(Saskboy will be working on getting you those numbers by email, and is sorry for the delay, but he's taking things easy this weekend.)

Totals: 15604 & 19543

I'm sure there will be some interesting analysis and conclusion drawn from these numbers, so please share it. Keep in mind that behind the numbers and blogs are people (with feelings), so let's keep the comments constructive.

The winners are being announced a little bit differently this year. Rather than one announcement, the CBAs are presenting the winners over the course of the next week.

Check out the Canadian Blog Awards over the next few days to view the winners!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Insuadibilis

The results of Round One voting will be revealed a day or two after voting closes January 21st, 2008 11:59 PM PST. Final Round voting will start on Wednesday January 23rd.

Please vote for the best in each of the following categories...

The Canadian Blog Awards have open nominations until the end of Friday this week, so spread the word quickly, or nominate your favourite Canadian blogs soon.  (Blogs only need to be nominated once in each category they qualify for.)

I am also uncomfortable with categories which are so nebulous that by their very definition they pit two opposing political ideologies against each other. Those become political pissing contests and provide nothing in terms of assessing the actual quality of a blog. They depend solely on the type and political leanings of a particular following. Research, source material and diversity are not accurately reflected - at all.

That said,Dave goes on to talk about Blog Awards in general.While also Mentioning "The (Canadian)Lefty Awards"....

Perhaps it's time to expand the Lefty Awards along the same line as the Koufax Awards. The right-wingers can find their own materials and their own stars. It would keep the peace and it would give readers more comfort and choice. And, given that "left-wing" awards would almost certainly include a "Best Feminist Blog" category, right-wing feminist bloggers would actually have a place to show their stuff.

Clearly illustrating that Dave and the other ink-stained Galloping Beavers are under no illusions as to the merits or lack of merits.When it comes to "Blog Awards",Canadian or otherwise.

At the same time I have to thank Dave for not only mentioning "The Lefty's". But for also being one of the few to understand the reasoning behind,as well as the potential value of such undertakings as "The Lefty's".

I will be definitely looking at expanding the Lefty's for 2008.

In that I hope to add a few categories,and also open the "awards" up. By allow both bloggers & readers to nominate & vote in a 2-3 stage nomination/vote process(at present "The Lefty's" are peer reviewed).

A Canadian,"Koufax type" blog "award" was pretty much what I had in mind when I first came up with the idea(07) for "The Lefty's".

Read more

P.S; anyone interested in being a part of the "Lefty's" or just helping out,[ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated]drop me a line .

With some of the nominees raising questions as to the value of such "Awards".Particularly in regards to the category of "Best Blog".

The questions are valid.

Particularly when freeping will in all likelihood skew the results,as they do in most such "Blog Awards",rendering them rather meaningless.

the winners will be decided by the online voting having the shit freeped out of it. And, after a while, that starts to get a mite tiring. But there's actually more to it than just that.

Specifically, the concept of an overall "Best Blog" award just grates on me, for a fairly obvious reason. It pits a number of quality Canadian blogs from the Left against an equal number of lying, hypocritical, piece of shit blogs from the Right. You think I exaggerate? Consider that the nominees for "Best Blog" already include both the stellar "The Galloping Beaver" and the execrable pile of dreck "Small Dead Animals."

I would agree the "Best Blog" category makes little sense,and should be ditched.

That said I also believe the "Awards" would be better served ,by keeping the categories as representative as possible.This would also help to minimize "freeping".

This can be done by adding 2 more categories....,Best Liberal,& Best Environmental alongside the already existing categories "Best Conservative" ,"Best Non-Partisan" & Best Progressive.

