The Best III - Posts (and why it all matters)

I [All-Around] & II [Class, Specialty]

Gold, Silver, Bronze

Before I pick my own favorite posts, I have to say that I just couldn't pick a Best Overall Post. I have maybe 7-8 that I like more than the others, but that's not the point. Many people - including myself - have discussed and debated why the J-blogosphere matters, whether the positives outweigh the drawbacks, and so much else - but really, this is why it matters. The range, styles, emotions, opinions, feelings, and views on these posts are incredible. The topics, almost all having nothing to do with one another. And yet they are all up for "Best Overall Post" of the J-blogsophere, and deservingly so. This is what the J-blogosphere is - a compilation of posts, thoughts, opinions, emotions, rantings, pride, feelings, happiness, and heartbreak from people. Jewish people. People just like us, people nothing like us, people we know, people we'll never know. This is why the J-blogosphere exists, and this is why these "awards" exist - to show off some of our best stuff, to show what there is in this small but ever-growing sphere of ours, and hopefully, to make that many more people aware of what we have and we're doing.

Sof davar [the end of the matter], it is not so much the blogs themselves, but the posts which we write on them that truly matter. A special thank you to the JIB Committee, in particular to the man who did far more work than anyone else, Akiva, for helping to show off that which makes up this little community we share. Finally, to all readers - old and new:

Welcome to the J-blogosphere.

And now for the posts:

• Jewish Religious - Curious Jew's Off the Derech, Scraps' Proud Member of the Tribe, SerandEz's A Hitch & A Prayer
  
• Torah - Bari's 9/11 Scenario in Halacha, DovBear's Minhag Shtus?
  
• News - ADDeRabbi's RCA Conversion Scandal: What's the Real Issue?
  
• Humor - Shifra (@ the Muqata)'s Mars & Venus on Erev Shabbos, Shifra's (own) Chol HaMoed at Six Flags II - Enter Hot Chanie, and Jameel's Elvis the Drug Dealer
  
• Live Event Coverage - IsraellyCool's Liveblogging the War, Canonist's The Orthomom Hearing, Curious Jew's The Rav's Vision...
  
• Music - BeyondBT's The Seeds of Teshuva of a Nascent Rock Star
  
• Picture or Video - Temunot's Amona
  
• Kosher Food/Recipe - Me-Ander's KCC #15, Gluten-Free by the Bay's Gluten-Free Passover Recipe Roundup
  
• Podcast - The J-blogosphere's Muqata Purim Radio
  
• Series - Seraphic Secret's How I Met Karen, SoccerDad's Poisoned Ivies
  

Those were my picks, anyway. Hope everyone enjoyed the JIBs, and normal blogging shall commence tomorrow. Apparently, I spoke too soon yesterday... :)