Saturday, November 3, 2007

Lund "At Large" at Keloland

[note: I added text to photo above]. I got Hemmingsen's blog in here. So, it was a good time to get Doug Lund's blog in as well since both are sitting on the Keloland site. Like Hemmingsen's blog, this one is a mixture of stuff..hard to describe. Lund always seemed to me to be a bit of a loose cannon at KELO news, but he might describe himself as a dedicated journalist without a hint of rascal kid poking through the journalist veneer. I suspect Lund might be wondering how he can have worked for so many years and still think like he is just getting into his first car. I get the feeling about once a year..well maybe a few dozen times a year that there just can't be so many years between my birth and the current date but no sense not writing like I feel instead of the way the calendar and those around me now and then act. Well, as you may have guessed, I really don't know anything worth writing about Doug Lund's blog, but whatever..it is both entertaining and informative. New Window LINK to Lund at Large at KELOLAND

Hemmingsen "weighs in" at Keloland

Steve Hemmingsen may not be the grandfather of blogs in SD, but he is probably the grandfather of Keloland News retired newsmen. He knows how to find a good story for his blog and knows how to take good photos. And if he can't find a good story, he knows how to turn an average story into a good story. Steve's blog is good and his posts don't seem to fit a pattern. His posts can be about just about anything, but always worth reading.
New Window LINK to Hemmingsen Weighs in Blog

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Lefty Blogs Aggregator for South Dakota

Lefty Blogs for South Dakota aggregates RSS feeds from a number of "lefty" blogs in South Dakota and puts a few words from each post it decides fits its tests. Also indicates how many people pick those posts to read at the actual blog. In the link list are also links to "lefty blogs" in all 50 states. If you have the time, the links are here to keep you busy. On the other hand if you want a quick scan of the current "lefty" blogs in SD this is also a good place for a quick check.
New Window Link to Lefty Blogs of South Dakota

Friday, October 12, 2007

South Dakota Magazine Blog

Most South Dakotans have seen a copy of South Dakota Magazine on a magazine rack or a coffee table or have or are subscribing to it, so you might have a good idea of what you will find at South Dakota Magazine Blog. Those not familiar with either should check the blog and subscribe to the magazine if you really have an interest in South Dakota. Bernie Hunhoff and his staff put together a homespun interesting and even often beautiful magazine..some of that spills into the blog site. My only complaint is that the photos there never link to a larger version. Minor gripe however. So take a look.
New Window LINK to South Dakota Magazine Blog

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

USDedu Blogs ..Blog Server

The Department of Education at USD provides a blog system. A whole lot of blogs under one heading not a predictable mixture..everything from education technique and issues to politics with none of them necessarily approved or not by the U of South Dakota. So check it. A blog smörgåsbord with a few tasty delights and some chewy dense stuff.
New Window LINK to Many Blogs at USD EDU Blog Server

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Democracy in Action Blog

The Democracy in Action blog is subtitled "Women working for a better world". That doesn't mean it should not be read by males however. Generally liberal and usually thought-provoking. Multiple authors and contributors. Moderated comments (by Melanie Sekellick and Patti Martinson). State and national perspectives, but focused also on the Rapid City area. Blog is associated with an organization aimed apparently at "doing" as well as just talking and writing.
New window LINK for Democracy in Action Blog

Sunday, October 7, 2007

SD Moderate Blog

At last, I get the South Dakota Moderate blog by Bob Schwartz. Months ago..well maybe a year or so..I had the best of all possible intentions to get this blog into another bloglist. Alas, it was not until this week that I got around to copying the masthead and getting it in here. But, truth be told Schwartz rattled my cage at Dakota Today. You can too if you think you have a blog of your own or another to add here. The SD Moderate blog is sort of centrist politically, but often has non-partisan and non-political posts as well. So check SD Moderate today and don't forget it. You will find links to a lot of sites there including a few to other blogs and sites made by Bob Schwartz.
New Window LINK to South Dakota Moderate Blog

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Rant a Bit by Scott Hudson Blog

