A Blogaround for Al Weisel

As Skippy reminds us, this weekend marks the sixth annual Blogroll Amnesty Day Weekend, which he began alongside our mutual blog friend the late Al Weisel, who blogged as Jon Swift. Skippy's post has the explanation for the day's origin. Even though Pen-Elayne has been around more than a decade, I feel compelled to participate for a few reasons. I don't feel I have that big a readership, outside of some relatives and a few long-term loyal friends, so I probably qualify as a "smaller blog." And I didn't want to wait that much longer for another blogaround, so this is my excuse. Onward!:

• First off, I want to thank Jill for mentioning me in her Blogroll Amnesty Weekend post - well, not only mentioning me but saying such nice things! Can it now be revealed that I was the one who introduced her to Mr. Brilliant? :)

• It's lovely that so many people have been mourning the demise of Comics Buyers Guide. I especially liked the reminiscences of Tony Isabella and Bob Greenberger, both of whom had columns in the magazine. I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the paper. If not for CBG, I would never have met Steve, who happened to see an ad my college buddy Bill-Dale placed for my zine INSIDE JOKE around a quarter century ago, subscribed to the zine, and that's how we became friends and eventually married (then divorced but we're still friends). And of course through Steve I began reading comics myself, which led to Usenet and message boards and me meeting Robin.  So, the magazine is pretty much responsible for both my marriages!  On the other hand... well, I'll tell folks in person someday.  Still, I prefer to remember the good times - I enjoyed Peter's and Tony's and Bob's columns a lot, and we'll always have our Maggie mug.

• Some of my favorite bedtime stories are the ones that are true, and PZ Myers has a very interesting one for us. I never saw the point of worshipping anything that caused or encouraged pain, myself.

• She may still consider herself a smaller blogger, but it's big news when Susie Madrak becomes the managing editor at Crooks and Liars, a very big blog indeed. Congratulations, Susie!

• Taylor Marsh has a very sweet tribute to Dear Abby.

• Wil Wheaton (another not-very-small blogger) has a moving essay about what his web show Tabletop has meant to him and others; and David Levin (probably a somewhat-small blogger) pays homage to the role in his life played by the intertwining of pop culture and history. And speaking of pop culture, Melissa McEwan - one of the biggest, most popular bloggers around - shows why she's so popular by starting a weekly review of the sitcom New Girl, to join her highly anticipated weekly reviews of Parks and Recreation. Between these and her "Because James Franco" posts (not to mention her copious photos of her animal family), Melissa shows her fun side so much it's pretty difficult to characterize Shakesville as just a place for thoughtful political discussion - particularly when she so gracefully blends feminist observations into her pop culture writing! I feel about Melissa the way I used to feel about Anni Ackner back when she was IJ's star columnist - absolutely in awe.

• This is a link to Matthew Inman's blog post about dinosaurs.

• Lastly, What Digby Said. Digby is of course a major blogger as well, but she has so much cool stuff to say I have to put her in here along with all the others. I love her keen observation that cheating has somehow become a positive attribute in our current topsy-turvy world (along with greed and selfishness). It makes me grateful that I don't know too many people who feel that way, but it saddens me that so many seem to.

Wow, blogarounds are a lot easier to finish when I don't let links build up! And a lot easier for y'all to read, I'll warrant. I'll try to do this sort of thing more often!