With 2008 over, I’ve decided to come up with a few lists of a few different things bloggers I think you may find interesting along the lines of what I did in The Lists 2007. For further information, be sure to read the disclaimer at the end.
So it’s over. 2008 is a wrap and we are moving on into 2009 with full steam ahead. So I figured I would help bloat your feedreader a little bit more with a list of the bloggers I think are must reads for 2009:
Faiqa - Even though the promise of change is about to take root on January 20 when Barry Oh is sworn into the office of The President of the United States, you can be assured that Faiqa will not just sit back idly as the out of power conservatives begin to flood the blogosphere with their rhetoric. As an added bonus, she’s pregnant with her second child!!! So that means in between the political posts, the international posts, the historical posts, the religious posts, and the family posts will be pregnancy posts! I absolutely expect belly shots. I want them with a tape measure.
Sarcastica - I’ve been a long time fan of Sarcastica (formerly Miss Miserable) who’s writing surpasses alot of bloggers more than twice her age. This year is going to be a big one for her. She pregnant too!!! We’ve already had a few glimpses at Lil’ Castica through the sonogram and some gratuitous belly bump shots… along with some posts regarding raging hormones and the pre-requisite syncope episode… so you know it’s only going to be getting better as the back ache starts and she tries to maneuver around with what amounts to a basketball strapped to her tummy. It’ll be a good time.
Sheila - Smart, witty, energetic, and with a splash of snark that will get you rejected from charm school… Sheila is one of the bloggers I started reading this year in preparation for The NeverWas Fair Halloween Party. Talk about a bouncing ball of delight… she was kind enough to not only be the singing entertainment Friday night, but was kind enough to enforce the law of having fun before passing out on the grass. Yeah. If she’s like that the first time meeting people… you can only imagine the adventures she gets into at home! Oh, and guess what? She’s NOT pregnant!!! BUT she ALREADY has been!!! TWICE!!!
Sharon - I love hearing different viewpoints and understanding different perspectives from bloggers willing to share them… and Sharon is a major high quality sharer who does just that. Now before you start wondering… no she isn’t pregnant… but she IS a grandmother! However, this isn’t any ordinary grandmother… she’s a pogo sticking blogging one… which definitely puts her in a unique category all her own and makes her a MUST read for 2009.
Craftastrophe - With 2008 ending in financial crisis, it looks as if people will be turning to depression-era practices for at least the first half of 2009. This includes making their own repairs, their own items for use, and making things for others to use. Of course, society hasn’t had to do this since the 1930s… so we’re a little bit out of practice. Luckily, Craftastrophe is here to document all of the hand made trainwrecks that are undoubtedly about to spew forth and flood the Etsy marketplace!!!
So those are my MUST Read Picks For 2009. Who do you think is a MUST Read (besides yourself of course!) For 2009???
As a reward for being the best of the best for 2008… I designed this complex thing-a-ma-bob for those who may want to display their Listed status proudly:
Additionally… because I am beyond benevolent and loving contrary to what some people believe… here is the code for you to use with a permalink directly to this post. So if your blog was Listed upon today, all you need to do is copy and past the code:
The Lists is a yearly compilation of interesting bloggers that I currently read. Due to the volume of blogs and the 5 blogger limit, there may be authors who do not appear. This is not to say that you did not have a good blog, or an important blog, or even a blog I did not read because in all likelihood I do indeed read it. This simply means that for that year that you are excluded… well… I thought other bloggers were better choices for the Listing. This does not mean I don’t like you, I don’t love you, or that I don’t read you. It just means that for that year(s), I chose other bloggers but there is always the possibility of next year. Unless.
Unless you cry, whine, send me e-mail messages begging me to feature you, send e-cards with links to the blogs you want linked, tell me how I don’t love you, tell me how I don’t like you, tell me how sad you are, tell me how I don’t read you even though you know I did because I commented at some point, and/or try to muscle me with threats of large “goombas” paying a visit. If you do any of that… then hold your breathe until you see yourself on the Lists again. While your doing that… go get a white hat and get yourself some Smurfberry Pie ‘cause you’ll be blue before you see it.
As 2008 comes to an end, I’ve decided to come up with a few lists of a few different things bloggers I think you may find interesting along the lines of what I did in The Lists 2007. For further information, be sure to read the disclaimer at the end.
