Tag: blogger award

Sunshine Blogger Award!

sunshine1Well, well, well… it’s blog award season again. Which means, time to nominate and be nominated for some new blogging award! My thanks to Jeff Whelan who did me the solid of nominating me, and my congratulations for those who will receive the nod from me, in just a moment…

sunshine-award11First things first. To quote Jeff Whelan, who in turn quoted Rolando of Rolando’s weebly (who in turn quotes someone else, apparently) the purpose of this award is to recognize people who “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” Wow, thanks! And I can think of several people I want to, just as soon as I answer the following questions:

  1. What is your passion?  Just one? Well, I love the written word. And I don’t mean that woosy thing called reading. It’s good, but my passion is in the creation thereof. Every time I read something good, see something good, or play something good, it sends me to my computer to write something similarly inspired!
  2. Favorite time of the year?  Summer, always. I love the heat, the feeling of nature reborn, the late evening, the backyard bbq and beer, and the fact that women walk around wearing less fabric.
  3. Favorite book?  1984. No matter how much time passes or how many other great books I’ve read, I always come back to this one. Orwell was a genius and tackled so much that was relevant in his time and of the human condition. Nothing else I know rivals it.
  4. Favorite movie?  Die Hard, or possibly Ong Bak. There’s something about a movie you can watch over and over, and which involves some serious, death-defying ass-kicking!
  5. Favorite animal?  I love animals in general, but I am decidely a cat person. I grew up with cats, my family fosters cats, and my current animal is Jasper, a cat who suffers from an overdose of personality!
  6. Favorite time of the day? Early evening. I love the energy of the time, between the workday and the night. It’s especially potent on Fridays, and I just like the feel of it for reasons I can’t fully describe.
  7. Favorite Flower? The Rose. It reminds me of my Carla, who’s middle name just happens to be Rose!
  8. Favorite nonalcoholic beverage?  I’m sorry, non-alcoholic?  Gee, I don’t know. I don’t do soft drinks and we aren’t allowed to have citrus-heavy drinks our house due to allergies. Give me… mineral water, please!
  9. Favorite physical activity?  Taekwon-Do. Been my religion and my principal means of stress relief since the age of 10.
  10. Favorite vacation? Eurotrip or Mayan Riviera! Any opportunity to see ancient ruins and immerse myself in a foreign culture that is famous for warm weather, oceans, and hospitable people.

And now that that is done, onto the ten nominees who “positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.” Here they are in no particular order:

  1. Dangerously Daydreaming: the site of world adventurer, foodie, cultural enthusiast, west-coaster and humanitarian, Audrey Johnson. I still envy her travel dossier, and someday I mean to go places and rub her nose in it for a change!
  2. Rami Ungar: the writer, student, and part-time activist who’s journey of learning, self-discovery, and activism for change inspires me all the time! I think this might by my third of fourth nomination of his site…
  3. Ye Old Soapbox: the perennial political ranter, avid left-winger, and man who’s annoyance and disrespect for the stupidity of right-wing politicians, lobbyists and talking heads humbles my own!
  4. Bucket List Publications: the website of Lesley Carter, a woman dedicated to living life to the fullest, and also travel, tourism, adventure and other such things!
  5. Rendezvous with Renee: the sparkly, super lady who pretty much channels the spirit of Marlyn Monroe and Amelia Earhart, with just a little Oprah Winfrey thrown in for good measure!
  6. 35andupcynicismonhold: the home of the positive and impressive lady who goes by the alias of “Cynicism on Hold”, and writes about life, experience, and the travails of growing, all the while seeking to keep cynicism at bay.
  7. abcofspirittalk: blogger, dancer, educator of humanity, spiritual medium, and spelunker of the collective unconscious; yeah, Carolyn pretty much does it all here!
  8. Writerlious: the site dedicated to the blogger and aspiring writer, art and culture enthusiast, fantasy reader, wife, mother, and dog owner Erin Brady Pike.
  9. idealisticrebel: the home of a social activist, counselor, former nurse, make-up artist, spiritualist, and (as the name suggest) idealistic rebel. As you can imagine, she inspires, and in more ways than one!
  10. Rigzen Chomo: the name means Feminine Ocean Holding Great Knowledge, in Tibetan. And as the name suggest, a woman of who seeks to convey the virtues of great patience, deep contemplation and profound education to all mankind. Need I say more?

Congrats all! Here’s to another round of awards and mounting recognition 😉 And here’s to a hale, hearty, healthy, prosperous, and even (if it’s too much to ask) profitable 2013!

Nominated for Blog of the Year 2012!

Blog of the Year Award 6 star jpegIt’s just an honor to be nominated! Actually, its wonderful to be part of a community of people who inspire you, appreciate you, and share themselves with you. Getting nominated for an award is just a reminder of this process, and that’s what really nice about it.

So thank you so much to Renee Heath and Carolyne Page, the lovely ladies who are responsible for my nomination. You do such great work and are such great people, I hope to live up to your standard!

Like all Blogger Awards, the 2012 BOTY has rules which must be followed. They are as follows:

  1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
  2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
  3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award – http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/our-awards/blog-of-the-year-2012-award/ and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!).
  4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them.
  5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience.
  6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar … and start collecting stars…!

Well then, here’s to the people I wish to nominate for this years “Blog of the Year”!

