A number of celebrities are blogging for their fans and loyal readers. This digital skip over the velvet rope — a leap into public discourse rather than shrouded publicist-released statements — has offered a new perspective on the famous.

But it's not just one perspective. Every blog reveals something different about its author — something you sometimes would rather not know.

Weirder than you thought: Rosie O'Donnell. O'Donnell was never going to win any awards for normalcy, but the former "View" host's blog at www.rosie.com is something to behold. For more than two years, "Ro" has blogged mainly in freewheeling, unedited verse. A recent poem waxed on both her post-"View" life and visiting baby geese.

Exactly like you thought: Mark Cuban. The entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner blogs at www.Blogmaverick.com, where he spouts on everything from YouTube's future to NBA refereeing. His blog entries, like his courtside persona, are typically combative, but he's frequently spot on; you don't become a billionaire by being dumb.

Yikes. You're Scaring Me: Britney Spears. The pop star doesn't exactly blog, but she does frequently post messages addressed to her fans on her Web site. Through Spears' turbulent last two years, she has posted emotional messages that sometimes read like the sort of writings best left to ponder for a day or two before sending. She recently posted a long letter in which she hoped to correct the many false impressions people have of her.

More Like You Than You Thought: David Byrne. The former Talking Heads front man has long had one of the best blogs on the Web. He's very consistent in posting his thorough, well-written entries on www.DavidByrne.com; expect a lot of music, biking and modern art. What makes Byrne's blog especially enjoyable, though, is how he shines through — like us — as a fan. If he goes to an excellent concert or museum exhibit, he returns to his computer bursting at the seams to discuss and analyze it.

More Into "The Sopranos" Than You Thought: Brian Williams. The NBC News anchor has been contributing posts to www.Slate.com's "TV Club" blog, which analyzes every "Sopranos" episode. Joining Jeffrey Goldberg and Timothy Noah, Williams has brought impressively detailed readings of the HBO series to the site. He recently told this reporter: "My whole day is all within the parameters of the news, and the here and now. I can't have an opinion — I try not to on anything. This has been such a release."

Wordy For Rock Stars: Many bands will dispatch occasional messages to their friends via their Web site, but Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand do much more. For example, Bassist Bob Hardy recently posted a number of "things to do" for those coming to Glasgow for the band's concerts. Still better are the entries by front man Alex Kapranos, who proved his literary talents with a well-reviewed book last year: "Sound Bites: Eating on Tour with Franz Ferdinand."

The Dude Can Draw: Jeff Bridges. The star of such films as "The Big Lebowski" and "Fearless" (and voice of a surfing penguin in "Surf's Up") has only hinted at his doodling abilities in movies like "The Door in the Floor," in which he played a children's book author. But his posts on www.JeffBridges.com, aren't typed. Instead, they're brilliantly colorful drawings.