Blogging Blogs #1: defective yeti

Well, now... after my brief foray into the world outside campus, I'm back and in class blogging mood. So without further ado, I bring you Blogging Blogs #1: defective yeti.

This blog appears to have the characteristics of both a blog and a notebook. There are quite a few longer, focused entries, intermingled with a handful of short, blog-style blurbs.

Alright, enough with the clinical analysis. Here's what I really want to say: this is one of my new favorite blogs, which is odd because his focus is frequently on current events and politics. I usually shy away from political commentary, but this guy manages to make it funny and not too intensely rant-y (is that a word?). For instance, his imaginary interaction between G. W. Bush and various questioners borders on semi-serious political farce... until he brings in the Princess Bride reference, which ultimately makes it light enough for me to enjoy. Sort of like folding whipped cream into a rich chocolate pudding to make a light, airy mousse (forgive me, I spent a lot of time watching the Food Network this summer).

But lest you decide that this is entirely a news-style blog, there are entries like this that discuss the author's personal life and family. Again, this particular entry is sort of notebook-styled; it is a longer, well-thought-out entry. It's still funny, and even though the author doesn't tell you much about himself directly, his personality really shows through when he talks about his son and briefly about his past in middle and high school.

There are a couple of interesting things I noticed about the mechanics of this blog. First off, since he's running Movable Type, he has a feature that allows him to sort his posts into categories. I've seen a couple other blogs that do this (CultureCat, for example, or Wil Wheaton dot Net). When I first started reading blogs I thought that this sort of organization was a big superfluous; I prefer to take on the blog as a whole. I still don't think it's particularly necessary, but sometimes it can be sort of fun to click on a category and go through just those posts. For instance, try clicking on The Bad Review Revue, which is a collection of short, scathing comments about particular movies, made by various newspaper and magazine reviewers. So cruel it's funny.

Also, I find it interesting to look at which posts he allows comments on and which ones he doesn't. He allows comments on his review of The Garden State, an entry about an article he wrote, and the post about his son, but there are no comments allowed on his political or current events stories. I find that sort of interesting; I understand the reason for it (moderating the comments, especially for political discussions on a relatively popular blog, could quickly turn into a huge job), but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Comments are one of my favorite things about blogs. The ability to read what an author says and directly respond to him or her is unique to the internet, and I'm not sure I like to see it compromised, though there are sometimes good reasons for it.

So, in all, I like this blog. Matter of fact, I may have to put it on my sidebar links. Good read, funny and smart, not too heavy... check it out.