Though I can be a political windbag at times (just ask my brothers) I tend to ignore political blogs that are too partisan or extreme. It drives me crazy to read about lunacy or intransigence regardless of what side of the political spectrum they're on. This brings me to Sullivan’s blog; he is very thoughtful, pragmatic, and pulls no punches at either the left or the right. I may not always agree with him (like during his initial defense of the invasion of Iraq) but his forthright and pensive manner is what always attracts me to his blog.
Honorable mentions- Global Voices, Foreign Policy Passport, Hispanic Tips, Plan Colombia and Beyond, Poor but Happy Colombia Guide, VivirLatino, Wonkette
So maybe I could have put this under the category entitled “NEW YORK” but BV also writes about all types of indie music stuff. For exaple, imagine my shock and consternation as the first post on BV tonight mentioned how kick-ass Internet radio station WOXY will shut down on September 15th. (Reading that along with Robert Christgau’s firing from the Village Voice served as a painful double whammy today). It has been through BV that I’ve found out about lots of the summer concerts I thought about going to. I even e-mailed BV last fall trying to unload a ticket for the New Pornographers at Webster Hall but to no avail. Anyhow, BV sets a very high standard for music bloggers and it is always a pleasure to read.
Honorable mentions- coolfer, largehearted boy, Morrissey-solo, pixiesmusic, stereogum, The Hype Machine
For a long time the champion at this category would have undoubtedly been Gothamist and even though I continue to read it several times a day it has lost some of its previous quality in its posts. (Perhaps they overextended themselves and cover far too many things at once). Yet now the winner is Overheard… which I enjoy thoroughly. The premise is simple- New Yorkers send in bits and pieces of stuff from conversations and other types of communication. Given the site may encourage people to be nosier but the beauty of Overheard… is the variety and weirdness of some of the posts. There’s the pair of snarky girls upset over a wheelchair getting on the bus, the language barrier between baristas and cops, and the silliness of tourists. Overheard… never ceases to amaze me.
Honorable mentions- Gawker, Gothamist, Manhattan User’s Guide, New York Hack, NewYorkology, nycmosaico, Pushcart NYC
Greg and Jason are a pair of lifelong New York Mets fans; they breathe, bleed, and sweat blue and orange. Their prose goes beyond that of mere sports fans as they delve into the minutiae and larger meaning of following a sports team. Though they may harp a bit too much on the ’86 champion team, they truly embody the best spirit of being a sports fan and their love and passion for the Mets are an added source of pride for a Met fan like myself. (Quirky bit o’ trivia- since 1986 only tree times have teams I’ve been a loyal fan to have won championships. Those would be the 1987 and 1991 New York Giants and the 1994 New York Rangers).
Honorable mentions- Deadspin, The Fan’s Attic, The Musings and Prophecies of Metsdramus
Last but definitely not least I present to you the main reason why I decided to enter into the blogosphere. I first discovered her blog via this Gawker post last year. It’s not easy to describe why I’m attracted to her writing (which is why I’ve had writer’s block for the past 30 minutes) so I will defer to the following written by this blogger:
"I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t done drugs or anything self-destructive for the longest period of time, or the incredibly dry yet hilarious way she journals her life - like a ’sex and the city’ for ‘misanthropes, agoraphobes, depressives, alcoholics, pill poppers, pot smokers, losers, outsiders, and chronic masturbators’ [to quote the author’s supposition of her audience] - but Miss Forksplit really floats my boat...Reading through such a vibrant and hilarious blog, it’s hard to factor Forksplit into the dull and dusty definitions often attributed to the blogosphere. But then perhaps it’s inevitable that academia will have to allocate such a constricting lexicon on this colourful media expression - after all, the literati couldn’t very well praise a self-confessed “lazy sack of shit with a significant pot problem and possible Attention Deficit Disorder” as a pioneer of online literature and virtual cultures. It just wouldn’t do!”
Well said, my friend. Very well said.
And thanks a ton to you, forksplit, for dragging yet another moping fool into the world of blogging.
Honorable Mentions- Information Leafblower, kottke.org, Recovering technophiliac, Travelgirl, whatevs
blogs, international politics, sports, music, New York, Latin America
2 comments:
Thanks for the honorable mention.
You're very welcome and thanks for running very enjoyable blog, especially the Euro Club Roundups.
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