Flash forward two years and I'm once again a nominee for Best Military Blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards. Like last year, the competition will be tough. Last time I was naive about going up against Blackfive and Michael Yon, both godfathers of the milblogging community. Now I know all too well their influence. But I'm more in tune with the community this year. The War on Big Tobacco is a finalist and I'm proud to call him a friend. He's also the only deployed blogger in the competition, armed with a unique writing style he likes to call sargeasmic. His female readers will confirm the effectiveness of his prose, amongst other things.
Like me, Big Tobacco realizes the importance of winning this competition. He and I are both trying to make a career out of this whole writing thing, and a blog award can only help finding a publishing agent. Even though he's relatively new to the scene, Big Tobacco has amassed a following that will be hard to beat. It should be a good competition this year.
I hope to at least bring it home for Team Enlisted this year. Blackfive and Michael Yon are former officers while Big Tobacco and I are/were enlisted men, the working class of the soldiering profession.
Voting will begin next Monday and will last one week. As polls become available, I will post the full list of nominees here. Don't forget to check back often for new posts and new banners throughout the voting process.
12 comments:
There's a big difference to me between a blog that is written entirely in an individual's own words and one that merely cuts and pastes most or all of someone else's articles and tacks on a few words of "You go, girl." That doesn't take a lot of wordcraft.
Dad
I recently found your blog through DailyKos...I will be watching and following you. I have added you to my list. Good luck. You are very talented.
Thank you for your service. God Bless you and yours. I am glad you are home and safe. My dad was an army vet. I accepted his flag in March of this year. Reading your words keeps him close to me. Thank you for that.
Congrats again Alex! Go Army of Dude...I am pulling for you and voting too! Alex, I say you got this. Your writing style is top notch. How does one explain what is good about good? Your writing comes from a human and genuine place that provides a window into the soul of one soldier who is brave enough to share the good, the bad, and the ugly side of a deployed soldier's world. Your heartfelt and poignant stories of life after Iraq offer rare insight into the challenges faced by today's soldiers upon returning home. You are a voice that needs to be heard and I hope there are many others who agree. Keep writing, living, loving and laughing.
You can count on my vote. Good luck.
Alex, best of luck to you and BT in the finals, and in the new year. I can admit to a hint of envy, but am plugging away patiently toward the bigger story. I am also hoping that this is the year I am accepted into the Literary Journalism program at UC Irvine, one of the better writing programs in the nation. I too share an aspiration of making this a career... funny how this all started.
have a good one, bro.
Fine blog, but vs. Yon? You're challenging God, here. Be proud to be in the running.
Thanks for your support guys.
Good luck, dude. You are in proud company one way or the other. Don't forget that. Good luck with all of your goals in 2009, too. At least you've got some, and you're on your way. There's a lot to be said for that, too. Good job.
GOOD LUCK DUDE !
I have been following your blog for quite a bit of time now. You write excellent, tell things they way they really were in Iraq. Nothing sensored and pic's to backup your stories. You know how to keep you audience engauged waiting for the next post. I have alerts sent to my e-mail to let me know when you post a new blog! Keep up the good work!
Mike
Dude,
Good luck! You and BT are two of my favorite blogs, it's good to read about someone else in the suck! Yon and Blackfive are stiff competition but that's the hallmark of the infantry making the impossible; possible. "Queen of Battle, Follow Me"!
Good luck, Alex!
By the way, I was a Sergeant before becoming an Officer.
Mike Yon was never an Officer.
I agree with those here that you and Big Tobacco are awesome. If you really need help finding an agent, shoot me an email.
Best regards,
Matt
BlackFive.net
Matt,
Thanks for the correction. Congrats to you as well. It looks as if you have a lock on at least runner-up.
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