlogExplosion?

2008-10-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Over three weeks ago, I submitted this blog for approval at BlogExplosion. It is still "waiting for admin approval". I submitted a ticket a week after requesting approval, and a followup after that. So far, I've heard nothing back from them. If anyone at BlogExplosion is reading this, can you please approve this blog?

Election blogs

2008-10-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

As if we don't hear enough about the presidential campaigns, here are some blogs that deal specifically with the topic:

I think it's a credit to the state of the blogosphere that blogs about the election offer reporting about as unbiased as the local newspaper.

Get Rich Slowly

2008-09-13T16:23:00.001-07:00

For the second time in as many months, I'm writing about a finance blog. This time it's Get Rich Slowly. Note that this is not about getting rich quickly, making a fast buck, or how to pull off the latest internet scam. Rather, Get Rich Slowly has articles and tips about mundane topics such as saving money, budgeting, and reducing debt. For those who want to slowly earn their way to financial independence, I recommend perusing this blog.

Engrish Funny

2008-09-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

It may not be politically correct, but Engrish Funny is a funny site. Brought to you by the I Can Has Cheezburger folks, Engrish Funny features photos where something got lost in the translation to English. Warning: many of the pictures are suited for mature audiences only.

Controlled Greed

2008-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I profiled a blog that I read, and it's time to correct that. I don't remember how I found out about Controlled Greed, but I've been reading it regularly for the last two months. Controlled Greed is an investment blog, and its title refers to a Warren Buffettism: "You must be animated by controlled greed and fascinated by the investment process". Not only does the author talk about investing, but he also keeps a portfolio of stock picks on the blog. He also regularly updates readers on the performance of the portfolio, whether it be good or ugly. You have to appreciate that from anyone offering investment advice.

Blogs not as important anymore? (part 2)

2008-07-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

I recently read another article about blogging's decline titled "Is blogging dead?" It cites the evolution of blogs from trying to connect with an audience to increasing popularity at the expense of integrity. I agree to some extent because I'm definitely seeing a lot more bloggers in it for the money and splattering ads all over their blogs. However, I also believe there is a large segment of the blogging population who are still in it for the enjoyment of blogging. For example, I post to this blog when the urge strikes, and I don't bother with SEO. I suppose it would be nice to have a large audience (and therefore large income), but that's secondary to maintaining the blog. It also explains why I only update this blog a couple of times a month when I feel that I have something to write about, rather than forcing myself to post daily so that search engines will rank it higher.

Blogs not as important anymore?

2008-07-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

I recently read a post about the declining importance of blogs. One of the factors that the author mentions is Twitter, which I wondered and wrote about previously in this blog. However, what I'm seeing isn't a decline in importance, but rather such widespread acceptance that it has become a necessity. Rather than reading a blog because it is a blog, blogs have become integrated with our "internet experience" so that we treat it like any other form of content.

Vegan Chef Battle

2008-06-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of the cooking show Iron Chef (more so the original Japanese version than the Iron Chef America on Food Network). While searching for information on the show one day, I came across Vegan Chef Battle. Imagine a vegan version of Iron Chef, where the battle takes place via a blog. What a great idea! Unfortunately, there have been no new posts since April 2008. I hope the blog continues. In the meantime, you can check out some interesting recipes for the theme ingredients they've had so far, including mushroom in April and cabbage in March.

Just 1 in 112.8 million

2008-06-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

Technorati claims that it is tracking 112.8 million blogs. I tried searching for this blog, and it doesn't come up on any of the first result pages I searched on. Sigh... I guess it's just another blog buried among the masses. Boy, do I feel insignificant!

Twitter killer

2008-05-02T16:25:00.002-07:00

After my last post about Twitter, I started wondering why someone hasn't come up with a Twitter killer yet. Twitter's infamous downtime and limitations such as 140 characters per message (understandable if you're using SMS, but not if you're Twittering from your laptop, as most of my friends do) scream for someone to come along with a better system. Twitter reminds me of Friendster in the early days of social networking. I wonder when the Myspace and Facebook of Twittering will come along and squash the pioneer.

Twitter vs. Blog

2008-04-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

Do you Twitter? I saw a post recently talking about Twittering as the new replacement for blogging. Personally, I've stayed away from Twitter by choice because (1) I don't need another time suck and (2) how many people really care what I do minute by minute?

I won't argue about the growing popularity of Twitter, but it's still far from replacing blogs. I have far more friends who blog than use Twitter, and every Twitter user I know is also a blogger.

P.S. Given the outage problems with Twitter, I'm surprised someone hasn't come along and built a better Twitter-like service.