I must confess the type on this blog was nearly unreadable the first time I looked at it. It is better now. Scott Hudson does rant a bit on the local conditions and general lunacy in Sioux Falls. He also has music on his blog. Me thinks it is for a different generation than mine however. Check it as an indicator that South Dakota has a broad spectrum of blogs even if there still aren't very many of them here.
New Window LINK for Rant a Bit Blog

The Minus Car Project Blog

The Minus Car Project Blog is Michael Christensen's greenish blog reporting his experience in his attemt to replace a a lot of car miles with some mixture of bicycle miles and car miles. Check this blog for a working attempt to reduce environmental impact resulting simply from we humans occupying space here. Lots of links to cyclist blogs and sites, environmental issues, etc. Check this blog even if you aren't a dedicated tree hugger searching for grub in the ground in an area miles from other humans.
New Window LINK for The MInus Car Project Blog

AC Ellis Photography Blog

AC Ellis photography blog is coming to you from Brookings, SD. Samples of professional photography mostly of local people...weddings, etc. Interesting anyway and a break from the blogs most of us write with miles of text. Cory Ann Ellis is showing some of her photography and of course in the process selling her work, but I suspect more than a few people visiting this blog will be saying something like, "OOOOhh, isn't that cute!" or "Hmmm, wonder what that is?" So, enjoy yourself for a few minutes now and then at this photography Blog.
New Window LINK for A.C. Ellis Photography Blog

Richard Harter's World -- a Bloglike Webpage

OK, this site isn't a Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, or any other kind of a blog system based website. Nope looks like it is a hand-coded log of personal observations, editorials photos, humor etc collected for the past 10 years. Perhaps "tepidly" bloggish, but close enough for this collection. Probably gives a good indication of what could be done before "blogs" became the poorman's CMS system. With all the stuff on this site, nearly everybody should be able to find something interesting, funny, amusing, or just plain worth reading...of course there is a lot of other stuff there too. Thanks for Bernie Hunhoff of SD Magazine for noting this comparatively unknown gem of a site.
New Window LINK to Richard Harter's World Blog(like)

Friday, October 5, 2007

Progressive Republican Blog


If you can see the image, you know this is a Republican site and if you read the fine print, you find "Commentary on current events with a dash of humor from a curious student of human and political behavior."

Unfortunately, he apparently hasn't found much fitting the criteria since July. It would be good for South Dakota if the progressive Republicans would say more and some of the other kind would say a lot less and think about it too. I probably shouldn't jab anybody about not spouting off regularly enough. I am finding a number of "South Dakota Blogs" that are very dormant. I suspect many people start them and then find it takes a lot of time to build up any kind of readership. Blog analytics can be a tad bit depressing. Well, log into this blog a few times and maybe the author will rouse like Rip Van Winkle...
New window LINK for Progressive Republican Blog

Republic Insider Blog

A year or more later than some of the so-called Mainstream media in South Dakota, the newspaper Mitchell Daily Republic found that their readers liked a temporary blog on a bonding issue, and have decided to make it a regular feature of their paper. The "About" area has this "This Daily Republic blog is moderated by Seth Tupper, the newspaper's city reporter and assistant editor. The Daily Republic reserves the right to remove any posts that its editors find to be obscene or libelous, so please keep it civil."
You can get to this new blog via Http://www.mitchellrepublic.com or you can use the link below which may get you there directly. A newspaper blog that isn't in Rapid City or Sioux Falls may fill a hole in the SD bloglandscape. Watch it grow or make it grow.
New Window LINK to Republic Insider Blog

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

BOJ News Service Blog

BOJ News Service is the creation of the poster calling himself "Blind Orange Julius" when he posted comments at Mt.Blogmore. He has some South Dakota roots, but found a decent job in Wyoming I think. Even so, let us consider this to be a South Dakota blog..at least in spirit. The specialty at BOJ NEWS is photography, but not because they are pretty pictures...more like photo cartoons..phototoons perhaps. My first comment about his blog should be repeated, "...uses his graphics talents for truly evil purposes. He points out foibles... there just isn't any more evil thing to do by yourself...". Warning..not for the faint heart or the easily offended..er well..perhaps especially for the easily offended..yah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Check his blog, but be prepared to laugh out loud.
New Window LINK to BOJ News Service

