If you want cool, this blog’s got the look. Arriving at Pacing the Cage, we find an image of what we must assume to be Dan, the author, gazing back at us from under the brim of a dark hat, smoking a cigarette. The blog is crisp and compact with a shades-of-black color scheme that blends well with the insinuation of the title; the dark theme and evaluative gaze of the image certainly suggest that the Dan’s got something on his mind.
It’s a personal weblog and some of the entries update us on the Dan’s whereabouts and such, but for the most part Dan, with the style of a storyteller, leads us into questions of philosophy, theology, and society with smooth, informal, prose, almost poetic at times, and a fair amount of confidence in his ideas. The writing is generally clear and precise, though sometimes it ascends to a more academic tone dotted with references to various theories and philosophers, leading one to believe that he’s studied philosophy at some point in his pacing. Sometimes the topics seem to be comments about what’s keeping him awake at night, but he is often led to a topic by current news or some everyday event in his life and many of his entries are peppered with amusing, if sometimes raw, opinions. His views are, for the most part, conservative, but if you have any interest at all in philosophy or the human condition in the world today, Pacing the Cage will, at the very least, stimulate you whether you agree with what’s being said or not.
The blog’s layout is clean and unique. It’s the best design I’ve yet to come across for a personal blog. The current entries reside in their own frame on the left, enabling the user to scroll through the entries while leaving the categorized, pop-up navigation links stationary on the right, and unlike most blogs, there’s no clutter, no confusion, no endless list of links. You can roll the mouse over the “archives”, “recent entries”, or “links” text to the right of the entry window and the actual links will pop up. Dan isn’t interested in blog status or link whoring – the 9 links he lists are to sites that he actually reads – and the archives only go back a few months. The only thing I would like to see changed would be a bigger frame for the entries so I could read or scan more without so much scrolling. It would also be great to see a categorized archive, but these are just minor personal preferences on my part.
Pacing the Cage is an excellent blog. The design is exceptional and the content is stimulating, easy to read, and insightful. If you’re looking for design inspiration, this site is worth a visit and if you’re plagued by the questions that weigh down mankind and you’re ready for a candid, eloquent, and amusing look at these questions, Pacing the Cage is a must-see.
Pacing The Cage