In the August 2004 issue Philadelphia magazine published its annual round-up, the “Best of Philly 2004,” the glossy monthly’s late-summer gift to advertisers.

Neither the article nor the issue is yet on line, but I’m pleased to report that in the section “best of media, sports, and politics,” written by someone named Tom McGrath, Philadelphia named Jessica Pressler of PW: Philadelphia Weekly best “newspaper columnist (slightly ridiculous),” a well-intentioned accolade, I think, but regardless, one richly deserved. (Pressler has been mentioned, only positively of course, at Rittenhouse several times in the past.)

“Better than anyone,” McGrath writes, “Pressler pokes fun at the misplaced excesses of the city’s scenesters and the idiocies of its media (ourselves included)” (p. 157).

Philadelphia didn’t select a best local blog, exactly. Instead, the very same Tom McGrath gave something called “atrios.blogspot.com,” also, and more accurately, known as Eschaton, a weblog written by someone sort-of named “Atrios,” a “Best of Philly” award for best “place to visit if you hate George Bush” (p. 156).

In so doing, McGrath observed, “There’s no weblog about Philadelphia that’s worth reading . . . ,” a remark I’m taking as either an insult, an oversight, or a compliment. I’ll get back to you. By next August, I promise.

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