The Canadian Blog Awards are once again upon us, and this year I thought I’d take the unusual (for me) step of talking about favourites in some of the categories. Horribly self indulgent , I know - why on earth should you care what I think? But it’s Saturday, and the coffee’s on. So what the heck.

I can’t speak to all of the categories, mind you. While I know that brilliance no doubt abounds among the podcaster, education, military, sports and other blogs, these are not areas in which I have sufficient interest or expertise to comment. And in some cases, like best blog series, there are just too many nominees and not enough time to do justice to the many excellent candidates.

A general comment first. The notion of a “Best” anything is meaningless unless all parties agree on what’s being measured. So the CBAs aren’t really an exercise in measuring intrinsic quality: everyone is applying their own criteria to the evaluation. However, I thought it might be helpful to clarify some of the things that make a blog the “best” in any given category. And to my surprise, for me, it came down to a few simple criteria.

a) To me, blogs that don’t allow comments are of little or no interest. Blogs that habitually screen comments to exclude dissent are just as offensive. It’s a bit of a point of pride that no-one gets censored or edited at Stageleft - we let stupidity, obscenity, racism or abuse stand, and we trust our community of readers and writers to address them appropriately. Hasn’t failed yet.

b) Each blog develops a culture, which seems to be a reflection of its operator’s values and personality. That’s why I NEVER want to meet Kathy Shaidle. The blogs I really value and enjoy (as opposed to the ones I visit for nasty inspiration, or because I feel the need to sharpen my fangs) are the ones that promote heated, articulate, respectful dialogue. And I suspect that’s because the writer(s) of the blog value those things as well. Even on those blogs, things can get wild - but the norm is a place where people actually talk, and listen. Blogs with a culture of inarticulate rage no doubt serve a purpose (heck, if SDA didn’t exist, all of its posters would probably be in jail, or on rooftops with high powered rifles); but they’re not about anything that interests me.

c) Honesty. I’m both honest and a bit naive, and it’s only really in the last couple of years I’ve realized how much people are willing to lie to “prove” a point online. It can be a lie of commission, the assertion of something the writer knows to be false; or it can be a lie of omission, ignoring a fact that significantly changes the story in order to strengthen the writer’s point. Either way - I’m not interested. If I can’t trust your integrity, you’re not worth my time.

d) Variety of interest. There’s a school of thought that says the best blogs are focused, single-issue sites. I don’t agree. I enjoy blogs that show evidence of wide interests, and that blend the personal, cultural and political.

e) Longevity. Maybe it’s just the old fart in me, but I give points for being around a long time. Many of last year’s “Best” couldn’t keep it up - I have a lot of respect for those who can.

f) Last and most important, the obvious one - good writing. Like everyone, I guess, I like blogs that are articulate, witty, and imbued with a sense of personal style.

With that in mind, here are some thoughts on favourite nominees in the various categories.

Best Blog

It goes without saying that there are several of my favourite reads in here, any of which richly deserve big readerships, huge corporate donations, and film deals. And again, it all comes down to what you think “Best” means. I’d give Unrepentant Old Hippie the “Most Intriguing Blogger”, Red Tory the “Wingnuterer Award for Most Artful Snark Employing Graphic Media”, and so on.

But for reliably good writing, smart and human analysis, thoughtful commentary, and variety of perspective - not to mention great Blues videos - it’s gotta be our old friend and ally, Pogge.

Best New Blog

With a strong caveat that I don’t know most of these sites, I’m going to go with Raphael Alexander’s “Unambiguously Ambidextrous“. It meets my criteria for good blogging outlined above. I think the author needs to fight the tendency to try for “outrageous”, but by and large he doesn’t have to - and he seems authentically to be striving for honesty and balance.

Best Group Blog

Well, US, of course. I really like us. Read us all the time. Laugh, cry and rage at us. Am constantly amazed at us. We crack me up all the time.

But if I weren’t voting for us, I’d vote for Pogge. Again. Except you shouldn’t. You should vote for us.

