Monday, July 14, 2008
Daniel’s Spicy Charm - a note from the winner’s circle
Hello there Ubernet, and thanks for stopping by. Or - did you?
You know, I flatter myself to imagine that NOBODY READS THIS SITE. I have site-metering which disabuses me of this, in part - I can see that a few people do click through on a daily basis, though most of them seem to be looking for random weirdness of the sort I approximate but do not actually achieve (I do have my weirdness but the area of intersection with that of my searchers’ is usually fairly minimal). I also have a handful of actual readers, whom I thank and amply compensate with mailings of pixie stix and expired pharmaceuticals. But mostly, I figger, this place is as quiet and private a corner of cyberspace as an airplane bathroom is to the rest of the airplane. But, just as all airplane bathrooms are equipped with closed-circuit televisions (to entertain the cockpit crew), this blog is in fact somewhat less than totally private. In fact, people do sometimes stop by to consume my inky words even though I neither pay them to do so nor received a formal “request for permission” from them. The temerity of some people. Can you believe?
Well so it happens, I got an email from one of these “web surfers” - a wise and funny woman named, oh, let’s call her Lynne, whose site, GirlyShoes, is remarkable for its uncompromising attitude, profound social consciousness (and not in the boring way) and rigorous attention to grammar. Lynne and I even met in person once, down in South Florida where even the fish sweat, so she should know better than to believe the crap I launch from this-here site, but what the hell, she went and won herself an award and passed it along to me: the Arte y Pico, which I am advised is untranslatable so I Americanize it as the “Spicy Charm” award!
The idea of this award is to recognize blogs of unusual merit, and I qualify as “unusual” at least so I’m going to take the Arte and run, as they say. Lynne tagged me and four others as less worthless than some other blogs she’s accidentally read, and I’m still glowing from the compliment. But recipients of this prize are obliged to pass it forward five-fold, so now it’s my turn to turn you on to the blogs I consider “prize-worthy.” None of these good people know I’m gunning for them. (That’s how I get away with this crap.) However, I recommend, regardless of awards of merit or otherwise, that you check out these blogs if you get a chance. They’re all good and each in its way goes far to advance the apparent ethic of Arte y Pico: to reward creativity, design, interesting material, and contributions to the blogger community, regardless of language. Sounds pretty impressive, till you realize that I got one of these suckers. However, in an undoubtedly-successful effort to return Arte y Pico to the prestige to which it is entitled, I hereby nominate AND award the following bloggers:
AND THE WINNERS ARE:
Anne at Ample Sanity: who makes surfing the web an art form in itself, and whose commentary on interior life significantly enhances my own.
Teresa at Blue Coyote Laughing: whose photos-with-toy-cameras each deliver more value and meaning than any millions of megapixels I might wish to generate.
SJ at I Asshole: who never stops saying important things even when she’s making me squirt coffee out my nose, and who still has time to make her own liqueur, baked goods, and living chickens.
Chantel at Life and Times of Chantel: whose photos and words deliver me into a world where significance emerges from every experience.
Brandon at The Pen Is Mightier: whose… um… really, I can’t even tell you about this guy. His photos are supersaturated and amazing and his way with words is like a great chef’s way with knives.
Now, since I remain a lawyer at heart, I hereby post the rules for Arte y Pico:
* Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone (yes, you too).
* Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
* Each award bestower must post the rules for the awarding of this, um, award.
* Award-winners and -bestowers have to show the link for the Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
* Free cocktails for all prize-bestowers, to be sent along by all readers and recipients. (This was my own rule. Send all cocktails to me via my email address.)
Thanks, Lynne; this was fun. I appreciate the appreciation, and winning inspires me. In fact, I’m so inspired right now that I think I’ll take a nap. Man, victory is sweet! And so is nap-time! To the victor goes the snooze button!
