Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with blogs

Blogs about alternative lifestyles

HotPatatta — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:36:56 -0800

Can you recommend any blogs that highlight an unconventional lifestyle, such as Mistress Matisse? I'm specifically looking for blogs that describe alternative lifestyles and professions that aren't provided with much attention in mainstream media, or that are frequently misunderstood/misrepresented. Examples might include sex work, arms trading, mafia, bounty hunting, communal living, non-traditional living situations. It doesn't matter whether the author is still posting, just that the archives are available online.

Favorite Fitness Blogs?

pyrom — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:23:18 -0800

What are your favorite Running/Weight Lifting/Fitness blogs? I'm an avid runner/weight lifter, and reading about people who do the same help to keep me motivated. What are your favorite fitness blogs?

(I read Runner's World and Stumptuous frequently)

yeah yeah a name for my blog

beccyjoe — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:18:30 -0800

I need a name for my new extreme opinions blog. I am making a new blog wherein I rant and rave espousing my (extreme) opinions - totally self-indulgent but hopefully thought-provoking as well. I just can't really think of a good name. Does anyone have any ideas?

I love blogging and I have two other blogs. ("our love is amazing" and "yonder comes my honeybabe") I want a good title that doesn't sound like anything else.

thanks@!

History blogs

Bleusman — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:02:49 -0800

What are your favorite blogs about history? I've recently had a love affair with history. I love learning about the reasons why people have gone off and done things unfathomable by the modern standpoint. I like to hear about the underdog stories of history, even the times where the underdog was hopelessly crushed. So I'm looking for blogs about history - preferably ones that aren't military-centric - that are written by someone who truly has enthusiasm for history. Interesting stories, reinterpretations of commonly accepted events, and any other history related thing you can think of: I'd like to see some blogs about it.

Previously. But that was two years ago, and we all know the pace of the internet.

How much money does the gossip magazine / gossip blog / tabloid industry make?

Elle Vator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:23:45 -0800

So, celebrity gossip is everywhere and lots of $$$ is forked out for images of famous babies, etcetera... BUT how much money does the gossip industry MAKE? I can't find any online statistics about Gossip Industry Revenues. It's actually very odd and mysterious.

I'm looking for numbers on gossip magazines, gossip blogs and/or the tabloid industry, with the goal of comparing the Gossip numbers to the Porn Industry and the Television Industry respectively. I could use global numbers, US or North American numbers.

It would be useful to find a webpage as comprehensive as this: http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

...but I would take a single, high impact sentence about the tabloids and gossip rags (such as this gem: "US Porn Revenues are greater than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC"), which was properly cited and verifiable.

Anyone got anything?

Best video game blogs?

kmz — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:59:35 -0800

What are the best video game blogs out there today? We've had a Wii for a while, so I'd been reading Joystiq's Nintendo subfeed. We just got a 360, so I'm switching to their whole feed, and also thinking about Kotaku. Outside of those two, what are the best news/review type gaming feeds to read?

Smart women

pulled_levers — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:00:17 -0800

I'm interested in being inspired by smart women. What are your recommendations for blogs or autobiographies of strong-willed, independent and successful women? For most of my life (with the exception of my mother) I have looked up to the accomplishments of men. The vast majority of blogs that I have followed in the past have also been male-dominated.

As a result, a part of me has been long convinced of the idea that men are smarter than women. And my reasoning behind this is due to my belief that because women are so strongly influenced by their emotions and the need to find a long term mate that they devote the majority of their energy to attracting that mate (for ex: picking up the fashion magazine instead of the newspaper)

I know that this isn't correct for all women--I have encountered many strong and smart women but this bias still remains. As a young woman myself, I'd like to look for successful & note-worthy women to not only help change my perspective, but to also act as my role models.

I'm open to any suggestions, but I would prefer blogs or books by women who are either in their 20s or 30s (and are still alive) that address current events, politics, business, or art.

Thanks!

Romance!

ocherdraco — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:03:54 -0800

I've got some questions about romance novel blogs. Are there good ones that focus on historical romances, or that look at romances from a feminist perspective? What about blogs that are just plain good (on books or otherwise), and whose writers happen to write about romances from time to time? Are there any bloggers who write about romances and about other kinds of books as well? I'm trying to get a handle on this particular corner of the web, and would appreciate any insight. I'm trying to figure out if a book I'm editing would be of any interest to romance bloggers. The book I'm working on is nonfiction, and tells the story of a woman in Victorian England who, after falling in love and getting married in a whirlwind romance, was jilted by her husband for another woman and was forced to prove in court that she was ever married in the first place. It doesn't have, as Wikipedia puts it, an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending" in quite the same way romance novels do, but it is positive (she was vindicated in court, and went on to have an adventurous career as a novelist and travel writer; she's quite a feminist role model).

