Today’s edition of FIR The Hobson & Holtz Report will be a bit different to what Shel and I usually do.

The co-host for this show will be Mitch Joel in Montreal, Canada. I’m on the road and can’t do the show today so Mitch has stepped in. Mitch is a fellow communicator, and a podcaster with the ‘Six Pixels of Separation’ podcast – give it a listen if you don’t know it.

I got to know Mitch in Second Life.

And speaking of Second Life, I did send in a recorded contribution for the show that I made late last night. More thoughts about Second Life, with news of Starwood Hotels’ aloft hotel project to create a hotel brand in Second Life. Plus Channel 4 TV in the UK with Second Lives, a series of mini-documentaries about Second Life, the first of which airs today at 9pm UK time.

Then there’s a very interesting view from Eric Rice on what Second Life is. Reality or escapism? It’s escapism, says Eric. Part of the fabric. I think he’s got something there, and I hope he elaborates a bit. Do you see it like that?

I’d also intended commenting on a good story in the Washington Post on blogger relations, where the paper discusses last year’s Nokia N90 campaign and other illustrative examples. I spent all my time slot on Second Life, though. Read the feature yourself as it makes some good points about an area that’s still relatively new and developing in the field of PR.

One other topic here you might have some opinions on. Does a blogger’s gender influence whether you read that blog or not? I say gender has nothing to do with it – it’s the content that’s the influencer. That post has stimulated some great conversation, all from women (so far).

Not had time to respond to the latest thoughtful comments to that post. Care to add your opinion?

Meanwhile, on the road means light blogging ahead from me for much of this week. Have a great week!