For pretty much my entire life I’ve been into photography/videography/film. I’ve had everything from a 110 point and shoot, to both Nikon and Canon 35mm SLRs, to a Sony Mavica that recorded images on floppies, to a compilation of today’s digital cameras. I’ve shot 8mm film and used splicing tape to edit it. I’ve had a myriad of camcorders and VHS editing equipment including a professional 4 head VCR with a flying erase head. Needless to say, I’m a very visual person and like to look at pictures. While I do dabble with my own photoblog, here are the photoblogs that I found to be profound, outstanding, and inspirational in 2008:
Miss Britt Daily Photo - While there are many technical aspects to photography, they are truly secondary to the infusion of creativity and passion used to mold the image through the lens. Miss Britt’s Daily Photo is a prime example of that creativity and passion being primarily represented in the photograph. Her images, while focused and detailed, radiate warmth from being personal and based on the heart within the second the shutter snapped. There is no better art than that derived from the heart. Of course, through no fault of her own, she remains under the yoke of the “amateur” label. You can tell when she decides to allow her passion to become untethered, and you’ll wonder why her captured seconds haven’t been printed in LIFE Magazine already.
Joe’s NYC - Even as a resident of the city, I have to admit that I take my residency for granted and often do not take the time to look at the wonders surrounding me. Joe doesn’t just find wonders in the things that are wonderful to out of towners. He finds the wonder in all the things that I so often pass by without even a first thought much less a second. The city is a wonderous place… and thanks to Joe even a jaded citizen like myself (because c’mon… let’s be honest… I’m jaded as they come) can be inspired by it.
Celery Jam - Whereas photobloggers give us all the gift of their vision, Celery Jam is in itself a gift from Dan to his wife Kerry so that it would ”challenge and inspire me to take more photos”. It seems to have worked! I like Kerry’s photography simply because while you know she’s trying out some sort of rule or suggestion, you also know she’s throwing something in there that is her own brand of vision and forging the image from the heart. She’s doing the 365 Day Project (a picture a day for a year for those of you not in the “know”) with a splash of the life that surrounds and a copious amount of variety instead of the self-portrait the Project calls for. It’s that little tweak… that customization… that takes her pictures above the average fold.
CatsEye Photography - Exceptionally amazing. As much as I am about life and portrait photography, the landscape photos at CatsEye Photography simply took my breath away. Once that drew me in… I was pretty hooked with the rest of the photos. So vibrant. So colorful. So closely captured to the perfection that nature gives us that the only thing closer would be to actually be standing there. One of the really nice things about the photos is that the photographer is not from the United States… so the scenery to my eyes is completely fresh. Definitely worth at least a perusal, if not an RSS subscription.
Grasp The Moment - It’s important to understand that Grasp The Moment is not a photoblog in the traditional sense. However the tapestry that is woven between word and image is just as powerful, if not more so, than the finest stand alone 1,000+ word photo. Variety being the spice of life also seems to be the subject genre of this blog. You’ll find everything from macro stills to fire engines on the scene of a five alarm blaze to the white sanded beaches of exotic Belize. Although the posting schedule seems to be a bit erratic… well it isn’t a traditional blog to begin with so don’t bother bitchin’… just subscribe and enjoy it as it happens.
The Honorable Mentions
I know… I’ve never done an honorable mentions before… but the last time I checked this is MY list… so go make your own if you think it’s such an issue.
• For whatever reason, Finn doesn’t have a photoblog… or at least not one that I’m aware of. She does post some of her excellent work on her blog from time to time… but if you’re a hardcore photo enthusiast there may be some posts that you won’t care for. Too bad. Subscribing to her is worth it… plus reading some words every now and then is a good thing.
• Poppy and I have had the opportunity to meet alot of very cool people, both bloggers and not. So let me tell you that the person behind this Flickr Photostream is Awesome with some mad skillz… and yes, that A is meant to be capitalized.
As a reward for being the best of the best for 2008… I designed this complex thing-a-ma-bob for those who may want to display their Listed status proudly:
Additionally… because I am beyond benevolent and loving contrary to what some people believe… here is the code for you to use with a permalink directly to this post. So if your blog was Listed upon today, all you need to do is copy and past the code:
The Lists is a yearly compilation of interesting bloggers that I currently read. Due to the volume of blogs and the 5 blogger limit, there may be authors who do not appear. This is not to say that you did not have a good blog, or an important blog, or even a blog I did not read because in all likelihood I do indeed read it. This simply means that for that year that you are excluded… well… I thought other bloggers were better choices for the Listing. This does not mean I don’t like you, I don’t love you, or that I don’t read you. It just means that for that year(s), I chose other bloggers but there is always the possibility of next year. Unless.
