ARE YOU FOR REAL...

This phrase takes on a whole new meaning on the internet. I just spent my day doing research and was amazed at how many websites there are that sound so authoritative, but are really just crackpots expressing their opinions. And that's fine except that I have to wade through all that to separate the wheat from the chaff - and man, there's a ton of chaff.

Last week I discovered Rance - the guy who is most likely a hairy psychotic whacking off in mom's basement while flirting via his website comment box with all the women who think he's George Cloony. The guy has got a way with words, but I just don't buy that Mr. Clooney, or any of the other actors whom many have speculated that Rance might be, would have the time. Rance seriously spends a great deal of time reading his commenters e-mails and responding to them. The claims of an administrative staff wear thin when he switches back and forth from first person to third in the announcements from same.

And then there is the whole Plain Layne story. This is a blog that I lurked at forever because her life had all the drama of a runaway train heading for disaster. And she wrote about it in an incredibly entertaining fashion. But a few weeks back Layne disappeared and now if you go here, you can read all about how Layne was made up by some guy named Odin (isn't that the name of a God?) and I find myself wondering if he's even real. Although if you go to his site you can read about why he did it.

So now I'm left wondering who's real and who isn't. Like for instance, this chick. This site is addictive, not because the writing or content is great, but because I literally can't believe she's for real. My mouth drops open at how twee she can be as she dispenses her "wisdom" on how to be a great person, or a creative person - just like her. She is constantly editing out posts so some of my favorite bits are now gone forever like the one about how her "best friend" Emily and she had an apartment together, but problems soon arose when Emily's insecurities caused her to want to be just like her - so she told her best friend that she had to move out. What I got is that she didn't dig the competition and when Emily no longer wanted to be an ass kissing sycophant she had to go. She runs her website the same way. You can be on her mailing list, but don't ever say a negative thing about, or to her, or you'll be get kicked off her mailing list and you will no longer receive her petulant missives. Her world is truly one of her own design. Another favorite is from recently, when her camera broke and she asked people to give her money to buy a new one, because, hey - it never hurts to ask. And after all she is super pretty and perfect and shares her wisdom for free on her multiple websites (where she self publishes). That post quickly disappeared and was replaced with the offer to sell her "prints" for $15. Now, since she reportedly has 90,000 unique hits EVERYDAY to her websites you'd think that her goal of selling 100 prints in 10 days would've been easily reached, but no. She eventually got the dough from her loyal readers and then immediately had to take time off from posting and responding to e-mail so she could learn to work the camera. How's that for a Fuck you very much?

Yeah - everytime I check in with Alex I find myself wondering, is she for real? But then I can't imagine that someone would go to all the trouble of making up a person and then not make them interesting. Plain Layne was way interesting. Rance is interesting and has quite the way with words. Alex is just sanctimonious and insists on using words like "whilst", as well as the Olde English spelling words like shit - she spells it shite, because she's just so completely continental. I saw someone who had her linked under the heading "Chicken Soup for the Souless".

Indeed. Snort!

Real or not, at least attempt to write well and entertain as you enlighten the masses.