Blog For Arizona

Michael: My Favorite Arizona Blogs

A blogroll can't really deliver an opinion on the quality and consistency of a blog very well. I have collected so many blogs by Arizonans that the cream is sometimes is danger of getting dispersed back into the whey. So I decided to take a small time-out from my outrage over the negligent destruction of NOLA to finger a few of my favorite Arizona bloggers.

In no particular order:

The Data Port by Art Jacobson gets regular hits from me. I like Art's writing and find his viewpoint endlessly thought-proving and entertaining. Art is a retired philosophy professor and motorcycle fanatic who lives in Tucson with his lovely wife Katherine, who writes for the Desert Leaf.

Rum, Romanism and Rebellion by Ted Prezelski is a good read. Ted is a deft and insightful commentator on Southern Arizona politics. His family are also enmeshed in local politics; his brother is in the state legislature and his mother is a doyen of local Democratic politics. Ted spearheaded the Clark campaign in 2004.

Now called The Arizona Eclectic, Gail Davis' web magazine (I'm not sure I dig this neologism... like blog is a tired term already?) is always a refreshing hit. She does some fun stuff with her design (I wish she'd redesign mine for me) and really celebrates Arizona's uniqueness.

Kevin Spidel's blog is always a worth a hit. Kevin is very active in the Progressive Caucus and always has lots of fresh news about what's what in the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.

Dr. Kieran Healy's Weblog is one of my favorite stops. A professor of sociology at the UA, Dr. Healy is an Irishman. Not only is his writing always top-notch, witty and informative, but he tends to lend his reader a laudible tolerance and perspective on issues that they may not always remember to bring to the party themselves.

Tucson attorney Ken Sanders Politics of Dissent is like a bracing fist to the face of authority. He doesn't mince words. His postings are also periodically excerpted in the Arizona Daily Star's monday opinion section.

Group blog Unscrewing the Inscrutable is a free thinker's nature preserve. Atheists, evolutionists, and philosophers, oh my!

Doing a yeoman's job of keeping an eye on the public interest, Arizona Congress Watch tracks the shenanigans of Arizona's Congressional delegation. They are doing a great job of ferreting out the doings of the congress-critters. They should get a grant or something!

Temple Stark's blog is worth a regular hit. He's a reporter, so he talk pretty good, and always has something interesting to talk about. He's currently experimenting with podcasting, if that's your thing. Temple also helps to run PolState Report.

Dr. John Lynch, a evolutionary biologist at ASU's Barrett Honors College, has a blog he calls Stranger Fruit. Another Irishman, he blogs about biology, evolution, the creationist meanace, and public policy. It's always nice to get a scientist's perspective.

Joel Gaines' No Pundit Intended is the only conservative to make this list. And, believe me, it's not because we agree on much. I read Joel's blog because I know that he's the real deal. He's a fellow who walks his walk, not just talks his talk. Joel sometimes comments here, and he's always a respectful and articulate advocate for a different point of view, not just a knee-jerk bomb-thrower.

Jason Coyne's blog Jason for Arizona is a little difficult on the eyes (think mid-80s phosphorous CRTs), but is good for the soul. He's irreverent and funny. He identifies himself as a conservative Democrat, but I'm not buying it; Jason's a progressive. He's also excerpted periodically in the Arizona Daily Star's monday opinion section.

There are probably a lot more really good Arizona blogs out there. If you have one, or know of one that you read at least weekly, leave a comment and let me know about it.

posted by Michael Bryan @ 9/02/2005 11:57:00 PM