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the best of you
So I’m noodling around one day, minding the Internet’s business, when an e-mail plinks into my virtual in-box.
“…send me a link to what you think was your best post of 2008.”
Jon is certainly a generous individual: best is a stretch for me, least fear inducing is all I could manage.
This is the second year that Jon has done this, allowing blogs he links to the opportunity to showcase themselves on his site. Jon is one of the Internet’s great satirists and links to many, many other bloggers, writers of all persuasions. When he publishes his “Best of”, it will truly be a large compilation.
But enough about Jon. We were talking about how I stole adopted his idea.
Not every blogger is seeking fame, fortune or a Halle Berry/(insert latest media-labeled hot dude here) knock-off to drape on their arm, or would even want/accept said accouterments if offered.
Many bloggers use the medium to keep in touch with family or distant friends.
Some bloggers write exclusively to and for themselves.
Some folks actually blog just because they enjoy the stimulation, or as a clarion call, or because they are compelled, or as a means of sublimating bloody anti-social tendencies (hear, hear!).
Generally speaking, there are are no Big Time™ awards for said blogs, and precious little recognition via stat counters. So it is nice to be in a position to say, “Pick your best stuff, the stuff you really liked, and let’s spotlight it with what your contemporaries believe is their best writing.”
Now that’s a meaningful ‘Best Of ‘ list.
Damn…I’m getting all choked up.
Onward.
The first response to my request for ‘the Best of the Best’ came from Chris “Farmer Bob-Daily Briefs” Packham, a close and personal e-friend of mine. Which means I’ve never met the guy. Chris wasted all of 9 nano-seconds before replying to my e-mail (that’s what a good e-friend he is!):
My best post of 2008 was Caught Between the Devil and a Hard Rain, a short autobiographical work about my career, from working the corners as a junkie and a cocaine mule on the cold, gritty streets of Kansas City to second-shift assistant blogger at the cold, gritty alternative newsweekly The Pitch. Inspired by true-life movies produced by the Lifetime Channel, only with more swears and references to buttholes, it’s told in the idiom of public domain watercolor paintings of bunnies and kitties
El Borak’s Myopia responded next. The blog is authored by one of the ‘Net’s more astute political writers who also happens to be sheer death on finances. His blog is a quiet little gem of a read, even if the information therein appalls me, as it so often does.
So I don’t know if this is the best post, or even my favorite, but I do think it’s a valuable post examining the subtle use of the press by politicians to create an image of themselves. I remain amazed at how uncreative they really are, but that’s another reason why they are often so predictable…
Kansas City’s favorite Russian sidled in next with this slice of humble pie:
“Doc, I had my girlfriend come up with the ones she likes. I am not trying to be coy but for the life of me I can’t name a favorite.”
Mike
Mike’s girlfriend sent 3 links, which I printed out, cut into 3 different strips, folded up and put in an upturned Fedora. I then had Asta pick one. As soon as she did, Asta Jr ripped it out of her hand with a shrill “Mine!” Asta smiled and picked another one. Asta Jr rallied and grabbed for that paper also and the fight was on.
While I had the girls occupied I slipped the last piece of paper from the hat. So, below is almost, sorta, kinda of what Mike’s girlfriend thinks was the Mad Russian’s best post of the year.
My request to Spyder kicked off a conversational thread that proved she can still write using more than 200 characters…though she is getting rusty at it. One has to get her started.
“Doc asked me to pick what I thought was my best blog of 2008. I’m sure it was easier for me to pick one than it will be for other bloggers. Once I removed Blogger Gathering notices & reports, jokes, memes I was able to narrow it down. I picked March 3rd 2008 ” I’m Kicking Myself”. Because it was one of the strangest thing to happen to me.”
X.O. happily replied on the “ice storm that didn’t happen” day last week . Dedicated blogger that he is, he took the day off to search for just the perfect post. First, however, he tried a head fake:
“OK, I think I have a candidate. In June I made a post that just said “This Space Intentionally Left Blank”. That was the title and that’s all there was. It still generated 12 comments! It was like performance art! I know it’s not a representative sampling of my writing style. If that is what you are looking for I can keep trying. I just thought it was awesome that I could post nothing at all and still get traffic and comments.”
Ah, no, not so much.
So then he sent this:
“Alright, I think we have a winner. It’s called “Because I Know You care” and it’s about the day last May that I took the afternoon off to pay taxes and renew tags.”
One of the Web’s busier e-denizens, John runs at least 2 blogs and contributes to another, as well as formally inculcates ideas, theory and history and writing in the young for a living. Is that heaven or what?
His Blog Meridian is one of my favorite places because I know I will learn something, regardless of my intentions.
“[Serious cycling is not] at its heart anti-capitalist but, rather, [. . .] goes against the grain of how consumerism has come to shape our thinking about wants and needs and how to meet them. It thus opens up a space for the individual to see him- or herself relative to those dynamics and respond with a bit more autonomy than s/he might otherwise have.”
One of the tastier links on my site, KC Lunch Spots often dares go where my digestive system refuses. And reports back in detail on everything: location, taste, ambiance and cost. As well as whether or not he held the meal down.