Prairie Roots Blog

Prairie Roots blog is pretty much planted as a close neighbor to Madville Times. Not to be too cute about it, Erin is Cory's wife. Her blog emphasizes sustainability while practicing permanence on the great plains. Her profile suggests she has at least two full-time jobs, but not quite said that way. But, check her blog. I guess if you can find her blog you can find his and vice versa...so check their interesting linklists too.
New Window LINK to Praire Roots Blog

Blue Note Blog

The Blue Note blog seems to be one of the poorest named blogs in South Dakota. It suggests music or porn and it is none of that. This if the official South Dakota Democratic Party Blog. It is edited by staff of Democratic Party..more or less rarely apparently. It appears any news analysis function has been shifted to the Bad Lands Blue Blog mentioned in a previous post here. But, don't be turned off by the name. Check here once a month or so and see if there is still a pulse. I suppose I should now search for an official SD Republcan Party blog, but suspect that too can wait awhile without missing much.
New Window LINK for Blue Note Blog by SD Dems

Haggard News Blog

This is a blog I just never quite got into my RSS feeds or reader. Never mind that, here is the data from Haggard News "About": Haggs ,Canton, South Dakota I'm an idependent guy who enjoys discussion of politics and stuff on the internet.
The header image indicates..well you can read it too..."A Progressive Blog". Today it looks like discussion of SD news and local Canton, SD. news and views. So, get another moderate progressive view on some areas of South Dakota and stuff interesting to South Dakotans. Haggard News has been online since 2006. Categories suggest an eclectic taste in stuff. Somewhat less than very regular posting however.
New Window LINK to Haggard News Blog

Voices at Argus Leader Blog

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader papers has tried a number of things bloglike, but their current Voices Blog may be getting it right..a tad bit more like the RC Journal's Mt. Blogmore. Looks like the writers are regulars in the dead tree version of the paper. Patrick Lalley, Matt Okerlund, David Kranz, Sheri Levisay, Tiffany Leach, and Nestor Ramos...at least those names show up on posts today. It is a regular newspaper blog, so the issues here tend to following the local, state, and national issues the paper includes as news. I'm sure some of the writers have their own partisan or ideological preferences, but I also suspect the intent is to stay pretty much middle of the road or at least balance one issue with another of the opposite stripe. The Voices blog can be especially effective if a particularly hot ongoing issue is being discussed or a court case is being held, etc...so, another blog worth checking on regularly. Comments are allowed.
New Window LINK to Argus Leader's VOICES blog

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Madville Times Blog

Cory Allen Heidelberger Lake Herman, South Dakota, United States has been editing Madville Times for a few months or a year. Easy to lose track of time when blog years are the equivalent of ...er..5 years of herding cat years or something like that. More seriously, Heidelberger covers the news around Madison, SD and Dakota State U pretty well and intelligently discusses many local and state issues...some issues in very good detail.
So, worth keeping track of the tracks at Madville Times...no it is not Mudville Times just because it is close to a lake.
New Window LINK to Madville Times

Holabird Advocate Blog

You will just have to look at the Holabird Advocate Blog. I haven't figured out how to describe it. People not from South Dakota might want to know that there is a Holabird, SD. somewhere between Pierre and Huron, South Dakota and it has a population of..well, I don't know. Our SD map doesn't show a population for Holabird. Maybe it disappears when the writer and his family turn out the lights. For some reason the Holabird blog does not load correctly in Firefox Browser...kind of sprawls across the screen...but check the blog for a change of pace....shifting down into a lower gear on Highway 14...
New Window Link to Holabird Advocate

