Good morning TV, You?re looking so healthy

It seems that a few of you thought that was the end of ?The Big Blog? but that was not the impression I was trying to give when I ended my last post with ?Au Revoir?. I must admit that if I was going to leave then that would?ve been a classic way to do it, in an homage to Reginald Perrin leaving his clothes on the beach and walking into the sea, or Captain Oates who left with a simple ?I am just going outside and may be some time?.

I don?t give in that easily though and I?m sure I can cope with blogging for the foreseeable future. But how long for? I took the MIT Weblog Survey the other week and one of the questions asked was (I?m paraphrasing here) ?How long will you keep maintaining your weblog?? What a question! In the end I think I answered around 2 years, as a safe option (Thus outlasting my longest relationship)

I think the most endearing things about blogs are the personal nature surrounding them and the insight you get into people?s lives. Sometimes I stumble upon a few blogs that are far too personal and I must say I?m a bit of a coward when it comes to things like that and I?d rather read a blog which I can read in a mate/mate style, topics and conversations I could chat about with close friends and not have too many uncomfortable silences [Pulp Fiction has just entered my head- Mia: "Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?"]

I do enjoy blogging though as it gives me a chance to talk about things that actually interest me, and I know I won?t be boring anyone. If you want to read it then fine, if you don?t then you can whizz off to someone else?s blog, not like being stuck in the same room as the person. It?s as easy as that and I?m sure I?ve read 100s of blogs, discarded the vast majority of them and only keep reading the ones that interest me and to which I have a affinity.

From reading the blogs I regularly visit I feel like I know quite a bit about their authors. The bloggers, who?s lives I read about, are people who I believe I would probably get on with in ?real life?, and have a great deal in common with. I could probably meet up with them in a pub and have a great conversation, but would it be the same if I hadn?t known so much about them before? I doubt it.

The serious relationships I?ve had in the past have always been with women I have been friends with and then it?s developed into something else. I suppose it?s like testing the waters. We enjoy each others company [we can stand each other], know a fair bit about each other?s past and interests, and things have developed into something good.

The not so serious relationships [or acquaintances] I?ve had have never lasted more than a month, after which I realise that we are completely different [Paula Abdul was wrong] and that I don?t really want to spend a great amount of time with this person. I?m sure there were boundaries that could be overcome but if it?s that much effort then I?d rather not go with it.

It?s good if you have some different interests but it?s essential that you have quite a bit in common with each other. If I could read the blogs of prospective dates then I?m sure things would run a lot more smoothly and if I didn?t like what I read then I could pick up the phone say ?Sorry I just don?t think it?s going to work, it?s not me, it?s you? and not waste an evening.

It?s just struck me that that?s a bit like these dating agencies where you can view a video of a potential date and, like Andy, say ?I want that one!?. But I?m sure that people who use them lie about themselves or only talk about the positive aspects of them, having a 3 minute section to sell yourself, whereas a blog usually has a years worth on entries where the blogger isn?t trying to sell themselves to anyone, only trying to express themselves to no-one.

So there it is, a more meaningful entry to ?The Big Blog?. I feel better for it.

[Watch this space for a great business idea I have, where I'd like your views. I'll update later with my plans.]