Wizbang is again running the Weblog Awards Competition. Nominations are now open, and the details appear here. As you can see, there are numerous and diverse categories, including an award for Best Mexican or Central/South American Blog. (Note to self: You’d better check these out.)

A couple days ago, I looked through the nominations and noticed that this tiny corner of the Blogosphere was nowhere to be found. I lack the gall to nominate myself, and more importantly, I know that this operation could not win in any of the existing categories.

However, it occured to me that the competition failed to identify a very important category. Accordingly, I respectfully suggest that an additional category be created, entktled “Best Brown and Tan Blog.”

Although I originally had thought that I might well have a lock on “Brown and Tan Blog” category, I remembered this blog. I, therefore, have had to re-evaluate my chances, and I am now prepared to say that I might well have a lock on coming in first or second in this category.

Coming in second wouldn’t be bad considering that the blogger in question is a good writer and is exceedingly pretty. Besides, I know her father, and I would prefer to come in second and remain his buddy.

The annual survey of crime statistics performed by the Morgan Quitno Company’s has resulted in Camden, New Jersey being named the country’s most-dangerous city. Camden managed to knock Detroit out of the number one spot into second place on this most “exclusive” list.

The other three cities that made the top five are Atlanta, St. Louis, and Gary, Indiana. It should be noted that because the St. Louis police omitted 5,760 crimes in its report to the surveying company, St. Louis and Atlanta might switch places on the final list. I assume that this will come as great news to my Jawja Blogger friends. After all, being the fourth most dangerous city is way better than being the third most dangerous city.

For our part, we in Jersey always strive for the top spot, no matter what.

Today, at the Post, we will be holding the Great Soup-off. About a half-dozen of the “Usual Suspects” will each be bringing a pot of their “Signature Soup” for everyone to try. Like most ideas, this one was born over probably too many cocktails and a bullshit session discussion, during which we each bragged about noted our culinary mastery when it comes to a particular kind of soup.

So far, it appears that we will have the following entrants:

Rich: Cream of Potato, served with bacon bits, cheddar cheese and chives. I have had this one before, and it is a heart stopper. The good news is that Rich was a cook in the Army, so he only knows how to cook for a gazillion people, so there are sure to be leftovers to take home.

Original Bill: Chicken and Dumpling. Bill is a good enough cook that, if he felt like, he could quit his day gig and get a job as a cook. He is, however, a tad excitable, and I could see someone in a restaurant kitchen wearing a pot of soup.

John, the Other Lawyer: Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli. This also promises to be a real artery clogger. Knowing John, I suspect that this will be best consumed with a Gentleman Jack on the Rocks.

Bernie: Bernie is bringing Lentil soup, a favorite of mine. Unlike some of the other soup entries, this one actually might be healthy. It figures. Bernie is one of those forever-thin guys.

Dave: Cream of Mushroom. Dave is Original Bill’s son, and he clearly learned his way around the kitchen from his dad. I figure that he probably wound up wearing a couple pots of soup during the learning process.

Jimbo: Split Pea. I made an ass kicking, gorilla stomping pot of split pea soup. My Ace in the Hole is that I will be serving it with home-made croutons made with Russian rye bread, tons of butter and garlic salt.

There will be much bragging advocacy, analysis, and ball breaking commentary.

And, of course there will be cocktails, where everybody knows your name.

Update: The Soup-off was a great success. We did have another entrant. Junior brought peanut soup. While peanuts and peanut butter would be my “Desert Island” food, I had never tasted peanut soup. It was delicious and something my Jawja friends would definitely like. I think it would go great with some of that fine, clear Jawja rocket fuel that comes in a wide-mouth, screw top container.

At the end of the blood thirsty competition tasting, a vote was taken and it was decided that The Original Bill is the official Post “Soup Nazi.” Although I am biased, I think the basis for the vote was 49% for the soup and 51% for his “mellow” personality. (Note: The Original Bill has been banned from the local Home Depot. Some day, I’ll share the details.)

“Well, son, there’s Dasher, and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, and here’s Comet, and Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen. Now, let’s talk about the Santa thing.”

Pic shamelessly lifted from Ravenwood’s Universe

Friends, are you feeling that your writing is getting stale? Are you tired of being ever so tidy about your subjects, predicates, tenses and spelling?

Maybe you’re bored with your writing style? Perhaps you would like to write more like Eric, Velociman, Acidman, or the amazing Jeff Goldstein?

But, maybe you really want to write like Snoop Dogg. Well, here is your chance. Check out the Snoop Dogg Shizzolator. Type in your blog’s URL and watch what happens. (You may have to enter it on the second page as well in the upper right corner.)

It’s da bomb, y’all.

Via Overactive Imagination

About 11 months ago I attended a Going-Away Party for my friend Lou, who was then on his way to Iraq with his Army Reserve Unit. For us “older” farts, it was a bit of nail-biter, because SFC Lou, who is my age, had already managed to survive a year in Vietnam, and yet there he was headed back into “the shit.”

I am happy to say that Lou has returned home safe and sound and convinced more than ever that the American Press just doesn’t get it.

I had the honor, along with about 99 others, to attend Lou’s Welcome Home Party tonight. A humble, soft-spoken man, Lou has now answered the call twice, and he is prepared for yet another round, should that be necessary.

I am honored, beyond words, to be his friend.

Welcome home, Lou.

Seeing as how it is the weekend, I thought you might like to spend some time leafing through the letters of Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890). Many of them are exchanges between the artist and his brother, Theo. They cover an amazing range of subjects, from art to nightmares and depression, and several even deal with his bout with the “clap.” The main page contains a handy by-subject matter index.

Good stuff, this.

Via The Ultimate Insult

The last 72 hours have been marked by a seemingly endless stream of comment spam. I think this has been the most protracted attack ever. Every time I turned around, fifty more would turn up. In each case, after having successfully entered the offending URL into MT Blacklist, I could see from the Activity Log that, but for catching them early, the fifty would have been eight hundred.

In the process of trying to hold back the tide, I know that I accidentally deleted about a half dozen recent comments (e.g. Shamrocketship, Rob, Velociman, Mike, Azygos and others). The good news is that it appears that I realized my mistake in time to prevent the good-guys’ URLs from being Blacklisted. However, if you find that your comments are being bounced, please send me an e-mail, and I’ll fix it.

I know that Rob has been hit pretty hard too, and he seems undaunted by it (I figure he’s too stoked about his trip). For my part, I must say that constantly having to deal with these intrusive maggots takes the fun out blogging.

This may be all you see of me tonight. I’ll probably be too busy dealing with the cyber-vermin.

Via Ravenwood’s Universe

Quinnipiac University Poll results released today show that New Jersey’s Senator Jon Corzine would trounce Richard Codey and the three most likely Republican candidates in the 2005 gubernatorial election in New Jersey.

The poll showed Corzine beating Governor Richard Codey by 40 points and Republicans Bret Schundler (former mayor of Jersey City), Douglas Forrester (former unsuccessful candidate for the Senate seat), and Christopher Christie (Assistant US Attorney, who has not announced his candidacy) by 21, 22 and 27 percentage points, respectively.

Frankly, given the democrat herd mentality in this state, I am not surprised that Corzine easily topped the Republicans in the poll, but Jesus Christ, Richard Codey has had the job for only about 48 hours, and the democrats have already decided that Corzine is the guy.

The result is consistent with Senator Corzine’s 58 percent job approval rating shown in the poll. I wish someone would explain to me the basis for the adulation of this lackluster Senator. Of course, that is a rhetorical question, as I suspect that New Jersey’s political bosses have the 2005 election well in hand.

Pathetic.