Better Living Through Blogging!

Top Five Bloggers of 2003

My choices for the Top Five Bloggers of 2003 - overall. Later on, I'll have a list of Top Five New (or new to me) Bloggers of 2003. But for now, here is my pick for the best of the best...based on the quality of their writing, their ability to find and relate interesting things, their sense of humor, their overall good-naturedness (usually!), their consistency, and other assorted factors (personal hygiene, sending me gifts, making me spit coffee, etc). The list:

Charles: This man is consistent, rarely (ever?) missing a single day going back more years than even he probably cares to remember. His wry humor always works wonders, his insights are keen, and the quality of his writing is never lacking. Actually, I'll quote myself on the subject of Charles' writing: "There's just something deliciously satisfying about reading something that has actually been thought out in advance, where the words accurately convey not just thought, but also nuance and subtlety."

Allison: Allison is that rarest of all people - normal. She's not pierced in strange places, her sense of humor always prevails, her standards are high, her family is loving & nuclear, she's not on a perpetual rant, and best of all, her writing style is engaging and quirky and wholesome. The only downside to her site is that it isn't updated often enough (hint, hint, Allie...). Sometimes she goes for two, three, four days without updating - the nerve! (And - call me sexist - she gets bonus points for her beauty. Not to worry - I'm sure there are some who will subtract points from me on their year-end lists for my appearance, so it all balances out, right?)

Jon: Jon's politics are usually the opposite of mine, but his insight into his own nature and that of his surroundings is unique, as is his style of writing. Jon could probably write a nifty column for a local paper and become famous. And there's probably no one who knows more about the history of music (blues, rock, jazz, etc) than Jon. And the consumption of food - normal food, strange food, it's all good.

Michele: She got my vote for "Best Overall Blog" a few weeks ago over at Kevin's, and the reasoning still stands: "Her unique blend of politics, pop-culture, music, personal life, and blogosphere topics is (IMO) the epitome of what blogging is all about."

(due to my stupidity, I inadvertently listed Velociman as one of my Top 5 Overall for 2003, when in fact he belongs on the Top 5 New of 2003, thereby moving Craig up onto this list. My apologies.)

Craig: Local boy makes good! Craig is probably the best-known Montana-based blogger, and for good reason: he's smart, funny, and prolific. He's even got the ear of most of the gubernatorial candidates!

And for anyone who is wondering why he or she didn't show up on the top five, rest assured: your site ranked as #6 on my list. Really.

One more thing: what good is an award of this caliber without a trophy? Here is a handy button that the five Best Bloggers can use on their own site to demonstrate their Bloggy Goodness, available in Male or Female style!

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And since I don't want anyone to feel left out, everyone else that I link to can use this wonderful "Best In Show" button!

Posted by davidmsc at December 29, 2003 11:37 AM | TrackBack