Follow Me, Now...

This is a little weird, but its also a little mind stretching.

I was reading (through Feed Demon) a blog called Conversation Agent, which is dedicated to the concept of communication -- not the study of it (which would be, what, linguistics? Semiotics?) but the practice of it. I only recently came across this blog, and I'm not really in synch with it -- I'm not sure where they're coming from, or what the point is -- but I do like the style and content of the writing, so I continue to read it. In this case, its a post on the relevancy of print media as it (collectively) tries to make the jump to the digital world (and, of course, make money at it). Okay, fair enough. Figuring out how to do that is a major challenge, perhaps even greater than the original challenge of putting together an editorial package that people will lay down their money for, because now, in many (though not all) cases, they're being challenged to make the editorial content freely available -- and still make money on it. I would never, ever have bet that Google could make money at what they do, so I won't bet that magazines can't do it -- but I do know that its quite difficult to accomplish.

So there I am, reading this article, and I come across an interesting comment by a person named Carolyn Ann about how the key is to continue to focus on what it is that differentiates you from your competitor -- how your 'delivered package' is different -- and to whom you're delivering it. Whats your content, and who would want it enough to pay for it? And I'm thinking 'hey, this person has some sharp ideas.....' Well, you know how I feel about smart women, so I click on the name, and it brings me to a Blogger site called CaroLINES, and I see that the first post is about the Constitution. I glance through it, thinking 'hmm...not something I want to read right now, but still, not badly written at all.' I looked down at the About Me section, and I see this:

I'm a kitchen-counter pundit, as well as an atheist and a crossdresser, living in the beautiful southern Jersey countryside with my wonderful Mrs, a herd of cats and some motorcycles

Kitchen-counter pundit - funny. Herd of cats, uh huh, motorcycles, nice, wonderful Mrs, awww, beautiful southern -- wait a minute. Wait a minute! What was that, up front, again? No, not the atheist part. Crossdresser? What? So I look at the title line of the blog, and this time I see this under the title:

Motorcycle mania, and a man in a dress. What's not to like?

And I immediately think "Not my type of stuff, nuh uh, not something that I want to read, nope." And then I think Why not? Is this not still the person who said things you found interesting and cogent? Well,yeah.... but still. Still what? Does it threaten you to read this? Afraid this cross-dressing stuff might be catching? Well, no, actually its an interesting blog, with some well-written commentary. So whats the deal? Okay, perhaps this isn't someone I'd want to hang out with, but -- someone to read? Occasionally comment on? Yeah, I think so.

A little bit of a mind-expanding experience.