v 0 14B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend M aazile - Thursday, April 15, 2004 GoodspeedUpdate a useful tool for 'U' community The Michigan Daily - Weekend Mi By Ruby Robinson Daily Arts Writer Lurking just beneath the surface of topical news websites like CNN.com and Yahoo! News is a world of news bulletins and gossip that relatively few Internet surfers know about - blogs. Short for weblogs, blogs refer to "any website with the newest content at the top," says Rob Goodspeed, webmaster of GoodspeedUpdate.com, winner of The Michigan Daily's best blog cat- egory. The site began after Sept. 11, when Goodspeed wanted to find out more information regarding the tragedy. For more than a year, his blog con- sisted of links to news stories sur- rounding the events, especially its effects on the campus. In February 2003, Goodspeed changed the format of his site to a more narrative style. It now primarily focuses on issues con- cerning the local community rather than external links. With several updates and posts per day, Goodspeed carved a niche between the local newspapers, cam- pus resources and national media. Visitors to the site are encouraged to respond to the posts constructive ly to facilitate open dialogue. In addition to timely posts, Goodspeed maintains a vast archive of every update since September 2001, upcoming campus events and links to local bloggers, University resources, news websites, concert venues and even politicians. Salaries for all University employ- ees, timely MSA election results and regular updates concerning secret-soci- ety membership are just a few more features that GoodspeedUpdate.com provides. Goodspeed also strives to report important campus information as quickly as possible. For example, GoodspeedUpdate revealed the names of members of Michigamua, one of the University's secret soci- eties, just as the group started to make headlines in the news. The site highlights special local events as well, such as the upcoming Ann Arbor Book Festival. Goodspeed posts consistently and keeps the com- munity up-to-date with recent events. On average, GoodspeedUpdate.com receives about 500 hits per day. On more popular blogs, such as DrudgeReport.com, hits can amount to several million per day. In fact, DrudgeReport.com was partially responsible for originally leaking the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Most blogs are contributory in style, meaning that they rely and thrive on the comments, suggestions and tips from visitors. Goodspeed helped to establish ArborBlogs.com to serve as a consor- tium for local bloggers. Goodspeed encourages students to start their own blogs with free services such as LiveJournal.com and Blogger.com. "Blogging is easy to start but can be difficult to mas- ter," Goodspeed said. Several pro- fessors maintain both a personal blog and one designed for their classes. The blog community refers to itself as the "blogosphere" and has been enlarging over the past few months, especially among politicians and celebrities; even President Bush has his own blog. "As popular as blogs already are, most people don't know much about them. I think in the next few years blogs will continue to grow in popu- larity," Goodspeed predicted. Furthermore, Goodspeed believes that the blog will "fill an important role in the lives of most people." The future looks bright for blog- ging to become common practice, especially as bloggers don't have to follow the rules of newspaper gram- mar and citing sources and can post articles, opinions and random thoughts with ease and comfort. Seva caters to a wide variety of food restrictions with its delicacies. Seva accommlodate s various diets, vegetarians Voted Ann Arbor's Best ewl y Store weW a tc he 1113South Univesity AnilArbor, MI 48104 Telephone (734) 6237 Merchants offered home-town feel in midst of big-time competitors By Ellen McGarrity Daily Arts Writer Bes Depar!ted usiness I - By Niamh Slovin Daily Weekend Editor As rent prices creep ever upwards, local Ann Arbor businesses often strug- gle to stay afloat. Unfortunately, market pressures force some to close shop. Famiglia's pizza parlor, a local staple for several years, succumbed to the pressure of State Street rent woes last summer. While its corner location attracted a large student crowd, especially those en route to a weekly football game, its popularity could not save it. That particular location has seen its fair share of changes in the last 10 years from Domino's to Famiglia's to the newest branch of the sandwich giant Jimmy John's. Famiglia's signature pizzas com- bined a cheap, greasy base with peculiar toppings to create a culi- nary treat that only New York Pizza Depot could rival. The walls were covered with letters from celebrities and everyday folk alike, praising Famiglia's famous flavor and friend- ly service. Decker Drugs, which also closed in the spring of 2003, was the place to go for students needing simple everyday items like shampoo, con- tact solution and cigarettes. Unlike most commercial general merchandise stores, Decker seemed to tailor its goods to the fast-paced demands of students' lives. Products were strategically placed to facilitate quick grabs and emer- gency needs. A wide array of greet- ing cards, nearly all of which cost no more than $1, welcome cus- tomers as they enter the unique world of Decker. Makeup racks mingled with shampoo displays, condoms and earplugs. Popular magazines, small outdoor supplies and various bags of enticing candy lined the shelves of the discombob- ulated, but loveable local favorite. While franchises such as Starbucks and Einstein's Bagels offer quality products to many grateful consumers, shops such as Famiglia's and Decker Drugs con- tributed their unusual flair to Ann Arbor's characteristic environment. - Daily Arts Writer Brandon Harig also contributed to this article. In the midst of a campus crazed by the Atkins and South Beach diets, students sometimes have a hard time finding a restaurant that will fit their food restrictions and satisfy their appetites. Just off campus - nearly at the corner of East Liberty and South Fifth Streets -- lies the perfect answer. Seva (rhymes with Outkast's catchy song "Hey Ya") is a vegetari- an restaurant that has been a favorite of Ann Arbor residents for 30 years. The great thing about this restau- rant is that you won't just find vege- tarians dining there. "All sorts of people (come here)," diner manager Jill Broughton said. "We get people who come for the comedy club downstairs, lots of vegetarians, people on special diets, people with religious restrictions - we have many regulars. People also come because of the non-smoking (policy), which we've had for the last 20 years." =Co-ownerMaren Jackson (her husband Jeff is also her business partner) says the idea is that anyone walking in the restaurant should feel comfortable. And who wouldn't be at ease after setting foot inside this Earth- inspired place. High ceilings painted dark green along with hanging plants create an airy sensation. Wooden tables and gorgeous stain- glass windows complete the forest- like atmosphere. But besides Seva's immediately pleasing interior appearance, is its extensive menu. Jackson said she is aware that many people coming to her restaurant might be expecting just "twigs and berries." However, the huge selection of tasty-sounding items - such as the baked brie with apple-pear puree or goat cheese ravioli with mushroom-walnut sauce - usually silences anyone who may have been hesitant walking in. Seva prides itself on being able to accommodate many types of diets. See SEVA, Page 12B (BZV New & Used CD's, LP's & Tapes Bought, Sold, Traded Across from the Diag upstairs at 446 1/2 S. State " Paying top dollar for your used CD's plus $1 bonus on trades! " Voted "Ann Arbor's Best" 18 straight years inU11tefidjiga MWg readership poll! Ann Arbor " 761-8686 M-F 10-8 " StSn1 Sat 10-6 * Sun 12-6 It's Cheap! t's Close! Records i bring in this coupon to receive $2 OFF A PURCHASE OF $20 OR MORE one coupon per customer exp. 8131104