I've turned a lot of my friends onto Slog *** (and, for those who are fellow former j-buiz folks, onto its master site The Stranger). Slog is the group blog run by people who work at The Stranger, a roiling democratic space with entries from everybody from the Unpaid Intern to Dan Savage. I greatly enjoy the work of several of the writers there, though it's possible I'm the only one who also appreciates the work of Charles Mudede, whom so many Slog readers trash for reasons I can't figure out. Maybe he's too black, too big-picture sedate, and too I Don't Give A Fuck for the demographic that is Seattle? Ooo, was that my inside voice?
Every once in a while the staff members fight with each other via the newspaper's blog (West v. Savage re: fat people comes immediately to mind); there have been cupcake wars there; attempts to Guess The Messy Desk; many delightful pranks; and what I have come to call the Gloriously Surreal It's The Holidays And One Poor Bastard Is Left Behind To Run The Place. I look forward to the latter every holiday. I refuse to let my suspicion that those entries are mostly fiction get in the way of the bonus entertainment value that comes with taking it on faith that those entries are real.
I love the widely-roaming nature of Slog because it's random, informative and often hilarious. Slog is also one of the precious few internet(s) spaces where I will actually read comments threads, because of the quality of those comments. Generally.
Today, Slog brought to me this video below. Here's a cut/paste of the chatter that accompanied it that blog post:
Speaking of death and girls who just want to have fun, today brings the anniversary of the death of Robert Hazard, the American singer/songwriter who passed away in 2008. Here's his invaluable contribution to American culture (which you know and love and but maybe didn't know he wrote).
OMG I HAD NO IDEA. The meaning of the song changes in this original. Hmm. Admit that I also like the slightly more punk/raw approach. (Which is not saying I don't love Lauper's version, but it's like the difference between the original I Will Always Love You and the I Will Always Love You you're most likely familiar with. Same words. Not the same song.)
I kinda like this Hazard song, too. Lyrics.
*** It's best that I do not share how I pitch Slog to them. Based on the responses to the pitch? I am completely right! Which is why I said it to begin with. Heh.
