Here is another great, smart, consistent Blog.

I have been reading Cool Hunting for a while. It is a constant source of the latest take on art and culture, even stuff to buy. I find it one of the most exciting Blogs….. it stimulates and entertains. It is where I found my chocolate thongs.

Here are some words from the site:

Since February 2003 Josh Rubin’s Cool Hunting has been a daily update on stuff from the intersection of design, culture and technology. Josh started the site as a way to catalog things that inspire him in his practice as a designer and strategist. Today Cool Hunting has grown beyond a personal reference tool– designers, consumers and marketers from around the world visit every day to get their dose.

As the site became increasingly fueled by contributions from readers, Josh realized Cool Hunting should be a collective. He now serves as Editor of the site and wrangles contributions from a small gaggle of hand picked writers who are out finding great things and looking at all the stuff readers are feeding us.

A recent find is the Theoxenia  Hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos. Like to dream?

John Scott of Internet Marketing Blog is on the case of a cabal of Bloggers – the top 100 - keeping the Blogsphere, or what ever it is called, to themselves. While I am but a babe in the woods, he wants to give me $10,000 (or a part of it) to entice me to reference other Blogs – which I have done and will continue to do. I even have a category called Blog Watch.

So, John…. Here you go.

As far as the bigger picture of a rigged Blog world, I am not convinced that this is true. Nor am I worried. My audience will find me and I am sure that my marketing skills will help me grow my audience. That, by the way, is the subject of a future Podcast…. Something like “How to Grow Your Blog Audience.”

Steve Rubel of the great Blog Micro Pursuasion points to an eMarketer article that says:

The Podcasting report looks at a medium that has sprung up – with apologies to Steve Jobs – out of almost nowhere.

The audience for Podcasts has shown meteoric growth, particularly in the US. It is variously projected to reach between 20 million and 80 million by 2010.

While advertising on Podcasts is in its infancy, the nature of the audience and strong growth already have major brands investing in Podcast-based promotion. More advertising and sponsorship will inevitably follow.

I am asked all the time “What is the size of the Podcast universe?” Well, eMarketer is helping us to start to give relatively sane information to clients. I say relatively because – who really knows? My bet however is with eMarketer because we have yet to see the jet fuel that will come from smarter better produced shows as well as sponsorship dollars and Podcasts as stand alone marketing shows (Think of IBM’s current use of Podcasting.) This is all very much in its infancy and the best is still a ways out.

How did I find Sand Hill Slave? Can’t remember.

Doesn’t much matter because this is one of the most refreshing Blogs that I have stumbled on in a loooong time. Wendy Kroy, AKA Sand Hill Slave, is a witness to the wonderful world of VC’s. A witness to the louts and goofballs that think that an MBA is the ticket to being cool. A world of primarily full-of-themselves investors in other people’s ideas and then instantaneous experts in your space. Do I sound like someone who took $12 million from these guys just to have a bad experience – but one hell of a fun ride? Boys, did I ever say thank you?

OK, back to Wendy. One of my favorite posts is her take on VC firm names in: “The Worst VC Firm Names. Ever.”

But, I have to admit it and say that I go back for her take on the world of VC mating. Simply brilliant, love her perspective.

A friend tells me that McDonalds is doing an Olympics Blog, “Olympic Champion Crew Blog”, to support their bazillion dollar sponsorship. I’m thinking, this is a good thing…right?

So I go to the Blog and I find a sort of self-congratulations bent with profiles of crew members like Lauren A. from France and Ekaterina V. from Russia – lovely - but no place to make comments. Frankly, no value whatsoever and the bright light of corporate fear that I just might report via a comments link that my new Spicy Chicken Sandwich had a finger in it.

Look, either you are in the Blog game or not. Please don’t call it a Blog if it ain’t one.