Brilliant at Breakfast: Where no one cashes in on unpaid writers

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast"
-Oscar Wilde

"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself."
-- Proverbs 11:25

"...you have a choice: be a fighting liberal or sit quietly. I know what I am, what are you?" -- Steve Gilliard, 1964 - 2007

"For straight up monster-stomping goodness, nothing makes smoke shoot out my ears like Brilliant@Breakfast" -- Tata

"...the best bleacher bum since Pete Axthelm" -- Randy K.

"I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." -- "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (1954-2015), They Live

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Around the Blogroll and Elsewhere: Special Blogroll Amnesty Day Commemorative Edition

Posted by Jill | 11:59 PM

Gee, has it been a year already since He Who Must Not Be Named Other Than Calling Him Big Blue decided, George W. Bush-like, that he gets a free pass for purging his blogroll of all the unwashed rabble? Well, any excuse for a party, especially in the dead of winter. Call it Blogger Superbowl Weekend, if you like. (Those of you who don't know what all this is about, Skippy explained last year here, and Jon Swift here.)

When this appalling act of self-congratulatory elitism occurred last year, it caused quite an uproar among those of us who toil away day after day without amassing advertising revenue, appearances on CNN or C-SPAN, book contracts, or anything other than the satisfaction of writing and the occasional gratification of e-mail from readers indicating that what we write resonates with them.

It's not that there isn't a place for the big blogs, though I have to admit that I read FDL less than I used to because of their dizzyingly busy redesign that requires too many clicks for too little reward and mindless comments like "Zed!" from people who just want to be part of the Kool Kidz Klub. I read Hullabaloo, Americablog, and Group News Blog daily, and I even check in on Le Grand Orange because occasionally there's a posting there linking to an article I haven't yet found -- amidst all the sniping between advocates of each of the presidential candidates.

But with the Unitary Executive Declaration of Blogroll Amnesty Day last year, the battle lines were clearly drawn -- and not by us. So in the spirit of revolution that the Big Boiz have so clearly lost, those of us on the low end of the pecking order need to help each other. For those of you planning to attend Netroots Nation this summer, there is a possibility that there will be a session for smaller bloggers -- if Melina and I can get the Powers That Be of that august organization to recognize the need for such a thing. And if not, we'll probably thumbtack something to the bulletin board to have an informal one.

But meanwhile, let's have a look at what just a very few the blogs, not all of them political, that are worthy of more attention have to say these days.

Distributorcapny puts Exxon/Mobil's obscene profits into appalling context.

Tata is worth reading every day for her fabulous and fascinating life, adventures in the culinary arts, and the most awesome cats on earth. Lately she's been meditating on Zen and the Art of lasagna rolls -- something to which I can relate as I prepare to make vegetable lasagna for tomorrow's Testosterone Bowl.

Bob Rixon is, like me, disappointed at John Edwards' departure from the presidential race.

I can't believe I just this week discovered Scholars and Rogues. Mike Sheehan discusses how the nomination of Hillary Clinton, win or lose, is a win for the mouthbreathers on the right.

Maya's Granny blogs about everything -- politics, feminism, cultural touchstones, and life in Alaska. Start with her Lessons in Hindsight and click around from there.

If Tata, Tami, DBK have the central New Jersey beat, here in northern New Jersey, local gadflies like Radio Hogan, and the Ridgewood Blog are on the case, while Matt Fretz tries to keep Scott Garrett, the lunatic wingnut representing New Jersey's Fifth District, honest.

No linkasaurus of mine would be complete without a link to my dear blogbrother ModFab, who writes about politics, music, theatre, and everything else that's fabulous.

Metsgrrl is thrilled about the Mets' acquisition of Johan Santana. Being a patient, delayed-gratification sorta gal myself, I'm always leery of trading young pitching for big money guys, so I hope she's right.

No one else spews bile as entertainingly as Jurassicpork, who graces us with his writings occasionally, and of course the Great and Powerful Driftglass (who we can only wish would). JP writes about the "Who hates more, liberals or conservatives" intellectual wars. And Drifty asks Mitt Romney, "Who the hell did you THINK you were dealing with?"

Speaking of ranters, this isn't exactly linking down, but TRex is, in my opinion, far better off on his own. Since I'm feeling cynical and disgusted by the whole political process these days, I want to link to his thoughts on how so-called netroots candidates are very happy to bite the hand that feeds them. Does anyone actually still believe we can change anything?

Those of you who are sick of Christian this and Christian that might find Minstrel Boy's account of asking for vision as interesting as I did.

Nathaniel has some thoughts about the perversity of seemingly everyone in Hollywood glomming publicly onto the corpse of Heath Ledger as if he were their lifelong best bud.

Pierre Tristam has some thoughts on how even the Democrats have forgotten those who need an economic stimulus most (and it isn't those of us who are getting it).

That should keep you out of trouble for a while. If you have a blog, please feel free (unless you are a spammer, in which case your comment will be deleted as soon as I see it) to link in the comments to a post of yours that you particularly want people to read.

