Blogs To Note (Apologies to Blogger)

I love going through blogs. I navigate through the sea of blogosphere each night before I retire to bed. It has become almost a ritual. I believe this is because blogs, especially of the personal kind, got a way of touching my life in ways I do not always expect. It was like being invited to step into someone else's life for a moment and then back to reflect on your own. Often, in the process, you begin to see things beautiful in your life that your own eyes were just too clouded to see. It is only sad, that with so many blogs floating in cyberspace, plenty of blogs do not get the attention they rightly deserve.

As a way of testimonial for all the blogs I had and will have the privilege of partaking, I thought of putting up this blog. I would not be offering critiques here, that is not my business. I would only want to give my personal impressions of these blogs and impressions are not up for debate.

We are inviting other readers to share with us blogs they feel others should take time to read together with their own impressions.

Now, allow me to present my own blogs of note.

Prashart

I find Prashart's work beautiful and refreshing. It stirs in me the desire to reconnect once more to the village where I have spent most of my life. Prashart is from India but now lives in Canada.That is one his work you are seeing. Should you want more of it go visit his blog. It would be nice if you could leave a comment.

Don

His blog is among my favorites. He enjoys a large following. Intelligent and witty would be a fit description of Don. Too bad he has not been posting lately for some personal reasons.

Amelia

Born in 1911, AmeliaLopez is Spain's oldest blogger. Hits to her blog has exceeded the million mark. In the initial page of her blog she gives her thoughts on the internet. In the succeeding pages she muses on different subjects relating to her life and much more. Her original blog is in Spanish but is translated in different languages.


http://amis95.blogspot.com/

Does Grammar Matter?

The blogging arena is one big Freedom Park where everyone is free to get in and unload his/her written thoughts on whatever subject he/she chooses to the blogging denizens who may be interested to read it. Writing skills is not required and that is what is great about it. It is therefore ironic that it is this beautiful attribute of allowing freedom of expression to thrive in its written form on a free reign, with no barriers at all, which is also one of blogging’s most sour points. Every Dick and Jean whether his/her writing skills could not register even a score a notch below average on the writing skills scale is free to join.

I would concur with anyone who would tell me that blogs are not formal forms of writing and therefore are expected to have some lapses in spelling and/or grammar. I am sure anyone reading Blogs To Note could point out some error here and there. These blunders should however be as scant as possible if not avoided and should not be allowed to become a recognizable mark of ones blog. Grammar rules are there for a reason. They make it as easy as possible for the reader to comprehend the writer’s message. To have his/her ideas understood clearly should be every blogger’s initial concern. Not many readers would like to invest extra minute of their precious time trying to make sense out of something that is hardly comprehensible. This means that a blog author has no choice but to care about grammar. Not caring about grammar sends the message that you don't give respect nor care about your readers much, either.

Blogging is a craft and language is its medium. Every craftsman strives to achieve excellence in his/her craft. To do that, they must not just be good but be very good in their craft’s medium. I am sure my dear friend, Laurie B of "The Looking Glass", would agree that a craftsman can’t afford to be mediocre in his/her work. I don’t see any reason as to why bloggers should be an exception. Every work speaks of its creator or author. No one wants to make mediocre mistakes when his/her reputation is at stake. Sad to say, this doesn’t seem to register in the minds of many bloggers if we are to look into their work.

English is my second language. This means I have to do some extra effort to get my mastery of the English language at a respectable level. I have to continuously improve my command of the English grammar. There are several sites in the internet to which I run to for help whenever I am confronted by a grammatical dilemma. One of my favorite site is Perfect English Grammar.Com. The site is so simple to negotiate. It is designed to help anyone particularly those who speak English as a second language to find their way out of the complexity of the English grammar. In a nutshell, it is English grammar made easy. If you need some help, Seonaid, the site’s author, would always be there to show you around. All you got to do is send her an E-mail.

Thousands enter the blogging world each day. It has become a very competitive field. In the end, it is the readers who would determine whether a blog is to survive or must be consigned to an obituary. A blog that respects its readers would surely have a longer run.

Laughter Guaranteed

Ageing Ungracefully

http://ageing-ungracefully.blogspot.com

Go grab a ghost story. Unless you dig ghost stories like I do or wired into the paranormal scene like I am, chances are you would be afraid to go out alone in the dark after you have read it.

