I sometimes think of myself as “the most prominent blogger from New Hampshire” or “in New Hampshire,” but I don’t really think of myself as a “New Hampshire blogger.” I tend not to focus too heavily on New Hampshire issues, as I just don’t think of them enough to do a good enough job.
But there are plenty of great bloggers around the state, and I think it’s more than high time I give them a little of the limelight they deserve.
First up is my old chum Giacomo, from Joust The Facts. He kind of blogs like I do — he writes about whatever he finds interesting, and hopes that his readers will find it interesting, too. He recently took a swipe at the Maine school that wants to give birth control pills to girls as young as 11 without their parents’ knowledge or consent — and considering that when he’s not blogging, Giacomo is a physician whose practice deals with a LOT of kids, his words carry a bit of extra weight.
Giacomo is a New Hampshirite by choice, not by birth — which tends to diminish his standing to some Granite Staters, but not me. I’ve always lived here; I’ve never known anything else, and tend to take my great good fortune for granted. (Or, rather, “for granite.” That one never gets old.) I have a touch of envy for those Granite Staters who saw just how much better it is to live here and worked to come here and enjoy the state.
Granite Staters like Bruce of “No Looking Backwards,” the ex-Masshole who finally got fed up with the sheer Mass. Insanity and moved up here about a year ago. Bruce is a bit vulgar for some, but I have to admit I find it refreshing — you’re never uncertain about just where Bruce stands on an issue. On Monday, Bruce went to Concord to see Fred Thompson file his papers for the New Hampshire presidential primary. At least, he thought he did — it turns out that his memory was utterly at odds with the account presented by a New York Times blogger. Fortunately, Bruce had enough good sense to bolster his recollections with video.
And oddly enough, his polite comment (a rarity for Bruce when dealing with people like that blogger) never appeared on the site.
Over in the Lakes Region, a group of bloggers run the Weekend Pundit web site. They’re a good crew — I met a couple of them at a blogger gathering last year — and visit their site at least once every other day or so. Recently, they linked to an article about the death of a young man. In the comments, “C. S. P. Schofield” expounded on how there are Laws and there are Rules. I found myself nodding in agreement as I read it, because it sounded very familiar. And then I remembered why — I’d written on the same topic (but not quite as well) about a year and a half ago.
Then there’s GraniteGrok. Another group of New Hampshire bloggers, I was reminded of them when one of their number snagged a guest-hosting gig on my favorite local talk show. Recently, they thought it behooved the people of New Hampshire to highlight the coments of former governor (and current US Senate candidate) Jeanne Shaheen. She’s given the matter some serious thought, and has decided that the California wildfires are George W. Bush’s fault. Yeah, the arsonists might have played a role, as well as less-than-prudent development and unwise brush-clearing restrictions, but it was GLOBAL WARMING that is the real culprit — and Bush’s refusal to sign the Kyoto accords and other heinous acts of pure eeeeevil anti-environmentalism are the root causes.
And I mustn’t forget Maggie’s Farm. They bring a healthy dose of good old Yankee common sense to the blogosphere. Here’s a good primer on just what it means to be a Yankee. And they pointed me to this story that tells the origin of a certain toy — a story that I don’t think too many people know. I certainly didn’t.
Anyway, that’s just a glimpse of some of my fellow Granite Staters who are making their mark on the blogosphere. Give ’em a look or three.
