Top Ten Tuesday: Best Blogs of 2006
December 5th, 2006 | by Scott |The world of blogging hit its peak this year. Everybody started a blog at one point or another and most of those abandoned them.
I read a lot of blogs, thanks to my handy bloglines lineup. Without RSS, I would get nothing done.
Coming up with my list of my 10 top blogs was difficult. Obviously, I like being able to visit blogs of family and friends and see what’s going on in their world. But does that make it the best? My favorite blog would have to be this one you are reading right now because I talk about stuff that interests me. But I’m not voting for myself.
So here’s a few ground rules for this list:
–The blog had to have been operational the entire year. If it started in April, it’s not eligible. I am looking for a full calendar year of excellence. Also, no prolonged blog hiatuses.
–There has to be some discernible purpose. An online journal of what I did today does not qualify, although I enjoy reading those.
–Excessive use of exclamation points and web lingo is grounds for disqualification!!!! LOL!
Here is my list:
10. Get Religion–Their tag line is: The press…just doesn’t get religion. They strive to give context behind the sorry stage of religion reporting in America. They scour religion based news across the country and provided further exposition. It is the one stop shop for religion reporting. Check out the latest entry on James Dobson.
9. Lifehacker–I am not the poster boy for organization. Understanding the ins and outs of productivity does not come easily for me. My failed attempt at working at home while keeping the kids has made the need for this practical blog all the more important. It gives me the websites and applications that help streamline the work process.
8. A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago–All things pop culture in small increments. They have a great list of the “First 50 commercials from the 80s that our interns could find on Youtube.”
7. Mark Elrod’s Lame-O Weblog–The Harding University professor is a breath of fresh air among blogs in my tribe of believers. Smart, witty and liberal.
6. What’s Alan Watching?–Alan Sepinwall is the TV writer the New Jersey Star Ledger. He gives his daily take on whatever TV show he watched the night before in a concise and entertaining manner.
5. The Huffington Post–I read a lot of political blogs. Well, really, I skim a lot of political blogs. But this is the best of the best.
4. Pop Candy–This is the personal blog of USA Today’s Entertainment Writer Whitney Matheson. Several times a day she weighs in with recommendations, tips, comments and insight about the entertainment world.
3. Larry James’ Urban Daily–If you have a heart for the poor, the forgotten and the marginalized of our society, then this blog is absolutely critical. If you don’t have a heart for the least of these, then this blog is even more essential for you to read. Larry James is the director of Central Dallas Ministries. He bleeds for the people we often overlook. Read his blog and you will be changed. You may even become more like Jesus.
2. A Place For The God-Hungry–I’ll be honest, I’m jealous of Jim Martin’s prolific ability to encourage, uplift and motivate. This is more than a blog it is a daily destination for those who are hungry to draw near to God. He has an unsurpassed ability to show us the heart of Chrit.
1. Preacher Mike–Let’s face it: he is the gold standard of Church of Christ bloggers. With almost a million and a half hits, he is the go-to destination for those who affiliate with the Restoration Movement. I’m happy when I get 800 hits in a day. He does that before I wake up. And there is good reason because it’s the best blog out there.
What about you? What are your favorite blogs?