Blogroll

I have added a few blogs to my "good blogs" list over there to the right. I don't actually know any of those people but...

See, thing is, I'm sort of still on Mountain time. So last night I was up until after midnight because I wasn't tired. Normally I don't have a problem with jet lag at all--but then, when you're crossing sixteen time zones you don't really have a choice but to just fall into whatever daily schedule is operating wherever you've landed. So France, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Hawaii--these are all easy. Utah? Not so much. Part of the problem is I've had no compelling reason to realign myself to EDT. Late for work? Nah, don't really care. Up to all hours? Nah, don't really care. The city looks nice at night anyway. So you see the problem.

Anyway, last night I happened upon the blog Sticks of Fire, which is a blog about things going on in Tampa. I live in Tampa. I liked the blog. And lo and behold, the blog's author had already discovered Smitty's World over here and given me a link as another Tampa blog. Tres cool. So I must reciprocate, but really, I'd do it anyway because it's a good blog. I mean, if you're from North Carolina it might not seem all that relevant, but you never know where the winds of employment may blow.

It turns out that Sticks of Fire links to other Tampa blogs quite frequently, so I wasted time going to these other Tampa blogs and reading them, and I've decided to link to the ones I'll likely continue reading when I have nothing to do. And isn't that what the blogosphere is about? (No, it's about redefining the entire notion of journalism, but I like rhetorical questions. Who doesn't?) Forthwith, a brief description:

Dot Bench is a rather witty individual who's job I've been unable to firmly divine. He looks an awful lot like a guy I accidentally cut off on 275 last week, so, dude, if a white Subaru cut you off on 275 last week, I really didn't mean it. The Edit Engine likes to run down underreported stories from the Tampa Bay area every day, so his site is worth a read, especially if your only paper around here is the Tribune. Sharp as a Marble is a fellow who works downtown here. I can probably see his office from my porch. He is a proud new father and possibly even prouder owner of a new kegerator, and you should definitely read about how he proposed to his wife. Maybe it's because I'm in the military, but none of my coworkers are remotely as witty as this guy. Or frankly, as any of my friends, either. Man, I hate my job. Anyway, the last link there is Steve Koppelman's Catalogue of Poorly Catalogued Things. Steve is actually from Fort Lauderdale, where I used to live and where the book I'm writing is set. I've read this blog off and on for a while now and I'm linking to it because I find it amusing. Whether you do or have lived in FTL or not you probably will, too.

And I guess it's only fair to describe the other blogs I have had on that list for a while, for those who may not know. Taegan Goddard's Political Wire is only the best nonpartisan political news blog in existence. I occasionally steal story ideas from there, as do most other political bloggers. The main news blog is great, but so are the Wingers and Southpaws lists of recent updates to prominent right- or left-wing blogs. Howard Bashman's How Appealing blog is an almost constantly updated string of news and analysis links to appellate court decisions, issues, and cases. In a similar vein, SCOTUSblog is a digest of all the news out of the U.S. Supreme Court and is the first place you'll hear about court decisions, and certainly the best place to find out about them because if you just get court news from Fox or CNN you're not getting actual news, you're getting spin. New Politics1 is another political news blog written by fans of the occasionally-but-never-quite-retired Ron Gunzberger, whose Politics1 was in its heyday the best political blog on the web but is now... well, the state info pages are still the best place to start researching candidates and races in your state. Bayciti is a catalogue of development news in the Tampa Bay area. It's a great blog and an outstanding concept, and other metro areas would be blessed to have such a blog of their own.

The other two blogs there are of people I've actually met and who are friends of mine. If any of my other friends would stop being so lazy and start their own blogs, I'd link to them. We have Des Petits Moments, which is written by a very dear college friend of mine. She claims to write mostly about her daughter, but she also works in journalism and thus can't not comment on some of the sillier things that go on in a day. Always worth a read. And finally we have The Scriptorium which is written by her dear hubby. If you don't care for thinking, I would advise not reading The Scriptorium, but if you do, it's one of the most literate and thoughtful blogs out there and I at least look forward to each update. I also look forward to sharing more Belgian ales with both of them.

Anyway. Just thought I'd give a shout out to my fellow bloggers, even if I don't know them from Adam.