Unless you cry, whine, send me e-mail messages begging me to feature you, send e-cards with links to the blogs you want linked, tell me how I don’t love you, tell me how I don’t like you, tell me how sad you are, tell me how I don’t read you even though you know I did because I commented at some point, and/or try to muscle me with threats of large “goombas” paying a visit. If you do any of that… then hold your breathe until you see yourself on the Lists again. While your doing that… go get a white hat and get yourself some Smurfberry Pie ‘cause you’ll be blue before you see it.
As 2008 comes to an end, I’ve decided to come up with a few lists of a few different things bloggers I think you may find interesting along the lines of what I did in The Lists 2007. For further information, be sure to read the disclaimer at the end.
Now it is no secret that I am all about Personal Bloggers (hence why this List is twice as long as the rest). Being one myself, there is a certain kindred amongst them along the same lines as the innocent childhood game of I’ll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours, minus having your mother smack the crap out of you… usually. So here are the bloggers that I found to be the most personal of 2008 and I look forward to continuing our “little game” straight on through 2009:
Poppy Cedes - There are usually two types of Personal Bloggers, journalers and chroniclers. Poppy Cede fulfills both those roles magnificently. Everything from her daily commute, to a not so mundane meme, to events big, and events small are blogged about… and dare I say it… she probably does a better job than her wonderful, illustrious, handsome, and eccentric boyfriend does when chronicling his daily goings on as well. One of the wonderful things about Poppy, at least in my opinion, is her very unique perspective on things… which really makes you re-examine how you saw something from your own perspective. She also loves cereal, so that in itself is points galore. Have I mentioned her extremely hot boyfriend?
Dave2 - I was really torn into where I should stick Blogography this year, because there was no doubt he was making it onto one of these Lists… he’s just that damn good. I chose this one because he is the proof against the blogging philosophy that No One Wants To Know What You Had For Lunch. I want to know what Dave2 had for lunch each and everyday… because I know that somehow he will make it funny, interesting, or a statement on the sad condition of Streamliner stock at Johnny Rockets worldwide. There is no greater power for a Personal Blogger… to make the mundane extraordinary and the extraordinary pale in comparison to the mundane. He also has mad illustration skillz that make me laugh and provide me with about 30% of my wardrobe. He’s like the Swiss Army knife of bloggers. Seriously.
Hilly - It’s one thing to know someone, but I totally different thing to truly know one’s self. Personal Blogging is not just about getting to know someone else… it is also about the journey of self-discovery through introspection. This is something that we find Hilly doing quite often. Her travels down the path of finding her inner being draw us along for the ride both to discover new things about her and new layers about ourselves while providing us the tools to be able to see one of the most wonderful sights one can imagine… the gift of sight from someone else’s perspective. Did I mention that the whole time she’s doing it she’s totally funabulous? I definitely think one of her defining moments was saying grace to Sweet Baby Jesus over the Tequila… Hillarious…
Amy - Now I have something to confess, when I first met Amy at the Hot Blogger Calendar Dinner I had her pegged as a “tech princess”. You know the kind… modern looks, cappuccino sipping, moderate gadget usage normally limited to the newest Nokia model or maybe even THE iPhone without the slightest clue as to what HTML is. Thankfully I was so wrong! She’s a happily married mom who works in the tech field with code and programming… but you would never know it from just idly perusing her blog. She shares everything across the board… great times, bad times, and most recently her Twilight times. Yes, she’s a Twilight fan, but don’t hold that against her… because she’s going to Disney in 2009 so she obviously hasn’t been totally sucked into the vampire life! Amy’s pretty much always a good light hearted read and definitely someone you should check out if you haven’t already.
Miss Ann Thrope - Anyone who knows anything about Star Wars knows that every Padawan needs a Master. Miss Ann happens to be my own personal Yoda. While I thought that PHP was the true knowledge strength in blogging, she instructed me otherwise. Honesty, transparency, and a willingness to both share and defend your viewpoint intelligently were key to becoming a strong Personal Blogger. She continues practicing these very values, whether it be blogging about The Sims or the often tragic events of Darwinism in action, to this very day. Don’t be fooled though… her hard fought reputation as the Komodo Dragon Lady of the Blogosphere is still intact. She will gladly rip your genitals out and shove them down your gullet… for which you will say, “Thank you. May I have another?”, because at least she has done it with the sword of honesty.