Which means I am often saved those disquieting porcelain side trips, for which I am eternally thankful, can I get an Amen!
DLC proffered the following.
It’s the one where I confront the myth of the special Chinese menu and come away with a new perspective on supposedly crappy Chinese restaurants. I can safely say that, without being prodded by commenters, I never would have visited Lucky Wok.
Earlier I mentioned that many bloggers never see, nor care about, awards except those bestowed upon them by their peers: Best Chatty Cathy Award, Best Linker, Best Unrelenting Schmoozer, you know what I’m talking about, right?
Well, Grandad has picked up a couple of those in his day, as well as dished them out. (I believe he once gave me the Best Right Annoying Bastard Award ) He has also garnered Best Personal Blog at the 2008 Irish Blog awards, was a finalist at the 2008 Digital Media Awards, was nominated as the 2007 Best Blogger in the IIA and Enterprise Ireland Net Visionary Awards, as well as the Golden Spider Awards in 2007, and blah blah blah blah blah…no, I am NOT jealous! And have I mentioned the cantankerous old fart gentleman also landed a book deal out of his blog? As in, it’s in print and you can buy it on Amazon?
But the most important thing to note about Grandad is that he is consistently hilarious. Day in, day out. Oh, and he despises Bush almost as much as I do. Which means I would read him even if he weren’t hilarious.
Mornin’ Dad,
You said you wanted this before Christmas, and here was I thinking I had plenty of time. But I suddenly realise that it’s only a couple of days away! Sorry :-[
You wanted a post that I liked? Well, this one is one that brings back nice memories for me. It was written in France, and that alone brings back the memories.
When we were over there, we had great fun with the SatNav and it’s pathetic attempt at French pronunciations. On the whole, it was very accurate, but every now and then, it would come up with a real classic, and that is what the post is about.
Ah…did I forget to mention he’s my adopted son?
As luck would have it K8 piled in next dead on the heels of her Dad. And true to her nature, she decided to share her largese:
Gosh I’m so sorry this took so long! I’ve been arguing with 6mm drill bits, see.
I think my favourite blog post this year is Another Saturday… that first Joint Post we did.
It’s the last post in a long line of people writing about what they did that Saturday. The whole story started with a botched zip and a peeping Tom in a ladies dressing room. It meandered through a restaurant involving a nasty mess in the bathroom, then followed through with a walk through the streets of Dublin. The story ended with me. I kidnapped the last guy, knocked him out and sacrificed him to an evil drug lord. It was a lot of fun!!! I think I like this one most because it allowed for a bit of dangerous fiction :)
When I say “share her largese” this is what I mean: K8’s post is well written and fun in its own right. However, it is the last of I believe 6 prior posts, all of which are also wonderful. So, I will leave it to you:
The whole sordid mess begins at Maxi Cane’s. You can read the serial all the way through, ending with K8’s bit. Or, should you have somewhere to go, you can just read K8’s ending.
And so we come to Lee.
Lee is yet another serial blogger. I found him at An Oddment of Sandwiches. He also authors Daytripper and The New Low Down. He is also a working SAG member and, apparently, can fly. Without a plane. No, I am not jealous again.
Lee was also pretty funny about the whole “his best” post quandary, quoting David John Moore Cornwell at me:
“…writing is like sex: somebody else has to tell you whether you’re good or not.”
And he, too, ended up checking with Mrs Lee.
“I’m in! I’m in! Once my wife picks the best post (like I’d have any idea…)
The verdict is in:
Most of the posts on An Oddment of Sandwiches, which technically speaking isn’t a blog at all, take longer getting where they need to go than I prefer. But as Goldilocks said before she was eaten, this one is just right. I do feel bad about the cat.”
Lee is right; Oddment is not a blog, and is all the better for it.
— ->
The wealth of voices on the Inner Tubez always amazes me. I count myself as a lucky man.
I enjoyed that and hope you did as well.
Due to our travel schedule, I had to post this before everyone could get a response to me. No worries though; I will publish whatever comes in after Christmas before the New year. I expect it to be just as tasty as what you’ve read here.
Merry Christmas!
No related posts.
You turned on comments: it MUST be Christmas!
[...] Vote the best of you [...]
[...] - modesty and procrastination come to mind – a couple of you didn’t get your links in for The Best of You before [...]
I’m such a think bint - I’ve only just figured out how to leave comments on here.
Thanks for doing this post, such hard work you put into it, and what excellent company I’m in :) Great link fodder, your hard work’s much appreciated. Hippy Hue Year!
[...] to seeing your post about other bloggers’ best post of 2008!! You should definitely send the link out to the group when you’ve posted [...]
K8 -
Lovely to see you, as always.
Thanks for the comments as well as playing.
And don’t feel silly about the Comments thing; a) I only turn them on for selected posts and b) then make it awkawrd to fing: I’ve been infested with troll for a while now and find that reason, logic and a little hide n’ go seek works wonders.
; ‘ )
Hippy Hue Y, yourself!ear