Blog Digest


31 May 2008

From the ins and outs of the Obama/Clinton race to the moral dilemmas of the characters in Lost, we check out the best the blogosphere has to offer this week.

The FaithArts Blog
http://www.faitharts.ie/blog.html

There are a few things one must not bring up at a dinner party: the dinner itself, politics and religion. Assuming you have managed to keep the dinner down, I find discussing taboo topics to be an effective if somewhat fiery digestive.

This blog and indeed the main site itself, written by religious education teacher Brendan O’Regan, discusses religion from an Irish Catholic perspective and its place in the popular arts.

Being an atheist, I have no desire to push any religious view on anyone but I found O’Regan’s discussion on the TV series Lost and the moral dilemmas of its main characters quite interesting, including the frequently mooted theory that the island may be purgatory. Thought-provoking stuff.

Politics Across the Pond
http://politicsacrossthepond.org

This is what the blogosphere is really all about to me – diversity and stumbling across different world views that you may never find in the course of your everyday life.

Politics Across the Pond is all about global politics with a focus on the US but it written by a South African originally from the Kwa-Zulu Natal province, now living in Ireland.

Blogger Crian closely follows the Obama and Clinton race, dissecting the latest web analytics and polls. While he is a proud support of Obama, the blog is written in an objective and informative manner.

A Dime A Dozen – Tech and the SME
http://elliotross.wordpress.com/

The guy that writes this Canada-based blog hoovers up all the latest tips and insights that he can find relating to the SME market, ranging from what to look for from a web hosting firm to what your customers expect from you.

You would almost expect a site like this to be littered with pay-per-click advertisements but, refreshingly, there was not one in sight, giving it more of an air of earnestness in my opinion.

Writer Elliot Ross, who makes his living as a technology manager, has also included a subsection called The Bookshelf, listing essential reads for those in the SME sector.

The Dublin Community Blog
http://www.dublinblog.ie/

This group-maintained blog is a wonderful community resource for things to do and people to meet around Dublin city and it does what every good blog should – it connects people.

With information on and links to websites for community centred groups and events, including The Dublin Improv Movement and the recent Dublin City Soul festival, as well as links to the best beer gardens in the city, this blog feels as though it is buzzing with energy.

I particularly liked pictures from the Improv slow-motion egg and spoon race, as well as the Toe Jam car-boot sale. A lively slice of Dublin alt culture.

By Marie Boran