Blogging causes death

2008-04-12T16:13:00.001-07:00

This week, the New York Times published a story about the death of two bloggers. Although there was no definitive evidence that blogging caused their deaths, the story doesn't paint a pretty picture of the life of a blogger.

Don't worry folks, I don't spend much time on this blog. If I die, it won't be because of this blog. :-)

Blogs as legitimate news

2008-03-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when it happened, but when I look for news nowadays, I'm as likely to wind up on a blog as I am a "real" news site. Of course, some of the blogs are run by media companies such as AOL or CBS, but I think it's safe to say that news has been democratized on the internet. Now what we need is a good way to determine what's true (or at least an attempt has been made to research and verify) and what's complete BS. With Wikipedia, there are others who review and correct submissions. Unfortunately, there's no such mechanism in the blogosphere where there are too many blogs to keep track of.

MyKinda doesn't pay writers

2008-03-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've posted before about my troubles with Blogcharm, which eventually shut down at the beginning of this year. It seems like another blog network, MyKinda, is facing a similar fate. According to a Techcrunch article, MyKinda has gone at least half a year without paying its writers and owes about $200,000 total. I don't know how other pay-to-post blog networks are doing, but perhaps this is a sign that the business model doesn't work?

The Interesting Blog

2008-02-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

One thing I can say about The Interesting Blog is that there are a lot of entries on the blog, several per day. Not all of them will be interesting to you. Some posts are of the "word of the day" variety, some are facts you may not know, and there are some interesting pictures (although you have to click on a link to see the pictures).

Super Bowl blogs

2008-01-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

With the Super Bowl approaching this weekend, I looked for blogs related to the big game. I was able to find only two dedicated to the Super Bowl (rather than general football or sports blogs):

Pro Football Weekly's Super Bowl blog
AZ Super Bowl Blog (the game is held in AZ this year)

Enjoy!

Blogcharm paid me!

2008-01-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

I didn't believe it when Blogcharm's shutdown notice said they would pay bloggers within two weeks, but I just got my payment. Sure, it's been over a year since I made my first unfulfilled payment request, but better late than never.

Blogcharm to shut down

2007-12-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

Looks like Blogcharm couldn't keep going the way it had been. Today, Blogcharm posted that it would cease operations on Jan 1. If you visit any Blogcharm site, you'll see a message that says: "We regret to inform you that as of January 1, 2008, the BlogCharm site will no longer continue to operate." The notice also promised to pay bloggers (who have earned at least $10.00) within two weeks, pending confirmation of email address. I confirmed my address today, so we'll see if I get paid what I'm owed in two weeks. It will be a nice belated Christmas present if I do.

Blogcharm non-payments highlighted on Techcrunch

2007-12-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

I've posted before about my problems with Blogcharm, the blogging site that purports to pay its members when visitors view their blogs. I haven't been paid for A YEAR and have pretty much given up hope that I ever will. Today, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Techcrunch had a post about the non-payment problem. Hopefully, a high-profile post like this will prod the Blogcharm folks into action.

Better Explained

2007-12-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

I don't know if Better Explained qualifies as a blog, but it is updated periodically with new posts, so I'm mentioning it here. Better Explained takes a boring subject that you learned in school and presents it in a new, more intuitive way. It also let's you think about the topic in ways that boring class lectures didn't present. Topics on the site are geared toward math, programming, and business, with a smattering of posts on other subjects.

Christmas blogs

2007-11-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

With less than 30 shopping days until Christmas, I thought it'd be appropriate to look for Christmas-related blogs. Tops on the list is the appropriately titled Christmas Blog. Unfortunately, the Christmas Blog isn't updated very often, but with Christmas around the corner, perhaps we'll see more frequent posts. Christmas For All is another Christmas blog, and it's updated more frequently, especially during the last 3 months of the year.

A couple of movie review blogs

2007-11-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

I've been running out of movies to put in my Netflix queue, so I looked for some movie review blogs to help me find some new movies I haven't seen before. Two blogs that I liked are:

Celluloid Heroes covers old movies as well as recent releases, and Dave's Movie Reviews provides more detailed reviews, including a rating system that involves 1 million stars!

Unbelieveable Stuff

2007-11-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Unbelieveable Stuff blog is about what you'd expect it to be about. From world records to amazing human feats to weird plants and animals, this is an entertaining blog. Best of all, it's updated daily. My only complaint is the large number of ads and links, making it tiresome to scroll down to read older posts.

Office Humor Blog

2007-10-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

If you're bored at work, or just want some humor in your life, check out Office Humor Blog. In addition to daily jokes, the blog features pranks, gift ideas, downloads, and other fun stuff. Check it out!

