So You Want to know About Blogs, Then?

The Guardian's political weblog competition is likely to stimulate lots of new interest in the medium. I mean, literally scores of people nominated their favourite blog, so who knows where the explosion will end?

Anyway, as a service to those dozens of newbies out there, mixed up, puzzled and confused with the plethora of opinion in bloggo bloggo land, the Middleaged Curmudgeon has put together a handy guide to political weblogs, so you know who to read and when.

Starting with some of the nominees from the Guardian comp and in no particular order, here's the first installmant.

Bloggerheads
More medium than message here. Politics as marketing for the 21st century. If your daily vocabulary includes "meme" and "viral" then you will be well at home here.
Likely to say: At four minutes past three, turn to the person next to you and blow them a kiss, then bare your arse to George Bush.
Unlikely to say: Who gives a shit if Tony Blair has an email address?
Visit: Rarely.

Harry's Place
Leftie group blog peopled with liberal hawks, including the Indie wunderkind Johann Hari. Lively comments except when that dunderhead Durkin posts. Laboured for a time, a la Hitchens, C, under the charming delusion that Bush's War heralded a new golden age of enlightened self interest. There are signs that they are coming down to earth a little now. As is mandatory for the Left, the bitterest bile is reserved for those on the same side of the political divide.
Likely to say: Chris B, why don't you get a blog?
Unlikely to say:Pilger, as ever, got it right when he said.....
Visit: Daily.

Conservative Commentary
Exactly what you'd expect from a blog with that title and the strapline The Truth Unvarnished. Written by teenage student William Hague wannabe, you get a healthy dose of free market economics for dummies allied with it woz them sixties what ruined this country social commentary a la Hitchens, P and Melanie Philips.
Likely to say: Just as I cannot be father to a pebble, so free trade is the only trade.
Unlikely to say: Actually, I've not looked at it in quite that way before. I'd make a considered reply, but I'm off to get shitfaced at the Alkaline Trio gig.
Visit: Daily.

Samizdata
Libertarianism of the po-faced kind. Group blog taking their name, I'm sure you won't need reminding, although they assume you do, from the clandestine Soviet Russian press. The originals, of course, risked death and the Gulag for their art, whereas these guys only risk exposure as terminally tedious, self regarding contrarians.
Likely to say: You must cure yourselves of the terrible disease of statism.
Unlikely to say: Say what you like about tax collectors, they perform a vital role for society.
Visit: Weekly.