Jonathan Swift, ancient author and Whig, wrote a story about Gulliver's adventures. It was satire set against a backdrop of Lilliputian titches and gargantuan giants.

Satire is the literary weapon of choice of Jon Swift, MOTR conservative with a sense of humor (- a liberal, right?) He writes a humorous blog which appears to be physically small but perfectly formed. On closer inspection, however, it ranks as a giant when you scroll down his homepage.

The blog nuts and bolts

The actual site is a mix of slick and "ugly" web design, a description that should be taken as a double compliment! In a brilliant twist of form over function, as the site loads, the header keeps staring at you, imprinting on your mind the fact that John Swift gets his news from Fox, Limbaugh and Leno.

Meanwhile, like a drowning dog treading water, the rest of the blog content loads and loads and loads - including the "ugly part", thousands of clearly labelled links for easy access to all that has gone before.

Blog content

The witticisms and humor are flying all over his indepth and well-researched essays, and you have to keep alert not to miss the nuance and knife twisting going on. Rather like the Daring Fireball blog, when you reach the end you feel you deserve a drink. The brain has been given a good work out and on reflection, you have sensations going on just like after a cold bath - a glowy feeling of accomplishment that gives you the inner strength to go on and do ever better than before.

Super SEO or a need to have friends?

It is fair to say, then, that apart from his Amazon book reviews the length of Jon Swift's posts are way beyond the norm of the one-liner and mini paragraphic dispensations that seem to be the standard for a blog these days. Having said that, his real content is dwarfed by the sidebar content - blogrolls, adverts and rolls of honor, and titles of all posts over the last 12 months, and books, and more honorable mentions. This is what i refer to as "ugly" design with its almost overwhelming Craigs List librarianistic layout. However, look him up in Technorati and his tactic must serve a useful marketing purpose.

As lovers of prettiness, the crude link lists baffle us, but it doesn't annoy too many other folks, judging by the reaction of visitors ie they read his articles and leave comments AND vote for him in mega blog competitions.

Blog of the Year

As someone pointed out, being nominated for best humor blog and coming 4th is a much better outcome than winning - you get fame without the pressure. Maybe Jon Swift is a cold level-headed chap and doesn't react to attention and adulation, but it could be hard to remain the old Jon Swift if he had to carry the burden of an official title - the funniest blogger in the universe.

Can you imagine getting up every morning, like the winner, Sadly No!, having to be funny? Not a pretty thought as the sleep gums up your eyes and the cobwebs wrapped around your brain stifle any humor whatsoever. John Swift is surely blessed to be 4th, not living with super-funny bloggers in his shadow, pecking at his humorous heels, dying for him to lose his personality.

In conclusion

A merry Christmas holiday break / rest / end of December relapse to Jon Swift, and if he ever does get voted the best humormongering blog lord on earth, all the best to him - and hopefully he will find a worthy aide to do his ghost writing.