Web-a-thon

Its happening all around us... but no one makes a sound.

Thousands abandoned... left without care.

We have a new terror sweeping the land. Across the internet and around the world people everywhere are abandoning what they started. In 2006 the exciting and interconnected "Facebook" arrived on the scene. At first it was a wonderment... People were happy, excited, reconnecting with old friends, and inter-connecting with current friends. It was a happy time for the internet... or was it?

Behind the scenes of this modern craze there was a dark alley of abandonment. You see all over the internet people are giving up on their traditional blogs and opting for a 'note' based system of posting. But what about the blogs? What about the pointless stories you once wrote for all the internet to see? What about the photographs and epitaphs you churned out on a semi-almost-sort-of daily to weekly basis? What about the hours you already wasted, invested in this faction of internet culture? What are you going to do?

With the abandonment of blogs everywhere there is more need in the internet today for people like you to step up and support traditional blogs. But this is more than a call to donate money (send all donations to rubic_@hotmail.com) but you can do more (although donations would be great: rubic_@hotmail.com). If money isn't available you can:

1) talk to a friend who has abandoned their blogs (maybe even write on their wall)

2) start support groups in your community to raise blog awareness

3) think about adopting a blog that is already out there

Blogs matter.

(This has been a paid advertisement by the "Pat Needs a Life Foundation" if you would like to be involved in the PNLF please send all donations to rubic_@hotmail.com)

Where have all the bloggers gone?

Look I have three things going against me... 1- I'm alone, manageable. 2- I have an ample supply of time on my hands. 3- I have dial up Internet.

With that in mind I am attempting to read my friends blogs (listed to the left) and find exciting new updates. As of recently I have found no new updates (except Fulford's blog) and its making me right cheesed.

Friends I'm calling you out. Pick up your electronic pen (the keyboard) and say something.
(if you are reading this and I don't know your blog and you are frankly up set that I would write such grandiose claims let me know what your blog is... although technically I may already read it if it is listed on someone else's blog... I'm just too lazy to update that list)

Patman the Pat

Peer Pressure: Everybody Reads

Well I have been overlooking a blog or two these last couple days and I have noticed that everybody puts quotes from books in their blog. And so, I, being a 'blogger' (the closest thing I'll ever be to a jogger) must include a post with a quote to make my blog complete and relevant. And so from Donald Miller's "Through Painted Deserts" I give you this scene. They have reached the grand canyon and wish to climb down it. They search for a map. :

Paul bypasses the brochures and the rock exhibit, making his way to the counter where a young girl in a brown uniform stands with a fake smile.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. We were needing a trail map for the cayon."

"Are you going down?" She asks.

"Yes," one of us says.

"Do you have a permit yet?"

"Well, I didn't know for sure if we needed one," Paul remarks.

"You do," she says.

"We do," I say, lifting my eyebrows. I pull out my Blockbuster video card and set it on the counter. She looks at it confused, then back to Paul.

And there you have it. Deal with it. Learn from it. But most of all laugh... cause I tell you to.

The Art of Blogging: Modern Journals Need More Pictures

Patman the Pat's Rules of Blogging

For the sake of a comprehensive website that not only entertains but informs I have decided to undertake my own personal "Rules of Blogging" or "Blogic".

The first thing one needs to understand while blogging that it is first and foremost an art. Creativity, authenticity and originality overtakes any rules that mankind could place upon us. (refer to Figure 1.9 for further explaination)

The second consideration behind a blog is content. When writing in a blog it is most important that you change subjects, use new vocabulary and explain more then your everyday boring life. As much as we tend to see our world the same everyday (ie wake up, eat, do stuff, eat, go home, sleep) there are many subjects, events and people that shake up our daily lives into expressible blogs.

This leads us to an important topic of discussion:length. In setting up a blog you do not wish to bored your friends and other people by rambling on and on on topics. Some suggest making bullet point blogs. Others recommend borrowing from our television entertainment compadres and having semi-'to be continued' style blog that takes larger blog entries and makes them two, three or four smaller entries.

Finally (and really the reason that I wrote this blog) I think it is most important that a blogger takes advantage of the multimedia resource that is the internet. Put up pictures, link a video or hug a tree and you can change a set of words into a dynamic display of light and space.

I'm really getting into this blog thing (most likely because I"m really bored and need something to pass the time) and these rules help make my blog a place for excitement, fun and pictures.

In Summary:

1. Be Yourself and Have Fun

2. Variety is the Spice of Blog

3. Use this Free Space Wisely

4. Use Media (more than words)

Pat, Patman the