Blogs flex their muscles

A multi-authored story in The Observer (London), Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper, this past weekend lists "the world's 50 most powerful blogs."

The list is subjective, of course, but there are no surprises in the Top 10. Except one (for me): Il Blog de Beppe Grillo Blog. Grillo is a comedian -- the George Carlin of Italy, I guess -- and political commentator whose blog criticizes corruption and financial scandal in Italy... and makes one satirical suggestion after another, like requesting that Germany declare war on Italy to help its people.

Otherwise, like I said, no surprises. These are all much-trafficked and talked-about (English-language) blogs:

1. The Huffington Post
2. Boing Boing
3. TechCrunch
4. Kottke
5. Dooce
6. Perez Hilton
7. Talking Points Memo
8. icanhascheezburger
9. Il Blog de Beppe Grillo
10. Gawker

Over at Quick Study, critic and Inside Higher Ed columnist Scott McLemee notes that Crooked Timber -- an intellectual-blog aggregator to which he contributes -- is no. 33 on the Observer's Top 50 list. Crooked Timber is described as "a sort of global philosophical thinktank conducted via blog."

"We must try to remember to use our powers only for good," McLemee comments drily.