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The world goes by pretty fast, so getting your daily dose of pop culture requires a bit of organization. Good thing Spleak's users publish their own bite-sized content for your pleasure, on subjects ranging from the issues to the frivolous. Six TypePad blogs cover it all daily, with provocative photos, catchy captions, and eye-catching stories about: Celebrities, Sports, Social Issues, Fashion, Video Games, and Television.
Visit the Celeb Speak blog.
Ride along on the road trip of the future! The HyMototion, a hydrogen-powered Volkswagen, just got back from a tour of 31 cities in 18 states. John Tillman, Program Manager for Volkswagen Group of America, teamed up with the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, the California Fuel Cell Partnership and other car manufacturers to demonstrate that hydrogen is the way to drive into the future.
His vwhydrogentour blog gives updates from the road, with photos and videos about the people he has met, places he's been, and demonstrates that hydrogen-powered vehicles can and will meet the needs of American drivers.
Visit the Hydrogen Road Tour travel blog
Andrew Sullivan's blog The Daily Dish is one of my regular stops for political news and opinion. A prolific blogger with a biting sense of humor, Andrew is an old-school conservative with a long-standing passion for justice, Obama's presidential campaign, and his beagles. Chock-a-block with photos, videos, long-form essays balanced by short, pithy entries, it's one of the best of the political blogs out there, no matter what side of the aisle you're on.
The Daily Dish is now under the masthead of The Atlantic, one of America's oldest and most revered magazines. Be sure to check out some of their other (Movable Type-powered!) blogs.
Visit The Daily Dish.
Bossy's blog is one of my favorite kinds - wryly funny, a slice of life, about everything and nothing in particular. A brush with Bill Clinton here, an analysis of Oscar Helmet Hair there, and oh, right, a road trip with some other wonderful bloggers and Saturns and a terminus at BlogHer, the world leader of she-ra woman-power blog conferences.
Visit i am bossy.
Bonjour! Ever imagine packing it all up and moving to France, home of fine wine, food, art, music, and literature? This French Life “provides many interesting nuggets of information…to people who are keen to move to France, or those already living there.” Articles rage from setting up the necessary services (such as banking and the Internet) to interviews with people who have lived in France and have moved there to start a new life. Part Travelogue, part discussion group, and part guidebook, the site combines posts, videos, and links to cover the language, the latest news, reviews and news on food and drink, and interviews with noted figures, just to name a few. Other sections provide information on renting and buying property, how to get around, where to buy things, how to get here, what to read, and much more. Whether you’re planning a vacation, sabbatical, or permanent move, this is a site that will provide a close up view of La Belle France.
Petopia covers “everything pets from A to Z” (Aardvark to Zebra?) in posts that run - and swim, hop, crawl, and fly – the gamut from hero rabbits to goats that read to the crow that thinks it’s a dog. Those are just a few of the stories; the site covers the offbeat, the current, the heartwarming and the just plain wonderful world of animals in Categories that range from Charitable Organizations to That’s Entertainment. Fun reading: a Pet Horoscope that – just maybe – will explain why your pet acts the way that it does; plenty of pictures and lively commentary round out this most adorable of sites.
Every country in every age can boast of great doings in the arts, the sciences, sports…virtually every human endeavor. And the people who accomplish these strides come in every stripe: different sexes, races, colors, ages, and yes, sexual orientation. The achievements of Gay and Lesbian people through the ages has only recently been given their proper due, and one site that does so is Gay Wisdom, a blog that celebrates the history, culture, and community of gay men and women everywhere. Did you know that the recently deceased creator of Big Bird and the Cookie Monster was gay? You do now. Or that the new Poet Laureate of the United States is a Lesbian? Read about her career here. Other resources include slideshows that document gay history and videos that offer a glimpse of the famous. On a lighter note, take a look at the controversial “Gay Mayo” ad that portrays what some would claim is too inappropriate for TV (and then judge for yourself). More Categories and links to related sites offer additional fascinating reading – in particular, to White Crane, a journal of gay wisdom and culture that features interviews, opinions, and conversations (such as on race) with noted Gay and Lesbian editors, writers, and more.
You’ve heard of the Horse Whisperer – and in Gaia's Horse you’ll meet what might be called the “Horse Listener.” Maria Kinsella, the author, lives in Limerick, Ireland with her boyfriend Chris and is a healer specializing in “distance healing on humans, horses, and other animals.” Maria calls the healing that she does “listening,” as “I simply listen to an individual’s inner mind in order to initiate positive changes and increased awareness of the current situation.” That process also extends to horses, and Maria explains the process here and here, and puts it into practical use in her posts on Hazel and “Joe”. This is a holistic approach to an animal’s well being, one that is far removed from traditional veterinary practices, and these alternative methods of animal training and health are gaining ground in many circles. Practitioners like Maria are in the forefront of the movement and her posts make for interesting, fascinating reading into “listening to nature, learning from nature, and being nature.”
Offering “critical observations of print/broadcast/Web media, plus public relations and advertising,” Grumpy Editor (the name of both the blog and the author), recaps the news of the day – political, economic, sociological, you name it. A career in journalism has honed the author’s eye for news and skill at commenting on it, as seen in posts on a “surprising” response by one of the presumptive presidential candidates - and the questions it’s raising, citations handed to some of the nation’s largest restaurants, political happenings, and gloomy economic news. Peppering his posts with facts, figures, quotes and more garnered from news organizations, the Grumpy Editor offers his own observations on many of the issues facing us, making for informative, incisive, lively reading.
Kirsten is a Canadian living in Las Vegas with her husband and three girls, and lists “words, drawing things, music, and style,” among her interests, attributes that converge in Tollipop to create a showpiece for her wonderful, whimsical designs and prints. Her posts combine friendly, conversational language with colorful drawings of charming, elfin children that will enchant readers of every age. Kirsten’s ode to colors, school chums, and the copenhagen sisters will introduce you to some of her creations. They’re so fanciful, you can almost picture Kirsten’s “people” populating some far away garden or forest cottage. There are also snippets of family life and fun giveaway contests that give you a chance to win one of her prints – but if you don’t want to take your chances, Kirsten’s etsy shop has many of her creations for sale.
