Dispatches from the Blogosphere - Visual Migraines, Indonesian Women, News from the Anthill, Taxes and Perfectly Preserved Burgers

2008 September 28

by Urbain

Aside from the never-ending stream of political stories, there were some real interesting “Diggs” that were shouted this week.

CAPTION: Screenshot of Optical Migraine Movie

One of them answered a question I had for at least ten years. Several times a year, I can’t see because of a kaleidoscope of colors spinning around my line of vision. Eventually, these colors merge and I can only see out of a “pinhole,” so to speak. It can get very disconcerting — some people would probably take drugs just to experience this effect! Mine come totally drug free and no doctor has ever been able to explain this experience to me. A blogger using the name “Known Johnson” made a short video about this very phenomenon and at last, I finally know what it is: an optical — or visual — migraine. It turns out that a lot of people experience this sensation. In fact, Known Johnson’s blog kept going down because it kept exceeding its bandwidth with people constantly “Digging” the article and watching the demonstration. The blog is back up right now, so take a look at his short flash movie clip. Like me, you might learn something new, too.

Blogging from Indonesia

CAPTION: Blogger Lukman F

Though not because of a Digg shout, I also visited Lukmanf’’s Tips this week. Self-described as a famous Indonesian blogger, Lukman blogs about a variety of subjects, from the Internet to education and to writing. Judging by the photo slide show on his “about” page, it’s evident that Lukman is a world traveler. He has been to Holland, Egypt and of course, visited various Indonesian sites.

While Lukman is a prolific writer when it comes to product and blog reviews, some of his most interesting material comes from his own culture and observations. For instance, he has a lengthy comparison of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian girls. After talking about their differences, Lukman concludes that Indonesian girls may be the best, citing advice from his junior high school teacher who had admonished students to “love what is made in their country.” Indonesian girls are, after all, “mostly made in Indonesia,” concludes the writer.

Perfectly Preserved - Why Can’t They Come Up with an Anti-Wrinkle Solution Like This?

Back here in America, obesity and diabetes are big health problems, and fast food is often blamed as the culprit. Another Digg shout sent me over to the “A Hamburger Today” blog, which had a shocking photo comparing a 12-year-old McDonald’s hamburger with one purchased in 2008.

CAPTION: Photograph taken by Karen Hanrahan

I am not going to spoil the surprise by telling you which one of the above burgers is a dozen years old - you’ll need to visit the Hamburger Today blog to find out!

Giving with a Twist: Non-Charitable, Non-Tax Deductible Donations Needed

And finally, a friend of mine took his first stab at a blog and wants comments and donations. He’s made some political opinion videos for his “Anthill Industries” blog that are quite funny. This is one of the few blogs where both hateful comments and generous donations are welcome! Here’s one of his videos:

So visit Anthill Industries, write a bunch of comments for backlinks, and send a dollar or two. You won’t get anything out of your donation, but maybe you’ll feel good about your generous self.

Blog Buzz about Taxes & Politics

Anthill Industries is not the only blog that’s talking about politics. The huge bailout, McCain’s suspended campaign, the debates and taxes are, of course, generating a lot of commentary on blogs across the spectrum. The National Taxpayers Union took a look at the spending proposals by the presidential candidates and published its analysis on September 25. Here’s a quick look: