Podcasts and thoughts on blogging...

So, Brian Briggs now has podcasts for BBspot! You can find them here. Warning: you WILL lol, so make sure you're somewhere where people will not look at you strangely. I learned this the hard way yesterday, on public transportation. I got some odd looks. Just looking out for ya!

Other than that...it's been fun! I'm getting a steady flow of views and I'm even on a few RSS feeds! So thanks everybody!

There is just one thing...

I have quite a few friends and acquaintances who have frequented the site and I get the comment all the time: "I didn't know you could write!". While I appreciate the flattery, the issue here is, really, I can't. That's what's so sad.

In research for this blog, I have checked out a lot of other blogs and wow...really? Why bother to post it if it's unreadable? I will be the first to admit that grammar has gone the way of the dodo, but basic spelling and punctuation, too!?

Example: I know damn well that when someone asks you, "How are you?" that the proper way to respond is, "I'm doing well, thank you, how are you?" or something similar. I was on the phone with a client the other day (twice my age, might I add) and said just that. He actually corrected me! He says, "Good, so you're doing good?" I really don't have a problem with this.

I do have a problem with not being able to spell if you're going to be posting actual, informational content on the internet. Comments, chat rooms, email, IMs, tweets, whatever, that doesn't count, but if you're publishing something like a blog, something for public consumption, you should at least make an effort! Simple things like two, to, and too or their, they're and there. We learned this in grade school kids, please remember!

I just think it's amazing sometimes what people will publish. Not saying that I am the world's best blogger or a grammar Nazi (I'm sure you'll find your fair share of grammatical inaccuracies on this page) but I can spell.

So, has it reached the point that if you can competently spell, you're a good writer?

Also, I don't understand the volume of blogs just posting a video or an audio track. You can't even put a little blurb in there of why you chose to put that song or video on your blog? What made you put that there? What did you like or dislike about it? WHY, dammit, WHY!? Inquiring minds want to know!

All in all, I've really enjoyed blogging so far and I'm looking forward to many, many more posts (so many new albums coming out!), so stay tuned!

The BBook of Geek by Brian Briggs

Brian Briggs is a god amongst geeks and this book is the BBible.

I've been a fan of Briggs' website, BBspot.com, for about three years now and it's been a great source of time-wasting for me, as well as an educational venture.

I'm only moderately geeky. Most of his fans make me look like a noob.

About the author: "Brian Briggs grew up on a farm outside of the small town of Milan, Michigan--not exactly fertile land for geek creation. Brian overcame his environment by spending the money he earned on the farm on a Color Computer 2. After getting an Electrical Engineering degree (can't spell geek without EE) from the University of Michigan, he worked for a small industrial computer company for ten years. In January 2000 he started posting stories he had written on some free Web space. Quickly overrunning his bandwidth quota, he convinced his wife he needed his own domain and BBspot.com was born. In January 2003, Brian "quit his day job" and started doing BBspot full time. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his lovely wife, two wonderful children, and a life-sized, talking Darth Vader."

You may not consider yourself "geeky enough" to read this book, but do it anyway. I didn't think I was geeky enough and ended up lol-ing my way though it,  and picking out certain things to read to my also moderately geeky husband (especially the section on LEGOs).

It's definitely a well rounded book, covering topics like TV, movies, the Internet, software, hardware, science, gaming, and literature. From D&D to WoW, from Gates to Jobs, from  The Twilight Zone to Firefly, this book will keep you laughing and remind you of all those years of terrible technology. I am so very thankful I wasn't born until the 80's.

This book is a delightful mix of truth and fallacy, much like Briggs' website. See: "BBelievers". Each entry in this book contains a blurb of the topic, a list of "facts", and a hilariously funny picture featuring Briggs.

If you want to know what kind of geek Briggs is, you need only to see the props in these pics: a plush Cthulhu doll, a swiss army knife (classic!), plenty of LEGOs, a Rubik's Cube,  a transistor radio, a Dremel (srsly!), and even a aluminum foil lightning bolt for LARPing!

I need to say that this guy has a serious collection of t-shirts. I'm jealous.

I was pleasantly surprised with some of the topics, like Rube Goldberg machines, manga, and Metropolis, but was also surprised at some of the things not included.

Really? No Magic the Gathering? REALLY!?
Also, no They Might Be Giants, which I found really surprising being as Briggs is a fan.

All in all I thought this book was great. It's funny, it's sentimental, and hey, you just might learn something.

Probably not though, don't trust anything you hear from that Brian Briggs guy. Plus, he's a Red Wings fan.

Honestly though, if you have an ounce of geek in you, and we all do, check out this book. Or buy it for a geeky loved one. It's cheaper than this, and they'll still love you for it.

BBspot
The BBook of Geek
Buy now!