Tomorrow Mrs M and I are off to Macau, because it it's this easy, we've been wasting our time in Hong Kong. So I present an early and abridged version of the usual weekly linkfest that is Enemablog:

Blogs

My favourite Sarge is back online. Go say hi from me.

Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell have put together a serious academic paper on blogging and its influence on the political cycle. Dean Esmay expands on the subject, noting an important point the original paper seems to miss: that blogs influence key decision makers and big media journalists and the readership of the biggest blogs likely rivals many of the op-ed writers in more traditional media. James Joyner points to Michelle Malkin as an example of proving the paper's assetion there's room for new big political blogs. Jeff Jarvis also expands on big media and blogs and gives another example of blogs impacting on the political process.

Joe Gandelman has a good piece on the blogging of the conventions and defending blogs against big media, as does James Joyner, Classical Values, Matt Welch, Stephen Green and the Boi from Troy. NZ Bear makes a great point that bloggers are there to watch the journos themselves as much as to compete with them.

I've already mentioned her, but I'm going to do it again. Potentially NSFW, but worth investing the time to read: Weggly Woo's Pillowbook. Helen, you've got competition, especially now you're getting political on cave-men and all.

Anna's line of Creekside Soaps look and sound great. Anyone from Hong Kong interested in putting together an order?

Politics

Arthur Chrenkoff's regular round-up of good news in Iraq is always worth a read. It's so good it even made it into the Wall St Journal. Another Aussie making it big on the world stage.

New Zealand's got a new flag in light of its latest endorsement. One can only hope this is the exception rather than the rule. The kiwis soon may even become what's been de facto for a long time: a state of Australia.

Conrad has a thought-provoking post on the ethics and sense in not voting.

Kim du Toit talks about the 2 Americas.

Miscellany

In the economics department, Jane Galt argues efficent markets aren't yet dead whereas John Quiggin thinks they are.

RP talks about good times.

Might as well call of Miss America this year, Kevin's already found the winner.

Finally Rusty's had a big week: he's got both a new baby and a new blog! Update those bookmarks.