Black Marks on Wood Blog

Corey Vilhauer writes at his Black Marks on Wood blog. Even so it is all pixels, but of a literate nature. He says he started the blog to post his writing, but the blog evolved into book reviews and generally good writing. This is a blog not quite like all overtly political blogs I have listed. A bit like the Prairie Progressive but somewhat different, tone, and interests. Take a look at it.
New Window LINK to Black Marks on Wood Blog

Dakota Voice Blog

Dakota Voice blog has a collection of writers including Columnists - Bob Ellis, Carrie K. Hutchens, Gordon Garnos, John W. Whitehead,Ken Korkow, Paul Scates, and Raymond J. Keating. Check the link lists, and with the exception of a few in the SD Blog list, they are very much conservative, fundamentalist, and/or Republican. This is a blog that should open with a church bell as an audio device. But check it anyway. It will give you some idea of what a more literate "Sibson Online" might be. Don't expect to see logic in its finest forms however. Bob Ellis has no reluctance to twist facts and ignore them in the interests of an argument..even if that argument is irrelevant, but appears to be somewhat significant. Read Carefully. Moderated comments are accepted..even a few from yours truly have darkened the blog.

New Window LINK for Dakota Voice Blog

Monday, October 1, 2007

Progressive on the Prairie Blog

A Progressive on the Prairie is actually a lawyer in Sioux Falls, but he has the prairie perspective with an erudite twist. The blog started as mostly progressive politics, but the author became more interested in posting about books, videos, movies, TV, blogs, etc and reviewing them from a progressive perspective. A Prairie Progressive fills a big hole in the prairie blogosphere rather than piling more mud the huge pile already made by expressly political blogs regularly blowing smoke and tossing mud. Moderated comments and regular updates. The guy gets more read, heard and viewed in a week than I do in a year.
New Window LINK to A Progressive on the Prairie Blog

SD Straight Talk Blog

SD Straight Talk Blog has been running for a year or so. It is edited by Joel Rosenthal who has had a lot of experience in South Dakota Republican politics and SD business. Check his "About Me" for more information. His perspective seems to be mostly nearly sensible middle of the road Republican. He is interested in more than politics however and his blog is worth checking. He also gets posts into the KELOLAND blog aggregator. Check this blog and SD War College and you might have as good an idea of what current GOP thought is that is possible without being one of them on the inside. So, if you are interested in old guard, new guard, Janklow, Pressler, etc GOP politics, you can't ignore these blogs even if I am not sure that Republican SD Straight Talk can be anything but an oxymoron..but then my bias and perspective is toward the other end of the political spectrum. Regular posts and moderated comments. A "Squarespace" blog.
New Window LINK to SD Straight Talk Blog.

Robbinsdale Radical Blog

Robbinsdale Radical blog is hiding in a Rapid City suburb apparently. The blog has been running for a year or so and specializes in civil rights issues and other liberal issues. Regular posts are made and moderated senisible comments are usually accepted.
New Window LINK to Robbinsdale Radical Blog

The Other Whirled Blog

And now something completely different..well almost... From the blog owners own description:

"what is the otherwhirled? i'm just having a bit of fun here...i wax towards the satirical, the acrimonious, the snarkery....our elected officials are my favorite targets. a photographer myself, i play upon what i believe to be the inherent editorialization which so many of the photographers and stringers on the political beat capture ...i live in the general vicinity of sioux falls, south dakota..."

Also a warning not to take much of anything there seriously. Satirists always say that, but not sure I believe them. Have a little fun. Check the photography and the photography fun manipulations. Comments allowed by "commander other".
New Window LINK to The Otherwhirled Blog

Badlands Blue Blog

If you have forgotten the "red and blue states" of last election coverage, this is another reminder of party fixation on that "blue". No mistake about it, this is a Democratic Blog started a few months ago. Posts are by "Lowell", but there is a poltical advertising disclaimer at the bottom of the page.."Paid for and authorized by the South Dakota Democratic Party"
. But, you can get real news and information here whether or not you are a Democrat or a Republican. And, the disclaimer at BadLands Blue is a marked contrast to some of the South Dakota blogs in the last election which were more or less bought if not paid for by the Thune campaign or Republican organizations, but tried to maintain the idea they were just unbiased reporters of South Dakota Politics...as contrasted with the oh, so terrible "liberal media" in SD.