What about the teary tale of a technology challenged guy on why he now needs to see his neurologist as a result of strained nerves he acquired from his unfriendly computer which he keeps on swearing he would never touch again only to give his computer another kiss and sets himself up to another round of torture. My bet would be that you would see at least one compassionate reply from a reader who would regale him with his own tale of computer woes. Surely, you won't expect a kind soul to take the wicked pleasure of laughing at the guy.

But not so fast! I tell you. A ghost story made me laugh and someone's wails on her computer misadventure sent me rolling in laughter like I have inhaled a heavy dose of laughing gas. Mind you! I am a kind soul. If someone is to blame, that would be an old lady named Geri. She made me laugh.

Geri Atric, who describes herself as an optimistic senior citizen lady Brit living amongst the Dutch, could tell you stories of the ordinary events in life in an amusing way. She fully loads these stories with tons of humor that is totally guaranteed to send you gurgling out laughter after laughter that could hit several decibels.

It takes a skill to concoct a story with exactly the right mix of laughing spices. Geri does it superbly like humor is her second skin.

Note: I am putting up a wager. Just comment on this post and tell me you do not believe me. Then go read the blog. If it does not make you laugh then come back and tell me so. I would give you 50 EC credits no questions asked. If it sends you laughing come back at least and tell me you loved the humor. Oh! I expect to earn some EC points on this so if Geri's blog made you laugh send me 10 EC ( I am cheap. LOL), will you?

This Woman Fights Back

My Lymphoma Story
http://www.MyLymphomaStory.com

I had a close encounter with lymphoma and I know what an awful affliction it is. I lost a granddaughter to the disease some ten years ago. She was a very spirited and intelligent girl. After placing third on the bar examinations, she turned down all offers to work with big corporations. She chose to become a human rights lawyer instead and distinguished herself on that field. She did not make any money but she was happy standing up with the down trodden as she helped them fight for their human rights. Good guys often do not live long. After three years of fighting for people’s rights, she lost her own fight against lymphoma, only a week before she was to turn twenty eight.

It is thus with great interest that I followed the story of Brandi, a young woman afflicted with lymphoma. She tells her story not just as a victim of the disease but as one who is determined to survive it. Many people would send their sense of humor burning in a funeral pyre when faced by such an agonizing affliction. I would understand why. Brandi would not have any of that. She is different. She lets her sense of humor shine through. I could almost hear her laughing during the times I am reading her story. Her ability to spice the physical pain she goes through with dashes of laughter is a spirit only a true warrior could possess.

This lady is one fighter and I am cheering for her to win her fight.

Go visit her blog if you want to read an interesting story of real courage.

A Poetry of Life's Beauty

Blooms and Blossoms

Photography by Petra Voegtle

http://vyala.blogspot.com

Petra's flower photographs are stunning. The flowers look so alive. You could almost smell the fragrance. Not only smell, you could hear the flowers speak. Each photograph is a poetry of life's beauty. It speaks to us in ringing silence about the many wonderful gifts in our lives that we have ceased to notice and no longer celebrate.

Go experience the photographs. Open you senses as you do. Then close your eyes and just let the flowers speak to you.

Disturbed Stranger

http://disturbedstranger.wordpress.com/

One of my favorite blogs. Disturbed writes on the dark themes of life in a way that is intelligent, moving and engaging. There were times when I rooted for her to deliver her characters from the mess they have made their lives into and make them see the light at the end. It does not happen. But on reflection, you realize that in real life there are people who are wandering in similar limbo. People who will themselves to stay in the confines of the dark because for some reason the dark seems to be their only solace.

Disturbed's readers are the kind who are of open mind and are out for good reading experience. That should explain her ridiculously low Alexa ranking. The comments section is very alive where readers engage in intelligent exchange of ideas on the subject. I love leaving comments on her posts. I found it a fun way to view things from other people’s perspective.

Postmen Needed

We need postmen. We need bridge builders. We need links. The invitations must not be lost in the intricate routes of the web. Get the invitation delivered and have one unique soul out there meet another unique soul here. Gee! I made it sound like an ad but on the second thought, it is an ad.

Invitations Missed

Bloggers spend time and effort to get their blogs online only to be lost in the sea of blogs seeking for attention. In posting their blogs, bloggers send out invitation to each one of us to share in their life, their thoughts, their dreams and other bits and pieces of themselves. A wonderful invitation but an invitation often unclaimed. In not claiming these invitations, we let fly the opportunity to partake in an important banquet in life. The chance for communion with one unique soul is lost.