Welcome to the Vermont Blogosphere

It's time again to welcome some new voices to my blogroll.

Green Mountain Daily: This two-week old Daily Kos-inspired group blog leans left. Users can post comments and diaries (and rate others' comments and diaries), but a handful of regulars delivers front-page content. In an email to me , founder John Odum describes it as "an honest venting space."

Flaming Grasshopper: The official company blog of Chelsea Green Publishing, the White River Junction-based outfit that published Markos Moulitsas and Jerome Armstrong's new blog-inspired book Crashing the Gates. So what's with the name? Says the blog's About page:

"The grasshopper has been our logo for the past 20 years, a symbol of potent life energy contained in a small "insignificant" exoskeletal package, capable of covering great distances in a single leap, and ancient symbol of good luck. Flaming grasshopper because we are a company "on fire" with a great mission to save the planet (among other things) and, perhaps like the dragons of old, to protect that which we hold precious from the onslaught of government/corporate/military forces currently on the march across the globe."

Fractals of Change: This guy has a helluva bio. From the About page: "Tom Evslin's career has taken him from nerd to CEO to novelist and consultant with a brief stop as Transportation Secretary for the State of Vermont." You'll want to read more.

Will Chamberlain's Vermont: More blogging by dead Vermont historical figures! I wonder if this is some kind of copyright violation? I hope not, because it's just so much fun.

From the first post: "I am William Chamberlain, famous Revolutionary War hero, Green Mountain Boy, former Lt. Governor and Congressman from Vermont. I guess you could say I was one of Vermont's 'founding fathers'. As strange as it may seem to some, I have awoken from my long slumber (178 years to be exact) as wormbait, awoken by a long and terrible rumbling, causing me great disturbance. I have awoken to find Vermont a strange, almost foreign place unworthy of its former self and unrecognizable to those of us who establised it." The title of Monday's post? "Vote...Unless You're Too Stupid."

Blierwatch: I found this one by Googling Kevin  Blier for a story I wrote this week about the gender identity bill. Blier is the director of the  conservative Rutland-based Center for American Cultural Renewal. The site's anonymous creators say they are : "dedicated to examining the spin, the character and the associations of Vermont's most recent anti-civil unions/anti-gay activist, self-made public figure and registered lobbyist for Vermont Renewal & Center for American Cultural Renewal, Kevin W. Blier, Director & Director of Communications, and his organization."

I'm pointedly not endorsing this site, but I think that tracking one's adversaries in this way is a smart use of the web...as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

VINS conservation biology blog: This Woodstock-based site is just what it says.

In a Mirror Dimly: Ed Cyzewski's thoughts on things like hikng, photos and theology.

Sorry if I've left anybody off. Please email me at cathy@sevendaysvt.com with your additions. The more the merrier! And thanks as always to Morgan Brown, Vermont's most vigilant blogger, for his help.

UPDATE: And a few more...
VCAM: A blog for Burlington's public access station.

RazMarie's Rampage: "RazMarie is an artist, writer, fighter and slightly strange woman who lives in Burlington, Vermont. Her alter-ego, Karen, keeps tabs on her and keeps you filled in on her mixed up crazy world. (Well, mixed up, at least!)"

Still Waters: "From the creator of RazMarie's Rampage. While Art may be meat and potatoes, writing is crème brule. From the People's Republic of Burlington, Vermont. Poetry and prose to make you think, piss you off, and stop the voices in Karen's head. Any and all poems must be considered a work in progress..."