So, take a look at Badlands Blue..it is an honestly labeled contrast to a lot of other SD Blogs.

New Window LINK to Bad Lands Blue Blog

Sunday, September 30, 2007

SD War College Blog

South Dakota War College is Pat Power's attempt to help politically educate his Republican Party and educate or entertain the rest of us as well. SD War College is mostly sensible political issues now and then mixed with very partisan or ideological posts. Lots of comments and some of them make the blog posts themselves look positively bland. No doubt about it, this is a Republican tactics and issues blog, but done mostly in an agreeable way. Now and then PP gets a real plum of inside information that may catch the regular media and the rest of us by surprise. SDW is worth reading just to get something like the pulse of Republican politics in SD even when it is a corpse in need of a lot of resuscitation. So check it...it is "South Dakota Politics, Elections,Advertising, and rambling nonsense from a smart-aleck Republican"...and that is straight from the elephant's mouth (you can buy tee-shirts there too).
Open in New Window LINK to South Dakota War College

Sibby Online

Steve Sibson of Mitchell, SD as Sibby Online has been online for a few years "searching for truth". But from my perspective at least mostly searching in the wrong places-- places like Fox News, Rush Limbaugh's garbage dumps, World News Daily, etc. Mostly it has been impossible to post comments on any of Sibson's posts, but I noticed today that he had opened comments to a number of posts and some posts were generating a significant number of comments..both pro and con. I hope Steve has the time and patience to continue moderating the comments.

BUT, Steve seems to be transfixed by his idea that "secular humanists" are all commie pinkos who hate Christians, etc. etc. Steve has the courage to add his name to the posts and his comments at other blogs which is not the case with a lot of blog commenters in South Dakota. See his blog mostly for a perspective generally from the very, very far right. Steve now and then has a post of comment that requires at least a minute or two of thought and consideration or serious rebuttal.
New Window LINK for Sibby Online

SD Watch Blog

Todd Epp has a number of blogs. SD Watch may have begun as "ThuneWatch", but became more general including some of Epp's lawyerly posts. Epp has a background in professional media being with SD Public Broadcasting often reporting from the State Capitol and then added a law degree. He has also consulted with political campaigns. Posts at his blog are not predictable as to content or perspective even if generally from a generally cautious but very liberal and Democratic perspective. Epp's SD Watch is also one of the blogs aggregated at KELOLAND as indicated in a previous post. Comments are moderated. Plan on closing a few aggravating popup and popbehind ad windows however.
New Window LINK to SD Watch Blog

South Dakota Politics Blog

South Dakota Politics blog has a checkered past (see Old Version of SD Politics) and present. Specialization here has been attacks on Sen. Daschle. Some fueled by use of now discredited "Jeff Gannon" of "Talon News". It now includes posts by Dustin Adams, Ken Blanchard, Jon Schaff, and Jason Heppler. Read their "What They're Saying About SDP" endorsements, note the list of blogs in "The Dakota Alliance of Blogs" and there is no doubt about the Republican and rightwing orientation of the place. It is one of the blogs that has posts in the KELOLAND political blog aggregator. Usually well-written, but no doubt about the direct connections to the the Mighty Wurlitzer of the RNC and associated media, and most likely now as before with John Thune office and organization. But then you might want to take my comments on this blog with a grain of salt. Right now they happen to be attacking me.
No comments usually or ever allowed as far as I know.
New Window LINK to South Dakota Politics

Northern Valley Beacon Blog

David Newquist has had a blog or two going for at least a couple of years. Newquist is not bashful about expressing his opinions which usually have a strong Democratic Populist taking no prisoners slant. The Aberdeen SD Blogger has a strong journalism background and routinely blasts some of the blather the rest of us present in our blogs in his crusade to either indicate why many or most political blogs aren't actually journalism or reasons for skewering the posts. Comments are allowed but moderated.