Best Blogosphere Citizen

A large number of folks on this list seem to be ideologues, and I’m assuming their nomination, by themselves or their supporters, means “I Really Believe What This Person Thinks.” But I’m thinking about who’s actually done the most to create the kind of dialogue and exchange I personally like to see, and while there are several nominees I could vote for (including the organizers of the CBA), I’m going to go with James Bow. His blog is a model of intelligence and great writing, with a wide range of interests. But in this category, I select him because I’ve seen him maintain civility and focus in many threads and on many sites not usually noteworthy for the quality of discussion, and single handedly raise the tone of the dialogue. You can’t do more of a blogosphere citizen than that. Now, maybe he could do us a REAL favour and come up with a better word than “blogosphere”.

Best Political Blog

Here the focus is allowed to narrow a bit; this IS just about politics, after all. Lots of excellent choices here: I always enjoy the acerbic intelligence of the Phantom Observer, Garth Turner is a very funny guy. But Calgary Grit has a great track record of thoughtful, articulate analysis. I think CG gets my vote this year.

Best Progressive Blog

Way too many good options to choose from. Just pick us and save yourself a bunch of thinking.

Best Conservative Blog

Well, the field here gets a bit narrower, once you apply my criteria for “best” above. (Hey, it’s OUR blog, and we can be snarky if we want). No, but seriously, while there are actually a few options here, my vote goes to The Last Amazon. She’s honest, hard nosed, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly, but once you get past her fool filter, she listens, she discusses, she can change your mind, and occasionally she even changes hers. Best of all, her blog has somehow remained mercifully free of the rabid brainlice that seem to infest the comments section of some of the more popular blogs in this category.

Best Non Partisan

I don’t even know what “non-partisan” is supposed to mean, but there’s a choice for readers of either political leaning: fpr the slightly leftish, James Bow, already lavishly and embarassingly praised above; and for the slightly rightish, Candace of Waking Up on Planet X, one of my daily reads, and another thoughtful person you can actually talk to.

Best Personal Blog

I’m gonna come out here. I admit to being a fan of Raymi, who I think is doing something quite unique with her blog, creating a semi-autobiographical and semi-fictional persona through diary-style narrative, video clips, images, self-mocking self-promotion, and a very personal writing style. It’s an ongoing piece of performance art with some real life thrown in (and phots of food, graffiti and people in bars). And I’ll never forget her advice for getting along with celebrities: “Always be very interesting, and have lots of good blow.” But then, I like Charles Bukowski too.

Best Humour Blog

I’m torn between the Wingnuterer, who’s given us so many good moments, and Canadian Cynic, whose SWAT team of snarktists I’m finding increasingly addictive.

Entertainment and Cultural Blog

I’m becoming a great fan of the Book of Don, by Don Young, an indie producer, who’s doing something quite interesting - posting a current diary about his wheelings and dealings and projects, but posting parallel excerpts from diaries of projects and years gone by. It’s the best, most honest, and most gossipy look inside independent production in Canada you’re likely to read.

Best Religious Blog

Not an easy one for an atheist to pick - but I’ve been very impressed with the honesty of Bene Diction, a writer whose integrity, curiosity and balance seems closer to the truly spiritual that any of the more - errr - “polemical” sites.

Best Local Blog

Miss Vicky’s Offhand Remarks. A lovely writer, who won my heart forever by confessing her fondness for Flann O’Brien. And what CAN I say about those wonderful chips of hers?

Best GBLT

Montreal Simon for passion and world-class, Canadian-Cynic level snark; Canuck Attitude for its humour and the great Betty Boop clips.

Best Activist

The Dawg, hands down. Everything I like in a blog - wit, great writing, a wide ranging intellect, and some of the best dialogue on any Canadian site - you know, people actually talking to each other. Which is not to say I don’t envy his ability to skewer an idiot so deftly they don’t even realize they’ve been disembowelled until they stand up to leave.

So that’s me. I wonder what Stageleft, Treehugger, Lilyl, Max and the People’s Pehlivan are thinking?