Blog Cabin By Jennifer Wutz-Lopes You may think that bloggers are lonely souls, trapped in their parents’ basements, with no friends and only a PC and keyboard for company. True, for most of us. However, some bloggers actually have friends and collaboratively blog with said friends about the same kind of nonsense that sole bloggers blog about. Sometimes it’s just more fun doing it with a group of people. Mamapop is a blog chock-full of entertainment news and pop culture, written and maintained by a dozen women. Popular bloggers Amalah and Sweetney created Mamapop just over a year ago, to record the “musings of two smartass stay-at-home mothers … and a few of their prettiest friends.” The bloggers offer recaps of their favorite TV shows, new books, preferred magazines, and opinions on the parenting skills of Britney Spears. This site is pure fluff, but I can’t get enough of it. Visit the girls at www.mamapop.com; you’ll probably become a fan as well. Before you take any road-trip north to TO be sure to visit Torontoist, a blog focusing on all things Toronto, including food, sports, arts, upcoming events, and breaking news. There are about thirty writers and photographers involved in keeping the site (www.torontoist.com) up to date. A weekly feature on the site is “Bad Buildings,” in which the anonymous poster profiles an ugly piece of architecture and begs for a “better built Toronto.” Another favorite feature of mine is “Torontoist vs.Torontoist,” in which two of the site’s bloggers face off to debate an issue important to the city. Panhandling, ATM fees, and an apartment smoking ban are all recent hot issues. The Gizmodo blog is run by a team of writers who really, really like gadgets. It’s updated daily, some days with fifty new posts, so you can read all about the newest cellphone, computer, or other shiny new toy here before you buy it. I’m all ready to go Christmas shopping after reading the posts today: the AT&T Tilt mobile phone and Lobies (earphones you don’t actually have to stick in your ear) for me, a new antisnoring pillow for my husband. Check it out at www.gizmodo.com—you may find yourself jonesing for a new ergonomic Wii remote control. Popgadget (popgadget.net) is another group blog about gadgets, but this one is geared especially towards a female audience, just because most technology magazines are written for men, and just about all women’s magazines ignore technology. Don’t scoff—women like toys, too, and I’m not just taking about bunny-shaped vibrators. Recent posts described decidedly more silly items like a diamond-encrusted iPod, pure gold Hello Kitty playing cards (five grand!), and the Japanese hairdryer shaped like a gun (because you’re just dying to take it on a flight and get manhandled by airport security), but there’s some cool and innovative serious stuff on there as well, like the ThermaClear acne zapper and the Swarovski jump drive pendant. Boing Boing is a popular, award-winning blog that promises “A Directory of Wonderful Things,” but I like to call it the Cool Stuff blog. Boing Boing’s group bloggers, who’ve been blogging since 2000, showcase the neatest videos, toys, news, and human interest stories on the web. I love the story about the newly discovered miniature Indian frog that measures just ten millimeters when fully grown, and the link to where you can buy a one-of-a-kind David Lynch action figure. See for yourself at www.boingboing.net. Michelle Magoffin of Camarillo, California, is creator and manager of The Peevery (www.thepeevery.com). Michelle, self-proclaimed Peeve Master, has been blogging about things that royally piss her off for the last several years. She is joined by ten other peeved bloggers, yours truly included, and does not hesitate to kick people out of the peeve blog party if their peeves are lame, too wordy, or new peeves are not posted on a regular basis. Peeve categories include Money, Health/Beauty, Technology, and Poop Etiquette, with the latter category containing some of the more hilarious posts. To keep her bloggers on their toes, Michelle often holds contests that all peevers must compete in. (Halloween 2006: Dress up as your favorite/biggest peeve and post photographic evidence of said costume. I dressed as Thomas the Tank Engine.) She also holds peever auditions on a regular basis, to bring in fresh peeve blood. Who knows? Maybe someday you can join the club. Jennifer Wutz-Lopes is proud to note that she does NOT live in her parent’s basement and actually does have several real-life friends. She loathes Thomas the Tank Engine and blogs at Jen14221.com Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top