Continuing on from Part I, here are the rest of the winners. I made some edits to the last entry, so you can check those out. All in all, it’s been a great awards season. Congratulations to all the Bests! You guys deserve it.
Now back to the show.
Your One Stop Reading Resource
The title of this blog stakes a pretty strong claim. But does it live up to the hype? Browse around the older entries, and you’ll see that it does. Sports, politics, movies, random amusing stories… this site has it all. Where else on the Web would you go to find all of this on one blog?
Januel Nalupta is intelligent, witty, and above all, humorous. Who could forget the Cricket-eating entry, or the Chuck-Lidell encounter. I don’t know why this isn’t a top-50 blog, but I could totally see this as water cooler talk at every office in America. It would go something like, “Did you read One Stop today?” or, “Did you read that One Stop where he ate ——?”
Januel undeniably has a talent for writing content that appeals and entertains the masses. With a blog like One Stop, maybe there really only needs to be one blog on The Roll, and one Snailbest awarded. After all, where else do we need to go?
Favorite Entry(s):
Click the links. You’ll see why.
Snail’s Bite: I love this blog so much. I just wish it would get more traffic! I’d suggest considering a move to Blogger. Here you’ll get more traffic while still keeping the same feel of Xanga. You could also find a layout that accentuates your text-based entries, which are the best part of your blog. Like I said, this blog could easily garner a cult-like following on the net with the right amount of exposure.
Jmotive
Jmotive is the creative outlet of Mary Grace Pingoy. I’ve been talking web-geek with MG since college, when we both worked on the Go4Gold site together. Way back then, she was my inspiration to get my own domain, and (try to) think up a name as cool as Jmotive. If it weren’t for her, Snailbites (and my career!) might not even exist!
The first word that comes to mind when I think of Jmotive is color. And lots of it. I always tell people that MG has excellent taste in color palettes. Everything blends together perfectly and accents the inspirational text of her entries. If you scroll back through her past redesigns, you’ll see what I’m talking about. All of the aesthetics, in addition with her large fan base, make Jmotive one of the most welcoming spots on the Web.
Favorite Entry: Wednesday, March 2, 2005 7:36 PM
Had to go way back for this one. This entry tells a beautiful story that few people in the world would be able to tell in the first person. Short, simple and powerful, two paragraphs are all that are needed to open our eyes to a world bigger than ourselves.
Snail’s Bite: I know I’ve told you this a million times, but you should move to WordPress 
Or some other CMS, like Expression Engine or Movable Type. You’d be able to learn a whole lot and archiving is simpler. Even without it though, your site is still awesome.
RichTu
I’ve known RichTu since that awkward teenage puberty phase. I would go to his house back then and he would draw anime characters on scrap paper. I’d always try to copy it and I never could. So I would tell him he should go into art, and finally years later, he’s diligently earning his Masters in Illustration at SVA.
This kid is a genius. The blog doesn’t just show art pieces, but takes you into the mind of an artist. There’s no frills or anything unnecessary. It gives exactly what you’d expect: beautiful art, and the logic behind it. I come here often to get inspired, and also to get humbled. I like to think that by reading RichTu, we can all do the same, and bring out the artist in all of us. If nothing else, window shopping is entertaining enough.
Favorite Entry: Wednesday, August 6, 2008
I actually decided to not pick an entry with original art. This entry gets my pick, because it shows exactly why this blog is amazing. I look at the book and I see disorders. RichTu looks at the book and sees art. Insight is what makes RichTu great, and it is all over this post.
Snail’s Bite: I’d add links to Subscribe and Portfolio in the sidebar. I think as you graduate and become a rockstar designer, you will very easily develop a following.
Witness
Witness is a simple blog with a powerful message. This blog does exactly what it is named to do. It is never preachy or commanding. It simply inspires and uplifts by living a life of holy integrity, and blogging about it. No, this isn’t a place of bragging and patting on the back. It’s a place where lessons are learned, and God shows His face.
Witness surprises you sometimes with its stories of faith. Katrina Galsim, the author, writes just as she lives her life: joyful, funny, honest. And then, out of nowhere, she shows this serious side of devout holiness. The balance between both sides paint a very real picture of a your average young adult seeking Christ in every day life.
Favorite Entry: Your Glory Goes Beyond All Fame
This entry really surprised me. It was so honestly and perfectly Catholic. The quotes and everything add to an intelligent and personal experience with divine grace.
Snail’s Bite: You have so many great pictures in your Picassa. A photo entry once in a while would be awesome.
Yodamita!
I love this blog. I really do. Yodamita is run by Lisa Sanchez, a former coworker of mine, who now teaches English in Japan. That alone is good material for an interesting read. But combine that with her entertaining and albeit, quirky personality, and you’ve found yourself in the world of Yodamita.
Reading Yodamita is like talking to Lisa. “First this, and then this, and then this – but yay!” There was the classic commentary on Japanese inward feet, and the hilarious introspection on Lisa’s acute sense of smell. And at times, there is the random personal entry that makes you step back and think and pray along with the author. Entertainment is the key word here. Check it out with a bowl of Ramen and you will not be disappointed.
Favorite Entry: It’s Been a Good Week. Hooray!
Listening to J-Pop and checking out pictures of good times in Japan made me feel right at home. This one in particular show exactly why people come to this blog. Fun, adventurous, and Japanese – I love it!
Snail’s Bite: The best part of this blog, is the American perspective of Japanese quirkiness. More of that would be awesome. And I think we’d all love to see more street photos of crazy Japanese stuff. You also might wanna check out this plugin.
So that’s that! I hope you all enjoyed this year’s awards. Stay tuned for the March for Life wrapup and my long-awaited post-engagement reaction, all on draft. Also, I am pleasantly surprised at the response to the poll. Could this have an effect on our decision process…?
Lastly, to all the Snailbests, remember this when you don’t know what to write and your comments are dwindling: someone is reading your blog! You guys are the best. In fact, you are the Snailbests, for 2009. Congratulations!