http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1999770,00.html

The list of the "Best Blogs of 2010" is a hodge podge of things I'm familiar with, things I've heard of, and new (to me) discoveries.  PostSecret and The Oatmeal have been staples of my internet diet for quite some time now.  They're the sort of website I don't need to check every day, but rather every so often, when I have five minutes to kill.  They fill a nice little niche, along with a few web comics, specifically XKCD.

Of the many blogs that have wormed their way into my consciousness while failing to make too great of an impression, Cake Wrecks, Shit My Kids Ruined, and Pitchfork made the list.  I don't really see the need to visit Cake Wrecks more than once (I have plenty of my own baking incidents to remember) but a friend of mine (whose mother is starting her own business as a pastry chef) absolutely loves it.  It has its audience; I'm just not a member.  Shit My Kids Ruined is also worth a look, but clearly appeals to parents and not the children who cause the chaos.  As one who has matured beyond the shit ruining stage relatively recently, I hesitate to show my mom the site, as it may bring up too many family stories I'd rather forget.  But I'd certainly point it out to a friend's mom, assuming my friend has a sense of humor and doesn't take to revenge.  Pitchfork is also a decent blog.  The only reason it isn't being added to the list of sites I frequent is that I prefer not to know too much about things I'm consuming.  This trait manifests itself through my reluctance to read nutrition labels, my ignorance of where my clothes were made, and now, my ambivalence towards an otherwise fantastic blog.  I simply prefer my music mixed with a healthy dose of ignorance.

Among the discoveries, my favorite, by far, is Double X.  It is smart, well-written, and often funny.  Double X focuses on news and publications of interest to women.  I was highly skeptical of this description at first, as women tend to be quite a conglomeration of disparate groups, if I do say so myself.  However, the blog wisely limits itself to targeting women likely to be on the internet reading any blog at all, thus narrowing their demographic to a more manageable size.  Still, within that group are a lot of variances to be dealt with.  Double X's appeal is that it also contains a lot of variation.  The team of writers churns out several posts a day, aiming some at feminists, others at mothers, conservatives, liberals, movie-goers, or TV watchers.  The blog's aesthetic is simple yet pleasing, and not at all distracting from the information.  My biggest criticism is that I could not for the life of me find a way to subscribe to the blog.  After several minutes of searching, the feeling that I must just be missing it began to grow, and I gave up before that feeling morphed into the idea that I am foolish.  

After reviewing Time's list of the "Best Blogs of 2010", I am relatively pleased with the blogs they recognized.  The overrated blogs were called out for it, and the more noteworthy got their props.  However, this list has the same problem that most such lists have: timing.  The list was published at the end of June, not even half-way through the year.  What will they do if the writer of one of the blogs goes bat shit crazy between now and December, thus drastically affecting the good to crap ratio of the blog?  Will they print a retraction?  I'd love to see that blurb, apologizing for prematurely calling a blog worthy.