Bright Meadow » Blog Archive » Sunday Roast: Well then, this is a day when I feel good to be me

Before we go any further, can I just say - bless random Facebook comments.

Now I’ve got that out the way, what else is there to say? The opening of the Roast has turned into a brief update on my life lately but, well, I’ve got nothing I want to share right now. Yes, even us bloggers have things we like to keep private.

Related to this is that I’ve also been thinking a lot about how “online Cas” differs from “offline Claire Louise”. There is a difference, I know there’s a difference, but the problem is, unless you know me in both environments, it is hard to explain that is exactly. Neko got closest to it when we were talking about this a while back: she said that online I was “Espresso Cas” - all the best bits of Claire filtered and compressed into an intense, caffeine rich Italian drink… Yeah, I think that analogy got away from us a little bit, but I hope you get what she meant. Cas is Claire without all the crippling neuroses and the self esteem that’s low enough for an amoeba to walk over.

Why am I taking up valuable Roasting time with this ill-concieved rambling? Quite simply, it’s been on my mind a bit lately. Several things have happened lately that indicate I’m very soon (as in within the next two weeks) going to have to face the fact that “Cas” and “Claire Louise” are one and the same and that I might actually not be bad at this whole blogging thing.

Which frankly scares the shit out of me. Come on! I’m a blogger, an observer. I commentate, I don’t participate! There’s a reason I write about all these fun things going on elsewhere and don’t actually go to them - I’m a big cowardy, cowardy custard and, what’s more, I’m proud of it. But unfortunately I’m surrounded by people who are determined for me to “succeed” so I have no choice but to crawl out of my lovely cave and actually face the fear.

Damn them.

~*~

Privacy International has just announced that Google is hostile to privacy. Ouch. Which brings me to something I wanted to save for a piece I’m writing at the moment on whether you need sign-ins or not on wikis - I bring your attention, if I may, to paragraph four of this article:

Donâ€™t get me wrong. I am a bit concerned about the amount of data Google has on me, but my choice is clearâ€¦I can avoid them. Yahoo!, too. They own the social part of me and for that, I get a history of my social interaction.

Couldn’t have put it better my self.

I want to live in Denmark.

Apparently, white people wear sagging pants, too. Can I also point out that, yes, “If you expose your private parts, you’ll get a fine” is a suitable law. But isn’t the whole point of underwear to stop people from seeing your private parts? Silly Americans.

If Dave Winer says it, it must be true, right? In which case I’m not a blogger because I can’t remember the last time I wrote 200 words about anything. So what am I?

Come on people, we’re British, rain is what we’re GOOD at!

I always knew the Cornish were tricky bastards. Well, the Scots and Welsh are already heading that way, so why not the Cornish? And why do I suddenly feel I’m in a Gwyneth Jones novel?

And… That’s it this week. A Roast made up (almost) entirely of news items. Well, these things happen. I’m now off to hover Meadow Towers and to possibly do some revision for my exam on Tuesday. I know I should be doing more work, but frankly the Eight Metaphysical Poets are boring the pants off me and I never was any good at working on things that bore me.

Toodles

Continue the conversation

9 Responses to “Sunday Roast: Well then, this is a day when I feel good to be me”

Rich

June 17th, 2007 at 2:44 pm

Winer’s a smart man. (Bit of a whiner though, ahah…) He’s got a point about podcast players; most of them are shit. iTunes is one of the more competent, but thee isn’t a single other tool I’ve used on Windows or Mac that I found satisfied me. Then again, I don’t listen to many podcasts, but when I do, I want it to go well — so my needs are both very occasional, and very demanding. (If I listened to loads, I’d probably be prepared to settle for “the best”.)

With regards to your real self and your blogger self converging, that’s something all personal bloggers have to deal with eventually, I think. By the very nature of it, you have to be more social. People don’t just read your blog when it’s personal. They read it, they get involved, they advise, they end up having a vested interest in you and in some cases becoming friends.

I think it’s a good thing. What’s the point of having hundreds, thousands, even millions, of readers if you can’t keep some of them?

And we’re all Espressos. Having your own space gives you the freedom to mold yourself into whatever you want to be. It’s a good thing.

These comments aren’t necessarily particularly relevant, just a few of my own thoughts.

Neko

June 17th, 2007 at 3:23 pm

GLAN!

Cas, I now have visions of meadow towers upping sticks and floating off, dancing to your magicians whim, conducted a la Fantasia….

I think you meant hOOver my love, unless I’m mistakes, in which case I wanna high tail it your place and watch the amazing hovering flats….

Neko (feeling flippant)

Cas

June 17th, 2007 at 4:21 pm

Rich - I’m not actually conversant in Winer’s works. Something about him bugs me. In that article though, he does have a point about perpetual hosting. It’s sad to think that in a few years time, Bright Meadow might no longer be here because I forgot to pay a bill. That being said, perhaps the very impermanent nature of the web is what makes it so appealing… Hmmm.

Neko - ok, I *was* about to change that typo, but if I do, now your comment isn’t going to make any sense. Foiled! You could have taken pity on the poor RSI riddled Cas, but oh no! Meany

Moose

June 17th, 2007 at 9:52 pm

Cas didn’t make the flat hover or do the hoovering, she sat and watched the US grand prix with me. she’s never done that before even though as an F1 fan for at least 14 years I watch all the races, but the last 2 races she’s sat in the living room making intelligent comments and asking questions, and it’s led me to one conclusion… she really doesn’t want to do her revision.