On the Beat: Miami Heat

2007-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, the NBA season is starting up again soon. And my favorite team happens to be the Miami Heat. On the Beat: Miami Heat is the Miami Herald's Miami Heat blog. The Herald is my favorite source for Miami Heat info in general, and this blog promises to be as insightful as any Heat blog not written by a Heat player himself.

The Daily Dilemma

2007-10-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

It is 3 a.m. and you are late getting home. As you approach the intersection you notice that no one is around. Do you drive through the red light?

Those are the types of questions posed at The Daily Dilemma. Test your morals against the questions this blog asks. You may be surprised at how you answer. You can also view the aggregate results of other readers of the blog to see how you compare or how ethical the rest of us in the blogosphere are!

touch 'em all

2007-09-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

I know that some celebrities maintain blogs, and even people who *become* celebrities through blogging. However, all of the celebrity blogs I've seen talk about themselves or the field that you associate with their celebrity status (mostly tech or entertainment). I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find *touch 'em all, a baseball blog written by Alyssa Milano. Yes, that Alyssa Milano, the beautiful actress from TV shows such as "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed". And she's darn knowledgeable about baseball and a big Dodgers fan, from reading her blog. I don't know how she finds time to maintain her blog, but I'm glad she does. This one is going in my list of favorite blogs.

Unusual Business Ideas That Work

2007-09-10T07:48:00.001-07:00

Unusual Business Ideas That Work is similar to the Strange Business blog I wrote about a few months ago. In the words of the author, the blog is about "people who make money online selling unusual, strange and sometimes bizarre things or provide curious services." Recently mentioned business ideas include teaching poker, selling bowties, and "closet therapy". The blog is updated daily, so keep checking back to see more unusual business ideas.

Human Census

2007-08-23T09:46:00.001-07:00

Human Census asks a question everyday and solicits responses from its readers. The site's tagline is "Asking Six Billion People Out There What They Think... Every Day." In addition to posting your answers and viewing others' responses, you can vote on your favorite answers, with the winner appearing in the next post. Questions range from the world-altering (What can be done to help countries & individuals in poverty around the world?) to the mundane (What was your reaction to hearing your alarm clock this Monday morning?) so there's bound to be a question that interests you.

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs

2007-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

I heard about The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs about a month ago but forgot to post it here. Now that the author has been revealed to be Daniel Lyons, an editor at Forbes magazine, I wonder if the blog gets as much traffic as it did before. I'm glad he's still blogging under his fake persona because the blog is still as funny and scathing as before.

The Everything Portal to the Web

2007-08-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Following up on my last post about Free Grabber, a reader told me about The Everything Portal to the Web, another blog featuring great deals, freebies, and coupons. What I like about this blog is that there's a Find It Quick list on the righthand side, so I can easily look for a deal at Baskin Robbins, for example.

Free Grabber

2007-08-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Free Grabber is great if you love getting stuff for free. There's a wide assortment of products listed on the blog, from shampoo to bumper stickers to mousepads, and that's just from this week! Most of the free products are samples or require registration, but free is free, right? What's even better is that new items are posted on the blog daily, so check back to see what's new.

Baking Betties

2007-07-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Those who follow this blog know that I'm a sucker for sites that feature pictures of delicious food. Baking Betties happens to be one of those sites. Even after finishing a meal, my mouth waters when I look at some of the creations posted on the blog. I will definitely have to try out some of their recipes.

Spooky's Blog

2007-07-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

At first blush, Spooky's Blog seems like any other blog you may come across, with the usual stories about events in the author's life. However, if you look a little longer, you'll find that there are images associated with each post, and moreover, the images are animated. Some of them are downright funny, and that's what makes this a post-worthy blog.

Harry Potter blogs

2007-07-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

With the release of Deathly Hallows and the film release of Order of the Phoenix coming this month, I looked for some Harry Potter blogs in the blogosphere. Here are three that I liked:

However, if you're a fan looking for Harry Potter info, I still recommend the fan sites over any blogs I found, my favorite being The Leaky Cauldron.

Strange Business

2007-06-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you've been banging your head on the wall trying to think of a good business idea, take a look at some of the ones on Strange Business. The blog describes some unusual businesses that have resulted in making a lot of money. The author was very active in posting last month, but not so much so this month. Here's to hoping for more new posts about strange business ideas in the future.

