Praise from Unexpected Quarters

Perhaps it's time for a little self-congratulation. Writing in the Virginia News Source, conservative Democrat Steve Sisson -- known as "the Blue Dog" -- puts this blog in his "top ten" list of Virginia political Web log sites, along with several blogs you'll see on my sidebar, either as part of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance or freestanding. Sisson, who ran as the "anti-tax" candidate against incumbent Republican state Senator Emmett Hanger two years ago, writes:

Since last year, the Blue Dog has made it a habit to pan thru the political blogs daily for rumors and news that are not in newsprint. But most of the statewide pages are strictly an amateur-hour blogs and heart-wrenching blogaries, which are combination Web logs and teen diaries.

Sisson's top ten Virginia political blogs are:

1. Sic Semper Tyrannis
2. The Virginia Conservative
3. Bacon's Rebellion
4. Raising Kaine
5. Waldo Jaquith
6. Commonwealth Watch
7. One Man's Trash
8. SW Virginia Law
9. Virginia Progressive
10. Rick Sincere Thoughts

Sisson, whose column also appears in the Augusta Free Press, adds:

There's no doubt, the Blue Dog is definitely hooked on blogflogging.

I blog, therefore, I am.

And there are plenty of political blogs that are popping up in the Old Dominion to scrutinize - some 'Pub, some Dem, some gay, some Libertarian, some bipartisan and some are just plain weird fodder from Planet Nine.

When one considers, first, that this is only partially a political blog -- I hope my comments on arts and culture are at least as prominent as my comments on politics and current affairs -- and, second, that my commentary on Virginia politics is only a portion of its total political content, and, third, that this blog only began on December 22 of last year, this is high praise indeed.

I only hope I can continue to live up to the honor.