Saturday, September 17, 2005

Enough Already

I've decided I'm going to have to edit my blog list. I have been so disappointed to watch as blogs I started out thinking would provide me with intrigue, insight, humor, or at least some snippet of critical thinking, alas, have degenerated into nothing more than "Everything I hate about everyone else in the world" diatribes which, honestly, say more about the author than they do about the objects of their derision. (I also need to learn how to speak in sentences rather than paragraphs.)
"He who is without sin..."; yea, I get ya, I am guilty to some degree of these same sins, but I honestly do attempt to focus on institutions and finger puppets in power. Yes, we all have suffered the indignity that being subjected to bad fashion, butt crack, cell phone abuse, and other genres of disgust can engender, but hey, all these assaults on our sensibilities are universal constants, not worthy of the font spent upon them. We know, you aren't informing of us of anything new, we've been there, done that, get over it for Bob's sake!
Then there are the flamers. People (I shall restrain from mentioning the gender most prone to this, lest I earn some flame of my own) who feel it is necessary to inform the general public what a bitch Jane Doe happens to be, regardless of the fact that 99.9999999 % of their audience has no idea who Jane Doe is and frankly could care less. These personal assaults against nameless (or even worse, named) evildoers might provide you with some sense of justice, but believe me, it does absolutely nothing for the rest of us, save perhaps those amongst us who feel the need to live within the theatre of soap operas rather than our own lives.
Let me assure you that I understand that blogs mean different things to different people. Some wish to share their personal observations of life in general while others use them literally as diaries, written in a code only they can truly understand. Whatever drives you, more power to you. Just remember that you have an audience, and if your mission is merely to disappoint us, then what IS the point?
The one last type of blog that I wish to examine, for better or for worse, is the one written in English, yet remains a foreign language. I do not speak of those who struggle with the very concept of nouns, verbs, or use those aggravating "messenger" types of shorthand that merely speaks to one's laziness. No, I speak of those who take simple concepts and occurrences and complicate them with cliches, pop phraseology, and high brow elucidation to such a degree that one is sent scrambling for the dictionary or the latest copy of Cosmo in order to grasp their mysterious meanings. Your inner circle of neo-socialist rhapsodian bohemian associates with degrees in English as expressed by Khafka with a hangover might find your musings most entertaining, but I would venture to suggest it simply wears the rest of us out. I once might have suffered a guilt complex for not "getting it", but my experience out here in the real world, talking to real people, has taught me that I speak and understand my mother tongue just fine, thank you very much.
I honestly don't know if the perpetrators of these blogs actually talk to their peers in the same fashion in which they write, but just once I'd love to be the fly on the wall at one of these get-togethers, just to see if they actually take place in the convoluted manner in which the author records. If taken aside individually, after the fact, and asked to provide their own personal understanding of the gist of the conversation, I would be willing to bet that I would get as many interpretations of what transpired as there were participants. Unless, of course, at least one of them just flat out admitted that they had simply smiled, nodded, and laughed at what seemed appropriate times simply to give the impression that they had the slightest idea what was going on. I suspect such is not a rare occurrence.
The written and spoken word can be a wonderful thing, truly on par with fine art and music. The salt of the Earth can debase it with harsh accent and rough delivery, while the elitists can make it all but inaccessible to common understanding. My favorite bloggers share the enviable ability to paint pictures in my mind that do not require a spectrum-specific pair of glasses to appreciate. You can sense the intelligence and depth of these people as the kind nurtured by a lifetime of learning , a wealth of experience, and an open mind. As for others, well, perhaps the academics crowded out their ability to recognize that most times, less is more.
So, my friends, if you happen to notice my visits to your blogs becoming less frequent over time, or stopped altogether, please don't take it personally. We just don't speak the same language.

7 comments:

Buffalo said...

Have to agree with you, my brother. Every name on my Great Read list is a gem in one way or another, (imo). Everyone of them is a talented, thoughtful individual. I don't always agree with their opinions. I do respect the way they present them.

teri said...

Our blogs reflect what's going on in our lives, as do yours. Not every post is going to be something that everyone is going to like. It's just what they're going through at the time.

Alex Pendragon said...

Oh, I have no probs with most, teri, and when they let loose with primal screams, well, it's good to have listeners that can empathize. Please note I did not focus so much on LIKING what we write so much as being able to FOLLOW what we write, which helps a lot if you're trying to share something. Like Buffalo pointed out, it's not so much wether we agree with opinions so much as respecting them. My post simply addressed those that make it hard to understand what the opinion or the point IS, much less agreeing with it. Bob knows if half the world agreed with what I posted, we'd ALL be in trouble! lol

Shellie said...

I am glad that I have been able to keep you interested. I will take that as a compliment. Thank you.

Alex Pendragon said...

You are most welcome.

Naughti Biscotti said...

hmmmm... I'm hoping I haven't lost you with some of my "private jokes" and messages for my internal network of friends (lights and teri specifically). We do tend to feed off the material posted on other blogs and then use them as springboards for our own material. Sometimes the message is lost on those that don't follow our blog paths.
I do agree with you with regards to all that high falootin mumbo jumbo. Simple everyday enlish seems to be more effective.

Naughti Biscotti said...

oooopssss... i actually mispelled "English". imagine the egg on my face.