Crimson Lightning

2007-06-06T08:12:00.001-07:00

Crimson Lightning is a blog dedicated to The Flash, the fastest man alive. The blog includes reviews of Flash comics, Flash-related news, and even the short-lived Flash TV series. Although The Flash isn't my favorite superhero (I'm a fan of Superman and Green Lantern), the blog is still an entertaining read.

Life, allegedly (aka MadHaiku)

2007-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why the banner title for the site reads "Life, allegedly". Given the URL, MadHaiku is not only a cooler name, but it's more appropriate. Name aside, it's an entertaining read. I like the About the Author description:

I get drunk.
I write haiku.
Usually in that order.

Although it's not a haiku. :-)

Almost 1 million Wordpress blogs

2007-05-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, The Blog Herald reported that there are almost 1 million Wordpress.com blogs. You can view the counter yourself on the Wordpress.com home page.

Two questions came to mind when I read the story:

How many blogs does Blogger host?
When did almost reaching a target become news?

Blog search engine request

2007-05-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

I rarely use blog search engines. The main reason is because when I want to do a blog search, it's to search for a blog that pertains to a topic, not just a single entry. For example, I recently wanted to find some info on the NFL draft in the blogosphere. Using search engines like Google and Technorati, I could find individual entries about the draft, but what I really wanted to find was a blog devoted to football so that I could see what other articles they may have about top college prospects. Instead, what I got were a bunch of one-time posts about the draft in non-football-related blogs. I wish search engines would place more emphasis on the overall theme of the blog rather than target each post individually.

The latest on Blogcharm

2007-04-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

The folks at Blogcharm finally fixed the problem to allow their members to post. Now there's another problem that's been going on for at least a week: member earnings are stuck at zero. I sure hope it's just a display problem and Blogcharm is keeping track of how much it owes its members.

Is anyone there at Blogcharm?

2007-04-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's been six days since I stopped being able to post on Blogcharm. I filed a support ticket last Friday and received a confirmation email but haven't heard back since. On the forums, other members are experiencing the same problem, and nobody has heard a peep from Blogcharm.

This is exactly how *NOT* to run a site!

Problems with Blogcharm again

2007-04-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I reported that most of the problems I had been facing with Blogcharm were fixed. (I still haven't gotten paid though!)

Today, I found that I couldn't post to my blog. I'm able to log in, but when I try to do anything to manage my blog, I get an error page. I checked the forums to see if anyone else was having problems, but it told me I wasn't logged in and that my login/password was invalid. This was after I was already logged into the Blogcharm site and could see my dashboard! I sent an email to the Blogcharm folks, but given their unresponsiveness to past emails, I know my message is just going into a black hole.

I can only hope that Blogcharm discovers the problem and fixes it on their own. It's time to reconsider switching off of Blogcharm again.

Trivia God

2007-03-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Think you know trivia? Test your knowledge with some of the questions on the Trivia God blog. I did... and I didn't do very well. :-(

"Heroes" blogs

2007-03-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't start watching NBC's "Heroes" until halfway through this first season, but it's already among my favorite shows. The show is in the middle of a hiatus right now, so for you fellow "Heroes" fans, here are some "Heroes" blogs to keep you entertained in the meantime.

Heroes TV
Heroes Revealed
Beaming Beeman
Heroes TV Show Spoilers

The Hundred Dollar Business

2007-03-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's not often that I find a blog and wind up adding it to my bookmarks. The Hundred Dollar Business (HDB) is the first one I've added in a long time. The blog details the progress of "experiments" to create a business with $100 in 30 days and make back at least $100 to fund the next HDB experiment. They are near the end of the second business now, putting together a book of 100 entrepreneur stories. I plan to visit the blog daily to see how they do and what they come up with next.

Blogcharm update, part 2

2007-03-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2006, I wrote about problems I had been having with Blogcharm. They've made some improvements, and the site hasn't been down the last month at all whenever I checked. Furthermore, they improved the performance in serving up blog pages. Now, all I need is for them to send me the payment that I requested almost three months ago.

Noisy blogs

2007-02-12T07:59:00.000-08:00

There are a growing number of blogs that feature videos on their home page. While I think video is great and have done my share of surfing video sharing sites, I get annoyed when blogs play a video when I arrive to the site. I'm often listening to music on my computer when I'm surfing, so when I get to a blog that automatically rolls a video, I get distracting noise blaring in my headphones. I have to find where on the page the video window is and then stop it, assuming a Stop button is even present. Why can't bloggers who put videos on their blogs let the readers choose to start them if they want to??

K City

2007-02-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Following up on the cartoon theme from the last post, K City is another comic strip blog that I found to be entertaining. BTW, the focus of most of the entries is on relationships, if you happen to enjoy that type of humor.