I have a hunch that there are readers of romance novels who would really go for this; I'm just trying to figure out if they'd like it because of their interest in romance novels or in spite of it, and if, therefore, I ought to approach romance bloggers with it in the first place.

take me to your leader

Potomac Avenue — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:29 -0800

What are the good independent music/arts/entertainment/hipster websites in your city? Is there a site in your large- to medium-sized city that fits these criteria:
* not affiliated with a print version (Onion, city paper, etc)
* not affiliated with a network in other cities of some kind like Gothamist or Yahoo
* not in NYC or Los Angeles for various complex reasons
* are totally awesome

and that you might turn to for most of the things listed below:

1. music and concert reviews
2. entertainment calender and preview of events
3. movie, tv, food or theater reviews
4. obnoxiously fashionable photographs of shows, dance-parties and events
5. other quirky articles about local goings-on
6. discussion of other current topics on the web or in the world of pop culture

I'm asking because I work for one like this in DC and want to find out if we're all alone or if there are sister sites out there in places like Minneapolis, etc, with which we can communicate. So if you've heard of one but never used it I'd appreciate the tip even if yr not sure of its quality. I have read this thread, but there aren't many choices in there which fit the criteria.

Thank you.

Who do you like to read?

surenoproblem — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:09:06 -0800

What are some chatty, intelligent, funny personal blogs that I should be following? I used to love reading about people's daily lives on Livejournal, as well as knowing what music, books and films they were enjoying, but I haven't been back to LJ in years, and most of my friends have stopped updating. Something like a more regularly updated Defective Yeti is what I'm looking for. I don't mind if the blog is about a specialised field, but I'm hoping for someone who is funny, who has interesting ideas, or can give me a good glimpse into another person's life.

Thanks!

How to set up a project for high school students...

degoao — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:42 -0800

I want my students to develop the habit of reading about current events (local to international). Instead of reading a required book over the summer, I would like them to select one to two articles a week from a list of sources I provide them and comment on the articles. (asking for a friend)

I'd like my students to create their own blogs and post their comments once or twice a week. There would be about 600 students for me to keep tabs on throughout the summer. This is for 13-17 year old high school students at a conservative Catholic school.

My questions are:

What publications should I use? I have developed a small list, but I'd like to hear your ideas. (Although the school is conservative, I'd like to get all perspectives)

How can I realistically keep tabs on the blogs of 600 students?

What kinds of exceptions can there be? (For example, what if the student goes to Jamaica for three weeks and has no internet access)

What should the consequences be if a student doesn't do some or all of the project?

What are your favorite blogs/news sources/analysis on Iraq?

torietorie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:08:20 -0800

I'm heading to Iraq in several months and I'm looking for great sources of information on the country. This could include: - Political, cultural, etc blogs - Blogs from servicemen/civilians working in Iraq - News analysis - Iraqi blogs (they can be English or Arabic - I read both!) - Backgrounders or historical analysis Be creative! What do YOU read to find out about Iraq? I'd love to hear about it. Thanks for your input in advance!

Know any good blogs by high school or college age females?

Joe Beese — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:14:46 -0800

Know any good blogs by high school or college age females? It's character research for NaNoWriMo. Videos are fine too.

Name This Aesthetic

CitrusFreak12 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:04:07 -0800

Is there a name or term for the aesthetic these blogs contain? I've realized that there is a definite theme and aesthetic quality in a lot of the blogs I read. But when trying to relate this to a friend yesterday, I realized I can't seem to figure out what it is or even quite how to describe it.

It bothers me even more because this aesthetic is very similar to things I('d like to) wear, things I collect, how I decorate areas in my room, etc, which is likely why I read them in the first place.

It's not just the vintage stuff, but that is a large part. There's a lot of overlap between them in modern things as well, and I think this combination of the two is rather important.

So what's the name for this aesthetic, and how can I describe/define it? And as a side question, are there blogs/resources where I can find more of the same?

The blogs are as follows:
A Continuous Lean
The Material Review (a tumblr blog by the same guy who does A Continuous Lean)
A Time to Get
Cold Splinters
Secret Forts
Yimmys Yayo (Consider this one NSFW, for the most part. All photos, and a higher concentration of nudity as of late. But the aesthetic is still there though, perhaps to a lesser extent than those linked above)

Best peacebuilding blogs

j0hnpaul — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:28:38 -0800

What are the best blogs on nonviolence, particularly writing grounded in satyagraha, Gandhi's philosophy and practice, or Jim Corbett's civil initiative?

Hockey blogs of note?

xmutex — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:23:25 -0800

Are there any interesting hockey blogs out there? Like a Free Darko of hockey? Realizing Free Darko's a unique sort of genius.

