There cannot BE a next year for Ken and Nick.

They’ve blown it. They’ve shown they cannot be trusted. They had their chance and it turned out their leftism made it just that little bit to much to expect that they could run the competition in good faith.

It not room for improvement you are right of the planet here.

It was a sick fucking disgrace. Not an underperformance but a Marxist coup.

Isn’t the best blog post one that asks a rather loaded question, and thus encourages a witty, informative, and contentious thread conversation? So, Madame de Stael, what exactly did you say to make Talleyrand carry on like that? And you, Sylvain Sylvain, what power chords did you play to get Johnny Thunders to shred like a madman? Who asked Dorothy Parker to use the word ‘horticulture’ in a sentence? Nobody remembers, but the reply is worth remembering.

Not to diminish any of the talented and committed writers who were nominated, but I read a random sampling of the various “Best Of” writings… While they were all perfectly good writing in their way, still, on their own, out of context and without the thread conversations they inspired, they mostly struck me as decent self-published essays of variable quality that had simply not found a home in the lap of a good editor and a good magazine. Whatever else that might be on its own merits, it’s not the genius of blogging. I wouldn’t dare to define what the genius of blogging might actually BE, however. But in next year’s go-round, that question might with profit find itself uppermost in the minds of those doing the judging. If it does, then maybe the next crop of “best” will be more surprising and stimulating.

I do hope, however, that the crop of sour grapes that flourishes in response remains as marvelously bitchy and highly entertaining as we’ve seen to date. On its own, it’s already better blogging than any of the nominees. Excelsior!

What made Sincs’ contribution stick in my mind was that he went out of his way to nominate some posts he thought worthy of inclusion.

I thought from the various debates that everyone recognised this process was flawed.

Glass half full, Rob.

I think a lot of people have recognised that the process could be improved next year.

As Nabs and Kim said, kudos to those who worked hard to make it happen, and it’d be nice if people offered positive suggestions as to how to improve it rather than just knocking or whining. Some did - ie Sinclair Davidson.

This thread could end up being a Missy if we maintain the rage.

A few of the posts are worth reading but most are tedious, self-indulgent bullshit from self-important lefty academics.

As distinct from scintillating, intellectually rigorous rhetorical gems from shy and retiring righty autodidacts?

But he’s dead right. It was a disgrace. A scandal.

I mean I’m just astounded by how bad it was. Tim Lambert for the love of dying black children everywhere Tim Lambert. How could all these lecturers get on in a fair fight.

This was a fucking leftist bully-boy circus. It was a marxists sick joke.

And I’m just so happy that I’ve now established that Skeptic didn’t make any of the choices I was scandalised about and now I can blame this whole tawdry sad incident on Ken and Nick alone.

Ken showed his attitude right from the start when he deep-sixed my stuff.

Why oh why didn’t he distance himself from this whole deal and give some time to build up some trust with the conservatives before closing off nominations.

As things turned out it looks like he tried to rig it and he’s just made a total dick of himself.

I thought from the various debates that everyone recognised this process was flawed.

This isn’t “shitcanning”?

A few of the posts are worth reading but most are tedious, self-indulgent bullshit from self-important lefty academics. If this is the best the blogosphere has to offer, it’s fucked.

Good on you, J F.

Marvellous job.

Actual quotes.

Parody’s

Just brilliant.

It would save me time if I could just pay you to do all my internet stuff for me.

Its because Ken and Nick did a flagrantly pathetic job.

They screwed it up.

Ken. Just get someone else to do the job. You are not up to it.

Careful with the BUTTMONKEY talk Soon.

Thats the killer.

And I stand by everything Kim posted and its all true and its unlikely that any or all of you put together could bring yet even a glancing blow to it.