The Splash Award

I've been given a Splash Award by a fellow blogger, and here are the rules:

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The Splash Award is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive, and inspiring blogs. When you receive this award, you must:

1. Put the logo on your blog/post.


2. Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.


3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.


4. Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.


5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

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Graciebird, who authors the blog Dreaming in Black and White, gave me this award, and now it is my turn to pick blogs to receive it.

I'd like to start by returning the favor and nominating Graciebird's blog, even though she has already received this award from someone else.

1. For a long time, I've been a fan of old movies, and Dreaming in Black and White reminds me of the enthusiasm I had when I was Graciebird's age and I was discovering all the great films that came along before I was born. Sometimes, I think it was this appreciation for the great writing in many old films that inspired my passion for writing. Graciebird will soon be a college student, and I hope she keeps writing her blog, even when the demands of academia occupy most of her waking hours. The modern world can learn a lot from the movies of a bygone era; Graciebird already has.


2. Back in the days before the internet was a fixture on the American scene, I taught journalism at the University of Oklahoma. One of my students, George Lang, is now the assistant entertainment editor for The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City, and one of the things he does in that role is write a blog called StaticBlog. George always seemed to be on the cutting edge of entertainment developments when I knew him at OU, and there were countless times when our roles were reversed. I can't tell you how often I heard of things through George that I had never heard before. He is a talented, learned individual, and I'm glad that he has a job that allows him to share his expertise with the readers in Oklahoma City. But you don't have to live in Oklahoma to benefit from George's knowledge. All you need to do is check out his blog.


3. Dr. Alex Goodall is a lecturer in modern history at the University of York, and he writes a blog I always enjoy reading called A Swift Blow to the Head. It seems I always learn something from what I read there. It makes me wish he had been one of my professors when I was a college student. Given our mutual interests in history and politics, I think we could have had some fascinating discussions.


4. The pastor of my church, Eric Folkerth, is really a talented fellow. I always think it is important for a pastor to give interesting sermons on Sunday mornings, and Eric never fails to deliver. But that isn't his only talent. He is also a gifted musician and, by his own admission, "the most plugged–in guy I know." Few people probably would argue the point. He posts links to audio files of his sermons on Facebook, and he writes a blog called When EF Talks. He doesn't post on his blog as frequently as I would like, because I enjoy reading his writing so much. But whatever he writes is sure to be inspiring, enlightening and entertaining — not unlike his sermons.


5. As a centrist, I appreciate good centrist writing, and one of the best sources for that is The Moderate Voice. I can't say that I communicate directly with the writers of this blog (for that matter, I don't communicate with Dr. Goodall, either), and I don't read it as often as I should, but I learn from it when I do read it.


6. Joseph M. Fasciana became a follower of this blog earlier this year, and, as a result, I've been reading what he writes as a contributor to The Political Punch, which most recently turned its attention to the Kentucky Derby, but it typically examines political issues. There's some good writing to be found on this blog, and that's something I always appreciate, even if I disagree with what is being said.
   
   And I seldom disagree with what is said at The Political Punch.


7. Longtime readers of this blog know that I worked for many years as a copy editor for newspapers. That being the case, it should comes as no surprise that I'm partial to blogs that are written by people with similar experience. Case in point: You Don't Say, a blog written by a fellow named John McIntyre. I'm not referring to the fictional "Trapper John" from the book, movie and TV series "M*A*S*H." I'm referring to a self–described "veteran editor and teacher" who spent several years on the copy desk of the Baltimore Sun. Apparently, Mr. McIntyre recently left the Sun. I don't know all the details, but we all know the difficulties the newspaper industry faces these days, and my guess is that his departure is related to that. Anyway, he wrote a blog when he worked at the Sun, and he is continuing it, at a different web address but under the same name. The original blog typically focused on language usage, and I presume the same will be true of his new endeavor. Considering some of the things I see posted on the internet every day, anyone who writes a blog would benefit from reading what Mr. McIntyre has to say.


8. Twenty years ago, I met a fellow named Kyle when both of us were graduate students at the University of North Texas. In those days, we saw things pretty much eye to eye. Over the years, I guess we've grown somewhat apart, which is a development that I regret, but it's not uncommon. And, frankly, we weren't always on the same page when we were students together. I remember once, when we were in the same journalism class, we were assigned to take a position on an issue, write about it and submit our essays to our professor. The other members of the class acted alone, but Kyle and I decided to do a point–counterpoint on the designated hitter rule. Kyle, at the time, was an American League fan and a defender of the DH. I was (and still am) a National League fan and an opponent of the DH rule. Our essays were mentioned in class by our amused professor, who said we had engaged in a conspiracy (although I don't think it affected our grades). Anyway, earlier this year, Kyle began writing a blog called therapy malaria, which can be about almost anything — whenever Kyle chooses to add something to it. Sometimes he writes about politics, sometimes he writes about sports. I guess his blog is sort of like Forrest Gump's proverbial box of chocolates — you never know what you're going to get.


9. Last, but not least, is Wizard of Otin by a fellow who goes by the name of Otin. I guess Otin looks at more blogs than anyone I know, and he has alerted me to the existence of some good ones. Otin seems to enjoy reading blogs that are opinionated, but he tends to write about the humorous angles of things. Sometimes, he gives me a good laugh when I need it — and, in these tough economic times, there are occasions when I really need it! Incidentally, Otin is always adding something to his blog. Recently, he added a chat function, and he and I chatted directly for the first time yesterday. For someone I've never met in person, he's turned into a pretty good friend. Thanks, Otin, and here's your Splash Award.

Well, that's that.

Each of these blogs has something of value to offer, and I hope you visit them and enjoy them.