Seeking good reading material for a friend.

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:39:26 -0800

Cervical cancer filter: seeking blogs and online resources. A friend was just diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 34. I don't know what stage cancer she has, nor what treatment she'll need or choose. I'm looking for online resources to share with her: blogs, advice, etc. In particular, I'm hoping to find some blogs by cervical cancer patients and survivors written in a very personal, warm, maybe humorous tone. I'd like to share things that will help her feel hopeful and optimistic, rather than alone with a vast ocean of cold facts.
Personal stories from hive members would also be cool if anyone feels like sharing.
Thank you.

Is there an Instapaper for feed aggregation?

Orchestra — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:26:14 -0800

I'm looking for a very simple rss updater to replace Rososo. Any suggestions? It looks like my rss updater of choice, Rososo, might be permanently out of order. This bums me out as it's just about the perfect fit for my needs and aesthetic preferences. Much like Instapaper, another can't-do-without favourite, it has a zen-like vibe of doing one thing really well and looking as simple as possible while doing it.

What I need is a robust (little downtime) and easy-to-use service for keeping an eye on my twenty or so favourite blogs and other sites. I like to read my articles on-site, not through a reader interface, so I'm therefore not looking for Google Reader, I think. Firefox extensions and the like are out as I often use different computers and browsers throughout the day.

Also, I want to be able to follow any feed and not just those that are already submitted to the service (like Bloglovin or Bloglines). Some of my feeds belong to sites written in languages other than English and others I'm just not comfortable adding to a public index (personal Livejournals and the like).

Is there anything out there for me?

Blogs with the same feeling as This American Life?

salvia — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:20:20 -0800

I'm looking for blogs about psychology, storytelling, emotions, why people do the things they do, the human condition, or just good blogs with people's stories. I've been finding some good stuff in this past AskMe. (For example, this blog would be great, if it were still active.) Is there more out there? They can be funny, curious and thoughtful, analytical, whatever, so long as what they're really about is what makes people tick. (In case this question is too vague, my past book questions are asking for similar stuff.)

Basically, I'd like to spend the bus ride home from work every day shifting out of "to do" list mode and remembering what it's like to be a human being.

A Better 'Share This' Widget?

toomuchkatherine — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:55:06 -0800

I run a website. Our old 'Share This' widget that goes after posts is woefully out of date. Can anyone suggest a better one? The site I run is on Wordpress. We have a "Bookmark and Share This" thing after posts that just looks awful, and doesn't even have Twitter on it as an option. I'm looking for something free and visually pleasing that allows users to send a post to Twitter, Stumbleupon, Digg, and Facebook. More options are fine too. I appreciate your suggestions.

sweet surprises for my RSS feed

kidsleepy — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:50:27 -0800

What are your favorite photo-of-the-day blogs? I recently stumbled upon Aloha Friday and Keggers of Yore. They're simple websites that upload a few pictures a day, without context or comment. Look at this f***ing hipster is along the same lines, except I'm tired of hipsters. What are some similar sites with interesting pictures?

Canadian webpages to print pages

ashputtel — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:35:45 -0800

Can you name any published Canadian bloggers? I saw this question already, but time has moved on and I'm specifically wondering about Canadian bloggers (or internet self-publishers if they can't be called bloggers for some reason) who have moved into print.

Also, if anyone knows of any Canadian publishers who have put out a notable amount of internet-affiliated works, I'd be interested in hearing about them too.

Looking for some good retail blogs.

Dreamcast — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:28:40 -0800

Are there any good blogs about working in retail? I'm looking for some blogs in the same vein as Behind the Counter (you know, the Walmart blog), that talk about life in retail (preferably, the bigger stores, like Walmart or Target) and the various interesting things they've encountered on the job. I just find that kind of stuff fascinating, for some reason. Anyone have any suggestions for blogs like this that they've enjoyed?

I want to read stuff other people think is important.

downing street memo — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:48:25 -0800

I'm very interested in websites/blogs that aggregate a whole bunch of sources and present the most interesting, influential and informative writing on the Web. Help me find some more? I know about Memeorandum and Techmeme. I also read The Browser and Arts & Letters Daily.

I know these kinds of sites come in a few flavors, so: I'm generally interested in ones that are commentary-free, that are run by educated human editors (like The Browser or A&L Daily), or that operate by an influence algorithm like Memeorandum. I'm not particularly interested in directly crowdsourced sources like Digg or Reddit.

What are your favorite content aggregators?

Best books and websites about Philly

LaszloKv — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:42:57 -0800

What are your favorite books or websites about Philadelphia or heavily involving Philadelphia? Both historical or modern.