Happy Blogroll Amnesty Day, everyone.

And oh yeah -- eff the effing Patriots.

UPDATE: And MORE bloggy goodness:

Losties (the ranks of which I have to admit I am one, having failed utterly in my one-woman crusade to bring ABC to its knees by boycotting last season in protest against The Path to 9/11) will want to read Drifty's piece on how Mitt Romney and John McCain are like Jack and Locke.

Bill in San Diego wants a piece of the action, so check out his take on the Clinton/Obama lovefest the other night.

Found over at Welcome to Pottersville: The most awesomely-titled blog ever: PoliTits. She's upset at John Edwards bowing out too. Good thing she didn't pick this video instead of the Sheryl Crow video she did choose or you'd have to mop me up like a puddle from the floor.

And on the same subject, Leah at CorrenteWire wrote the take on it that I wish I'd written.

I saw this article yesterday and was so appalled I was rendered speechless, which as anyone who knows me knows, is no small feat. So I'm glad Meowser picked it up. So the next time you hear Barack Obama, a guy who never had to count a calorie in his life, talk about the government's role in fighting the so-called obesity epidemic, make sure he's talking about doctors treating overweight people like human beings and better access to fresh foods and fitness facilities that are fat-friendly, and not bullshit like restaurant weigh-ins.

(Bumped to the top until Sunday night)

Labels: bloggers

15 comments

15 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Re: The trade for Johan Santana: Has Mets management already forgotten Bret Saberhagen?

(If that's too inside-baseball: Mr. Saberhagen [pitcher] had, after one brilliant season, the soubriquet "injury-prone" permanently affixed before his name.)

2/2/08, 11:44 AM

Jill said...

I guess they have...but I haven't. And that's why Mr. Brilliant and I are the only two Mets fans on earth who opposed this trade. I would rather wait and develop talent in-house.

2/2/08, 12:39 PM

Jayhawk said...

I didn't know about this inportant date Check my blogroll.

2/2/08, 2:12 PM

Distributorcap said...

jill - thanks SO much
a day rarely goes by without reading your brilliance -- even if it is at lunch

2/2/08, 2:44 PM

Anonymous said...

Happy Amnesty Day!

It's because of people like you guys and Driftglass that my blog exists. Here is my Amnesty post:

http://physioprof.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/first-anniversary-of-blogroll-amnesty-day/

2/2/08, 5:10 PM

Anonymous said...

Thanks for linking me! Yeah, that song would have made a puddle out of me, too.

2/2/08, 11:31 PM

Anonymous said...

Just in time to be excluded from the bigboyzz club is a new group blog, Home of the Brave, where everything Constitution-related can be found. I'm building a resource links list now, and I'd like to add anyone who blog a fair bit about Constitution-related themes. Please come on over, nose around, and if you'd like to author there, drop me an email (just requires a Wordpress user account). The url is http://revolutionredux.wordpress.com.

And Jill - could I please have your assent to add you to the blogroll?

I couldn't survive without daily doses of Brilliance!

Thanks-

2/3/08, 11:40 AM

The Minstrel Boy said...

happy amnesty day to you jill. thanks for the linkyluv.

here's another section of that same story

it's about hoop dancing

2/3/08, 1:24 PM

Melina said...

Well, Thanks Jill for doign all that...youve covered most of it all, as usual and since I spent most of last nite and this morning trying to deal with a corrupted Firefox file (and actually ended up in IE for quite a while on their forums learning about the internal of this and confirming why I like it better than IE!) I'll rest easier that you did it...and I can try to coffee my way through a post today....if I can find a good recipe for ribs, which the boys have a hankering for, and which sent me on a chase to find the kinder gentler ribs that at least walked in a field during their lives (veggie lasagna indeed!!)

Happy BAD day!!...more on that later, less the links...as I will be busy reading what you've linked to! (probably during the game, with the way things are shaping up round here.)

2/3/08, 1:59 PM

moneymonk said...

Thanks for participating in B.A.D.
We love you, so you got an add.
I'll just leave my link here,
and go grab a beer,
and trust you'll make us both glad.

Cheers!

Crinch Pin

2/3/08, 2:53 PM

creature said...

I read FDL less than I used to because of their dizzyingly busy redesign that requires too many clicks for too little reward

Me too! I can't even bother with FDL anymore. Too many clicks. Change is not always good. Keep up the good work, Jill.

2/3/08, 4:31 PM

Dyre42 said...

In the spirit of BAD I've added both this blog to my blogroll.

2/4/08, 1:20 AM

Anonymous said...

Thanks, lovey!

(still trying to catch up after vacation.)

2/4/08, 9:27 AM

Anonymous said...

I'd love a link to this, if it's not too late.

http://theartofpeace.blogspot.com/2008/02/hard-part-of-blogroll-amnesty-day.html

2/5/08, 12:20 AM

Rob Singleton said...

I'm late for "blog amnesty day." Sadly, I didn't get the memo I'm with the program now though and you are linked in at www.robsingleton.net

2/6/08, 5:33 PM