K.I.T.
Sunday, July 6, 2008 : 3:41 AM : 0 comments
Do you want to improve your immune system functions? Decrease your levels of stress? Cope better with trauma and past emotional experiences? Increase your attention span and memory capacity? How about having longer lasting relationships? All this and more can be had by simply writing in a journal for as little as fifteen minutes a day.That's how Penzu.com breaks down the health benefits of keeping a journal. Strangely, the last bullet pointed benefit is "Finding a new job quickly if unemployed." I'd think that those fifteen minutes might be more valuable submitting an extra resume or two but we all know submitting resumes is a risky propsition anyway. Jobs come from people you know and people they know. Qualifications and past experience? All a wash if you have an in. That's the working world I've seen anyway.
I'll stop digressing.
Penzu.com is a novel journaling site because the interface is basically just a plain piece of college ruled paper. It feels so familiar and is much less intimidating than staring at a blank field. Penzu seems to focus more on keeping your journal private (as it should be) than integrating any of the features we'd come to expect in this blogging world. No cluttered sidebars, a slightly inefficient navigation system, and that's about it. Faced with a 8.5' x 11' it's everything you can do to NOT want to write something down.
Of course, if you need a little help getting started on topic ideas, Penzu's got a few suggestions too.
Labels: Blog, Technology
And the award goes to...
Thursday, March 20, 2008 : 9:06 PM : 0 comments
The new Bloggie Awards are up. I usually go straight out and check the "Best Writing, Best New Weblog, Best Kept Secret Weblog, and Best Designed Weblog" categories. I have to say, I'm getting kind of sick of seeing the same blogs nominated (and winning) year after year. I mean, I don't need to know that Engadget is popular. Or that Blogger is the best web application for blogs. Duh. Can we stop awarding sites after they've won once? Wouldn't that be more useful?Can you imagine if The Godfather kept winning the Best Picture Oscar year after year? Boring. Show me something new please. If anything, lists like the World's Most Powerful 50 Blogs are infinitely more interesting because they give me a chance to find some blogs I've never heard of. Let's revamp the Bloggies and really make cool it cool again instead of just prestigious and entrenched.
Labels: Blog
Bloggie Awards
Friday, November 9, 2007 : 12:06 AM : 0 comments
Another year, another round of Bloggies, the Academy Awards of the blogging world. I'm a little disappointed that so many of the winners I already know about. I was hoping to find a few gems to add to my reading collection. Then again, I haven't had too much time to dig through everything quite yet. I'm also sad that the "Best Tagline of a Weblog" category is now defunct. That was always good for a laugh or two. Anyway, check'em out!
What I have been exploring is this site, CollegeOTR.com, which is a blog portal focused on colleges. It reveals a side of campus life that wouldn't be available in any sanctioned outlet. I keep thinking about how fun it would have been to have blogs when I went to college. I would have blogged my little life away. At my alma mater, Michigan, there's been this recent brouhaha involving an an anonymous blogger who takes (hilarious) potshots at the Umich Greek scene. He was unveiled recently so I hope he runs fast and carries a big stick.Labels: Blog
The Takeover
Friday, July 20, 2007 : 3:24 PM : 0 comments
It makes sense right? Billions of people plus blogging? Eventually some Chinese person would take over the top of the blog charts. It's finally happened as Xu Jinglei, a Chinese actress and director, became the world's most widely read blogger recently. For approximately two years she's averaged 167,000 page views a day. That's a lot of page views -- and cash, if she monetized her site.Tragically, I can't read a lick of Chinese -- despite years of Chinese school -- so I can't understand anything she's blogging about but apparently she's pretty good. Then again, the abundant use of emoticons and pictures of her cats makes me pretty wary to read her blog, even if it were in English. Some things require no translation.
More importantly, this means I'm about 166,999 page views a day away from being the world's most widely read blogger. Maybe I should get a cat.
Labels: Blog
The Bloggies
Saturday, February 3, 2007 : 1:13 PM : 0 comments
The nominations for the 2007 Bloggies, the Academy Awards of the blogosphere, have been unveiled! This is the seventh year the Bloggies will be handing out cash prizes (sometimes up to $25 or more) and bestowing recognition upon the worthy. This is a great place to find blogs that have already been reader-tested and fan-approved. Go there to vote for the coveted "Weblog of the Year" and make your voice heard.Only you can prevent forest fires!
Labels: Blog
