Sunday 1 February 2009

Blogroll Amnesty Day: in celebration of small blogs


I learn from Jon Swift that every February 3rd, the bloggerati enjoy a tradition dating back to neolithic times, where we celebrate the little guy and guyess in the Big Blogosphere with Blogroll Amnesty Day.

Lo, about the time that fire was invented, when mobile phones were the size of a brick (completely wrecking the line of your freshly killed fur wrap), and the early 1G computers stole acres of desktop space, the first Blogger and Bloggeress got together and made lots of little bloggerettes who went out and procreated, making even more bloggerettes. A lot of blogger begetting was done and then Madam Miaow Says was born in August 2007.

But drat if Darwinian natural selection didn’t see the evolution of the Blog Giants who threatened to squish us under their mighty clodhoppery paws. Ha! We didn’t need no steenking comet to come and wipe them out and make room for the mass of little furry critters burrowing away under rocks.

Forsooth! Came a hero to save us. Saith he: Go ye meek and inhabit the Dearth. For ye shall be mighty in my eyes and on screens everywhere. Liken unto the little virus, each take upon ye ten small wee blogs and link for all you are worth and embiggen yourselves like what you deserve.

Or sumthin’. Jon, can I have that again at half speed?

Harpy Marx — A great mix of politics and culture from a left perspective. Good arts reviews. Useful for catching up on the new ways our horrible government is screwing us.

Slacker Chic — Top rants from the wicked Mrs M. I probably discovered this little beauty while searching for steel and pig-iron production figures in the Soviet bloc circa 1933 (a gurl’s gotta have a hobby). Shows what the blogosphere is good for.

Anglo Noel Natter — My movie-going chum on heavyweight Brit politics and his holiday snaps.

Splintered Sunrise — One of the best writers on the UK left. Even more clever as he’s based in Norn Irn. Which as any fule kno, isn’t in the United Kingdom. Wields a shiv like nobody else.

Hagley Road to Ladywood — Young blood. Heh, heh! C’mere, little one. Come and play with Madam Miaow’s puppy ... (OK, it’s been going since 2005 but I’ve only just noticed.)

DarkPartyReview — A co-finalist in Best Culture Blog category of the 2008 Weblog Awards who deserved to win. Left friends, I loves ya, but you can have too much of a good thing. This wonderful literary blog blows the cobwebs out of my brain.

Bill Posters — Poet Bill Greenwell's blog is another literary site that keeps me sane and my imagination stimulated.

One Inch Punch — Tags himself as East Asian Inspiration. A choice dimsum of a blog with tasters of what's going down wid my bredren.

Ned Raggett Ponders It All — Well, mostly cookery and music with style and beautiful pix. Every meal looks like a feast, every sunset like it was painted by a cosmic entity on drugs. Honest!

Geek Chic — The most beautiful technogeek on the planet keeps us up to date with the latest gadgetry, her telly appearances and what she’s eating.

Other small political blogs also worth checking out, Random Pottins, A Very Public Sociologist, Infantile and Disorderly, Rustbelt Radical, Organised Rage, Socialist Unity (although you're getting way too big for small blog mention).

12 comments:

Vicky said...

Hey thanks! Will check out some of the other blogs you mentioned...

Unknown said...

Hi Anna, thanks for name checking One Inch Punch!

Thought I'd let you know that I've just started another blog - about living in Hong Kong and traveling in East Asia. I'm moving there for a year on Tuesday!

http://www.mangovine.net

Stay in touch!

Mark

claude said...

Hey, thanks for the mention :-).

Madam Miaow said...

New job, Mark?

Lucky you. From snow to warmth, from economic meltdown to ... well, who knows how China will weather it, but a lot better than the West, I hope.

I'll add your new website to my bloglist and keep up with your adventures. Might as well enjoy the experience vicariously

Have a great time out there.

MM
x

Anonymous said...

Ms. Miaow,

I'm so chuffed at the mention of the Rustbelt. (We don't say chuffed over here, but I thought I'd speak the natives tongue). It's always so nice to get a nod from those you admire yourself. Thanks!

By the way, I know weather is relative and a big city like London heaves under snow, but honestly, it's a dusting, isn't it?
A snow fall like that in Detroit is just a topper for yesterday's storm.

We spend whole months huddled around the hearth waiting for the winter darkness to break. We don't even make babies as we are too depressed to do much more than drink. Life in the American Siberia.

Thanks again,

Rustbelt

Madam Miaow said...

Hello Rustbelt,

We don't get big weather here so even this dusting is exciting. Though I bet it's bad in the burbs and the rural areas. Even the Blitz never stopped all the buses running.

Unfortunately, none of the sidestreets have been gritted and the snow is impacting, so there's a real chance I'll slip over and smash up my hip unless I can land on my ample natural cushiony bits.

Three guys were throwing snowballs at me in the high street today. I've been walking along with my mouth open trying to eat falling snow (don't eat the yellow snow!). People are out with their cameras and building snowmen (heaps of slush, actually). Snow turns us all into six-year olds.

Anonymous said...

Aw shucks, must remember to keep the shiv sharp...

And watch out where the huskies go!

Anonymous said...

My little nephew has a snow day dance he does when school is canceled because of the weather. I do too. We should all have a little celebration when nature intervenes in the mundane and gives us an excuse to play. Enjoy!

Anglonoel said...

Shouldn't that be 'politics snaps' and 'heavyweight holidays'?

Thanks for the plug!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Madam Miaow for the mention. Much appreciated..!! :)

Just to say the Welfare Reform Bill will probably become law in March this year!! Workfare will be a reality...

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much, Anna, for the blog-check. This sort of support just encourages me to carry on emptying my head. You have been warned!

Bill Greenwell/ Bill Posters

GFS3 said...

I wish Dark Party would blow the cobwebs out of my brain. Because I have a lot of them in there. Thanks for the thumbs up, but next time just buy me a beer.

ShareThis