It is amazing the amount of stories I have seen in the last month or so that blogs are becoming pervasive in the global media, and how their effects are making a difference in events across the globe, on both local and wider issues.

The Foreign Policy magazine which I just received in the mail, has an article "How Blogs are Changing the World," by Daniel Crezner and Henry Farrell. I looked on their website but it's not on there yet.

The authors cite the influence of bloggers from Iraq, such as Salam Pax, Iran, where there are 60,000 bloggers, and of course here in the US, the huge ones that blew stories on Trent Lott, the CBS Dan Rather story, and others that have had an impact in the last few years.

The number of blogs has risen at a furious rate. In 1999, they say there were around 50, now they estimate there are around 10,000,000.

So keep blogging, it's making a difference!

Bah, that's about 9,999,000 too many already. The vast majority of bloggers really need to stop and revert to posting pics of their cats.

__________________
Cheers,
Jayfar
--
“I am indeed well aware of the history of Conventional (sic) Hall, both globally and locally, and can assure you that we are carefully exploring avenues for its future.” -- Penn President Amy Gutmann 5 days before demolition began.

Ah, you're not talking about poor Duncan and James (actually, he post pictures of his dog, Mildred) are you.

Why do some of these folks seem to need to show us their pets.

On a serious note (or more serious note), who reads what? Anyone have any favorites.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

This is special for phlavoor24:

Good Conservative Blogs/Websites.

Start with Instapundit. Despite recent lefty attempts to smear Glen Reynolds as some kind of horrific hatemonger, he's actually a mild-mannered, inoffensive extremely moderate conservative guy. He's most useful for his links.

On the right of his site I suggest the following. Some are blogs, some are blogs attached to regular websites, some are straight-up sites that conservative blogs like:

Best of the Web/James Taranto
The Corner
Mark Steyn
Tim Blair
Jeff Goldstein
Tacitus
James Lileks
Belmont Club (highly recommended)
The Diplomad
ACE of Spade
Allahpundit
Colby Cosh
Roger Simon

for hardcore social conservatism, the best is probably Brothers Judd; certainly the most literate. Plus they link to things you won't find anywhere else.

RedState is an attempt to do a Republican version of DailyKos I used to participate a lot there, not so much anymore but I'm still a member. A lot of inside-Republican stuff there.

tmcgee

Political - left - that I read often are:

Eschaton - Atrios (our Philadephia lib pundit)

Rittenhouse Review - Philadelphia oriented, usually, but not political Philadelphia.

I look at Kos - but don't read it too much - it's too doctrinaire Democrat with ties too close to the DNC and the Dean campaign. Still, it's often a good jumping off point.

Talking Points Memo - Josh Marshall. Left, liberal. I'm a little tired of his one issue rant on Social Security, these days. OTH, he is the best source for what's happening on that issue - for me, not McGee.

Washington Monthly - well written, pretty well connected, etc. I've been a fan of the magazine for many, many years.

BullMoose - Libertarian liberal. Whitman is former staff for Christian Coalition, press secretary for McCain, now works for Democratic Leadership Conference. Not a blog full of little tidbits, he writes on relatively short article per day.

Wonkette - a randy Maureen Dowd. She beats up on Republicans more than Democrats but, hey, they've got the power. I suspect she would have been leading the cries against Bill Clinton. She's sort of Sally Quinn before Quinn married Ben Bradlee and decided she was important. Her slogan (Wonkette) ought to be: Girls just want to have fun.

ElipticBlog - has been inactive of late - wrote interesting musings on Philadelphia, architecture, etc. I don't know why, but I suspect he is here.

I'll be back with some interesting Philadephia blogs.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

I read a mix of left and right - though I personally lean more left than right, I find if helpful to know what both sides are thinking. I also tend to read sites of people who have some ties to the military, since I have a personal connection and just like to "keep in touch", you might say.

http://buggieboy.blogspot.com/

http://froggyruminations.blogspot.com/

http://cbftw.blogspot.com/

http://avengerredsix.blogspot.com/

http://astarfrommosul.blogspot.com/ (a young girl in Mosul, Iraq - sounds creepy, I know, but it's like a window into life there.)

And now some of the more popular ones that others know -

http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/

http://www.instapundit.com/

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

I used to read Wonkette as well, then it just started sucking.

Not blogs, but, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, Brookings Institute (and I can thank TMQ for that, heh) and factcheck.org

I try not to inundate myself with too much from one side of the fence... but that's just me.