It's getting close, awards are oh so serious donchaknow...

Right, you (yes, YOU) have less than 24 hours to vote in SB's not-taking-the-piss-honest Prestigious Blog Awards, and given I'm looking likely to win one (with the guy I voted for chasing me from behind) it's probably worth a final plug. Because I know you lot are lazy bastards, I've replicated both the list of finalists and the poll itself under the cut. Those of you using other (lesser) blog platforms will need to log in with OpenID, instructions here, and if you're too lazy to do even that then you shall get a glowering look when next I see you...
( The finalists are... )

[Poll #1243314]

For some of the above links to off-site blogs I've added in links to their LJ syndicated feed if I could find it quickly, even with my nifty LJ Addons insets it was a PITA so I missed a few more than I intended, but still.

Also, if you want to be nice and plug this on your journal, have a copy/paste text area of the links and poll code: <lj-cut text="The finalists are...">The finalists are... <small><b>Best Fandom Blog by a Single Person</b>: <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/andrewrilstone/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://www.andrewrilstone.blogspot.com/">Andrew Rilstone</a></span>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="cadhla">, <a href="http://girl-wonder.org/girlsreadcomics/">Karen Healey</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="lizbee">, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/scalzifeed/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://scalzi.com/whatever/" title="The Whatever">John Scalzi</a></span> <b>Best Political Blog by a Single Person</b>: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="lizw">, <a href="http://www.septicisle.info/">Septicisle</a>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/chris_dillow_fd/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/" title="Stumbling and Mumbling">Chris Dillow</a></span>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/alixmortimer_fd/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://fabulousblueporcupine.wordpress.com/" title="The People's Republic of Mortimer">Alix Mortimer</a></span>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/elephantfeed/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://millenniumelephant.blogspot.com/" title="The Very Fluffy Diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant">Millenium Elephant</a></span> <b>Best General Blog by a Single Person</b>: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="innerbrat">, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="jimhines">, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="minnesattva">, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="naamah_darling">, <a href="http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/">Wil Wheaton</a> <b>Best Group Blog or LJ Community</b>: <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/">Boing Boing</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="diggerdydum">, <a href="http://www.feministe.us/blog/">Feministe</a>, <a href="http://blogs.feministsf.net/">Feminist SF</a>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/languagelog/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/">Language Log</a></span> <b>Prettiest Blog Design</b>: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="claire_wain">, <a href="http://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/">Archosaur Musings</a>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/devils_kitchen/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://devilskitchen.me.uk/">Devil's Kitchen</a></span>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="ginasketch">, <a href="http://mezzoblue.com/">Mezzoblue</a> <b>Geekiest Blog</b>: <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/antipope_fd/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/index.html">Charlie Stross</a></span>, <a href="http://stephenfry.com/blog/">Stephen Fry</a>, <a href="http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/">Strange Maps</a>, <a href="http://svpow.wordpress.com/">SV-POW!</a>, <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/">Tetrapod Zoology</a> <b>Best Dead Tree-Based Blog</b>: <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/bad_science/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://www.badscience.net/" title="by Ben Goldacre">Bad Science</a></span>, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree">Comment is Free</a>, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?menuId=5705&menuItemId=-1&view=HEADLINESUMMARY2&grid=F7&targetRule=10">James May</a>, <a href="http://marksteel.info/">Mark Steel</a>, <span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/sleep_rd_blog_f/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/cyberclinic" title="Rhodri Marsden's">Cyberclinic</a></span> <b>Wittiest Blog</b>: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="annajaneclare">, <a href="http://www.mitchbenn.com/blog/">Mitch Benn</a>, <a href="http://pinkdogster.blogspot.com/">Pink Dog Blog</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="pink_weasel">, <a href="http://richardherring.com/warmingup">Richard Herring</a> <b>Male Blogger I Would Most Like to Have Sex With</b>: <a href="http://loveandliberty.blogspot.com/">Alex Wilcock</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="badhabits6882">, <a href="http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/">James Graham</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="matgb">, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="monolithix"> <b>Female Blogger I would Most Like To Have Sex With</b>: <lj site="livejournal.com" user="haloskitten">, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="innerbrat">, <a href="http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/">Olivia Judson</a>, <lj site="livejournal.com" user="steerpikelet">/<span style='white-space:nowrap;'><a href='http://syndicated.livejournal.com/PennyRed_fd/profile'><img src='http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/syndicated.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0pt none;' /></a><a href="http://pennyred.blogspot.com/" title="">Penny Red</a></span>/<a href="http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/author/lauriep/" title="Liberal Conspiracy">Laurie Penny</a>, <a href="http://diblemming.blogspot.com/">Steph Ashley</a></small></lj-cut> [<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/poll/?id=1243314">Poll #1243314</a>]</lj-cut>

Linkspam for 23-8-2008

• Bad Science — Think yourself thin!
  How weird is this? If you think you live a healthy lifestyle, your body responds as if you do, but if you think you don';t, it degrades, EVEN IF YOU ACTUALLY DO. Mind over matter. Gotta love Dr Ben
  (tags: placebo health)
• Penny Red: Bipolitics and the fourth wave
  The politics of bisexuality, an older post from Laurie that I had saved to link to but never actually did
  (tags: sexuality equality bisexuality)
• Coding Horror: XP Automatic Update Nagging
  Turning off that annoying nag when there's a reboot due. FFS, if I could reboot now I would, piss off and let me do it when I want.
  (tags: windows xp tweaks)
• The Truth about Web Navigation (by Jeremy Zawodny)
  Short answer: real people don't use the Address Bar. They just google. Even if what they're looking for is, well, Google. Maybe Firefox and the uber-bar will help change that? Maybe? Please?
  (tags: usability browsers navigation)
• More than a "little hill" - Feministing
  The clitoris, a users guide. MY careful empirical research has me convinced that some are more sensitive than others...
  (tags: sexuality)
• The Lego Mega-Guide: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lego
  Exactly what it says on the tin. Yes, having a 5 year old is a good excuse to spend time in the lego section looking at the prices in horror...
  (tags: lego toys)
• On open marriage | Life and style | The Observer
  I'm thinking someone at the Guardian/Observer is poly, they seem to run a fair few articles like this, softening things up a bit. Regardless, I approve.
  (tags: polyamoury relationships)
• At last, a sensible way to measure poverty —Tim Harford
  Tim on the Rowntree report, approvingly. I think I concur, poverty can't just be based on the old 'dollar a day' measure, even Adam Smith would've disputed that. But then that old lefty has frequently been misinterpreted by fools.
  (tags: economics poverty joseph+rowntree)
• Tor.com / Science fiction and fantasy / Stories / After the Coup by John Scalzi
  Free short story from Scalzi on Tor's new super SF siteâ”still haven't found the time to read it but still, worth linking to.
  (tags: john+scalzi fiction tor)
• I Can't Draw Feet — June 26, 2008
  Unexpected results from the Hadron collider. I giggled
  (tags: humour webcomics science)