Blog Day 2006 at Influential Interactive Marketing

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This is my second year participating in the huge global movement known as Blog Day (set each year for August 31, due largely to the fact that the numbers 31-08 together can spell the word "Blog").  Blog Day 2006 is a day where bloggers around the world are challenged to go out into the blogosphere and find 5 blogs from different cultures, different viewpoints and off their normal reading path.  I am particularly excited about this year because of the great blogs I discovered (and still read today) from my list last year.  So, without further delay, here is my recommended list of global blogs for Blog Day 2006:

Romerican – This blog from a self declared "American living in Transylvania" is a travel, photo, poetry and biography blog all in one.  From engaging tales of travel to great imagery – the blog really brings Romania to life in a way that many travel blogs don’t.  It’s not focused on travel tips, but on delivering very readable stories covering everything from CeauÅŸescu to Brancusi.  If only there was a recap of the MioriÅ£a, this blog would be the perfect way to remember my time in Romania. Regardless, it is a wonderful way to learn about places I should visit next time.

Gimme Your Stuff: A Cultural Exchange Blog – This is a great concept to help people share cultures beyond just words and images.  The premise of the blog very simply is to connect people by letting them swap items that represent cultures.  Currently the blog has an Aussie desperate for some authentic Indian Chai and several other requests to be fulfilled.  Check out the site, become a contributor and declare your own personal wishlist for cultural stuff. Make sure and visit several different posts so you can check out a few versions of the smart culture swap banner imagery across the top of the blog.

The 2006 Portable Film Festival Blog – This is the daily blog for the first ever International Portable Film Festival dedicated to films made for portable devices such as Sony PSPs, iPod videos, 3G phones, and laptop screens.  Billed as sort of a next generation Tropfest, this event comes out of Australia – fast becoming a center for film distribution, talent and innovation.  The blog features daily updates and promotion for the festival coincidentally starts today and the competition will run through September and October with visitors to the blog getting a chance to vote for their favourite films.

Candy Blog – I love food blogs, particularly ones that feature high quality images of food.  Aside from offering an international culinary tour, most offer interesting commentary about the food.  The Candy Blog does all that and more, with it’s long list of candy featured in individuals posts.  Each post is indexed by type of candy, brand, and country of origin.  The site also features a unique "Candy Rating" system ranking each candy from Superb to Inedible.  For any lovers of candy, or those seeking unique cultural gift ideas … it’s a fun blog to check out.

White African – I had to include at least one marketing blog on my list of 5 for Blog Day, and this is one I have been reading for several months now.  Erik Hersman, the blog’s author, grew up in Kenya and the Sudan (though he currently lives in the US) and talks about technology and how it is impacting and changing Africa.  I can usually find a different and interesting perspective on Erik’s blog and it certainly goes outside of the typical marketing blog in covering issues and bringing ideas from a generally underrepresented part of the world.  Worth checking out.