Lisa - I’ve been reading Lisa for quite a long time… back when she was known as The Rock Bitch and through her current manifestation at Clusterfook. Evolving, as many of us bloggers do, she has always kept truthful to her readers and most importantly, I believe she has remained truthful to herself. Through the ups and downs she has always been unapologetic when her honesty and transparency seemed a little harsh for the world to see. Even now, although being unrelentingly pummeled by the physical side effects of chemotherapy in her third battle with Ovarian Cancer, she’s keeping it as true as possible when she is physically capable. It’s reality. It’s personal. It’s what Lisa is all about… and what we should all strive to be.
B.E. Earl - Now here’s a guy living the life in the suburbs of New York City, and has probably gone to more cool places in Manhattan than I have which is a pretty sad state of affairs considering I’m now spending most of my day on that damn island. B.E. Earl is a great chronicler of his many adventures into dining venues that I’ve only read about in The Village Voice. He also has a quirky sense of humor (my favorite kind), is a beer connoisseur, and runs a Daily Trivia Challenge that all the cool bloggers are doing. B.E. Earl (the B.E. stands for Bug Eyed by the way) is as fine a purveyor of interesting tid-bits as he is a chronicler, so even on days when he really hasn’t gone anywhere (because really… every now and then it’s nice to just stay the fuck home in your jammies) you’re guaranteed something worth your while.
Crys - Last year Crys was listed as one of The 2007 Most Entertaining Bloggers for her Midnight Therapy With Crystal. This year, Crys has had some changes go on including some changes to her blog that is now called Clearly Crystal. Change is not always bad… and these changes she made remind us of that very fact. What clearly hasn’t changed is the power of her wisdom, introspection, and perspective. No longer exclusive to video (although there is still plenty of that), they are shared in a myriad of formats (although she continues to deny ease of mobility through podcast)… and maybe it’s just me… but I feel I see more of Moose now than I ever have before. What can I say, I love the Moose.
Soda - One of my oldest and dearest reads, Soda is a complete and total sharer. Now don’t let her URL fool you… she’s no longer in Las Vegas. Now she’s in the wonderful state of Kentucky and working damn hard for her money. She painstakingly chronicled that journey through her blog and continues to take us along for the ride like a reality show without the over acting and annoying blonde drama queen. She shares it all… the good… the bad… the happy… the sad… and she always gives you a new perspective to look at things from with just a simple twist to the system.
Wayne Hall - As classic a diarist as you will find utilizing today’s technology to document his daily routine, both in words and in his 3-Minute DITL videos. Wayne also finds the time to speak out on technology issues that affect the blogging community and assist the not so technical blogger in harnessing the power of their install to its greatest potential by translating Geek into English. As one of the few fellow Republican bloggers, Wayne is always able to put things into a perspective I’m familiar with and at times into a point of view I am not as versed on… such as Guitar Hero. I know… I’m such a fuddy-duddy… luckily Wayne isn’t and he will take you where you yourself may not be ready to travel.
As a reward for being the best of the best for 2008… I designed this complex thing-a-ma-bob for those who may want to display their Listed status proudly:
Additionally… because I am beyond benevolent and loving contrary to what some people believe… here is the code for you to use with a permalink directly to this post. So if your blog was Listed upon today, all you need to do is copy and past the code:
The Lists is a yearly compilation of interesting bloggers that I currently read. Due to the volume of blogs and the 10 blogger limit, there may be authors who do not appear. This is not to say that you did not have a good blog, or an important blog, or even a blog I did not read because in all likelihood I do indeed read it. This simply means that for that year that you are excluded… well… I thought other bloggers were better choices for the Listing. This does not mean I don’t like you, I don’t love you, or that I don’t read you. It just means that for that year(s), I chose other bloggers but there is always the possibility of next year. Unless.
Unless you cry, whine, send me e-mail messages begging me to feature you, send e-cards with links to the blogs you want linked, tell me how I don’t love you, tell me how I don’t like you, tell me how sad you are, tell me how I don’t read you even though you know I did because I commented at some point, and/or try to muscle me with threats of large “goombas” paying a visit. If you do any of that… then hold your breathe until you see yourself on the Lists again. While your doing that… go get a white hat and get yourself some Smurfberry Pie ‘cause you’ll be blue before you see it.
As 2008 comes to an end, I’ve decided to come up with a few lists of a few different things bloggers I think you may find interesting along the lines of what I did in The Lists 2007. For further information, be sure to read the disclaimer at the end.
