read between the lines and you'll find the truth...

Apparently today is "Blogday 2006".

"Blogday was created with the belief that bloggers should have one day dedicated to getting to know other bloggers from other countries and areas of interest. On this day, every blogger will place a recommendation of 5 new blogs. In this way, all blog web surfers will find themselves leaping around and discovering new, previously unknown blogs."

I'm a little bit put of by some of the spelling on their website (a "summery" of 2005?), but it's a good idea, and one that's very much in the spirit of my "Blog of the Week" thing that I seem to have stopped doing.

So here are my 5 recommendations. Some you may have seen before, and some of them are probably stretching the definition of the word 'international', but......

1) A Big Stick and a Small Carrot

In the spirit of this, my first recommendation is the first blog that came up when I hit the "next blog" button on the top of the page. Well, that was the plan anyway. I don't know if you've done it recently, but apparently the number of blogs is doubling every 6 months... but it's all about quantity and not quality.

Not to mention the fact that my "make poverty history" band actually seems to be stopping the "next blog" button from working, I'm going to need a new strategy.

6 Steps then.... go to a familiar blog and go out 6 clicks using the links that you find.

i Silent Words Speak Loudest
ii are the stars out tonight?
iii cage of monkeys
iv the whole wide world of fat buddha!
v bloggerheads
vi a big stick and a small carrot

Rather pleasingly, I've wandered into the world of politics - well, political comment anyway. This blog has been (sort of) recommended by the BBC, and has a nice light touch when dealing with serious issues. Plus it's always good reading to see the failings and inconsistencies of our leaders held up for our examination. And he's scottish, and that's international isn't it?

I think this is the first time this exercise has turned up something interesting.

2) Paul Daniels

It's only proper that I should recommend the blog of the greatest magician in the history of the world. Right? At the moment he's passing on his thoughts on the film "Dr. Doolittle 3" which he has just watched on his new surround system. The Paul Daniels view?

"It was SO BAD. AVOID this disk at all costs"

Phew. Thanks Paul. Narrow escape there.

3) Kerblog

Mazen Kerbaj is a Lebanese musician and comic book artist based in Beirut. He's been blogging about the war - well worth reading.

4) 1000 Shades of Grey

Brought to you by one half of Black & White & Read All Over, this blog welcomes you into Paul's world. Most recently, Paul's world has been detailing -- and critiquing -- the 8 step strategy to adopt if trapped in a lion cage (including the sage advice to 'Fend off attack' as well as to 'Keep screaming as loudly as possible'). Brilliant.

5) Travelling in a Fried-Out Combie

Blogging all the way from Sydney, Australia.... ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Jonny. Technically, he's from Bristol, but let's gloss over that for a moment and call this a proper international blog. He's mates with Mike, he's just started a new job, and he spends his time doing things like taking beach volleyball lessons, drinking in the Opera House Bar, watching Dwight Yorke bossing the Sydney FC midfield and going for early morning surfs before work. Bastard. (Except possibly for the Dwight Yorke thing).

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This is harder than it looks.