The Blog List

It's New Year's Eve and unlike most years, we are actually going out this evening. We usually stay home and spend a quiet evening in front of the fireplace, enjoying a drink of wine (or two). This year we're getting together with a group of friends who live nearby in Mount Airy for dinner and some conversation.

As the year-end approaches, the close of the year also brings forth the annual List of favorites (movies, songs, books, etc). My List for last year was a List of Lists. See Tis the Eve.

In trying to pick this year's list, I noticed that the finalists for The 2008 Weblog Awards has been posted, so I thought that for my annual List, I would mention my favorite blogs who are Finalists.

There are many wonderful, interesting, provocative bloggers out there in never-never land, toiling on a daily (or so) basis to provide food for thought. It's nice to be able to give a hand of thanks to them for their efforts.

And it's nice to know that many of the blogs that I read daily (or thereabouts) are on the list. I obviously have good taste:

Best Blog:
Huffington Post

Best Individual Blogger:
field negro

Best Humor Blog:
Jon Swift

Best Comic Strip:
Town Called Dobson
xkcd

Best Liberal Blog:
Hullabaloo
Blue Gal
Crooks & Liars
Talking Points Memo

Best Political Coverage:
FiveThirtyEight

Best Technology Blog:
Engadget

Best Law Blog:
How Appealing

Best LGBT Blog:
Pam's House Blend

Best Science Blog:
Pharyngula

Best Major Blog (Authority over 1001):
The Moderate Voice

Best Very Large Blog (Authority between 501 and 1,000):
Pandagon

Best Midsize Blog (Authority between 201 and 300):
Suburban Guerilla

Best Up And Coming Blog (Authority between 51 and 100):
Connecting the Dots

I skipped the categories where I don't know or have a particular favorite. And in two cases, Best Comic Strip & Best Liberal Blog, my favorites tied. Of course, Blue Gal also blogs for Crooks & Liars, so it's all good.

Voting for the winners begins January 5th, so check them out. Rewards are few & far between for all of the hard work & effort, so recognition is a small token, but well-deserved.

Happy New Year.

(Update 1/1/09: I missed one of my favorites for Best Liberal Blog, Talking Points Memo, making the final choice all that much harder.)