  1. Raven Lunatick – Science fiction, fantasy, and weird-stuff enthusiast, this woman and indie writer is a real go getter who regularly produces flash fiction and interesting articles on the world of weird and scary things! Also, her selfless dedication to protecting the rest of us from such literature as Fifty Shades of Grey cannot be under-appreciated. Man, this woman is a trooper!
  2. Rami Ungar – Dedicated indie writer, sci-fi fan and enthusiast of all things geeky, like me! Our paths are converging in many, weird ways, makes me think our destinies might be intertwined… spooky! And of course, he’s got a superhero alter ego – Revenger codename: Judgement!
  3. Audrey Johnson – World traveler, social activist, humanist and all around adventurer, there’s very little Audrey hasn’t seen and done, and hearing about it is a real treat 😉 Also, were it not for her constant encouragement, writers like me couldn’t produce.
  4. Nicola Higgins – Fellow writer, sci-fi geek, futurist and martial artist, Nicola is also a regular favorite of mine. And it’s not just because we have so much in common… necessarily 😉  Read her stuff, you’ll see what I mean!
  5. Lady Romp – Dedicated intellectual, fashionista, pop culture commentator, and speaker for women everywhere. Her philosophical investigations, social commentary and inspirational quotes are always interesting to read.
  6. Mike’s Craft Beer – One of the best reviewers of beer and craft brewing I’ve known who’s passion and knowledge for the malted nectar of the gods is even greater than my own!
  7. Khaalidah – The hardworking wife, mother, medical practitioner, writer and self-professed geek! I nominate her pretty regularly, but there’s a reason for that 😉 Her ongoing dedication to life, plus her thoughts on the world, on literature, on science fiction, and her active involvement in writing with myself and others is an inspiration. Oh, and did I mention her Revenger alter ego is the Veiled Tsunami?
  8. Greta van der Rol – Action, science fiction and romance are this ladies trademark styles, and her passion for the written word (especially the production thereof) is encouraging and astounding. Hope to rival her vast collection of tomes one day!
  9. Nina D’Arcangela – The Dark Angel lady – which is not only the meaning of her last name but her alter ego (she’s part of the Revengers too!) – her regular infusions of deep, gothic poetry and literature are nothing if not spine-tingly-dingly! But somehow, she still manages to be a bright and spunky lady and a breath of fresh air!

Congrats to all of you and all of us! I’m sure we deserve it (darn tootin’ we do!)

I Would Like to Thank the Academy…

Well, not so much the Academy, what have they done for me lately? Really, the person I need to thank is the one who nominated me for not one, but two awards: Maryam, aka. Caracaleo. Apparently, I’m doing something right in her eyes, otherwise I doubt she’d have given me the nod here. Or to be quote her words:

“This blogger is my hero. Amazing posts. Great keep up with publishing. Not to mention an amazing ability to write and talk about things I find fascinating.  Therefore it is my honor to present not one, but two awards.“

Excuse me a moment… I can’t stand praise it makes me all… gushy! Okay, all better. And now, as is customary for these awards, I shall answer the five following questions as best I can:

  1. Why do you blog?
    I started blogging two years ago as part of my ongoing efforts to promote myself as a writer. However, I’ve found that having a site and being able to share your thoughts, not just on your own work but anything really, can be a very fun and rewarding experience. These days I blog mainly so I can keep up with people, share new and interesting ideas, and hear from others and what they think. It’s become more of a way to maintain relationships than promote anything, thought I still like to do that from time to time 😉
  2. What do you hope people get from your blog?
    Honestly, I just hope they come away feeling entertained, enlightened, or both if possible. Everybody’s got their share of loves and interests, but what’s really awesome is being able to share those things with other people and knowing that they enjoy them too. I always feel good about my site and my writing whenever someone says my passion is “infectious”. It lets me know that I’m making a positive impact.
  3. Are you happy?
    Yes I am, thank you for asking. Sure, I wish I had more money, I wish I got paid to write, I wish I could go on tour and talk to people face to face more often. But right now, I’ve got everything I could possibly want. My wife, my cat, our home, our community, we live in BC, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I got plenty of people who tell me they think I’m a good guy and good writer. Who could ask for anything more?
  4. Chocolate , Vanilla, or Strawberry?
    Damn… I think I’ll have to go with Chocolate, though Vanilla is lovely with some melted chocolate or Nutella spread on top. But I can’t really discount Strawberry from the mix, it’s great with chocolate and hazelnut spread too. Oh, this is the hardest question yet!
  5. What are your two favorite bands?
    Now that is a tough one, but for the moment I would have to say Big Sugar and Peter Gabriel. The former are a Canadian Rock/Jazz/Blues ensemble that have been around years and are just plain kick-ass! I own most of their albums, have seen them numerous times in concert, and even got their farewell compilation CD autographed. As for Peter Gabriel, he’s an old favorite who’s classic rock and world beats have always been inspiring to me. While he can tough to classify sometimes, and a little weird and esoteric, no one can doubt that he’s an inspired artist who has plenty to say. And he always dressed classy!

Okay, that’s all I got for those questions. Hopefully those who read this will feel they know me a little better, which is always the point of these things isn’t it? In sharing with other people, we learn that we are never alone, that there are plenty of others out there just like us, and that we grow by the constant exchange of ideas, support, and experiences. This is why I blog, people. Thanks to Maryam for reminded me of this. Peace out :)!