Monday, October 15, 2007

Five cool blogs and why I read them...

I know its been a while since I've posted and to be honest I don't have a very good excuse other than being distracted. A lot.

One of those distractions is reading others blogs. Its a great way to get fresh perspectives on a known topic, but far more often its an opportunity to learn something totally new.

Here are a few of the blogs that I read on a fairly regular basis. Check them out for yourself and let me know what you think. If you have a some personal favorites, pass them along as well...


Guy Kawasaki's How to Change the World
One of the first blogs that I bookmarked and created an RSS feed for, it cover a variety of topics including evangelism, entreprenuerism, marketing and pitching a venture capitalist. He also talks about his former employer Apple from time to time as well as some of the new projects he's involved in. One of my favorites for sure.


BlogMaverick - the mark cuban weblog
Another one that I read all the time is Dallas Mavericks owner and current "Dancing With The Stars" competitor, Mark Cuban's blog. He sounds like a good guy and his blog is very conversational. He's not afraid to speak out on any topic and the blog bounces around from the NBA to the HD television or film business (he's also the owner of HDNet, plus a chain of movie theaters, a film distribution company and a film production company). He also occasional gets into politics and business culture. He's very well versed to speak on any of these topics and his insights are always interesting.


...by Ken Levin - The World As Seen By a TV Comedy Writer
Ken's always entertaining blog is an interesting look into the mind of an Emmy Award winning writer. He's also a professional baseball radio and television announcer, which is where I became familiar with him. He was the play by play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, but that's not the only reason I read his blog. His writing is clever, insightful and just fun to read. Which explains why the shows he's written for are far more often than not, among the best stuff on TV over the years.


Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness
This blog is based on Daniel Gilbert's terrific book Stumbling on Happiness. I finished it a few weeks ago and found it to be a great read. So what's so great about this blog? Well its a fascinating insight into how our brains work and how we perceive the universe around us. His blogging style, like the book, is really easy to follow which is great for a subject that could easily overwhelm. The only downside to this blog is that its somewhat sporadic, so you have to keep an eye out for new posts. That's one of the main reasons it sits at the top of my RSS feeds page. Even if there's nothing new, its a great read, so it easily stays in my top 5 list.

NOTE: I'll post more details on the book in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.


Dilbert.blog - Scott Adams
If you're a fan of the Dilbert comic strip, you'll understand why I'm a fan of Scott's blog. Its funny. Plain and simple. Sadly I don't read it every day, but I've just repositioned it on my RSS feeds page to make sure it pops up on my radar each time I open my browser.


Something that dawned on me as I write this is how much I enjoy blogs that make me laugh. While it's important to get the latest news updates, I really believe that its just as important to smile and have a good laugh whenever possible.

Thanks for staying with me. Feel free to comment on my suggestions and if you have a site to share drop me a note.