StiK Toonz

2007-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

I had seen The Cartoonist they call the Stik blog before and thought it was pretty funny, so it was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon Stik Toonz, a blog of animated cartoonz by Stik. As a disclaimer, I should mention that the humor isn't for everyone, especially if you're easily offended.

Top VC blogs

2007-01-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Andrew Fife has a list of the top 10 VC blogs that he reads. Being in the same industry, I've read about half of the blogs that he mentions. Even more impressive is his list of the top 65 VC blogs. I went through most of the 65 on the list, and I would say that if you stick to about 10 - 20 VC blogs on the list, you'll have enough to think about. Some of the blogs haven't been updated in weeks, and some aren't really focused on the industry.

It seems like new VC blogs are popping up every day, so there are lots to choose from. One of my favorite new ones is Ask the VC.

NFL playoffs, anyone?

2007-01-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

With the NFL playoffs in full swing, I went looking for blogs for football fans. I found many posts about individual games as part of more general blogs, but as for blogs dedicated to sports, here are three:

NFL News and Views
Fantasy Football N' Stuff
Complete Sports

Blogcharm update

2007-01-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

OK, Blogcharm seems to have fixed the problem with their site being down all the time, but my blog is still slooooow to load. Also, Blogcharm claims to pay you for having people read your blogs. I requested a payment in mid-December but it's still in Pending status. I went to their member forums, and it sounds like other folks are having the same problems I'm having.

Blogcharm

2006-12-26T19:47:00.000-08:00

A while back, I complained about Blogger/Blogspot because the site kept crashing, leaving my blogs inaccessible. I then moved a blog to Blogcharm, and wouldn't you believe it, Blogcharm has been giving me problems intermittently this whole month. Even when it's working, my blog takes a long time to load. I'm starting to think that any free blog hosting site will run into problems, but if someone comes up with one that doesn't crash all the time like Blogger and Blogcharm, I'm there!

Simply Good Tips

2006-12-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

It's rare to stumble across a blog that can actually help you, so I was pleased to find Simply Good Tips. The blog, from the folks at Simply Good Stuff, is a collection of Martha Stewart-type tips (I mean they're related to cleaning, decorating, cooking, etc., not insider trading). Just from the recent entries, I've found a couple of useful tips that I'm going to try at home.

Everyday Paintings

2006-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

Everyday Paintings is a blog by David R. Darrow, who creates a new painting everyday that he hopes to sell on eBay or his website. I wish him luck in his endeavor.

"Lost" blogs

2006-11-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

ABC's Lost happens to be my favorite show, and without a new episode until next February, what's a fan to do? Well, there are lots of sites dedicated to Lost, but since this is a blog about blogs, here are two decent Lost blogs for you fans out there.

The Lost Blog
The Lost Fan Blog

Can't wait until Feb 7, 2007!

What's up with Blogger?

2006-11-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

It seems like two days can't go by without my running into a problem posting to Blogger or accessing my blogs on Blogspot. Considering Blogger's ownership by Google and Google's alleged technical excellence, I'm surprised there have been so many problems for so long. I'm also seeing blogs that say they are moving off the platform because of the instability issues. Not a good sign for Google and Blogger.

Should Blogger recycle URLs?

2006-10-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

I wanted to create a new blog the other day, but I couldn't find a good Blogger URL for it. As with .com domain names, all the good .blogspot.com names have been taken too. However, if the owner doesn't use it after an amount of time, wouldn't it be nice if Blogger reclaimed it? Of course, the owner should be contacted beforehand so that they can update their blog if they intend to keep it. I think this is reasonable because, unlike a regular website which may go untouched for months, blogs are meant to be updated regularly, so anyone who doesn't update their blog for, say, 6 months, should have to give up their blogspot name.

Best Christmas Gifts for 2006

2006-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Is it too early to start shopping for Christmas? If you're already considering what to get your family and friends for Christmas, take a few seconds to visit Best Christmas Gifts for 2006. The blog is geared more toward high tech gadgets and toys, but there are some other gift ideas. Personally, I could use the automatic sugar dispenser. :-)

Next Blog button

2006-09-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

If you want to surf random blogs quickly, one way is to click on the "Next Blog" button on the top of a blog page hosted by Blogspot. I use it now and then to see what's new in the random blogosphere. Almost all of the blogs reached through the "Next Blog" button are Blogspot blogs, but there have been rare occasions when the URL of the blog doesn't end in blogspot.com. It makes me wonder, are they really hosted on Blogspot (or redirected from a Blogspot blog), and if not, how does the "Next Blog" button select blogs to navigate to?