Monday, January 01, 2007

[testimonials] first ten ready

I really abjectly apologize. First I exhorted everyone to do this, The Cityunslicker and others responded but I simply couldn’t get my act together until now. Well, I’ve started and here are my first ten ‘take it or leave it’ comments on members of the blogosphere. Please, people, if you can see your way clear to doing something like it, each blogger will then have a nice little store of comments to put in his or her sidebar. But be honest. Don’t eulogize just for the sake of it.

1]
The Cityunslicker: The travelling blogger with the razor wit has a habit of cutting to the chase and only ever falls by the wayside on matters of faith. CUS’s comments are as good as his posts and what bloggers appreciate is that he’s at least read the posts, unlike some. Behind that sometimes direct exterior beats a heart of gold and an astute mind, let alone a wealth of experience.

2]
Westminster Wisdom: Perfect example of a Blogpower blog which should be in Iain Dale’s Top 10. He’s not every surfer’s cup of tea as he demands a concentration span longer than three minutes and the ability to comprehend both history and the English language – tall order for many. For those with the patience, he’s deeply rewarding and that's why he is rapidly entering the 'must read' category of a sizable chunk of the discerning corner of the blogosphere.

3]
Ellee Seymour: What’s left to say about Lady Ellee of Ely? Superb blog, always up to date and posing a dilemma with a humane edge to it. It’s a testimony that she’s now won the first of her many awards and yet she somehow manages to visit others, comment on comments, maintain a work, study, political and family schedule and enjoy it all the while. A true lady, as all are aware, she is my prediction for Top 10 on Iain Dale’s list this year.

4]
Not Saussure: Some bloggers are fine amateurs and some are professional. Notsaussure is of the latter ilk, facts always at his fingertips, never a word out of place and right on the money. He is one of the Blogpower blogs who should be up there mixing it with the big boys – he’s that impressive - and a sizable portion of the A list is coming to realize that. Virtually a must read for the discerning, his blog is also beautifully presented, which certainly helps, in my humble opinion.

5]
The ThunderDragon: Already an A lister, technical whiz Thunder Dragon shows that not all A listers are stuck up stats groupies who’d sell their grandmothers for more traffic. And he’s on Iain Dale’s list for a reason – he’s simply a fine blogger, scoring highly on the ten point Dale criteria and with his finger always on the political pulse. He's also the technical brains behind Blogpower, along with Ian at Imagined Community.

6]
Sicily Scene: This lady, Welshcakes Limoncello, could be charged with mental cruelty by relentlessly revealing to us the idyllically unhurried world of Sicily and photos of the magnificent fare upon her table [not to mention the card corners] but to be fair – she does often provide recipes. Rapidly becoming a must read for a large portion of the blogosphere, her wise young head and astute comments are also particularly appreciated by fellow bloggers.

7]
Mr Eugenides: What can one say? An Edinburgh based A lister, a widely acknowledged political genius of the first order - still he finds time to visit Greece, sink a pint or two and take on the idiots who purport to govern our fair land. A member of that select group of high traffic bloggers who’ve not forgotten their roots and who are approachable [if you can dodge the swear-shrapnel on your way in, that is]. Mr. E is pure class.

8]
Stumbling and Mumbling: I confess this is my favourite blog and yet I disagree with many of the sentiments, I don’t understand a fraction of the economics and I’m less than reverent ion my comments. Leicester boy Chris Dillow is master class and his steady elevation into the elysian zones of the blogosphere are testimony to the regard in which he is held. His point form analyses are compelling and his only direction , as far as I can see, is up.

9]
Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe: Environmental expert Colin Campbell is one of the expat Scot brigade, soon to become an Australian citizen, with two beautiful children and a menagerie of pets and one mystery wife who hardly gets a mention. His blog is unique, centred as it is around family matters but he's no stranger to ascerbic comment on the political foolisness of the day. Short of ideas? Come to Colin’s blog for inspiration.

10]
Tom Paine: I’m in awe of very few people in this world but I’m in awe of Tom Paine. Whilst bloggers like yours truly are rabbiting on twenty words to the dozen, Tom is taking it all in, rarely commenting and then coming out with sheer common sense, whatever the topic. You need to know what you’re talking about when you approach Mr. Paine and I strongly suspect there’s a wealth of life experience tucked away behind that moniker and it comes through in his support of good causes. Little wonder Tom is on most of the A list blogrolls and all of ours as well.

Next to come will be those listed in the blogrolls as
Pub Philosopher, Out Story, Tea & Margaritas [to be added to my roll as soon as I post this], Heather Yaxley - Greenbanana, Buckeye Matt, Macadamia and Lord Nazh, amongst others plus my two fellow administrators of Blogpower.

What was the basis on which I chose bloggers for the first list? Simply those who commented on this blog in the last two days. I shall be writing a piece for each person on the blogrolls and hope to finish it by the end of this week.

9 comments:

  1. Appreciate that James. Will incporate into my blog asap.

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  2. Cheers James! Though I'm not sure I can be classed as a technical whiz... I make it all up as I go!

    Hopefully I'll be getting some testimonials up myself within the next week!

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  3. Very astute - good stuff. Since I heard Tin Drummer's interview I've been meaning to checking Westminster Wisdom. Thanks for the nudge.

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  4. Oops I have visited W W. I think of it as Grachii's site. It is indeed excellent.

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  5. Thank you again, James. Whoopee! You called me "young"! I expect you can guess what I'm going to ask - how do you get it into the sidebar? Buona serata.

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  6. Phew! Suitably humbled.

    I'd actually been toying with the idea of dropping the testimonials from my sidebar at some point - feeling that they shout "me me me" a bit too loudly.

    Self-aggrandisement, however, is a comfortable vice, so I'll whack your comment in there, and sod the modesty.

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  7. Thank you again James, I never think I deserve all the kind things you say about me. You have mentioned many favourite sites I already visit, but I would like to visit many more new ones on a regular basis too, including notsausure and colin who you have mentioned here, as well as tin drummer, another favourite of yours. Having met Tom Paine, you are spot on about him, he is immensely knoweledgeable, a really great person to talk to, so very interesting.

    Happy New Year to you James, keep up the excellent blogging, and thanks for directing us to many other great sites too.

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  8. I've got to get this done myself as well. Great write-ups! x

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Comments need a moniker of your choosing before or after ... no moniker, not posted, sorry.