.....if there is a “Conservative “category there has to be a “Liberal” category.Progressive is just to broad
The politics of say Buck Bog or even myself for that matter is quit different than say Scottsdiatribe ,or Calgary Grit (both of who are indisputable Liberal)
I believe along with “Conservative”,there should also be a “Liberal “category along with the “Progressive “.
This would be much more representative of the Cnd political blog spectrum,and without adding a “bazillion categories”.This would ensure all blogs are covered
Another example would be “Paulitics”- as compared to Calgary Grit or Cherniak .Again apples and oranges,one category just doesn’t cover it.It unfair to consider Cherniak or Paulitics as falling in the same category.When we all know they are very different animals.
Conservative,Liberal and Progressive categories would be much more representative.
Surely one more category is not asking to much.It is definitely not a bazillion,nor unreasonable

Anyway go here and here to read more on what's causing the "fuss".

Now,I know I have a few faithful readers,hint,hint....

Tell me, which category(s) best fits my blog or not.

Is it just me,or is there something "sad" about self-nomination ;)

Once again my body has unconditionally surrendered to illness. "Not an option"? My defeatist antibodies would argue otherwise.

In lieu of substantive posting today on the part of yours truly (substance? Ha! I've got your substance--and a pony--right here...), I recommend you head on over to cripchick's place and read up on the NYU Child Study Center's scary ransom note ad campaign, which utilizes a most unsavory metaphor in a misguided attempt to draw attention towards people living with disabilities and psychiatric disorders.

Also, be sure to check out Feminist Peace Network's ongoing (and, as always, superlative) coverage of the KBR gang rape whitewash (corporate fucktardery at its finest); Lindsay Beyerstein looks into the connection between John Kiriakou and The Kite Runner; finally, the indomitable Melissa McEwan continues her ceaseless teaspoon-dipping with an absolutely heartbreaking-yet-unfortunately-necessary post on the cold, hard reality of rape (newsflash: it fucking happens to people).

Oh, and if, after reading all that, you're still bored, the 2007 Canadian Blog Awards are accepting nominations; go forth, my Canuckle-headed brethren and pimp your homies. Additionally, The Lefties are being tabulated and somehow this 'umble little blog managed to garner a last-minute nomination. Ta (and squishy hugs) to whomever gave us the nod.

Alright, that's all I can muster--heading back to bed forthwith. Hope y'all are enjoying the weekend more than I am.

Go.
*moans*

Recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers

Note: This post is getting long on the comments, so please comment in the second part. Thanks

Thanks to everyone who voted for me....those ruber cheques are in the mail. I'm happy because this is an accomplishment for me. When you fail beginner's swimming twice it leaves a traumatic, boo hoo, excuse me, i've been thrown back to tradgedy. Sniffle, sniffle, I couldn't have done this without bufoon world leaders. Thanks for fucking up the world, guys.

Thank you, Robert, for doing all the work!!! It stressed me out this week and I'll send my therapist's bill to you.

Best of all and what makes me most proud about my site is my community of links and the regulars who come to hassle me. It gives a whole new meaning to lithium.

Congrats to all the other winners, some are linked here and I'll do a little note after I copy and paste things....but you can go to CBA and have a gander, newfoundland for yourself.

As for next year's new category, the 'Insert Something Clever' Award, I understand Havril is donning his gown to accept the award from Robert (the ceremonies were held in Sudbury). In fact, yes, my live webcam is picking up an image of my fave funny guy now.....yes, it's Havril looking very 'enchante', I think it's a Stephane Dion thing..........we'll wait for his speech....

--------------
*NOTE many thanks to Alison at Creekside and Annamarie at Verbena-19 for nominating me....there must have been another person but i have a head stuffed up full of snoggies and can't remember (menopause excuse # 14). will that person kindly step forward?

Oh ya, well I'll tell you why....rather, I will point to you why. Go over and check Havril's blogpost "Well, not so much staggered as got dragged by a salt truck". Play the video . Yes, you can now see Havril, part lV on DVD.

For a guy who had 50% of his brain cells knocked out while stealing a skipping rope from grade two girls , he's pretty brilliant after surviving the beating. And this was only last year.

