Because I have sticky fingers.

Well, since no one wanted to talk here, and because it was easier to put up an "open thread" than to delete the entry and then rebuild the whole freakin' blog to get rid of said duplicate entry, I put up a "place holder".

The Koufax Awards are going up over at Wampum, and I don't know if I'll be a finalist yet or not in the "Most Deserving More Recognition" category or not. I'd like to be, but it was an honor to be at least nominated two years in a row for a Koufax. In the Right Blogistan Wizbang awards I managed to place just above the half-way point in my category of "Military Blogs", and those are some serious winger awards...so thanks for that. It certainly demonstrated that we are a community! If I make the finals in the Koufax awards, any votes cast for Democratic Veteran would be appreciated. I won't say vote often, but vote early if I'm a finalist ... it might encourage others who haven't been here before to drop by and cast a vote as well.

I'd like to humbly add a few recommendations, in the Best Post take a look at TBogg's "Exit Interview". Tom is a hell of guy, and when you read that post, if you haven't seen it before, it'll give you an honest introduction to the man who is TBogg. It's not a political post, it's just an absolutely first rate piece of writing, and that's what this is for, right?

Dave Neiwart, Orcinus, deserves a second Koufax, this as "Best Expert" for his continuing work as a documentarian of the Radical Right and the effect they are having on our country. Dave's work is so good that when the house of cards being constructed by the opposition finally implodes, his work will stand on its own for its veracity, research and quality of writing.

Richard Cranium, (a fellow Navy Vet (MM1/SS)) and company are a great choice for Best Blog this year. Yeah, Kos and Atrios are great, but with more visitors per week than most of us get in a year, they've gotten the recognition that they're pretty damn "best" already. So drop a vote in the bucket for All-Spin Zone.

Best Writing: Digby. Damn when he soars it's just flat awesome. Heartstopping sometimes. Damn. Go Digby.

Funniest aka Most Humourous....this is tough. I loves me some TBogg, but he's won this before. The General always leaves me laughing, but for consistent, offbeat almost Pythonesque humor, I'm going with Norbizness...there's a guy who puts his heart and soul into doing some seriously wild stuff, he sure works at it. And I like it. Happy Furry Puppys. Indeed. If Norbi wins, will the General want to know if they are Heterosexual or French Puppies? It matters you know.

Best Group Blog: Pandagon. Consistent, sharp and always on point with some of the best writing an analysis in blogtopia (y! sctp!). Jesse's back to flying solo now that Ezra has littered his apartment with beer cans, empty pizza boxes and Zephyr Teachout's number scrawled on the wall in blue crayon (kidding!), and hauled ass over to Typepad to start his own miserable (but well written) screed. Together they made Pandagon a daily read for all us seriously blog-addicted working class drones who needed to read great writing to get the day going.

Now that I've shamelessly blogwhored for at least five or six votes if I'm a finalist, go vote. And don't forget who sent ya.