Blog this...

WEB [as in: World Wide Web] - LOGS [as in: diary, journal, captain's log of events, thoughts, ideas etc...] a hyphenated phrase twisted-as is our fashion- into it's own ubiquitous existence [in the form of a contraction] into a word that is fast-becoming synonymous with virtual reality which conveniently is associated with internet dependancy . A state in which, any creature with access to and the barest of knowledge of a computer can become a writer--whether good, bad or ugly.

If the great literary minds of our history could see us now I wonder what they'd say. I excitedly invision them reacting in much the same way a postal worker who's put in a few too-many hours, for a few too-many years. In our heroes would march with their loaded semi-automatic weapons and just start shooting. 'Fuck it all', they'd say. "You bastards don't know the first thing about struggling, about writing so...BLOG THIS, BITCH!

Hahahahaha... The thought of Emily Dickenson holding a machine gun and uttering this phrase sends me into roaring fits of laughter, not just because of the silliness of the handsome-ness of the woman and the militaristic coldness of such a weapon but at the absurdity in the fact that our society in general deserves it!

We've commended these great minds for their bravery in telling such fantastical stories and condemned them for boring us to tears with their numerous pages concerning one blade of grass. Now, after years of reading classics written by someone whose writing was their own sustainence we'd rather read the rantings of a shunned prom queen vowing that prince charming showed up wearing the wrong designer jacket [and good lord, didn't rent a limo for such an occasion, got drunk in the bathroom with his buddies before sweeping her off to a hotel room; where she demurely insists on feigning virtue but Johnny already told Joey about that night beneath the glow of a street light when she blew him into next friggin semester].

After all, now everyone is a writer. We can all write our own anecdotes, stories and comic relief bits. Pretty soon, printing presses will become obsolete. Who needs pages when we have screens on which information streams to us with rapidly increasing swiftness. We can now have a pen-pal or partner in any country in the world. We can send a picture to Austria with the click of a button. Wow, imagine the mail order Bride schemes nowadays...oh wait...friend finder...no imagination needed. Fuck actually having to do anything like go outside and play, meet someone by chance on a street corner and invest a dollar in a cup of coffee in some seedy diner listening to elevator music from the seventies while enjoying real-life conversation. I have an instant messenger now!

Wanna know how I'm feeling...fuck it...just read my blog, I'm too tired from not talking to talk with you right now.

The point is folks, that the computer cannot, nor should it, take the place of real, live conversation with those you care about or those you may someday care about. If anything, the Internet should be considered a means in which we can connect with others that otherwise we would be unable to do. Using the computer as the primary means of communication with folks you could just as easily have contact with…is well, bollocks. As for creative writing…well, your blogs may reach a lot of viewers but they aren’t immortal. Let’s remember that some things are best read in print. Talk to your friends and give your readers something to hold.

~Originally appeared in the Street Voice Newsletter, March-2006 Edition