Let’s face it people, this is the internet. This is where I go for both my entertainment purposes of which laughter is an absolute requirement due to the serious nature of my day to day life. So here are the bloggers that I found to be the funniest of 2008 (in no particular order) and am looking forward to them continuing to tickle the funny bone in 2009:
Avitable - Usually when his name is mentioned the first two words that pop into my mind are Dolphin Porn. However, he is far beyond just the simple Sea World Bestiality videos… the man is a satiric comic genius. He’s usually good for tears rolling down my cheeks once a week, if not two… and he doesn’t even use a ball gag to do it. THAT, ladies and gentleman, is skill. Besides his obvious humor and honesty to himself, he throws some pretty kick ass parties. The best part… he doesn’t talk during movies while Iron Man is opening up a can’o’whoop ass on the screen… making him a polite cinema date as well.
LeSombre - There is something more to be said about Canada than “eh”. That something would be “meh”… which unofficially is LeSombre‘s calling card. Mike impresses me with both his candor and non-chalance about the things around him. “Oh look, a vital bridge to the city has been closed because it may collapse at any moment!”, cry the citizens of Canadia. “I guess it will take me 2 hours instead of 20 minutes to get to work. Meh.”, would be Mike’s reply. He also has very impressive a cappella skills while sitting around a table at a hotel bar surrounded by Vulcans and Klingons.
Shiny - Now here’s a guy who would have no problem with me walking into Nish Knosh on Kings Highway in Brooklyn, whipping out a ham and cheese on rye with mayo, and chowing down at the same table while he had a bagel with some lox on it for lunch. Shiny‘s sense of humor, dare I say it, is far more wittier than my own AND he carries the intellectuality to back it up. His constant running meme “On The 3’s” really does run the gamut, and you can always find him approaching matters of seriousness with a little wink and a corner of the mouth grin. Sure there are times when I sit there and say to myself, “What the fuck?”… but a few hours later there will usually be an “Oooohhh!” that escapes my lips. It’s a cerebral thing… and there are very few people able to do that.
Boh3m3 - I first ran across Ben when I was spending alot of time on YouTube. He was considered one of their YouTube Stars, and often received video views in the tens of thousands. Like a bunch of the others, his star on YouTube dimmed and he moved himself over to blogging. Unlike a bunch of the others, he continues to persevere in the cruel blogosphere where becoming a star is much harder than it appears. The bottom line on him… he can definitely make me laugh hard, although his frequency of doing so is erratic. It’s erratic not from content, but from the frequency of the content. Still… he’s a funny fucker when he wants to be and he still got to bang Caitlin Hill. My hero.
Neil Kramer - What is there that can be said about Neil that hasn’t been said about the others? He has a white template. Did you find that funny? If you did, you’ll love Neil. He’s like the Jerry Seinfeld of the blogosphere. He smoozes with the mommy bloggers, drinks the coffee at McDonald’s, and I wouldn’t doubt it if HE was the one to bring a ham and cheese with mayo into the Knish Knosh on Queens Boulevard. His posts are usually of a rather long form but it is that astute attention to detailing description that makes his writing superior to that of even She Who Shall Not Be Named. Plus, he’s actually sarcastic and dryly funny of which She Who Shall Not Be Named wishes she was.
As a reward for being the best of the best for 2008… I designed this complex thing-a-ma-bob for those who may want to display their Listed status proudly:
Additionally… because I am beyond benevolent and loving contrary to what some people believe… here is the code for you to use with a permalink directly to this post. So if your blog was snacked upon today, all you need to do is copy and past the code:
The Lists is a yearly compilation of interesting bloggers that I currently read. Due to the volume of blogs and the 5 blogger limit, there may be authors who do not appear. This is not to say that you did not have a good blog, or an important blog, or even a blog I did not read because in all likelihood I do indeed read it. This simply means that for that year that you are excluded… well… I thought other bloggers were better choices for the Listing. This does not mean I don’t like you, I don’t love you, or that I don’t read you. It just means that for that year(s), I chose other bloggers but there is always the possibility of next year. Unless.
Unless you cry, whine, send me e-mail messages begging me to feature you, send e-cards with links to the blogs you want linked, tell me how I don’t love you, tell me how I don’t like you, tell me how sad you are, tell me how I don’t read you even though you know I did because I commented at some point, and/or try to muscle me with threats of large “goombas” paying a visit. If you do any of that… then hold your breathe until you see yourself on the Lists again. While your doing that… go get a white hat and get yourself some Smurfberry Pie ‘cause you’ll be blue before you see it.
