Swift Reads 3

Stephen Herron at Drinking Liberally in New Milford reminds us that February 3 is the first anniversary of Blogroll Amnesty Day, which was once one of the darkest days in the blogosphere, but has now been turned into a celebration of the power of smaller blogs. If you are celebrating this day on your blog, send us a link and we'll post it here and send it out to other blogs who are writing about it. Blue Gal, Barefoot Bum, Mike the Mad Biologist, The S.N.A.F.U. Principle and House of the Rising Sons are just a few of the many blogs that plan to celebrate the weekend of February 1 to 3. And skippy and Pharyngula remind us that some blogs, including this one, celebrate Blogroll Amnesty Day all year round. Blogroll us and we'll blogroll you.

Speaking of smaller blogs, Blogpower members, inspired by my end-of-the-year post, have posted their own round-up of the "Best Posts of 2007 by Blogpower Members - Self Chosen." Take a look. There is some great reading here.

Kathleen Maher's Diary of a Heretic has been named a semi-finalist in Amazon's "Breakthrough Novel Award." Go here to read an excerpt and write a mini-review to help her become a finalist

Jvoices reports that Yeshivah of Flatbush High School's Class of 1997 thoughtfully spared its gay alumni from having to endure uncomfortable stares and awkward silences by telling them to leave their partners at home if they planned to attend the class reunion.

David Drayen of the Right's Field relates how Fred Thompson charmed some South Carolina voters by asking them to change the TV channel to some Law & Order reruns so he didn't have to listen to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke bore everyone by talking about the economy.

Is T.S. Eliot our greatest living poet? Judging by his poems "The Love Song of J Edgar Goldstein" and "LOLcat Wasteland," I would say so.

Betsy's Page points out that Barack Obama doesn't even seem to know how to give a smarmy, self-serving answer to a standard interview question that any recent college graduate could ace in an interview. And he wants to be President?

Phillybits wonders why the folks at Red State have turned into a bunch of Welfare Queens. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

Blue Crab Boulevard has discovered a new and innovative kind of Spam. What will they think of next?

Inverse Square takes a look at the cold equations of war.

Newcritics celebrates its first anniversary this month. Among some of its recent offerings: Lance Mannion on The Wire, The Self-Styled Siren on Something To Sing About, M.A. Peel on The Homecoming, and Jennifer Krentz's weekly live-blogging of Project Runway.

Of course, I hope you're checking out all the fine people who have the good taste to advertise on the sidebar of this modest blog, but I would especially like to draw your attention to the ad for the Sidney Hillman Foundation, which is accepting nominations for blogs that promote social and economic justice until January 31, 2008. I'm sure you can think of some deserving candidates.

And here are a few blogs we recently added to the blogroll. Check them out. Beware the Man, cheflovesbeer, Comment Trawl, DeRosaWorld, The Leftist Right, PhysioProf, Powerpop, Prairie Weather, Red Leeroy, The Return to History, Roxie's World, The SideTrack, 13 Martyrs, timna, and To the Audient Void.