Eating my own dogfood
One of the ways I used to describe myself was that my friends were very eclectic - gay and straight, young and older, male and female, gym toned and not. Since living in San Francisco I have not been so lucky, or perhaps I should say sensible. San Fran is a very gay male dominated society and it was easy to slip into a demographic groove. I have to thank Gina, Erica, Joel and Sam for providing me with some diversity and sanity.
Since getting back to Australia I have been living very quietly and so my social circle has been pretty limited - something I am currently working on changing although to be fair in 2005 my best friend was a 60 something year old woman. In meeting folks and socializing I am being pretty actively aware of keep my demographics a bit broader than San Fran. God knows I don't want to end up like someone I know* who only associates with muscular gay men over 220lbs.
I conducted a small mental audit this morning, regarding what I am reading and what I am exposing myself to. This was inspired by a couple of articles I read in the newspaper that I really didn't agree with. I found that I enjoyed the experience of disagreeing; it opened my mind and got me out of myself. It broadened my horizons.
I have never really felt the need to agree with everyone around me - not in a disagreeable bastard kind of way, rather because I enjoy the interplay that conversation. I think I get this from my father, Alan, who would argue about two flies crawling up the wall if there was some entertainment to be had from it. And he was a funny man, so there was usually some entertainment to be had.
Disagreement to me is not a sign of lack of respect, or a reason to avoid association. It doesn't mean that you are at odds with the other person, or that there needs to be animosity. And even though I am quite able to get heated about issues, that heat doesn't affect my respect or care for the other person. In fact I am more respecting of someone who has opinions, say what they mean and make a case for it.
I like having my preconceptions challenged and my expectations of the world shaken about a little. And I like having people around me who are up to that challenge.
This morning's experience started me thinking about my blog reading - and embarrassingly they are largely left leaning, technosavy white gay boys, which really means I am kind of eating in my own intellectual dog food.
Tasty as that can be, I really feel I need some diversity of diet, so I put this challenge to the 70 or so (and climbing) daily visitors to Brave Creatures - comment on this post and give me some ideologically disparate blogs to read, expand my horizons.
Lets see what we come up with.
* that's know, not like - definitely not a friend
October 17th, 2006 at 1:22 pm
Don't do this unless you have your blood pressure checked and your eyes shielded. Some of the rabid rightwing blogs will have you wanting to chew glass, namely the computer screen. Larvatus Prodeo is a lefty group blog but has links to the righties and a good comments policy. If you're really keen you could always try the gay catholic right wing dipstickery of Dreadnought but the last time I visited he'd gotten a bit precious and disabled comments.
October 21st, 2006 at 5:26 am
Instapundit by Glenn Reynolds, Little Green Footballs or that awful blog by Michele MalKKKin should do the trick for you Robert. If you don't want to tear your eyes out and drink Draino after reading those three then my hats off to you.
October 23rd, 2006 at 1:15 pm
some dog food are good for you. not sure which ones. DonPato