Blog Digest


17 Jul 2008

Improve your knowledge of book culture, become a wine connoisseur or get creative with arts and crafts. The blogosphere shows its cultured side this week.

Murphy’s Law

Tom Murphy is head of PR at Microsoft Ireland and what sets him apart from others in the industry is the fact that he has been a dedicated blogger for the past six years. For those interested in media and marketing, Murphy shares some of his valuable insights on this blog.

I particularly liked how succinctly he put the new v old media argument. It’s an evolution not a revolution. Print is not dead because the majority of people are not going to check 100 different websites for their news needs every morning.

Remember: “Great, effective communication doesn’t start with the new, new thing, it starts with your audience.”

Bubble Brothers

The Bubble Brothers are Cork-based wine merchants with an online shop, as well as their own blog, which is maintained by the extremely knowledgeable Julian Alubaidy, who refers to himself as ‘general dogsbody’, as well as new French trainee Valerie.

I’ve chatted to Julian before and what I like about the blog is you feel as though you can ask any question, no matter how little you know about wine, and get a response. Last year, when I was heading to Paris, I simply asked ‘What reds are good there?’ and got a whole slew of great suggestions. Très bon.

Made Marian (pictured)

I’ve always wanted to knit and sew and be all art and crafty in general – it’s like baking or cooking – the sense of accomplishment from creating one’s own dinner, scarf or what have you is not to be knocked. The problem is I have never really been truly inspired – until today.

Marian Roche, aka Made Marion, is a Limerick gal who likes to get creative and share her journey with us. Looking at the woollen mobile phone holder and the crafty additions she made to the holder of her boyfriend’s leather GPS case, I am inspired. Maybe I’ll knit a cradle for my new baby 3G iPhone!

So Many Books

We spend so much time browsing the web, chatting on our mobile phones and flipping through TV channels. Why not switch it all off and read a book?

So Many Books is written by a dedicated bibliophile with wide and varied tastes. If you don’t have time to read yourself, you could always dip into this blog and bone up on your book culture, so next time you’re at a dinner party you can start the conversation by reiterating one of these posts!

I’ll end this week’s Blog Digest with a beautiful quote earmarked by So Many Books: “From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other. But when books are opened you discover that you have wings.” – Helen Hayes.

By Marie Boran