Take a look if you want a very literate and idiosyncratic view of Democratic policies and SD blogs.
New Window LINK to Northern Valley Beacon Blog

KELOland Political Blog Aggregator

The first post I put here in SD Blogland mentioned a coming revolution in South Dakota blogging. Well, now you and I know what it was and is. It really is a revolution of sorts because an established South Dakota media giant has recognized the reading value of political blogs that aren't necessarily written by Doug Lund or Steve Hemmingsen (I'll give them a plug in another post).

Blogs collected in this handy and visible one place at KELOLAND, now include Todd Epp of the SDWatch/ThuneWatch Blog, Ken Blanchard of the SD Politics Blog, Jon Schaff also apparently at SD Politics Blog, Bob Schwartz of SD Moderate Blog, David Newquist of Northern Valley Beacon Blog, Joel Rosenthal of SD StraightTalk Blog, and Pat Powers of SD War College Blog. An interesting mixture. More on all those blogs in later posts. But, if you want a quick read on a few of the SD Political blogs, check the KELO Political Blogs aggregator.
New Window LINK to KELOLAND Blog Aggregator

Mt. Blogmore Blog

Mt. Blogmore is a project of the Rapid City Journal. The faces of the "gods" of Mt. Blogmore are Bill Harlan, Kevin Woster, Scott Aust..three reporters and columnists and Mary Garrigan is now RC Journal Editorial page editor. The cast of "gods" generating the smoking posts has changed since Mt. Blogmore was started in September of 2004 and so has the cast of commenters...even though the some of the actors behind some of the characters have played multiple roles.
Mt. Blogmore is the "Gorilla" of South Dakota blogs. It has a very interesting mix of posts and comments and now and then the research resources of a newspaper. It makes a difference. Nothing else quite like it in South Dakota and for all I know it may be a "oner" in the whole country. Obviously aimed at adult readers, but now and then the censorship is a bit prissy and now and then the delay between comment writing and actual posting introduces odd discontinuities in the discussion. Perspective of primary posters leans toward the conservative side, but pays homage now and then to balance. Worth a regular check if you are interested in South Dakota politics and there are links on the page to the RC Journal and their other blogs. Moderated comments allowed.
New window LINK to Mt. Blogmore Blog

Saturday, September 29, 2007

HogHouse Blog

Denise Ross wrote for the RC Journal and now and then salted and peppered Mt. Blogmore. She left the RC Journal and not too long after that started her HogHouse Blog. Those not familiar with SD legislative practice should check her blog for the story of a legislative process called the "HogHouse". Anyway, her blog is worth checking on nearly every day because she knows what to scratch and which sores to pick. She appears to spare no side of anything from her journalistic investigation. Her blog shows her connections and her trained skills. Her blog is a slightly different breed of cat. She discusses politics and current events, but without any obviously apparent biases other than perhaps against folly. Moderated comments. Of course, YMMV.
New Window LINK for Hog House Blog

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Ideal News and Views Blog


The Ideal News and Views Blog was started by Lowdon date. His blog discusses South Dakota news and politics, but centers discussion on the Ideal, SD area and community with photos from the area and a ranching, farming, pioneer perspective. Now and then he presents novel ideas or topics and photographs. Has a WWII veteran perspective as well as a history of Democratic Party experience. Target Audience probably adult, but OK for children as well.

New Window LINK to Ideal News and Views Blog

Dakota Today Blog


Dakota Today was started date by Douglas Wiken. Comments are allowed. Politics is primary focus, but other topics regularly covered are photography, agriculture, South Dakota, government, education, science, technology, computing, software, health, and news from the area around Winner, SD. This is a TypePad blog.

New Window LINK to Dakota Today Blog

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Stay Tuned for the Coming Revolution in BlogLand

Actually, not much new just yet. This is frankly kind of a place holder until I figure out what to do with it for sure.

Stay tuned anyway.

Note the labels on this post. the 1, 2, etc labels are for alphabetic searching for blogs. See the side column.