My coffe mug. When it's empty [See below for surprise effect].
I had a dark coffee mug that changed color to reveal a message when filled. Mine showed an Intel logo. Remarkable. My wife broke it when she fell down the stairs. So I had to buy another. That's a picture of it up there.
I tried blogging today. Frank Panter posted a link to the Winona Daily News. He called it the Winona Daily Bleat or something. More, he thinks Bruce is a nice chap. I think so too.
This article in the Winona Daily News—of which Frank writes—is interesting. It's about a motorcyclist driving at 205 mph on a public road. You wouldn't catch me doing that. [Don't mention this to Frank. He believes me to be something of a daredevil.]
Anyway, an officer of the law in an airplane apprehended the motorcyclist. I'd have to read the article again to find out how he did it, but it doesn't really matter. You can read the article yourself if you want to. In fact, you can read the whole Winona Daily News. It's online, as they say.
It's a Minnesota paper. Bob Dylan's from Minnesota, so Frank thought of me, which is very nice of him. He also thought of Stu Savory. Why, I'm not quite sure, but I think it has something to do with motorcycles. Stu lives in Germany. They make BMWs there.
Where was I?
Okay... I thought I'd respond to Frank's post. The other day, I posted an entry on hyperlinks. Dave Winer and Robert Scoble, much like the guys who write books telling one how to become a millionnaire, offer advice on becoming popular. So, being over at Frank's place and not being in a mood to go elsewhere, I thought, "What the hell, let's give it a bash."
"Give what a bash?" I hear you ask.
"Commenting, Dumbo."
Scoble, who seems a nice chap—I don't know him as well as I do Bruce, but most bloggers are nice when you get to know them—says commenting will increase your popularity. This is what I wrote:
I want one...And that's where I left it. Quite frankly, I couldn't think of anything else to say. Besides, I was tired. Blogging's quite an effort.
[Editor's note: I'm referring to a fast motorcycle here. I don't want Frank to think twenty-five years and three children have slowed me. Not to mention my wife falling down the stairs and breaking my cup.]
Stu can nurse me around the old Nurburgring.
[Editor's note: Stu lives in Germany and that's where the old Nurburgring is too. But I think I told you that. Perhaps I'll leave the edits for later. Dave Winer does.]
Perhaps it was Bob; leaving town.
Five years ago, nobody read the Winona Daily News. Now you read it and I read it. Hell, we all read it. Whether that's a good or a bad thing, we'll probably only know in about five years' time. But it—connectivity—has certainly made the run in to these elections of yours some kind of fascinating.
By God, you Americans are a strange people. How else does one explain the Cat Stevens thing? That said, we still love some of you. Y'know?
Where will we be in five years' time? I guess we're like the 205 mph biker. At the rate we're going, we certainly won't be here, and 'there' is a long way off. The cop kinda reminds me of Winona's Officer Obie. Five years at 205 mph will probably see us all blogging at Alice's Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
There or at the old Nuremberg Ring. Or whatever it's called. And we'll have front-row seats in the comment boxes :).
Note It's always polite to put a smiley at the end of a comment. It's called netiquette.
I might add that there are several literary allusions in that comment. 'Bob' is actually Bob Dylan, the singer. He was born in Hibbing, a town in Minnesota. He left in a hurry. Frank's been to Hibbing. What's it like Frank?
No answer.
Typical.
Anyway, I was tired so I began to make myself a cup of tea. I drink my tea from my coffee mug. Doing that—drinking tea from a coffee mug—is called an anachronism or something.
I thought I'd make the tea and leave the blog to percolate. That's a joke. I know it's not a very good one, but at least I'm trying. I wanted to see if Scoble's theory worked. I finished making my tea and returned to my machine to see if I was popular.
I wasn't.
So much for Scoble. He shouldn't pull hoaxes like that. I don't like it. But it doesn't matter.
I bought my coffee mug—the new one replacing that which my wife broke when she fell down the stairs—from my club. My club is, unfortunately, only for men. This may be considered sexist, but you girl bloggers should be quite used to sexism by now.
It changes color too. My new cup, that is. You can see what it says on the outside when it's full of tea. All you have to do is click on the picture I've stuck at the top. Actually, you can also click on the link I've just made. In the last sentence but one.
Clever, eh?
Blogging may be tiring, but it certainly has its rewards. Then again, I'd not have written this essay had I not been a member of the club. It has its own rewards.
You may have noticed that I've surreptitiously inserted quite a few links to my club in this weblog entry. I've done so because I don't really know anybody there. I'm also testing another of Scoble's theories. He says if you link a lot you become popular.
I hope he's not pulling the wool over my eyes again. I expect people to meet me at the door when I arrive.
Okay, that's it for now. I'm off to the club. I have to make some tea for my wife before I go. I'm not lending her my cup though. She broke the last one when she fell down the stairs.
Update Frank called. That's Frank Paynter. He said that he called the Winona Daily Bleat the Winona Daily Blat. I didn't ask him why he calls it that, but it seems Scoble's theory is starting to work. I might just try another comment before heading off to the club. My wife can make her own tea.