As for you Mercer, here's an email exchange I had with him:

TO: Scout
FROM: Rick Mercer, Canadian Celebrity
Subject: Canadian Blog Awards

Dear Scout,
Eat my cod herring piece.

To: Rick Mercer, former extra in the Beachcombers
From: Scout
Subject:Re: CanadianBlog Awards

Mercer, eat my red snapper.

TO: Scout
FROM: Rick Mercer, Juno Award Winner
Subject:Re: Re: Canadian Blog Awards

Your Mother wears army boots.

To: Rick Mercer, Mother Corp. Whore
From: Scout , Bronze medaliist Canadian Participaction Awards
Subject:Re: Re: Re: CanadianBlog Awards

That's not true, she's in the navy.

TO: Scout, cameo appearance only in Havril's video
FROM: Rick Mercer, potential Oscar Award Winner
Subject: Re:Re: Re:Re:Canadian Blog Awards

You eat shit sandwhiches

To: Rick Mercer, former extra in the Beachcombers
From: Scout , twice failed 'beginner's swimming'
Subject:Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: CanadianBlog Awards

That's not true, I don't like bread.

*Mercer, you're funny. You're very funny. Where's you comment's section? Part of blogging is reading the comments...a blog without comments is a snog. Rick, I like ya, but you're no Havril. (this is , of course, in jest and i love Mercer's blog and see why he is ranked so high).

**For those of you interested in the Alberta Leadership Contenders, Bazz at Oi! Thump! has been putting some good time in to give an assessment of what's happening.

Best Blog:
Raymi the Minx (317) 8%
Debaucherous and Dishevelled (163) 4%
oRadio (158) 4%
Smart Canucks (105) 3%
* Peace Order and Good Government, eh? (POGGE), still has a chance to move up in the rankings, placing at (81), 2%.

Best Conservative Blog:
Small Dead Animals (128) 14%
The Prairie Wranglers (96) 10%
Stephen Taylor (81) 9%
The Canadian Sentinel (65) 7%
*while I don't link Chucker Canuk , he's a good sort and can be seen around at some of the progressive blogs with his humour. He has the chance to make it into the top three with (58), 6%

Best Progressive Blog
Calgary Grit (149) 10%
Matthew Good (109) 7%
Peace, Order and Good Government, Eh (88) 6% (there's one for the HV blogroll)
The Next Agenda (82) 5%
Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy (67) 4%

Best New Blog
Meg Fowler (168) 7%
oRadio (156) 6%
Harper-valley (145) 6%
Gay Persons of Color (113) 4%
* hey, paying everyone off was a good idea! this one was unexpected.

Best Group Blog
oRadio (152) 9%
Peace, Order and Good Government, Eh (145) 9%
The Stroumboulopouli (140) 8%
The Galloping Beaver (131) 8%
* Pogge or the Galloping Beaver could be bumped up by your votes!

Best Humour Blog
Rick Mercer's Blog (345) 19%
Raymi the Minx (294) 16%
Harper-valley (194) 10%
The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns (94) 5%
* I'm going to ask for a show on CBC! well, keep voting for me, I won't catch up to Mercer but he doesn't link to anyone here :)

Best photo/art Blog:
Photo-persistence (132) 9%
Parvum Opus (115) 8%
Photojunkie (108) 8%
Walk This Way (104) 7%
* i confess, i haven't seen these sites...yet! pathetic for someone who's been involved in the arts since grade 8...gulp!!!

Best Entertainment Blog
oRadio (157) 14%
Bow. James Bow (82) 7%
Popped Culture (81) 7%
Bookninja (70) 6%
*not my thing, haven't checked then out...yet!

Best Personal Blog
Raymi the Minx (301) 10%
Resistance to Persistence (134) 4%
Meg Fowler (119) 4%
SheenaVision (106) 4%
* come on, come on, let's bump Sheena up there!!!

Best Media Blog:
Inkless Wells (215) 18%
Azerbic (181) 15%
Montreal City Weblog (160) 14%
CBC Radio 3 (137) 12%
Inside The CBC (107) 9%
* am i the only one who doesn't vote in this category???

