Through the Blogging Glass.

As I live and breathe!

Well, you might like to, but I certainly don't!

Suit yourself, then: As I unlive and move my chest in and out in an approximation of breathing to put others at ease...

That's better.

* sighhhhh... *

It's the first anniversary of this Blog.

And the first anniversary of my graceful and elegant presence here in the twenty first century.

Yes, thank you, IDV. I'm hardly likely to forget, am I?

Oh, stop being so self absorbed. I was talking to them out there.

* points somewhat rudely at the Flying Monkeys *

* tuts and rolls eyes *

I saw that!

Stop interferring, you. This isn't a Subconscious Post.

Anyway, it's your own fault I'm here. You shouldn't have been reading that Infernal Book.

I was reading it online! It wasn't as if I had the real thing here.

Words are words no matter where they are. And contrary to popular belief, they can 'break your bones'. They can also boil your innards and turn your brain to blancmange.

I hate blancmange.

Shhhh! They're about to start the post...

Oh, shhhh yourself, then!

Anyway, here's the start of year two...

Did I hear someone out there groan?

Shhhhh!

Oh, will you shut up!

My first act of this new blogging year is to thank everyone for coming - back. Again and again. You fools! - Yes, thank you again, IDV. As I was saying, thank you all. Here, if you're in the slightest bit interested, are a few questions and answers about my - ahem - OK, Our blogging experiences. Dinah, I pinched these from you while trawling through your archives. Ta!

1) Are you happy/satisfied with your blog’s content and look? Surprisingly, yes. But then I'm easily pleased with some things. Although I'd like some more flaming titles somewhere, like those numbers in my hit counter.

2) Does your family know about your blog? I hope not. The DeVice's are a funny lot - they just wouldn't understand. That goes for the DeVize's, The DeVyse's, the de Vijz's and the rest...

3) Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing? I'd feel a little embarassed, I think. Although, at least one of my friends knows about it. Possibly more if he's told them - no one's asked me about it, though, so I imagine he hasn't. Or they don't care. I told a friend in America that I had a Blog but I don't know if she ever looks at it. If you're reading this Jen, leave a comment. Nice, please. And don't divulge my real name ;)

I actually got outed at work 02/10/06 - I was commenting at Dora & Tina's when I was 'caught'. You can read what happened here. So far, I've managed to keep the address secret. Don't know how long I'll be able to, though.

4) Did blogging cause positive changes in your thoughts? I don't think so. I used to be quite negative and pessimistic, but forcibly changed the way I thought and perceived things a few years ago. Since then, before I started this Blog, I've mostly been upbeat and optimistic. I have my off days, though, just like most other people. However, a quick flick through my Flying Monkey's Blogs soon cheers me up!

5) Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or do you love to go and discover more by yourself? Mostly. I visit every one of my Flying Monkeys, some more than others, and usually comment, even if I've nothing much to say. I like to think that they all visit here, too, although only a few are regular commenters. Probably because it's a bit weird here sometimes, so people may not know what to say?
Sometimes, I'll click on one or two unfamiliar names on someone else's Blogroll, just for a look. I don't always comment once I'm there - I don't want to feel like an interloper. I also sometimes click on an unknown Blogger if they've made a witty or thought provoking statement in the comments of a Flying Monkey's post.
I've clicked on the NEXT BLOG thing a couple of times, but, as Dinah pointed out, they're mostly foreign, advertising Blogs or boringly personal.

6) What does a visitor counter mean to you? Do you like having one on your blog? I have a hit counter that I mostly ignore now. I haven't got one of those site meter doodahs that inform one of who's visited, where they're from and how long they stayed etc. They seem a bit professional and business-like, and I know I'd worry myself silly over the stats. I do enough of that at work!

7) Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures? Actually, I haven't had to with a lot of them - they've displayed their hideous visages beautiful faces for all to see. Some have even displayed a bit more. Perverts! (Yes, I mean you Piggy & Tazzy)

8) Admit it. Do you think there is any real benefit in blogging? Definitely! The exchange of thoughts, ideas and experiences brings people together, makes them think about other perspectives

9) Do you think that blogger’s society is isolated from the real world or interaction with events? I'm still surprised at how few people seem to know what Blogging is, or don't have a greater understanding of it. Maybe because we keep our Blogs a secret? I think it is somewhat isolated - we can see out but the world can't see in.

10) Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it’s a normal thing? I don't think I've had any criticism about my Blog (uh oh, I've opened the floodgates here...), but I don't generally get annoyed by constructive criticism in other parts of my life. When it's criticism just for the sake of it, or to be nasty, then yes, it's annoying.

11) Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them? I don't think I've even seen any political Blogs. I've heard about them, but politics and me don't mix. Politics dislikes my flippancy and peaceful common sense approach, while I find politics boring, immoral and plagued by hypocrites.

12) Were you shocked by the arrest of some bloggers? No, because I wasn't aware of the fact. If people are stupid enough, or willing to take the risk, to post something likely to land them in hot water, that's their choice.

13) What do you think will happen to your blog after you die? I imagine that it will float about the ether for a while before being assimilated into an advertising graveyard.

14) What song do you like to hear? What song would you like to link to on your blog? The Time Warp! Thanks to Tim for the inspiration for my choice.

Now. On to some things that I didn't nick from someone else...

The first Blog I found was Glitter For Brains by the darling Lee, around about spring 2005. I had Googled the name Sue Narmi as I had created a character for a graphic novel and wanted to see if the name existed anywhere else. Unfortunately for me, Lee had snuck in there first. Damn him to Hell! I must credit Lee, though: He has been an inspiration.

I Googled Sue again while preparing this post, just out of curiousity, and found a few more entries. Looks like the name is getting popular.

I've recently read through my entire Blog, comments and all, and - after cringing a few times - had a really good laugh. Everyone's so funny - our comment-conversations are frequently hilariously tangential. Prime candidates are Tickers and Fuckkit - when she was around, that is. She's buggered off to Australia to eat all their cake and eclipse the sun with her enormous arse.

Ummm... What else?

Well. If you've quite finished. I've got things to do: Apples to poison, mirrors to polish, long haired damsels to imprison in tall towers. And falling farmhouses to avoid, naturally.

But I haven't finished!

You have now. I need your body to do all my errands. Besides they're all bored silly now. You've gone on for long enough.

I was just getting going. They're not bored.

Are you?

See? No answer. They're not even there. They've buggered off and left you.

* sulks *

Oh, good grief. Come on. I know what'll cheer you up. There's some children spitting off the flyover - we can go and push them off.

Yay!