Request for Help

The NLS blogroll is falling out of date as many new blogs across Virginia get started.  We also need to update the ratings on the blogs on the list.

Any nominations?  Also, is there anyone out there who wants to help us with this?

Comments

Take Vivian Page from Gold to Silver. She's a fruitcake.

[Not Eric Ferguson]

Perseverando is back- move it up!!!

Flip BVBL and DailyWackjob.

[bwana]

Move Mason Conservative from Silver to Gold

[David Bulova]

I agree with moving Mason Conservative to Gold.

Raising Kaine doesn't have "good discussions" anymore; it's just Webb fans talking about how great Webb was at the last event. And press releases, of course.

Knock it down to Gold, if that

[hrconservative]

Throw me in somewhere, I don't care if it is the crappy one.

http://hrconservative.blogspot.com

[Dannyboy]

Hrconservative shouldstart out at a silver, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were Gold relatively soon.

Vivian deserves to stay right where she is. It's a very informative blog.

Just because Raising Kaine is Jim-Webb Central doesn't mean it should be knocked down. There's a reason it is so popular. Republicans shouldn't dis the quality of a blog just because they disagree with the writers.

Where's the best blog in Virginia?

http://vaprogressive.com

[Dannyboy]

James? Is that you, buddy?

It's right here!

http://www.shaunkenney.com

[SE VA MWC Alum]

NLS is the best blog in VA!

Will you delete Jaded's sorry ass at midnight?

I'm not saying RK should be knocked down because it's Jim Webb Central - I'm saying it should be knocked down because it no longer contributes anything interesting or meaningful to the discourse. It's just recycled talking points and groupthink echoing.

I know you have the metal categories--platinum, gold, bronze, aluminum...you need to add tin bucket and put RK in it. that is what they saound like. the echo of a bucket on your head!!

Blasting RK for being partisan is forgetting its purpose. It was partisan since its inception.
Now, the plain news releases are a bit much, but the far majority of front page posts keep with what it's "platinum" for - partisan takes on the news.

And there is also plenty of discussion, esp. in the diaries and comments.

"Groupthink" - sounds like every partisan blog on the Internet? You must've just bought your first computer.

Keep the platinums but add Too Conservative and Richmond Democrat.

VirginiaBelle is gone.

"t" is the best blogger in the state - hands down

[pitin]

How about adding the Fairfax County Young Democrats blog, link is

http://www.fairfaxyoungdems.net/index.php?s=blog

Check it out, maybe at silver or bronze for now.

[GinterParked]

Blogging the Amendment.

http://votenova.wordpress.com/

[GinterParked]

Off topic, but as Ben's topic title suggests he does, apparently I need HELP.

Just got a robo call from Doug Wilder telling to to stock three days worth of sanitary supplies because it's going to rain. If I though about it, I might find that rude.

I am a Democrat, I support Jim Webb and Raising Kaine bores the heck out of me. Whoever said it was nothing but recycled talking points is right. That is the best you can say about RK. Man it is dreadful. It might as well be Richmond Democrat, another suckfest.

Mason Conservative is another borefest. I just don't get that one. Weak posts and analysis, especially analysis.

The VA blogosphere is in a dreadful rut right. I don't see it as anything permament. Just like a baseball team that goes through a slump.

I used to be able to take my time and saunter through the blogs and spend a lot of time being entertained. Now it takes about 10 minutes to do a weekly sweep of the blogs. Summer doldrums maybe.

[eileen]

Demote Bearing Drift. Podcasts are way over-rated. Promote VBDems to the same level as Vivian Paige. Sure, she has conference calls with Governor Kaine and live blogs with AG Bob, but we invent cute nicknames for Republicans, plus we recently took Bearing Drift to the mat for his "Webb just went to Colorado therefore he's a loser" crap.

Demote tooconservative ... nothing good has come out of there since Vince left.

Raising Kaine is Jim Webb central, but at least they post often.

BVBL should move up!

Add Craig Vitter's site - Craig's Musings.

Waldo's gotten a lot boring since the good stuff is just in the sideline and scrolls off rather quickly.

Time to take of Va. Centrist I guess. Too bad. Hopefully back soon.

Commonwealth Conservative is slooooow. But he's the big kahuna, so probably stays at the top.

RK - dull, dull, dull. Webb is great. Webb is great. Webb is great. Ad nauseum.

Add TC - bronze.

Bearing Drift - just gold.

Quite frankly, I don't think there is anything out there right now that qualifies as platinum.

[JPTERP]

Perservando to Gold. George Felix Allen from unlisted to Gold. Vivian Paige stays Gold.

Put no weight on anonymous nominations.

[Greg Letiecq]

Tha hard part of this is figuring out what to use for criteria. I think the policy-oriented blogs such as BearingDrift, Conaway Haskins, Vivian Paige and TwoConservatives should get a boost because what they say probably has more influence on what's important than say a muckraker site like mine at BVBL. All of those should be highly ranked.

Of the news/politics sites the criteria might well be those who consistently provide original research, breaking news, or original commentary. Overlooked or underrated in that category is Craig's Musings (vitter.com/CraigsMusings), SpankThatDonkey, Cathouse Chat, From On High and Virginia Virtucon, which is perhaps missing for other reasons.

There are a few that have slowed down or pretty much stopped that are on the list. That list is pretty obvious.

Blogs focused only on promoting a single candidate probably should be dropped alltogether, as they really don't add much and are more campaign advertisements than blogs.

