The Blog Challenge: "Only Seven?" And The Bloggers Conference

24 of the Fourth Month 5768

Batya "tagged" me in the Blog Challenge. So, now I am supposed list my seven favorite blogs.

Only seven?

My combined blogs rolls contain like 97 blogs. How am I supposed to narrow that list down to seven?

I am not even going to try. However, for the purposes of this "challenge," I will stick with only those blogs which have been fairly active recently. I like several blogs, which have not been active lately. But since their fates are currently unknown, I will stick with active ones.

Here they are in no particular order...

I particularly like what I like to call "slice of life" blogs

Jacob Da Jew often writes from this point of view. We disagree on stuff. But, so what? I just starting following his blog one day, and can't stop. Sometimes he pisses me off, and I take a break. But I always go back. That's the sign of a good write, the ability to evoke emotion in readers, without being mean and nasty about it. He also reminds me [unintentionally] of all the stuff I don't miss in galuth,...no offense. I like his "tell it like it is" style.

Israeli By Day, American By Night: Danny and I bumped into either other three years ago on a bus. He was on a tour and his settler-friendly guide, Ruthie Brenner instructed the bus driver to pick up trempistim (hitchhikers). Now he lives here, and I get to follow his trials and tribulations on his blog as an oleh hadash (new immigrant). We also do not agree a some issues, but like I said before, so what?

TNSPR makes the list, because otherwise he'll blackmail me. Just kidding!

Lemon Lime Moon - I like Lemon's style, both written and visual. I just like looking at her blog, and all the detail and care she has put into it. She also has, shall we say, a lot of fun "Photoshopping."

Life In Israel - Rafi keeps me up to date on a lot of local news I don't have the koah to keep up with, and he tolerates my correspondence.

Tel-Chai Nation also keeps me up on the news, that doesn't always make the news, or comes and goes very quickly. Tel-Chai Nation is good at catching these kinds of things.

Random Thoughts: I like Jack's blog in general, but I particularly like it when he talks about his son. It makes me really want to be a dad....

Simply Jews: Snoopy intrigues me. I don't know why. He just does. That can be dangerous, I know, but I can't help it.

Smooth Stone seems to cover everything related to Israel. I don't know Smooth Stone does it.

Something & Half Of Something: I like what she has to say, and how she says it.

Sultan Knish: I like The Sultan's style and insights.

The Key To Redemption focuses on one of the most important issues of the day is Israel, yet no one seems to want to listen (not Women In Green, not the Likud Party, and apparently not Arutz 7). Geulah Girl perseveres none the less.

Tomer Devorah covers this issue, too, but connects current events with Jewish textual sources, fascinating to read.

(That's right. You'll have to click on their links to find out what I'm talking about!)

As I said, there are several blogs which I like a lot, whose bloggers are not terribly active these days for one reason or another.

I want to make mention of one, just because I want to give him a blogger-kick-in-the-pants. Doodle Head, where are you? Doodle Head is (was/will be?) my favorite "slice of life" blog.

OK, one more. I miss seeing new photos from my buddy Emmanuel from far away Portugal.

Hmmm... I just realized something. Everyone has been all a buzz about the inaugural JBloggers Conference coming up in Jerusalem.

None of those bloggers whose expected attendance at the conference has been publicized made my list.

I wonder what that means,...if anything.

Actually, I looked at the registration form, and this caught my eye:

*Spaces are limited and admission is subject to approval.

I immediately wrote to the organizers, because I wanted to find out what "subject to approval" meant.

But, alas, no conspiracies here. I told that...

1. They wanted to make such that attendees were bona fide bloggers, and...

2. Politics was not a factor for having received an invitation. I received an invitation because I was a Jewish blogger, period.

For a variety of reasons, though, I will not be attending said conference. I would like to maintain my half-hearted-anonymity, Batya was not invited to be on a panel, and several other reasons, which I may or may not decide to reveal in the future. I have no doubt you will suffer greatly by the lack of my presence at this conference (eyes innocently rolled upward). But, you will just have to make do. Don't fret, though. I will be their in spirit, as will several of my spies, who will report back with all of the [halachicly permissible] juicy gossip!

Rumor has it that mine won't be the only spies there. (Mi she'mevin, yevin.)

But I digress...

Those of you listed above are supposedly now expected to take up this blog challenge, post your seven favorites on your blog, and run back here to my comments section and post the link.

As you know, or hope know, I am very much against obligating others to participate in such "memes," albeit glorified.

I invite you to participate, only if you want to. Be forewarned. Expect to experience the wrath of those you did not mention, as I expect to shortly.