Best Business Blog
Vancouver Housing Market Blog (631) 59%
My Name Is Kate (60) 6%
Uninstalled (45) 4%
The Other Bloke's Blog (40) 4%
*ya got me, guess i'll be checking these out!

Best Religious Blog:
(e)mergent Voyagers (95) 16%
Jesus Drives An SUV (81) 13%
Felix Hominum (72) 12%
Aaron's Head (63) 10%
*i guess everyone deserves a place....Aarons Head??? poor guy doesn't know it sounds like shades of haggart.

Best Sports Blog
RaptorBlog (286) 27%
The Battle of Alberta (157) 15%
The Joy of Sox (101) 10%
Nascar Ranting and Raving Blog (77) 7%
*if it ain't lacrosse why should i bother?

Best Blog Post:
Idealistic Pragmatist: Jack Layton's sinister mind control experiment (80) 6%
Peace, Order and Good Government, Eh: Fly on the Wall (72) 5%
The Next Agenda: Terry Fox (71) 5%
Nascar Ranting and Raving Blog: A Touching Greg Moore Story - In My Opinion Anyway (64) 5%
* go Pogge,go! The Galloping Beaver still has a chance to move up with (54) 4%

Best Blog Series:
Harper-valley: If Only They Were Normal (184) 21%
Sunshine Scribe: Flashback Fridays (156) 18%
Stageleft: Conucopia (77) 9%
Blork Blog: Of People and Places (74) 8%
* ahhhh! who'da thunk a little photoshopping would have done this? keep voting, i'm scared of people behind me!!!

Best Actitivities Blog:
You Grow Girl: The Dirt (122) 19%
My Dinner Table (76) 12%
Blork Blog (76) 12%
The Silent K (75) 12%
*i'm stumped...what is a blog activity? guess i'll find out now.

Best Cultural Blog:
Gay Persons of Color (144) 22%
Slap Upside The Head (100) 15%
Somena Media (80) 12%
The Internationalist (70) 11%
*our friend jeff of African Perspective should be way up further then he is....it's a damned fine site. please vote for jeff and pass this on to your friends.

Best Family Blog:
Postcards from the Mothership (105) 9%
Her Bad Mother (100) 9%
Debaucherous and Dishevelled (100) 9%
Metro Mama (98) 8%
*when your kid's grown up , well, they're just not blogs i would gravitate to.

Best Local Blog:
Vancouver Housing Market Blog (588) 39%
The East-End Underground (131) 9%
Torontoist (121) 8%
Freddybeach Cabbie (88) 6%
*i don't live in these places , so.....

Best Sci/TechBlog:
Off The Grid (107) 19%
Amber Mac (89) 16%
Gecko Bloggle (53) 10%
The Homely Scientist (48) 9%
*well these are going to be interesting to check out....hope they're layman's terms!!!

I'm surprised by some of the placings, but asides from having 1. been nominated (and many werent that could/should have been), a lot of it, as we know, is how many friends you can round up to vote for you. i have one friend , an imaginary one, but i did spend all my allowance on bribes to group therapy participants listed on the web. there's going to be a lot of rubber cheques bouncing around the banks.

It's all in fun, yet even so, if you look at the amount of Canadian blogs nominated, there's an aspect that's quite deep...so many people are not going by mainstream media anymore and the numbers are growing. So good for My Blahg for doing all this work, and let's all keep on a'blogging becaue it's more then just a personal outlet , IT'S IMPORTANT. Awards or not, I stay loyal to my blogroll as they're damn fine people with great blogs!

oh, and keep voting for me, the cracks about rubber cheques was just joking, honest....the money's in the mail and the paper's good. heh, um, think i'll slink out of the room now.....

Thanks,

Neath

(edited November 24, 2006 to add this blog tied for 8th place with 72 votes. Thanks to all who voted)