[Mason Conservative]

Anon 7:40

"Mason Conservative is another borefest. I just don't get that one. Weak posts and analysis, especially analysis."

Yeah, good thing you posted that anonymously or I might have to take you to a little place called the hurt locker.

And how about old MC getting a shout out from David Bulova, huh? David, you sure you can't become a Republican? I'm still waiting for your email, btw.

I would like to nominate my good friend BDM's blog for something. I have to hear his rants everyday, so you all should, too!

http://southerndailypoints.blogspot.com/

[Mason Conservative]

Also,

http://hrconservative.blogspot.com

I read this blog alot, its really good. Hampton needs some love.

[BDM]

Thanks MC for the nod of appreciation. I would suggest adding on Cat House Chat as well to the Roll. While she might not always do a lot of stuff with Virginia politics like everyone else, she does push issues that should concern all of us not only as Virginians, but as Americans.

[Nats]

NLS is the best site around. Great info and a lot of different topics. RK drop. A modern day National Enquierer that allows Andrea "the other side of the river" Chamblee talk Virginia politics.

[Josh Chernila]

I think that anyone who supports Responsible Government or Leadership should be dropped.

The NLS blogroll should be only for those who have signed the no-tax pledge, or think the 1st Amendment is un-American.

Oh, and there should be new categories Oil, Nuclear, and Trust Fund, because what could possibly be more valuable?

The people at RPV really like reading Raising Kaine, so until they stop reading it and getting orders from superiors to not post there, I say RK stays at Platinum.

[Ms. Terry]

Well, since JTERP has a bee in his bonnet, please attribute the 7:56 pm post to Ms. Terry. There, now I'm no longer anonymous and my opinion "counts".

Move Bwana to silver

Bwana needs to post more often to move up, I think. His comments on other blogs are always great, but his own blog posts are sporadic. Post more Bwana!

[bwana]

Do the following-create two new categories to properly remember the past the categorize the present.

create an "On hiatus" or in memoriam section, and put such non-functioning blogs or defunct but well remembered blogs as the Jaded JD, Va Centrist, and sic semper tyrannis.

Create a "Dedicated politico site" for all blogs that are run by candidates, office holders, or pure campaign sites...when said campaign is complete, move them back into the mainstream catgories.

[eileen]

Sweet Jesus, so many suggestions for Blogroll status, yet none stepping forward to help poor Ben sort this out. (Not that I'm volunteering in abstentia, BTW!)

[Spank That Donkey]

UCV deserves recognition, so does VA Conservative Analysis

on the left side, I have the most respect for Waldo, Vivian and .303 is doing a good job, and I think best newcomer to the scene.

[Spank That Donkey]

I shouldn't have left out Slant Blog on the left. He always has something original to contribute.

[Spank That Donkey]

and upon further review, Extreme Mortman from the Right side of the spectrum. He just posted Harry Flood Byrds Tomb for goodness sakes... What does that tell you?

Add a kids corner kinda like the wapo where you can place posts from pitin and others.

Drop Commonwealth Conservative to Silver, that blog has gone down hill since Vehrs left.

[zen]

Any room for fractured nation?
http://zenbeatnik.blogspot.com/

[Vivian J. Paige]

I'd like to recommend Mosquito for inclusion. That blog has been producing some good stuff lately. And I second Spank's recommendation of .303

[Sean Holihan]

Vivian and Waldo to Platinum status. Better then those blogs already in that section.

[Bwana]

Ben-

Let me see what I can do to help...

[Bwana]

Ben-

Keep an eye for spreadsheet coming to you...

[Bwana]

OH, and a suggestion I meant to make...Move Bacon's Rebellion to Platinum.

Skeptical Observor - move to silver. Posts only erratically (probably due to job).

SlantBlog - pretty good sometimes; should add to list.

Add Virginia Virtucon back in too. Maybe bronze level. Posting used to be erratic but is more regular now. If it stays consistent, then a move up from bronze would be warranted.

[Jim Hoeft]

Interesting how the Hampton Roads liberal bloggers want to demote the 'Drift.

Ben, I'll help you. Maybe we can form an axis of evil.

[Spank That donkey]

Axis of Evil :-)

In my early days of blogging, before I got to meet a lot of fellow bloggers, I knew for sure their was an "Axis of Ego's" in the VA blogosphere :-)

[eileen]

Aw, come on Jim. You. Me. Together in the Gold class. That would be so special.

[I'm Not Emeril]

If you don't move me down, at least move Jerry (From on High)and Kilo (Spark it UP!)up.

[Insider]

Bearing Drift deserves to stay platinum, if only because VB Dems wants to move them down.

[not gretchen bulova]

CC should be demoted due to lack of posting in the last 2 months and lack of new content, seems to be mostly links to other posts.

[J.C. Wilmore]

Wow, I got one "platinum" and one "suckfest."

I guess I've finally arrived.

[Bwana]

Commonwealth Conservative should be put in the double platinum for offering excellent commentary, varied postings, serving as a road map to other excellent posts and blogs, and also-and this would be reason enough-the Caption Contest!

eh, RK is fine where it is. It's gone from pro-Kaine to pro-Webb, big surprise. It's the best at what it admits to be: a partisan blog.

A suggestion for change:

Under Silver -

"A Perfect Candidate" hasn't posted since July. Maybe make an INACTIVE category, then put this one there.

[boymedexams]

I have not found any mystake - great http://boymedexams.tabulas.com/