Blogwatcher (well I would be if I had the time!)
We’ve been meaning to run this for a few weeks, but as ever with life at Gooner Towers, the best of intentions and all that. However, we do eventually get around to fulfilling some of our promises, so here are some blogs you might care to have a look at. Now before I really get going, I have to state that I wish I had the time to really explore the world of blogs. There is nothing as fascinating as raw opinion and anecdote – whether it’s about Arsenal or pretty much anything else. However, the one ultimate truth about the internet is that, glorious as it is, it’s a black hole as far as your actual everyday existence is concerned. So along with playstation (or any of those console game things that seem to be addictive), drugs, or 26 part American TV series, it’s a place I daren’t venture (with the exception of the ever excellent arseblog which I get by email)
But in the name of research, I’ve dipped into the following enough to get an idea. So first up…
Not only can you read Robert’s blog, but you can hear it too. Think he’s now on iTunes as well, so I will be subscribing so that I can have a listen on the iPod. That’s a definite good way of getting round the old ‘no time to read that’ dilemma, and I’d recommend it to all bloggers. Anyway, although Robert’s blog started out as something a bit more general, since the start of this season he’s decided to concentrate on Arsenal, as a bit of an experiment. I like this because the man has an imagination, a nice turn of phrase and has been around almost as long as I have on this mortal coil. May not be to everyone’s taste, but I enjoyed what I read.
‘Analytical view of all things Arsenal by Josh Benson’ reads the blurb at the top, which is fair enough. Josh is a 16 year old Arsenal fan, although reading what he has to say doesn’t make you think that his opinions aren’t as valid as the next man. Having said that, given that his writing will invariably improve with time, if he does keep this going for a few seasons, it could be one of the best Arsenal blogs on the net. Josh started it at the beginning of this campaign, so let’s hope he can keep posting with his current regularity.
Last but by no means least, an old pal of (and frequent contributor to) The Gooner, Bernard Azulay. Most regular Arsenal net users will have stumbled across Bernard somewhere – often on the Arsenal Mailing List – and he will email you his blog entries should you wish to subscribe. It’s difficult to be objective about my mate’s ramblings, but I will say this if you want to delve into his Arsenal world. Make a cup of coffee, get comfortable, relax and enjoy for half an hour.
The man’s output is staggering, and his desire to write the perfect paragraph has driven editors with a deadline to the brink of suicide. So when you consider the length of his entries, it’s astonishing they ever see the light of day. Bernard writes a weekly column for the Irish Examiner so he has to get something down every Monday. What you see on the blogs are the unedited versions of his columns (invariably subsequently pruned for the Examiner’s use). They are great reads if you get into his style and you feel like you know the man, even if you have never met him, with his references to his non-footballing life (invariably intertwined with his Arsenal anecdotes). If ever there was a blog that I wish was on iTunes, this is it. Highly recommended nevertheless.
I know I am going to regret this, but if there are any other bloggers out there who fancy a plug, email us a link to your blog and I’ll take a look at them. Won’t promise to do anything quick, but will try and mention them if they are worth a visit and look like they will be updated with some kind of regularity.
