I tried -- really, I tried -- to not comment on the recently-finalized Canadian Blog Awards any further, but this just plain made me want to strangle kittens:
The Torch
Not that there was a deep field of competition
Babbling may have swayed a few votes. Thank goodness he started all this:
Without much further ado - The Best Military Blog of 2007
Well, Mark, I'm sure this is exciting and all for you, but let me enlighten you -- when I want to be informed on all things Canadian military, I don't go to The Torch. Instead, I stop by The Galloping Beaver to read what Dave has to say, and I'm fairly sure I'm not alone. But that's not what gripes my wagger.
First, there's that snotty little putdown of yours that there wasn't really a deep field of competition, given that Dave can write circles around the lot of you over there at The Torch. But it's particularly grating that TGB didn't even make the second round of voting.
And, yes, I'm aware that it's very much a popularity contest and depends on how vocally you can pimp yourself out to the voters but, seriously, in what non-deranged universe is TGB not one of the top five military blogs in the country?
Mercifully, at this point, I can consign what little respect I had left for the CDNBA to the dustbin of history where it so thoroughly belongs. From now on, I can just ask the magic 8-ball and get an answer that's at least as meaningful.
WHOOPS, MY BAD: Since, as you can read in the comments, TGB explicitly withdrew from the competition this year, so that bit of my rant was eminently off-target and I apologize for it. But that still doesn't excuse the smugness of The Torch regarding the lack of competition. That's about as childish as it gets.
22 comments:
Going to The Torch to be exposed to issues military is like going to The Legion and listening to a bunch of alcoholics reliving days of glory long past. Worse in fact, since you can at least appreciate the fact that those vets were at some time actually involved in the military. I'm never sure if that can be said of the GI Joe and John Wayne wannabes who turn their attention to current military issues.
My, my ... what smug little rat bastards.
Actually, TGB pulled itself out of the running this year to give some other blogs a shot.
I agree about Dave, though. Dave is my guru for all things military.
I read everything, or try to. But anyone who starts sounding like they're playing some role in a war movie or a MMORPG, or who's carrying water for conservatives (who are so horrifically bad at war), they go into my "not worth the effort" pile.
...a pile that now includes Jack Granatstein.
Didn't TGB pull out over the feminism kerfuffle?
ZZZZ. Oh, and zzzz... I think that asinine little beaver waving the Canadian flag just about sums up the worth of this competition. (Although for milblogs, the beaver gets camouflage and a helmet! I wonder what he gets on the "Best GBLT Blog" award thingee...)
I'm still waiting with baited breath to find out what will be judged, or "judged" the "best Canadian blog." I'm on pins and needles...the anticipation is killing me.
Dave did indeed pull out because I believe he said he was not really wanting to do the PUSH for votes. (In total agreement with all the others at TGB.)
The Feminists being thrown under the bus, the icing on the cake I believe.
BTW. The nominations are still open at the F Word blog awards. :)
The second video promo is here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zdaNfGWnmGI
Red Tory, The Torch fellows did that custom graphic modification themselves.
As many have already pointed out, CC jumped off a cliff in writing this post (it's completely based on a flawed premise), and I see Pale is trying to follow after by implying that feminists were "thrown under a bus".
You trolls have yourself a nice weekend, and thanks for not stopping by.
We pulled out of the CBAs for several reasons. Initially it was just that we didn't feeling like plaguing readers with endless "awards" posts. I feel, and our co-bloggers agreed, that we had already done enough of that over the previous 12 months. So, we stated that we would not promote ourselves even if nominated.
That's where it stayed until it became obvious that the CBAs had a little misogynist streak in it. I might even have accepted the excuses until the administrators created new categories but blatantly refused to generate a "Best Feminist Blog" category, because it might offend some people.
What that boiled down to was that they were picking people to offend and were clutching their pearls and wringing their hands at possibly offending some of the most arguably offensive people in the blogosphere.
So... I simply took down the link. Without asking, and without me saying anything specific, the admins of the CBAs simply removed TGB from all categories.
That's fine. I couldn't have cared less. The CBAs, lacking the appropriate diversity in categories and participation, aren't worth all that much in my view.
I would ask, "Who won what?" but I'm not really the slightest bit interested.
As for The Torch, I could tell you a story about that particular blog. Another day perhaps.
As for TGB being recognized in that category, it doesn't really fit. We are a political blog with two contributors who have a military background and the ability to write on military affairs. If we had participated in the CBAs and won in that category I would have immediately declined the award.
Dead horse here. Move along. Nothing to see, folks. Gimme that floggin device, CC.
Go Raymi! W00t!
You trolls have yourself a nice weekend, and thanks for not stopping by.
Says the troll who wasn't been by since the last round of discussion on this topic. Thanks for stopping by, saskboy.
Saskboy is no troll.
I was dimly aware that someone had nominated me after I had explicitly asked to be dropped because of the shabby treatment of the feminist bloggers already noted. Now it seems (thanks to a blush-making post by James Bow) that I'm seriously in the running for one of them-there awards.
A military blog award, and a family blog award, but no feminist blog award? Thanks to my nominator, and love and kisses to James, who is a fine gentleman and a friend, but no thanks. More at my place if people actually put me in the top three.
You trolls have yourself a nice weekend, and thanks for not stopping by.
Gee, that's really mean.
For what it's worth, I've never given a shit about those awards.
I recognize the blogs that I like by visiting.
If it were one vote per person per year, I guess I'd offer an opinion, but I'm not even certain of that.
"The Feminists being thrown under the bus, the icing on the cake I believe."
No implication there. Straight up.
I think that was sposed to be an insult.
Hmmmmm. From an honourary revisionist BT no less! But even from that bunch one can usually expect something more...original? Heh.
I still have that timeline. Speaks for itself.
"Without asking, and without me saying anything specific, the admins of the CBAs simply removed TGB from all categories. "
"If we had participated in the CBAs and won in that category I would have immediately declined the award."
I know it doesn't take much, but that confused me Dave.
==
"I had explicitly asked to be dropped because of the shabby treatment "
Sorry your name slipped onto the ballot Dawg, it was an oversight. If you want, I'll see that your link/name is removed from any results. Email me to confirm please.
I think CC even slipped onto a ballot. The same offer to be removed stands for him too. Please don't leave us to predict the future like Dave did, and say you'll decline an award, but comment on not being asked about having your name removed.
but that confused me Dave.
It shouldn't. It's historically accurate.
As for the hypothesis that I would have rejected a "milblog" award, that shouldn't be confusing in the slightest. TGB isn't a milblog and the contibutors, including me, have no desire to be connected in any way with the likes of The Torch. That's pretty simple isn't it?
There's no argument there. The Torch has its place and we don't choose to occupy that space with them.
Whether we're better or worse than them at presenting information and opinion is something readers decided... and not by means of an award.
In short, the CBAs are irrelevant and, in the same regard, so would have been our participation.
I'm not bitching. Simply stating facts.
Gawd, you guys really are no fun at all.
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